NEW HAVEN magazine May 2012

MAY 2012

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INTEL Yale admissions officers denying Milestone’s entry.

Yale Applicant Goes Viral NEW HAVEN — If at first you don’t succeed, try YouTube.

That was the course of action for Pennsylvania high schooler Jackie Milestone, who was deferred from Yale University after applying to the early action pool last fall.

Milestone recorded a song and an accompanying music video pleading with the university to let her in; the chorus features the lyrics, “Yale, you’ve made me white and blue for you/Yale, If you let me in I’ll show you just what I can do.”

The video has received nearly 25,000 views, and made the news nationwide; even talk show host Conan O’Brien highlighted it on his March 1 show, where he showed a mock video response from

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Milestone says in a statement with her video that Yale has been her dream school of choice ever since she “discovered that colleges existed.”

Students in possession of nut-containing foods are sent to the principal’s office, with their parents instructed to come in and take the food at the end of the school day for disposal.

School’s Out — for Nuts

Friends in High Places

DERBY — You may feel like a nut sometimes, but keep it out of school.

School officials have voted to keep all nut products — including even foods prepared in facilities that also handle nuts — are outlawed from Derby elementary schools as of April 1.

The new policy was enacted out of concerns for many students in the district who have nut allergies, and includes food brought in by students and staff as well as food available in vending machines and in the cafeteria. The policy also applies to all school-related events and transportation.

Any food, snacks or treats brought into the classrooms for birthdays or celebrations is limited to one day per month, and must be store-

NEW HAVEN — Elm City Market is getting some high praise from high places.

A recent White House blog posting from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan praised the market for making healthy, locally sourced food available in an urban setting where a quarter of the population lives in poverty.

Merrigan was touting the “Know Your Farmer, Know

| Vol. 5, No. 3 | May 2012

Editor Michael C. Bingham, Design Consultant Terry Wells, Contributing Writers Brooks Appelbaum, Duo Dickinson,, Jessica Gianvonne, Kate Forgach ,Mimi Freiman, Eliza Hallabeck Liese Klein, Nancy Burton, Melissa Nicefaro, Cindy Simoneau, Photographers Steve Blazo, Anthony DeCarlo, Lisa Wilder, Tom Violante

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OUR COVER On the cover: A row house is part of a larger architectural entity — the wall of street-facing homes that makes a consistent backdrop for an urban way of living, perfectly rendered on Court Street in New Haven.

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IN T EL Your Food Compass,” a site designed to inform consumers about regional food systems and the benefits of local sources, when she pointed out that Elm City Market was founded in part thanks to a USDA loan. The posting praised the store for sourcing half its products from within a 200-mile radius, and for creating 100 new jobs with salaries starting at twice the minimum wage.

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Connecticut’s former attorney general says requesting user

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of the animals raiding their trash cans and bird feeders, as well as causing other problems.

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HARTFORD — Connecticut bears have lucked out. For now.

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You Are What You Eat

New Haven’s signature restaurateur explains why food is love

Photos:Steve Blazo

8

May 2012

A

former nurse and Wooster Street native, Claire Criscuolo is the proprietress of Claire’s Corner Copia, the signature downtown New Haven eatery, as well as Basta Trattoria. She’s also an author: Welcome to Claire’s: 35 Years of Recipes & Reflections from the Landmark Vegetarian Restaurant (Lyons Press, 384 pps., soft) was published this January, following three cookbooks published previously. In December she lost her business partner and husband of 36 years, Frank Criscuolo. NHM Editor Michael C. Bingham interviewed Criscuolo for ONE2ONE.

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Did you grow up in the stereotypical Italian family in which so much of family life revolves around cooking and meals?

Yes. My grandparents emigrated from Amalfi [Italy] and had a grocery store on Wooster Street — Paolo Biglio & Son. My destiny, my story was predetermined by that. Associating food with love. I learned about the importance of good food — of good, quality ingredients. Of preparing things with love for people you love. I also learned that food is a party. My grandmother took care of me a lot when my mother worked [cleaning homes], and I remember her converting cardboard boxes into a table and chairs for me, and sitting outside and having a snack, or lunch. I remember that so clearly. Cooking was never an angry sport in our family.

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You were trained as and began your career as a nurse. At what point did you decide that food might become your life’s work?

My mother was big on prevention. She would say things like, ‘Eat this — it’s good for you.’ I didn’t enjoy cooking when I grew up. I would tell my mother, ‘Don’t waste your time trying to teach me [to cook], because I have no intention of making housewifery a career.’ Yeah. So I guess, never say never.

Once I went to nursing school I saw the diseases and I saw the treatments — that had a great impact on me. When I came home at night to study the diagnoses, my mother would say, ‘Have you tried a little bit of honey?’ And I would say, ‘Mom, I can’t suggest that [to the

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Criscuolo: ’Cooking was never an angry sport in our family.

doctors] — those are old wives’ tales.’ And she’d say, ‘They work.’ And later on, so many of these things became a reality, because they really do work. I came to associate [disease] prevention with food and natural healing.

Nursing is a good, secure career. How did you catch the entrepreneurial bug?

I don’t know that I really caught the entrepreneurial ‘bug.’ My husband and I wanted to work together. I wanted to cook, and he wanted to be with me. His mother was an amazing cook. I hear men say, ‘I married my wife because she was a great cook.’ Well, I married my husband because his mother was a great cook. Her stuffed-pepper recipe is still the most popular entrée we have here. So I said, ‘Let’s open a restaurant. Then we can just be together all day and cook.’

You opened Claire’s in 1975, when women’s liberation was urging women to get out of the kitchen.

Women were telling women that the kitchen was not the place to be. I think we were wrong. We made a mistake. Being in the kitchen is a wonderful place — was then, and is now.

I read that you used your engagement ring as a collateral for the loan to open this place in 1975. True?

It is. And my mother took out a second mortgage on her house to pay off the loan. [Subway sandwiches founder] Fred DeLuca owned the lease [on 1000 Chapel Street] and he was expanding [and needed cash]. He said, ‘If you can pay off the loan within a week (or something), I will give it to you’ at a huge discount. So we gave him our engagement ring as collateral and he made us pay, like, $500 a week on the loan — he’s a good businessman.

Who owned the building then?

Bert Weisbart, the oral surgeon. He sold it to Joel Schiavone. I actually met [Schiavone] when I was doing something on the Green, and he came by on roller skates and said, ‘I like you — you’re bohemian. I’m buying that building [1000 Chapel Street]. I’m going to make you famous.’ And I’m thinking: Who is this adult man on roller skates, talking crazy?

But he bought the building. We had some issues. But then, thank God, Yale came along and bought the building. And it was just easier after that.

What is University Properties like as a landlord?

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May 2012

They’re wonderful. They’re not going to leave, and they’re not going to stop maintaining the property. They’re going to stay committed to the area, and they have. We pay our rent, we’re good tenants, and they’re good landlords. It’s a perfect marriage.

from different groups and different backgrounds could share meals together, that maybe we would realize we have more in common than we think and respect each other’s rights more.

Has Occupy New Haven affected your business?

I had been a vegetarian in college, so everyone was surprised when [we served] meat. One day I just said: ‘This is crazy — why are we serving meat here?’ And I didn’t want smoking, either.

My accountant said, ‘If you want to be a social activist, sell the restaurant and go into social work.’ But I always felt I could do as much social work, if not more, [operating the restaurant].

It really hasn’t affected our business. I mean, do I like seeing tents on the Green?

Of course not. I worry that everyone can’t enjoy the Green when some people are enjoying it a lot. Do I believe everyone has a right to free speech? Of course I do. But I don’t know necessarily that free speech involves tents.

Claire’s wasn’t originally a vegetarian restaurant. When did it become one, and why did you make the change?

I worried then about similar things that I worry about now. I also worried about people losing their sense of heritage and tradition because of this wonderful melting pot we have. And I wanted to serve what I always referred to as everybody’s grandmother’s cooking. I always thought that if people

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We’re here.

But was there a catalyst for making that change?

What turned you into a vegetarian in college?

I just liked animals. I was one of those crazy kids who picked up stray animals, and if they were sick or injured I brought them to a vet and scraped up the money [to pay the veterinarian] somewhere.

Speaking to a non-vegetarian, please make the case against meat. Is the argument ethical? Is it medical?

I don’t want to proselytize. But you can live without meat and be happy and have a huge [dietary] variety. From an environmental standpoint you save a lot of water, you save resources. In terms of organic, you save erosion of the soil; you save pesticide residue and fungicide levels.

On an empathetic level, the animals certainly can’t feel good about being killed.

For me, it’s all of those. It’s not a religion for me; it’s just something that works for me and I like that we’ve created a place where people can come and enjoy meals without meat. I’ve always felt as though if you make really delicious, wonderful food, people won’t even miss the meat. And they don’t.

Do you think Claire’s would have thrived all these years without Yale right across the street?

I don’t know. I do know that we were in a place where people were open to learning about new things. We were talking about organic when people were still saying, ‘What does that mean?’ So we’ve had wonderful opportunities to educate. I think being a psychology major in college helped a lot. Seeing how people behave

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helped a lot, which is why you’ll never see salt and pepper shakers on our tables. I observed that we Americans tend to salt and pepper our food without ever even tasting it. We thought that if you left [the shakers] off the table where customers actually have to get up to get them, then they’ll taste [the food] first. And it worked.

Why did you decide to ‘extend the brand’ of Claire’s by opening Basta?

Frank always wanted meat, and he always wanted an Italian restaurant like the places we visited in Italy. When the space [1006 Chapel Street] became available

I called him and said, ‘Okay, big shot, you’ve got 24 hours — yea or nay,’ and I told him about the space. And he said, ‘But it’s so small.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I know — but it’s enough.’ [Ed. note: ‘Basta’ is Italian for ‘enough.’)

Which is a blessing. The whole world should be.

What was the philosophy of that restaurant, compared to Claire’s?

I like to think that we were part of this movement. And I’m proud of that.

It’s the quality that Claire’s uses, plus white tablecloths and meat and fish and alcohol — Italian wines, line-caught, sustainable fish, organic chicken. [There’s] not even a freezer — the food is so fresh.

Just like in Italy.

This city has become something of a haven for healthy restaurants.

Do you feel like the trendsetter for that?

What have you learned about business in 37 years of doing this?

I guess, listen. Listen to what people say. This community is like a big hug.

People protect us. People watch our backs. They’re unbelievable. One of the girls who works here made a comment

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“I’ve always felt as though if you make really delicious, wonderful food, people won’t even miss the meat. And they don’t.” years ago. She said, ‘We have to be loyal back to them [customers] — they’re always loyal to us.’ I think that’s because we always try to do the right thing. Are we perfect? Of course not. Are there things I still want to change? You’d better believe it — things like getting straws that aren’t from 5,000 miles away and are ecofriendly. But overall, I think we do a good job. That’s what I’ve learned about business. It’s just about doing the right thing, paying your staff well and respecting everyone. It would be selfish not to help others.

How are you adapting to life without Frank?

It’s pretty bad. Terrible.

Frank was wonderful in every way. I just miss everything about him.

In interviews with you that I’ve read previously, you talk about growing up in a family that didn’t have money.

What does it feel like to have achieved financial success?

I live in the house my mother cleaned when I was a kid. It feels great. I used to drive her to work and pretend it was my house when we pulled up in the car. At 16 years old I would drop her off to clean the house and I would pretend it was my house. Years later, quite by accident, Frank bought the house. He was looking for a house on the beach, and I kept saying, ‘I don’t care where I live; I’ll be happy. You want to live on the beach? Buy a house on the beach, and I’ll move in.’ I

always say when I speak to groups: If you want to create givers, help a child. Because if a child grows up having been helped, they will help others. I have a girl who works here who’s such an amazing kid. She works so hard. And she lives in those cement apartments by the railroad station [Church Street South], where she says she hears more gunshots than she hears birds singing.

