The Prospect

May/June 2011

The Hartford Club’s Magazine Of Ideas And Opportunities

Malloy’s Open Government Mis-step Geri Griswold’s Iceland Adventures Twain’s Legacy Of Recovery

PULLING THE PLUG Why Hartford-area doctors are giving up their independent practices.

Marking 25 Years Of Summer Music

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The Prospect

Inside The Hartford Club’s Magazine Of Ideas And Opportunities

06

The Doctor Is Out It’s getting harder to find doctors running their own practices, rather than ones affiliated with local hospitals. Hear from physicians around the Hartford region about why that problem is only going to get worse.

10 4

Jazz-ercise Nearly a quarter century ago, aficionados started a jazz festival in Connecticut. Now it’s celebrating its anniversary.

5

Back To Secret Government

Gov. Dannel Malloy is trying to make Connecticut’s government more efficient.

But his plan to consolidate three watchdog agencies will cost us all more than we can measure.

12

10 Rebuilding Sam’s House

23

12 Life In The Fast Lane

Just a few years ago, the Mark Twain House was facing possible bankruptcy.

Its troubles aren’t all gone, but the future of the place where Samuel Clemens wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is looking brighter.

Geri Griswold may be Hartford’s best known traffic reporter. But when she signs off the air, she signs on to several other avocations.

14 Inside The

Hartford Club

See the many events, clubs

Prospect 3 and peopleThe at The Hartford |Club.

25 Years of Hot, Steamy, Driving New Orleans Jazz The Hartford Club 46 Prospect Street Hartford, Conn. 06103 (860) 522-1271 www.hartfordclub.com Board Of Governors

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t’s toe-tapping, thigh-slapping music

played by some of the top jazz bands in the Northeast. It’s distinctly American music that’s irresistible. And it’s at the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Fest, which is trumpeting its 25th anniversary this year with an extravaganza that lives up to the blaring, soulful and peptic tradition that is jazz.

But if it weren’t for some Connecticut

musicians and a slew of dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers, there wouldn’t be a Jazz Fest at all.

The concept of the Jazz Fest started over a dining room table. Dave Greenberg, a lover of this type of music and an Essex resident, met with local music lovers Shirley and Joe Bombaci, and Stu Intersoll, a banjo player, to form the first festival in Essex. Over the years, there have been many volunteers who continued on page 14

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James Fisher, Chief Operating Officer jfisher@hartfordclub.com The Warren Group 280 Summer Street Boston, Mass. 02210 www.thewarrengroup.com 1-800-356-8805, ext. 318 Vincent Michael Valvo Group Publisher & Editor-In-Chief George Chateauneuf Publishing Division Sales Manager Mona Ashour Advertising Account Manager John Bottini Creative Director Scott Ellison Senior Designer Nate Silva Graphic Designer Ellie Aliabadi Graphic Designer Christina Briggs Graphic Designer

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Copyright 2011 The Warren Group.

TH E H A RT FO R D O BS E R VE R

Lift The Veil Of Secrets

Don’t Destroy The People’s Right To Know

W

BY James H. Smith

here has wisdom fled to in American politics? With all the rancor and clamor across the land over how literally broke government is at all levels, we are relying more on expediency at the expense of a deliberative commitment to our ideals. Don’t we still believe that democratic government exists for the good of the people, the individual — not for the ambitions of the governor, the speaker of the house, or the president?

So, if it is necessary to tighten our belts in this time of economic peril, let’s do it in places that will least damage government of, by and for the people. Let’s not cut corners over what the people can know about those who govern, how our elections are conducted, and inquiries into alleged ethical lapses of public officials Yet Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, in his mostly admirable plan to cut the state deficit, has for some odd reason proposed a miniscule savings (perhaps $1.5 million) by putting the important but small agencies dealing with freedom of information, elections, and ethics under one inherently conflicted, politically appointed commissioner. It is not a smart move, probably won’t save money and raises questions about the governor’s commitment to transparency in government. Our new governor goes around talking about the importance of transparency, but folding the over-worked but highly regarded Freedom of Information Commission into a mega-agency belies his rhetoric.

