New Haven September 2008

SEPTEMBER 2008

www.newhavenmagazine.com

The return of raptors to Connecticut

COMING HOME War Veterans confront ambivalence

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New Haven I September/2008

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9 Intel A national organization for Italian-American women gets an Elm City chapter

Jim Zipp

10 One2One Connecticut’s legendary social-activist bishop, Peter Rosazza, speaks his piece

16 Here to Stay: Birds of Prey Liese Klein on the return of raptors to Connecticut

22 Coming Home Returning Iraq war veterans face more than readjustment to civilian life

28 Echoes of an Epidemic Two decades of living, and dying, with AIDS

30 Boomerang Babies Two Manhattan-based Yalies discover an improbably locale for a second home

37 Gallery Michael Harvey on New Haven painter Jan Cunningham’s abstract epiphany

41 Calendar The most comprehensive events listings to be found between New York and Boston

OUR COVER Cover design by Terry Wells. Photography by Jim Zipp.

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New Haven I September/2008

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46 Onstage

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Nun of the above at LWT; Goodspeed’s Sixpence

57 Words of Mouth Devon’s chic new ‘gastropub,’ plus a cook’s store to die for

62 Discovered Grape expectations at North Haven’s Wine Press

New Haven Vol. I, No. 12 | September 2008 Publisher Mitchell Young, Editor Michael C. Bingham, Design Manager Larissa Wigglesworth, Design Consultant Terry Wells, Contributing Writers Brooks Appelbaum, Elvira J. Duran, Joyce Faiola, Michael Harvey, Brittany Galla, Liese Klein, Cindy Marien, Melissa Nicefaro, Tashema Nichols, Ron Ragozzino, Steven Scarpa, Cindy Simoneau, Margaret Waage Photographers Steve Blazo, Anthony DeCarlo, Margaret Waage Advertising Director Laura Whinfield, Senior Publisher’s Representatives Mary W. Beard, Ronni Rabin, Publisher’s Representatives Cynthia Carlson, Paula Thompson New Haven is published 12 times annually by Second Wind Media Ltd., which also publishes Business New Haven, with offices at 85 Willow St., New Haven, CT 06511. 203-781-3480 (voice), 203-781-3482 (fax). Subscriptions $24.95/year, $39.95/two years. Send name, address & zip code with payment. Second Wind Media Ltd. d/b/a New Haven shall not be held liable for failure to publish an advertisement or for typographical errors or errors in publication. For more information e-mail NewHaven@Conntact.com.

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Think about it: When is the last time you read a headline that said, “212 Unhurt as Plane Lands Safely”? The inverse of the old saw, “No news is good news” is equally true: Good news is no news.

It’s especially true of daily newspapers and TV news. In their excellent 2007 documentary, Dollars & Deadlines, Quinnipiac University journalism professors Karen and Bill Schwanbeck examine why local television news, in particular, concentrates so heavily on spot news such as crime, car crashes and the weather — because it’s easy and cheap to cover.

Who’s affected by a car crash? The people in the car, obviously, as well as (to a much lesser extent) other motorists inconvenienced by the traffic slowdown that inevitably results when a wreck is removed from the highway. For everyone else, it’s meaningless.

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A 30-minute local newscast is actually 22 minutes minus the commercials, and once you subtract weather, sports and anchor chitchat, precious little time is left over for stories of substance — why, for example, urban public schools in this richest of states resist improvement. That’s pretty difficult to explain in two minutes.

Which is one of the things to love about magazines: We have the luxury to explore stories in real depth. In this month’s NHM, Melissa Nicefaro explores the lives of soldiers returning home to Connecticut from an unpopular war half a world away.

In the two world wars of the 20th century, returning American soldiers were automatically heroes, even if they brandished something no more deadly than a clipboard in the service of their country. That changed radically in Vietnam, the first uncensored TV war, during which many U.S. soldiers returned to be spat upon or called baby-killers. About the Iraq war the American public is more ambivalent, and Nicefaro tells the story with nuance and compassion.

And there’s even some real good news this month: As Liese Klein reports, after years of population decline, raptors (aka birds of prey) are making a strong comeback in Connecticut.

Of course, that’s not really good news if you are, say, a mouse. v

WAV E WAVE New Haven • 1046 Chapel St.

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september 2008

— Michael C. Bingham Editor

I NT EL

to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Free China’s withstanding of a heavy bombardment from the Communist mainland.

Clark served as an airman in an intelligence-gathering operation on the island of Formosa in 1958 at the time of an assault. He and ten other former soldiers were invited to a special luncheon hosted by President Ma Yingjeou of the Republic of China.

Casinos Coming Up Snake Eyes?

Even as Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick tries to use the Northeast’s troubled economy to revive his plans of three new Bay State casinos, revenue growth at Connecticut’s physically expanding gambling megaplexes has effectively stalled. Profits at expanding Indian casinos in California have also hit the skids.

Alan Meister, an industry economist, in the latest edition of Casino City’s Indian Gaming Industry Report, reported gambling revenue for Connecticut’s casinos grew by just 1.6 percent in 2007 over 2006. That was well before the expansion but also before $4-agallon gas and the credit crunch.

Solar Bucks The new Connecticut Solar Lease Program, administered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), is the first in the nation and can help residents afford a home solar energy system.

Bombs Away Branford Realtor Bill Clark and his wife Regina Evan traveled to the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Nutmeggers with qualifying credit and household income less than or equal to 150 percent of the median income in their area are eligible for the program. A family of four with a total household income of less than $120,000, for example,

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The Write Stuff

Chapter and Verse

HAMDEN — Edward Alwood, an associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, has won a national Tankard Book Award for his book Dark Days in the Newsroom: McCarthyism Aimed at the Press.

NEW HAVEN — Three Branford women — Madelyn Burzenski, Lauren Jannotto and Laura I. Maniglia, are hosting a coming-out party for a new New Haven chapter of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW). Area women with at least one Italian grandparent are invited to join this national organization, which was founded 28 years ago in NYC.

The book examines how radical journalists during the Depression became targets of U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy and likeminded anti-Communists during the 1950s, and how Congress questioned journalists suspected of being Communists.

Dark Days in the Newsroom also shows how conflicts journalists faced during the McCarthy era parallel modern conflicts over the right of journalists to protect sources, such as New York Times reporter Judith Miller and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper, who refused to reveal sources before a grand jury.

A former CNN Washington correspondent, Alwood previously penned Straight News: Gays, Lesbians and the News Media.

NOIAW raises money for scholarships for Italian-American young women and sponsors a variety of social and cultural events, including a cultural exchange program with Italy.

A launch party will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. September 10 at the the Graduate Club, 155 Elm Street. Guests include NOIAW’s founder and chairwoman, Aileen Riotto Sirey, and national president, Carol Silvagni Macleod.

To learn more call 203-453-5067 or e-mail laura@handleassociates. com.

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‘A

That’s what social activist and Bishop Peter Rosazza wants his Catholic Church to be

Haven in a

Heartless

World’

Even in Connecticut, ‘There are thousands of kids who don’t know Jesus.’

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rdained as a priest in 1961, Bishop Peter A. Rosazza, a New Haven who grew up in Torrington, and has served in Connecticut for nearly his entire career. Today he is housed on the campus of New Havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital of St. Raphael. In 1997 he was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Spanish-speaking Catholics in the Archdiocese of Hartford, which includes New Haven County. He is a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Committee for Social Development & World Peace.. In 1986 he was one of ďŹ ve bishops who drafted Economic Justice for All, a pastoral letter that has set the stage for much of the American Catholic Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social involvement in the ensuing decades. He is one of the founders of the Naugatuck Valley Project, a coalition of churches and labor union locals, as well as ECCO (Elm City Congregations Organized), a community organization of 18 churches in the New Haven. Rosazza was interviewed by NHM Publisher Mitchell Young.

vvv When you were growing up, the image of a priest in the media was Bing Crosby in The Bells of Saint Mary. That excited many people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were you one of them?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;excitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the word. In high school I remember my parish priest talked to me about the priesthood.

When I went to college at Dartmouth [for a year] I was inďŹ&#x201A;uenced by this wonderful fellow, Father Nolan, who was the campus minister for 37 years. I use to get up in the mornings and serve mass, and one day he looked me in the eye and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Do you want to be a priest?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; It triggered something in me. My father was a daily communicant; my parents were very supportive. I went to seminary in BloomďŹ eld for two years and then to Paris, where I was ordained a priest (at the Cathedral of Notre Dame) in 1961.

That was before things got really tumultuous here.

They were terribly tumultuous there because of the Algerian War. Most of my classmates had to ďŹ ght in the war. They would ask, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you have military service?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And I would say because the United States was a Protestant country [laughs]. There were people who thought the [French government should] recognize

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[the rebels]; others thought they should hold onto the colony. It was a guerrilla war they were ďŹ ghting [in Algeria] â&#x20AC;&#x201D; same as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing now.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in Connecticut for your entire career. Is that typical for a priest?

Once your ordained a priest for a diocese, you serve within the diocese. Some priest will be asked to go on missions. I was two years in West Hartford. With my language skills I thought theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d send me to a city parish, but they sent me to the richest parish and then to the seminary to teach â&#x20AC;&#x201D; St. Thomas in BloomďŹ eld, which was two miles away.

What did you learn in West Hartford?

There was this old money I had never seen before â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this kid from Torrington, with the unions and the Democrats. I was taken by the wealth. I asked the pastor how much would you have to make to live out there. He said $15,000 a year.

They were a lot of Italian-Americans and they took to me. Many felt inferior to the people who had lived there for a long time. It was great parish, a lot of activity.

After I ďŹ nished I volunteered for the inner city and went down to Sacred Heart in Hartford, the poorest parish in the diocese.

But I could pick up the phone and call a doctor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, we need help for this kid.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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So thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where your famed networking skills were ďŹ rst developed?

A colleague needed [legal] help for a parishioner, and there was a judge. I called him and said [to the judge],â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grace is more active where you have poor and suffering people.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; So one day he called back and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I need more grace â&#x20AC;&#x201D; send me more.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; There were poor neighborhoods in Hartford and New Haven back then, but we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the kinds of problems that we have now. How do you see the change?

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Sacred Heart was a parish of Hispanics, mainly Puerto Ricans then [1972. Current Hartford mayor] Eddie Perez and his wife were both kids in the youth group. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still very good friends. Drugs werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t around yet, but by 1979, 1980 you could sense things were happening. We were broken into seven times in one year. One day we heard someone downstairs; I said,

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As far as ‘churched’ people, which is maybe ten, 15 percent [of the population] and that’s probably all denominations, people who are really weekly attendants, they have done well. Now the Mexicans have really come in large numbers and they’re very faithful to the Catholic Church.

Does the church function as a kind of point of entry for recent immigrants?

Exactly, and you also have social services.

The other day the archbishop dedicated what used to be St. Donato Church for Catholic Charities in New Haven, We’re the biggest provider of social services, counseling services, pastoral services in the whole state — next to the government we’re number two.

Faith-based social services is pretty controversial now.

[Catholic Charities] has a non-profit relationship with government that’s been ongoing for 80 years. Often the local groups do things better. We have in Catholicism the principal of ‘subsidiary’: If a local group can take care of a problem, it’s not necessary for the federal or state governments to get involved.

How has the new immigrant population affected the Church and recruitment of priests?

‘So what? We have nothing left to steal anyway.’ There were gangs before; we took one into the church. They were called the Ghetto Brothers — like the saying that you want to keep your adversaries close to you [laughs]. Then the guns came. In 1981 I was transferred to Waterbury, and the last two weeks [in Hartford] I buried two kids, ages 15 and 16.

From the ‘marketing’ point of view, we could say you’re in the sweet spot, as the Hispanic community has grown tremendously in Connecticut and most of them are Catholic and church-going. How has that affected your job?

To make a distinction: The Puerto Ricans have been here longer and many are prone to going over to the Pentecostal churches and evangelical churches. But I would rank our priests who work in the 24 [Latino parishes] as among the best in the state or the country. They work hard, serve the people with love. The bigger problem is ‘unchurched’ people or [those who] have their kids baptized [in church] 12

september 2008

and that’s it. We have to go out to them.

There are thousands of kids who don’t know about Jesus.

Would they have stronger ties in their homelands or is it part of the break away from their traditions when coming here?

The Spanish imposed a structure in Latin America: You had a city hall, the church and the square. The big [life milestones all took place in church]: baptism, marriage, [funeral]. We used to say, ‘hatched, matched and dispatched.’

You were Catholic because it was part of the community. Now with modernity, and big efforts of the evangelicals to convert people, all through Latin America as well, a lot of that has changed. People come [to the U.S.] they find a culture that is so different to them. The Church in a sense is a haven in a heartless world. They also find that in the evangelical churches, where people are also welcome.

How do you see the progress of the parishioners, and the change of demographics?

In St. Rose Church [in Fair Haven] there are [parishioners from] 18 countries and 13 states in Mexico. I’ve gone down with one of the Colombian priests to Medellin, Colombia where there are so many vocations [candidates for the priesthood] they’re turning them away from seminary.

We put them through a year’s study at the University of Hartford, [then] they’ll go on to a seminary now that their English is good enough. We have them from Poland and a few from Nigeria. One of the problems is that they’re not Americans.

That’s why we want them to go through seminary here, so they’ll understand more of the culture. We take a lot for granted, about understanding the history of the United States and the history of Connecticut, how the government functions. I always tell the younger priests: ‘When you get first assignment make an appointment with the mayor, with the chief of police, with the school administrator.’

You’re here on the St. Raphael’s campus.

Has being close to the hospital provided a close-up view of some of the medical ethical controversies, and have those affected your relations with your many

It must have been the early 1980s?

came to the next meeting, I tried to get a motion that by approving the Marxism document we would automatically do something on capitalism, and they shot it down. I asked Cardinal Bernadine [of Chicago], who was a friend of mine and good at all the [procedural] rules, ‘How can I get this on the floor?’ He said, ‘Just raise your hand and make the motion.’

They voted it through and that began a saga that started November 10, 1980. The final document [Economic Justice for All] was approved in November 1986. We had a section on the theology of money and work, poverty, labor, food and agriculture.

We tried to show how to apply Catholic thinking to these areas. We were opposed by a big group of Catholics who thought we were too ‘statist.’ And I realized that criticizing capitalism was like criticizing your son or daughter. It’s almost a sacred cow! Because of [then-President Ronald] Reagan we got so much attention.

liberal friends and colleagues?

modification okay in the Catholic Church?

It’s hard. [Catholics] are the only ones that are consistent with respect for life — from conception to natural death.

Others will be for abortion but against capital punishment, as we are. One day I went to the state Capitol to testify on two bills: one was for parental notification [by minors seeking an abortion], but before that I had spoken in favor of abolishing the death penalty. When I left the chamber, two elderly ladies came running after me. I thought they were going to hit me with their canes, but one said, ‘If everybody was like you we’d lose.’ We’re consistently for life.

I would think so — but if it leads to cloning, no. As long as the principles are maintained, there’s no destruction of human embryo.

Is there a lot of discussion within the church regarding an issue like stem cells?

Oh, yes. There is a lot of discussion, and we make a distinction between embryonic stem cells, which entails the destruction of the embryo and stem cells from placenta, or umbilical cord, blood and all that.

You’re best known for your activism in economic social-justice issues locally and nationally. Where did that begin?

One of my [current] preoccupations is about the affluence of many Catholics and a concern about losing respect for God’s house. One of the ways you see it is in marriages: ‘You mean I can’t [get married] in my canoe on the lake?’

I was stationed in Sacred Heart Church and it was a very poor parish and there were two priests from France working with us. I was talking about how [the American church] had just finished a document on Marxism.

Yes, 1980, ’81.

Has it survived in the church?

I’m not asking you to speak officially on this, but…

People mostly stopped talking about Marxism after that.

Well, I’m a bishop. I have to speak officially [laughs].

[The French priests] said, ‘How ridiculous for the Americans to write on Marxism.

You should write on capitalism.’ When I

Oh yes, we’ve done documents referring back to Economic Justice for All [Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986]. Although I must admit, one time

Well, good then. Officially, is gene

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Monumental Proportions Atop East Rock sits a symbol everyone has seen, but few know why it’s there

By Melissa Nicefaro

I

n 1878, the Civil War had been over for 13 years, but the painful memories of lives lost and families shattered remained vivid. Members of New Haven’s Admiral Foote Post of the Grand Army of the Republic staged a rally to convince the city’s Common Council to assign a section of the New Haven Green for a memorial. Appropriately, on Memorial Day 1879, a ceremony dedicated the site.

There was talk of building a memorial hall, a library or monument, but then the conversation faded and the idea sat idle. No funds were raised and the matter lay fallow until December 1882, when plans were resurrected, a committee was appointed and $50,000 was earmarked for construction.

The plans turned into a political mess as some residents claimed that GAR members influenced the city council’s vote. The Connecticut General Assembly stepped in on February 28, 1883 and supported the city’s vote. One year later, the monument’s future site was changed to East Rock Park.

An advertisement for architects was published in the American Architect, a Boston trade weekly, as well as in Hartford and New Haven daily newspapers. Soon the committee received proposals from a variety of sculptors and architects from far and wide. Planners 14

september 2008

from New Haven, Hartford, Boston and even Italy vied for the privilege of designing the war memorial. The winning design was submitted by architects John M. Moffitt and Alexander Doyle of New York City in the fall of 1883 — after the deadline had expired.

Nevertheless, Officials on the committee lobbied to have the Moffitt & Doyle design considered. In 1885, after two years of intense debate and deliberation, the $50,000 contract was finally awarded to Moffitt & Doyle. The New Haven

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument could now be built.