And she’s a peach. Her mother called me every single day after Frank died just to say that she was praying for me. She’s going to college next year, and said, ‘So, what are you going to study?’ She said, ‘I want to be a social worker.’ And I said, ‘That’s great — but why do you want to be a social worker?’ And she said, ‘Because so many of my neighbors and my friends grew up in foster care or had drug addicts for parents, and I want to help them.’ She could have said, ‘I want to work for whatever and make a bazillion dollars and get the hell out of here.’ I was just so appreciative.

Do you ever feel trapped by owning a successful business?

I don’t think so. Sometimes I’m not so happy when I have to come to work if I’d made [other] plans. But I don’t know that I feel trapped. I love it here. It’s a great place — meaningful work. And I get to make a living. And I don’t need five houses. I’d rather have two beautiful ones. Y

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u

By Cindy Simonea

Connecticut More women in to bear arms take up the right

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14

May 2012

through the same process with a friend.

It wasn’t something I expected to discuss in that business, but since then I’ve met many other women who have been openly discussing their own decisions.”

Rosa is not certainly not alone in making the decision to pack a pistol, or learn to shoot. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, both the National Rifle Association and the National Sporting Goods Association have reported increases in the number of women joining target shooting groups and shooting classes.

In Connecticut, while firearms dealers and shooting safety experts anecdotally report seeing more women enrolling in courses, gun ownership is still dominated by men. Some women have even cited the 2007 Cheshire-home invasion case where a mother and her daughters were killed by intruders as cause for considering arming themselves.

Angelo Appi of North Haven, owner/ instructor of Connecticut Firearms Safety, LLC, says enrollment in his classes over the past 20 years typically include about one female among every eight students.

Since the Cheshire killings, he sees classes split as high as half-male, half-female.

Many women, he adds, seek instruction with a group of other females.

Lt. Paul Vance, department spokesman/ media relations commander for the Connecticut State Police, says of the about 150,000 pistol permits in the state, a major portion are owned by men. “We are seeing a fair number of women interested in gun ownership,” says Vance, who adds that he has not yet seen a corresponding increase in permits in the most recent years.

It was not a determination that Rosa says she takes lightly. Even after a few years, she explains that she is extremely careful to keep her .380 pink-gripped pistol locked in a safe when she is home and to educate her children on staying away from her weapon. Her children, ages 12, 16 and 20, knew she purchased the gun and that she was taking classes on its use. “I have been careful about making them as aware as I am about safety,” she says.

Rosa, the owner of Rosa Realty LLC on Grand Avenue, says like others in the business she has policies about personal safety including letting others know where she and her co-workers are meeting clients.

“We are very conscious about reviewing guidelines about where are you at all times and who you are with,” she explains. “Nothing has ever happened,

but I’ve found myself in dark, isolated basements and other areas of properties where I’ve wondered what or who I’ll find. Sometimes we don’t really know who we are meeting. Usually we’ve just met people, and while most are fine, we can’t take any chances. I never want to be a victim.”

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Vance says among the groups he has addressed include real estate agents, who he agrees should be particularly cautious about personal safety. “I advise them to use intelligence in making decisions to not put themselves in unsafe situations,” says Vance.

As for deciding what kind of weapon to buy, Appi suggests women shoot both revolvers and pistols to determine which handles better and meets their needs.

“Handling the recoil of the weapon and the noise need to be considered.”

With no more than four people in his classes Appi, a former New Haven police officer, who served as a department pistol instructor, says people should seek instruction that provides one-on-one attention for such an important decision.

They should also spend as much time as possible at the shooting range to become more comfortable handling a gun.

At the shooting range, Rosa says, she is seeing more and more women on her visits. “I like seeing women there,” she says. “It makes me feel we have our own club.”

She says the detailed instruction on safety and at the shooting range really helped to prepare her for what to expect when shooting a gun. “I must say, after years of practice I really enjoy it.”

Owning a firearm, Vance says, “is an awesome responsibility. It’s not as simple as it seems on TV. Quite frankly, it’s frightening if you understand firearms safety and you see what’s on TV shows.”

Appi, too, suggests alternatives to gun ownership for women. “I tell my female students there may be easier ways to arm themselves. Women should consider using aerosol irritants such as pepper spray or Mace,” says Appi, “For anyone, having a gun in the home is not the final solution.

More effective means of personal safety are using Century lights, audible alarms.”

Now that she is comfortable with shooting, Rosa is considering upgrading her weapon. “I’ve talked to other women and men who shoot and think I may be ready to take the next step and purchase a 9 mm gun. It’s a big decision, but men make it all the time.” Y

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By Jessica Giannone How a New Haven journalist with a predilection for danger found herself on the wrong side of the shooting in the Libyan civil war

I

n a civilian prison somewhere in the sands of Tripoli, not far from the scenes of violent rebellion that precipitated the downfall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi last year, a detainee found herself quite far from home in the Libyan desert. This detainee was not a “spy,” as her captors alleged, but a female freelance journalist from the Elm City.

Before her capture, journalist Clare Morgana Gillis, who routinely reported for The Atlantic and USA Today, was in the middle of covering Libyan upheaval as a freelancer, after having come over from Egypt on another freelance assignment of her own.

“It’s just instinct,” the 35-year-old Gillis explains, of her predilection for finding danger. “You either kind of have it or you don’t in terms of running into a place that everyone else is running out of.”

This month marks the first anniversary of Gillis’ mid-May release from the Tripoli prison in which she was detained by forces loyal to Gaddafi, after being captured April 5 by government forces under increasing pressure from rebel insurgents. Gillis spent a month and a half in confinement with fellow journalists who accompanied Gillis with Libyan rebels across the desert before their capture. Gillis was later transported to a women’s prison.

Gillis was in the company of American reporter James Foley of GlobalPost and Spanish photographer Manu Brabo of European Pressphoto, on their way to report from the front lines of the Libyan

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May 2012

’I, for whatever reason, like doing [reporting] in dangerous places, kind of sketchy places,’ says Gillis.

civil war before the shooting started. The group was traveling with the rebels, whom Gillis had come to know quite well in her time spent covering modern-day North African turmoil.

“Gaddafi soldiers at 300 meters,” one of the rebels the trio were accompanying shouted as party drove through the deserts outside Brea. Gunfire sounded as rebel vehicles fled the area. Government soldiers jumped out of trucks on their way to capture the four civilians left behind, showing little mercy as two tried to take cover. Beneath a small cluster of trees, Gillis feigned at playing dead before a soldier forced his fist into her skull before dragging her to a vehicle with the others. The fourth civilian, South African photographer Anton Lazarus Hammer, was left for dead at the scene.

Of her capture, Gillis recalls: “It’s as if you’re watching it happen outside of your body. And then I had this kind of moment. It’s like, ‘Hey, girl — this is really happening. Like, pay attention.’ But you know, there’s also the sense, this is totally out of our hands right now. There’s

nothing we can do and just, you know, try not to make any sudden moves. So that’s what we did.”

Gillis’ capture precipitated an international incident after no word of her fate surfaced for more than two weeks after she was taken into custody April 5. “I became the story,” recalls Gillis, “and no journalist ever wants to become the story.”

At the time of her capture, Gillis says that although she didn’t think she was going to die, her greatest scare came from the experience of coming under fire and realizing she was being shot at.

the power” in the situation during her questioning at the prison as an accused spy, mainly because she had the answers to the questions being asked of her.

Despite her fears about what might happen to her, Gillis says she thinks her detention was harder for everybody “on the outside” — her parents didn’t even know if she was dead or alive for 16 days — than it was for her and fellow captives because the prisoners had one another for support.

“We could talk,” she explains. “We knew that we were being treated fine. We knew that we were okay, but people on the outside just didn’t know this.

“Usually you’re in a position a lot where there are bullets around, there’s things in the air,” says Gillis. “You got to watch out. Gillis and her fellow prisoners filled the But you don’t know where it’s going to hit, long hours of emptiness with chats about and [you hope] they’re not aiming at you. “favorite books, movies, life histories.”

They tried to fill the time with yoga, sit“In this case, it was like, ‘No — they are ups and reenactments of scenes from The aiming at us.”

Big Lebo ski.

YYY In prison, Gillis’ survival strategy was to continue to remind herself that she “had

When Gillis was interrogated and accused of being a spy against the beleaguered

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The unparalleled artistry of Chapel Street’s giant of gemology

All That Glitters

By Melissa Nicefaro

W

alking along Chapel Street, you can’t help but to notice the bling emanating from certain windows. We see beautiful and unique designs, and even quite a bit of sparkle coming from behind the windows at Peter Indorf, Derek Simpson and Arpaia Lang.

England, a hippie selling handmade rings from the back of an old truck, a former lawyer who needs to be hand-fed in order to stay on her feet while picking out pearls in Hong Kong, or her partner, who is still single and available — much to his chagrin, though possibly due in part to the devotion he has to his creations.

What we don’t see is a young jeweler creating a pillbox for the Queen of

From an early age, Derek Simpson was drawn to art, but it wasn’t until he was a

Photos: Lisa Wilder

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May 2012

grown man that he realized his passion for jewelry making. British-born Simpson went through the art college system in England where he specialized in working with metals. He became a silversmith, then a goldsmith and jewelry maker — a destiny that caught him a bit off guard.

“It was where I excelled, but I was surprised to find where I landed,” he jokes.

Not just a purveyor of pillboxes to Her Majesty the Queen, Simpson has been crafting exquisite original pieces in New Haven since relocating here in 1970

Following post-graduate work, Simpson moved to Paris. “I was making jewelry, living for six months in a bohemian existence.”

Simpson had family ties in New Haven, so he moved here in the fall of 1970 and opened a workshop on Park Street. He stayed there for three years, and then relocated to High Street in 1974. After 19 years there he moved around the corner to his current spot — a prime location on Chapel Street between High and York.

“There was a recession, so it was good for business exposure,” he explains. “I had a faithful clientele, and the move gave me the chance to create new things.”

Even after more than 40 years in the business, Simpson says he never runs out of new ideas — or old stories.

“In 1976, the Queen of England [Elizabeth II] was set to sail into the New Haven Harbor and the city was looking for a special gift to give to her to commemorate her visit,” Simpson says. So he was contracted to create a pillbox for her, an ornate creation that Her Majesty was impressed by.

Around that time, surrounded by affluent professionals including Yale faculty, architects, doctors, lawyers, Simpson began to create pieces for those in highincome brackets, serious baubles retailing for $15,000, $20,000 or even more.

A notably modest man, and certainly not one to name-drop, Simpson did mention that he was commissioned to recreate a dress stud that had originally belonged to Cole Porter. The matching piece belonged to composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, who wanted to reunite the pair.

Simpson’s pieces are museum-quality.

“They are unique. You’re not going to find zillions of them out there,” he says. They are also intricate and tasteful. You’re not going to find them on the Internet, either.

Derek Simpson does not have an Internet presence — not even a simple circa 1995 website.

And still, Simpson’s jewelry appeals to a broad base of customers.

Peter principle: A former hippie who sold American Indian jewelry out of the back of a truck, Indorf today embraces technology in creating one-of-a-kind pieces.

Photos: Lisa Wilder

showcases. His favorite, hands down, are creations incorporating minerals.

Mixed within the jewelry he has designed and made himself are some unique pieces that he regards as sympathetic or complementary to his own style.

“No two are the same and they lead to such unique pieces,” Simpson explains.

“I can’t possibly make everything we sell, I have to supplement it with some other pieces,” he says. That said, many of his creations are easily picked out in his showroom — a store that was designed to resemble a museum with smaller

While Simpson was setting up his first shop in New Haven in the very early 1970s, Peter Indorf was across the country in California selling handmade rings out of the back of a bread truck. The two did not yet know each other, but their paths

YYY

soon crossed when Indorf moved to New Haven and set up shop in Simpson’s former space. The two became good friends, roommates and competitors all at once.

Indorf always had an eye for jewelry, constantly looking through jewelry stores and one thing that struck him was how similar and even mundane was much of the jewelry he saw. He wanted to be different. Not only is Peter Indorf different from chain jewelry stores, he

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Every year Arpaia and Lang travel to Hong Kong where they spend days poring over pearls in search of perfection.

Photos: Lisa Wilder

is even quite different from his closest competitors.

