New Haven magazine April 2012

MARCH/APRIL 2012

www.newhavenmagazine.com www newhavenmagazine com

You Gotta Have

Faith HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL

FEBRUARY HOUSE

AT LONG WHARF

KITEBOARDING IN CONNECTICUT

20 Grand Avenue New Haven, CT 06513

Pre-sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID New Haven CT Permit No 375

$3.95

New Haven

RESTAURANT WEEK

TM

Sunday, APRIL 15 – Friday,

APRIL 20

18 LUNCH

$

32 DINNER

$

PRIX FIXE MENUS INCLUDE APPETIZER, ENTRÉE & DESSERT Prices do not include beverage, tax or gratuity.

Advanced reservations are recommended.

Some restrictions apply.*

Participating RESTAURANTS: 116 Crown Adriana’s Restaurant & Wine Bar Barcelona Wine Bar Basta Trattoria Bentara Restaurant Café Goodfellas Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven Caseus Fromagerie Bistro Central Steakhouse Christopher Martins Restaurant Consiglio’s Restaurant Geronimo Gilt Heirloom Ibiza Restaurant

203-777-3116 203-865-6474 203-848-3000 203-772-1715 203-562-2511 203-785-8722 203-773-1444 203-624-3373 203-787-7885 203-776-8835 203-865-4489 203-777-7700 203-562-3331 203-503-3919 203-865-1933

John Davenport’s Restaurant

203-974-6858

Dinner Lunch & Dinner Dinner Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch (Friday Only) & Dinner Lunch & Dinner

Kudeta L’Orcio

203-562-8844 203-777-6670

Leon’s Restaurant Miya’s Sushi Oaxaca Kitchen Pacifico Press Artisan Pizza Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar Soul de Cuba Thali The Cask Republic The Kitchen Table Tre Scalini Ristorante Union League Café Zafra Cuban Restaurant & Rum Bar Zaroka Bar & Restaurant Zinc Restaurant

203-562-5366 203-777-9760 203-859-5774 203-772-4002 203-787-0227 203-787-3466 203-498-2822 203-777-1177 475-238-8335 203-787-5422 203-777-3373 203-562-4299 203-859-5342 203-776-8644 203-624-0507

Lunch & Dinner Lunch (Friday Only) & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Dinner Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner Lunch & Dinner

Visit infonewhaven.com/restaurantweek #NHRW

What’s Your MASTER Plan?

Accelerated Degree Programs to Enhance Your Career

James Scott ‘07

GET SMARTER EARN MORE ADVANCE YOUR CAREER Master’s and Undergraduate Degree Programs Flexible 8-week Schedules Five Start Dates Per Year Full or Part-time Study On-ground, Blended and Online Course Delivery (Save Gas!) ALBERTUS MAGNUS COLLEGE

albertus.edu

700 Prospect Street • New Haven • 203-773-8505 4

March / April 2012

INTEL

Flash! — Colleges Students SexCrazed Connecticut may be home to some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher learning, but they apparently are also full of awkward, horny young people.

While that may seem self-evident, several news sources have made it official, including Newsweek’s Daily Beast blog, which placed Wesleyan and Yale universities at the top of its list of the “25 Horniest Schools” — that is, those best for hook-ups — for 2011.

The listmakers factored each school’s male-female ratio, as well as scores for girls, guys and campus strictness from CollegeProwler.com, which publishes ratings on colleges based on student input.

New Haven

At the other end of the spectrum, Quinnipiac University is one of best schools for socially awkward students, according to a poll from InsideCollege.com. The methodology behind the list is unknown, but it was created by Denver-based educational consultant Steve Antonoff through Alloy Education, a division of Alloy Media + Marketing, which is behind the TV show Gossip Girl, the film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Teen.com.

Fox Called Out on Climate Change

control advocacy site 350. org, which called out Fox and meteorologists across the country for “denying” global warming.

The group says Fox and weathermen like him “are betraying the public’s trust and distorting America’s airwaves with ideological science denial.”

Responding to this on his own blog, Fox asserts that he is not a denier, but a skeptic, and “there’s a significant amount of room between those two.

“I am still behind most of the societal changes proposed by [global warming] advocates,” says the Fox 61 icon. “I want the environment pristine in the abstract, not because I believe we’re melting down!”

Temple Plaza Earns Honor

Veteran weatherman Geoff Fox has a very warm front coming his way. In this case it’s Forecast the Facts, a campaign by climate

NEW HAVEN — Temple Plaza recently was a runnerup in a contest to identify the Top 100 Public Spaces in the United States and Canada, conducted by Planetizen. com and the Project for Public Spaces. The ranking was based on a popular vote.

The plaza, tucked behind the

| Vol. 5, No. 2 | March/April 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

Senior Publisher’s Representatives Mary W. Beard, Roberta Harris Interns: Ashley Chin Simone Virzi New Haven is published 8 times annually by Second Wind Media Ltd., which also publishes Business New Haven, with offices at 20 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT 06513. 203781-3480 (voice), 203-781-3482 (fax).

Subscriptions $24.95/year, $39.95/ two years. Send name, address & zip code with payment. Second

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

OUR COVER On the cover: Faith Middleton Cover Design and Typography

by Terry Wells.

Photography: Steve Blazo High School Confidential Photos Anthony DeCarlo, all except Young, Zhang supplied by student

apparel jewelry footwear accessories

1156 Main St. Branford, CT 06405 Mon–Sat: 10-5, Thurs: 10-7, Sun: 12–4

203.481.2827 www.arabellact.com

Tell the world

YOUR STORY

#/-).' 3//.Ø 0!.$/2! 302).' #/,,%#4)/.

3EE OUR STORE FOR DETAILS

/RANGE p "OSTON 0OST 2OAD !CROSS &ROM (OME $EPOT

For all Michaels locations visit michaelsjewelers.com

new haven

5

IN T EL Shubert Theater, also features Swiss artist Felice Varini’s first large-scale anamorphic wall mural in the U.S., “Square with Four Circles,” best viewed when looking down the alley from Chapel Street toward the spiral exit ramp of the Crown Street Garage.

Unhappy in New Haven?

NEW HAVEN — If you work in New Haven, you are among the most unhappy workers in the country — or so says CareerBliss. com.

The career resource site compiled a list of the 50 happiest and unhappiest cities to work in the U.S., and the Elm City topped the latter list at numero uno. Hartford came in at No. 15 on that list, as well.

The rankings were based on reviews from 43,000 employees across the country that ranked relationships with bosses and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks and control over workflow. New Haven workers reported the most angst in the growth opportunities and company culture categories.

Filling in the top three unhappiest cities were No. 2 Dayton, O., followed by Milwaukee, Wisc.

The top three happiest places to work, according to the survey were Miami, Worcester, Mass. and Oklahoma City, Okla.

Bridgeport ranked No. 19 on the “good” list.

Drug Dealers’ s Text Backfires MERIDEN — No wonder they call it dope.

A 19-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man found themselves in custody in Meriden after unintentionally sending a text message to a police officer offering to sell the recipient a quantity of Percocets (a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen).

up a location for a buy. When Lorraine Apuzzo of Mansfield and Frank Boemmels of Wallingford showed up, they grew suspicious of the situation and tried to run, but police nabbed them before they got away.

Both face charges of criminal attempt to sell narcotics and conspiracy. Apuzzo was additionally charged with attempting to escape. Police continue to look for the intended recipient of the message.

While the officer continued the conversation, he notified the drug unit, and set

A SUMMER JOURNEY OF E X P L O R AT I O N A N D D I S C O V E RY

6TH & 7TH GRADE GIRLS and their parents are invited to attend

JULY

7 to AUGUST 4, 2012

LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS ENTERING GRADES 7, 8, 9, AND 10 Cheshire CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Into Thin Air Festival of China Media and Society FUTURE EARTH: A GREEN PLANET NEW! and for international students: ESL for Non-Native Speakers of English DIANE COOK, DIRECTOR: 203-439-7400 SUMMER@CHESHIREACADEMY.ORG WWW.CHESHIREACADEMY.ORG/SUMMER

6

Discover Lauralton See what’s here for you!

March / April 2012

ACTIVITIES • FOOD • FUN

fine pastries and confections

Sunday, April 29th from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

REGISTER AT

www.lauraltonhall.org DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, APRIL 13TH

marjolainepastry.com

961 State Street • New Haven

203-789-8589

200 High Street | Milford, CT 06460 203.877.2786, ext.144

wow

It’s shopping with a heaping order of

on the side.

After you indulge your good taste at our unique collection of shops, satisfy your taste buds at one of our fine restaurants. It’s a must-have experience you won’t want to miss. Call 1.888.226.7711 or visit mohegansun.com.

Shops: Bare Escentuals • Brewster’s Trading Post • Brighton Collectibles • Brookstone • Caché • Cascade Electronics • Chico’s • Citizen Watch • Clay Pipe • Coach • Everything Under The Sun Galina’s European Boutique • Godiva Chocolatier • Lalo Treasures • Landau • Lush • Lux Bond & Green • Margaritaville’s Smuggler’s Hold • Oriental Fine Arts & Crafts • PUMA • Sephora Spin Street • Sun Shoes • Sunglasses USA • Swarovski • The Essentials • The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store • Tiffany & Co. • Tommy Bahama • Trading Cove • Trailblazer • Yankee Candle Restaurants: Ballo Italian Restaurant & Social Club • Ben & Jerry’s • Big Bubba’s BBQ • Birches Bar & Grill • Bobby’s Burger Palace • Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain • Chief’s Deli • Dunkin’ Donuts Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana • Geno’s Bagels, Sweets & Subs • Geno’s Fast Break • Geno’s Pub • Imus Ranch Coffee • Jasper White’s Summer Shack • Jasper White’s Summer Shack Express Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville • Johnny Rockets • Johnny Rockets Express • Krispy Kreme Doughnuts • Lucky’s Lounge • Michael Jordan’s 23.sportcafe • Michael Jordan’s Steak House Seasons Buffet • SolToro Tequila Grill • Starbucks Coffee • Sunrise Square Food Court • The Dubliner • The Original SoupMan • Todd English’s Tuscany • Wok-On by Geno’s Fast Break Conveniently located in Mystic Country.

Sustainable Operations: Alternative & Renewable Energy Initiative Center for a Sustainable Future

CAREERS IN A GREEN ECONOMY Clean Water Management

Solar Energy Systems

Alternative Energy Transportation

Sustainable Building Performance

www.gcc.commnet.edu new haven

7

Exploring the Richness of Life PHOTOS: STEVE BLAZO 8

March / April 2012

Turning the tables on interviewer extraordinaire Faith Middleton

T

he eponymous host of the weekday Faith Middleton Show on Connecticut Public Radio has been getting inside the heads of her interview subjects — authors, artists, ordinary people — for 32 years. (She also makes listeners’ stomachs growl with her weekly program The Food Schmooze.) Along the way she has earned two Peabody Awards and been inducted into the Connecticut magazine Hall of Fame. Later this year the 63-yearold Middleton will also be inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame at an October 18 ceremony in Hartford. That same month she will commemorate the tenth anniversary of her commitment ceremony with spouse Fern Berman, with whom she lives in Stony Creek. To find out how she manages to so disarm her subjects to yield such interesting answers, ONE2ONE had little choice but to turn the tables on Connecticut’s best-known radio personality.

NHM Editor Michael C. Bingham interviewed Middleton for ONE2ONE. Tell me about your background. You’re originally from Hartford, right?

I was born in Hartford and lived there for quite a while.

Your family?

Mother and father both Scottish; they moved here from Glasgow and Aberdeen when they were 16 and 17 [years old].

My mother met my father on the boat coming over, and they were married the following year on Halloween. I just had my genealogy done — I’m Scottish straight down the line on both sides.

What kind of child were you?

Obedient. Creative. Obedient. Loved playing with my friends. Friendships were everything to me — and they still are.

In school, what kind of student were you?

Average in some things; excelled in some things; terrible in some things.

Do tell.

Horrible — horrible — in math and science. Very good in English and languages. Decent in history. Very good in sociology. But my worst things are probably the most interesting to you.

You went to Eastern Connecticut State University. What did you study?

English and sociology. My parents died when I was 14. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go to college because they died, and all I had was Social Security [income]. The high school dean [of Penny High School in East Hartford, Middleton’s alma mater], a wonderful woman, said, ‘You are definitely going to go to college — we are going to figure this out for you.’ She called up Eastern, and said, ‘There’s a kid here with average grades whose parent have died, doesn’t have money — will you talk to her?’ And the dean of the university said ‘Yes.’ So I sat down and had a meeting with him. My best friend’s mother helped me fill out scholarship papers, so I went to Eastern on a scholarship and Social Security.

classic beauty, old world craftsmanship, with fresh and timeless aplomb.

When did you first become interested in journalism?

Around my third year of school [at ECSU] I suddenly became incredibly anxious that I didn’t have enough money.

I had never been on my own or knew how to manage money or knew anything about what I was supposed to do or how much money was enough money. I was in the student union and I said to my friend, ‘I think I should get a job while I’m in school, because what if I should run out of money?’ And standing next to me was an older woman who overheard the conversation. She said, ‘Did I hear you’re looking for a job?’ and I said, ‘Yes.’ So she handed me her card and said, ‘Come down and see us.’ Her name was Liz Curran and she worked at the Willimantic Chronicle. So I go off to the newspaper downtown and I think I’m going to go behind the counter and sell newspapers to people or sell classified ads or sweep the floor or something. So she introduces me to the [executive] editor, [Everett] Malcolm Stannard, who was a military guy with a pipe — a true gentleman. He said, ‘Have you done any writing?’ And I said, ‘Yes, for the school newspaper.’ So he said, ‘Would you come see me again and bring those clippings?’

So I come back with the clippings, and I lay them in front of him, and he’s puffing on his pipe as he’s reading them. And he said, ‘Okay — follow me.’ He walks me over to a desk, and he says, ‘This is your desk, this is your typewriter, you

1014 Chapel St | New Haven | 203-782-2280

FRITZ & HAWLEY VISION CENTER eye exams • contact lenses distinctive eyewear

248-8224 2313 WHITNEY AVE, HAMDEN new haven

9

are now the women’s editor.’ So I became the women’s editor. I worked part-time. It was just at the point in newspapers when women’s sections were changing… …From sewing and cooking to health and careers.

Yes. I went from taking that section from the traditional Junior League and brides to the New Journalism. That was my junior year. Now, senior year comes, and because my byline is in the paper every day and all the professors read it, every single one of my professors says, ‘You know what?

You can have an independent study senior year. Because we’re training you to get a job, and you have a job.’ So every single professor gave me an independent study so that I could really devote myself to [journalism], because I loved it instantly.

Because it’s about everything. It was exciting; it was wonderful.

Where did you go from there?

Every Wednesday Middleton and guests dish on delicious comestibles on The Food Schmooze, a show that began a decade ago as a one-off and mushroomed into a hit with listeners.

Eventually they liked my work enough that they said, ‘We’re going to make you a hard news reporter now.’ So I started doing police [news] and courts and education — every hard-news story you could think of.

What was that transition like?

Not hard at all for me.

Center Podiatry

Jewelry

Foot Pain Specialists Voted “Top Doc 2011”

Chocolate Home

Pain & Emergencies Seen Immediately

Clothing

Dr. Gary N. Grippo

Dr. Sean Lazarus

Board Certified Foot Surgeon Bone & Joint Specialist

Sports Injuries - Biomechanics Pediatric Footcare

New Fungal Nail Treatments

WAV E wavenewhaven.com

New Haven • 1046 Chapel St. • 203.624.3032 10

March / April 2012

1-800-676-3668 or 203-799-3668 CENTERPODIATRY.COM Make your appointment online

CUSTOM MADE ORTHOTICS & DIABETIC SHOES Sat Appts Available – Guilford • Orange East Haven • Higganum • Clinton

But did you like it?