Because the monument was located atop East Rock, Moffitt & Doyle insisted that the final product should be a large, imposing structure visible from miles away. And it is.

The cornerstone for the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, a block of granite six feet by four feet by 18 inches, was laid on June 17, 1886. According to the Connecticut Historical Society, a band played and Gov. Henry B. Harrison gave

a speech. It was a big day. One thousand children participated and the local horse railroad brought all its own rolling stock into use and borrowed what it could from other lines to move people from city to park.

The monument was built by the New Haven firm of Smith & Sperry. The granite came from Maine, while the bronze was imported from Massachusetts and New York City. Construction proceeded without major incident, and exactly one year to the day after the cornerstone was laid, the New Haven Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument was ready for dedication.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument consists of a square pedestal and a vertical granite shaft with the 11-foot, 5,000-pound bronze Angel of Peace at the top, to whom many New Haven residents still pray today, beseeching the angel to watch over the city and harbor.

The faces of the pedestal’s bronze sculptures depict scenes from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War, respectively. On the four corners of the pedestal sit four different bronze ladies: Patriotism, Victory, Prosperity and History.

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The New Haven Museum & Historical Society notes that the monument is significant artistically because it exemplifies l9th-century allegorical and ideal art on a large scale. The four female figures on the base and the largerthan-life Angel of Peace at the top are in the tradition of Roman sculpture, displaying everlasting truth and idealistic form which were considered to have a permanent uplifting influence in society.

With the Civil War and its resulting casualties so fresh on the minds of New Haven’s residents, it was vitally important to erect this tangible monument of honor and respect for the city’s soldiers. About 20,000 people marched in the dedication parade and spectators were estimated at about 175,000.

But the monument was not yet complete.

In 1894, two tablets containing the names of the 520 New Haven soldiers who died in the War Between the States was added to the monument for all to see.

The Angel of Peace, the crowning majesty of the New Haven Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, was restored — deeply missed by some — in 2006. Proud, polished and pretty, she has resumed standing vigil over the Elm City. v new haven

15

Raptors flock to Elm City’s skyscrapers and suburbs

By Liese Klein

Falcon crest: Wind Over Wings’ Hope Douglas is a savior to avians including this peregrine falcon.

16

september 2008

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

F

irst he squawks a bit, and then Oliver the turkey vulture opens his beak wide and a big glob of something red and slimy comes rocketing out, landing with a splat not too far from my foot.

Is that...meat?

“He’s puking!”

“That’s okay — it’s one of the things they do as a defense mechanism,” explains Hope Douglas, director of the Wind Over Wings bird rehabilitation center in Clinton. “He’s just getting used to you,” she tells a new handler. More globs of halfdigested carrion follow, along with some brownish goo and mystery chunks, until Oliver settles down a bit — or runs out of ammunition.

“Oliver steals the show when we do educational programs,” Douglas says. With the vulture’s cadaverous face and lively black eyes — not to mention his digestive pyrotechnics — it’s easy to see why.

Oliver’s day job is helping to introduce kids to his near kin on the avian family tree, the birds of prey also known as raptors. And the vulture’s neighborhood is getting a lot more crowded lately: Raptors such as eagles, falcons, ospreys and owls

BP

have been making a steady comeback in recent decades in Connecticut, turning up in increasing numbers in parks, backyards and even city skyscrapers. Reforestation and the banning of potent pesticides like DDT have allowed raptors to repopulate areas of the state from which they had virtually disappeared in the 1960s and ’70s.

Look skyward on a given day in the New Haven area and you might see hawks coasting in an updraft or vultures perched on a bridge trestle. Listen carefully, and you can hear the call of an owl on a winter’s night. Spend a day by the shore and you might see an osprey, also known as a fish eagle, plunge into the water for a fishy snack.

But the increase in bird populations in recent years has also brought more birds to rehabilitation centers like Wind Over Wings, which also houses a dozen or so raptors that can’t be released into the wild.

Isis, a peregrine falcon, was hit by a car in Hartford and permanently damaged a wing. Bentley, a majestic gray owl, was shot in the face in Canada.

Hawks and falcons poisoned by pesticides and lawn chemicals regularly turn up at the shelter after suffering seizures. Oliver, the puking turkey vulture, was never

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injured but suffers from the after-effects of “birdnapping” by a kindly family: He became so used to humans as a chick that he can’t be safely released.

Perched at the top of the food chain and legendary for their ferocity, raptors also don’t always make congenial neighbors.

Suburbanites have called state officials to report hawks decapitating squirrels in their backyards and dive-bombing small pets. Although no dogs have been reported killed recently, several smaller toy breeds have been picked up by birds of prey and injured, says Laurie Fortin of the wildlife division of the state Department of Environmental Protection. (Coyotes and another resurgent wild species, fisher cats, are a much bigger threat to pets, she adds.)

Raptors have also been known to attack humans on rare occasions: A 13-year-old girl visiting Boston’s Fenway Park this April suffered cuts when she was raked by the claws of a red-tailed hawk that had nested in the ancient greensward.

But the state’s thousands of bird enthusiasts are thrilled with the resurgence of Connecticut’s raptors and have played a key role in reestablishing some species. The osprey has benefited from the construction of dozens of nesting

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onnecticut’s birds of prey are making a comeback — even as environmental toxins and loss of habitat continue to take a toll.

But a few easy steps can make life easier for these majestic animals and even lure an owl or falcon into your backyard.

• Pass on poisons: Rat poisons and pesticides are raptors’ worst enemies due to their spot at the top of the food chain. Use spring traps or catch-and-release traps and fight weeds organically.

• Build a nest: Visit the Fat Robin in Hamden or other wildlife store for “owl boxes” and other structures that you can erect to shelter raptors, or build your own kestrel box from plans on the kestrelsacrossamerica. org website. If you live near a marsh, look into building an osprey platform.

Flyover Festival both local songbird populations and the varmints that sustain birds of prey.

• Food fight: Don’t be tempted to put food out for your neighborhood raptors — human edibles like hamburger and raw chicken can do more harm than good.

If you’re dying to feed a raptor, check out the frozen treats at gourmetrodent.com!

• Rescue right: Call the wildlife rescue hotline at 203-389-4411 if you see a wounded bird, but don’t attempt to handle the animals unless they are at immediate risk of further injury. If you must move a bird, put it in a cardboard box and watch out for razor-sharp talons and beaks.

— L.K.

N

ew Haven’s Lighthouse Point is one of the best places in the nation to see the annual fall migration of hawks, falcons and eagles. Visit the park September 21 for great chance to learn about raptors, other migratory birds and insects at the annual New Haven Migration Festival. Events this year include:

• A falconry demonstration by Brian Bradley of Skyhunters in Flight • Butterfly and dragonfly identification, butterfly-tagging and children’s activities by the Connecticut Butterfly Association • Bird walks led by the New Haven Bird Club • A hawk and songbird flight ID workshop led by the Connecticut Ornithological Association • Bird-banding demonstrations by the Connecticut Audubon Society • A live raptor show by Wind Over Wings For more information and complete schedule, visit http://ctbutterfly.org/ or http://www.newhavenbirdclub.org/.

• Here, Kitty: Keep your cats indoors and collar strays — domestic felines on the prowl can decimate

— L.K.

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Anthony DeCarlo

C

PHOTOGRAPH:

For the Birds

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

For decades all but extinct in the Northeast, peregrine falcons have staged a major comeback, often nesting in improbable environments such as skyscrapers.

platforms in wetlands and rebounded over the last decade from near-extinction in the state to a health breeding population.

“Ospreys are back,” confirms Jim Zipp, owner of the Fat Robin Wild Bird & Nature Shop in Hamden. Zipp, who also works as a photographer specializing in raptors, says there was only a single nesting pair of ospreys left in the state in the 1970s at the peak of the DDT devastation. Banned in 1972, DDT built up in the food chain and nearly wiped out many species of raptors by weakening eggshells. Now there are at least 30 pairs of ospreys statewide and the birds are even nesting in unlikely spots like a highly urbanized stretch of the Quinnipiac River in North Haven.

Ospreys have also been helping get the good news about raptors across to the public through technology: The Connecticut Audubon Society recorded

hits from around the world this year on its online “osprey cam” set up just above a nesting platform at the Coastal Center at Milford Point. A peek at the osprey cam in late July showed three almost fully grown young ospreys squabbling over a freshly caught fish.

Their adaptability is helping some species of raptors reestablish themselves in the Northeast, says Patrick Comins, director of bird conservation for the Connecticut Audubon Society. Hawks and other birds of prey have learned to live in manmade structures and find prey around birdfeeders and dumpsters.

“They’re adapting to using feeders for hunting ground,” Comins says, adding that homeowners aren’t always appreciative of the predators. “We have to explain that the hawks are a natural part of the ecosystem.”

Peregrine falcons, which disappeared for decades from the Northeast, have shifted their preferred nesting spots from cliff faces to skyscrapers, says Larry Keating, a peregrine expert and science teacher from Westborough, Mass. Pigeons as well as the ducks and gulls drawn to city waterways also provide the bird-hunting falcons a steady food source.

“The future of peregrine falcons are the cities,” Keating says. Five pairs of peregrines nest in the city of Boston alone, with at least one pair in most Connecticut cities. “Their populations are increasing in every major city they’ve been introduced in or established themselves,” Keating says.

But the news is not good for all raptors: Species like the barn owl and kestrel, a small falcon, are still endangered and face continuing loss of habitat. Harriers, also known as marsh hawks, are down to a single nesting spot in the entire state — in new haven

19

PHOTOGRAPH:

Jim Zipp

Wind Over Wings made news this summer when it released a successfully rehabilitated red-tailed hawk that had been found near the New Haven Green.

The bird had fallen from its nest on a statue at the courthouse and been cared for overnight by a homeless man. After a few weeks of care, the hawk was ready for release and flew to freedom at a tree farm in Westbrook.

“It was one of those moments,” Douglas recalls.

Watching raptors in flight has inspired a lifelong passion for the birds in Keating, the peregrine expert from Massachusetts.

A sharp-shinned hawk preparing to swoop in on some prey. Some raptors target other birds in flight.

Stratford’s marshland — and may soon disappear completely.

The best way to ensure continued recovery for bird species is to support antipollution and environmental restoration efforts, Comins says. You can also make a difference in your own yard by avoiding pesticides, poisons and lawn chemicals.

Donations are also needed to help support Audubon programs and the work of Hope

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Douglas at Wing Over Wings, where injured raptors are cared for until they can be returned to the wild. The center’s current tenants include a massive golden eagle with a seven-foot wingspan as well as several bald eagles. Food alone for the birds costs $25,000 a year, Douglas says.

She relies entirely on donations from individuals and corporations like Pfizer, which provides key funding.

“They’re just breathtaking — especially the more you learn about them,” Keating says. “All that they have to overcome to survive. It just makes them totally worthy of respect. I love these birds.”

Douglas, who gave up a career in counseling to found Wind Over Wings, had a similar epiphany when she first saw a hawk up close.

“Magic happened,” she recalls. “I decided what we needed was for people to have that kind of magic happen, where you can look right into the eyes of a bird and offer it a second chance.” v

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Connecticut veterans of a much-maligned war try to adjust to civilian life among sometimes ambivalent neighbors and family

By MELISSA NICEFARO

Marine Nick Benas completed a full tour of duty stateside before re-upping for a year in Iraq. new haven 21

T

en years ago, Nick Benas did something not very many Guilford High School graduates do these days — he enlisted in the military fresh out of high school.

His parents knew it was coming, since he had talked about it ever since he was six years old, but his GHS guidance counselors tried to redirect his ambitions.

But they didn’t know then what we know now about what the future held — both for a certain 18-year-old, and for the world.

In 1998, Bill Clinton was in the White

straight out of Guilford High. After enduring the Marines’ legendary boot camp, he trained for and became an MP. “I started out as a basic patrolman and worked my way up to patrol supervisor,” Benas says. “And since I had a strong martial-arts background, I also taught hand-to-hand combat at the Marine bases in California.”

After four years of duty stateside, he was honorably discharged and returned home to Guilford from California. Benas was taking classes at Southern Connecticut

As of mid-August 2008 there had been 4,143 U.S. military casualties — including 42 men and women with ties to Connecticut, one from New Haven — as a result of the war in Iraq that began in March 2003. The fallen soldiers and sailor range in age from 18 to a geriatric 42, but the majority of the casualties were young men in their early 20s.

“I still don’t know where I stand on the war,” Benas acknowledges. “I got my master’s in political science and tend to be more right-wing, but was probably the only conservative in that program.”

He went to Iraq in July 2004 as an Iraqi police instructor and patrolman. He spent nine months there, which is a typical combat tour for the Marine Corps.

“I have always been intrigued by past veterans from Vietnam and the Gulf War,” he says.

He knew that some day he’d go to college, but he was adamant that the Marines would come first.

“My family was very supportive,” he says. “My father was a Vietnam veteran and was in the Air Force. It is out of the norm for someone from Guilford joining the military, though. So many of them go to Ivy League and Tier I schools and what I was doing wasn’t common here in Guilford.”

In Al-Anbar province Benas guided Iraqi police candidates through an intensive training regimen.

House. So was Monica Lewinksy, as the nation was learning to its dismay. The birth of the first cloned calf in Virginia was big news. September 11, 1998 was just another day — a day Nick Benas spent in training in California. Three years later, the picture was different. During the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on Manhattan and Washington, D.C., Benas was stationed in 29 Palms, Calif., working as a military police officer (MP), this time he was the one conducting the training.

“I remember being shocked and upset that we couldn’t leave base, but I was also excited to know that going into the theater of war was just around the corner,” Benas recalls. “One of my life goals was to go into combat at one time or another.”

Benas joined the Marine Corps in 1998 22

september 2008

State University in New Haven when he stumbled upon some bad news.

“I felt like a draft dodger to begin with [for not having been assigned combat duty], and when I found out that a friend of mine was killed, I went back in for a year,” Benas says.

The friend, a Marine buddy from his previous unit, had fallen asleep while driving a tank and went off a bridge into the Euphrates River.

“The whole crew drowned because the hatch on the tank was halfway open and it filled with water and they couldn’t get out,” Benas says. “I stumbled upon [his name] while going through a casualty list and saw his mug shot on there. That was when there were only 50 or 100 casualties.”

His guidance counselors weren’t too keen on the idea, and they did try to steer him to colleges that they thought he might like, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Benas served with the First Marine Division, with MP Company Bravo out of Pittsburgh.

He was deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2004 and was stationed there until May 2005. While there, he trained Iraqi police in the Al-Anbar Province.

The Iraqi police were put through a threeweek training course, then Benas issued them a 9mm Glock handgun and $100 in cash for payment.

According to the Marine (not former — once a Marine, always a Marine), many of the weapons he was putting in their hands would wind up out on the streets used in fights and traced back to him, personally.

During downtime, he fell back on his other passion — Wiffle Ball — and taught Iraqi police how to play.

Today, the former Marine Corps sergeant is home in Guilford, playing the role of entrepreneur. He runs a Wiffle Ball

tournament and league that competes nationwide.

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Coming home was tough, since the civilian’s media-filtered perspective of the war is so different from what he actually experienced in the desert.

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His friends and family noticed that his anxiety level had increased and he was much more cautious. He was honorably discharged and transitioned back into civilian life. But it wasn’t always easy.

“The most difficult time I had when I came home was sitting in class when I went back to school,” Benas recounts.

“Most of the students were younger than me and some of the professors were misguided about the war, but I kept my mouth shut and just took in what everyone else had to say.”

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Although Benas had a relatively smooth transition back to stateside life, several of his friends from his Pittsburgh unit did not.

“Two guys I knew very well committed suicide,” Benas says. “That was hard to deal with.”

Today he considers himself one of the lucky ones and suffers few visible negative side effects from his time in Iraq.

When Renee Wells joined the National Guard in 1993 at age 18, she had her whole life ahead of her. She was healthy, happy and embarking on a lifelong dream.

Fifteen years later, she’s 33, and gets around only with the help of a walker.

You can tell she’s having a good day if she’s using “only” a cane. She suffers from more maladies than most people will experience in the course of a lifetime: antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive arthritis/lupus, fibromyalgia, several connective tissue diseases, chronic fatigue, post traumatic stress disorder, depression and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

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to where she lived and worked while stationed overseas.

“It could be as simple as that, but I think there must have been other chemical carcinogens being used,” Wells explains.

“When I walk, my O2 level drops, so the walker and cane help with that and the pain.”

Another specialist in her unit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, lost clumps of hair while they were on duty there, his head polkadotted with bald spots.

They weren’t even in combat.

“I have good days and bad days, mentally and physically,” she says. “What I used to think was bad really isn’t such a bad day anymore. I have a very bad startle reflex now. If somebody comes around the corner when I’m not expecting them, I panic.”

Wells’ experience was a far cry from what she expected when she initially enlisted.

“I’d always wanted to be in the military and serve our country, so I followed my brother who is ten years older and was also in the National Guard,” she says.

After basic training, she knew she’d made the right decision.

“I loved military life,” she says. “I wanted to be active-duty and commit all of myself to it.”

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So she did. She finished her military schooling for 92-Alpha, became an automated logistical specialist and was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1995.

“I worked in maintenance supply in the National Guard unit and operated forklifts,” she says. “In the active-duty unit, I did a lot of the maintenance supply and computer work that tracked maintenance on the vehicles.”

She met someone in Saudi Arabia and they married. She was transferred to a different unit for work, since married couples couldn’t work so closely, although she remained in the same brigade.

It didn’t last.