Indorf embraces technology in designing, creating and showcasing jewelry. He rolls open his iPad, which contains his portfolio of created pieces, scrolling through the thousands of designs, each more intricate than the last. Indorf says it’s important not only to create and sell beautiful jewelry, but also to run an ethical and value-driven business. He holds a designation from the American Gem Society, a consumer-protection certification.

“That says that we’re ethical business people and it adds value to the jewelry transaction,” Indorf explains. He is also a certified gemologist and has a gem testing lab in his New Haven shop (he also has a location on the Post Road in Madison).

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May 2012

“I was a hippie in the 1980s, first working out of the back of my truck,” Indorf says.

His focus was on a style of American Indian jewelry that incorporated silver, beads and turquoise.

He says he disliked the whole Pandora bead craze, but absolutely loves natural colored sapphires, which are a different shade of blue than the heat-enhanced sapphires most are familiar with.

Indorf designs about 60 percent of the jewelry in his store. His favorite creation is a combination of 22 karat gold and pure silver that he uses a micro-hammered technique to enhance the metal’s luster.

The Unity band, commonly sold as a wedding band, is made of two rings, either platinum or gold, that intertwine, but don’t detach. Indorf holds a patent on the Unity ring.

“It’s symbolic because two become one in marriage,” Indorf explains. Unity rings are available for men and women and also are a popular anniversary gift among his clientele. His creations also include a man’s wedding band that is a soft square shape — square with the corners rounded slightly.

“It’s quite comfortable,” says Indorf.

He prefers delicate to bulky. He wants his pieces to say “custom-made” in an alluring voice. “I want my jewelry to be different, but not so different it’s weird,” Indorf says.

Since he has been in business for 40 years, he has developed a strong clientele.

“I’ve had some couples come in for bridal jewelry because I made their parents’ wedding rings,” Indorf says.

“I’m not the cheapest around,” he allows, “but you know that what you’re getting is real.”

YYY When Kimberly Arpaia and Robert Lang walked into their new space at the intersection of Chapel and Orange Streets, they were impressed with the amount of natural light streaming through the 25-foot windows. The sunshine set of the brilliance of the diamonds and makes the luster practically jump off the pearls.

Arpaia and Lang travel to Hong Kong every year to hand-select pearls at an annual auction.

“It’s grueling,” Arpaia acknowledges. “We do nothing but look at pearls for days.”

“We want everything, we’re like children in a candy store, but we know we can’t,” she says. There’s always next year.

With the pearls, Lang creates masterpieces with double-knotted, hand-dyed silk and exquisite handmade clasps, many the centerpiece of the pearl necklace or bracelet.

Arpaia says she favors the Classic Collection, a line of bracelets and necklaces that are made from small hand-twisted rings woven together. Each piece is made of 500 to 750 welded rings.

They’re so time consuming and intricate that Lang can only make one or two pieces a year.

She also knows they’re starting business in a very competitive atmosphere, just down the street from two well-known and well-respected jewelers. Lang, who had a shop in Cheshire before teaming up with Arpaia last fall, has a strong reputation with suppliers, many of whom only do business by invitation with jewelers.

Another special creation is a 39-karat diamond necklace made of nothing but small diamonds.

The store has a comfortable seating area where Arpaia encourages people to come in and pore through catalogues or magazines.

Though Arpaia loves her creations, she doesn’t form the emotional attachment that Lang does. He admits to missing some of his special pieces after they’re sold.

“I want people to be comfortable here,” says Arpaia. She insists on keeping prices as low as possible.

“I feel better knowing it’s going to be wellcared for,” he explains. “I want them to appreciate it as it becomes an heirloom.”

“I want everyone who comes in here to be able to buy something,” she says. Three tables just inside the door feature items as low as $10 and $15.

Lang has been creating jewelry since he was 17. His creations tend to be made for those looking for a staple piece of jewelry rather than a trendy piece.

They’re still new to the Ninth Square, but have big dreams of retailers the likes of Prada and Gucci taking space in the neighborhood.

“It has to be beautiful, but it also has to be comfortable and wearable,” says Arpaia, a former attorney who turned jeweler. She wants her jewelry to be seen as romantic.

And it is.

“In the meantime, we’ll continue to grow into people’s needs while serving the neighborhood as best we can,” says Arpaia.

Y

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By Ashley Chin Photo: Lisa Wilder

The Flagman Cometh I

magine being your own boss, but never having to sit for even an hour in an office barking orders at your employees and telling them what to do.

Now, imagine having the freedom to decide where and when you should park your business for the day.

Photos: Lisa Wilder

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May 2012

For the past 20 years Bill Shields, 53, has done just that. And even though his company doesn’t have a fixed office, it is one of the most visible enterprises in the Elm City.

Shields does business most days just off Exit 46 of I-95, hard by New Haven Harbor. Few know Shields by his legal name, but thousands of Connecticut Turnpike motorists know about the “Long Wharf Flagman.”

Continued on 25

For two decades Bill Shields — a/k/a the ‘Long Wharf Flagman’ — has been selling flags of every stripe

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CLARE GILLIS Continued from 17 GaddaďŹ government, “I thought well, it’s like, ‘Okay — it took them long enough to get around to this.’ [The accusation] was on the table, and when they started talking about it really seriously, I was like, ‘Okay, this is all bull****. Like, I’m not a spy. Google me. You’ll see I wrote articles.’â€?

In response, her interrogators “just seemed to have very little familiarity with the concept of Google or what one might use it for which made me lose a certain amount of faith in their entire investigative technique,� she says. “In prison, one thing you realize really, really fast is all you have is your own mind,� Gillis explains. “Like, you can’t control your external circumstances.

So you have to keep your mind strong because if your mind goes, you don’t come back from that.�

Gillis was ďŹ nally released on May 19, after a hearing before a Libyan judge. After that she was transported to the Tunisian border and released.

In light of her experience, Gillis explains it shows no good to dwell on “things that can’t be changed.â€? She says after an experience like that, all she could ask for is to gain some wisdom and approach future jobs with the notion lessons can be learned. “[Danger] was on our radar,â€? Gillis explains, “We just didn’t think it was going to happen that day, or to us, or generally. But that’s, you know, your ďŹ rst mistake‌It’s a dangerous job. I didn’t realize the extent to which that was the case before it happened.â€?

She attributes her attraction to covering foreign wars and revolutions to having “just a curiosity and an occasional lack of common sense.�

She adds that her experience serves as a reminder to put her safety ďŹ rst in future adventures, and “hopefully not misadventures.â€? “This has become the normal, where she is in a country where there are problems,â€?

Gillis’ mother Jane explains, “and she’s going to do what she wants to do, and we support her.�

Gillis says she plans to continue to be based in Libya, though not reporting from there exclusively. “I’ve devoted a lot of time to Libya, and I think it’s been pretty productive.�

Gillis reiterates it is she who chooses to go to these faraway places and cover these stories, which are history in the making. “I, for whatever reason, like doing [reporting] in dangerous places, kind of sketchy places,� she says. “What is adrenaline producing about interviewing people in these situations is you just get straight to the hopes and dreams. Like, they have the sense they could die today, you know? Or they’re dealing with what it is to look at another human being and try to kill him. And that’s profound power and emotion.�

Gillis adds, “It’s really close to the surface and that’s the adrenaline rush‌to tap into that just by being on the scene.â€? “That’s why I freelance,â€? she says. “I don’t want anyone telling me what to do or when I should come or when I should go. Because every story has its own rhythm, and you have to spend time to discover it.â€? Y

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FLAGMAN Continued from 22

Shields, a West Haven resident, has been selling flags of every stripe out of a converted box truck for two decades. That truck can be found most days at a vendor stop along Long Wharf Drive, parked cheek-by-jowl among hot-dog and taco trucks. He inherited his truck that today proudly displays the name “Flagman” in bold black letters on the side, back in 1992 from a friend who used it to sell flowers.

Flower trucks, food trucks — a dime a dozen. How does one come up with such an unusual business idea as a flag truck? Shields says that his flag business started from a hobby gone wild, and that most of the flags he sells he has personally researched their history and origin.

“From a young age I’ve always been interested in geographical things,” says Shields.

After 20 years of working in the commercial printing business Shields decided to venture into new territory and began selling flags.

“It started out as a hobby, then I found that there was a market,” says Shields. “I like the symbolism of the flag — they all mean something.”

With his hobby come the more than 600 flags he drives around with on any given day in the back of his truck that can be seen from the highway, its flags snapping freely in the fresh offshore breeze.

With the exception of a few controversial flags (e.g., the Confederate “Stars & Bars”), if you ask for it he most likely has the flag you’re looking for — and in more than one style.

“It’s a strange business — if you have one style, you have to have them all,” says Shields,

who likes to boast he has every national flag on earth.

But not national flags alone.

Shields has flags of beer companies, POW/MIA flags, historic flags as well.

Depending on the size of the flag, prices for most of his inventory range from $5 to $20.

(Shields says he will provide volume discounts to bulk buyers.)

All kinds of customers visit Shields’ flag truck. Some bar or liquor-store owners who want flags to hang up as advertisements; others who need small flags for parades or special occasions. But some of Shields’ most enthusiastic customers are those from other countries.

The foreign-born who have emigrated to the U.S. from other countries typically buy flags because they miss their homelands, and the flags they acquire have sentimental value in more ways than one.

“They hang them out in their yard and it brings home a little closer to them,” Shields explains.

for Veterans Day,” Shields explains. “I guess he was a Marine.”

Depending on the time of year, some flags sell more briskly than others.

“Right now I’ve been selling a lot of POW/MIA flags as well as American flags and ‘Don’t Tread On Me,’” says Shields.

Shields gets the occasional repeat customers who have purchased flags from him before, and can’t help but stop by to buy more when they see the flags from the highway.

“I bought two flags from him a couple months ago — ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ — I gave them to my friends,” said Vietnamera U.S. Navy veteran Charlie Turcott. “This is the first naval flag — one’s for me and one’s for my friend.”

Turcott purchased one of many naval flags that Shields sells, the First Navy Jack, which is the first naval flag ever made, It has 13 red and white stripes with a yellow and red serpent and the legend “Don’t Tread On Me” below it.

With spring having sprung, Some also buy flags to express the Flagman looks forward to their respect and affection for his business picking up speed. their heritage, such as Jamie The cold winter months put Hazelton, who purchased an a damper on business, but Italian flag from the Flagman Shields began selling roses to display on a Wooster Square and flowers as well to even building that once housed an out his revenue stream over 12 Italian consulate. “Neighbors months and keep his flag truck requested we hang a flag there business in the black. for the history of the building,” “It’s the pre-season for the flag Hazelton explained. business — business doesn’t Many of Shields customers do that well until after St. do their research on particular Patrick’s Day,” Shields said flags that they purchase from in early March. “We prosper him as well, including a during the summer.” number of flags that date back Due to ongoing highway to the American Revolution, construction in recent years on which helps to explain the 35 I-95, including reconfiguring different varieties of American Exit 46, Shields has had to flags in his collection. relocate his truck three times.

Sales of some flags spike when specific holidays approach.

“There’s a guy who’s supposed to stop by to buy some flags

Business slowed during the construction, he acknowledges, but no matter where he is parked on Long Wharf people

know who he is, and when he’s open for business with his flags flying high.

“Being next to the highway you make a market by yourself,” Shields explains.

Shields’ truck has been at its current location for about a year and a half now. Even so, he notes that when people who are not from the area try to find his flag truck, socalled “helpful GPS” devices have a hard time pinpointing his exact location due to the highway construction.

“The moving does not help because [potential customers] are not used to us” changing locations, he says.

Some may say that Shields flag business is unique, and he would even agree. Because his business is so close to the highway, Shields gets the occasional out-of-state customers who are curious to see what is up with the flags that can be seen waving from the highway.

“It’s a nice business — it’s been good to me,” says Shields.

Shields recently hired his first employee — someone to man the flag truck at times when he cannot be there or on days when he thinks business might be slow.

“I like the business very much, but sometimes you get tired of it,” said Shields.