I did. And I was very good at it. But there came a time when I realized I wasn’t right for it. I was burning out on it. But then, I was very close to my sister Sally, the one who’s closest in age to me [13 years older; Middleton is the youngest of four children]. My sister was in fashion — she was Miss Connecticut and she was in the Miss America pageant — and I wanted to do everything she did. She worked in fashion at Sage Allen, the Hartford department store. She said, ‘Why don’t you try fashion [as a career]?’ And I thought that was interesting, and I had dome some writing about fashion. So I quit the newspaper and went to Sage Allen, and began working first on the floor, selling coats, and then they moved me into the fashion office. Then they had me modeling — I’d be marching down the runway wearing these Yves Saint Laurent clothes — it was a riot. Then, I’m home one night, and the phone rings. And it was a man, Ed Chinnock, the brilliant editor of the Journal Inquirer in Manchester. And he said to me, ‘I’ve been looking around at people’s writing, and I came upon you.

I like the kind of writing you do.’ And I said ‘Thank you, but I work now in

fashion.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s why I’m calling: I want to lure you back into newspapers. I want to start a section that’s much more sophisticated than you were doing.’

A women’s section?

By now [newspaper women’s sections] had all become…

‘Lifestyle’?

Lifestyle. And he was going to pay me a decent amount of money — far more than I was making. So I said, ‘Okay.’ And it was wonderful.

So journalism found you in the first place, then it hunted you down to retrieve you.

It kept hunting me down. It was a writer’s paper [late 1970s] in that [Chinnock] was a very serious editor. I became a much better writer. All the people he attracted to the paper then were writers and readers. Friday afternoon after we closed up shop we’d go to this bar/restaurant in Stafford Springs called the Arizona. We would sit around and talk about the New Journalism, and writers we were reading — it was like being in Paris and talking with the whole writing crowd. I had a blast at this paper.

What happened next?

Then the Providence [R.I.] Journal called and said, ‘We have an opening — do you want to come down and have a conversation?’ So I went down, and they said, ‘We want you to be the chief Sunday feature writer.’ So I moved to Providence — which was very difficult, because my life is about friends and family. It was hard for me. But another writer’s paper with a great [Sunday feature section] editor — Lorraine Hopkins. We called her ‘Hop.’ We did some incredible stories together.

I was there one year, when I got a phone call. It was from Connecticut magazine.

They said, ‘We’re looking for an editor-inchief — would you come and talk to us?’ I was so stunned by that phone call.

Who owned Connecticut magazine then, in the early ‘80s?

Dan Lufkin [co-founder of the investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, who launched Connecticut magazine in 1980]. I had a meeting with Dan Lufkin in New York at the Carlyle [Hotel] for lunch. He was talking about this, that and the other thing, and I was trying to play a little bit hard-to-get so he would boost up my salary. Then he said, ‘This is what’s going

new haven

11

to happen: You are going to be paid this; you are going to accept this job; and you are going to do an excellent job at it. Do we understand each other?’ And I said, ‘Yes, we do’ [laughs]. Because of course he could read all over my face that I wanted this job, and that I was playing a game with him. And the salary was more than fair — $25,000, which was more than any person of my age that I knew. I would come home at night and just buy my friends presents, because I could. I would buy them T-shirts and bring home bottles of Champagne and stop at the fish market and announce, ‘We’re having a party.’ It was that kind of time. The idea was just to share the wealth — because, why not?

How long did you stay?

I was there for three years. Then they fired the publisher. He did something that [ownership] did not like, and they fired.

I was there on a Friday night late, about nine o’clock, and the publisher came in and sat down in a chair and said, ‘Faith, I’ve been fired.’ And he told me why. I said, ‘Oh, my God.’ Then he said, ‘That’s not all. Because of what I did, we’re all fired.’

Obviously I have to ask.

Dr. Aaron Gross

I would never tell. Not something immoral in any way. It was something to do with the business side of the magazine.

Ownership considered it threatening, so they said, ‘You’re gone and your whole executive staff is gone.’

So, what did you do?

I applied for a job at Washingtonian magazine. They said, ‘We definitely want you — would you be the second-incommand at the Washingtonian, because we like what you’ve done at Connecticut magazine.’ So I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So now I’m moving to [Washington, D.C.] and that’s all set. Then a month goes by, and then a month and a half goes by, and I get a letter in the mail…

Did you move?

No. I get a letter in the mail from the editor [of the Washingtonian] and he writes, ‘It is very curious to me that you have not been in touch since you accepted the job and we are making plans for your coming.’ Then he wrote, ‘You’re not coming, are you?’ That letter made me confront my avoidance. I sat there and I looked at the letter, and I thought, ‘Oh, my God. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave my friends and my family, because that’s my world. That’s what I

care about the most.’ Every job I had ever taken involved a step up in either salary or responsibility. This job was going to be a bigger salary and a much bigger position. I thought, ‘I for once am not going to make a move based on ambition; I am going to make a move based on love.’ So I called [the Washingtonian editor] and I said, ‘I am so sorry. I had every intention of coming. But I was not being honest with myself, and your letter made me be honest.

I am not coming.’ He said, ‘I understand.’

So now you’re unemployed for the first time.

I spent the summer [of 1980] unemployed, thinking, ‘What will I do next in the state of Connecticut that would be as interesting as what I’ve done?’ Then, I get a phone call [laughs]. It’s the vice president of Connecticut Public Broadcasting, a woman named Midge Ramsay. She says, ‘Can I come and have lunch with you?’ And let me tell you, it was love at first site. We had the best time ever. That is probably the only thing that could explain why I took a 40-percent pay cut to come work for Connecticut Public Broadcasting. I came in and took a voice test, and I thought, ‘Well, that was a failure.’ Because my voice is horrible. Listen

Want Freedom from Shaving?

Get Ready for Summer

Pain-free procedures with the STA system Laser dentistry with Waterlase MD Single visit CEREC Crowns and On-lays Esthetic bonding, veneers & tooth whitening Courteous treatment by all staff members Respect of patient privacy On time appointments Patient Education

1240 Whitney Avenue, Hamden 203-287-0666 www.whitneyvilledental.com Office Hours by Appointment

12

March / April 2012

Laser Hair Removal May Be For YOU! We have the only Cutera CoolGlide YAG Laser in the New Haven Area All Skin Types and Colors Call now for a FREE consultation Bring this Coupon for a 20% Reduction in Price NHM

Expires 6-30-12

Jeffrey D. Gold, d M MD, D F FACS ACS AC S Medical Director • Laser Body Solutions 203-281-5737 • www.laserbody.com

to me! But they hired me. It was really weird.

present themselves to the world — I find that fascinating.

What did you do when you first started?

But the common thread of your guests seems to be that they’re all intellectually stimulating. Would you interview some dumb pop-culture person if you thought it would be entertaining?

They said, ‘We’re going to give you a show.’ I said, ‘A show?’ They said, ‘You and Bill Henry are going to have a show together. It’ll be called On the Town. He’s a Broadway music expert, and you’re an interviewer/journalist, so he’ll play Broadway music, and you’ll do interviews.’

[Henry] was in Hartford and I was in New Haven because they made me the New Haven bureau chief. Bill would be in Hartford doing his thing, and I would be in New Haven preparing my stuff. We’d talk on the phone about a half-hour before airtime and then fax the order [of stories and music] to each other. [Sometimes] I would lead off with a report about, say, a mother talking about what it’s like to live in a poor neighborhood where her children hear gunfire and she’s trying to keep her kids out of trouble. Then Bill would come on next, and say, ‘And now from the show [Gold Diggers of 1933] here’s the song “We’re in the Money”’ [laughs].

It was so funny. It was the worst show in the world. It just did not work. Eventually the head of the station said to me, ‘We think this is not working.’ And I said, ‘We think so, too.’ So he said, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do: We’re going to give Bill his own show, and Faith, you’re going to have your own show.’ And thus was born the Faith Middleton Show.

Sure. Well, not dumb. Articulate isn’t always the thing that’s of the greatest value. If I do a call-in show there are people who get on the air who are not articulate. People are not always the super-

Is there a unifying theme to your guests, or is the only theme that you are interested in them?

Your personality and your show seem uniquely suited to Connecticut and/or the Northeast. Would the show work as well in, say, Texas?

I was once offered a job in Durham, N.C. That’s the South in name only.

your

MOMENT.

Your FUTURE. YOUR

university.

I was shocked at what you said about your voice, because to me you have a uniquely distinctive and calming voice. Was it like that when you started on the radio?

If you heard the first show that I did, I spoke in a way that I thought would sound interesting — and it was at about 1,000 miles an hour. It was as if someone put me on speed. I thought that to convey energy, you have to talk really fast. When you start in radio, you have to find your real voice — just as you do in writing.

articulate types, but they have something very powerful to say. For me, it’s as if a spotlight falls on one person in a very sacred way.

Southern Connecticut State University.

Your public university for graduate study.

own it.

It’s yours.

A center for graduate study that’s responsive, innovative, and affordable.

Your public university, dynamic and diverse.

Preparing professionals to take on challenges and become progressive leaders. Dedicated to your community, focused on your career.

That’s why I say each show is about ‘the richness of life.’ When I look at the world I see endless fascinating things to talk about — people you meet casually, people you meet officially, books you pick up, newspaper articles.

That’s why I’m interviewing you.

[Laughs]. I’m extremely interested in people’s creative expression. I’m very interested in the way people choose to

SHORELINE INFO SESSIONS Guilford • East Lyme April 19 • 4-7 pm • www.SouthernCT.edu/grad

new haven

13

Yes, but ďŹ ve minutes from Durham is highly conservative, as they explained to me while I was there doing the interview.

And then they offered me a job knowing, essentially, what I do. So I’m pretty sure my show would work elsewhere.

I have it written down somewhere. It’s either 10,000 or 12,000.

commercial stations — I’m a dial-hopper, I listen to all kinds of things.

Aren’t you going to run out of people soon?

Like what?

I don’t think so! That’s the thing: Life is ďŹ lled with interesting people.

What’s the key to putting your guests at ease so that you get the most candid and revealing answers out of them?

Cooking and food shows are super-hot now on cable TV. But The Food Schmooze predates that fad by quite a bit. How did it come about?

I listen to sports radio, public radio stations, jazz coming out of college stations, I like oldies, I play congas so I like listening to Latin stations. I love gospel.

Trust.

But in-studio guests who have never met you before‌ My studio [on Audubon Street in New Haven] looks like a living room. There are table lamps and wingback chairs. And it’s that way to convey a feeling that no one is higher or lower in this conversation.

We’re together, and we’re just here to enjoy each other. I am not interested in embarrassing anybody — it’s not in my nature to do so. I used to do hard news and investigations, and I know what it’s like to go after people. And I was very good at it. But it did not make me happy or do anything for my soul. If we were doing this [interview] on air, I’m sure you recognize that I would never embarrass you. My job is to bring out the best part of you. And that makes trust.

Have you ever tried to calculate how many people you’ve interviewed over 30-plus years?

I love food, wine and cocktails. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to have a bunch of people [into the studio] to have a conversation about food — I’ve never done that before.’ So I invited a bunch of people in — a couple of chefs, me — and we sat around and talked about food scenes in movies, foods we love and foods we hate — we talked about everything imaginable.

I have never seen an instant reaction to a show like that. It was unbelievable — everywhere I went people went crazy! So I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just keep doing this.’ Do you have an opinion about the trajectory of commercial radio, which seems to be targeting an ever-lower common denominator — people screaming at one another on the air all the time?

I like living in a world where there’s room for everything, and there are audiences for these things. [Commercial radio stations] ďŹ nd a [demographic] slice, and they appeal to that slice. I do listen to some

With the proliferation of media — cable TV, the Internet — the line between information media and entertainment media, which once was pretty clear, has almost dissolved. In your mind’s-eye, is the Faith Middleton Show information or entertainment?

Both. There are days when we are absolutely stripped down hard news, there are days when we’re much more feature-y, and there are days when we are about nothing but fun. I like to think of the show as a person who has many qualities.

We try to create a whole person who would be interesting to the world.

In your ‘never-ending exploration of the richness of life,’ what do you hope to explore next?

Hmm. I would like to make a ďŹ lm, and I would like to write a book.

About what?

I am working on a book now that I can’t talk about. And I would like to make a ďŹ lm‌ Talk about that.

I can’t talk about that, either. I would like to sing, once, with an orchestra.

“ THERE IS NOTHING THAT MAKES ITS WAY MORE DIRECTLY TO THE SOUL THAN BEAUT Y.�

Si what?

Sing w I would like to sing one of those fabulous st standards with gorgeous lyrics — one of th those Barbara Cook songs. Just once in my lif In my next life I would like to be a life. ja pianist and singer. You know? Y jazz

a-26(3+ $'',621

$7 (6$1$ 285 0(',&$/ $1' $(67+(7,& 63(&,$/,676 :,// 0$.( <28 /22. $1' )((/ *(18,1(/< %($87,)8/ 7:2 %2$5' &(57,),(' 3/$67,& 685*(216 '(/,9(5 3(5621$/,=(' $3352$&+(6 72 &260(7,& 75($70(176 +(/3,1* <28 $&+,(9( 7+( $33($5$1&( <28 '(6(59(

JB LONDON LTD

AN ECLECTIC SELECTION OF GIFTS & GIFT BASKETS FOR EVERY OCCASION

NEW YEAR? CELEBRATE WITH A NEW YOU! SAVE UP TO $300 ON LASER HAIR REMOVAL AND IPL PHOTOFACIAL PACKAGES Visit our website for further details. '(% 2 5 $ + 3$ 1 0' //& Â&#x2021; -$9,(5 '$9,/ $ 0' //& $8' 8% 2 1 67 1( : + $9 (1 &7 7(/ Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021; (6 $ 1 $ 0('63$ & 2 0

( ;& (//(1 & ( ,1 $ (67 +( 7,& 0(',&,1(

Certain restrictions apply, physician must determine suitability of treatments. Offer expires March 31, 2012.

14

March / April 2012

WE DELIVER 1209 CHAPEL ST, NEW HAVEN 203.787.4496 (BETWEEN PARK & HOWE)

ey about how th lk ta s n e te words, nd In their own e world beyo th d n a ls o o sch fit into their Nicefaro Melissa shley Chin and A y b d ile p m o C

One Thousand Cranes

In organizing the creation of a healing 1,000-crane mobile, Young learned a surprising lesson in leadership.

By Marrisa Young ‘12 Hopkins School New Haven

I

It was devastating to see Japan, a country with such a strong people and culture, crumble under the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. I felt a tug at my roots, wanting to help the relief effort — and then I had it. In Japanese culture, cranes symbolize healing and growth. Tradition dictates that a person can earn good fortune after a difficult time in life by folding 1,000 paper cranes. I began to formulate an idea of how to channel this hopeful spirit to raise awareness and support within my school community for the Japanese people.

It started as a few sheets of origami paper on the side of the fundraising table, but soon I found myself standing in front of our student body of 700 people, presenting for the first time in assembly. My school embraced the project with enthusiasm, and as the project expanded, and my crane mobile grew, I matured along with it, and became something completely new for me — a leader.

I knew that it would be impossible to fold even 100 cranes alone; I needed to enlist the help of others. Although the project

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANTHONY DeCARLO

am surrounded by paper cranes, heaps of them, on my bed, spilling onto the floor, overflowing from my backpack. Cranes made of colorful origami paper, old math quizzes, construction paper, even gum wrappers. Exactly 1,000 paper cranes. I sit for a moment, glorying in my menagerie.

And then I get to work, threading them one by one onto pieces of fishing line to complete my three-month-long project.

was difficult to organize, my peers were eager to support the project, and I found that if I sat down in the school café with a stack of origami paper, people would join me and help create flocks of cranes.

In the end, part of the reason the mobile turned out to be so special for me was the willingness of my classmates to help me achieve my goal.

The variety of cranes I received was surprising. I collected gigantic cranes and miniscule ones, white cranes made of envelopes and thick-billed cranes made of old math quizzes. As I sifted through the assortment of origami, I thought back to a photograph of my parents’ wedding depicting their own decorative 1,000-crane mobile, with its gold cranes strung neatly together like stacks of coins. I considered the beginnings of my own mobile. The color scheme seemed to stem from a palate that included every color of the rainbow,

and the sizes and shapes of the cranes varied considerably. It was not as neat and precise as the gold crane mobile, but I thought that these cranes showed the unique nature of the project.

As I attached the strings of cranes to the smooth wooden tree limb from which they would hang, I truly appreciated just how much effort the project took. I took pride in it — not because I could account for every crane, but because I couldn’t.