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“I escaped him when I was pregnant with my daughter, who is now nine,” Wells explains. “He was very violent. It started the day we got married.”

In 1997, she came home from Saudi Arabia and went to Fort Hood, Tex. and joined the Reserves. When her rotation was complete, she left the military completely.

Wells was not injured while she was in

active duty, but she was diagnosed with asthma upon her return — and then the related problems began to manifest themselves.

“At the time I was discharged, I was given a ten-percent disability for asthma. Today my disability is at 60 percent. I’m still trying to get my medical stuff taken care of.

Since I got out of the military, my health has gone in a downward spiral,” she says.

Born and raised in Quaker Hill, a village in the town of Waterford, she returned there in 1997 when she was discharged from the military. Then she and her children moved to Norwich.

Almost 60,000 veterans live in Connecticut. About 4 percent of them are homeless. Nationwide, that translates to about 26 percent of America’s homeless population.

Ricky Dennis knows firsthand. He is house manager at the Home for the Brave in Bridgeport, a shelter open to male veterans and non-veterans who struggle with psychiatric and/or substance abuse problems and who are homeless.

“Veterans returning from service face higher-than-average rates of mental illness, especially post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse,” Dennis explains.

to a part-time maintenance, part-time house manager. For the past three years, I have been full-time house manager.

“I love my country and served it proudly, but the things that are happening to these men and women are not right,” he argues.

“The conflict over there in Iraq isn’t even going to change anything. Those people have been fighting for centuries and they will not stop.

It’s like taking a Muslim and the Pope and trying to get them to come to a mutual agreement over lunch,” he adds.

He talks of the residents at Home for the Brave, who tell him about their

Last winter Wells was living in Norwich and receiving medical care from the Veterans Administration hospital in West Haven. She also had to go to Yale-New Haven Hospital for pre-surgery testing.

“They were holding an open house for the women’s clinic and I stopped by,” she recalls. She met a woman, Kate Kelly, who worked for the Errera Community Center, through which the VA provides psychosocial, medical and educational services to veterans. Wells and Kelly discussed the crisis intervention, housing, case management, education/skills training, recreation/creative arts therapy and vocational rehabilitation services that the center provides for homeless veterans.

“Granted, I wasn’t homeless, but I was not in good shape financially at all,” Wells says. “She told me about the Common Ground house that was being built in New Haven and within a few months, the house was mine.”

Common Ground has created more than 2,000 permanent and transitional housing units in New York and Connecticut.

At the end of March, Wells bought the Kossuth Street house and moved in shortly after.

The New Haven project was a partnership with the VA, the city of New Haven and the Yale University School of Architecture’s Design Building Program.

The 2,100-square-foot sustainable home has a rental unit (occupied by another female veteran), incorporates green design elements and is wheelchair-accessible.

Wells and her tenant pay about 30 percent of their incomes toward housing.

Wells knows that she’s one of the very lucky. She has a bed — her own bed — to sleep in each night.

Sgt. Aiksnoras (at left, back row) in Iraqi with local children.

Says Dennis, who served in the Vietnam troubles obtaining medical diagnoses and War, “As citizens and patriots for our treatments. country, we serve. But then after our tours, “We are going to see more and more vets we sustain injuries and I am hearing so coming back from Iraq with injuries and many stories from the men — and women troubles,” Dennis says. “The majority of now, too — coming home and having to the guys we get are from the Vietnam era restart their lives.” as well as a few Desert Storm/Gulf War Still, Dennis knows that there is no better veterans, but now we’re seeing more and place than the United States of America. more younger veterans.

“We’re not changing anything over there [in the Middle East] and we need to start taking better care of our own in our own country. Leave those people alone. Let them worship however they want.”

Dennis calls Home for the Brave a “beautiful and wonderful organization.”

“They saved my life,” he says through tears.

“I was sleeping in a car and I came here to this program. I was here for ten months and worked at odd jobs until an opening came up for a part-time janitor. That grew

“I’ve never understood the outpouring of compassion and love for American people than I have seen through this program,” he says. “I hope it’s making a difference.”

It is making a difference to Reggie Wiggins, an Army vet who returned home from Iraq in 2005. For him, combat didn’t end there. He suffers from depression and nightmares and is afraid to fall asleep.

He sees a psychiatrist once a month, but says it’s not helping much.

new haven

25

“We’re not getting to the altitude that I’d like to be at and it’s getting in the way of my getting a job,” Wiggins says. “I need more therapy. I need to get to the bottom of this, and get my life back on track, but I haven’t been able to.”

Aiksnoras is stateside now, preparing to go to North Carolina for a six-week training program to make the career switch from civil affairs to recruiting.

“When she was in Iraq, she helped rebuild soccer stadiums and schools,” explains Kowalick of her daughter. “She worked with children, teaching them English and had an amazing time.”

He moved from New Jersey into Home for the Brave last spring and spends his days doing puzzles, mostly jigsaw and Sudoku. Wiggins has to stick to the largeprint puzzles, since he’s also suffering problems with his eyes.

“There was an explosion in front of me and now I can’t see well out of one eye,” he says. “It’s always dry — I think something happened to the tear duct, but when I went to the VA, they said I needed reading glasses.”

Advocacy is needed for homeless and underprivileged veterans, but it’s also needed for the youngest warriors.

Denise Kowalick of Waterbury heads the Family Readiness Group for her 23-yearold daughter Sgt. Judith Aiksnoras’ Army Reserve Unit.

Aiksnoras is a civil-affairs specialist who joined the Reserves when she was 17, one month after September 11, 2001. Her plans didn’t come out of the blue, her mom says.

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She is also the head of her daughter’s unit Family Readiness Group(FRG).

Army Sgt. Judith Aiksnoras (left) with her proud mother, Denise Kowalick.

She’d been talking about joining the Army since she was ten years old.

“I’m very proud of her,” says Kowalick.

Aiksnoras served in Buquba, Iraq, from July 2004 to July 2005.

During that time, Kowalick was active with the Blue Star Mothers of Connecticut. The group serves as a support and advocacy group for any mother who has a child deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan or Africa.

“When you have a group that is deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan, the FRG helps the parents and family members of the deployed to get through it. We send packages, do fundraising and relay anything that comes up that the families need to know about,” she explains.

As difficult as it may be for a parent, some solace can be found in the positive events associated with deployment.

In spite of the turmoil and bloodshed, many veterans such as Aiksnoras are able to take some fond memories away from their time serving our country. For her, it was teaching Iraqi children English.

For Benas, it was simple. “The country’s gorgeous,” he says. “It was the best time of my life.” v

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R ESPEC T F UL • PR I VAT E • C R E AT IV E

one2one Continued from 13 we met Dr. James Tobin from Yale — a Nobel Laureate, a wonderful man — who said we were economically naïve.

immigration status], that was an effort to try to bring a large number of people ‘into’ the community.

Perhaps it is fair to say Catholic bishops should be economically naïve. Sometimes being naïve makes room for new ideas.

It did create a lot of controversy.

You took this philosophy locally as well. Do you think that’s been as successful?

I think so. It goes back to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Every Sunday before Thanksgiving there’s a collection taken up. Twenty five percent stays in the local area and 75 percent goes to Washington. Monies are given [to community groups] irrespective of religious preference, the only thing is you can’t have anything against Catholic morals.

We’re seeing some challenging times in both Hartford and New Haven minority communities, but it seems that New Haven’s isn’t quite as out of control, why?

I think economically New Haven is better positioned.

The archbishop called a meeting in Hartford to address the [August wave] of violence.

I think John DeStefano has been a good mayor; we’ve had good police leadership. His idea of the ID card [for any city resident, regardless of legal

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One church function that has affected many people, including non-Catholics, are the Catholic schools. What’s the stress level there now like?

St. Martin de Porres [school] just moved to [the recently closed] Sacred Heart [/St. Peter School on New Haven Columbus Avenue] and now it’s fifth to eight grade — most students are not Catholic.

They try to drum it into the students that they are going to go to college. They have all the banners from the colleges up. [Public schools] are all struggling in the cities.

Education is the answer, and the immigrants all learn that.

I read a comment from a young Hispanic woman at an education conference who said, ‘[Latinos] have great family ties, but not enough interest in education.’ What do you see?

Many of the Puerto Ricans that came here initially were poor, and especially for females there was no sense of you have to go to school. We emphasize education, but sometimes it’s hard to change people. But now people are much more open; they see they can’t get a job without preparation.

Well, there seem to be a lot of very young girls deciding to have children these days.

For years there were no priests around so [teenage pregnancy] just came into the culture.

In the last month I’ve seen three girls from good families, they’re going to college and then getting pregnant.

It’s a battle with the culture.

A friend used to say, ‘What you are whispering the world is shouting down.’ v

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A part-time actor and model, John Klein beamed when his daughter was graduated from Yale in 1988.

Four months later he was dead.

s e o Ech

of an emic

d i p E

Two decades of living, and dying, with AIDS

By Liese Klein

T

wenty years ago this month in New Haven, I got a call at my apartment on Lynwood Place, near the Yale campus. My father, an athletic and vital man of 57, had collapsed in a store and was at the hospital. His best friend was evasive on the phone when I pressed her on what was wrong. I jumped on the first train back to New York, switching from Metro-North to the Long Island Rail Road in a daze.

Once back on Long Island, I found my father wasted away and barely conscious

28

september 2008

in a hospital bed. Sitting up and forming sentences with great effort, he struggled to tell me a secret he’d been hiding for more than year: He had been diagnosed with AIDS and stricken by a variety of opportunistic infections. He had lied about his situation for months because didn’t want to worry me in my final year of college. We had been estranged that entire summer of 1988 due to a fight about money and he had gotten much worse.

Then, on a trip with a friend in August, he contracted salmonella and his system collapsed.

Three days after our talk at the hospital bed, my father, John J. Klein, was dead.

He was a devoted father, an accomplished semi-professional actor and had taught middle-school English on Long Island for 25 years.

In the subsequent decade, a dozen more people I knew died of AIDS: A fellow reporter in Miami, a mentor from my college newspaper, an admired professor.

My best friend from high school, who had

edged out of the closet our senior year, dropped off the face of the earth shortly after admitting he had done some hustling in the city after graduation. I’ve been able to find no trace of him in any database in the years since.

Twenty years later, it’s hard to imagine there was a time that young, healthy people would suddenly get sick and die, seemingly out of nowhere. And after September 11, it’s hard to imagine that so many untimely deaths would accumulate with so little fanfare.

Those of us who lived through that period can only marvel at the fact that in 2008, 1,550 people in New Haven alone are living with AIDS, kept relatively functional by cutting-edge drugs. The holes blasted in our lives and histories are too gaping to assimilate the fact that many people have gone back to practicing unsafe sex and don’t even bother to get tested for AIDS anymore.

The recent International AIDS Conference in Mexico City garnered some headlines, but failed to bring the disease back into the forefront of most people’s minds. The most lamentable fact that

came out during the conference: The U.S. AIDS epidemic has been underestimated by 40 percent.

In the months and years since my father’s death, I’ve been haunted by the memory of a trip I took in 1987 to Washington, D.C. Full of youthful fervor and what I thought was a unique empathy, I joined 200,000 people for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. I marched until my feet hurt and chanted until I was hoarse, secure in the knowledge that I was supporting all the gay people in my life to the best of my ability.

Back at home, my father was learning of his diagnosis and choosing to keep it a secret.

It’s hard to imagine now, living in a progressive city during an era when gay cowboys win Oscars and talk show hosts openly plan same-sex weddings, that being gay was once a cause for great shame and secrecy. Most of the gay men of my father’s generation led double lives, often in tandem with wives, children and

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white picket fences.

Much of that shame and secrecy has dissipated in the popular culture, but in many communities double lives and secrets are still common.

And the disease spreads on.

Funerals are always flooded with clichés: “It was his time.” “It was God’s will.”

“He’s in a better place.” “He’ll always be with you.”

I don’t know about God’s will, but no, it wasn’t my father’s time. He’s not always with me: The sudden death of a parent is like a cell-phone conversation that’s faded out in midsentence — so much is left unsaid, so many issues left unresolved, so many regrets. And every new year and stage of life brings a new facet to the loss.

You probably turned the page or clicked past news of the AIDS conference in Mexico City, or missed the latest report on infections in Africa.

But somewhere, someone is getting a diagnosis. And someone else is getting a diagnosis and choosing to keep it a secret. v

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ATH OME

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f you’re a New Yorker of means, you’ll need a second home with the right address:

The Hamptons. Vermont. The Berkshires.

Downtown New Haven?

Believe it. Today a most improbable trend has its first trendsetters.

For years the Elm City has to stanch the flight of middle and upper-middle class citizens to the suburbs that has devastated other Connecticut cities such as Bridgeport and Hartford — with at least a modicum of success, relatively speaking.

Still, the demographics of New Haven still suggest what Yale professor and author Douglas Rae describes as a “Ushaped income curve” — on top a fairly sizable cohort of high earners (mainly top Yale administrators and tenured faculty, as well as very successful lawyers and MDs), and on the bottom a very large underclass, with very few households in the middle.

For more than a decade city economicdevelopment officials have fought to stem and even reverse middle-class flight, and the proliferation of downtown restaurants and boutiques is tangible evidence of people with money in their pockets walking the streets of the city center.

The condition of city public schools makes the Elm City a tough (if not impossible) sell for parents of young children, so city officials and developers have instead targeted empty-nesters looking to downsize their living space as well as childless professionals who desire cosmopolitan amenities.

One true believer that if you build it, they will come is John Wareck, president of New Haven’s Wareck Real Estate. (Full disclosure: In 1990 Wareck worked as an intern for the author.) Wareck believed that Manhattan-style loft apartments with luxury amenities would find a market here. And he was willing and able to put his money where his mouth was in order to find out.

Lo these many years ago, two Yale students — one a dewy-faced 30

september 2008

undergraduate in the late 1970s, the other a grad student in the mid-1960s — trod the ivied paths and byways of the venerable Blue Mother. What began then was a love affair — not just with alma mother, but the its host city as well.

For Jack Thomas (Yale College ’80), New Haven was never more than a 90-minute Metro North hop away from his home in Manhattan, where he works as a theatrical producer. (To give an idea of his fealty to his alma mater, his company is called Bulldog Theatricals.) As an active alumnus engaged in the ongoing affairs of his Yale class, he is on campus often.

Bruce Payne earned a master’s in political science at Yale in the 1960s. While in New Haven he began a lifelong love affair with the visual arts. Payne taught for many years at Duke, and today is executive director of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, a Manhattan family foundation active in the arts, health and human services and social justice.

When the pair got serious last year about acquiring a second home, they first targeted suburban Hudson, N.Y. Thomas recalls they looked at some 50 properties and made offers on four. None panned out.

We were looking for an out-of-town place,” recalls Payne. And both Hudson and New Haven were easily accessible by train from [Manhattan].”

“When the fourth house deal fell through, Bruce and I said, ‘We should go back to an idea we had talked about a long time ago, which is: ‘What do you think about living in New Haven?’” Thomas recalls.

“And we decided that that was really worth considering.”

A Realtor friend gave the pair a list of about a half-dozen properties, and one Thursday evening they did a drive-by.

They were immediately attracted to 85 Church Street, a/k/a the Johnson Simons Building, just a stone’s throw from the lower Green. Fomerly the J. Johnson & Sons department store, the structure was distinguished mainly by the presence of a Dunkin Donuts on the first floor.

The building was acquired by John Wareck and then-partner Andrea

The Crown Street loft functions as a private gallery for Thomas’ and Payne’s vast art collection.

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Anthony DeCarlo

Boomerang Babies With successful careers in Manhattan, a pair of Yalies return to downtown New Haven â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as a weekend getaway

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new haven

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Above: Double-sided bookcases divide the loft’s sleeping area from a small study (at left).

Below: Above an early 19th-century Chinese scroll table is the first work of Bruce Payne’s collection: ‘Two-and-a-Half Goats and a Barn Door,’ by Maryland painter Henry Miese.

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Pizziconi in 2005. The pair gambled on a hunch that a development based on Manhattan-style open loft space would lure professionals and empty-nesters to a city center that was experiencing something of a revival. They retained New Haven architect George Knight to turn the aging commercial building into a sophisticated urban oasis.

What Payne and Thomas ďŹ rst laid eyes on was, architecturally speaking, a blank page: 2,000 square feet of open space with reďŹ nished original hardwood ďŹ&#x201A;oors, brick walls and exposed HVAC hardware.

The loftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most distinguishing feature are the expansive west-facing windows, which drench the space in late-afternoon sunlight. Payne and Thomas even mount a strategically placed mirror so they could enjoy a vista of the Green from a comfy couch.

Thomas initially came to Yale to study architecture, and although his career path led him instead to the theater, he has always retained a keen eye and feel for living spaces.

As both Payne and Thomas are avid art collectors, their loft functions as much as art gallery as it is living space. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What [the loft] principally offered,â&#x20AC;? explains Thomas, â&#x20AC;&#x153;was lots and lots and lots of wall space.â&#x20AC;? But with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom, almost all that wall space is brick.

So when Payne and Thomas moved in this April they installed a steel â&#x20AC;&#x153;picture railâ&#x20AC;? atop the brick walls from which do hang the dozens of art treasures collected over the course of two lifetimes. The rail allows the art lovers to move anything in their collection anywhere at the drop of a hat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; without having to break out the masonry drill and screw anchors (only to discover after the fact that the hole is two inches from where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed to be).

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To most people â&#x20AC;&#x153;white wallsâ&#x20AC;? suggests a kind of deliberate default â&#x20AC;&#x201D; choosing not to choose a color. Not Thomas and Payne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We painted everything in this particular [hue] of white,â&#x20AC;? Thomas explains. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something Bruce and I had experimented with and he had been looking for for many years.â&#x20AC;?