Whether it is a gloomy or brilliant day, hot or cold he parks his truck to sell flags of every stripe to the public, and shows no sign of giving up on his business that began innocently as a hobby. Shields says that he will continue to sell flags just two miles from his house until the cows come home.

“It’s been around for 20 years,” the Flagman says. “It is what it is.” Y

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Reclaiming a piece of history on a ‘secret’ Elm City street

A removed wall between the kitchen and the rear side parlor allows for an open space where those eating and cooking can enjoy a view of the Buicks’ backyard.

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May 2012

By Duo Dickinson

AT H O M E

By Duo Dickinson

I

f you know New Haven, you know Wooster Square. It is the more intimate counterpart to the very public New Haven Green. Whereas the Green is surrounded by civic buildings, Wooster Square is surrounded by homes, most dating from the 19th century, some of which represent the most beautiful architecture New Haven has to offer — most either row houses or freestanding Italianate “villas,” most of which have been restored to a fare-thee-well. It is a place that embodies some of the nicest ambience any New England city has to offer.

But there is a less well-known but equally compelling part of the Wooster Square neighborhood that is, on some levels, exquisitely “perfect” — Court Street. Court Street is a classic narrow urban street flanked by row houses.

The street has undergone a series of changes that mirror the ebbs and flows of changing economies, visions of what houses should be, and finally how urban centers like New Haven can find a future in which people of means begin to reoccupy our urban centers.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANTHONY DeCARLO

The vast majority of Court Street was built by the Home Insurance Co. in 1870. The project was a spectacular failure and the buildings were taken over for liquidation and sold for $7,500 each by the probate court — a disposition from which, ironically, the street derived its name. new haven

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A classic interior, whose only element original to the 1870 home is the fireplace front, sports new trim and windows that fully reflect the ambience of the antique.

The original ‘core’ of the building with its full-span heavy timber ceiling affords space for both eating and observation. Note the outsized sliding doors (right) that overlook the salt marsh, and the existing broad softwood floors.

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May 2012

The prototype Court Street row house has four storeys plus basement. The lowest floor, accessed by walking down a half-level, houses a kitchen and servants’ quarters. The floor above that includes a parlor and dining areas, with bedrooms on top two floors above that.

All of the Court Street townhouses are quite small — just 20 feet wide and 30 feet deep. At the time of their construction, not only were they economically unfeasible, but also they were already behind the curve for spec-built upscale housing, as home-buyers who could afford the asking price for these well-built residences were moving elsewhere to live in freestanding homes.

As a result, the vast majority of these row houses soon became sub-divided into rooming houses through the 1920s. Even worse, during the Depression these typically well-kept rooming houses devolved into a virtual “skid row” for the down-andout until 1960, when New Haven’s aggressive program of urban renewal under thenMayor Richard C. Lee came face-to-face with this little

neighborhood’s deteriorated state.

Unlike Oak Street — a similarly distressed neighborhood that was essentially leveled to create the Route 34 Connector — Court Street survived New Haven’s mid-20thcentury scorched-earth philosophy of urban renewal, but in a way that segued serendipitously into another burgeoning movement, historic preservation, that was sweeping American consciousness in part as a reaction to the mindless demolition of so much history.

The city opted to encourage private redevelopment of these row houses into singlefamily or, at worst, floor-byfloor apartment conversions.

The street was narrowed to a single lane, with access limited to those who lived on it, and the classic 1960s/’70s tree planters, benches, etc. soon created a vision of urban re-habitation and gentrification that elevated and then stabilized the sad state of this block.

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The rescue of Court Street from the wrecker’s ball was so successful that the original diverse group of landlord and tenants has transformed into a new generation of homeowners who are rehabbing the rehabs done in the 1960s. And there is no finer rehabilitation that executed by homeowners Bill and Katie Buick, and built by John Bianchi of Residential Renaissance. Bill Buick is a psychology professor at Quinnipiac University, while is fully engaged in a variety of volunteer interests.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANTHONY DeCARLO

Among the qualities that make row houses so compelling is their repetitively residential nature with stair-accessed stoops and small-scale detailing. This effect is even more pronounced on Court Street where, because one developer created the vast majority of homes, there is a consistency that lend the landscaping, individual front door entry details and other appurtenances and appointments enhanced meaning.

The Buicks hired Marc Houston to draft plans for a type of renovation and restoration that not only rises to the level of a true historic

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Trim and accoutrements make a completely renovated bedroom (including high velocity HVAC system visible in the port in the ceiling at top right) feel timeless.

With children either in college or out on their own, the Buicks’ dogs now have full reign over the home.

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May 2012

YYY The Buicks bought their Court Street home in 2004 almost on a whim, as they had settled for suburbia following graduate school years in the nation’s capital. But they always remembered with fondness an earlier, pre-parenthood era, as Bill recalls. “We would often spend our weekends wandering around Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria [Va.] admiring the old town- and row houses.”

son in college, so the newly reinvented 2,400-square-foot home was filled to brimming with humans. The fourbedroom original plan was effectively reduced to three bedrooms to create more storage space. And as is typical in row houses, the floor levels perfectly split up into discrete uses.

Bill Buick recounts how the design/build process engaged the home’s original bones: “It was almost like the old house was guiding us in our decisions,” he explains. “As we uncovered the old walls, we found curved arches and left them.

We uncovered a beautiful curved wall by the central staircase.”

John Bianchi recounts that the demolition included “hauling almost 40 tons of demo debris off the site, with little more than a few upset neighbors and weekly visits from New Haven’s finest. We discovered the main-floor ceiling had been lowered approximately one foot. We believe [the previous owners] did this because it was easier to cover up the old damaged plaster moldings than to restore them.”

At the time the rehab was completed, the Buicks had two teenagers and another

decis

Buying a townhouse that had the classic 1960s rehab of covering up everything original, the Buicks knew they were in for a full gut-renovation and had the good sense to stay out of it until it was fully re-rehabbed, occupying in 2006. Virtually all interior walls

and surfaces were removed. The only material that does not replicate the 19th-century ambience is the strip oak flooring, carried over from the 1960 renovation that saved the Court Street townhouses.

ions

preservation project for which existing detailing is saved and/or mimicked, but also adheres to the best standards of new technologies that enable greater levels of energy efficiency and comfort to make living easier and, in the present parlance, more “sustainable.”

The lower floor, a few steps down from the street, which has direct on-grade access to an extraordinary backyard, was their boys’ “playroom” — a place where television, games, and the normal messy roughhousing of youths could be accommodated. The open space was refitted with a powder room and a strip kitchenette, allowing it to serve as a guest bedroom suite as well. The floor above that reclaimed its role as a place for social gatherings and dining, with a new kitchen and living area. The space is bathed in light from both ends of flowing through the open plan, with spaces defined by arches and trimmedout openings. The third floor became a master suite with an office. The top floor was given over to the boys’ living accommodations.

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deci

must admit making the decision to leave my lovely home and move to Tower One was a big one. There were many hours of thought and discussions with my family. After visiting my new home we all came to the conclusion, that it was the “right move— to the right place—at the right time.”

It has turned out to be one of the wisest decisions I have ever made. Tower One has served as an excellent supportive, warm and gracious environment.

Sometimes I just don’t know where the time goes during the day. Between the activities and life enriching programs one can attend I find myself with a full schedule. Life is good.

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A tightly designed custom kitchen features all the beels and whistles of a modern place to cook in a traditional house. Note the bared brick wall at the fully restored stairs (right).

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May 2012

All sorts of major and minor moves allowed the home to be completely rehabbed, involving new trim to match existing, recycling the existing stairwell and opening up the previously subdivided interior to allow light to ow throughout the house, supplemented by the insertion of a strategic skylight directly above the stairway that connects all four levels.

Throughout, the new bathrooms evidence the kind of antique-friendly ďŹ xtures and surfaces, and the trim and molding work, although almost universally new, directly respects and often completely mimics the original home’s 19th-century heritage. The stairs had to be completely rehabbed, in fact pulled back onto the bearing wall (where they had almost lost their grip). For the set of stairs going down to the lower level, the original brick wall was revealed and stabilized, not only adding an inch or two in width to that part of the house, but also providing a classic glimpse into the dominant building technology of the day.

The heating and air conditioning for this project employs a high-velocity tube system that was ďŹ ne-tuned to the point of silent performance with a minimum of imposition into such a tightly contained three-dimensional space. One lone sofďŹ t was dropped at the lowest level to accommodate all the airow, and the size of the heating unit in the row house’s basement is smaller than most dishwashers.

The brick exterior was fully restored after chemical poultices removed layer after layer of paint , with all the brownstone sills surgically replaced. Bianchi’s skill is best appreciated by what is not visible after ďŹ ve-plus years of occupancy — no cracks, no slumps, no sagging doors. The home is “plumb, level and squareâ€? yet the original restored surfaces have the patina that only age affords.

Like all good design projects, this house has sustained the change in occupancy from house full with parents and children to the empty-nester

Buicks. “Our dogs now have their own rooms,� notes Katie.

The colors chosen throughout the entire interior are both subtle yet visually vibrant, and complemented by the expressive, colorful art provided by one of the Buick’s children, who has gone on to art school.

An economic failure 140 years ago precipitated the evolution of this one block of New Haven to the point where it has come full circle. Today the extraordinary central location and private sensibility of Court Street’s contained and coordinated block shows that history does repeat itself.

The good intentions of the Home Insurance Co. are now fully (if belatedly) realized. The result here is both timeless and topical. As Bill Buick notes: “We ended up with a very livable, ‘smart’ space and have enjoyed low heating bills.

We have also enjoyed becoming part of a very vibrant community. There is always something happening on Court Street.�

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B IB L IO F I LE S

Planes, Trains & Automobiles New volume traces evolution of transportation in the Nutmeg State Post Roads & Iron Horses: Transportation in Connecticut from Colonial Times to the Age of Steam, by Richard DeLuca.

Wesleyan Press, 288 pps. $35 cloth ($16.99 eBook). wesleyan/edu/ wespress.

factory in what would become Newhallville in 1851,

By Michael C. Bingham

F

rom the first post roads carved tentatively from Indian paths to the soul-crushing disaster that is I-95, the history of transportation in Connecticut is for all practical purposes the history of the Nutmeg State itself since the dawn of European colonization.

Transportation wonks and history buffs will do well to check out Cheshire author Richard DeLuca’s fact-filled history of the evolution of transportation networks in the nation’s thirdsmallest state — an evolution that transformed Connecticut from what the first Puritans considered “a hideous & desolate wildernes [sic], full of wild beasts & wild men” into a predominantly urban and industrial landscape by the dawn of the 20th century, where DeLuca’s narrative ends.

(Of course, it was the dawn of another technological innovation in transportation — the “horseless carriage” — that would reverse the trend of urbanization and fuel the ebb tide of workers from city centers to now more accessible suburbs following World War II.) Post Roads & Iron Horses may be the first volume to examine in detail the turnpikes, steamships, canals, railroads, bridges and trolleys (which DeLuca stubbornly insists on referring to as “street railways”) that helped to define and channel the growth of Connecticut and southern New England, in particular the New York-to-Boston corridor.

By virtue both of its central location along the coastline and its tradition as a hotbed of commercial innovation, the Elm City figures prominently in DeLuca’s narrative. Following upon Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793, the harnessing of steam power made George Newhall the first carriage-maker in Connecticut to employ steam engines when he opened his

34

May 2012

As the 19th century unfolds there is conflict a-plenty as various corporate and political interests maneuver to attain and maintain control over the movement of passengers and freight in the region. The principal culprit of the late 19th and early 20th centuries is the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad (“the New Haven,” in popular shorthand), especially after it fell under the control of the rapacious plutocrat J.P. Morgan and his minion, company president Charles S. Mellen.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. During the earliest days of colonial Connecticut, most European settlers or their descendents were engaged in subsistence farming, and what little travel took place was mainly on foot (horses were, and remain, expensive). But the need for sharing information between and among the English North American colonies prompted officials as early as 1638 (the year the New Haven Colony was founded) to petition Charles I for the authority to establish a postal service in the New World. (Their request was denied, but later approved by the murdered monarch’s son, Charles II, following the Restoration.)