Malloy is proposing to merge the FOIC with the Office of State Ethics, and the State Elections Enforcement Commission, all of which try to ensure those who govern do not violate the public trust. Then he tosses in the Judicial Review Council and the Contracting Standards Board in order to, his budget document says, “strengthen enforcement and compliance practices through information and knowledge sharing” among the five agencies “whose primary mission is to enforce honesty, integrity and accountability within state government.”

Whomever the governor appoints to lord over this agency of strange bedfellows, he or she will be wrestling with an octopus, a paranoid-schizophrenic octopus. FOI is all about keeping everything in the open. Judicial Review is notorious for its secrecy.

Elections Enforcement keeps a whole lot secret until final decisions are made. One of the myriad exemptions to FOI is the details in certain contracts. If the governor and legislature would simply open up all these processes, then it would make sense,

perhaps, to have them all in one agency. Fat chance.

Wrong Direction So the Government Accountability Office, as it has been dubbed by the Malloy administration, will be fighting secrecy on one hand and keeping secrets on the other.

This does not sound like a formula for success of good government or even cheaper government.

The world-renown and highly honored retired general counsel to the FOIC, Mitchell W. Pearlman, Gov. Dannel Malloy’s plans endanger open government. put it this way recently: “The merger of these agencies ... would create an unnecessary, yet expensive, additional top level of bureaucracy to lord over each of the former agencies.

This includes an executive director as department head, and undoubtedly one or more deputies and administrative support staff members. All this will easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars extra for salaries, space and office furniture. ... In addition, the merger will necessitate an expensive, integrated computer system. It will have to be programmed with internal “firewalls” to guarantee the confidentiality of the highly sensitive information kept by the accountability agency’s separate divisions, while ensuring that their public records are readily available under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. This could add perhaps a million or more dollars to the proposed agency’s cost.”

Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Commission was created by the state legislature and Gov. Ella T. Grasso in 1975 and has become a beacon of light, a model for democracy all over the world. This proposed merger is before the Government Administration & Elections Committee of the General Assembly, chaired by Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, a champion over the years of government transparency. She readily touts how she has supported the public’s right to know and, in 2008, “defeated a measure that would have limited information available through the Freedom of Information Act.” Senator, it is time again, to champion transparency and toss this very bad idea out the open window.

James H. Smith is a retired Connecticut journalist, an officer of the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information, and the author of “A Passion for Journalism, A Newspaper Editor Writes to His Readers” and the historical novel “Wah-say-lan, A Tale of the Iroquois in the American Revolution.”

The Prospect | 5

RX: R.I.P 6 | The Prospect

Hartford Physicians:

Are Small Practices Going The Way Of The House Call?

BY ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER

D

r. Lawrence Koch began practicing medicine in what he calls “the golden era.” For 27 years, he cared for patients in his private practice.

But in the mid-1990s, as payment rates from Medicare and private insurers declined and paperwork increased, requiring more employees to handle it, Koch gave up ownership of his practice and began working as part of a hospital-owned practice. He’s glad he did.

“It was obvious to me that a solo practitioner in internal medicine really couldn’t survive any longer,” he said recently in his office near The Hospital of Central Connecticut’s New Britain campus.

Koch may have been ahead of the curve, but many doctors in private practice are now contemplating similar moves, giving up ownership of their practices to become part of hospital-owned practices or larger groups with multiple specialties.

Connecticut is still dominated by

practices with fewer than four physicians and has been slower to change than many other parts of the country, but hospital officials and doctors say the shift has been accelerating. Young doctors in particular are choosing to work for larger organizations rather than starting their own practices, they say.