Can words alone describe white? Maybe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essentially a Vermeer white,â&#x20AC;? says Thomas, referencing the Dutch Baroque master. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a white that is based only in yellow and grey â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it has no pink, it has no

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blue and it has no brown.”

Some people, obviously, are more particular than others.

The only architectural departure from architect George Knight’s fit-out was the installation of two spacious walk-in closets immediate outside the master bath, which is painted in a rich Huntington beige and features a shower encased in a rich Jerusalem limestone. The closets have pocket doors of what appear to be frosted glass, but is actually clear glass with a film on one side. “Frosted glass is weak and shatters easily,” explains Thomas.

Much if not most of the pair’s art collection is from artists with whom they have personal relationships.

“When you have friends who are artists,” Payne explains, “about the only thing you can really do to support them is to buy their stuff.”

A painting by Expressionist Charlotte Lightblau occupies a place of honor.

The couple’s living space, including the island kitchen (rear) is flooded with natural light.

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september 2008

Showing a visitor the vast collection, Payne notes that “Our art collection actually starts in New Haven.” He gestures to a large canvas, “Two-anda-Half Goats and a Barn Door,” by Maryland painter Henry Miese. “I bought this painting in the mid-1960s,” he recalls, “from the Athena Gallery on Orange

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Less than four months after moving in, Payne and Thomas have the commuting thing down cold: They board the northbound Metro-North train Thursday evening and return early Monday — “We have four days in New York, and four nights in New Haven,” notes Thomas, confirming that eight days a week is more than just a Beatles song.

For New Haven boosters who hope to lure people with money back to a city center in decline since World War II, Thomas and Payne ought to be poster boys of the marketing campaign.

To suspend paintings from the brick walls (left), Thomas and Payne installed a steel ‘picture rail’ so artworks could be easily mounted and moved.

Street — an old Victorian house that’s still there.” The gallery, run by George Mladinich, rented out artwork mainly to transient apartment-dwellers of means.

Payne paid $25 a month for six months for the painting, then decided he had to own it.

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It was through the Athena Gallery that Payne met sculptor Sy Gresser, many of whose works adorn the space today, and Austrian expressionist painter Charlotte Lichtblau, whose family fled the Nazis in 1938 and is still painting today from her adopted home in New York.

“The principal attraction for us of New Haven was the ‘urban village,’” explains Thomas. “We keep a car here, but we can go the entire weekend with using a car.

One recent June Saturday “Bruce went to a lecture [at Yale], then we went to see jazz on the Green, followed by [mezzosoprano] Denyce Graves at the Shubert Theater, then we had dinner at Bespoke — absolutely a perfect evening by any kind of cultural standards.

“And we walked everywhere we went.” v

Not Representation, But Re-PRESENTATION New Haven painter Jan Cunningham’s abstract epiphany

By Michael Harvey

I

PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER GARDNER

meet Jan Cunningham, appropriately, in the Bistro des Artistes of the Union League Café on Chapel Street, where several of her recent paintings are on view through the end of September.

She is serious and intense as she recalls leaving her native Texas to study painting at Rhode Island School of Design in the 1970s, and her subsequent move to New Haven in the early ‘80s.

“I wasn’t ready for New York,” she says.

“I wanted a university town with a good library.” Cunningham was, she says, very intellectual at the time — studying the philosophy of phenomenology, and was drawn to New Haven by the presence of Andrew Forge, the charismatic teacher, painter and critic who was then dean of the Yale School of Art. Though she was still painting landscapes and portraits, Cunningham found herself increasing attracted to the abstract work of the British artists Ken and Mary Martin, who made geometric abstract constructions. She wanted to experiment but felt, quite simply, unnerved: “I was afraid,” she acknowledges. “Abstract art seemed so unmoored.”

It was not until she received a fellowship to the MacDowell Colony in 1983 that she found the confidence to give it a shot. “They brought me my meals right there, to my studio — it gave me a sense of self-worth.” She began to think “not of representation, but of re-presentation,” she explains.

A fascination with systems offered her an avenue into abstraction, and she began making drawings based on the layout of her studio — flattening it out like a

‘Train to Marseilles’ (2006-07, oil on linen, 60” X 60”) by Jan Cunningham.

dismantled box, drawing the door in relation to the window and so on. Having a system meant that the marks were not just arbitrary, willy-nilly, decoration, but that they had a foundation in reality, in geometry. They gave the drawings what she was looking for: “meaning.”

Starting at Yale that autumn of 1983, Cunningham discovered that the duality of her drawings using systems on the one hand, and her landscape and portrait paintings on the other, caused consternation and conflict with her teachers. “I think they thought I was

new haven

37

schizophrenic, and urged me to go one way or the other,” she recalls.

She cast her lot with abstraction. While continuing to employ an intellectual approach, Cunningham also pushed herself to experiment with color and three dimensions. Eventually she was able to begin with the rigors of the system and work through them to a more intuitive conclusion.

Cunningham likes to talk of “inviting” elements into her art, things like sensuality or color. But because she broadened her approach did not mean she gave up thinking, and the intellectual activity of drawing remains “at the heart of my practice.”

She quotes Cézanne: “I want drawing and painting to become the same thing.” And the conversation turns to the artists who have influenced her painting. She quickly lists Braque, Morandi and Diebenkorn

along with Cézanne. Looking at her pictures there in the Bistro it was easy to spot a kinship with Braque and Morandi’s low-key, subtle colors. And Diebenkorn’s method of dividing up the canvas and working and reworking the surface is easily evident in Cunningham’s work, too. Indeed, working and reworking the painting is the hallmark of her artistry.

“This one,” she gestures with a smile, “is called ‘One More Than Five,’ because it took me six years to finish.”

PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER GARDNER

‘The Conversation’ (2002, oil on canvas, 48” X 48”).

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Cunningham likes the idea of the contemplative — of “contraries coming into accord” — but doesn’t care much for the term “spiritual.” She sees her work as grasping her, dictating its needs, and she points to “Train to Marseilles.” The title is taken from Matisse, who said that making a painting is like deciding to take the train to Marseilles: The train stops all along the way in unexpected places, and even when you arrive you realize you need to go further still. She shows me photographs of dozens of different “stations” the painting stopped at before reaching its final destination. “I worked on this painting six or seven days a week for a whole year,” she says. “I couldn’t touch anything else — it wouldn’t let me.”

Then, she adds, after a pause: “Maybe it is like prayer.”

PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER GARDNER

Working this way slowly, arduously, revisiting the image a thousand times — refining, scraping, sanding, repainting — agonizing and constantly changing, sometimes in subtle, barely perceptible ways is what makes the painting what it is.

The contemplative viewer willing to spare more than a glance can read the history of the image as it has been built up, as the ghosts of its former self have accumulated into a solid presence.

Cunningham’s ‘2007.04’ (oil on linen. 60 X 60 inches).

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Cunningham maintains her studio at Erector Square, the converted old factory where Erector Sets once were manufactured. Her part of the factory is a good-sized loft with windows all along one wall. It is neat and well organized, without fussiness. There are some books, a few postcards (mostly Cézanne) pinned to the wall, but the emphasis is on the painting. One wall is obviously the work wall: It’s spattered with paint, as is the floor directly beneath it. Near to hand are wheeled dollies with palettes and paint and jars of brushes.

Showing me other works she explains how one painting often has its beginning in another — taking a color relationship, or some aspect of the drawing and reworking it in another direction. Again it is the working and reworking, the painstaking struggle that in the end becomes the image itself.

It is a condition that would have been familiar to her mentor, Andrew Forge, who was part of a postwar generation of European artists, such as Giacometti, for whom the anxiety of existence fueled a constant re-examination of self through the work they created. But not all of the pictures are dark; some of the earlier paintings show a brighter, lighter palette.

“I felt a kinship with Matisse’s colors,” Cunningham says. She then adds, with a laugh: “But I always felt he was having way too much fun.” v

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september 2008

ART Studio Tuesday is an informal, non-instructional “paint-in” that meets each Tuesday. Come work in a creative environment along with other artists. 9 a.m.-noon September 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at Margaret Egan Center, 35 Matthew St., Milford. Free.

203-878-6647, milfordarts.org.

Photography Meet-Up is a new series that affords photographers and photo enthusiasts the chance to share work, tips, questions and opportunities. Bring along some photos to be critiqued or participate in monthly photo projects and share your work online. Guest speakers will discuss subjects including photo collecting, purchasing cameras and equipment, organizing and archiving your work, and exhibition or publication opportunities in a relaxed, social setting. 7-9 p.m.

September 9 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. Free members, $3 non-members. 860-6857871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

The Artist Salon resumes this month with new programs at the Firehouse Art Gallery. The first topic is “Concrete Canvas.” A film of the works by Julian Beever will be shown with a discussion following. The artist is internationally known for his technique of chalk drawing. 7 p.m.

September 12 at Firehouse Art Gallery, 81 Naugatuck Ave., Milford. Open noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203306-0016, FHGallery@optonline.net, milfordarts.org.

The Guilford Art League presents Arts Connecticut 2008, its 61st juried show of original paintings, drawings, sculpture, graphics and mixed media.

Exhibition juried by Gary Sussman, director of Vytlacil Campus of Art Students League of NY. Through September 20 at Guilford Art Center, 411 Church St., Guilford. Open noon-6 p.m. daily, noon-5 p.m. Sat. Free. 203453-5947, mbelden@guilfordartcenter. org, guilfordartcenter.org.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, in collaboration with the Yale Program for Recovery and the Community Health and Community Services Network of Greater New Haven, presents Routes, a multimedia group exhibition that brings together ten artists whose works explore actual and metaphorical maps, networks and pathways. Artists include Brooklyn’s Scott Andresen; Naomi Darling and Leila Daw of Branford; Jennifer Jane, Martha Lewis, Lawrence Morelli, Meena Negishi and Steve Tarquino of New Haven; Derek Leka of West

Haven; and Jonathan Waters of Stony Creek. Through September 5 at the Parachute Factory Gallery, 319 Peck St., Bldg. 1, New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wed.-Thurs. 203-7722788, karsenault@newhavenarts.org, newhavenarts.org.

Get a taste of what will be offered all season long at Free Art Day — meet the teaching artists, try a workshop, or tour the sound recording studio, black box theater and computer labs. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Free workshops activities include: drawing, salsa and ballroom dancing, guitar instruction, Web design and more. 1-4p.m. September 6 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. Free. 860-685-7871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

Everyday Monuments: Photographs of Jerome Liebling.

Monographic exhibition features some 50 photographs by American artist Jerome Liebling. Active since the 1940s, Liebling has explored a variety of photographic themes including social-documentary photographs of people and places, poetic images of the relics and physical remnants of literary figures, and photographs of mannequins and corpses. The body of work on display includes representative examples from the many facets of Liebling’s practice. Through September 7 at YUAG, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

A noted scholar of eminent American photographer Alfred Stieglitz, Doris Bry is perhaps best known as the agent and confidant of Stieglitz’s wife, the painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Her collection includes photographs by renowned masters such as Irving Penn and Berenice

Abbott, as well as intriguing works by lesser-known artists, and includes examples of a wide range of styles and photographic media. From Any Angle: Photographs from the Collection of Doris Bry celebrates the remarkable collection of more than 200 photographs brought together by Bry and currently on loan to the Yale University Art Gallery.

Through September 7 at YUAG, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m. Sun. Free. 203432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

The Dutch post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh was notorious as a fou roux (redheaded madman).

Even with a piece of his earlobe missing, his works include some of the world’s most recognizable, popular and expensive pieces. Some of those works will be on display in New Haven this summer. The Yale University Art Gallery exhibits two of van Gogh’s most renowned paintings, “Cypresses” and “The Starry Night,” side by side for the first time in Van Gogh’s ‘Cypresses’ and ‘The Starry Night’: Visions of Saint-Rémy. Completed in June 1889 during his year-long confinement at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, these two paintings exemplify the work of this modern master at the height of his creativity. Together, they reveal the artist’s vivid and tender vision of Saint-Rémy as he observed the French countryside from his window — by day and night. To ensure a pleasant and unrushed experience for YUAG visitors, free timed tickets will be available at artgallery.yale.edu.

Through September 7 at the YUAG, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m. Sun. Free. 203432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

Sculptures. Susan Clinard’s sculptures of stone, wood, wire,

figurative sculpture and mixed media express her strong affinity for nature and human beings. Whether sculpting from models or memory, Clinard employs nature’s raw forms to narrate the struggles and joys of her subjects. She often finds beauty and truth in life’s most challenging times. Her passionate observation of the human body and of its distortion by life has given her a profound knowledge of human nature.

Joined with her extensive sculpting skills, it enables her to capture the individuality of her subjects and to create sculptures that express strong and vital emotions. Through September 20 at River Street Gallery, 72 Blatchley Ave., New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-7763099, kerry@fairhaven-furniture.com, fairhaven-furniture.com.

Fly Away Fly Away. An installation and new work by William Downs in Gallery 3. Downs’ work often takes the form of large-scale installations of many small drawings and paintings involving elements of autobiography, narrative, collage, and text. Verging on the surreal or abstract, the work finds its subject in “fear, worries, memories, dreams, fantasies, secrets, and feelings,” and in Downs’ interest in “the balance of conscious and unconscious states.” During his residency in New Haven, Downs created new work that premiers with this installation.

Through September 20 (closing reception: 5-7 p.m. September 18) at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven.

Open noon-5 p.m. Tues., noon-8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org Over the course of a three-week residency, master artist William Downs shared his artmaking process and concepts with 15 New Haven high school artist

CRITIC’S PICK Show ‘n’ Play Kids and adults enjoy test driving the arts & crafts table at Creative Arts Workshop’s Fall Back to Art School Open House.

Choosing the perfect class will be even easier with CAW’s Annual

Fall Back to Art School Open House for kids and teens. Hands-on demonstrations for

young people will be offered throughout the day in painting, cartooning, clay, collage and more. Parents may visit classrooms and meet the teachers who make Creative Arts Workshop a great place for exploring creativity and making art. Staff will be on hand to help

in choosing the perfect class for fall to fit both children’s interests and parent’s schedules. Fall session runs September 22 through December 13.

— Elvira J. Duran 1-4 p.m. September 21 at Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven. Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.-noon.

Free. 203-562-4927, creativeartsworkshop. org

new haven

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apprentices during Hawaii: 2008 Summer Apprenticeship Program.

They collected paper, old books, magazines, and typewriters, experimented with collage, paint, ink and sundry drawing tools.

With these materials, the group assembled a combination of many kinds of images and text through which they each strove to express a personal narrative. Together, separate narratives weave into one unified and multifaceted investigation in communal storytelling in the form of a gallery installation. In Gallery 1 view the collective work of: William Downs and Summer Apprentices: Annette Anderson, Kadeem Boothe, Chris Daniels, Simeon Durham, Max Duenkel, Tashaun Fair, Anessa Jackson, Terrencia Lee, James Manley, Marisol Muniz, Terell Palmer, Margie Roman, DaQuaya Scott, Louie Tafuto and Geeta Talpade. Through September 20 (closing reception 5-7 p.m. September 18) at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Open noon-5 p.m. Tues., noon8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org In Gallery 6, The Best Around features work by Flatfile artists Caitlin Foster and Juliana Sabinson, who weave found source material into humorous narratives featuring personal stories and absurd situations. Through September 20 (closing reception: 5-7 p.m. September 18) at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New

Haven. Open noon-5 p.m. Tues., noon8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org Down Paradise Way features four artists represented in the Flatfile who draw viewers’ attention to often-ignored details in everyday spaces. Asa Chibas photographs details in the landscape, coloring and accentuating using thread and stitching. Ilana Cohen pays attention to street architecture and infuses portraits of parking meters and metal grates with blooming wild flora. Suzanne Siegel’s watercolor drawings of big-box store parking lots emphasize overlooked islands, lights and rooflines. Ann Toebbe’s drawings turn cluttered functional living space into shattered forms, drawing attention to objects in the rooms. Curated by Laurel Coniglio and on view in Gallery 7. Through September 20 (closing reception 5-7 p.m. September 18) at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Open noon-5 p.m. Tues., noon-8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org Through the Community Partner Program, Artspace collaborates with the art department of Southern Connecticut State University to present extraordinary work by SCSU art faculty. Representing a wide range of media including sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and ceramics, Art: SCSU offers a look at the cutting-edge trends coming out of today’s fine art programs. In

Galleries 2, 4 and 5 view the work of: Yolanda del Amo, Mia Brownell, Wiley Carr, Greg Cochenet, Arthur Guagliumi, Keith Hatcher, Terry Lavin, Bill Phelan, Jeff Slomba, Thuan Vu, Rachael Vaters-Carr, and Jessie Whitehead. Through September 20 (closing reception 5-7 p.m. September 18) at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Open noon-5 p.m. Tues., noon-8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org In Works by Jennifer Davies and Lisa Keskinen, Branford resident Davies showcases new prints and handmade paper works, while Keskinen’s constructed pieces, informed by her career as an architect, draw inspiration from the transformative possibilities of everyday objects. Davies earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has taught dozens of classes in handmade paper at the Creative Arts Workshop as well as the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk. Keskinen received a BA in psychology from UConn before completing a master’s in architecture at North Carolina State. Her work has been showcased extensively throughout the region, including at Erector Square in New Haven, the Cornwall Library and Earl Lindgren Architects Office in Naugatuck. Through September 26 (reception 5-7 p.m. September 9) at Gallery 195 at NewAlliance Bank, 195 Church St., 4th floor, New Haven. Free.