The cranes came from the entire student body of my school, and represented the willingness of my peers to work toward a common goal. After I strung the last of the cranes together, I held up the completed mobile for the first time. I realized that the hundreds of unique cranes, connected by a common purpose, had come together to form one huge, colorful sculpture. Y

new haven

15

My Sixth Day of School Claudia Krah ‘13 Sacred Heart Academy Hamden

Attending Saturday morning German school, Krah says, ‘has taught me that with hard work comes a priceless and undeniably rewarding feeling afterward.’

W

hile most students are sleeping their Saturday mornings away, exhausted from the tests and homework of that week, I am up at 7 a.m. getting dressed and going to school. I attend the German School of Connecticut in Stamford for three hours every Saturday morning.

When I tell people this, their first question is, ‘Why? Isn’t Spanish class enough?’

The simple answer is that I hated running up and down a soccer field early on Saturday mornings. My parents signed me up for the town’s recreational league and I was not a star athlete. The more important reason I have gone to German School for the past ten years is that my family is German. Three out of my four grandparents were born in Germany and immigrated to America after World War II.

At first I did not pay much attention to the fact that I go to school on Saturdays.

But as I grew up and continued to go, it

became a part of my life. In fifth grade, the time came to decide whether or not I wanted to continue with German classes.

Sacred Heart Academy STR O N G VA LU E S . STR O N G A C A D E M IC S . STR O N G L E A DE R S H I P

P E N H O US E EClaudia N T R A N C EKrah E X A M’13 WeOcongratulate Sunday, October 16th Saturday, November 5th and 1all nalists! to 3 the p.m. essay 8 a.m. toÀ noon Founded in 1946, Sacred Heart Academy is an independent, Catholic preparatory day school for qualified young women in grades nine through twelve.

Impelled by Christ’s Love

16

March / April 2012

Elaine Lamboley, Director of Admissions 265 Benham Street, Hamden, CT 203.288.2309 sacredhearthamden.org

“Honestly,” my dad would say to me, “You are not going to be the smartest kid in class. That is why you should continue with this.” It might “make me stand out” if I put all these achievements on my college applications. Taking high school seniorlevel tests in German as a freshman and somehow passing a German-governmentadministered test that is given in New York are among the things I could list.

German School had become part of my daily life. Doing the homework, speaking the language and eating the food still reflect my personality today. The week after I finished my sophomore exams last June, I flew to Ingelheim, Germany for a three-week student-exchange trip with kids from the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania German Schools. During the first two weeks we stayed with a host family and went to school with them or visited within the area. The final week

we traveled to Leipzig and stayed in a youth hostel. I made a dozen new friends, experienced the way that German kids my age live, saw cultural attraction and practiced my German.

I spoke German with shopkeepers, teachers, other German students and passersby who gave me directions. Each time, I was convinced I had screwed up at least three grammar rules in one sentence, but the person I was speaking to would respond. That feeling of successfully walking to the store about two miles away from the youth hostel, after stopping for directions twice, was rewarding because I knew I had gotten my friends and I there without help talking.

German School has made me unique because I am not only studying a language that is not offered at my school, but I am putting in effort every Saturday morning to learn that language. German School

has shaped my personality. I have learned to be tolerant of and work with others, I have learned what it feels like to be thousands of miles away from home and communicate without parents, and I have set myself up to learn new things. In college I intend to complete a dual major in business and German. If this plan changes, I do not think my time at the German School of Connecticut will have been wasted. On the contrary, I believe it has taught me many other things besides German language and culture. It has taught me never to be afraid wherever you or whomever you meet, especially when you have a “weapon” — in this case the German language — to find your way around. I have learned to be open to other cultures and learn new things. Most important, it has taught me that with hard work comes a priceless and undeniably rewarding feeling afterward. Y

The Activist Miles Halpine ‘12 Amity High School Woodbridge

A

s a senior at Amity High School, I have been able to accomplish a lot so far in my short life. I have been interested in politics since the age of eight. I registered to vote two days after becoming eligible.

As the nephew of five teachers and two principals, son of a teacher and grandson of two teachers, I have some background with education and school budgets.

Amity’s Halpine wasted no time plunging into politics — starting in the third grade.

My involvement in politics began in third grade when I attended an anti-war rally in New York City. Before long I was the most politically energized student in my school. I discussed elections and politics with my teachers, and soon I was working on campaigns.

My passion for campaigning blossomed in seventh grade, with the biannual municipal elections. Previously the only campaign in which my family had a candidate was my grandfather’s successful bid for mayor of New Milford. So the whole campaign idea was a bit new to me.

In 2007 and 2009, I held signs and made calls on Election Day in my town.

During the 2010 midterm elections, my involvement flourished. At this rally, I met a local organizer for [Richard] Blumenthal’s campaign [for U.S. Senate].

From the end of September to a week before Election Day, I made calls all

afternoon on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

I soon began canvassing in nearby towns. Three days before Election Day, I attended a massive get-out-the-vote rally in Bridgeport with some politically active friends, where we saw President Obama speak.

Last summer I volunteered for New Haven Mayor John DeStefano’s reelection campaign in July, and interned at Congresswoman [Rosa] DeLauro’s

district office in New Haven for the month of August.

There are many young adults with an interest in the domestic and international issues facing our nation, though the apathetic regrettably outnumber the handful of us with passion for politics.

Many national groups, including several of which I am a dedicated member — Junior Statesmen of America, High School Democrats of America, and many others — are helping to keep high school new haven

17

Starting All Over Suge Zhang ‘14 Wilbur Cross High School New Haven Del-more Sch-wartz.”

Learning to act in a whole new language, says Chinese native Zhang, ‘leaves me with no other choice but to continue to pushing myself to stay in the game.’

“Sy-co-phant.”

“Res-ponsi-bili-ty.”

T

his is what I must do whenever I get my script, pronouncing each word, syllable by syllable like a kindergarten student. My American friends will sit beside me, correcting my pronunciation. This is the first year that I am participating in theater in America. Although I had been participating in theater in China for years, the language barrier caused me to start all over again, from the most basic steps. When I was practicing my pronunciation and looking up definitions of words that I didn’t know in the corner, I saw that the rest of my classmates were staging, acting or doing some other “superior” thing. Thus, I began to question my decision of participating in theater in America. But the undeniable resolution in my heart leaves me with no other choice but to continue pushing myself to stay in the game.

I was born into an artistic family. As both of my parents are big fans of drama, I started attending live theater when I was four. Although my vocabulary and knowledge base was not sufficient for me to understand even the plots of the plays, I never showed any signs of boredom or irritation when viewing them.

After I attended elementary school, I began to write, direct and act out short skits with my friends. Actually, none of us knew any theatrical theories or acting, including our little audiences. We

Miles Halpine Continued from 17

students active in public policy and current affairs.

I have been interested not only in politics and international relations, but am also a strong believer in preserving our environment and honeybees, in particular.

Honeybees have been here for a long time, they are extremely beneficial to plants, and even though they have somewhat grown in popularity, the

18

March / April 2012

did it only for fun and to entertain our However, it was such a paradoxical classmates. As I got older and learned problem to me. I really wanted to learn more about theater and other subjects, my Western theater, but I worried that I products became more mature and formal wouldn’t be able to surmount the language as well. When I was a seventh-grader, I hurdle. Eventually I decided to try it out founded the first theater club in my school. — regardless of the challenges, barriers or When I was planning how to strengthen consequences. and make my club more powerful, I was Studying theater in a foreign language informed by my mother that we were is harder than I expected. Despite the going to America, a country filled with language barrier, I also have to adapt the unknown and opportunities. myself to the psychological blow. In When I stepped on this piece of land for China I was at the top of school in theater; the first time, I felt so gloomy about my everyone looked up to me. But now I future. I didn’t know what to do or how am no longer the mighty commander. I to integrate with the new culture. Because have to start from the bottom, learning I had already passed the best age period pronunciation like a little child. Though for accepting new things easily, it was it’s very painful and time-consuming, I challenging for me to adjust to my new know some day I will be at the top again community. Fortunately, I later got an even higher than before. My path will opportunity to continue studying theater. become wider and smoother. Y danger to honeybees has never been higher.

My family has kept bees for over a decade. Since then, I have had the chance to care for my own hive, with the assistance of an beekeeper. Honeybees are very important to the success of my dad’s organic garden, the fruit trees, and plants in our yard. Without bees, these plants would not grow very much, if at all.

On July 13, 2008, the New York Times published an article on my family called “Running a Home on Yankee Ingenuity.”

I was also featured in a piece a few weeks

later in the New Haven Register titled “Try This at Home: How a Family of ‘Cheap Yankees’ Got Off the Grid.”

As a senior, I have applied to several colleges. I was accepted early decision to a school, but it did not work out financially. Wherever I end up going, I plan on majoring in political science and minoring in Journalism. After that, I intend on attending graduate school with a focus on political communications. In the end, my activism in politics and the environment will only become a bigger aspect of my life. Y

January Frost Lucy Balcezak ‘13 Hopkins School New Haven

I

am not a fabulous mathematician or a budding scientist. I do not organize fundraisers for African orphans, nor do I work a full-time job. In kindergarten, when most children were sitting at desks and learning simple sums, I watched a bridge take shape. Although a lack of early math means that I cannot boast of collegeprep math courses, I made the most of my childhood. I learned why I-beams are used in construction, and how concrete is made.

Pulleys were some of my favorite toys, and I read whatever I could get my hands on. My parents took me out of school for weeks at a time, and I ran around Venice in a black cape and mask, twirling and swirling like a ballerina in the streets of the automobile-less city. There began my love of the graceful Italian cadences and the gritty, earthy, French ‘R’s.

Balcezak’s first romance was with running. ‘Is there a more beautiful sound anywhere,’ she asks rhetorically, ‘than that of your own two feet marking their place in the world?’

My first romance, however, was with running. My gym teacher marked a 400-meter track in the park across the street from the school, and around and around I would go. I would race my classmates and myself, simply enjoying the feeling of pushing myself to my limits. How many laps could I do in five minutes? Ten? The whole hour of gym?

Diana, that wonderful gym teacher, my idol, taught me how to breathe (in through the mouth, out through the nose), and how to deal with a cramp (two exhales for every inhale). She taught me to spit and to swagger (habits Mom broke early), and she gave me the confidence to charge on ahead no matter the obstacles in my way.

I may have lost the swagger and stopped wearing boy’s clothes, but I will never be broken of the habits of perseverance and strength that were formed early around that 400-meter loop as I ran mile after mile in huge T-shirts and long shorts. In January, when harsh winds redden my chapped nose and I stand at my door, steeling myself against the cold, I remember shedding my jacket like a cocoon and opening my wings to the sky, my cropped hair bouncing in rhythm with the crack of ice broken underfoot. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Is there a more beautiful sound anywhere than that of your own two feet marking their place in the world?

My races now start with a gunshot and end with a chorus of cheers, but really,

they are still just my way of making a mark on the world. I has become we, as in, “We won!” or “We did really, really well.”

My wonderful team gives me something to reach for, some intangible goal that keeps me going through the pain and the workouts in the sleet and hail. I run for others, and that keeps me going when the joy of the wind and the adrenalin wears thin.

Now I receive medals when I win, instead of just a slap on the back and a place in the boys’ photo. However, no medal or trophy officials will ever rival a seven-year-old’s sheer joy of running. In the middle of that hill in the second mile, when the girl in

the green is pulling away, and the girl in orange is breathing down my neck, and my calf muscles have joined forces with my quad muscles in painful protest, I remember the crisp, January air stinging my eyes and slapping my hair against my face and I smile. Or at least my face loosens from its grimace a little.

When I stare out the window of the white bus at the trees rushing past, when the race has been won or lost, and everyone has hugged and laughed and cried, then settled quietly into the cloud of dark silence, I remember those January days and my heart lifts. Y

new haven

19

PHOTO: Anthony DeCarlo

‘My exception has taught me a lot about life and about myself,’ White says. ‘He’s showed me that while not everyone is trustworthy, some people are.’

The Exception Makenzie White ‘13 Woodland Regional High School Beacon Falls

W

hat do you do when your whole world comes crashing down in front of your eyes? Who do you tell — or better yet, who do you not tell? How do you go about living your life when everything has changed, and not for the better?

Speaking from experience it is not something you learn in school, however it is something someone can master. In the words of others you must “Fake it ‘til you make it” and if that means shutting the whole world out and pretending it doesn’t matter, then so be it. While in the beginning blocking everything and everyone out seems necessary for survival, in the end it can really only hurt you.

Thinking back to my freshman year it’s easy to remember all the things freshmen struggle with. My struggles were different, yet no one knew. It wasn’t until my freshman year that I was diagnosed with my monster; technically it’s “a syndrome in which a person has long-term, bodywide and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft-tissues.” If you ask me I can describe it in one simple word: hell.

20

March / April 2012

It takes everything you have and everything you were. Not only does it cause severe aching, stabbing or burning pains throughout your body all hours of the day; but it renders simple daily tasks like holding a pencil, walking up stairs or playing sports almost impossible. It gives you migraines, causes short-term or long-term memory loss, can lead to concentration problems, cause heart palpitations, makes you tired no matter how much you sleep.

I learned important things freshman year.

I learned that I can’t trust people, because in the end it’s all about them and what’s best for them. I learned that I needed to create a wall between myself and the real world, but that wall needed to be invisible.

No one could know what was really going on in my life, because I learned if you trust someone, as I did my freshman year, when they leave you it hurts. But if you trust no one, you could care less when they leave because they really didn’t matter in your life.

There’s only one flaw I found in my theory, and that is that it leaves you feeling alone all the time. As I completed freshman year I held strong to my theory. In my sophomore year I was convinced the year would be better because I was getting good at hiding everything. But then I meet an exception. He broke all my rules, he was easy to talk to, he cared, he understood me,

and most of all he could tell when I was faking it, even though no one else knew.

Today I believe I have grown a lot. My monster is still there and it will always be there until the day I die. My theory is still there, and I still shut out a lot of people, but I also let some in. My exception has taught me a lot about life and about myself. He’s showed me that while not everyone is trustworthy, some people are.

He’s showed me that I need to “live my life and follow my star,” and not worry about the obstacles along the way. I know if it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be able to write this right now. He has taught me that sometimes it’s okay to cry, to get mad, to feel sometimes like giving up.

But what counts is not giving up. It’s allowing yourself to stop and feel what you are feeling but then to wipe away the tears and get up and try again. Because life isn’t about perfection; it’s about making mistakes and learning from them.

While I still have bad days, I’ve learned to accept my life. My best friend, my exception, has showed me that every minute of my life is worth living — no matter how hard that moment is. My exception is the most influential person in my life and I know that one good thing that came from my monster was him.

And that while there are many theories and rules, there is always an exception to everything. Y

All Downhill from Here Simona Fried ‘12

‘When I’m not skiing, I’m dreaming about it,’ says Fried.

‘When I am skiing, I don’t ever want to stop.’

Hamden Hall Country Day School Hamden

D

uring the week I am a student at Hamden Hall Country Day School. I take challenging AP classes and maintain a steady focus on my studies. I compete on various sports teams, as well as a variety of clubs. Overall, I am a relatively active member of my high school’s community.

My friends know that I ski, but not many know the amount of interest I have invested in my hobby. Nearly every weekend from November to May, I venture north to a ski mountain called Jay Peak, located in Vermont roughly ten miles from the Canadian border. It is commonly known as one of the coldest mountains in New England, with a notorious wind chill and mysterious lake effect creating mounds of snow each ski season.

I started alpine skiing when I was four years old. It was not “love at first sight.”

In fact, my dad would have to stand at the bottom of the ski slope with a Reese’s candy bar in order to get me down the mountain. Even a couple of years ago, I could have never imagined myself trekking up a backcountry mountain with my skis over my shoulder, only to step into my bindings and ski back down. Only recently did I become aware of the extent of my devotion to this hobby. When I’m not skiing, I’m dreaming about it. When I am skiing, I don’t ever want to stop.

Maybe it’s in my blood. My Austrian grandfather had a passion for skiing. In the living room of my house, his wooden skis adorn the wall, crossed right above the door frame. I never could quite understand how his skis made it all the way to this country. Having been ousted from his home by Nazis, came to American with few belongings. His skis symbolize a zeal for a craft so ageless that two generations later, all I can think about is lofty mountains and champagne-light powder.