The change is fueled in part by hospitals looking to grow their ranks of communitybased physicians, who are a reliable source of referrals for lab work, tests and inpatient care. The health care system is evolving toward payment structures that reward better coordination between doctors and hospitals--and keeping patients out of the hospital. That’s led many hospital officials to see links with community physicians as critical to their future.

For doctors, meanwhile, becoming part of a larger organization means not having to handle administrative tasks like billing or be on call as often. It can mean more manageable hours, more leverage in negotiating with insurers, and a more

Arielle Levin Becker is a writer for ctmirror.org, where this article first appeared.

The Prospect | 7

secure financial situation.

In addition, many changes in health care seem to favor larger organizations, doctors say, particularly the push to adopt electronic medical records and an increased focus on measuring care quality and patient outcomes.

Structurally Unsound “All of these new types of delivery systems require incredible amounts of infrastructure, both in physician time and knowledge about the bureaucratic ins and outs of government regulations,” said Dr. Claudia Gruss, president of the Fairfield County Medical Association. “For a small practice, it’s extremely difficult to keep up to date with all these new regulations and reporting requirements.”

Gruss is one of five doctors in a practice with offices in Georgetown, Wilton and Norwalk. It’s sizable by Connecticut standards. But it’s not big enough to deal with new regulations and have bargaining power with insurers, she said. The group is exploring its options.

But not everybody is looking for a change, and even those who see the shift as inevitable say there are downsides.

Many doctors who built their practices and ran them independently are not interested in going to work for a larger organization, which could mean less discretion about how to practice or how much free care to provide.

Employed doctors might work fewer hours than they did when they were selfemployed and reliant on patient volume for income, potentially leading to less access for patients. Some say employed doc-

“The bottom line is the arrangements all go in the direction where the previous total independence of the physician is being sacrificed in order to gain the benefit of reducing overhead, diversifying revenue stream, aligning incentives and being able to succeed into the future,” said Dr. Steven D. Hanks, executive vice president and chief medical officer at The Hospital of Central Connecticut.

Looking For Partners At a dinner meeting in New Haven in March, Dr. Robert Nordgren told a roomful of doctors about the uncertainty hospitals face. The federal government and private insurers are looking toward changes in how they pay health care providers, and the models of the future will likely reward managing the health of a group of patients, rather than paying for each procedure or hospital visit.

To adapt, Nordgren said, hospitals must be able to manage patients across a continuum of care settings.

“If you’re going to be effective in any of that environment, you can’t just be a freestanding hospital,” he said.

Nordgren is CEO of Northeast Medical Group, which was started last year by the parent company of Yale-New Haven Hospital and has been acquiring physician practices. The medical group isn’t interested in managing the practices, Nordgren told the doctors; it buys practices’ hard assets like the building and furniture and has a central office to handle contracting and billing. Doctors get to manage their own practices in their own offices, but gain stability, help recruiting new physicians, elec-

Many Local doctors are contemplating giving up ownership of their practices to become part of hospital-owned practices. tors might not be as committed to staying in a particular area as a doctor who built up a practice over many years.

Office-based physicians support an average of 5.7 jobs, including their own, according to a recent study prepared for the American Medical Association, and some of those could be lost if back office functions like billing can be handled by a larger organization.

8 | The Prospect

tronic medical records and the benefits of being in a larger group in uncertain times.

Nordgren’s presentation, part of a program organized by the Connecticut State Medical Society, drew several skeptical questions from doctors. But Yale-New Haven is far from alone in seeking to acquire physician practices.

Stamford Hospital, for example, began acquiring physician practices through an

organization called Stamford Health Integrated Practices last year. It has about 30 doctors now, and is in discussions with about 50 more. By the end of the year, officials hope to have 100, said Dr. Craig Olin, an internist who is part of the group.

Nationally, the proportion of doctors working for hospitals has increased in recent years. According to the Medical Group Management Association, which represents medical group practices, 28.1 percent of physicians in medical groups represented by the association worked for hospital-owned practices last year, up from 17 percent in 2003.