Nevertheless, a makeshift postal service soon emerged on the backs of pioneers who were willing to “adventure through the wilderness” to navigate the 500-mile round trip between Boston and New York that consumed the better part of a month.

By the second half of the 18th century the combination of increasing population and limited farmland transformed the economy from one based on subsistence agriculture to one that included increasing amounts of intercolony trade and small-scale manufacturing. Thus the need for more and improved roads to facilitate improved communications and trade.

Given the predilection of the current administration in Hartford for throwing hard-earned taxpayer dollars at any large corporation that enables the governor’s office to issue a “job creation” press release (surely ESPN will relocate to Alaska if

we don’t shovel more corporate welfare its way), it is an historical irony that state government in Connecticut mainly stayed on the sidelines with regard to financing transportation “infrastructure” projects.

Instead, as DeLuca points out, it was the legal instrument of the joint-stock corporation that was responsible for the financing of business ventures including manufacturing, banking, insurance and, of course, major transportation projects whose cost was beyond the means of any person, partnership or municipality.

But the instrument of the joint-stock corporation invited the kinds of abuses of predatory capitalism that led to the reform movement of the early 20th century. None more so than Morgan’s and Mellen’s schemes to mold the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad (also known as the Consolidated) into a virtual transportation monopoly that controlled not just passenger and freight rail travel, but also steamships plying the waters of Long Island Sound between New York City and Rhode Island, and even city trolley lines. Their overreach invited investigations by Boston lawyer (and later Supreme Court justice) Louis Brandeis and later the Interstate Commerce

Commission, which forced the railroad to divest may of its component business.

Forced gain to compete on a level playing field, the New Haven line eventually drifted into bankruptcy in 1935.

By that time, of course, the availability and increasing affordability of personalized transportation in the form of the automobile was transforming the

way people in Connecticut moved hither and yon. And just three years after the New Haven line breathed its last, the first second of the Merritt Parkway between Greenwich and Norwalk opened to traffic, foreshadowing an era when adults would spend much more of their time in automobiles, on highways — and in traffic jams. Y

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ART

noon-8 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

Opening Annual Showcase of new works by elected artist members of the Lyme Art Association. In addition, landscapes by the Connecticut Plein Air Painters.

April 27-June 10 at Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St., Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free.

860-434-7802, lymeartassociation.org.

Works by Anna Held Audette are the subject of Modern Ruins: A Retrospective. Paintings of disappearing industrial forms provides the main theme for Audette’s imagery.

April 29-May 27 at John Slade Ely House, Center for Contemporary Art, 51 Trumbull St., New Haven. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Free. 203-624-8055. elyhouse.org.

Tilted Plane. Photographs by Phyllis Crowley and paintings and collages by Nancy Eisenfeld explore the landscape from above. May 3-27 (opening reception 2-5 p.m. June 2) at City Gallery, 994 State St., New Haven. Open noon-4 p.m.

Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203-782-2489, citygallery.org.

Geographies of Solitude: Andrew Hogan and Gigi Horr Liverant. Works by photographer Hogan and painter Liverant. May 24-June 24 (opening reception 4-7 p.m. May 24) at Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. & Sun. Free. 203-3899555, kehlerliddell.com.

Hot Off the Presses: Representational Printmaking: A collection of handpulled works showcasing a variety of printmaking techniques. June 15-July 29 at Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St., Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 860-434-7802, lymeartassociation.org.

Continuing The Hamden Art League’s 57th annual Goldenbells Art Exhibition includes original works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, drawing, printmaking and mixed media. Through April 26 at Miller Memorial Library Senior Center, 2901 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. weekdays. Free. 203-494-2316, hamdenartleague.com.

It’s the second annual [Junk or Genius] International Juried Group Exhibition featuring select works from 17 award-winning international artists.

Through April 28 at Gallore Gallery, 68 Washington St., Middletown. Open 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 860-7882764, galloregallery.com.

The exhibition Shiny Pop includes prints, drawings and photographs from the Artspace Flatfile. Through April 28 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Open noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Thurs.,

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May 2012

Birds, flowers, landscapes, still life and colorful ceramics by five resident artists, Laurie Marchessault, Sharon R. Morgio, Ralph R. Schwartz, Regina M. Thomas and Margaret Ulecka-Wilson.

Works in oil, pastel, watercolor, mixed media and clay. Through April 29 at Elm City Artists Gallery, 55 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily except Sun. Free. 203-922-2359, elmcityartists. com.

Shared Sensibilities: The Art of Sol Lewitt (1928-2007) and His Friends.

Selections from the LeWitt collection feature more than 40 works by 17 artists, including paintings, sculpture, photography and works on paper by artists including Alan Cohen, Charles Gaines, Arlan Huang, Julie Moos and Richard Ziemann. Through April 29 at Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center, 144 W. Main St., Waterbury.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sun. $5 ($4 seniors, children under 16 free). 203-753-0381, mattatuckmuseum.org.

Paintings of disappearing industrial forms provides the main theme of works by Anna Held Audette in Modern Ruins: A Retrospective at John Slade Ely House.

Spectra 2012 is the photo arts collective annual members show.

Through April 30 at McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery, 70 Audubon St., 2nd Floor, New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

Free. 203-772-2788, newhavenarts.org.

a.m.–4 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Free. 203-389-9555, kehlerliddell.com.

Amy Arledge exhibits copper plate etchings of subjects principally from nature. Through April 30 at City Galley, 994 State St., New Haven. Open noon-4 Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203-782-2489, citygallery.org.

New abstract and minimalist work

by Enrico Riley and Kevin Finklea.

Through May 25 at Giampietro Gallery, 315 Peck St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Free.

203-777-7760, giampietrogallery.com.

Reveal: Images of New Haven, 18501900 explores how photography advanced technologically and artistically throughout the late 19th century. Through April 30 at New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri, noon-5 p.m. Sat. $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, free 12 & under. 203-562-4183, newhavenmuseum.org.

With a Lot of Help from Our Friends celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Friends of Davison Art Center (FDAC) group with an exhibition of more than 70 prints and photographs by artists from Rembrandt to Erich Heckel to Carleton Watkins, all acquired by the FDAC. Through May 27 at Davison Art Center, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown.

Open noon-4 p.m. daily except Mon. Free.

860-685-2806, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Curated by Fritz Horstman, the group exhibition Material Measure: Use and Reinvention of Maps includes works by artists Leila Daw, Billy Friebele, Mike Iacovone, Martha Lewis, Gerald Saladyga, Karin Schaefer and Kevin Van Aelst. Through May 5 at the Institute library, 847 Chapel St., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sat. Free. 203-562-4045, institutelibrary. org/events.

The annual Still-Life Exhibition at Susan Powell Fine Art includes works by more than two dozen artists.

Through May 6 at Susan Powell Fine Art, 679 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Sat., noon-3 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-318-0616, susanpowellfineart.com.

Keith Johnson and Edith Borax Morrison includes photographic work and enigmatic pen and ink drawings.

Through May 13 at Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven.

Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 10

New Haven’s Sentinels: The Art & Science of East & West Rock features paintings and works that celebrate the local innovations in art and geology in 19th-century New Haven, including East and West Rocks in particular. Through May 31 at New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sat. $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students, free 12 & under. 203-562-4183, newhavenmuseum.org.

While these visions did appear: Shakespeare on Canvas is an exhibition drawn from the Yale Center for British Art’s permanent collection of paintings that explore historic representations of Shakespeare’s scenes and characters by artists working in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibition focuses on depictions of Shakespeare’s comedies, and also draws on comedic elements from the tragedies and histories, including The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,

The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice and As You Like It. Through June 3 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free.

203-432-2800, britishart.yale.edu. …isms: Unlocking Art’s Mysteries examines 100 works of American art and culture from the 18th to the 21st centuries to explain art movements and styles. Through June 10 at Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $9 ($8 seniors, $7 students, free 12 & under). 860-434-5542, flogris. com.

An exhibition of recent works by Connecticut artists Tim Nikiforuk and Blinn Jacobs. Through June 15 at Gallery 195, First Niagara Bank, 195 Church St., 4th fl., New Haven. Free. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 203-772-2788, newhavenarts.org.

Building An Image is an exhibition of collagraph prints by Holly Keller, L.S. Auth and Barry Keller. Through June 30 at 360 State Gallery, 360 State St., New Haven. Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily Free.

215-896-2131, 360statestreet.com/gallery.

The Knights of Columbus Museum, in cooperation with the William G. Congdon Foundation, presents an exhibition of paintings by American artist William Congdon, together with a series of Lenten meditations written in the 1960s by Father Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. Through September 16 at Knights of Columbus Museum, 1 Columbus Plaza., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Free. 203-8650400, kofcmuseum.org.

ONSTAGE Opening

Photo: John Daughtry

Two suburban couples have more in common than their identical homes and the same last name on their mailboxes in The Realistic Joneses. Yale Rep stages world premiere by Pulitzernominated playwright Will Eno, who has been dubbed “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.” Sam Gold directs. April 20-May 12 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. $73-$54. 203-432-1234, yalerep.org.

In The Heights tells the story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood on the brink of change.

It comes to the Shubert June 1-3.

The madcap adventures of the eccentric bohemian Mame Dennis and her adoring nephew who has been sent to live with her are told through the musical tale Mame: The Musical Sensation! April 20-July 1 at Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam. $75.50-$47.50. 860-873-8668, goodspeed.org.

Pandemic pandemonium: Red Noses

by Peter Barnes is a comedy about a wandering monk who believes God has given him the mission to bring humor and laughter to plague-afflicted villages in 14th-century France. Kaia Monroe Rarick directs. 8 p.m. April 24-28, 2 p.m.

April 29 at John Lyman Performing Arts, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $10. 203392-6154, tickets.southernct.edu.

Gertrude Stein’s Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights redirects the legend of the scholar who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for infinite knowledge. 8 p.m. April 26-28 at CFA Theater, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. $8 ($5 seniors). 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Snow Angel is set in the small town of Deerpoint, which has been hit by the biggest blizzard in 107 years. Fifteen teenagers must brave the stormy weather to help an enigmatic girl whose quest to solve a mystery unites, divides and perplexes the group of teens. Performed by the Oddfellows Junior Repertory Co. 7:30 p.m. April 26-28 at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington St., Middletown. $15 ($8 seniors, students). 860-347-6143, oddfellows.org.

Based on Chaim Potok’s classic novel, My Name is Asher Lev is a coming-ofage story that follows the journey of a young painter torn between his Hasidic upbringing and his passionate desire to fulfill his artistic dreams. May 2-27 at Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $72-$62. 203-787-4282, longwharf.org.

Told as a modern myth, Fox Play examines the cost of holding on to the past and the terror of moving forward.

By Jake Jeppson. Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz. A production of the seventh annual Carlotta Festival of New Plays. 8 p.m. May 4, May 8 & May 11, 2 p.m. May 10 at Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. $10. 203-432-1234, drama. yale.edu/onstage.

On the rocky shores of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, a house stands against a storm. Outside, the boats cling to their anchors and the sea churns, waiting. One by one, three banished sons return home and discover their fisherman father has turned the house that they grew up in into a church. By Martyna Majok. Directed by Tea Alagic.

A production of the seventh annual Carlotta Festival of New Plays. 8 p.m.

May 5 & 10, 2 p.m. May 9 & 12 at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. $10. 203-432-1234, drama.yale. edu/onstage.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the touring Broadway musical based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film. 7:30 p.m. May 11, 2 & 7:30 p.m. May 12, 1 & 6 p.m. May 13 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $72-$35. 203-562-5666, 800-2286622, shubert.com.

The Bachelors, by Caroline V. McGraw.

Inside a house on Fraternity Row, a house in which DVDs serve as coasters, live three roommates far past their college days. A thousand girlfriends come and gone, a thousand parties attended, a thousand drinks downed, every night the same — until now.

Tonight is Pledge Night on Frat Row, but it is not the blaring music that makes sleep impossible. Tonight, these bachelors will understand what their relationships have really gotten them. Directed by Alexandru Mihail.

A production of the seventh annual Carlotta Festival of New Plays. 8 p.m.