Skiing fresh powder is an addiction. I crave the rhythm that allows my knees to bounce through a gladed trail. The

PHOTO: Anthony DeCarlo

However, to many of my peers at school, it seems that I hibernate at home through the winter months. I am never around, nor hanging out with friends.

pumping of my heart provides a cadence telling me where and when to turn. When my body propels itself off a promontory, time stands still. My heart stops beating as I soar through the air, weightless, until my skis land in deep powder with a solid, steady thump. I then continue down the mountain in tempo with my pulse. I have found that in order to ski and create this rhythm, I have to be fearless. I cannot complicate the smooth and effortless motions with thoughts; I have to go headfirst and never look back.

The compulsion to ski drives me to places I would not otherwise discover.

Sometimes when the ski lifts are stopped due to high winds, or when crowds of skiers flood the mountain, I steer away from resort skiing and trek the backcountry. Reaching the apex of a mountain after hiking for hours is a humbling experience. The opportunity to

look out for miles is awe-inspiring. When I look down and see nothing but a steep drop, I know I am where I belong.

I do not ski for an audience. Often I am out in the woods, far from civilization. I am not the typical athlete; I am not the star player on any team. I earn no trophies for my achievements. The evidence of my accomplishments is often no more than a brutal thigh burn at the end of a long trek, or the occasional scratch or bruise.

I am not the most rooted student at my school, or the most involved. I am just a reserved, hard-working student with a passionate hobby. The elusive nature of skiing drives me. It’s a metaphor for life’s challenges: As the slope gets steeper you can’t just sit back on your heels in a defensive posture; instead, lean forward and embrace the fear wholly, trusting in yourself. Y

new haven

21

boring, one-dimensional misfits. I arrived on the first day expecting flatness. During those slightly awkward, not-so-slightly mandatory icebreakers, I was talking to a kid with the math constant phi on his shirt. Judgmental Ariel said, “Oh, here comes another math nerd.”

Le geek — c’est chic: ‘People at [gifted camp] weren’t the one-dimensional caricatures I had imagined,’ Rock learned.

‘They were real people.’

I was wrong.

PHOTO: Anthony DeCarlo

As it turned out, he was a musician first, a math nerd second. He composed multiple pieces for string orchestra and furniture, à la John Cage. We’re still in contact.

The same revelation happened when I encountered a girl I met on the first day. She was wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt, rainbow suspenders and a miniskirt. She projected herself as a fashion-forward hippy who had much to say about nothing.

How wrong. She turned out to be one the most thoughtful, intelligent and caring people I know.

Camp of the Weird Ariel Rock ‘12 Hopkins School New Haven

L

azing on a mottled patch of grass next to a dormitory built of black mold and concrete, we sang. Strangely, it wasn’t at all out of place at CTY to know every single word of Erasure’s “Always.” This was nerd camp, of course. Camp of the weird. Officially called the Center for Talented Youth (CTY), this camp was a summer academic program that I was lucky enough to attend. It was a singular experience.

self-made electroluminescent shoes.

Across from me perched a different girl, a classmate from number theory; her notebook sketches of colorful blobs were inspired by primality tests. These kids — I thought — were weird. They were charismatic. They were interesting.

I thought the same of myself (although maybe just short of their level of extroversion).

There I sat, awestruck, confused and only half-drowned by the heat. Bemused, I meditated. I’d signed up to do math.

I didn’t expect math geeks to be very interesting.

Maybe I just wasn’t being sharp enough. People at CTY weren’t the onedimensional caricatures I had imagined; they were real people.

A few friends and I were sitting in a circle and talking. To my left sat a girl who dabbled in modern dance, but considered herself to be an engineer, complete with

When I first saw these “real people,” I condescendingly assumed that they were

Beautiful Dreamer

actually said to me, “It takes a lot of energy to act this happy all of the time.”

Anna Hennigan ‘14 Hamden High School Hamden

S

ince I arrived at Hamden High School, I have learned that the average person wants to focus on one thing, whether it is friends or clothes or school. They pretend to care about everything or pretend not to care about anything. A lot of people spend most of their time perfecting an image of what they want to be. One of my friends

22

March / April 2012

That got me thinking about just how different I was. I am a dreamer — always a little bit all over the place. When I’m not interested in something I retreat into my own head and think about something else.

My daydreams can be about anything.

Some are about characters in stories that I want to write or books that I have read.

I get lost in the different things that they could say and the different ways that their lives could unfold. Sometimes I think about what a character from one story

After almost two weeks at CTY, I realized that I too was a person. Yes, I do like math. No, I’m not a huge fan of sports.

But I enjoy theater, poetry, movies and the finer points of avant-garde Soviet architecture. Everyone has quirks; without them, people would simply be flat, homogeneous and utterly boring beings.

Individualism isn’t innate. No one wakes up one day and declares himself differentiated from the crowd. Finding one’s identity is a gradual and sometimes painful process. I grew up awkward, shy and scared. In my perception, expressing interest in anything other than the norm was a direct line to ostracism. CTY taught me to view myself as I am. The lesson was not only liberating — it was fun.

Singing ‘80s pop or calculating the optimal acoustic arrangement for blaring it from a balcony, I am who I think I am.

Nothing less. Y

would say if they met a character from another story. What would Harry Potter say if he met Edward from Twilight?

These characters become like friends to me. It’s easy for me to slip into different characters and imagine how they would feel about the things that have gone on in my day. Other times it’s nice to have a song running through my mind that I can sing over and over to keep myself occupied or to imagine some crazy outfit no one else would wear at my school.

Never focusing on the real world around me can make life difficult. I often forget my backpack or coat in a classroom

a little filing cabinet next to my desk to help me keep track of papers.

PHOTO: Anthony DeCarlo

Hamden High’s Hennigan: ‘I will probably always have one foot in a world that only I can see.’

because I am daydreaming. Sometimes I get so caught up in the worlds that I am creating that I miss entire conversations between my friends. I always joke about how my friends have to put up with me not paying attention, but sometimes they actually become angry. They tend to take that personally.

When you are never paying attention you tend to get in trouble. I cannot count the

number of times my dad had asked me what time I was supposed to be at a school event, and the only thing that I could say is that my teacher told me what time — but I just can’t remember. Several of my elementary school teachers said that if I did not pull my head out of the clouds I would do very badly in high school. My sixth-grade teacher actually made me put

Some of my favorite things to do in the world are writing, reading and drawing.

Most of my ideas for writing and drawing come from reading and imagining. When I was in second grade I developed a bad habit of reading under the desk. As I got older I realized that would only get me in trouble, so I spent the time daydreaming instead. The ideas that I dreamed up were later either drawn on a piece of scrap paper or written down in a school notebook. In high school, daydreaming still helps me come up with new ideas and elaborate on them. I don’t think there is any better way of figuring out what you want to do than sitting quietly and thinking about it.

Being a dreamer has always made me different from other people. It allows me to escape when times are hard and gives me a friend when I am all alone. It is also the reason I forgot my biology binder in my classroom so that I had no way of studying before the midterm. It is both a good thing and a bad thing, and despite the many people who tell me that I should pay attention to the life that I am living, I will probably always have one foot in a world that only I can see. Y

S C H O O L

Where will you find…?

An exceptional liberal arts education, faculty who care, peers who inspire, a place to grow…

Only at Hopkins nÈÊ ÀiÃÌÊ, >`ÊÊÊUÊÊÊ iÜÊ >Ûi ]Ê /ÊäÈx£x ÓäΰΠǰ£ää£ÊÊÊUÊÊÊÊ « ði`ÕÊÊÊUÊÊÊÊ>` Ãà @ « ði`Õ

new haven

23

By Simone Virzi

A

fter a visitor p presses a buzzer and disem tells the disembodied voice at the other end of the intercom her tw flights of stairs name, she creeps up two extraord and enters an extraordinary space. From high ceilings to dark w wooden tables and chairs, the inviting space seems a kind of urban oasis.

There are a seemingly endless number of tidy bookshelves holding approximately 30,000 classic and current books, portraits and photographs dating from the early 20th century, as well as an antique (circa 1892) globe.

After stepping into the Young Men’s Institute Library, founded in 1826 by a group of young working men, one is easily drawn to the spacious yet quiet world and forgets about bustling Chapel Street just below.

The library’s name is misleading since it implies only males can join the private library. But don’t be fooled: The library is a treasure for people of either gender.

In fact, the library opened its doors to women in 1835 “based upon local women’s requests,” says Executive Director William Baker. The male-to-female member ratio today is “mostly split down the middle, but there are a few more women.”

The Young Men’s Institute Library never shed its “official name” but it has been “referred to as the Institute Library for generations,” says Baker. Keeping “Young Men” in the title, he notes, “honors the library’s founders.”

For the modest annual membership fee of $25, the library is available to anyone with a love for books or someone who is looking for a place to escape to work or read.

Since new Institute Library head Baker arrived in February 2011, membership has more than doubled.

PHOTOGRAPHS: LISA WILDER

t

A breath of fresh air permeates a little-known but venerable downtown gem: the Institute Library

24

March / April 2012

Over the last 12 months the historic but little-known library has been undergoing significant changes since Baker became executive director last February. The Institute has extended its hours to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturdays. The library also began hosting an array of events to draw prospective members to the space, including hosting art exhibits. Since 2009, the Institute has hosted monthly poetry readings the third Thursday of every month, organized by the Poetry Institute. A published poet is invited to read, after which attendees are afforded an opportunity to read from their own work.

The library has also recently taken on the task of renovating one of its upstairs floors, reclaiming long-dormant space for active use.

“We’ve actually renovated part of the third floor, but mostly it was volunteer work,” says Baker. “We restored a room that’s been closed for exactly 40 years, from the time that it closed to the time that we opened it. So it closed in October 1971 and reopened in October 2011, and we’re using that now as an exhibition space, for rotating art [exhibitions].”

“As of January 31 of last year, we had fallen to 194 members and today we have about 485. So membership has increased dramatically,” Baker says. In addition, “We raised 641 percent more dollars in unrestricted funds. The new unrestricted funds were raised primarily from memberships, cash donations — in part from the 2011 Annual Appeal and 2011 Spring Benefit Dinner — summer events, and the 2011 Fall Book Sale.”

PHOTOGRAPHS: LISA WILDER

“This year we’re really going to be very aggressive about how to survive,” says Baker.

The new third-floor gallery recently hosted an exhibition of paintings titled Stone Work: Artists’ Encounters with Hard Places. Additional shows are planned for later this spring.

Though the Institute Library’s membership had been dwindling for years, that trajectory has been reversed, with a substantial number of new members having joined the library within the last year. Even area residents as young as highschool have discovered the value of an Institute Library, Baker says.

ED. T N A W S t a c b o b

Library member Ott: ‘Part of the charm of the library is it’s an escape from the information overload we all experience today.’

Before joining the library, Baker was in grad school at Southern Connecticut State University, earning a master’s degree in information and library science. While in school, he did projects on the Institute Library and created a chart tracking the library’s membership every year since 1925. The high water mark for members was 1928, when the rolls peaked at 700. A half-century ago, in 1952, membership had declined by nearly half, to 376 members.

Ten years ago, in 2002, it had nearly halved again, to just 189 members.

Everyone associated with the Institute Library is happy to see those numbers reverse course.

YYY Continued on 45

We’ve got Class.

Small classes and a focus on academic excellence as recognized by: Top Tier ranking, U.S. News & World Report, %ORRPEHUJ %XVLQHVVZHHN 7RS 8QGHUJUDGXDWH %Ħ6FKRROV and the 3ULQFHWRQ 5HYLHZ·V %HVW . Just a few reasons to make Quinnipiac University your education destination.

STUDENT LIFE From intramural sports to campus Greek life, the arts and everything in between, at Quinnipiac, we understand that some of the greatest lessons are learned outside of the classroom. That’s why we offer over 100 clubs and organizations, with a range of extracurricular activities to satisfy even the most diverse tastes.

ATHLETICS Whether you’re in the game or in the stands, Quinnipiac’s 21 Division I teams are sure to exhilarate. Check out www.quinnipiacbobcats.com for tickets, team schedules, news and more.

Visit Us on Campus Come take a tour and attend a group information session or interview. Sign up online at www.quinnipiac.edu/visit.

High School juniors and sophomores, join us at our May 14th Open House!

ARTs AND SCIENCEs | Business | Communications | Health Sciences | Nursing | Education | Law Quinnipiac offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs to 6,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students.

Classes are kept small and taught by outstanding faculty in state-of-the-art facilities. Plus our expanded 600-acre, three campus suburban residential setting with modern housing, vibrant recreation and Division I athletics make for a unique and dynamic university.

Visit www.quinnipiac.edu, email admissions@quinnipiac.edu or call 1-800-462-1944.

Hamden, Connecticut

new haven

25

By Duo Dickinson

A small kitchen wing was added directly west facing out over the Fence Creek Salt Marsh (left). The use of riff-sawn clear-finished Douglas fir cabinetry, dramatic porcelain tile flooring and infill tiled backsplashes make for a clean, Asian presence amid the existing half-timbered barn structure.

26

March / April 2012

From a humble outbuilding, a shoreline builder crafts a signature home — for himself

AT H O M E

I

t’s not exactly breaking news that we are in the middle of the longest building bust in the history of building busts. It has modified the behavior of virtually every homeowner or potential homeowner, and it has stressed out everyone in the homebuilding industry. But no one has felt the crushing effect of a terrified housing sector more than developers.

It could be argued that developers are one of the reasons why the economy failed.

Part of a developer’s job is pumping up house prices to maximize profitability.

But a decade of dramatic, unrelenting price gouging inevitably led to a collapse following which the actual value of a house simply could no longer sustain the price tags developers placed on them.

That said, developers are an easy target for consumer wrath and indignation in this ensuing bust.

Bill Plunkett has a persona. His force of personality has effectively created a “brand” — a “Plunkett House.” More often than not it is a thoughtful renovation, occasionally it is a new building or two, but it’s never a subdivision and it’s never following the quicker, easier route of building cheap, marking up the price tag, grabbing the money and running away.

Billy Plunkett grew up in Madison and has built most of his homes there. He is passionate about the history of his hometown, “I am working to start the Madison Historic Preservation Trust, an independent agency that will have some ‘teeth’ in trying to save local, historically significant buildings,” he explains. So it’s not surprising Plunkett has a reputation of making money by doing things that work on a variety of levels, both aesthetic and civic.

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANTHONY DeCARLO

Plunkett spearheaded the drive to get one of Connecticut’s finest restaurants, new haven

27

PHOTOGRAPHS: ANTHONY DeCARLO

But developers, being human, come in a variety of stripes. One of them is a man who has negotiated the entire spectrum of building cycles, Bill Plunkett of Madison. His firm, William Plunkett & Associates, LLC, has been around for a couple of decades and has done any number of projects on the shoreline.

Plunkett is working to create a Madison Historic Preservation Trust to put some ‘teeth’ into efforts to save historic properties.

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.

28

March / April 2012

Bar Bouchée, into downtown Madison, and now has a couple of other properties that will ultimately morph into other destination eateries in the neighborhood.

But homes are where Bill Plunkett’s heart is. “I also have my sights on two very interesting, very cool, residential developments in town that would be strongly embraced by the community,” he says.

Although Plunkett occasionally does do a classic custom home with a private client and an architect, the majority of the work is self-created as a small-scale developer. Given that criteria, most developers tend to minimize the “overhead” of the design cost for their work, hiring anonymous, often unlicensed, designers to create drawings that will meet the building and zoning codes and maximize the marketability of the generic finished product. By contrast, Plunkett employs highcaliber architects to manifest designs that mesh with his eye. Plunkett describes it this way: “Though we do in-house design-build, we have worked with architects such as Bob Page, Peter Jackson and Elise Hergan building interesting, design-driven residences and structures.”

As it is houses that built Bill Plunkett’s professional identity, it seemed like a good idea to see where Plunkett himself lives.

YYY All developers try to find the “worst house on the block” and transform that sow’s ear to a silk-purse residence. About eight years ago, Bill found a nice piece of property launched into the Fence Creek, south of Route 1 in downtown Madison with a pretty severely compromised “house” on it. The original site had been one of the many tiny granite quarries that were once

scattered along the shoreline, so the outsized shed used in service to that purpose was renovated in the 1950s to be a two-bedroom, one-bath “pad.”