Large physician practices that include multiple specialties are also expanding.

Dr. Amit Rastogi, president of PriMed, a practice with close to 60 doctors in Fairfield County, said the economies of scale in larger practices make it easier to afford the systems that are becoming increasingly important in medicine.

Last year, for example, Medicare provided a bonus payment to doctors who met certain targets for electronic prescribing.

In the future, payments are expected to be increasingly tied to quality of care, Rastogi said, and proving that you meet quality standards requires having a way to measure, collect and report data. Hiring someone to harvest the data or an information technology specialist to troubleshoot the electronic medical records could be unaffordable to a group of 10 doctors, but would be doable if the cost is spread across 50 or 100 doctors, he said.

This isn’t the first time larger organizations have tried to acquire physician practices. In the 1990s, in response to managed care, hospitals began acquiring medical practices as a way to lock in referrals and potentially edge out third-party payers, Hanks said.

Many of those arrangements later unraveled, leaving many doctors skeptical of overtures to partner. Five years ago, said Dr. Frank Scifo, director of primary care development and urgent care medicine at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, he would have expected doctors to be completely unreceptive to the idea of partnering.

In the past two years, though, doctors have been approaching him about some form of affiliation. Not a day goes by, he said, that he or a colleague doesn’t have a conversation with a doctor about alignment.

Safety In Numbers One of those who found the idea enticing was Dr. Michael Kilgannon, a Willi-

mantic internist.

Kilgannon worked in private practice with two other doctors since 1984. When one of his partners retired a few years ago, they struggled to find a replacement, and ultimately hired two nurse practitioners.

With the second partner approaching retirement, Kilgannon had to rethink his options. Recruiting a doctor can cost thousands of dollars, and Kilgannon said many young doctors coming out of training want to make more than he does now.

The recruiting quandary was one of the reasons Kilgannon joined Hartford Medical Group, part of Hartford HealthCare, the parent company of Hartford and Windham hospitals. The medical group can handle much of the burden of recruiting, and offer better pay and benefits than he could alone.

Being part of a larger organization also provides a sense of security at a time when health reform is poised to bring change and uncertainty.

“I think everybody’s a little concerned about being out there on their own and not part of a bigger corporation or a bigger group with more bargaining power,” Kilgannon said. “Rather than being this little doc floundering on my own out there, I can be part of a larger group and part of Hartford HealthCare, which is a large corporation and a significant player in the state. I can feel a little safer with that.”

Little changed when he joined the medical group last April, Kilgannon said.

“The biggest difference was I had to make sure I wasn’t overstepping my allotted vacation allowance now that I’m an employee,” he said.

More recently, his practice got electronic medical records. They would have been unaffordable in his old situation, but Hartford Medical Group paid for them and provided support staff to help get him started.

“I think most of the primary care doctors see the writing on the wall,” he said.

For Koch, the decision to work for a hospital-owned practice was in part a way to do more teaching, and in part because of cost and administrative factors.

“It came to a point where I was working to pay my employees,” he said.

While it took away the administrative burdens, Koch said the change made little difference on the clinical side.

“There is no difference, there really is none, other than I don’t have to worry about billing, I don’t have to worry about salaries, I don’t have to worry about benefits for my employees,” he said. “I come in in the morning, put on my white coat, I see patients, I answer phone calls, at the end of the day, I go home.”

But others say that as more doctors become employees and work set hours, there could be less time to see patients.

Hanks said doctors choosing to be employed are making economically rational decisions. Some have been working so many hours in private practice that once they have a more secure situation in a hospital-based practice, they return to a saner existence, with fewer hours or patients per day.

“You can only run so hard and so fast for so long,” he said.

Dr. Craig Czarsty, an Oakville family doctor who has been in private practice since 1983, said access to doctors could become an increasing problem as more new doctors opt for ways to avoid working long hours and being on call, whether in hospital-based practices or other arrangements. Hospital-based practices can also lead to changes in work habits, he said.