New pastels on Japanese paper

by City Gallery member-artist Jefri Ruchti will be on display in ... and then ... September 4-27 (artist’s reception 4-7 p.m. September 6; meet the artist noon-4 p.m. September 27) at City Gallery, 994 State St., New Haven. Open noon-4 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. & by appointment. Free. 203-782-2489, city-gallery.org.

Open Doors of Milford. Throughout downtown Milford artists will display original design interpretations on plain recycled doors. Six-week outdoor event culminates with a lively auction of the doors in September, with a portion of the proceeds donated to a local charity. Through September 28 throughout downtown Milford. downtownmilfordct.com.

Canadian-born Guilford resident, Jefri Ruchti displays his latest paper project in ... and then ..., an exhibition at City Gallery September 4-27.

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september 2008

Artist/medical illustrator Vaune Hatch, intrigued with the boundary between literalism and abstraction, transforms medical illustrations into profound compositions of abstract beauty on display in Hidden Landscape. September 2-30 (opening reception & panel discussion 6-9 p.m.

September 5) at EO Art Lab, 69 Main St., Chester. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Wed. & Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Sun. or by appointment.

Free. 860-526-4833, chester@ eoartlab.com, eoartlab.com.

Celebrating the fall season with Harvest at the Firehouse Art Gallery. Artists’ interpretations of harvest in oil, acrylic or watercolor paints, pen, ink, pencil and charcoal, collage, photography and sculpture will be on view.

Juried by artist and printmaker Barbara Harder. September 4October 2 at Firehouse Art Gallery, 81 Naugatuck Ave., Milford. Open noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203306-0016, FHGallery@optonline.net, milfordarts.org.

Conjurings….Where the Abstract and Surreal Collide is a unique and visually stunning array of paintings where surreal imagery and abstract thoughts collide, by contemporary artist Clinton Deckert. Deckert is influenced by the Surrealist movement, Dada and abstract expressionism. He is inspired by the artists Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, Francis Bacon and Salvador Dali.

Deckert refers to his art as “surreal mindscapes” a merging hybrid of the surreal and abstract. The works are oil paintings that result from combining random abstract thoughts and surreal imagery. His technique is both exploratory and spontaneous. September 2-October 4 (opening reception 6-8 p.m.

September 13) at White Space Gallery, 1020 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (until 7 p.m. Thurs.); Sun. by appt. Free. 203-495-1200, whitespacegallery.com.

3 at BAC is an exhibition featuring the work of three artists. David Frank is a potter who creates vessels full of color and life at his studio on an old chicken farm in Guilford. Rex Walden is a painter who say he takes risks to keep “paint-friendly.” Sid Werthan is a conceptual artist who employs a base of sculpture, found objects, digital photography, video and sound installation combined with Eastern aesthetics to merge the concepts of Japanese Zen Buddhism, martial arts doctrine, meditation and motorcycle. All three artists are members of the Shoreline Arts Trail.

September 13-October 11 (opening reception 6-9 p.m. September 12) at Branford Artists Cooperative, 211 Montowese St., Branford. Hours are Tuesday and Thursday 10-3 and Saturday 11-3.Free. 203-5896995, branfordartistscoopertive.com.

Like the swirls of ornamental grotesques that adorn architecture, metalwork and textiles, the boundaries between beauty and strangeness were extremely fluid in Renaissance and Baroque art.

Through monsters, hybrid creatures and bodies that twisted into fanciful shapes, artists visualized myths and dreams, delighting their viewers by these seemingly limitless flights of fantasy. Drawn from the Davison

Art Center Collection, The Bizarre and the Beautiful: Fantasy as Visual Pleasure in Renaissance and Baroque Prints features works

by Agostino Carracci, Enea Vico, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Christoph Jamnitzer, Jacques Callot, Hendrick Goltzius and others, probing the essence of art and artistry of the period. September 12-October 12 (opening reception 5-7 p.m. September 11) at the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, 301 High St., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. Tues.Sun. Free. 860-685-2500, lberman@ wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/dac.

White Space Gallery shows off contemporary artist Clinton Deckert’s “Surreal Mindscapes” in Conjurings….where the Abstract and Surreal Collide through October 4.

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CAW Faculty/Guest Artist Show.

Show encompasses two exhibitions in the Creative Arts Workshop’s Hilles Gallery. On the ground floor, An Impulse to Order, features paintings by Michael Mancari of the CAW drawing and painting department as well as guest artist Rachael Wren, will present a series of paintings. While different in temperament, the works of both artists are outcomes of a common endeavor — finding a sense of place and creating a cohesive world with its own internal logic through the process of painting. The second group will feature works by Corinne McManemin, also of CAW’s drawing and painting department, and guest artist Jerry Weiss in The Figure.

McManemin’s lifelike sculptures and

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Weiss’ realistic paintings will reveal a freshness of individual vision to this classical form. Their work challenges the viewer to step into the artist’s world as the hand of the artist remains exposed through the layers of clay and strokes of paint.

September 12-October 17 (opening reception 5-7 p.m. September 12, closing reception: 5-8 p.m. October 16) at Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven. Open 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., Sat. 9 a.m.-noon. Free. 203-562-4927, creativeartsworkshop.org.

The Knights of Columbus’ newest exhibition, Etchings of the Eternal City: Piranesi’s Rome, examines firstedition prints by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Piranesi was the premier Italian printmaker of the 18th century, world renowned for his magnificent topographical works titled Vendute di Roma (Views of Rome).

Twenty-two of these views are the subject of this show. Exhibition also includes Mallio Falcioni’s contemporary photographs of the Roman sites represented by the antique etchings. Also on display are two original plates used in the printmaking process. Through November 9 at Knights of Columbus Museum, 1 State St., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Free. 203865-0400, museum@kofc.org, kofc. org/museum.

CRITIC’S PICK Feelin’ the Summer Breeze Chet Reneson’s Rachel and Friends is a gorgeous example of the beauty Connecticut artists have captured in their paintings of the tropics.

American artists have been lured south since the 19th century. Among the best known are Connecticut native Frederic Edwin Church and master watercolorist Winslow Homer. Both traveled in search of unusual scenery, which they found in

Jamaica, the Bahamas, Florida and Bermuda.

For artists from North America, the tropics offered a simpler way of life unburdened by the stresses of modern urban life. They recorded the distinctive places and people they met as tourists, soaking up the

Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian showcases mural-size prints from the late 15th century to 1630, when ambitions-to rival painted images, to assert political rule, or simply

local culture. Over time, enjoyment of the tropical climate deepened into appreciation of the region’s people.

Will Howe Foote and Abram Poole composed powerful portraits of island residents in Jamaica and Dominica.

In Reynolds Beal’s etching, “Sponge Fishing, Florida,” men fish for natural sponges, once a major industry in the northern Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Warm Winds:

to adorn wall surfaces-prompted printed imagery to expand. Surviving in fewer numbers than smaller prints, mural-size print ensembles sometimes reached over ten feet in height and sixteen feet in length.

Connecticut Artists in the Tropics examines the appeal of year round painting, varied and plentiful subject matter and simpler way of life offered by warmer climes. The 60-plus paintings and works on paper chronicle Connecticut artists’ longstanding love of the tropics, which continues to this day.

— Elvira J. Duran Through October 5 at the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme. Open 10 a.m.5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m.

Sun. $10 ($9 seniors & students, $6 children 6-12, free under 6). 860434-5542, flogris.org.

Grand Scale displays approximately 50 oversize prints from the German, Italian, and Netherlandish schools, including compositions by Sandro Botticelli, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Jacopo Tintoretto, Bartholomaeus

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september 2008

Spranger and Peter Paul Rubens.

September 9-November 30 at the Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

Zilkha Gallery will present a major, semester-long exhibition, Framing and Being Framed: The Uses of Documentary Photography examining how visual artists use documentary photography in their work. Artists often employ more than one system of representation in order to reinforce, subvert or go beyond the meaning offered by the images themselves. Some also use photographs to critique the documentary medium itself.

Exhibition features work by (among others) Wendy Ewald, Andrea Geyer, Jim Goldberg, Eric Gottesman, Emily Jacir, An-My Le, Susan Meiselas, Ann Messner, Walid Raad, Martha Rosler and Krzysztof Wodiczko. September 13-December 7 (opening reception 5-7 p.m. September 12) at Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m.

Tues.-Sun. (until 8 p.m. Fri.). Free. 860685-3355, boxoffice@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The Pearl of the Snowlands: Buddhist Prints from the Derge Parkhang. The Derge Parkhang is

one of the foremost cultural, social, religious and historical institutions in Tibet. Founded in 1729 by Denba Tseren, the Derge Parkhang today is an active center for publication and distribution of Buddhist texts and images, preeminent examples of the Tibetan woodcut printing tradition.

The exhibition’s large, finely cut prints of buddhas, protective deities and tara, together with astrological charts, story prints and charms were printed from some of the 300,000 blocks in the Parkhang collection.

They open a fascinating window into the beliefs, symbols and learning of Tibetan Buddhism. September 10-December 7 at Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Gallery, Wesleyan University, 343 Washington Terr., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sun. Free. 860-685-2330, wesleyan.edu/east.

A New Reality: Black-and-White Photography in Contemporary Art, an exhibition of 98 photographic works is derived from a major private collection of photography amassed

by New Jersey residents Anne and Arthur Goldstein. A New Reality explores the continued use of blackand-white photography as a medium of visual and historical consequence.

The exhibition also reflects the expanding technical and conceptual role of photography, emphasizing its

recent adaptation to the complex and psychologically charged images and narratives desired by contemporary artists. September 19-December 7 at Thomas J. Walsh Gallery, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. Free. quickcenter.com.

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

Deveny, who lives in Westville, attended Savannah College of Art & Design and earned his art degree from Southern Connecticut State University in 2006. Through December 31 at Claire’s Corner Copia, 1000 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays (Fri. until 10 p.m.), 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 203-562-3888, info@clairescornercopia.com or doug@douglasdeveny.com, ClairesCornerCopia.com.

In 1795 Benjamin West, the Americanborn president of the Royal Academy in London, fell victim to an elaborate hoax. He was persuaded that an old manuscript purporting to contain long-forgotten recipes held out hope of rediscovering Venetian High Renaissance techniques of oil painting. West used these materials and techniques to execute an

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ambitious historical painting: Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes.

But the manuscript was a fake and the story an absurd invention.

When the fraud was exposed, West suffered profound professional embarrassment. Seven years later West painted an almost identical version of his painting, this time according to his own methods.

Benjamin West and the Venetian Secret brings together both versions of West’s composition, along with recent technical analysis, copies of the fake manuscript, and other works on paper pertaining to the hoax.

September 18-January 4 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free.

203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

More than 150 crosses and crucifixes collected from around the world (where they were used in churches or by individuals) are on loan from the extensive Yvonne Shia Klancko Collection of religious items and displayed for the first time in Crosses & Crucifixes. Exhibition includes an artifact from the Balkans made more than 800 years ago. At Knights of Columbus Museum, 1 State St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Free.

203-865-0400, museum@kofc.org, kofc.org/museum.

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PHOTOGRAPH: Diane Sobol ewski

Arthur Kipps (Jon Peterson) and Ann (Sara Gettelfinger) learn that money can’t buy happiness in the Goodspeed musical comedy Half a Sixpence.

Dancing the Night Away Goodspeed’s Sixpence has all the right moves, at least Half a Sixpence, music and lyrics by David Heneker. Book by Beverley Cross.

Directed by Gordon Greenberg. Through September 19 at Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam. 860-873-8668, goodspeed.org.

By BROOKS Appelbaum

I

n the New Haven area, at least, the lightest of theatrical entertainments seem to rule the summer of 2008.

Some (this writer, for one) might wish it were otherwise, but it may be that artistic directors — perhaps wisely — have decided that too much thinking is too much to ask of audiences in the hot days preceding a presidential election. We are, after all, in the midst of an ongoing war

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and an apparently collapsing economy.

Looking back to the grand and frothy films of the Great Depression — Fred and Ginger, forever dancing in their swankiest evening dress — one can’t help but see a parallel between hard times and the popularity of escapist art. The very best entertainment can provoke thought, laughter, wonder, and hope; but this sort is rare. Most theater companies — and most audience members — are glad to settle for diversion and laughter.

Directed by Gordon Greenberg and running at the Goodspeed Opera House through September 19, Half a Sixpence provides a good deal of laughter, and its dance numbers — of which there are many — almost elevate us above the fluffy material. The musical, based on H.G. Wells’ 1905 novel, Kips: The Story of a Simple Soul, was originally written in 1963 for the British rock ‘n’ roll singer Tommy Steele (Steele went on to star in London, on Broadway, and in the film as well).

No wonder that in his program notes, Goodspeed Education Director Will Rhys tells us that Steele became identified with Kips just as Rex Harrison was with Henry Higgins, Ethel Merman with Mama Rose, and Barbra Streisand with Fanny Brice.

That said, it is difficult to imagine a better Kips than Goodspeed’s Jon Peterson. He is completely convincing as the hapless but utterly charming and sunny little man who wins and loses girls, and fortunes, at a head-spinning pace. Peterson is a marvelous dancer, and his voice (both speaking and singing) not only captures the character, but perfectly projects every syllable of his Cockney accent — not a small feat. Kips’ sweetheart, Ann, is played winsomely by Sara Gettelfinger; and Julia Osborne touchingly captures the emotional layers of Kips’ other sweetheart, the upper-class Helen.

Because Kips’ story is so flimsy, though, the main star of Half a Sixpence is the choreography — and by extension the choreographer, Patti Colombo, along with her ensemble of terrific dancers (the abovementioned included). Since the play is set in England during the early 1900s, and since it spans the classes from parlourmaids to shopkeepers to prostitutes (squeaky-clean, of course), to wild artists, to aristocrats, opportunities abound for numerous dance styles, all executed with perfect skill and infectious joie de vivre.

David Heneker wrote both music and lyrics. The lyrics are sweet but rarely clever, and the music, though bouncy and pleasant, won’t keep you whistling the tunes. Expect, though, to leave Half a Sixpence with a decided swing in your step. This production makes you feel like dancing.

Sisterhood Is Powerful Nun of the Above Fuels LWT’s Catechism Late Nite Catechism, by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan. Produced by Entertainment Events Inc. Through September 13 at Long Wharf Theatre Stage II, New Haven. 203-787-4282, longwharf.org.

Catechism’s Newton-Breen: ‘Spit that out. Right in my hand. Now.’

L

ong Wharf Theatre promotes its second summer offering, Late Nite Catechism (produced by Entertainment Events Inc.), as “part catechism class, part improv.” At least if patrons have read this, they know what they are getting into. Written by Maripat Donovan and Vicki Quade, this genre works for some audiences. The opening night crowd certainly had a great time.

Though nothing more than the lightest of entertainments, the show’s strength lies in its leading actress and its improvisational element. We are supposedly students in a catechism class, being instructed in some basic tenets of Catholicism by an old-school nun. In addition to perfectly inhabiting the part of “Sister,” actress Nonie Newton-Breen creates our roles for us by immediately spotting the classroom types and treating them accordingly.

as one-woman show, improvisation, or commentary on Catholicism. Perhaps the only faintly original element is its relative sweetness: Unlike the play it will obviously be compared to — Christopher Durang’s Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All to You — Late Nite Catechism depicts a nun who rewards good “students” with laminated cards depicting saints, or small statuettes of the Virgin Mary. There is talk about being “whacked” by a ruler, and audience members are quizzed about when, where and why this fate befell them, but no real danger inhabits this stage.

This affectionate portrait of Sister is central to Donovan’s and Quade’s project.

Donovan’s admiration for nuns dates back to her own Catholic school days. Too, as she worked on the script, she knew that many elderly nuns have little if any Social Security benefits, and that most nuns depend upon whatever their orders can provide. Therefore, the most authentic moments in Late Nite Catechism (now performed by many actresses all over the country) come after the final applause.

Newton-Breen returns to the stage as herself (in costume) and tells us that every production of the show collects money for those retired sisters who need it most.

There are the gum-chewers (“Spit that out.

Right here in my hand. Come on: Now.”) and the true troublemakers (one group was instantly — and possibly accurately — labeled “drunk,” and the loudest of these was ordered onto the stage, placed in a child-sized chair, and ordered to ponder the wall). And, inevitably, there is the class pet: “Just look at her. She’s so sweet.

I think she’s my favorite already.” NewtonBreen turns the handling of hecklers, real As we exit the theater, there she is, or created for the purpose of the evening, holding a rough-hewn bucket. “Thank into a high-art form, and the audience you, sweetheart,” Newton-Breen says as loves her for it.

I deposit my modest contribution. In this final moment, she somewhat redeems The central problem with the piece, Late Nite Catechism by having something however, is that it’s not original, either substantial up her flowing black sleeves. v new haven

47

THEATER Have you ever wondered how each cultural group could be so different and yet so similar? Ann hour-long workshop, CULTUREKIDS: Exploring Cultural Identity through Theater, explores four different cultural groups’ beliefs about how the earth was formed and how the first human came to be. Through improvisational theater games and activities, families will discover how stories of origin help to form cultural identity and values. 1-2:30 p.m. September 6 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. Free (advance registration required). 860-685-7871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

Altar Boyz, a musical comedy that was the critically acclaimed hit of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, is a hilarious account of a struggling Christian boy-band (with one nice Jewish boy) looking for their big break in the Big Apple. Altar Boyz tells the “holy” inspiring story of five small-town boys — Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham — trying to save the world one screaming fan at a time. Their pious pop act, characterized by lyrics like “Girl You

Make Me Wanna Wait” and “Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone,” worked wonders on the Ohio bingohall-and-pancake breakfast circuit.