The renovated outbuilding had all the signs of 50 years of wear and tear inveighed on its 1,000-square-foot footprint.

Calling it a “barn” would give the building a stature it did not merit. It was a second home sitting on a back lot accessed by a private driveway. Over a series of three or four ongoing (think never-ending) renovations, the house has grown to be a 3.5-bedroom house with four full baths incorporating finishes and detailing that fully embody Plunkett’s eye.

For his own home, Plunkett assumed the task of design that, in truth, shows why he hired those good architects in the first place. He has a remarkably consistent and thoughtful attention to detail and a signature design perspective that defies such labels as “contemporary” or “traditional.”

His tendency is to employ natural materials, extremely “clean” detailing, and the kind of softly effervescent expressive aesthetic which complements existing structures seamlessly but also allows the new houses he builds to feel fresh while easily sliding into their existing shoreline context.

Plunkett celebrated the original half-timber structure of the barn “pad” by completely cleaning it and baring it to view, using new timbers as needed in a series of additions. He strategically added a pop-out for a kitchen from the original box facing the salt marsh, subsequently renovating and adding on to create a master bedroom suite complete with a second floor walk out perch. His most recent recreation of the home — a 24-foot-square wing with social space below and guest bedrooms above — extended

Kitchens By Gedney, Inc. Fine F ine Cabinetry Cabinetr y for for the the Home Home www.gedneykitchens.com Madison • 203.245.2172 •

Serving New Haven County Since 1951 Ser ving O v Cities Wo er 550 rldwide

Hy’s Is One of the Top 50 Limousines Operators In America & Has One of the Largest & Newest Fleets in Connecticut! www.HYSLIMO.com | 800 255.LIMO (5466)

new haven

29

the mass of the house and thoroughly transformed its “type” to a full-on fulltime residence.

The new living room added by Plunkett allows for yet more exposure to the Fence Creek Salt Marsh (left) and area’s of expression for the developer’s simple, clean aesthetic.

Master bedroom. In an existing part of the original structure, the bed is nestled beneath a new skylight away from the salt marsh. Reused painted broad board on the wall and ceiling surfaces contrasts with the clean sheetrock elsewhere.

A completely renovated existing portion of the home employ’s Plunkett’s system of simple fixed skylights and plank wall surfacing to create a clean environment in which the peek-a-boo view of the salt marsh ‘reads’ through while maintaining the existing barn shape. Note new walk-out porch with cable railing.

Throughout the house are the subtle experimentations of a thoughtful builder acting as his own designer. Plunkett invented a simple way to build fi xed skylights whose oversized presence pours massive light and view into a tight structure. He found two-by-four-foot porcelain tiles for the kitchen that feel more like stone but have the enhanced durability of something that is essentially solid glazing. The kitchen also features exquisite quartered fir veneer cabinetry whose lines reflect an Asian-inspired simplicity. A light seasoning of stainlesssteel detailing and expressive art complement the white walls, pine floors and occasional stone surfaces Plunkett employs here, as throughout his other projects.

The entire house is opened up to the marsh view with new windows, doors and decks, and Plunkett has reinvigorated the site to include a small lap pool, outbuilding and gardens remarkably well sited within the small (0.5-acre) site.

Like the classic metaphor of the shark that must keep moving forward or die, Bill Plunkett has never stopped renovating his own home even as he churns through any number of for-profit building ventures.

Fittingly he bought the adjacent house just north of his own, renovated and recently sold it, spending the time and money to add amenities and features to it that probably didn’t return the biggest profit margin, but fully renovating the home that he sees every day when he leaves his own.

If houses are our largest suit of “clothing,” this home is custom-tailored to suit the convergent qualities of Bill Plunkett’s one-man mission to build well and express himself while making a living.

The necessary rough-and-tumble of a “can-do” career of taking risks, pushing the envelope of profitability with his devotion to reclaiming old buildings and his focus on detail has created the “brand” that is working its way through the worst recession within memory.

That’s why a rough-hewn core of a stone quarry’s outbuilding made civilized with carefully calculated and coordinated detailing seems obviously appropriate as a home for an intense man with an artful eye.

It is said that the cobbler’s children never have new shoes. But even though

30

March / April 2012

Front view. The existing ‘barn’ (in truth a shed) occupies the center of the home, with new additions (right) and earlier additions (left) bookending. By using vertical cedar siding, the simple shapes are crisply highlighted and a beech tree (foreground) has grown explosively since Plunkett ‘cleaned up’ the landscape.

Fitting tightly within the existing context, the master bath employs crisp detailing of stone, wood and white to create a space that is at once controlled and open.

it is in a constant state of evolution, Bill Plunkett over the last seven years has fabricated a home for himself that not only suits the way he lives but also feels at home on a Connecticut salt marsh — fully embodying, in the literal sense, a “Plunkett Home.” Y

Join us for a Foote School Summer!

Creative Fun for Children plus a Full-Scale Theatrical Production for Middle School, High School and Beyond.

Visit www.footeschool.org/summer

50 Loomis Place, New Haven, CT 06511 203-777-3464

new haven

31

BOD Y & S O UL

Give Qi a Chance Discovering the mental and physical benefits of Tai Chi

By Jessica Giannone

W

hen you hear the words “supreme ultimate fist,” what it probably doesn’t evoke is grace and relaxation. An image along the lines of an intimidating hand crunched in aggression might potentially come to mind. But these words, in fact, stand for a practice quite opposite of tense stances and power. This practice emphasizes calmness, balance and physical ease, creating a world of benefits for the body and mind when practiced as intended.

Tai Chi Ch’uan is a more-than-700-yearold practice (which itself derived from an over 2,000-year-old practice involving the controlled circulation of bodily energy, Qigong) with a clearly lasting tradition.

Through continuous flowing gestures, soft twists and light arm movements, the body is being utilized as its energy, or qi (pronounced “chi”) is flowing throughout.

Though intriguing, the $20 DVD I tried as my introduction to this practice didn’t quite suffice, so I sought out some experts.

My first lesson began under the guidance of Central Connecticut Tai Chi Ch’uan director David Ritchie, who opened the first brick-and-mortar Tai Chi school in New England, now headquartered in Meriden. He has spent almost 40 years practicing Tai Chi, after years spent traveling and studying with grandmasters, before beginning to teach privately.

I participated in a “Pushing Hands” class, the self-defense component of Tai Chi. The class began with a warm-up session of mild stretches consisting of circular motions of arms, heads and feet, gentle twisting of torsos and light knee-bending.

It was after this I had an opportunity to witness and (attempt to) try one of the four styles of Tai Chi: Yang style, 32

March / April 2012

which is the most popular of the styles, characterized by grace and fluidity.

aspect of Tai Chi serves as practice for focus on becoming aware of one’s qi.

The routine consisted of snake-like body motions and arm positions centered around the front of the chest, also extending past the sides of the body.

Picture forming an invisible ball of energy in front of your chest, knees bent, wrists free, hands and arms pushing, pulling and swaying in and out, side to side in a continuous gentle manner, ever-changing form and positions.

“Tai Chi self-defense is the art of getting the heck out of the way,” Ritchie explains.

Of course, the practice isn’t just about getting exercise. The main purpose of Tai Chi is to contribute to health, relaxation and longevity. But there are additional benefits such as anxiety and stressreduction, improved balance, flexibility, blood pressure, sugar levels, sleep and focus, and calm emotions, inner strength and immunity.

“Specific posture and alignments, slow, even, expansion and contraction of muscles, relaxed breathing and a calm, focused mind encourage even circulation of qi and blood and improve the brain’s ability to regulate the body and hone the body’s responses to stimulus,” as Kungfu Magazine describes.

And Tai Chi doesn’t solely revolve around these movements. It is also about finding your inner force and focusing on it. In the class, I watched as Ritchie stood three feet behind a man, manipulating his energy with his hands as the man swayed like the Tin Man back and forth Then I did it. It was like a natural pull.

Ritchie explains this phenomena as your qi, where others can feel your energy circulating around you.

Then came the self-defense. Participants were instructed to select a partner and practice avoiding their force by “rooting,” or grounding their energy and focus. This

Instead of pushing back, we neutralized our partner’s force by manipulating our positions to flow with theirs, which then allowed us to gain our “centers” back. Our arms would meet our partner’s in front of our chests, then channel that down to the side, rather than vulnerably fighting back.

Ritchie says the important thing is to understand the health benefits and focus the movements so one can direct the energy. He says the objective is to balance the energy system. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the principle that all illness or disease stems from an imbalance in the energy system.

“It’s utilizing internal energy flow that people never knew about,” says Ritchie.

“The focus and concentration helps provide an internal source of power.”

While some utilize Tai Chi as a way to improve life, others interpret the philosophy behind it as a way of life.

One of the latter is Grandmaster Aiping Cheng, who has more than 40 years of training under her belt. Her teachings come from days spent training alongside Jet Li in the early 1970s as a three-time gold medal winner for the highest-level Tai Chi and Wushu Kung Fu competitions in the world, which were presented to then-president Nixon when her team traveled to the U.S. Her Tai Chi and Qigong center is located in Milford.

Cheng describes the process of balance in Tai Chi in terms of yin and yang.

“Day and night, sun and moon is a yin and a yang,” Cheng says. “Man and a woman, old /new, fire/water, tall/short — everything has a yin and a yang.

Husband and wife need to be balanced

[to] have good relationship. Friends need a balance. Politics need a balance. If [there is] no balance [in politics, they will] have war.â&#x20AC;?

With Tai Chi, Cheng says the body movements allow the person to feel your energy and then â&#x20AC;&#x153;ďŹ xâ&#x20AC;? it. She characterizes it as exercise outside and inside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In America,â&#x20AC;? Cheng says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;many people teach Pushing Hands like karate. We do Pushing Hands from feeling. If you do not relax, you cannot get a true feeling. If you understand the meaning, it will help your life [to be] better.â&#x20AC;?

And so it is true. As I proceeded with my postures and positions, my intended results didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come until after I was able to relax. One must shut down his or her mind and let go to experience the rush of calm yet strong energy within.

As Cheng swiftly swept my arm in a twisted position that would make a contortionist look stiff, I realized the strategy Cheng tries to teach â&#x20AC;&#x201D; go with the ďŹ&#x201A;ow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You practice it to be calm,â&#x20AC;? says Cheng. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural practice. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to think about it anymore.â&#x20AC;?

Learners of Tai Chi conclude Tai Chi is a process â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a quick ďŹ x for physical impairment.

Ramos says he uses his breathing at the gym when he lifts weights to improve his strength and focus.

One of Ritchieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students, Howie Dobrindt of Southington, says he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay away from Tai Chi.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think Tai Chi incorporates a lot more energy and inner strength than physical exercise,â&#x20AC;? says Ramos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[There is] more sensitivity in what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a slow process, but all of a sudden you wake up one day and you realize you have more ďŹ&#x201A;exibility, your stress levelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lower. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like the best sleep [my wife and I] have.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a big change in your life,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a calmer person, a much better balanced person in mind and body.

It makes you think of life in a different manner. Everyday things that use to bother you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother you anymore.â&#x20AC;?

Another of Ritchieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students, 53-year-old Stephanie Crump from Wallingford, who has been practicing for about three of four years, says she was â&#x20AC;&#x153;rigid and stiffâ&#x20AC;? in the beginning, but she noticed a change in herself within three to six months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would feel a lightness,â&#x20AC;? adds Crump. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes I can feel the energy. You notice when you drop something in your hand and you grab it real quick. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like an awareness â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a relaxation.â&#x20AC;?

Other students such as Noel Ramos, 55, of Meriden, ďŹ nd themselves incorporating Tai Chi into other activities, such as gym workouts.

Students agree that the ďŹ rst months are the most difďŹ cult, as beginners have to become accustomed to balance and mind-body coordination. But as Ritchie notes the practice takes dedication and commitment before the beneďŹ ts surface.

Students should practice every day for at least ten minutes. Ritchie recommends a minimum of 20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Believe the beneďŹ ts,â&#x20AC;? says Ritchie, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to get them. But you have to stick it out. Never stop learning. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no pill that gives you what Tai Chi gives you. No shortcuts.â&#x20AC;?

People of any age can participate in Tai Chi, from as early as six to as old as 90.

The thing with Tai Chi, is you really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t describe it. You have to just give your qi a try. Y

Serious About Losing Weight??

Call a Doctor at Bariatric Associates of New England 203.786.5007 (New Haven)

203.318.0100 (Madison)

A Nutrition, Preventive Medicine & Weight Management Practice s -OST )NSURANCES (3! S -EDICAL 3AVINGS !CCOUNTS !CCEPTED )NCLUDING MEDICARE s Safe, Drug Free !PPROACH TO $ISEASE 0REVENTION s )MPROVED #ONTROL OF (YPERTENSION $IABETES #HOLESTEROL 3LEEP $ISORDERSZ s 7EIGHT 2EGAINS !FTER "ARIATRIC 3URGERY s /NLINE $IET #ENTER 2ETAIL 3TORES /PEN TO THE 0UBLIC s #ONVENIENT 4ELEPHONE #ONSULTS !VAILABLE s %ARLY !- %VENING !PPOINTMENTS !VAILABLE

Visit us at www.banellc.com

BARIATRIC ASSOCIATES OF NEW ENGLAND, LLC â&#x20AC;&#x153;Connecticutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mos t Well Respected...â&#x20AC;? /RCHARD 3T 3UITE .EW (AVEN s "OSTON 0OST 2D 3UITE -ADISON

new haven

33

B IB L IO F I LE S

This Book Will Leave You in Stitches New volume mines ‘schoolgirl’ needlework as a mirror of Connecticut’s past With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery from the Connecticut River Valley, 1740-1840, by Carol and Stephen Huber, Susan P. Schoelwer and Amy Kurtz Lansing. 2011, Wesleyan University Press, 112 pp. $60, $30 soft, $23.99 e-book.

By Eliza Hallabeck

P

art of Connecticut’s history has been stitched together in the newly published With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery from the Connecticut River Valley by co-authors Carol and Stephen Huber, Susan P. Schoelwer and Amy Kurtz Lansing.

Some of the women who lived between 1740 and 1840 come to life for brief instances in the book, published by Wesleyan University Press.

While their lives are not shared in detail, the authors pinpoint focus on needlework created along the Connecticut River Valley from New Hampshire to Long Island Sound. The story reveals what young women of that era cared most about while sharing detailed research on the subject on needlework.

The many young women (and a few men) whose lives are briefly touched on here are highlighted mainly for their connection to needlework created in the area. Other books of course have focused on the history of needlework, but according to the publisher this is the first volume of its kind to focus solely on creations of women in the Connecticut River Valley.

34

March / April 2012

The publicly organized grammar schools of colonial New England focused on the preparation of boys for the ministry and other professions.

Girls, mainly from well-to-do families, received instruction in needlework, basic arithmetic, reading and writing from smaller “dame schools” run by older women out of their homes.

By the 18th century there emerged private schools and academies that catered to the desire of elite families to enhance their daughters’ accomplishments, both intellectual and artistic.

Students at the schools would spend weeks, months or even years creating intricate examples of needlework.

Some of the samples shared in With Needle and Brush depict romantic scenes of male suitors holding out lean hands to elegantly dressed women. Others show scenes of mourning over the passing of loved ones, while still others illustrate a family’s coat of arms.

“It was not uncommon for girls to travel away from home to pursue either a classical education or to refine their needlework skills with the most elite teachers,” the authors write.

The teachers were often not schooled themselves at the start of the century, according to the book, and were in multiple cases in the business to make money out of necessity. Teaching needlework afforded an opportunity for women of the era to support themselves and/or their families if needed. Some of the women spent decades working at the schools they began or were employed by.

Like the full-color prints of needlework reproduced in the book, the authors have created an in-depth look at the works between 1740 and 1840 while keeping their frame tight and concise. Few side stories are told in detail before the narrative

returns to its path on the history of needlework.

More than half the publication is dedicated to the 71 full-color examples of needlework compiled for the book, most assembled from private collections.

Different schools had different popular patterns or visual motifs associated with them, from bright flowers on black backgrounds to the signature twin doves of another school.

One school, the Patten School, which the book says opened its doors to female pupils shortly after the American Revolution, remained in operation for 40 years and spawned two offspring schools that also went on to be successful in Connecticut. It estimates the Patten School educated more than 4,000 girls throughout its tenure.