“It’s simple human nature that someone receiving a fixed salary will not be as motivated as someone whose income is dependent on their production,” he said.

“Production bonuses can be built into the contracts but it’s not the same.”

Czarsty, who is chairman of the board of the American Board of Family Medicine, is among the doctors not planning to leave private practice. He said he’s happy with his current arrangement.

“The boss is a pain in the butt but I can deal,” he quipped. “Did I mention that I’m the boss?”

The Prospect | 9

Marked

For Change

A century after Mark Twain’s death, his Hartford house struggles to stay solvent.

BY James Kane

F

or Samuel Clemens, the writer whose fame has indelibly been cast as his pen name of Mark Twain, his years in Hartford in the late 1800s were bittersweet. He loved his home at Nook Farm off Farmington Avenue, and loved this city. But it was during his time here that he misspent his fortune, investing and speculating in ways that forced him to face up to his financial folly. To make ends meet, he had to give up his ways and take to the lecture circuit to replenish his accounts.

How ironic that his legacy in Hartford should find itself in nearly the identical situation, nearly 100 years later. The Mark Twain House and Museum, too, embarked on an investment — in its own expansion –— at an inopportune time. And like Twain himself, it has spent much energy on bringing back its fortunes. And, like Twain, it is a long journey that shows promise, but is marked with peril still.

Jeffrey Nichols, the executive director of the Twain House, is busy watching the black numbers change at local gas stations. The price of gas has topped $4 a gallon, and that’s got Nichols worried.

After years in which it was begging for local corporate support to remain alive, the Twain House is seeing some positive indicators. But the museum is in the visitor business, not the corporate donation business. And higher gas prices could mean stopping the growth in visitors that the museum has worked hard for.

“This year, we’re doing well,” said Nichols. “Our only hope is that gas prices stay where they are. The last time they reached the $4 dollar a gallon level, it did have an effect on our tourism, especially the bus groups.”

10 | The Prospect

Nichols joined the museum three years ago, as it was facing monumental challenges. It had overextended itself by funding a building expansion. The economy was in the process of collapsing.

And the museum had found that a senior executive had absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars. With energy and determination, Nichols set about to right all of those problems.

The result is that, while many of Hartford’s cultural institutions have suffered recently due to the lackluster economy, the Mark Twain House has bucked the trend and enjoyed modest success despite its near ruin. The Gothic Revival mansion on Farmington Avenue where the famous author lived for 17 years had to beg for help in 2008 after fiscal mismanagement and a dearth of donations, but has increased revenue and attendance steadily, according to the museum, and, some argue, could serve as a model for other cultural institutions in area.

Last year was the centennial of Twain’s death in 1910 and the nonprofit organization used the occasion to launch a campaign to draw visitors to the stately Victorian home. Earned income rose from about $1 million in 2009 to nearly $1.2 million in the fiscal year 2010, which ended in January, according to Twain House executives.

Kimberly Reynolds, director of public relations at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on Main Street, said she gives kudos to the Twain House for its success — acknowledging that the bad economy negatively impacted even the Wadsworth’s bottom line.

“It certainly affected revenue. But, what we did to combat lower attendance was to launch our ‘Masterpiece Series.’ Through these smaller, more focused exhibitions, we’ve been able to sustain attendance, and help stay even with the prior year,” Reynolds said.

The Twain House, meanwhile, celebrated the centennial of the author’s death, as well as the 175th anniversary of his birth and the 125th anniversary of Huckleberry Finn, by holding concerts, drama productions, lectures, exhibitions, and even a séance.

History And Histrionics Twain was controversial in his day, and remains so now. And, as they say, controversy sells.

“The Mark Twain Centennial, the hoopla around the publication of his long-awaited autobiography, and recent controversies over the use of language in Huckleberry Finn, have greatly increased our visibility as one of the prime spokespersons for Twain’s legacy,” said Steve Courtney, publicist and publications editor for the Twain House.