May 6, 9 & 12, 2 p.m. May 11 at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. $10. 203-432-1234, drama.yale. edu/onstage.

The Blue Man Group is a high-energy, non-spoken show that blends comedy, music and technology performed by a cast of, well, blue men. 7:30 p.m. May 22-24 at Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $69-$49. 203-346-2000, palacetheaterct.org.

Teddy and Alice is a play about the battle of wills between the U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and his free-spirited, strong-willed daughter.

May 10-June 10 at Seven Angels Theater, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury. $35. 203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

In Elm Shakespeare’s production of American Buffalo, three small-time crooks plot to steal a valuable buffalo nickel only to be undone by their own entrepreneurial greed as well as their complete incompetence to carry out even a simple robbery. May 10-20 at

Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. $35-$25. 203-393-1436, elmshakespeare.org/stage.

Amazing Grace, a musical saga about John Newton, a rebellious slave trader, and the woman who never lost faith in him. Based on the true story of the man who penned the world’s most recognizable song. May 17-June 10 at the Norma Terris Theatre, 33 N. Main St., Chester. $43. 860-873-8668, goodspeed. org.

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is a classic comedy of manners in which two flippant young men, in order to impress their respective beloved, pretend that their names are “Earnest,” which both young ladies believe confers magical qualities on their possessor. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. May 25-June 16 at Center Stage Theater, 54 Grove St., Shelton. $25.

203-225-6079, centerstageshelton.com.

In The Heights tells the story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood on the brink of change, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. June 1-3 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $72-$35. 800-228-6622, shubert. com.

The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife is a comedy about middle-aged Marjorie, who is enduring a mid-life crisis.

Apparent emotional rescue arrives in the form of an old high school friend, Lee, who seems to have the glamorous life that has passed Marjorie by. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. June 1-17 at Eastbound Theater, 40 Railroad Ave. S., Milford. $17 ($15 senior/students). 203382-0969, milfordarts.org.

Set in the swinging 1970s Neil Simon’s Last of the Red Hot Lovers portrays middle-aged Barney Cashman, a nebbish who desperately wants to join the sexual revolution before life passes him by. 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Wed. & Sun. June 6-24 at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. $40 ($35 seniors, $20 students, $15 12 & under). 860-767-7318, ivorytonplayhouse.com.

Continuing Machiavelli’s L’Andria (The Girl from Andros) is produced by the Yale Drama Coalition as part of Shakespeare at Yale, a semester-long series of special events celebrating the Bard. 8 p.m. April 19-21 at Stiles-Morse Crescent Theater, 19 Tower Pkwy., New Haven. Free.

Registration. yaledramacoalition.org.

A humorous one-woman show created

by Brass City native Maria Baratta, Vignettes of an I-talian American Girl evokes the story of a goody-goody Italo-American girl who clashes with her rebellious younger sister. Through April 22 at Seven Angels Theater, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury. $35. 203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson: Benjamin Braddock’s disastrous sexual odyssey is brought to life in this stage production of the classic 1967 movie The Graduate.

new haven

37

MUSIC Classical Yale Opera’s new production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia feature stage direction by Vera Calabria, who has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses. Douglas Dickson and Timothy Shaindlin provide musical direction. 8 p.m. April 27-28 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $15-$10 ($5 students). 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Vocalist Ann Hampden Callaway brings her singular interpretations of the Great American Songbook to the Katharine Hepburn Theater May 19.

Student Competition Winners. The annual Chamber Music Competition selects the finest performances from the graduate Yale School of Music.

CAGE Third Construction; SMALLEY Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano; STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel; BRAHMS Piano Trio in C Major, Op. 87. 8 p.m. May 1 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale. edu.

Under the direction of Benjamin Verdery, Yale School of Music ensembles offer a recital of Guitar Chamber Music. 8 p.m. May 2 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale. edu.

Dancing Through Time explores the rich world of the French Baroque suite, with dances from Lully’s Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Purcell’s King Arthur, as well as an orchestra suite taken from Rameau’s astonishing score of Dardanus. 8 p.m. May 3 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Annual Organ Romp. The annual closing of the organ concert series features Wesleyan student organists, pianists and percussionists performing new music and non-standard organ repertoire. There’s even a costume theme! 10 p.m. May 3 at Memorial Chapel, Wesleyan University, Middletown.

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

Akahoshi & Parisot. The Yale School of Music’s Faculty Artist Series presents a performance by cellist Ole Akahoshi and pianist Elizabeth Parisot. 8 p.m.

May 4 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music. yale.edu.

The Yale Baroque Opera Project presents two performances of Montiverdi’s opera Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, with libretto by Giacomo Badoaro. Musical direction by Grant Herreid. Orchestral direction by Robert Mealy. Stage direction by Toni Dorfman.

8 p.m. May 4-5 at University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Wesleyan’s Collegium Musicum performs the diverse vocal and instrumental repertories of the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods of European music under

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the direction of music professor Jane Alden. 9 p.m. May 5 at Memorial Chapel, Wesleyan University, Middletown. Free.

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

The Janus Trio is three exceptional musicians — flute, viola, harp — classically trained, yet championing new composers and works-in-progress collaborations. The group has been anointed “a gorgeously subtle trio” by Time Out New York. 4 p.m. May 13 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $25. 877503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra presents Elgar’s Enigma, featuring as its centerpiece the composer’s popular Enigma Variations, Op. 36 and Salut D’Amour, Op. 12. Also, DVORAK Slavonic Dances; IVES Three Places in New England; HAYDN Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major; PERSICHETTI The Hollow Men. 7:30 P.M. May 17 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. $65-$10. 203-865-0831, newhavensymphony.org.

Popular Former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay comes to the Kate for a solo acoustic show. 7:30 p.m. May 2 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $35. 877503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

Former lead singer of the Youngbloods (“Get Together”) and acclaimed solo artist Jesse Colin Young comes to the Kate. 7:30 p.m. May 3 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $50-$47. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

The award-winning Ameranouche features the melodic virtuosity of guitarist Richard Sheppard. This riproaring trio is a super force of hot acoustic jazz, sometimes referred to as hot swing or Gypsy jazz. 8 p.m. May 3 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $10. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

Acclaimed Windham Hill pianist and composer Phillip Aaberg graces the stage of the Kate for an eclectic concert.

The classically trained Aaberg’s music blends classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock and new music elements into his compositions. 8 p.m. May 5 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $32-$28.

877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater. org.

Ebony Singers Spring Concert. The Wesleyan University Ebony Singers are conducted by one of New England’s leading authorities on gospel music, Marichal Monts (Wesleyan ‘84). 8 p.m.

May 7 at Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. $7-$5. 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Formed in the early ‘90s as a somewhat antagonistic retort to grunge, Cake’s democratic processes, defiant selfreliance and lucid yet ever-inventive music has made them a nation-state unto themselves with no apparent peers. 8 p.m. May 9 at Palace Theatre, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $52.50$37.50. 203-346-2000, palacetheatrect. com.

John Tesh: Big Band Live. On stage with 14 performers, all-around showman Tesh will play favorite big band tunes, including “In the Mood,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “Beyond the Sea” and many more. 7:30 p.m. May 10 at Palace Theatre, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $65-$35. 203-3462000, palacetheatrect.com.

Yale’s Ellington Jazz Series presents Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts. Drummer Wilson performs with Michael Rodriguez, trumpet, flugelhorn; Gary Versace, piano, organ, accordion; and Martin Wind, bass. 8 p.m. May 11 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $30-$20 ($10 students). 203-4324158, music.yale.edu.

MPress recording artist Seth Glier grabs audiences with his powerful falsetto, melodic prowess and what Performer magazine calls his “intoxicating groove.” The 22-year-old singer, pianist and guitarist — who abandoned studies at the Berklee

College of Music after one year because he “decided I should be playing for people and not for grades” — aims straight for the gut and has quickly established himself on the national scene by performing more than 250 shows a year. 8 p.m. May 11 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $20. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

Main St., Waterbury. $55-$25. 203-3462000, palacetheatrect.com.

St., Old Saybrook. $50-$45. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

Classic rockers the Atlanta Rhythm Section (“So Into You,” “Imaginary Lover,” “Spooky”) rock the Kate. 7:30 p.m. May 17 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $55-$50. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

Memphis rapper Mario Mims, better known as Yo Gotti, comes to York Street as part of his Road to Riche$ Tour. Zed Zilla opens. 9:30 p.m. May 21 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $20 ($16 advance). 203-624-8623, toadsplace.com.

The members of the sea-chantey quartet Forebitter — Geoff Kaufman, David Littlefield, Craig Edwards and Rick Spencer — are renowned in sea music circles for their intricate harmonies that are blended with a host of musical instruments to make for a fun and lively evening of music. 8 p.m.

May 12 at First Congregational Church, 1009 Main St., Branford. $15. 203-4887715, folknotes.org/branfordfolk.

Lucy Kaplansky is folk, but not country folk. Hers is modern urban folk with takes on motherhood, New York City, the Middle East, and the war in Iraq.

Family informs her recent work as does her work as a psychologist, but it is her haunting voice that linger in listeners’ minds. 7:30 p.m. May 18 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $27. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

The Canadian duo Madison Violet has sold out venues across North America and Europe, toured with Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe, and shared stages with contemporaries such as Chantal Kreviazuk, Ron Sexsmith and the Indigo Girls. 9 p.m. May 22 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $8. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

Former Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine formed his new band, the California Transit Authority (the band Chicago’s original name was Chicago Transit Authority) with Emmy-awardwinning keyboardist Peter Fish and guitar wizard Marc Bonnilla not to rehash Chicago classics but to create their own brand of lively, melodic rock. 8 p.m. May 12 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $45. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

Firehouse 12 Records artist Mary Halvorson brings her criticallyacclaimed quintet back to Crown Street to celebrate the release of her new CD, Bending Bridges. 8:30 and 10 p.m. May 18 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $18-$12. 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com.

Song parodist Weird Al Yankovic brings his Alpocalypse Tour to the Brass City.

7 p.m. May 13 at Palace Theatre, 100 E.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Just follow Ann Hampton Callaway, who has wowed audiences in New York and beyond with her swinging and suave interpretations of the music of Porter, Arlen & Mercer, Ella, Nina Simone and others. 8 p.m. May 19 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main

Born and raised in Barbados and educated at the Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Elan Trotman approaches jazz in his own way, blending Caribbean rhythms from his roots with skillful horn textures and urban contemporary sounds. 7:30 p.m.

May 24 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $20 ($17 advance). 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce were Cream — one of the most influential bands in rock history, melding blues and psychedelic rock into a sound never heard before, selling millions of albums, and penning hits like “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room.” Sons of Cream — Baker’s son Kofi on drums, Bruce’s

son Malcolm on bass and Godfrey Townsend on guitar — pay tribute to this amazing legacy, recreating Cream’s sound and songs. 7:30 p.m. May 29 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $42-$37.

877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater. org.

Drummer Allison Miller will be familiar to Firehouse 12 audiences who heard her perform with Jeff Lederer’s Shakers and Bakers in 2008. This time she brings her energetic Boom Tic Boom to New Haven. 8:30 and 10 p.m. June 1 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $18-$12. 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com.

World Balinese Gamelan and Dance.

An evening of traditional and contemporary Balinese music and dance. 7 p.m. May 1 at World Music Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown. Free.

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

The Wesleyan Chinese Music Ensemble, in collaboration with the Wesleyan Orchestra and Chorus, will present works associated with the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, and music in various regional styles. 8 p.m. May 6 at Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave., Middletown. $3-$2.

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

Performing Art

85 Willow Street, New Haven, CT 06511 203.799.6400 | audioetc.com

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CALENDAR BELLES LETTRES The Mystery Book Club meets the first Wednesday to discuss a pre-selected book. Books are available for check out prior to the meeting. 3-4 p.m. May 2, June 6 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-483-6653, blackstone.lioninc.org/booktalk.htm.