In the early chapters readers learn about samplers.

“The first sewing endeavor for a young girl — often when she was only five or six — was marking a sampler, usually worked in silk thread on a linen ground,” the authors write. “This was a small piece undertaken as an exercise to become

skilled at stitching and to learn alphabets and numbers.â&#x20AC;?

The community of Norwich produced some of the most notable samplers. Students from Norwich stitched â&#x20AC;&#x153;pictorial panels worked in tent stitch.â&#x20AC;?

Some of the students also worked with solid dark backgrounds, which the authors say are particular to Connecticut needlework.

One such sampler with black backgrounds was created by Lyme resident Alice Mather while studying in Norwich in 1774. Matherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s piece included numbers, the alphabet, palm trees and a reclining shepherdess with sheep.

Other works in the book also had black backgrounds, such as the creations of FairďŹ eld resident Mary Lockwood in 1745, who used black backgrounds and bright ďŹ&#x201A;owers in her needlework.

As the chapters unfold, the works displayed become more intricate and begin to depict more adult themes, like the mourning scene stitched by Branford resident Emmeline Butler in 1820.

Silk embroidery by unidentified artist, Jepthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rash Vow, c. 1810. Silk, chenille, velvet, fabric, metallic fringe, watercolor, ink and spangles on silk,. From Lydia Bull Royseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school, Hartford.

Courtesy Florence Griswold Museum.

According to the authors, Butler created her mourning scene for her grandfather, Charles Butler, to honor six members of the family who had died.

The book offers insight into what women concerned themselves most with: family, religion and life. In some cases the towns the girls came from or studied in can be seen depicted within the needlework creations, offering another glimpse of the Connecticut River Valley that once was.

According to the publisher, Carol and Stephen Huber are the leading experts and dealers in the ďŹ eld of American and schoolgirl needlework,

displaying examples in their Old Saybrook gallery. The Hubers have contributed articles to publications such as Antiques and Fine Arts and are the authors of How To Compare and Value Samplers. Susan P. Schoelwer is a curator at George Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens in Virginia and is the author of Connecticut Needlework, also published by Wesleyan University Press in 2010. Amy

Save Your Old Wood Windows

Before

Kurtz Lansing is a curator at the Florence Griswald Museum in Old Lyme.

The authorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; passion for their subject is evident throughout the book, but the most stunning aspect for readers is the detailed works of needlework themselves that are shared in the pages of this handsome volume. Y

Now Enrolling Pre-K - 8th Grade

K]] gmj Work at YYd] Mfaversity on 451 ;gdd]_] Street

After

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nurturing the Spirit, Educating the Mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Why Throw Out a Window Better Than You Can Buy?

>mddq J]klgj]\ <gmZd]%Paned Weather Stripped

You can make your current windows operate like new and increase their energy effeciency by 200% Visit www.ct-bi-glass.com or call 888-966-3937 for a Free Estimate

We offer Science, Technology, Advanced Math, Religion, Spanish, Art, Music, Physical Education, Computer Lab and Classroom Computers.

Smartboards, Ipads, Elementary and Middle School Libraries.

Extracurricular activities include Band, Concerts, Athletics Title I Services Mr. Michael Votto, Principal Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor Tuition Payment Plans Available â&#x20AC;˘ Credit Cards Accepted

St. Aedan - St. Brendan Catholic School 381 McKinley Ave New Haven Accredited by NEASC State of CT

203-387-5693 new haven

35

T

he historical moment would have been irresistible to any creative artist — especially to a musicand-lyrics man like Gabriel Kahane. A group of luminaries including W.H. Auden, Erika Mann, Benjamin Britten, Carson McCullers and Gypsy Rose Lee (in an ironic twist she surely would have savored) attempt to forge a utopian “family” in Brooklyn Heights in the early 1940s. As the musical February House tells the story, novelist and renowned editor George Davis discovers a boarding house and invites his friends to join him there.

“February House” (so named because so many in the group were born in February) becomes for a time a haven, and a home.

In its world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre, and soon to move to the Public Theatre in New York, February House has the makings of a fascinating work. Not only are the characters’ lives and struggles intriguing, but the historical time and place — pre-Pearl Harbor America — generate additional conflict. Americans were arguing heatedly over whether or not to join World War II; Europeans such as Auden, Mann and Britten joined in the argument with even more at stake. In that era, of course, homosexuality for either gender was taboo, but Davis’ boarding house offered its guests freedom to love without judgment.

Musical Mismatch Notwithstanding considerable ‘star’ power, LWT premiere wants for coherence, focus

By Brooks Appelbaum

36

March / April 2012

February House, music and lyrics by Gabriel Kahane, book by Seth Bockley. Directed by Davis McCallum. Co-produced with the Public Theatre. At Long Wharf Stage II, 222 Long Wharf Dr., New Haven. 203-787-4282, longwharf.org.

Politics, sex, poetry, music, family feuds — what more do we need for a terrific evening at the theater? Two words: coherence and focus. There are many lovely scenes throughout February House, and some compelling musical numbers.

But there are too many characters, each with diverse and complicated stories of her/his own. The viewer becomes a bit numb to all that is happening, and the play’s length — at this point, two hours and 20 minutes — taxes even the most dedicated musical-theater enthusiast.

The flamboyantly gay diva, George Davis provides a story that could have anchored an evening in itself: his passion for the house and what it signifies (beautifully captured in his signature number “A Room Comes Together”) and his romantic-but-platonic love for McCullers — perhaps the most fully realized love story here. Their delicate, haunting relationship stays in the mind long after much else has faded. Played by Julian Fleisher, Davis has the full voice and generous presence of a larger-than-

Elsewhere, Kahane and Bockley are not so successful. Erika Mann (an exceptionally charismatic Stephanie Hayes) draws us into her vivacious manly charm and her fury at those who don’t share her political posture. Still, the character is relegated to a relatively minor role. Benjamin Britten (Stanley Bahorek) and his longtime romantic partner and musical collaborator, tenor Peter Pears (Ken Barnett), provide some enjoyable comedy with demanding patter songs, but it is difficult to get emotionally invested, either in their relationship or in Britten’s pacifism in the face of the Hitlerian threat.

perfectly executed striptease song and dance, choreographed by Danny Mefford.

Here too, though, director and writers lose more than one opportunity. Sheik seems like a perfectly capable actress, but as directed her Gypsy is part Marilyn Monroe, part Judy Holliday — and never a complete original. The real Gypsy was nothing if not original; her autobiography proves that. In addition, Gypsy was the only one among the illustrious writers to actually publish a best seller (The G-String Murders) during her stay at February House while paying all the utilities from her own purse. I longed for this character to reveal her inner self: Is she laughing at the others? Is she longing to be what she thinks they are? In the end, all we know is that she is the mistress of the zinger.

Auden, played as well as could be by Erik Lochtefeld, has a lovely ballad, “Awkward Angel,” but he is required to sing at least one too many reprises. And in a sad misstep, Kahane chooses to put Auden’s heartrending poem, “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,” to music, calling the result “Funeral Blues.” Anyone who knows the poem (which includes everyone who has seen the film Four Weddings and a Funeral) knows that the words provide their own stoic, anguished music. No melody can magnify those words, and indeed, Kahane’s atonal tune wreaks havoc with them.

As one might expect, Gypsy Rose Lee (played with a gorgeous glint in her eye

by Stacie Sheik) adds some welcome spice to the proceedings, especially in her

decis

Most disappointing is Kahane’s and Bockley’s treatment of W.H. Auden and his love for the beautiful young poet, Chester Kallman. Certainly no one can be blamed for the familiarity of Auden’s

story: The older man truly in love at last with a callow partner who cannot possibly appreciate him. Yet Kahane’s and Bockley’s challenge — and that of director Davis McCallum — is to make Auden’s love, and Kallman’s response to it, feel new. Instead, we have too many scenes of Auden pleading and Kallman repulsing him with words like “suffocating” and “pathetic.”

Perhaps it is fitting that aside from the relationship between McCullers and Davis, the most successful scenes and songs are those sung by the entire cast.

Here, the music and the staging shine.

I hope the creative team re-shapes the production before taking it to the Public Theatre. Like the creations that began there, February House, with judicious editing, could become a true work of art.

ions

life, determined-to-please father to his unruly charges. Kahane and Seth Bockley (who wrote the book) enliven McCullers enormously, allowing her to love George tenderly, discover a sexual passion for Erika Mann, and sing sweetly banjoinflected songs that suit her character, helping us understand McCullers’ vexed connection to her Southern home.

Y

SABBATH of HISTORY Meditations on Holy Week

sion

deci

decis

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.

The

William Congdon

s, de cisio ns

ions,

Decisions Decisions I

Ruth Blum Resident Tower One/Tower East

Tower One / Tower East Now thru Sept. 16

One State Street, New Haven • 203-865-0400 • kofcmuseum.org • Free admission & parking

18 Tower Lane • New Haven, CT 06519 203.772.1816 www.towerone.org A distinctive non-profit apartment and assisted living retirement community Fostering Independence and Community It’s all Right Here new haven

37

ART

Continuing

Opening 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. March 30-May 27 (opening reception 5–7 p.m. March 29) at Davison Art Center, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. Free. 860-685-2806, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Amy Arledge exhibits copper plate etchings of subjects mainly from nature.

April 1-30 at City Galley, 994 State St., New Haven. Open noon-4 Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203-782-2489, city-gallery.org.

Shoreline Arts Alliance presents Images 2012, its 31st annual juried photography exhibition. April 2-21 at Mill Gallery, 411 Church St., Guilford.

Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Free. 203-4535947, guilfordartcenter.org.

The second annual [Junk or Genius] International Juried Group Exhibition features selected works from 17 awardwinning international artists. April 4-April 28 (opening reception 6 p.m. April 7) at Gallore Gallery, 68 Washington St., Middletown. Open 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free 860-788-2764, galloregallery.com.

The exhibition Shiny Pop includes prints, drawings and photographs from the Artspace Flatfile. April 6–28 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven.

Open noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., noon8 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

The annual Still-Life Exhibition at Susan Powell Fine Art includes works by more than two dozen artists. April 6-May 6 (opening reception 5-8 p.m.

April 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.

Curated by Fritz Horstman, the group exhibition Material Measure: Use & Reinvention of Maps includes works by artists including Leila Daw, Billy Friebele, Mike Iacovone, Martha Lewis, Gerald Saladyga, Karin Schaefer and Kevin Van Aelst. April 7-May 5 (artists reception noon-2 p.m. 4/7) at Young Men’s Institute Library, 847 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays.

Free. 203-562-4045, institutelibrary.org.

Annual Showcase of the best 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. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free.

860-434-7802, lymeartassociation.org.

38

March / April 2012

Chris Oliver: Artwork spawned from parts of buildings — a set of louvered doors, a pile of molding, a window sill all basted with polyurethane and enamel paint and incorporated into new structures. Through March 24 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven.

Open noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Thur., noon8 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

Elizabeth Knowles’ Night Vision features intricate work made from cutouts of X-rays and laced together to create natural patterns on differing scales. Through March 24 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Open noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Thur., noon-8 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

From Italy to America: Photographs of Anthony Riccio features black-andwhite photographs by native New Havener Riccio. Through March 30 at Bellarmine Museum of Art, 1073 N. Benson Rd., Fairfield. Free. Open 10 a.m.4 p.m. weekdays. 203-254-4000, ext. 4046, fairfield.edu/arts.

5 at 55 is an exhibition by five artists creating in five discrete styles and media: collage/mixed media by Regina M. Thomas, watercolors by Sharon R. Morgio, still life in oil by Laurie Marchessault, plein air paintings in oil and pastel by Ralph R. Schwartz and organic pottery by Margaret UleckaWilson. Through March 31 at Elm City Artist Gallery, 55 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Sun. Free. 203-922-2359, elmcityartists. com.

Ron Agam: Recent Works is an exhibition of paintings by New York based Israeli-French artist Agam.

The son of internationally acclaimed Israeli artist Yaacov Agam, Ron Agam considers his work a continuation of his father legacy. Through March 31 at Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, Alan and Leah Rabinowitz Gallery, 80 Wall St., New Haven. Free 203-432-1134, israelfm.org.

New Haven Paint & Clay Club 111th Annual Juried Art Exhibition includes work by artists from New England and New York. Through April 1 at John Slade Ely House, Center for Contemporary Art, 51 Trumbull St., New Haven. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2-5 p.m. weekends.

Free. 203-624-8055, elyhouse.org.

In the group exhibition Nature Walk, artists Paulette Rosen, Peter Ramon and Lucy Mink reference nature in their abstract work. Through April 6 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.

Threads of Influence: The Visual History of a Life in Graphic Design.

Works by Yale alumnus Tom Morin (‘68). Through April 13 at Robert B. Haas Family Library, William H. Wright Special Collections Area, 180 York St., New Haven. Open 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.Thur., 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 2-11 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-4321810, library.yale.edu.

Leila Daw’s ‘Ancient City in the Sky’ (1980), map drawing in skywriting smoke. From the exhibition Material Measure: Use & Reinvention of Maps through May 5 at New Haven’s Institute Library.

RoxyShow is an exhibit of prints on paper plastic, and metal prints by Roxanne Faber Savage. Through April 15 (artist talk 6:30 p.m. March 28) at the Orison Project, 8 Railroad Ave., Building No. 7, Essex. Open 1-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 860-304-0842, theorisonproject. com.

Reflections of PlaceWorks by American sculptor Susan Clinard and Swiss painter Patricia Emonet. Through April 15 at Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave., New Haven. Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-389-9555, kehlerliddell.com.

The third annual themed exhibition On Holiday features work by Lyme Art Association member artists inspired by vacation or travel experiences. Through April 21 at Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St., Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 860-4347802, lymeartassociation.org.

The themed exhibition Drawing Attention features framed drawings in graphite, ink, charcoal, conté crayon, black chalk and silverpoint. Through April 21 at Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St., Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 860-4347802, lymeartassociation.org.

Norm Magnusson’s Historical Tense is an installation of six “historical markers” previously displayed along country roads and in small towns, each marker telling its own story. Through April 28 at Artspace Lot, Corner Orange and Chapel streets, New Haven. Open noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Thur., noon-8 p.m.

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

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

Selections from the LeWitt collection feature more than 40 works including paintings, sculpture, photography and works on paper by 17 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). 203753-0381, mattatuckmuseum.org.

Spectra 2012: Photo arts collective annual members show. Through April 30 at McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery, 70 Audubon St. (2nd Fl.), New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free. 203-7722788, newhavenarts.org.

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.

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. …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.

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.

March 24 at Paul Mellon Arts Center, 333 Christian St., Wallingford. $15($10 12 & under). 203-697-2398, choate.edu.

ONSTAGE

The Official Blues Brothers Revue is a live concert that combines the comedy and songs from the 1980 hit film, as well as the five albums released by Jake and Elwood, a/k/a John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. 8 p.m. March 24 at Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $55$35. 203-346-2000, palacetheaterct.org.

Cabaret Featuring an ensemble of instrumentalists, singers and actors, Underworld is a retelling of the Orpheus myth through music and text — old and new — from multiple perspectives. Ethan Heard directs. 8 p.m. March 22, 8 & 11 p.m. March 23-24 at Yale Cabaret, 217 Park St., New Haven. $15. 203-432-1566, yalecaberet.org.

Funnyhouse of a Negro is Adrienne Kennedy’s story of a young woman trapped between worlds — black and white, past and present, right and wrong. 8 p.m. March 29, 8 & 11 p.m.

March 30-31 at Yale Cabaret, 217 Park St., New Haven. $15. 203-432-1566, A variety show inspired by American circuses and nomadic tent shows, Carnival/Invisible explores the things we do when we become desperate to belong: walk tightropes, peddle elixirs, seek prophets, dance wildly, tell bad jokes and make room for one another inside our tents. 8 p.m. April 12, 8 & 11 p.m. April 13-14 at Yale Cabaret, 217 Park St., New Haven. $15. 203-432-1566,

Opening

M a ry Wa d e W ine Dinne r 2 0 1 2

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

In Shakespeare’s Othello, revenge, passion, jealousy and murder intertwine to tell the tragic story of Othello and Desdemona. A senior project of Kalyan Ray-Mazumder and Austin Trow. 8 p.m.