But when fate brings them to New York, will the boyz take a bite out of the forbidden Apple? With angelic voices, sinfully spectacular dancing and a touching story, Altar Boyz is sure to make you want to go to church on Sunday. Music & lyrics by Michael Patrick Walker & Gary Adler.

Through September 13 on Long Wharf Theatre Mainstage, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $46-$36. 203-787-4282, 800-782-8497, info@longwharf.org, longwharf.org.

Late Nite Catechism, by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan, is back for a return engagement on LWT’s Stage II following a highly successful summer 2007 run. Designed as part catechism class, part improv, Late Nite Catechism is hysterical entertainment for any Catholic, non-practicing Catholic, ex-Catholic, Catholic under consideration, or even Catholic by association.

Lauded by the New York Times as “uproarious interactive theater,” Late Nite proves that when it comes to the Catholic religion it is possible to be both reverent and hilarious, but don’t expect to sit quietly at the back of this Catholic classroom, because in Sister’s class audience participation is a requirement.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN MINKA

ONSTAGE

Children watching “Simple Gifts” will have to look very closely to see the strings attached to The Cashore Marionettes at the Quick Center for the Arts on September 21.

other instruments slightly higher

PMAC Workshops

clarinet, trumpet, trombone, flute, violin, viola, drum or bell kit

GOLDIE & LIBRO MUSIC CENTER Instrument Rentals

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Theater Saturdays

(Grades 3-8) Session I: Saturdays September 13–November 15, 2008 Session II: Saturdays, March 7–May 9, 2009 Children learn acting technique, improvisation, musical theater, dance and more! The program culminates with a recital for family and friends.

Visual Arts Saturdays (Grades 3-8) Session I: Saturdays September 13–November 15, 2008 Session II: Saturdays, March 7–May 9, 2009 Children learn to paint landscapes, the basics of drawing, comic strip creation, or building and glazing pottery!

Ends with an informal art exhibit.

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Act It Out!

(Grades 1-2) Session I: Saturdays September 13–October 18, 2008 Session II: Saturdays, March 7–April 11, 2009 Using favorite stories from classic books, children will act them out using props and costumes made during class.

For more information about these programs, please contact Carol Jones at (203) 697-2035.

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CRITICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PICK In the Heat of Passion

Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl, author of The Clean House and Eurydice, returns to Yale Rep with Passion Play: an epic trilogy of plays, directed by Mark Wing-Davey and performed in one evening. Local communities and amateur actors have come together for centuries to perform Passion plays, theatrical celebrations of the life and death of Christ. Inspired by this tradition, Ruhlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Passion Play transports audiences first to 16th-century England, where the

Protestant Queen Elizabeth threatens to shut down a small townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production; then to 20th-century Germany, where Adolf Hitler seizes an opportunity to use the famous Oberammergau Passion Play to advance the Nazi agenda; and finally to Spearfish, South Dakota in 1984, as a local production becomes a campaign stop for a famous actorturned-President running for reelection. Contains strong language and nudity.

A few actors will have to don a few different characters each night for Passion Play. Kathleen Chalfant plays Queen Elizabeth, Hitler and Reagan, while Dieterich Gray plays a machinist, German officer and a young director, and Thomas Jay Ryan mixes it up as the visiting friar, visiting Englishman and VA. September 19October 11 (opening night - September 25) at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. $65-$20. 203-4321234, yalerep.org.

Half a Sixpence is a bouncy, romantic quintessentially British musical that leaves audiences laughing and wanting more.

Adapted from the 1905 H.G. Wells novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple

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Through September 13 on Long Wharf Theatre Stage II, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $25-$20. 203-787-4282, 800-782-8497, info@longwharf.org, longwharf.org.

Soul, it premiered in Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West End in 1963. Enjoy the antics of young Arthur Kipps â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Cockney shop clerk who inherits a fortune, flirts with â&#x20AC;&#x153;society,â&#x20AC;? loses everything and ends up happier without a penny. Great for the entire family.

Performances 2 & 7:30 p.m. Wed., 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri., 3 & 8 p.m.

Sat. and 2 & 6:30 p.m. Sun. Through September 19 at Goodspeed Opera

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Continued on 51

new haven

49

MUSIC

BY ELVIRA J. DURAN

Classical Yale’s Horowitz Piano Series brings pianist Peter Frankl to Sprague Hall for a program featuring BARTOK: 15 Hungarian Peasant Songs; JANACEK: Sonata 1.X.1905, In the Mist; SCHUMANN: Kinderszenen, Op. 15; DEBUSSY: Pour Le Piano; CHOPIN: Two Nocturnes, Op. 55; Andante spianato et Grande Polonaise Brillant, Op. 22. 8 p.m. September 16 at Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. yale.edu/music.

Music by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Medtner and Schumann will be performed by faculty member Ilya Poletaev, piano. 8 p.m.

September 20 at Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., New Haven.

Free. yale.edu/music.

Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Gala with Renée Fleming opens the second season of Met Live in HD broadcasts at Fairfield University.

Maestros James Levine and Marco Armiliato conduct fully staged performances starring Fleming in three of her most acclaimed roles: Violetta in La Traviata, the title role in Massenet’s Manon and the Countess in Richard Strauss’ Capriccio. Tenor Ramón Vargas and baritones Thomas Hampson and Dwayne Croft join the soprano for this gala performance. 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. red carpet arrival) September 22 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $22 ($20 seniors, $15 children). quickcenter.com.

The Yale School of Music presents the Tokyo String Quartet as part of the Chamber Music Society Series.

Featuring MENDELSSOHN: Quartet in D major Op. 44, No. 1; BARTOK: Quartet No. 5; HAYDN: String Quartet in G major Op. 76, No. 1. 8 p.m. September 23 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. 203- 4324158, www.yale.edu/music.

Enjoy the sounds of Conference Call’s Michael Stevens, Gebhard Ullmann, Joe Fonda and George Schuller’s very original sound. At Firehouse 12 on September 26.

Texas, where her hard-driving honkytonk style won her a loyal following, as well as kudos from the local media (cover stories in the Dallas Observer and Austin Chronicle, two appearances on Austin City Limits), and praise from such Texas legends as Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Joe Ely, and Johnny Bush. She’s returned to her rock and roll roots on her latest CD, 35. Come check her out live in a rare New Haven solo appearance. September 4 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $8.

203-789-8281, cafenine.com.

Beres Hammond & Harmony House performs a concert for all ages. 9 p.m. (doors open 8 p.m.)

September 5 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $30. 203-624-8623, toadsplac@aol.com, toadsplace. com.

Afternoon Jazz Jam hosted by Dave Dana, Ken Aldrich, Brian Buster (September 6 & 20) and Gary Grippo (September 13). The amps, drums and PA are provided. 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St., New

Connecticut-raised, Yale-educated Mary Cutrufello spent the 1990s in

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Everything you need to make some noise (amps, drums and PA) is provided at the Open Jam session hosted by Travis Moody Band (September 7), Freddy B Band (September 14), Rocky Lawrence Band (September 21) and the Langley Project (September 28). 8 p.m. at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven.

Free. 203-789-8281, cafenine.com.

Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo. Four days of free and ticketed events bring nationally-known musicians to New Haven as well as being Connecticut’s largest environmental expo ever. The kick-off show welcomes the Grassy Hill Song Circle, a showcase of singer/songwriters in an intimate setting includes: Cliff Eberhardt, Joe Crookston, Lara Herscovitch, and Tom Pacheco (8 p.m. September 5 at First Presbyterian Church, 704 Whitney Ave., New Haven). Bands at Lyman Center stir up the newgrass, rootsy rock and contemporary folk

Natalie Walker, former lead singer of Daughter Darling, has established herself quickly as a solo performer and songwriter. Walker’s first album as a solo singer is the acclaimed Urban Angel. Her songs are both haunting and hypnotic. September 16 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $10. 203-789-8281, cafenine. com.

Peter, Bethany & Rufus resurrect The Spirit of Woodstock. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary performs in concert with his daughter, Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia, cello virtuoso and Bethany’s musical partner. Together the three musicians from two vastly different generations revisit the Woodstock of Peter’s youth. Yarrow joins deeply moving tributes to the music of the ‘60s such as “Puff the Magic Dragon” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” with the

CRITIC’S PICK Rhumba Man the intimate Little Theater in New Haven.

The show is the third in a series presented by Hamden based GuitartownCT Productions, with support from New Haven’s Neighborhood Music School.

Shinik Hahm conducts the Yale Philharmonia in a program including VAUGHN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; STRAUSS: Don Juan; RIMSKYKORSAKOV: Scheherazade. 8 p.m.

September 26 at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. Free. yale. edu/music.

Popular

Haven. Free. 203-789-8281, cafenine. com.

with Donna the Buffalo, Milton, and Crooked Still (7:30 p.m. September 12 at SCSU, 501 Crescent St., New Haven). Family Concert with Ronny Cox, storyteller/actor (St. Elsewhere), and his band, along with the Professors of Bluegrass. (1-4 p.m.

September 13 at Edgerton Park, Cliff St. and Whitney Ave, New Haven).

A Concert under the Stars will showcase folk legend Steve Earle, feature gospel stars The Holmes Brothers, Connecticut bluegrass band The Professors of Bluegrass and critically acclaimed artists Ruthie Foster, Alison Moorer, and Harry Manx. (5 p.m. September 13 at Edgerton Park, Cliff St. and Whitney Ave, New Haven). The Green Expo begins on September 14 at SCSU, where 80 nonprofit and business exhibitors from the community show off their environmental know-how and more folk musicians will make you sway. There will be art activities and workshops for kids. 203-4835676, annekillheffer@yahoo.com, ctfolk.com/nhff/index.html.

Legendary singersongwriter Jesse Winchester will perform an afternoon concert at

Winchester was born in Louisiana and in 1967 fled to Canada

Discover what Robbie Robertson (of The Band) and Albert Grossman (past manager of Bob Dylan) saw in Jesse Winchester when they produced and managed his self-titled first album.

melodically graceful narratives (songs) that have been recorded by major artists including Tim Hardin, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire and Wynonna Judd.

to evade the draft, a fact that has lent his career notoriety. He was discovered there by Robbie Robertson of the Band, who produced his first album. Winchester is best known for his often covered

— Elvira J. Duran 8 p.m. September 20 at The Little Theater, 1 Lincoln Way, New Haven. $31.80. 203-430-6020, chris@guitartownct. com, www.guitartownct. com.

music of Bethany and Rufus and is pulled into the vitality of today’s musical perspective with elements of contemporary groove and world music. 8 p.m. September 19 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $35$30. quickcenter.com.

Steve Lantner Trio. Boston-based virtuoso, modern/free-jazz pianist Steve Lantner, with strong support supplied by bassist Joe Morris and drummer Luther Gray, seamlessly integrates divergent threads of musical history into a singular style, with a swinging maelstrom of lyrically disjointed melodies and abstruse rhythms. 8:30 & 10 p.m.

September 19 at Firehouse 12, 45

Onstage Calendar Continued from 49

House, 6 Main St., East Haddam. $71.50-$29.50. 860-873-8668, goodspeed.org.

Hear shows both frightening and action-packed from radio’s golden age in Thrillers & Killers. Aside from the usual murder and mayhem of horror and mystery shows, there will be a focus on the dark origins of both The Lone Ranger and The

Crown St., New Haven. $15-$10. 203785-0468, www.firehouse12.com.

Creative Concerts and Yale School of Music welcome the Dave Holland Sextet. Dave Holland, bass; Antonio Hart, saxophone; Robin Eubanks, trombone; Alex Spiagin, trumpet; Mulgrew Miller, piano; Eric Harland, drums will perform a memorable selection of tunes. 7:30 p.m.

September 21 at Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $30. yale.edu/music.

Adam Sliwinski beats his percussion instruments for a DMA Recital series performance. 8 p.m. September 25 at Sprague Memorial Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $30. yale. edu/music.

Shadow. 8 p.m. September 26 & 27, 3 p.m. September 27 at Wien Experimental Theatre, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $25. quickcenter.com.

The quintessential story of friendship by Robert Harling, Steel Magnolias serves up a slice of life in Louisiana that’s as warm and comforting as sweet potato pie. In the haven of Truvy’s beauty salon, six very different women come together to share their secrets and bare their souls, throwing

Conference Call, a quartet together since 1998, plays original music from each member of the group utilizing the distinctive improvisational and textural talents of each of the four members: Gebhard Ullmann’s extensive woodwind palette (bass clarinet, bass flute, tenor and soprano sax); the textural and timbral virtuosity of drummer George Schuller; the organic and highly creative piano/ bass interplay between Joe Fonda and Michael Jefry Stevens. All these ingredients create a highly creative and unique variety of musical flavors. 8:30 & 10 p.m. September 26 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $15-$10. 203-785-0468, www. firehouse12.com.

in a little neighborly gossip for good measure. From weddings to divorces, babies to funerals, new beginnings to happy endings, they weather every event in their lives en masse with grace, determination, and perfectly coifed hair. Directed

by Jacqueline Hubbard. September 17-October 5 at the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. 860-7677318, info@ivorytonplayhouse.org, ivorytonplayhouse.org.

Defending the Caveman, by Rob Becker, holds the record as

I Love A Piano is a nostalgic musical journey spanning seven decades of American history as seen through the eyes of Irving Berlin. Come see this “full spectrum of brilliant Berlin...” 4 p.m. September 28 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $40-$30. quickcenter.com.

Pop punk influenced indie rock band, Motion City Soundtrack, along with bands Chiodos, Person L and Hit the Lights will grace the stage and shake up New Haven at Toad’s Place.

7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) September 28 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $21 advance, $23 at door.

203-624-8623, toadsplac@aol.com, toadsplace.com.

the longest-running solo play in Broadway history. Caveman is also now a worldwide tour de force that has won the hearts of millions in over 30 countries and it’s sure to win yours. The “outrageously funny and surprisingly sweet exploration of the gender gap” (Chicago Sun Times) has made Defending the Caveman “a comic phenomenon” (New York Times). Through September 17-October 12 at Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $38-$28.

203-787-4282, 800-782-8497, info@ longwharf.org, longwharf.org.

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BY ELVIRA J. DURAN

BELLES LETTRES Poetry and Music featuring Charles Simic. A reading by Charles Simic, Poet Laureate of the United States, with a performance of “Simic Songs” by Robert Carl, sung by Penney Kimbell, Martha Smith, Toby Twining and Mark Johnson. 7 p.m.

September 14 at Memorial Chapel, Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. Free. 860-6853355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The Letters Committee of the Milford Fine Arts Council, writers of fiction and poetry, meets the third Wednesday each month. Bring your work in progress or completed manuscripts. Come and enjoy an evening of fun. 7:30 p.m. September 17 at the Milford Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. 203-8786647, milfordarts.org.

Bessy Reyna is an award-winning Latina poet. Born in Cuba and raised in Panama, she is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and earned her master’s and law degrees from the University of Connecticut.

Reyna’s poems and stories are found in U.S. and Latin American literary magazines. She has also been published in numerous anthologies including El Coro: A Chorus of Latino and Latina Poetry, In Other Words: Literature by Latinas of the United States, The Arc of Love: Lesbian Poems, and The Wild Good. Come meet the author at the Latino Voices Series: Bessy Reyna Conversación con una Escritora. 8 p.m. September 19 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. $8, $5 members. 860-685-7871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

BENEFITS The sicth annual Jamie A. Hulley Arts Foundation Benefit brings back the Beatle-mega-hit-songs revue, “Beatlemania: The Tribute,” sung by four veterans of the Beatlemania Broadway show and national touring company casts. The popular silent auction will be previewed at 6 p.m. during a reception at which

52

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complimentary wine and appetizers will be served. Proceeds benefit Bridgeport children and Fairfield University undergraduates with art scholarships and educational programs. 7:30 p.m. September 13 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $40 advance, $45 at door.

203-891-8869, jamiearts@snet.net, quickcenter.com.

The founders of BigFaceLove Yoga, Bill and Kristin Banick, have decided it’s time to do more than teach and are launching the first ever Movement and Sound Festival to benefit the Connec ticut chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. A longtime certified yoga and T’aiChi instructor, Bill Banick works in the New Haven area and has a diverse group of students with a variety of needs. The Movement and Sound Festival will be a gathering of volunteer yoga instructors and practitioners, along with local musicians and area residents to benefit MS research. Highlight of the festival will be an adaptive yoga class designed to assist people with MS, taught by certified yoga instructors.

A variety of yoga and T’ai-Chi classes for all ages and abilities will be offered, along with live music from area musicians, local food, refreshments and more. Also, silent auctions of donated healthy food and beverages and holistic services to generate the funds necessary to meet the donation goal of $5,000.

1-5 p.m. September 14 at Davenport Dunbar Residence, 125 Putnam Ave., Hamden. bill@bigfacelove.com.

The Doo Wop Picnic will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Picnic menu includes hot dogs & hamburgers, corn on the cob, coffee and refreshments (bring your own salads/pickings). Entertainment features such performers as Andy Dio, Ronnie & the Highlighters and Ralph Nicefaro as well as a dance segment featuring Eric Turcio and dance performances from the ‘50s through the present. Larry Amendola will emcee. Bring a chair. 1-6 p.m.

September 14 (rain date September 21) at 515 Chapel St., New Haven. $10.

203-776-0162 or 203-789-0747, CAR@ npmlaw.com.

Spanning two weekends, the Taste of Fall Festival at Lake Compounce will feature special entertainment, a hearty autumn all-you-can-eat buffet, and colorful fall decorations. A

Late September through October is the perfect time to Pick Your Own Apples and Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Lyman Orchards. The orchard is open daily and also has an intricate Corn maze to add to the picking entertainment.