Meet the Author: Thomas J. Craughwell, who will discuss his new book The Greatest Brigade: How the Irish Brigade Cleared the Way to Victory in the American Civil War. 7 p.m. May 3 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

New members are welcomed to the Blackstone Library Second Tuesday Book Club. The group meets on the second Tuesday to discuss a preselected book. Books available for loan in advance of discussion. 6:45-8 p.m.

May 8, June 12 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-488-

1441, ext. 318, blackstone.lioninc.org/ booktalk.htm.

Author and writing consultant Sandi Kahn Shelton will offer a Writing Workshop designed to help attendees ““stay the course” to complete writing projects. 6-7:30 p.m. May 9 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. $5. 203-946-8835, sandishelton.com.

Author Jason J. Marchi and illustrator Jesse J. Bonelli will read from their beautiful and fascinating book, The Legend of Hobbomock: The Sleeping Giant. This picture storybook is for readers ages six to ten, and for older readers who love Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden and anyone interested in Native American folklore. 2 p.m. May 12 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration.

203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Release your inner poet. Time Out for Poetry meets third Thursdays and welcomes those who wish to share an original short poem, recite a stanza or simply to listen. Ogden Nash, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Dr. Seuss and even the Burma Shave signs live again. 12:30-2 p.m. May 17 at Scranton Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison.

Free. 203-245-7365.

Astronaut Mark Kelly offers personal reflections on the lifechanging shooting of his wife, then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, May 4 at SCSU’s Lyman Center (see LECTURES).

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The Poetry Institute of New Haven hosts Poetry Open Mics each third Thursday Come hear an eclectic mix of poetic voices. 7 p.m. May 17 at Young Men’s Institute Library, 847 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. thepoetryinstitute. com.

The Classics Group ponders William Faulkner’s The Sound & the Fury, the story of the fall of the Compson family, a bourgeois Jackson, Miss. family in the early years of the 20th century. 3 p.m.

May 21 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-4683890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Novelist Ann Patchett (Run, The Patron Saint of Liars) offers a special evening in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the New Haven Free Public Library. Presented in collaboration with R.J. Julia Booksellers of Madison. 6 p.m. May 29 at Ives branch, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Cost TBA. Registration. 203-946-8835, nhfpl. org.

Remembering Shakespeare tells the story of how a playwright and poet in late 16th- and early 17th-century England came to be remembered as the world’s most venerated author.

Exhibition brings together works from the holdings of Yale University’s

Elizabethan Club, Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale Center for British Art and Beinecke Library, in an unprecedented display of one of North America’s finest collections on Shakespeare. It affords viewer a unique visual history of how the “Booke” of Shakespeare was made and read, written and remembered, from his lifetime through the present.

Through June 4 at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 121 Wall St., New Haven. Free. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri., noon-5 p.m.

Sat. 203-432-2977, beineckelibrary@ yale.edu.

BENEFITS Shubert Gala Benefit. The Birthplace of the Nation’s Greatest Hits celebrates its 97th birthday. Cocktails, food, entertainment, live and silent auctions and much more. Proceeds to benefit the operation and care of the College Street landmark. 5:30 p.m. May 17 at Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven. $275. Reservations. 203-624-1825, shubert.com.

CINEMA On the eve of World War II, a British officer (Robert Taylor) revisits Waterloo

EXPOSITIONS

Bridge (1940, 108 min., USA) and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of World War I and the young ballerina (Vivien Leigh) he met just before he left for the front. Mervyn LeRoy directs. 5 p.m.

May 31 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

The inaugural Connecticut Vegetarian & Healthy Living Festival features organic food vendors, healthy lifestyle exhibitors and more. 10 a..m-6 p.m. April 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 29 at Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford. 860-844-8461.

COMEDY

FAMILY EVENTS

Every Wednesday evening Joker’s Wild opens its stage to anyone who wants to try standup comedy — from brand-new comics to amateurs to seasoned pros. As Forrest Gump might say, each Open-Mic Night is kind of like a box of chocolates. 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $5. 203-7730733, jokerswildclub.com.

Each Tuesday the Yale Astronomy Department hosts a Planetarium Show. Weather permitting there is also public viewing of planets, nebulae, star clusters and whatever happens to be interesting in the sky.

Viewable celestial objects change seasonally. 7 & 8 p.m.

Tuesdays at Leitner Family Observatory, 355 Prospect St., New Haven. Free. cobb@astro.yale.edu, astro.yale.edu.

Funnyman Sinbad has been ranked by Comedy Central as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians in the history of, well, stand-up comedy. 8 p.m. May 5 at Lyman Center, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $35 ($30 SCSU faculty/ staff, $15 students). 203-393-6154, tickets.southernct. edu.

Philatelists unite! Young people ages eight to 15 are invited to join the Hagaman Library’s monthly

(first Saturdays) Stamp Club. In addition to learning about stamps, attendees learn a lot of history and many other fascinating things from club leader and World War II veteran Judge Anthony DeMayo. 10 a.m. May 5, June 2 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Creating Readers Saturdays at 2 Program. A fun, interactive program that engages young readers by bringing books to life using theater, dance and music.

Each family that attends receives a copy of that week’s book to take home. 2 p.m. Saturdays at Connecticut Children’s Museum, 22 Wall St., New Haven. $5. 203562-5437, childrensbuilding.org.

LECTURES Commander Mark Kelly leads a personal presentation on the trials faced following the near-assassination

Airports, Casinos & Local Service

An equal-opportunity offender, John Moses’ comedy transcends racial and cultural barriers — appealing to black, white and brown audiences, the young and old, upstanding citizens and the morally bankrupt.

With observations that are so on target it will make audiences laugh until it hurts, Moses’ style is shrewd, raw and uncompromisingly funny. Langston Kerman opens. 8 p.m. May 11, 8 & 10:30 p.m. May 12 at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $18. 203-773-0733, jokerswildclub.com.

Andrew Dice Clay has made a career of being the most outrageous comic of his generation. This month you can catch him right on Wooster Street. 7 & 10:30 p.m. May 18-19 at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $85-$50. 203-773-0733, jokerswildclub.com.

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HERITAGE TAXI

203 466-6666

CRAFTS Calling all knitters and crocheters! Meeting last Tuesdays, the Hagaman Library’s casual Knitting Circle is open to all who want to share tips and show off new projects. 6-8 p.m. April 24, May 29 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven.

Free. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

CULINARY Consiglio’s Cooking Class Club. Chef Maureen Nuzzo explains and demonstrates how to prepare mouthwatering southern Italian dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation. May’s menu includes stuffed artichokes, fettuccine in shallot sherry lemon sauce, steak Pizziaola, followed by chocolate mousse cake. 6:30 p.m. May 17 & 31, 2 p.m.

May 26 at Consiglio’s Restaurant, 165 Wooster St., New Haven. $65. Reservations. 203-865-4489, consiglios. com.

City Farmers Markets New Haven. Eat local! Enjoy seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs from local farms including seafood, meat, milk, cheese, handcrafted bread and baked goods, honey, more. WOOSTER SQUARE: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at Russo Park, corner Chapel St. and DePalma Ct. EDGEWOOD PARK: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays at Whalley and West Rock Aves.

203-773-3736, cityseed.org.

DANCE The Wesleyan Department of Dance’s Spring Dance Concert presents works by student choreographers following a full year of dance composition studies.

8 p.m. May 4-5 at Center for the Arts Theater, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. $5-$4. 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

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Calendar Continued from 42 of his wife, then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az.) in Gabby: A Story of Courage & Hope. A moving tribute to the power of true grit, the patience needed to overcome unimaginable obstacles, and the transcendence of love. 7:30 p.m. May 4 at Lyman Center, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $20 ($15 SCSU faculty/staff, $10 students). 203393-6154, tickets.southernct.edu.

MIND, BODY & SOUL Matthew Raider, MD leads a workshop on The Healing Power of Meditation.

New and experienced meditation practitioners can learn about the latest science about meditation and engage in a brief session of calm. 1-2 p.m. April 11 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free. 203-946-8835.

Led by Nelie Doak, Yoga promotes a deep sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being. 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.

5-6:30 p.m. Fridays at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. $10. 203-4881441, ext. 313, yogidoakie@earthlink. net or events@blackstone.lioninc.org, blackstone.lioninc.org.

NATURAL HISTORY Featuring paintings and works from the New Haven Museum’s collection and geological objects from the Yale Peabody Museum and Wesleyan University, the exhibition New Haven’s Sentinels: The Art and Science of East and West Rock celebrates the local innovations in art and geology in 19th century New Haven. Exhibition centers on the changes in the worlds of art and science and the significance and inspiration of New Haven’s local geology from the founding of the colony to our modern city. Through May 31 at New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sat. $4 ($3 seniors, $2 students, under 12 free).

203-562-4183, newhavenmuseum.org.

Big Food: Health, Culture & the Evolution of Eating is a collaboration between the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement at the Yale School of Public Health, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Multimedia exhibition begins with the neuroscience of appetite, genetics of obesity, and how food and energy are stored in the body.

It will examine behavioral choice in nutrition and exercise as well as the influence of social, environmental and cultural settings. Visitors will investigate our origins as huntergatherers; explore societal pressures such as the progressive growth of portion sizes; tackle media influences on food preferences; and consider serious health consequences that have

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increased the burden of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. Through December 2 at Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, noon-5 p.m.

Sun. $9 ($8 seniors, $5 children). 203-4325050, peabody.yale.edu.

SPORTS/RECREATION Spectator Sports The Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League open their 2012 season with a four-game series against the Camden Riversharks. 7:05 p.m. April 26-27, 2:05 p.m. April 28-29 at Ballpark at Harbor Yard, 500 Main St., Bridgeport. $20-$8. 203-345-4800, bridgeportbluefish.com

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

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

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 at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203773-9288, paulproulx@sbcglobal.net, elmcitycycling.org.

Tuesday Night Canal Rides. Mediumpaced rides up the Farmington Canal into New Haven. May split into two groups based on riders’ speed but no one will be left behind to ride alone.

Lights are essential. 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Café Romeo, 534 Orange St., New Haven. Free. william.v.kurtz@gmail. com.

Elm City Cycling monthly meeting occurs on the second Monday. ECC is a non-profit organization of cycling advocates who meet to discuss biking issues in New Haven. Dedicated to making New Haven friendlier and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

7 p.m. May 14 at City Hall Meeting Rm. 2, 165 Church St., New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org.

Golf Mothers Against Drunk Driving presents the 18th annual MADD Golf Tournament. 11 a.m. registration, lunch, 12:30 shotgun start followed by dinner.

Proper golf attire — soft spikes, no

Award-winning novelist Ann Patchett helps the New Haven Free Public Library celebrate its 125th anniversary May 29 at the Ives branch (see BELLES LETTRES).

jeans. May 7 at Wallingford Country Club, 195 Long Hill Rd., Wallingford. $800/ foursome. 203-764-2569, ext. 302, madd. org.

Road Races/Triathlons Take advantage of the opportunity to take part in the inaugural Cheshire Half-Marathon & 5K, which benefits Abilities Without Boundaries, Best Buddies CT and the Cheshire Lions Club. 8:30 a.m. (5K start 8:45) April 29 at Cheshire High School, 525 S. Main St., Cheshire. $45 half-marathon, $28 5K. jbsports.com.

Celebrate Mothers Day by running the Milford Hospital Live Well 5K. 9 a.m.

May 13 at Milford Hospital, 300 Seaside Ave., Milford. $30 ($20 17 and other).

203-876-4004, hitekracing.com/livewell.

Astronaut Mark Kelly offers personal reflections on the life-changing shooting of his wife, then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, May 4 at SCSU’s Lyman Center (see LECTURES).

Woodland for Women Worldwide sponsor the Run for a Revolution 2012, a 5K run and two-mile walk to benefit the Somaly Mam Foundation, Ethiopia Reads, and the Woodland for Women Worldwide Scholarship Fund.

10 a.m. May 19 at Woodland Regional High School, 135 Back Rimmon Rd., Beacon Falls. $20 ($10 12 and under). woodlandforwomenworldwide.org.

Please send CALENDAR information to CALENDAR@conntact.com no later than six 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.