March 28-29, 2 & 8 p.m. March 31 at Stiles-Morse Crescent Theater, 19 Tower Pkwy., New Haven. Free. Registration. 203432-1308, yaledramacoalition.org.

The national Broadway tour of the classic Mel Brooks’ musical comedy Young Frankestein comes to the Palace Theater for three monstrous performances April 13-14. her rebellious younger sister.March 22-April 22 at Seven Angels Theater, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury. $35. 203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

The romantic comedy Enchanted April tells the story of two lonely English women who rent an Italian villa for a month and receive unexpected visits from the men in their lives. March 23-April 14 at Center Stage Theater, 54 Grove St., Shelton. $25. 203-225-6079, centerstageshelton.com.

In The Rehearsal, choreographer/ performer Cuqui Jerez challenges the perception of reality by presenting a rehearsal — or perhaps a rehearsal

of a rehearsal. It is one part of The Neverstarting Story — a collaboration between and among artists Jerez, Amaia Urra, Cristina Blanco and María Jerez, for which each has created an independent work that seeks a new intersection between dance, performance, video and theater. 8 p.m.

March 23, 2 & 8 p.m. March 24 at Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. $35.

203-432-1234, yalerep.org.

TheaterWorks/USA’s production of Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little grey spider named Charlotte. 2 p.m.

Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s classic tragedy set in the later days of the Roman Empire, tells the story of Titus, a general in the Roman Army. Jack Tamburri directs. 4 p.m. April 5 & 7, 4 & 8 p.m. April 6 at Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. Registration.

203-432-1234, drama.yale.edu.

Based on the classic Mel Brooks film, Young Frankenstein tells to tale of Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the deranged genius Victor von Frankenstein. 8 p.m. April 13, 2 & 8 p.m.

April 14 at Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $68-$48. 203-346-2000, The off-Broadway hit Menopause: The Musical is a joyful musical on the effects of aging gracefully (or not so). Set to classic tunes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and 80s, writer and producer Jeanie Linders contontine created the show as a celebration of Continued next page

DISCOVERY An Exploration of Old & New World of Wines Saturday May 12, 2012 6:00 - 9:00 pm O m n i N e w H a v e n H o t e l a t Ya l e New Haven, CT Black Tie Optional.

F E AT U R I N G S p a n i s h A l b e t I No y a B r u t C a v a R e s e r v a N V It a l i a n A l t a d o n n a Ve r m e n t i n o To s c a n a 2 0 1 1 C a l i f o r n i a n Z i n 9 1 Z i n f a n d e l C a l i f o r n i a O l d Vi n e 2 0 1 0 F r e n c h C h a t e a u B e a u l i e u C o t e a u x d’A i x - e n - P r o v e n c e R o s e 2 0 1 1 C h i l e a n D e M a r t i n o C h a r d o n n a y L i m a r i Va l l e y L e g a d o R e s e r v a 2 0 1 0 A r g e n t i n i a n B o d e g a Ru c a M a l e n Me n d o z a K i n i e n d e D o n R a u l 2 0 0 7 It a l i a n C e s a r i A m a r o n e d e l l a Va l p o l i c e l l a C l a s s i c o I l B o s c o 2 0 0 5 Hu n g a r i a n S a u s k a To k a j i 6 P u t t t o ny o s 2 0 0 3

For tickets or sponsorship information, please contact the Development Office at Mary Wade (203) 672-7812 Wo r l d R e n o w n e d Wines C ourtesy of:

Ho s t e d B y : T h om a s Mat t h e w s , E x e c ut i v e E d it or Wi n e Sp e c t at o r

1 1 8 C l in ton Av e n u e | N e w H av e n , C T | 0 6 5 1 3 | m a ry wa d e . or g

new haven

39

MUSIC Classical The Yale Horowitz Piano Series presents Robert Blocker in recital. SCHUMANN Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; BRAHMS Sechs Klavierstücke, Op. 118; LADERMAN Decade. Plus, new work by Martin Bresnick. 8 p.m. March 21 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $22-$12 (students $9-$6). 203-432-4158, music. yale.edu.

In honor of Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart’s 220th wedding anniversary (gee — do you think it will last?), the New Haven Symphony Orchestra presents Mozartfest, a celebration of the exuberant genius of the young Mozart, including: Divertimento in F Major, K. 138; Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299; and Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201/186a. Plus, Edvard Grieg’s Two Elegiac Melodies for Strings, Op. 34. 7:30 p.m. March 22 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. $65-$10. 203-8650831, newhavensymphony.org.

De Profundus: The Deep End is a celebration of music for low instruments

by Yale School of Music Ensembles.

MOZART Duo for Bassoon and Cello; PENDERECKI Serenata for three cellos; BRUCKNER Aequalae for three trombones; DRUCKMAN Valentine for solo double bass; GUBAIDULINA Concerto for bassoon and low strings; SCHUTZ Absalon, fili mi for four sackbuts and bass voice. 8 p.m. March 28 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Arvo Pärt: Passio includes choral works performed by the Yale Camerata under the baton of Music Director Marguerite L. Brooks. 4 p.m. April 1 at Christ Church, 84 Broadway, New Haven. Free. 203-4324158, music.yale.edu.

Piano Music of Schubert. Yale School of Music faculty members Wei-Yi Yang and Michael Friedmann offer a program that includes two little-known but

wonderfully contrasting sonatas, the two-movement C major, D. 840 (1825), misnamed “Reliquie” by the publisher, and the E-flat major, D. 568 (1817).

The concert will conclude with the composer’s Fantasy in F minor, D. 940 (1828), perhaps the greatest work ever composed for four hands, one piano.

8 p.m. April 1 at St. Anthony Hall, 483 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

The St. Lawrence String Quartet has been lauded for its “superb ensemble work, beautiful tone...This was as fine a performance as I could ever hope to hear” (Seattle PostIntelligencer). MOZART Quartet in D minor, K. 421; KORNGOLD String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34 (1945); JOHN ADAMS String Quartet (2008). 8 p.m. April 3 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $25-$20 ($10 students).

203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Enjoy a performance of early music by the Yale Collegium Musicum, directed

by Grant Herreid and Robert Mealy. 5:15 p.m. (pre-concert lecture 4:30) April 11 at Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 121 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-4324158, music.yale.edu.

Don’t miss the annual spring performance of the esteemed Yale Cellos under the musical direction of Aldo Parisot. 8 p.m. April 11 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $20$10 ($5 students). 203-432-4158, music. yale.edu.

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra presents America the Beautiful, a celebration of flag-waving American favorites, including works by Copland, Ives, Irving Berlin, Morton Gould and of course John Philip Sousa. 7:30 p.m.

April 12 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. $65-$10. 203-865-0831, newhavensymphony.org.

New Music New Haven. Featuring guest composer Kaija Saariaho’s Serenatas for cello, piano and percussion, and Terrestre for solo flute with violin, cello, harp and percussion. Also, Stephen Feigenbaum’s Sonata for double bass and piano; Jordan Kuspa’s Picaresque Episodes for trombone quartet; Daniel Schlosberg’s Once; Justin Tierney’s Escritura del Dios; and Fay Wang’s Timid as a Mouse (with

Stage Calendar Continued from 39 “the change.” 7:30 p.m. April 17-18 at Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $49.50-$28.50. 203-346-2000, palacetheaterct.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 film The Graduate. April 18-May 6 at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton.

Performances 7:30 p.m. Wed-Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Wed. & Sun. $40 ($35 seniors, $20 students, $15 12 & under). 860-767-7318, ivorytonplayhouse.com.

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 StilesMorse Crescent Theater, 19 Tower Pkwy., New Haven. Free.

Registration. yaledramacoalition.org.

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 playwright Will Eno. April 20-May 12 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. $73-$54. 203-432-1234, yalerep.org.

40

March / April 2012

Loadbang). 8 p.m. April 12 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free..

203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Yale Symphony Orchestra performs Feigenbaum’s Landings and two pathbreaking works by Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms (with Yale Glee Club) and Le sacred du printemps. 8 p.m.

April 14 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. $15-$10 (students $5-$2). 203562-5666, shubert.com.

Swing into spring when the Yale Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Thomas C. Duffy, performs the fifth annual Stan Wheeler Memorial Concert. 2 p.m. April 15 at Levinson Auditorium, 127 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

The Houston Chamber Choir comes to the Yale Divinity School for a program of choral music “A Dome of ManyColoured Glass,” including Brahms, Christopher Theofanidis and Dominick DiOrio. 5 p.m. April 15 at Marquand Chapel, 409 Prospect St., New Haven.

Free. 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Under the direction of Robert Mealy, the Yale Baroque Ensemble performs chamber music of Handel, Boccherini and Mozart. 8 p.m. April 18 at Yale Collection of Musical Instruments, 15 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven. Free. (ticket required). 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Music of Mendelssohn. Clive Greensmith, cello, and Wei-Yi Yang, piano perform: Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 45; Variations concertantes, Op. 17; Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58; Song Without Words in D Major, Op. 109. 8 p.m. April 19 at Yale Collection of Musical Instruments, 15 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven. Free. (ticket required). 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Under the baton of guest conductor Jahja Ling, the Yale Philharmonia performs its final concert of the academic year: GINASTERA Harp Concerto (soloist Kristan Toczko); DVORAK Symphony No. 8 in G major; BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture. 8 p.m. April 20 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, music. yale.edu.

We associate Handel’s Messiah with Christmas, but the composer’s signature

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. 203-392-6154, 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-April 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 storm to help a mysterious girl in her search for a mystery that unites, divides and perplexes the teens. Performed by the Oddfellows

oratorio of course also is concerned with Easter. Marguerite L. Brooks directs the Yale Camerata. 3 p.m. April 22 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. Free.

203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

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.

Popular The Milford Fine Arts Council hosts vocalist Nicole Pasternak & Friends. The vocalist’s category-defying repertoire spans swing, bebop, Brazilian, ballads and big band fare. 8 p.m. March 16 at Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. $20 ($15 MFAC members).

Reservations. 203-878-6647, milfordarts. org.

Yale’s Ellington Jazz Series presents the Ron Carter Trio featuring pianist Donald Vega, guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Carter. 8 p.m. March 23 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $30-$25 (students $10). 203-432-4158, music.yale.edu.

Guy Davis & the High-Flying Rockets.

Bluesman Guy Davis has got some Blind Willie McTell and some Fats Waller, some Buddy Guy and some Taj Mahal. 8 p.m. March 23 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook. $28. 877-503-1286, katharinehepburntheater.org.

The Duke Robillard Band returns to the Musicians Living Room. 9 p.m. March 23 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $15. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

The incomparable Snoop Dogg comes to York Street. 9 p.m. March 28 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $42 ($37.50 advance). 203-624-8623, toadsplace.com.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich is an English singer-songwriter who began playing music at age ten and grew up listening to the Rolling Stones and Nina Simone before discovering such singer-

Junior Repertory Co. 7:30 p.m. April 26-28 at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington St., Middletown. $15($8 seniors and students). 860-347-6143, oddfellows.org.

Continuing In the world premiere musical February House, George Davis seeks to create his own utopia in a small house in Brooklyn in the 1940s by bringing together some of the greatest and most colorful minds of a generation (W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Benjamin Britten, Gypsy Rose Lee). (See review this issue.) Through March 18 at Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $67. 203-787-4282, l Always Pasty Cline, based on the true story about Cline’s friendship with a fan that befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death. Through April 1 at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. $40 ($35 seniors, $20 students, $15 12 & under). 860-767-7318, William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, leaps from darkest tragedy to lighthearted romance and a magical conclusion. Liz Diamond directs. Through April 7 at University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. $73-$54 ($67-$50 seniors). 203-432-1234, drama.yale.edu.

songwriters as Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Elliott Smith. 9 p.m. April 3 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $10. 203-789-8281, cafénine. com.

Grant Hart is best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the influential alternative rock and hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü. 9 p.m. April 5 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $8. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

Steve Lehman Trio. Saxman Lehman has been pushing the boundaries of creative composition for the past decade. 8:30 and 10 p.m. April 13 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $30. 203-7850468, firehouse12.com.

Steve Forbert’s musical career of 30 years began when he earned wide critical acclaim as “the new (Bob) Dylan. Frank Critelli opens. 9 p.m. April 13 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $15. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

The Branford Folk Music Society presents Dan Milner and Jeff Davis. This is a program of Civil War-era songs from the sea, land and home fronts. 8 p.m. April 14 at First Congregational Church, 1009 Main St., Branford. $15. 203-488-7715, folknotes.org/branfordfolk.

Southern rock pioneers the Charlie Daniels Band rock the Brass City. 8 p.m. April 21 at Palace Theatre, 100

for he t Category-defying jazz vocalist Nicole Pasternak comes to the Milford Center for the Arts March 16.

E. Main St., Waterbury. $55-$35. 203346-2000, palacetheatrect.com.

Middletown. $22-$6. 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

World

Viva Italy! with Enzo Boscarino.

Regional Italian songs, stories and anecdotes with singer/guitarist Boscarino, a native of Sortino in the province of Siracusa, Italy. 7 p.m. April 19 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven.

Free. 203-468-3890.

Argentine composer and pianist Fernando Otero evokes the tango sounds of Buenos Aires with his rhythmically vibrant works. Otero won a Latin Grammy Award for 2010’s Vital. His quartet features J. P. Jofre on bandoneon, Pablo Aslan on acoustic bass, and violinist Nick Danielson. . 8 p.m. April 14 at Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Ave.,

presented by

Performing Art

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

41

CALENDAR

the world’s most venerated author.

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.

BELLES LETTRES

CINEMA

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. April 4 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-483-6653, blackstone. lioninc.org/booktalk.htm.

An ingénue insinuates herself into the company of an established but aging stage actress and her theater friends in the classic All About Eve (1950, 138 min., USA), starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor. 5 p.m. March 29 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.

April 10 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-488-1441, ext. 318, blackstone.lioninc.org/booktalk.htm.

COMEDY Wednesdays Joker’s Wild opens its stage to anyone who wants to try standup comedy. 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $5. 203-773-0733, jokerswildclub.com.

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. April 19 at Scranton Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison.

Free. 203-245-7365.

Richie Byrne & Vinnie Pagano. Also an accomplished actor (Sex & the City, The Sopranos) Byrne’s standup act features an unusual blend of storytelling and zinging observations. Opener Pagano writes and performs songs that make people laugh. 8 p.m. March 23, 8 & 10:30 p.m. March 24 at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $18. 203-7730733, jokerswildclub.com.

The Poetry Institute of New Haven hosts Poetry Open Mics each third Thursday Come hear an eclectic mix of poetic voices. 7 p.m. April 19 at Young Men’s Institute Library, 847 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. thepoetryinstitute. com.

Rich Ramirez has appeared on more than 20 national and cable television comedy shows. He’s been cast in Law and Order, One Life to Live and A&E’s American Humor: What’s So Funny? His film debut was in Punchline with Tom Hanks and Sally Field. Ray Harrington opens. 8 p.m. March 30, 8 & 10:30 p.m.

March 31 at Joker’s Wild, 232 Wooster St., New Haven. $18. 203-773-0733, jokerswildclub.com.

The Classics Discussion Group reads Stephan Crane’s classic tale of a young soldier’s quest for manhood during the Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage. 3 p.m. March 26 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

The Yale Collection of American Literature Reading Series presents a poetry reading by Susan Howe. 4 p.m. April 5 at Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 121 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2977, library.yale. edu/beinecke.

The New Fiction Discussion Group ponders Robin Oliveira’s Civil War novel My Name Is Mary Sutter. Rich with historical detail (including marvelous depictions of Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, General McClellan and John Hay, among others). 3 p.m. April 16 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-4683890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Author and poet Jason Marchi reads from his collection of poems, Ode to a Martian Urn. 7 p.m. April 18 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Remembering Shakespeare tells the story of how a playwright and poet in late 16th- and early 17th-century England came to be remembered as

42

March / April 2012

Brian Regan has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman more than 20 times. The perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, 7:30 p.m. April 15 at Lyman Center, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $39 ($30 SCSU faculty/staff, $25 students). 203393-6154, tickets.southernct.edu.

New Haven. $65. Reservations. 203-8654489, consiglios.com.