It wasn’t long ago that it was uncertain whether the Mark Twain House would remain open, never mind turn a profit. Membership has increased from 586 to 668 since their money woes three years ago and attendance has jumped 18 percent, from about 60,000 to 70,000, according to Courtney.

Earned income, which includes proceeds from the museum store, ticket sales and facility rentals, currently accounts for 45 percent of the budget. The rest of the Twain House’s $2.7 million operating budget comes from contributions.

“The Mark Twain House has maintained very good relationships with the business community and, under Jeff’s leadership, has probably strengthened them,” said Oz Griebel, chief executive officer of the MetroHartford Alliance.

In January, Murasaki, a Japanese eatery in West Hartford, opened a spinoff café at the museum, featuring All-American fare and traditional Japanese dishes. “They have a lot of international tourists, including from Japan, as well as students from nearby universities,” said Brenda Chant, manager of Murasaki.

The museum receives about 3 to 5 percent of its budget from public sources, mostly in the form of grants, according to Courtney.

There is a small line item in the state budget shared with the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, which is located on the same property.

Too Optimistic In 2008, the Twain House faced closure and was leveraged with millions in debt related to the construction of the state-of-the art museum center on the site. The opening of the $18 million facility in 2003 was met with much fanfare, but left leadership at the Twain House perplexed about how to pay off the cost. This was despite a $3.5 million bailout grant from the state in 2006.

A series of stories three years ago in the national media highlighting the Mark Twain House’s plight led to contributions from many sources, including a $500,000 gift from the Annenberg Foundation.

Leadership at the museum also restructured its loan from Webster Bank and began a media blitz which hasn’t stopped since. The number of staff was also slashed from about 50 to less than 20. The number of staffers on the museum’s website is currently 19.

The museum also utilized social media and a blog to promote the myriad events held there, and to reach out to new funding sources.

“The hiring of a very active, innovative and imaginative communications manager, Jacques Lamarre, and PR staff has increased our visibility greatly in local and regional media,” said Courtney. “An enterprising employee founded our blog, Facebook presence and Twitter activity in late 2008, and it grew like wildfire. We now have 6,000 Facebook followers and 2,300 Twitter followers.”

One of the current events is “American Storytellers: Norman Rockwell & Mark Twain,” which runs through September. It features two original Rockwell paintings borrowed from The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Mo., and limited

The Mark Twain House — The Clemens family on the porch, 1885.

The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Conn., visited by 60,000 people annually.

edition lithographs of Rockwell pencil drawings.

Making The Most Of Hartford The Twain House also partnered last year with organizations such as the Hartford Public Library and the Hartford Stage, which premiered an adaptation of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Samuel Clemens was known for being one of America’s greatest writers, but also for his lack of financial astuteness. He was forced to file for bankruptcy after bad investment deals, and subsequently left America for Europe in 1891 to embark on a lecture tour. He eventually rebuilt his fortune and paid off his creditors. Twain returned to the United States about 10 years later. The Twain family sold the house in 1903 and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

It was in the 19-room mansion on Farmington Avenue where he wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” He lived there from 1874 to 1891, when he departed for Europe.

This year, the museum is resuming restoration of the Mahogany Room, and there are plans to install solar panels on the roof.

By capitalizing on rumors that the turreted home is haunted, the Twain House has held “ghost tours” and was visited by the SyFy channel’s reality show “Ghost Hunters” for a taping in 2009.

Twain once famously stated, “The lack of money is the root of all evil.” It is also, apparently, an amazing motivator of originality.

The Prospect | 11

Broad(cast) Interests Traffic Reporter, Wildlife Rehabilitator Finds New Passion In Iceland

Connecticut’s Geri Griswold enjoying one of her frequent visits to Iceland.