WOR D S o f M O UT H EDITOR’S PICK: Yamadora Korean BBQ & Sush The fiery spice and grilling genius of Korean cuisine is slowly making inroads into the American food scene: Sweet and savory barbecue is turning up on more menus and kimchi, an addictive pickled cabbage condiment, is showing up in more fridges. Now fans of the full range of Korean food have a destination eatery in East Haven, of all places.

Yamadora opened up last year in Trolley Square Plaza, home to several other excellent ethnic eateries. Hedging their bets, the owners also offer a full sushi bar and an array of Japanese dishes for those looking for a more familiar Asian splurge.

With decorative slices of wood on the wall and subtle rice paper sconces, the restaurant’s décor is modern and casual, skirting stereotype and offering flattering light to all. Servers are attentive, welcoming and can explain even the most complicated dish in perfect English.

Most meals at Yamadora start with the appealing Korean tradition of banchan, an array of cold side dishes and pickled vegetables designed to stimulate both appetite and digestion.

Our six banchan included golden triangles of fish cake, tender and succulent with only a mild fish flavor, a bright contrast to a peppery and assertive tangle of pickled radish nearby.

Zucchini and onion melted together in a milder preparation while crunchy slabs of cabbage kimchi were effervescent and tangy with fermentation. Best of all were some crisp green shoots and cucumber which brought both heat and crunch.

Banchan are tasty and steadily replenished, but don’t neglect to leave room for an appetizer order of scallion and seafood pancake ($14.95), eggy and packed with tiny shrimp and roughchopped scallion. It’s sliced like a pizza, dipped in a light soy broth and an excellent partner to more assertive dishes.

For a main dish, meat lovers can choose among dozens of variations on barbecue, Asian-style. A chef’s specialty of Kalbi Jjim ($24.95) braised beef came out in a steaming bowl, the tender meat literally falling off hefty slabs of rib bone. With the texture of a fine pot roast, the beef is infused with soy, aromatics and a touch

At Yamadora, Peter Dong serves up savory banchan including samkyup sal (pork belly) and yamadora kalbi (short ribs).

Photos: Lisa Wilder

of sweetness. Slow-roasted carrot and radish bring melting texture and a pop of color to the dish.

Another steaming bowl held a soft tofu stew ($11.95), scarlet with chilies and punctuated with crunchy vegetables. It was warming, filling and energizing at the same time, perfect for a chilly day or a restorative sweat.

Both dishes came with expertly cooked and tender short-grain rice, worthy of a spotlight all its own. Arriving in a covered metal dish, the rice was too good to end up with the leftovers — we finished every grain.

Wow your friends by accompanying your meal with a bottle ($15) of unusual and invigorating Bek Seju, a rice wine flavored with ginseng. Served cold, the seju is mild and mellow with only hint of

the herb’s medicinal kick.

Desserts are hardly traditional with Korean meals, but your American stomach may thank you for indulging in some of the gelato-based offerings at Yamadora. A creaming pistachio concoction ($6.95) helped offset the fire of chile and garlic and bring our meal to a satisfying close.

With its friendly service and accessible yet challenging menu, Yamadora is ready to take adventurous diners to the next level in their appreciation of Korean cuisine.

Yamadora Korean BBQ & Sushi, 352 Hemingway Ave. (Trolley Square Plaza), East Haven (203-467-9200, yamadora. com).

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NEW EATS: Little Salad Shop They’re standbys of cafeterias and Walnuts, apples and other ingredients delis, but salad bars aren’t usually the were in perfect proportion and at $9, centerpiece of a dining experience. Leave with some bread, it was an ample meal. it to some enterprising Yale students to The Green Salad was a bit heavy on think there’s some green in greens and dryish broccoli florets, but the overall open a salad emporium near campus on dish was still satisfying and flavorful.

High Street.

The only off note on both salads was Little Salad Shop is the latest miniflavorless and greenish off-season eatery on this cozy block, and there’s tomatoes, barely fit for compost. One barely room for a few benches in a hopes the proprietors will learn to leave narrow storefront. Exposed brick, tomatoes out completely if those sorry weathered wood and some bonsai-like specimens are the best available. shrubs in the window add to the hipster Soup and smoothies round out the ambience. The young proprietors menu; a case of beverages can slake have also done their homework on your thirst. The eatery could use a few merchandising, with shelves of T-shirts occupying prime real estate.

During a recent lunch hour, the tiny space buzzed with a mélange of customers, from scruffy students to workers from nearby offices and construction sites.

One of my reservations about salad-centered eatery was addressed right away — you don’t have to make millions of decisions on topping and ingredients if you don’t want to.

The front of the shop is plastered with huge chalkboards full of salad combinations ripe for the ordering.

Yes, you can create your own masterpiece, but if you don’t feel like deliberating, the selections up front are guaranteed to harmonize. Composed salads include beef, grilled chicken, turkey and other hearty proteins and come in sizable, biodegradable containers.

The Beet Haven salad scored with both flavor and texture, meaty L-r: Co-founders Robert Klinger, Etkin Tekin hunks of turkey and and Jerry Choinski at slabs of cooked beet the Little Salad Shop on blending with a mellow High Street. lemon vinaigrette.

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non-sweet drink options, but Atticus and Starbucks are only steps away if you must have a grown-up beverage. Frozen yogurt and chocolate emporiums are also close for a less healthy (but no less appealing) finale to your meal.

With its healthy, hearty and tasty offerings, Little Salad Shop earns an above-average grade from this diner.

Let’s hope this student project survives well beyond its founders’ graduation dates.

Little Salad Shop, 45 High St., New Haven (203-691-5882, littlesaladshop.com).

Photo: Lisa Wilder

JUST A SIP: Wet Willy Scotch Ale, Velocipede Vodka In the meantime, the company’s vodka can be found at better bars or liquor stores including 116 Crown and Amity Wine & Spirits. A second spirit, Ninth Square Rye, is coming soon, according to the distillery’s website.

Although too strongly flavored for vodka purists, Velocipede has a lovely fruity nose and a smooth mouth feel, with mellow hints of sugar cookie. It’s tasty neat and would be an excellent mixer.

I

t’s a locavore’s dream: an entire meal that is locally sourced, from appetizer to aperitif. And with the recent debut of several new adult beverages from in and around New Haven, that dream is closer to reality.

A fine start to an Elm City-centric meal would be a Wet Willy Scotch ale from New Haven’s New England Brewing, now available in bottles at nearby liquor stores.

In recent years, New England has steadily expanded its line to include some stronger cousins to its ubiquitous Elm City Lager and Sea Hag IPA. Tasty seasonals like Gandhi Bot, a hoppy double IPA, and the Neighbor of the Beast, a Belgian strong ale, can lately be found on tap at New Haven pizzerias and restaurants. Easily parsed names may not be New England’s strong suit, but tasty beers certainly are.

At nearly $10 a bottle, Wet Willy is a special-occasion quaff, as evidenced by

its neck crowned with foil and a gold seal. It’s good at cool room temperature as well as lightly chilled, and is perfect for any occasion where a whiskey might be served. It’s also more than twice as strong as a typical mass-market beer, better to be sipped than chugged.

Tawny and with an aroma of caramel and vanilla, Wet Willy hits the palate with a bracing bitterness with just a touch of sweet malt. The dry finish and hoppy tang make this beer both refreshing and powerful, an excellent start or finish to a hearty meal.

Haggis, anyone?

Another fine accompaniment to locally sourced cuisine would be a glass of Elm City Distillery’s Velocipede vodka, slated to soon become the first New Haven-made legal spirit in living memory. Based in Durham, Elm City announced plans in February to relocate its operation to State Street.

Finally, for a Eurofabulous end to a meal, try a shot of Subarashii Kudamono Asian Pear Eau de Vie, a stylish fruit brandy made

by Westford Hill Distillers of Ashford.

Westford Hill usually transforms local fruit into its potent spirits, but this time has used Pennsylvania-grown Asian pears from grower Subarashii Kudamono (“excellent fruit” in Japanese) to excellent effect.

In an elegant tapered bottle, this eau de vie first hits the nose with an Old World complexity — sweet, sour and boozy at the same time. It’s smoother and more tempered than some of the company’s other brandies, perfect to cut through the torpor after a big feast.

Americans are rediscovering the pleasure and utility of an after-dinner spirit, following the lead of Italians, who have made the digestif a fine art with their grappas and amaros. A small shot of these powerful spirits (40 percent alcohol or more) somehow makes a big meal go down better — as long as you’re not driving, of course.

Subarashii Kudamono would be a great hostess gift or splurge to take your locavore dining to the next level. It can be found at the Wine Thief and other quality liquor outlets.

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Over The Hill in Hadlyme

By Susan E. Cornell

I

s your 4x4 used pretty much exclusively to shuttle the kids to and from school, pick up a few groceries and transport yourself to work? Not exactly much of an adventure! In fact, who needs a 4x4 for tooling around town, anyway?

Whether you’re a beginner or a lifelong truck nut, taking a course can help you understand your vehicle’s functionality and off-road capabilities, and allow the two of you to release a few “yee-haws.”

Overland Experts (OEX), located in the sticks of the Hadlyme section of East Haddam (along with rock steps, ditches, moguls, mud, water and a gravel pit), makes for one extremely cool field trip. Long before Bruce Elfström, the son of a documentary filmmaker father and a freelance journalist mother who once worked for the UN, established an off-road driving school and expeditionplanning company, he was driving 4x4s all over the world since the age of eight. In the 1980s, the then-biology grad student was teaching newbies how to get the most from a 4x4 vehicle without abusing the environment, passengers or the vehicle itself. Elfström went into biology, leading field research while training off-road drivers. Eventually, in 1998 he shifted, um, gears, and made his profession out of what he enjoyed most — being outdoors, teaching and the science of off-road driving.

What Overland Experts offers is mainly for the recreational/4x4 travel fan, but also serves both the military and professional groups such as humanitarian aid and disaster relief agencies. On the recreational/4x4 training side, OEX offers a 4x4 and off-road driving school, as well as overland and expedition training.

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At OEX, students lean that their 4x4s are useful for more than just dropping off the dry cleaning.

If you really love nature, challenges and have the discretionary income, OEX expeditions travels to Iceland, Labrador, Kenya, Mongolia, Egypt, New Zealand, Vermont and Vietnam. On the 2012 calendar, there are self-drive trips in Iceland, Mongolia and Labrador.

Participants are not necessarily alpha male thrill-seekers. There are outdoor enthusiasts (people who use a 4x4 to get to places for hiking, beach fishing and mountain biking), overland enthusiasts (those undertaking very-long-distance off-road travel), vehicle enthusiasts who want to learn how to get the most out of their 4x4s, eco-aware types who fear they will damage the environment if they drive off road recklessly, and those taking part in OEX excursions.

Ages range from 16 (with parental consent) to 80s. People come to OEX, explains Elfström, because, “Our reputation is for very realistic and non-macho approach to driving off road. We teach the science and understanding of off-road driving — this in turn becomes an art form when done well.”

Which means, exactly, what?

“We are known for methodical and linear process that really does form long-term skill sets,” he explains. “We are known for modest, approachable trainers that are not

the TV commercial macho wannabes. We have the largest and most diverse 4x4 fleet in the world.”

Adds Elfström, “People know if the Navy SEALs choose us, then we must be the best — but this does not intimidate them since we do all levels of training, and have for over 15 years. “ For private classes one to three days in duration, the cost is $750 a day for the first person and an additional $200 daily for each additional person. Two days is $1,200 and $400. Three days is $1,800 and $600. If you BYO vehicle, the cost is $600 and $150 respectively. (Two days is $1,050 and $300/ per person added; three days is $1,500 and $450).

OEX also runs winter terrain driving workshops for those looking to sharpen their skills in cold-weather conditions, managing the challenges of snow, ice and mud. Additionally, OEX offers modular classes for small groups to attend a series of classes designed to be taught in units to work together. Modules include fundamentals (basics of the mechanics of 4x4 systems, understanding power distribution, etc.), recovery, terrain negotiation, field repair and how to lead a trail with 4x4 convoy group.

For additional information, visit overlandexperts.com or phone 860-873-9640.

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