$10 discount will be applied to the regular admission price with a donation of a kid-friendly, nonperishable food item such as macaroni and cheese, soup, peanut butter, etc. Two area food banks (the Connecticut Food Bank in East Haven and Foodshare in Bloomfield) will be the beneficiaries of the food donations. The park will be decked out with plenty of fall pumpkins and hay bales, and great entertainment in the catering pavilion area will add to the festive atmosphere.

The “Sunshine Road” will appear in Kiddieland, Jason Pipitone will entertain along the midway, and the Martin Kelly Band will play in the catering pavilion area. 11 a.m.8 p.m. September 20-21, 27-28 at Lake Compounce, 271 Enterprise Dr., Bristol. $33.95-$5.95. 860-583-3300 ext. 6902 or 203-661-1090, tracey@ lakecompounce.com or lmccardell@ karenmorstad.com, lakecompounce. com.

from music to movies, politics to Shakespeare, geology to sports and everywhere in between. Twenty-one and older. Arrive early to get a table.

9 p.m. September 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at Anna Liffey’s, 17 Whitney Ave., New Haven. $10 per team. 203-773-1776, annaliffeys.com.

Jeff Dunham’s undeniable talent has transcended the art of ventriloquism and transformed it into a cuttingedge comedy experience. His latest DVD, Spark of Insanity, occupied the No. 1 spot on Amazon.com for 11 days. Dunham of course never travels alone, and fans of all ages have fallen in love with his fast-talking and socially reckless “Suitcase Posse.” Join Dunham and his puppets for an interesting evening. 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors open) September 5 at Arena at Harbor Yard, 600 Main St., Bridgeport. $41.75. 203368-1000 or 203-624-033.

CULINARY CINEMA The Red Shoes (UK, 1948, 138 min.) directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger will be shown at the Cinema at the Whitney Gala. 8 p.m. September 5 (7 p.m. reception) at Whitney Humanities Ctr., 53 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-0670, inna.laskova@yale.edu, yale.edu/whc.

COMEDY Test your knowledge and have fun doing it at Anna Liffey’s Trivia Night.

Teams of one to five people compete for prize money. Topics range

City Farmers’ Market Downtown boasts food from local farms, including organic and pesticide-free salad greens, herbs, flowers, honey, artisan bread and more. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. September 3, 10, 17 & 24 at 165 Church St., New Haven. 203-773-3736, cityseed.org.

City Farmers’ Market at Wooster Square. Enjoy local food from local farms including seafood, meat, milk, cheese, organic greens, root vegetables, handcrafted bread and baked goods, honey and more. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. September 6, 13, 20 & 27

at Russo Park, corner Chapel St. and DePalma Ct., New Haven. 203-7733736, cityseed.org.

CRITIC’S PICK Raising the Dead Marie Chouinard will dance you into a trance with her sensual movement vocabulary.

The Downtown Milford Business Association will host the Milford Farmers’ Market on Saturdays through October 25 in the heart of downtown. Fresh produce, breads, cheeses, seafood and other Connecticut-grown and -raised produce. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. September 6, 13, 20 & 27 in downtown Milford on River St. between Railroad Ave. and Darina Pl. 203-874-0115, downtownmilfordct.com.

Marie Chouinard tours internationally as one of Canada’s most lauded avantgarde choreographers.

Chouinard explores the astonishing potential of the human body in its most intimate and excessive manifestations. With a vocabulary that is at once erotic and deeply spiritual, Chouinard creates highly charged eveninglength spectacles with a company of dancers noted for their wildly

Enjoy local food including organic and pesticide-free salad greens, herbs, all-natural meat, eggs, honey, handcrafted bread and more. City Farmers’ Markets, New Haven are Connecticut-grown, producer-only marketplaces featuring organic and pesticide-free food. City Farmers’ Market at Edgewood Park takes place Sundays through November 23. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. September 7, 14, 21 & 2 at Edgewood Park, Corner Whalley and West Rock Ave., New Haven. 203773-3736, cityseed.org.

Summer may be winding down, but the fall harvest is just warming up at Lyman Orchards. Lyman features more than 20 varieties of apples from which to Pick Your Own Apples. There are apples from Empire to the Empress, the

tangy Early Mac to the tart Granny Smith, from the sweet Spencer to the juicy Jonagold and from Fuji to Rome. All of the orchard’s apples are grown in an ecologically responsible way. Through October 31 at Lyman Orchards, 32 Reeds Gap Rd.,

Middlefield. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.

860-349-1793, lymanorchards.com.

Pick Your Own Pumpkins. Pumpkinpicking season will begin in midSeptember and end in late October at Lyman Orchards. Whether you are looking for the perfect fall

Stop by and try CT’s first ECO certified apple!

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unbridled commitment to her movement vocabulary. Wesleyan hosts the U.S. premiere of her newest work, Orpheus and Eurydice, based on the legend of Orpheus, the musician who persuades Hades to allow him to lead his dead beloved, Eurydice, back to life on earth.

— Elvira J. Duran 8 p.m. September 19 & 20 (7:15 p.m. preconcert talk) at Center for the Arts Theater, Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. $21 ($18 seniors & students).

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

decoration, Jack-o-Lantern, or a delicious tasty treat, pumpkin picking is the perfect family Autumn adventure. Lyman’s Own pumpkins are available in two varieties, sugar and carving. Through October 31 at Lyman Orchards, 32 Reeds Gap Rd.,

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CRITIC’S PICK Making History Alexander H. Newton, Master Sgt., Company B, and Daniel S. Lathrop, Master Sgt., Quartermaster Sgt., of the Connecticut 29th Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry are two of the many members of the regiment who will be remembered and honored with the new Monument.

DANCE Off the Beaten Path: A Jazz & Tap Odyssey explores the American art forms of jazz and tap and their unique cultural influences. The full-evening performance was created under the direction of award-winning New England dancer/ choreographer Drika Overton and musician, composer and educator Paul Arslanian, in collaboration with renowned tap dancers Brenda Bufalino and Josh Hilberman. A jazz quartet consisting of piano, bass, drums and woodwinds will perform on stage with the company of six dancers. 8 p.m. September 5 (7:15 p.m. pre-concert talk) at Center for the Arts Theater, Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. $21 ($18 seniors & students). 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa

(Photo courtesy of The Descendants of the Connecticut 29th Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry.)

Celebrate and remember the gallantry of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry, a regiment having consisted of over 900 African-Americans and Native Americans from 120 Connecticut

FAMILY EVENTS The Yale Astronomy Department hosts a Public Stargazing Session.

Twice monthly the department runs a public night during which astronomy buffs can come and peer through one of the department’s many telescopes and have questions answered about the wonders of the night sky. Viewable celestial objects change seasonally, and range from the moon to the planets to nearby star clusters and galaxies. 9 p.m.

September 2 & 16 at the Leitner Family Observatory, 355 Prospect St., New Haven. Free. cobb@astro.yale.edu, astro.yale.edu.

If you’re craving a classic agricultural fair featuring animal and agricultural exhibits, entertainment, vendors, rides and food, head to the North Haven Fair. Arts and crafts, a petting zoo and pony rides will also be available. Enjoy live music and special attractions. September 4-7 (510 p.m. Thurs., 3-11 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.11 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.) at North Haven Fairground, 300 Washington Ave., North Haven. $9 (children under 12 free with adult). 203-239-3700, northhaven-fair.com.

In Honor of D’mba. Join a celebration of African dance and Guinean culture. 9 a.m.-noon September 20 at Rose Center, 101 Ashmun St., New Haven. Free. 203432-9426 or 203-432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

Meet the Artists and Artisans-Fall Show. 180 juried fine artists and unique handcrafters chosen and juried from throughout the country.

Enjoy a variety of cuisines in the food court while watching the demonstrating artists and listening to soothing classical music. 10 a.m.5 p.m. September 20-21 on the Milford

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Green, Broad St., Milford. 203-8745672, meettheartistsandartisans.com.

Durham Agricultural Fair.

Connecticut’s largest agricultural fair is a weekend of fun. See top entertainment, crafts on the green, carnival rides and games. There’s lots to eat, exhibits showcasing livestock, fruits, vegetables, art, baking, needlework, photography, and more. It’s a family event not to be missed. 9 a.m.-11 p.m. September 26-27, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. September 28.

Durham Fairgrounds, Rts. 17 & 68, Durham. $12 ($10 seniors, kids free).

860-349-9495, durhamfair.com.

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of trolley service in Connecticut, Olde Tyme Fun Days features vintage trolley rides, music, food, entertainment and a period costume contest. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. September 27 & noon-5 p.m. September 28 at the Shore Line Trolley Museum, 17 River St., East Haven. $8 ($6 seniors, $4 children 2-15, children under 2 free). 203-467-6927, bera.org.

The town of Branford and United Way of Greater New Haven host Branford’s first ever Touch-A-Truck event. Touch-A-Truck is a familyoriented one-day event, featuring trucks and cars to touch, climb on and take pictures alongside. The “price of admission” is disposable diapers that will be distributed free, in partnership with the Diaper Bank, to local nonprofits serving families in need. The event will include vehicles from various municipal

departments, including the Branford Fire Department, Branford Police Department, Parks and Public Works Departments, as well as vehicles from local construction companies.

10 a.m.-2 p.m. September 13 (rain date September 14) at Branford High School, 185 East Main St. Free (donation suggested). www.uwgnh.org This year’s Corn Maze takes the form of a ladybug carved into a four-acre cornfield. Walk through the maze just for fun, use the map to plot your route or answer a series of trivia questions along the way that point you in the right direction.

Lyman’s corny Corn Cops can also guide you through the maze. A portion of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Through November 2 at Lyman Orchards, 32 Reeds Gap Rd., Middlefield. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. $9 ($5 children ages 4-12). 860-349-1793, lymanorchards. com.

LECTURES/ DISCUSSIONS Fairfield University welcomes Greg Mortenson, best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea, as guest speaker for its Fall Convocation welcoming of the Class of 2012. Event is open to the community. 10 a.m. September 5 at Alumni Hall, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. Free (reservation required). 203-254-4000 ext. 2047, mmauri@mail.fairfield.edu, quickcenter.com.

Screencasts: Cinema as Medium in

towns who enlisted in the fight for freedom in 1863. The Connecticut 29thCivil War Regiment Monument Dedication Ceremony’s featured speaker will be Dick Gregory, civil rights activist/social satirist and humanitarian.

Accompanying the ceremony will be living history reenactments and festivities at their original muster site, Crisuolo Park, at Chapel and James streets in New Haven. The monument by renowned sculptor Ed Hamilton (see below). 2-4 p.m.

September 20 at Crisculo Park, New Haven. Free.

203-777-5778, thect29th. org.

— Elvira J. Duran

Contemporary Art. Laurel Nakadate presents her work in photography and video. Followed by: Telepresence, Raunch Culture, and the Legacy of Sixties Video Art and a lecture by William Kaizen, assistant professor of aesthetics and critical studies at UMass/Lowell. 5 p.m. September 11 at the YUAG, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven.Free. 203-432-0600, artgallery. yale.edu.

The Milford Happiness Club will hold its premiere event this month.

Happy people of all ages living in the Milford area are invited to attend. There is no entry fee, but the event is “pot luck” so everyone should bring a munchy, dessert or other dish in a disposable container as well as a beverage of choice. There will be plenty of happy socializing, guest speaker, exhibits and drawings for various prizes.

According to the Happiness Club founder and president, “Happiness is an inner state of well-being that enables you to profit from your highest thoughts, intelligence, wisdom, awareness, common sense, emotions, health and spiritual values.” 6-7:30 p.m. September 11 at Harbor Lites Hair Design, 2080 Bridgeport Ave., Suite E, Milford. Free.

203-767-3582, atplynn_135@hotmail. com, happinessclub.com.

Journalism professor Stephen J.A. Ward will present Journalism for Global Human Good, an Alfred E. Stiernotte Lecture. Ward is the James E. Burgess Professor of Journalism Ethics and director of the Center for

Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin.

Previously he was director of the graduate journalism school at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. His expertise includes the history of journalism ethics, news objectivity and global journalism ethics. Ward has 15 years of journalism experience, including ten years with the Canadian press as a foreign correspondent and bureau chief. 4 p.m. September 12 in the School of Law Center Grand Courtroom at Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Ave., Hamden. Free.

203-582-8652, quinnipiac.edu.

The 2008 Presidential campaign has been an historic one for many reasons. There has been both a female and African-American candidate for a major political party for the first time in U.S. history, and the Internet and blogs have played a key role in the kinds of information the electorate has access to. Wesleyan Assistant Professor of Government Melanye Price leads an informal lecture, Election 2008: Race, Gender, Age & Media, about the role of race, gender age and media on the 2008 election. 2-4 p.m.

September 14 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. $5 ($3 seniors & students). 860-6857871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

Best-selling author Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow of the James Baker III Institute of Public Policy, speaks at the first Open Visions Forum of the season with a focus on the presidents. OVF renews its Community Partnership with the Fairfield Museum and History Center to present Brinkley. 8 p.m.

September 15 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $45. quickcenter.com.

Eric Lee, director of the Taft Museum of Art will lead the Benjamin West Opening Lecture on “Venetian Color in Albion’s Shore: British Attitudes Toward Titian in the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries. 5:30 p.m. September 17 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free.

203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

Harvard experimental psychologist Steven Pinker is a prominent researcher in all aspects of language and mind. He has a particular interest in how children acquire the words and grammatical structure of their mother tongue; he has also studied language development in twins. Pinker’s latest book, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature, was published last year. Recently he has begun research on the nature of reminding and on the function of innuendo and other forms of indirect speech. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Slate.com, the New Republic and other magazines on subjects such as language and politics. 2 p.m.

September 19 at Barone Campus Center Oak Room, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $15. 203-254-4110, quickcenter.com.

Symposium Keynote Conversation. A conversation with Angus Trumble, senior curator of paintings and sculpture, and Mark Aronson, chief paintings conservator, Yale Center for British Art. 5:30 p.m. September 19 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

A Public Symposium of scholarly papers and presentations on the exhibition, Benjamin West and the Venetian Secret’s theme. 9:30 a.m.

September 20 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

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Technology, lead a discussion for the Yale Lecture Series in Media and Television. 5 p.m. September 22 at Whitney Humanities Ctr., 53 Wall St., Room 208, New Haven. Free. 203432-4668, susan.hart@yale.edu, yale. edu/whc.

Jeffrey Toobin is a legal analyst for CNN Worldwide, he is a staff writer for the New Yorker and is the best-selling author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. His lecture is part of the Open Visions Forum. 8 p.m. September 24 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $45. quickcenter.com.

Celebrating Richard Wright will feature Ishmael Reed, Darryl Pinckey, Elizabeth Alexander, Jonathan Holloway and Caryl Phillips. Facsmile documents and photographs from the Richard Wright Papers at the Beinecke Library will also be on display. 4-6 p.m. September 23 at Whitney Humanities Ctr., 53 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-0670, inna. laskova@yale.edu, yale.edu/whc Happiness is living a life in balance.

We’ll explore how to find your “center” to have better relationships, optimal health, enhanced productivity, greater personal satisfaction and more joy in your life

in Balance: The Key to Happiness

by Barb Scala. Join Scala, co-author of Sanity Savers: Tips for Women To Live a Balanced Life and life/career transition facilitator with Bloom Services, LLC for an interactive evening. Discover the five ways to find balance and bloom. 6:30-8 p.m.

September 25 at City Hall, 165 Church St., Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, New Haven.

703-864-2770, allisonaboud@gmail. com, happinessclub.com.

Looking at Arts and Crafts Objects.

Informal 30-minute discussions of individual objects by Imogen Hart, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Yale Center for British Art. 12:30 p.m. September 30 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

The Franke Lectures in the Humanities brings University of Wisconsin professor Yi-Fu Tuan to speak on “Mental Geography: Mapping, Cognition, Appropriation, Inscription” in The Good Inherit the Earth. 5 p.m. September 30 at Whitney Humanities Ctr., 53 Wall St., Room 208, New Haven. Free. 203-4320670, inna.laskova@yale.edu, yale. edu/whc.

HISTORY Small Things Considered. From

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Principal investigator of an international study about public communication of controversial science, well-traveled and experienced journalist, Stephen J. A. Ward, will present Journalism for Global Human Good on September 12 at Quinnipiac University.

a nutmeg to a strand of George Washington’s hair to the classic Wiffle Ball, discover the big impact small objects have made on history and our lives. Through November 29 at the Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth St., Hartford. Open noon-5 p.m. Tues-Sat. $6 ($3 seniors, students). 860-236-5621, CHS.org.

Meet the descendants of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry, whose African-American and Native American ancestors, fought proudly during the Civil War. The Descendents Reception remembers their family members’ gallant service on the battlefield and celebrates the new Connecticut 29th Monument. 4-6 p.m. September 20 at John S. Martinez Magnet School, 100 James St., New Haven. Free. 203-7775778, thect29th.org.

Meet-the-Artist Reception. Meet nationally-renowned and awardwinning sculptor Ed Hamilton who will have unveiled his newest work, ten years in the making: Connecticut’s first Monument honoring the proud service of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry. Celebrate their history and this historical moment in time with their Monument’s artist whose acclaimed commissioned works also include the Spirit of Freedom African-American Memorial in Washington, D.C. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. 6-8 p.m. September 20 at New Haven Museum & Historical Society, 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven. $25. 203777-5778, thect29th.org.

SPORTS/RECREATION Boating

Join a Guided Canoe Tour of the 840acre Charles Wheeler Salt Marsh.