355 Prospect St., New Haven. Free. cobb@astro.yale.edu, astro.yale.edu.

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: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. alternate Saturdays (3/3, 3/17, 4/7, 4/21) at Russo Park, corner Chapel St. and DePalma Ct. EDGEWOOD PARK: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. alternate Sundays (3/11, 3/25, 4/15, 4/29) at Whalley and West Rock Aves. 203-773-3736, cityseed.org.

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. March 3, April 7 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

DANCE

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. 203-562-5437, childrensbuilding.org.

Founded in 1995 by Gideon Obarzanek, the Australian dance company Chunky Move presents the Connecticut premiere of Connected, which animates the physical connection between body and machine as dancers construct a kinetic sculpture designed

by California-based artist Reuben Margolin. 8 p.m. March 30-31 at Center for the Arts Theater, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. $21-$6. 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The 54th annual New England Square & Round Dance Convention returns to the Nutmeg State. April 27-28 at Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd., Hartford. $16 ($14 seniors, $4 children). 860-844-8461, nesrdc.com.

EXPOSITIONS 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.

FAMILY EVENTS 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. 7 & 8 p.m.

Tuesdays at Leitner Family Observatory,

The Hagaman Library hosts a Family Film Festival featuring screenings of King Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2.

Free popcorn and punch. 12:30 & 2 p.m.

March 17 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-4683890, hagamanlibrary.info.

Family Civil War Centennial Program.

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War the Hagaman Library has commissioned a new score for the silent film classic The General starring Buster Keaton. East Haven students will help perform the music, and the film will be followed by a lively discussion . 2-3:30 p.m. April 14 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

LECTURES St. Patrick, St. Brendan and Early Christian Ireland. Gerald Gillespie discusses truths and myths about St. Patrick and early Ireland in this illuminating workshop. 7 p.m. March 15 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. Registration. 203468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

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. March 27, April 24 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-4683890, 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. April’s menu includes tomato bruschetta, escarole-and-bean soup, homemade cavatelli and meatballs, followed by crepes Consiglio. 6:30 p.m. April 12 at Consiglio’s Restaurant, 165 Wooster St.,

Considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time, The General starring Buster Keaton is based upon a Civil War event called the Andrews Raid. It took place April 12, 1862. The Hagaman Library on April 14 hosts a screening accompanied by a new score and intergenerational discussion.

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

203-488-1441, ext. 313, yogidoakie@earthlink.net or events@blackstone.lioninc.org, blackstone.lioninc.org.

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. March 12, April 9 at City Hall Meeting Rm. 2, 165 Church St., New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org.

Road Races/Triathlons

And now for something completely different: Brian’s Beachside Boogie, a duathlon (two-mile run/tenmile mountain bike/two-mile run). 9 a.m. April 1 at Hammonasett State Park, Madison. $60 ($80 team). briansbeachsideboogie.com.

Run to support the Julia Rusinek Memorial Foundation at the four-mile Julia’s Run for Children.

10 a.m. April 15 at Cross Campus, Yale University, New Haven. $22 ($17 students). 516-487-9502, juliarun.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.

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. IVisitors will investigate our origins as hunter-gatherers; explore societal pressures such as the progressive growth of portion sizes; tackle media influences on food preferences; and consider serious health consequences that have 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). 203-432-5050, peabody.yale. edu.

SPORTS/RECREATION Spectator Sports A sure harbinger of spring is Yale baseball’s home opener.. The Elis host Stony Brook for a St. Patrick’s Day doubleheader. 1 p.m. March 17 at Yale Field, Free.

203-432-1400, yalebulldogs.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 longstanding Sunday morning 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. 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. 203-773-9288, paulproulx@sbcglobal.net, elmcitycycling.org.

Tuesday Night Canal Rides. Medium-paced rides up the Farmington Canal into New Haven. May split into

new haven

43

W OR D S o f M O UT H EDITOR’S PICK: Bufalina

W

hen it comes to the New Haven pizza wars, count this diner as a noncombatant. Arguing the merits of the city’s pizzerias seems a waste of time, time better spent sampling succulent pies. And now Guilford of all places has served up a new challenger to the pizza crown, thanks to a couple devoted to Italian farm-to-table cuisine.

Melissa Pellegrino and Matt Scialabba have turned their passion for rustic dining into an outstanding cookbook, The Italian Farmer’s Table (NHM, December 2008), and now are testing their chops at Bufalina on the Post Road.

Artisanal and intimate, the eatery scores with vivid flavor and beautifully charred pies.

The couple met in Italy and spent time working a bakery with a wood-fired oven in addition to touring the countryside to work on organic farm-restaurants. That experience, plus culinary school and time in New York, pays off big for shoreline diners.

Note first that Bufalina is tiny, barely big enough for the wood-fired oven, a narrow open kitchen and a few stools and tables arranged around a marble bar.

The bar faces right into the open kitchen and counter, so every step of meal preparation is visible, from the taking of reservations to the fetching greens from the fridge to the stretching of pizza dough. Reservations are a must.

As a result, much of the business is takeout, but regulars have taken roost in the micro-restaurant, giving the space a family feel — it’s as if you’re dropping in to eat with friends while reggae

plays in the background. If you’re not a regular it can be a bit strange to sit in on the confidences of people who are also making your meal, but it likely wouldn’t take long to become a regular yourself.

to masterpiece level, perfectly setting off the chewy and flavorful crust. Pink, tangy gaeta olives punctuated a white pie with caramelized fennel and herbs ($12) for another outstanding round.

We started with arugula salad ($7), bright and fresh with a smoky punch from grilled cippolini onions. There’s only one salad on offer, along with a lasagna — everything else is pizza. And the pizza comes in one size, a 12-inch round just enough for one hearty eater. Two hearty eaters might want to order three, as the pies are excellent as leftovers.

The eatery’s alluring crust also served as the palette for a dessert pie with Nutella, the European hazelnut-chocolate spread.

Generously slathered on a hot pie, the Nutella married perfectly with the chewy bread and powdered sugar for a kind of fried dough on steroids. It tasted even better in the morning, after the spread set up in the fridge into a dense, fudgy layer.

Pies can be assembled from a range of toppings, but we went for the Bufalina ($14), a classic mix of red sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. Bright and vibrant with San Marzano tomatoes, the sauce alone was worth the trip, ranking with the best in the area. The cheese was notable in its stringiness and blended well with the herbs and sauce, if not distinguishing itself dramatically from the regular mozz.

Lamberti sausage, tender and redolent of rosemary, elevated a mushroom pie ($13)

BYOB, Bufalina will supply the glasses for your wine or beer — making our bill more than reasonable for the high quality of the food.

Lucky for us, the Scialabbas have decided to settle locally and bring their world-class chops to the shoreline. Pizza connoisseurs and lovers of Italian food owe it to themselves to try at least a slice.

Bufalina, 1070 Boston Post Rd., Guilford (203-458-1377).

NEW EATS: Michael’s Downtown

I

n an era of small plates and shrinking portion sizes, it’s nice to find a restaurant that offers value for the money — especially in downtown New Haven.

Michael’s Downtown, an offshoot of the popular Michael’s Trattoria in Wallingford, opened in the former Blue Pearl location on Orange Street

44

March / April 2012

this winter. Ryan Tiscia, son of the eponymous Michael, manages the new eatery and is winning points with downtown diners for generous servings of quality seafood, burgers and pasta.

“The menu is different from Wallingford — more seafood, pasta and steaks,” Tiscia explains. “People really love our seafood.”

With a modern décor in teal and burgundy, Michael’s manages to be clubby but not stuffy. Warm light cast by drum-shaded fixtures and an attentive staff gives the eatery an intimate feel perfect for a business lunch or after-work rendezvous.

The kitchen’s generosity started with the house Pinot Grigio ($8), poured in

Member Maryann Ott says the Institute Library is a “special place” to her. “I first stumbled on it by accident maybe 15 years ago but I was too intimidated to go inside,” she recalls. “Then, about seven years ago a friend told me about the place again and brought me there and introduced me to the library.”

There are many qualities about the library Ott says she appreciates, including how friendly and helpful the librarians are. “They know what I like to read; they direct me to things I might be interested in.” Ott also says she enjoys the atmosphere of the library, including being able to hold and smell the older books.

“Part of the charm of the library is it’s an escape from the information overload we all experience today with anything we want at our fingertips,” Ott says. “You hit Google and there’s your answer.” She adds that there is “nothing like going on an intellectual journey to learn something you didn’t know before.”

From classics to mysteries to history to biography, the Institute Library offers members a wide range of reading options. Ott says

the library has “books you don’t find on Amazon. So many books are out of print you have no idea they exist; that’s especially true in the biography section,” she says. “[The Institute Library] has biographies you didn’t know were out there.”

Located on lower Chapel Street between Church and Orange, the Institute Library is easy to miss if you are not aware of its location. However, Ott says she would like more people to be aware of the historic space.

“It’s important for a community to embrace those parts of it that remind us of a simpler time and I think that the Institute Library is a real gem that needs people to know about it,” says Ott, who notes that community members can join the library, take books out, or even rent the facility for an event.

Ott says since she joined she has seen several changes, including the library becoming more modern in its use of technology. “I just found out that one of the upgrades is digitalizing by using software to maintain membership data,” she says. “I intellectually understand that the time has come, but in my heart I want to keep the [membership] ledger.”

“Right now we are in the process of digitalizing all of the

membership [ledgers], and any donation made to the library is recorded in the book; how they had been keeping records for centuries,” says library staffer Meg Black. “To apply for bigger grants, we need to quickly generate reports.”

However, the library has not completely modernized. In fact, the Institute Library still uses a card catalogue, a retro feature of the library Ott finds appealing.

“What I love about [the card catalogue] is the handwriting goes back to 1890,” Ott says, adding the DNA of librarians who worked there generations ago is also on the cards.

Black says that part of the reason she treasures working at the Institute Library is that it’s different from a public library. “There are just some real treasures on the shelves and I think for every member there’s a sense of, ‘This is my library,’” Black says. “It has a very intimate setting for each of its members.”

While books are and will remain the principal attraction of the library, Baker says the Institute is in the process of broadening the selection of books it offers members.

“A big part of what we’re trying to do now is really diversify our collection and acquire books of a more lasting

significance, books that have more to do with our own history and the history of New Haven and community development, and also just to encourage learning and wonder and fun as well in an educational context,” says Baker. “But things that ten years from now or 100 years from now people will still be enjoying.”

PHOTOGRAPHS: Tom Violante

Institute Continued from 25

Even though technology continues to advance with e-readers and tablet computers, Baker says he is not worried that books will become obsolete. People come for the ambiance and to be in the environment the library offers; he looks at the Institute Library as more than just a collection of dusty volumes on shelves.

“A lot of our members do have Kindles and Nooks, but their membership here is about something else — it’s about a different kind of experience with books and libraries,” Baker says. “They are generally members here because they are interested in the physical place of the library, and in the physical experience of holding a book in their hands.”

To learn more about the Institute Library phone 203-562-4045 or visit its website: institutelibrary. org. Y

PHOTOGRAPHS: Tom Violante

A main course of Atlantic salmon ($21) sat perched atop a mount of succulent risotto — easily enough for two — along with tender sautéed spinach. Entrées run up to about $30, with side dishes.

an ample portion and brisk and freshtasting. An appetizer serving of Blue Point oysters ($2 each) arrived expertly shucked, the shellfish impressive in their size and meatiness, although some lemon or a mignonette sauce would have been a welcome accompaniment.

Caesar salad as part of the $18 fixed-price meal came swathed in creamy dressing with croutons that tasted if they’d been

toasted the same day. A house salad also benefited from a free hand with the greens and a tart balsamic dressing.

The chef delivered an impressively cooked sirloin burger, on the rare side of medium-rare and overflowing with savory juice. Toppings of cheddar and bacon blended with the quality beef for a satisfying lunch, plus seasoned fries.

Although not baked in-house, a cheesecake dessert was light and delectable, bringing the meal to a satisfying if not gut-busting close.

Michael’s Downtown as it establishes itself deserves attention for quality food and good value, imported all the way from Wallingford. With warm weather upon us, this promising new eatery is well worth a stroll to the heart of the city.

Michael’s Downtown, 130 Court St, New Haven (203-507-2677).

new haven

45

A kiteboarder catches serious air of Long Beach in Stratford.

Go Fly Via Kite Call it what you will, but no one argues that kiteboarding in Connecticut is a crazy cool sport

By Susan E. Cornell

W

hat exactly to call this sport depends on whom you ask. Phil Burke, proprietor of Stratford’s Kitewise, one of the oldest kiting schools in New England, says whether you call the activity “kitesurfing” or “kiteboarding” is a matter of semantics, although there are probably more people who kite on land than on snow or water.

“On the water, when we’re kitesurfing, it’s similar to wakeboarding except we’re using the kite for the power,” Burke explains. “On the snow we’re either using a snowboard or skis and, instead of using a ski lift, we can use flat snow and get pulled by the power of the kite.”

Whether it’s “kiteboarding” or “snowkiting” depends on where the kiter is. If you’re standing in knee-deep powder, you can call it snowkiting. If you’re on the beach, your sport can be referred to as kiteboarding.

Whatever the appellation, this adventure sport combines existing sports with kite flying.

Whatever you call it, it’s a true crossover sport. Maybe you’re a good skateboarder.

In this case you can pick up a board like a skateboard but with straps — so the skateboarder can negotiate rough terrain or beaches.

Then there are snowboarders who see kiting as something different for them in the snow.

“It’s got something different for everybody,” says Burke, who has been kiting since 1999 when he first saw the sport in Maui and is now hooked on doing and teaching.

Believe it or not, kitesurfing is a yearround sport in Connecticut. And there 46

March / April 2012

are many great locations (although in Connecticut, when it comes to kitesurfing in the water, the coastline rules because there’s generally more wind on the water than on land). There are popular kiting spots in Greenwich, Westport, Stratford, Bridgeport, Milford, West Haven, Guilford, Hammonassett, Old Saybrook and all the way up the coast toward Rhode Island.

It’s a great travel sport as the equipment doesn’t take up a lot of room. On the flip side, this is definitely an extreme sport and there are multiple ways to get hurt. But by exercising certain safety precautions and checking on your gear before you use it, you can minimize the ways to get hurt.

Kitewise offers a series of lessons. “It’s all a matter of learning programmed skills,” explains Burke. “You learn one skill and after you’ve practiced that for a while you learn a second skill that encompasses the first one.”

Most new kiters feel relatively under control after a couple of lessons.

If you’re not an ironman, no worries.

Kiting is really a leg sport. “You’re attached to the kite lines, so when the kite pulls it really is pulling on your entire

body weight. There’s a harness wrapped around the waist.”

No license is required, although a decent bank account is. Budget about $1,000 to $1,500 to get started, as lessons run about $500 and then there’s gear to buy.

Newbies generally develop sore necks from looking up at the kite, but as they kite more they look at the kite less. Kiters develop “muscle memory,” and the hands will eventually know where the kite is without even looking. For most, after about ten hours with the big kite in the air, they’ll feel comfortable. “Your adrenaline will be pumping pretty good,” Burke says, adding that he’s seen significant changes in people’s personalities as they begin to master the sport.

The teacher’s favorite Connecticut spot for the sport? Long Beach Park in Stratford. “It’s a beach that faces west and while it has a lot of shells and is not great for sunbathers, we want to kite with an onshore wind,” Burke says. “If something goes wrong, we’ll end up on the beach and not on Long Island.”

To learn more, visit kitewise.com or phone 203-947-0092.

Practice managing up.

Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

BILL GATES

Sage advice to ensure a successful year at the office from the Cheney & Company 2012 Calendar.

20 Grand Avenue, New Haven CT 06513 cheneyandco.com 203-562-7719

Nationally recognized experts in creative marketing communications for independent schools, healthcare organizations and nonprofits.

new haven

47

Hurt now?

We’re here. open 7 days*

If you’re suffering from a fracture, dislocation, sprain, strain, neck or back pain then...

SKIP the ER wait SEE a qualified orthopaedic specialist SAVE money by not paying ER rates and START healing now. Call 203.407.3550 or 855.CT.ORTHO. You can also visit us online at CT-ORTHO.COM for more information. *BRANFORD 84 N. Main St. Mon-Fri. 3 pm-8 pm 8 am-3 pm Sat. Sun. 11 am-3 pm Affiliated with

HAMDEN 2408 Whitney Ave. Fri. 3 pm-8 pm Sat. 8 am-3 pm