Steeped in local history, the marsh offers an abundance of birds and other wildlife, beautiful vistas and a chance to paddle and relax. Sign up early as these are popular tours.

Bring drinking water and wear shoes that can get wet. Trip routes subject to change due to weather. Advance registration required. 3:15-5:30 p.m.

September 6 & 2- 4:30 p.m. September 20 at Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford, 1 Milford Point Rd., Milford. With canoe rental: $25/person, $65/canoe members; $35/$95 non-members. Without rental: $19 member, $29 non-member.

Advance registration. 203-878-7440, ctaudubon.org/visit/milford.htm.

Cycling Night Ride on the Canal. Enjoy the warm weather and get those base miles up with a weekly two- to three-hour ride up the Farmington Canal Trail. Riders maintain a very moderate (15-17 mph) pace.

Participants should bring lights (some may be available for loan) and helmets. 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays September 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop, 433 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-773-9288, thedevilsgear.com.

Elm City Cycling organizes Lulu’s Ride, weekly two- to four-hour rides for all levels (17-19 mph average). Cyclists leave 10 a.m. from Lulu’s European Café as a single group; no one is dropped. 10 a.m.

Sundays September 7, 14, 21 & 28 at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203-773-9288, elmcitycycling.org/.

Critical Mass. Participants meet at the flagpole on the New Haven Green at 5:30 p.m. on the last Friday of each month for a slow-paced ride through New Haven streets. The ride ranges from 30 minutes to over an hour depending on weather.

Critical Mass is not an organization; it’s an “unorganized coincidence” — a movement of bicycles in the streets as traffic. After the event, everyone is invited to a potluck dinner at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop.

5:30 p.m. September 26 at Temple and Chapel streets, New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org/.

Hikes Charles Island Explorations.

Discover the natural history and folklore that make this island the treasure of Milford. Wear comfortable shoes that can get wet as the hike is through a halfmile tombolo out to the island.

Advance registration only. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water and snack.

Continued on 61

WO RD S of MOUT H

By Liese Klein

K

orean cooking is finally getting its due in the food world as a major cuisine of Asia, and a new eatery in downtown New Haven showcases the versatility of Korea’s spices and flavors. Soho New Haven opened in July in the former Sidebar Twilight Lounge space on Orange Street and has already made a mark with tasty, affordable food in a sophisticated setting.

NEW EATS: Soho New Haven

With its high ceilings and iridescent tilework, Soho’s decor hints at the cocktail lounge that once occupied the space and brings a touch of elegance to even a quick business lunch. The menu offers generous helpings of both Korean and Japanese favorites, starting with each culture’s take on the dumpling. Shrimp shumai are tasty nuggets with a soy dipping sauce and bright seafood flavor. Korea’s version, pork and chicken mandu, are bigger with slightly thicker skin but also deliver with a succulent texture and meaty taste.

Korea takes center-stage with the entrées, which feature standbys like bulgogi, marinated beef with sesame, and bibimbop, which blends cooked rice, vegetables, meat and chili sauce. Also tasty is dak galbi, chunks of white-meat chicken in a citrusy barbecue sauce, and the jobchae, beef and onions mixed with rice noodles.

Japanese food dominates Soho’s limited but wide-ranging sushi menu, with classics like spicy tuna and salmon rolls alongside vegetarian treats like futomaki rolls.

Anthony DeCarlo

Soho Korean-Japanese Restaurant, 259 Orange St., New Haven (203-745-0360).

PHOTOGRAPH:

For a quick lunch or tasty takeout, Soho adds some spice to downtown’s dining options.

Sook Young Moon (left) and Hi Jong Moon offer a range of tasty Asian food at their Soho restaurant on Orange Street.

new haven

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PHOTOGRAPH:

“A treat for the Senses”

Anthony DeCarlo

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

Fine Indian Cuisine 148 York Street, New Haven, CT 203.776.8644 www.zaroka.com

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ou can’t really see a waterway or bridge from the Bridge House, but this new eatery in Milford’s Devon neighborhood skillfully evokes the atmosphere and tasty seafood of a top-notch waterfront pub. Make that a “gastropub,” the new breed of bar/ restaurants popular across the pond that offer a stylish upgrade on the traditional British watering hole. And the Bridge House is an upgrade — the owners have spared no expense in creating an opulent, wood-paneled interior in the bar and dining areas.

The gastropub concept also means that you can make a satisfying meal from the inventive “bar snacks” on the Bridge House’s appetizer menu. Tiny tuna “tacos” were a hit on a recent night, combining the earthy crunch of a taco shell with creamy raw tuna in a soy glaze spiked with yuzu citrus. Each bite-sized serving was perched on a mound of sticky rice for a satisfying follow-up mouthful. Also tasty was a hearty bowlful of cavatelli pasta in a creamy cheese sauce with flecks of broccoli rabe.

Stick to seafood on the entrée side, especially the delicately spiced salmon in a salad with roasted beets and goat cheese. Expert cooking and carefully balanced flavors highlight the fish’s flavor and texture. The Bridge House’s delicate touch with swordfish make this often-overcooked staple a revelation of silky meat and briny flavor, set off by a ratatouille-like stew of peppers, onions and chorizo.

Desserts are crafted in-house by a pastry chef and reflect the Bridge House’s attention to detail: The slight iciness of the homemade vanilla ice cream perfectly offset the bright flavors of a hot apple and raspberry crisp on a recent night.

Complement your meal with the aboveaverage selection of wines by the glass or draught beers, including regional microbrews. The bar specializes in fruity mojitos like a tart passion-fruit concoction with mint that goes well with seafood.

Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford (203-878-2800).

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Branford-based Andrew Carlson’s two handcrafted beers are winning fans for their crisp taste and allnatural ingredients.

I

ndian Summer means wheat beer, the refreshing, unfiltered style of ale that has become trendy in recent years with versions by Blue Moon, Sam Adams and countless Belgian and German breweries.

Now a brand-new, one-person brewery in Branford is marketing a new wheat ale that is garnering rave reviews in beer circles.

enthusiastic about the beers, Carlson adds, and he’s looking into expanding into restaurants with smaller bottles.

“There’s a lot of interest,” Carlson says.

“I wanted to bring back the old way of breweries being a local item. It used to be local like a bakery; it was a local fresh kind of beer.”

Andrew Carlson, who works as an East Haven firefighter, turned his homebrewing hobby into a business earlier this year and has already rolled out two beers for retail sale in 22-ounce bottles.

Both have large proportions of organic ingredients, he adds. To honor his heritage and help his beers stand out in a crowded craft marketplace, Carlson has given them Swedish names.

Vëte Öl, an American-style wheat ale, has been praised in Yankee Brew News and Beer Advocate as a drinkable, refreshing example of the classic summer style.

Bärnsten Öl, a mild English ale, got even higher marks for its balance of malty and bitter flavors.

“I don’t like to make extreme beers,” Carlson says. “I like to have something that’s just a nice drinking beer.” He adds that all his beers will be low alcohol and mild-tasting, including a Christmas ale planned for later in the year.

Local brewers and liquor stores have been

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Carlson beers can be found locally the Wine Thief, Amity Wine & Spirits, Cheshire Wine & Spirits, Liquor Loft in East Haven and Mountview Plaza Wine & Spirits in Naugatuck. Work is also almost done on a tasting room at the brewery, where visitors will be able to sample the brews and buy on-site.

Carlson Craft Brewery, 79 Gould La., Branford (203-481-6258).

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PHOTOGRAPH:

BEST OF:

EDITOR’S PICK

Anthony DeCarlo

COFFEE SHOPS Bare Beans Coffee, 14 East Grand Ave., New Haven (203-260 1118). A funky new outpost of quality beans and drinks across the bridge in Fair Haven Heights. Weekday mornings only for drinks; order top-quality organic, Fair Trade and eco-friendly beans online at barebeanscoffee. com.

Café Atlantique, 33 River St., Milford (203-8821602). Visit this neighborhood favorite for creative caffeinated classics, bistro food and wine and a charming indoor/outdoor seating area.

Café Grounded, 20 Church St, Guilford (203-4536400). Tasty sandwiches and coffee drinks star at this aviation-themed cafe that operates inside a Quonset hut near the Guilford Green.

Kasbah Garden Café, 105 Howe St., New Haven (203-777-5053). Quality teas, good conversation and Moroccan treats on New Haven’s best outdoor patio.

Publick Cup, 276 York St., New Haven (203-7879929). Top-notch sandwiches, coffee drinks and teas with a creative flair and a studious vibe that befits its on-campus location. You can even order ahead online.

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, 258 Church St., New Haven (203-777-7400), with Branford and Madison locations. Enjoy both the low-key ambience and the region’s best selection of premium roasts and rarities at this small chain.

BEST OF THE REST BAKERIES Marjolaine, 961 State St., New Haven (203-7898589). Buttery croissants and creamy pastries showcase the quality ingredients used by this East Rock neighborhood favorite.

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

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

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

Manager Maria Kaisen helps guide customers around Cooking Enthusiast’s expansive Branford showroom.

Cooking Enthusiast Warehouse Store

E

very serious cook has experienced that moment: I want to make this recipe tonight, but where on earth do I find porcini flour or smoked Spanish paprika without hopping on MetroNorth? The answer lies in an unassuming industrial park in North Branford: the Cooking Enthusiast warehouse store.

Here you’ll find all manner of rare spices, ingredients and cooking tools in a cavernous space that’s open until 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Everything from garlic

roasters to gorgeous Polish hand-painted stoneware sits on shelves for purchase at retail prices. The store also features some scratchand-dent steals plus clearance items like a Halloween cookie-cutter set for $7.49.

The Cooking Enthusiast started in 1993 as Professional Cutlery Direct offering specialty knives, but soon expanded into other kitchen items and gourmet foods, explains Jay Alpert, the company’s president.

Now more than a million

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

Take the Cake, 2458 Boston Post Rd., Guilford (203-453-1896). Brides and sugar fiends flock to this bakery’s tasty mousse cakes, fruit tarts and innovative spice cookies.

FRENCH

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

Union League Café, 1032 Chapel St., New Haven (203-562-4299). New Haven’s most beautiful dining room and world-class cuisine near the heart of downtown.

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catalogues are shipped nationwide every year, he says, with the only bricks-and-mortar outlet here in North Branford.

Customers can also sign up at the store for the Cooking Enthusiast catalogue, a monthly feast of interesting gadgets and cookware that serves as pornography for the food-obsessed. If you’re the kind of person who thinks of escargot forks as a necessity, this is the warehouse store for you.

Cooking Enthusiast, 242 Branford Rd., North Branford (800-859-6994).

Le Petit Café 225 Montowese St., Branford (203483-9791). Prix-fixe menu features beautifully prepared classics with a modern twist in a casual setting.

Caseus, 3 Whitney Ave., New Haven (203-6243373). Quiche and onion soup with top-notch cheeses stand out at this charming bistro.

Gastronomique, 25 High Street, New Haven (203-776-7007).Classics like croque monsieur and steak tartare, plus sandwiches and burgers, expertly prepared at affordable prices. Takeout only.

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the blue pearl

4 p.m. September 13 & 27, 9 a.m. September 20 at Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford, 1 Milford Point Rd., Milford. $9 ($6 children) members; $15 ($10 children) non-members; $5 seniors. 203-878-7440, ctaudubon.org/visit/ milford.htm.

RESTAURANT & LOUNGE New Haven’s Tastiest Hideout

The New Haven Hiking Club will meet for a three-mile Class C Friday Night Hike at West Haven Beach. Dinner to follow. Rain cancels.

Dogs okay if leashed. Glenn Fehrs will lead. 6:30 p.m. September 12 meet at in front parking lot of Adams IGA supermarket in Savin Rock Plaza at Capt.

Thomas Blvd. and Campbell Ave., West Haven. Free.

203-380-2428, gf@nhhc.info, nhhc.info.

Get your weekend exercise in with a six- to eightmile Class B hike along Lake Saltonstall in Branford. Ann Loftis leads. Rain cancels. No dogs.

Bring lunch and liquids. 9:30 a.m. September 14 meet at Zane,s Parking Lot corner of Route 1 & Cedar St. (I-95 Exit 54), Branford. Free. 203-488-8196, gf@ nhhc.info, nhhc.info.

This three- to four-mile Class C Hike will lead hikers through Genesee (Regional Water Authority property — no pets allowed) in Madison. Steady rain cancels. Leading the group will be Geoff Smith. 9:15 a.m. September 19 at entrance on Rte 79, 5.3 miles south of Rte 17 in Durham, 2.7 miles north of Rte 80 in Madison. Free. 203-488-3352, nhhc.info.

The New Haven Hiking Club will explore the West Rock Loop on a three-mile Class C hike led by Elizabeth Buckeley. Rain cancels. 10 a.m.

September 21 at Blake St. Center parking lot (by pedestrian bridge over river), 495 Blake St., West Rock Ridge State Park, New Haven. 203-393-0141, nhhc.info.

Road Races

Happy Hour • Thurs & Fri, 4-6 pm Martini Specials • Late Night Menu 130 COURT STREET • NEW HAVEN 203.789.6370 • THEBLUEPEARLNEWHAVEN.COM

YellowFin’s

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Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race is in its 31st year. This Labor Day race includes a run for kids six to 12 years old for which all participants will receive ribbons. The race the USA 20K Championship. Prize purse of $30,000 for U.S. athletes. 8:15 a.m. Kids Race & 8:40 a.m. 20K/5K September 1 at New Haven Green. 10-mile: $25 advance, $30 day of race; 5K: $20 advance, $25 day of race. 203-483-8222, jbsports@snet.net, newhavenroadrace.org.

Kid’s activities and a cookout are what make the Tommy Fund Family Day a great race for families.

Run in the 5K or 0.3 mile Fun Run or walk on a two-mile flat loop. The Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide emotional, education, recreational and medical support to children with cancer and their families. 10 a.m. Fun Run, 10:30 a.m. 5K & 2 mile walk September 28 at Connecticut Tennis Center, Yale Ave., New Haven. $15 ($8 children) advance, $20 event day ($10 children).

203-481-5933, jbsports.com.

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

Hibachi • Sushi • Pan-Asian Catering & Parties Welcome Happy Hour! M–TH, 3-6: All Beer 1/2 price, Premium Drinks $5

514 Bridgeport Avenue, Shelton • 929-8666 451 Kings Highway, East Fairfield • 610-6888

www.KobisRestaurant.com new haven

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PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

Wine Press in September and October each year. Trucks from the California wine centers of Mendocino, Lodi, Russian River and Amador arrive with tons of sunshine, ready for you to produce Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Petite Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

Next it’s the crush (no, not with your feet), which removes the stems and provides the first juices. Two weeks later it’s more crush with the press and now all the juices are placed in an oak barrel in a climate-controlled room. In February it’s time for racking, when the wine is emptied from the barrel, the sediment removed and the barrel cleaned. The wine then returns to the barrel. Now the fun: Bottling takes place in July and August — as does the quaffing.

If this sounds like work, don’t worry: Owners Martone and Iannucci do all the heavy lifting, so you get to do all the fun stuff! There’s even a chemist who comes periodically to analyze the wine in each of its fermentation stages so that your wine comes out fine.

A pair of erstwhile stonemasons, Martone (left) and Iannucci have turned their avocation into a business.

Grape Expectations Two accidental oenophiles have made North Haven wine country By joyce l. faiola

H

earing about a new place designed and built for customers to make their own 244 bottles of wine brought to mind that I Love Lucy episode where Lucy is let loose in the grape vineyards which results in an oh-sofunny cat fight while Lucy and the gals smash grapes in a gigantic tub with their feet.

When I arrived I didn’t find Lucy, but I discovered two terrific guys, Frank Martone and Ray Iannucci, who have spent the last four months remodeling their 6,500-square-foot North Haven space into the Wine Press. This former manufacturing building had say idle for two years; when they arrived it had layers of cobwebs and 200 old lighting fixtures that had to be removed before they could clean, paint and install their equipment and cold room.

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Martone and Iannucci are erstwhile stonemasons who dabbled in oenophilia, making four to five barrels of wine at home for years. It wasn’t until a trip to a Yankees game two years ago and a chance meeting in a nearby restaurant that they had that eureka moment. Turns out the gal they sat near at that restaurant during that fateful dinner had a brother who left IBM to open Grape Expectations, where customers make wine.

With great expectations in full bloom, the pair were off and running. Their first stop on their research tour was to visit the eight-year-old Grape Expectations in Bridgewater, N.J., and with that visit they were hooked. There was no turning back.

Making your own wine is a (typically) ten-month process with four distinct and precisely timed steps. It begins with the selection of grapes, which arrive at the

This terrific facility also has a huge gourmet kitchen so that when family and friends gather to help you in your wine processes you can be cooking and tasting and having a grand old time. There’s even a large outdoor space with a soon-to-be herb garden and furnishings to enjoy the sun long into the New England autumn.

I tasted a spectacular 2006 Bordeaux (a blend of three grapes) from their affiliate wine makers in Staten Island (you can choose to age your wines for two years or more if you wish). It was a full-bodied, deep purple velvet elixir. I also enjoyed a Chardonnay that had the rich yellow hue of grapefruit and a flinty, oak afterglow that reminded me of an old country French Chablis. I floated just picked blueberries in my glass and watched the sun set.

To see, taste and learn, plan on visiting the Wine Press’ open house from noon to 5 p.m. September 13-14. Rumor has it that the owners will recreate that Lucy escapade, so be sure to bring a towel!

The Wine Press, 118 Quinnipiac Avenue, North Haven, 203-777-WINE, thewinepressct.com v

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