By Kathryn M. Roy

D

on’t tell Gerri Griswold that the purpose of life is to find one’s true passion and follow a straight and narrow path to achieve success. Griswold, known to many as a morning traffic reporter on WTIC AM 1080 and WZMX FM radio, wears several other hats in both her professional and personal lives.

Griswold says she could never do just one thing in life, and at 53, doesn’t expect to slow down anytime soon.

Hers is a routine that would exhaust anyone at any age, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each weekday, Griswold wakes by 4 a.m. She first cares for her farm animals: six goats, two peacocks, seven cats, two chickens, an African grey parrot, several bats and, currently, two porcupines. A certified wildlife rehabilitator, Griswold takes in injured animals and nurses them back to health. She also holds a license to possess bats for education and exhibition, and is known simply as “The Bat Lady” in many circles.

12 | The Prospect

By 5:30 a.m., Griswold is showered and dressed and getting ready for her first “hit” in her home office at her historic farm property. She is on the air each weekday, giving her first traffic report at 5:38 a.m.

At 8:30, she’s off the air. She runs downstairs, gets in her car and speeds to White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, where she puts on her hat as Director of Administration and Development. Griswold says it’s a job where she can put her love of nature and her creativity to work.

“I could be selling plastic spiders in the gift shop or developing programs for them,” she said. “I just enjoy making it really interesting for people by coming up with these crazy programs that no one else can think of.”

Nature Girl A self-described “obsession” with nature makes Griswold a natural for the job.

“I came into that job a little bit differently than

Contributed Photo

most people that work in a non-profit environmental education center, as my work with bats spans 20 years now,” she says. “I think sometimes we want to be treated like kids and that’s what I’m here for. I feel that my job in life is to make you happy.”

Griswold attributes her humble upbringing on the very farm she currently lives on to shaping her into the person she is today.

“Growing up poor is a good thing,” she said. “I wouldn’t change any of that.”

The farmhouse was purchased by Griswold’s great grandfather in the late 1800s. She left Winsted briefly to go to college in New York City but has made her home in the northwest corner town of Winsted, with her electrical engineer husband, Edward Greb-Lasky, for most of her life.

After tiring of her hectic career as a caterer and chef, Griswold got her first break in broadcasting with Metro Networks in 2002. After she saw what traffic reporting was all about, Griswold was hooked.

“I felt like I could really put my fingerprint on it,” she said. “I thought I could bring something different to it … a different way of reporting the traffic with the different phrases I use.”

Griswold likes the spontaneity of traffic reporting. And she never aspires to do anything else in broadcasting.

“If you ever told me this is where my heart would be, I would say you’re crazy,” she said. “I never get bored of traffic; I find it fascinating. Having people come up to me and saying how much of a difference I make in their life is so rewarding.”

Griswold makes a difference in the lives of scores of injured animals as well. This past winter alone, she has taken in three disabled porcupines. She has lost one, who was in such poor shape when she got the animal that the rodent lived only a week.

A second porcupine, which sustained a head injury in

Griswold said she’s lucky to have had the opportunity to work with three “quill pigs” in recent months.

“It’s not often I get to work with them,” she said.

“They’re usually in bits and pieces [from collisions with vehicles] when you get them. Any moment you can have with them, you just drink in whatever they can give you.”

Miles Distant Griswold’s love of nature has recently gained momentum across the globe in Iceland. Always a traveler, Griswold and her husband first visited the country in 2002 after discovering a great weekend package they couldn’t pass up.

“Eddie and I loved it so much we went up later that same year,” she said. “Our trips then got longer and yearly.”

These days, Griswold travels to Iceland about three times each year, and recently returned from her 14th trip.

Last year, she started organizing group trips for groups of about 15 people, and she is serving as “tour guide.”

Griswold said she is smitten with the country, which has a commitment to being “green,” has beautiful unspoiled natural areas and low crime.

“On this last trip I decided I never want to go anywhere else,” she said. “I was planning on going to Switzerland to see thoroughbred racing, but this country has completely and utterly kidnapped me, and I’m a very willing victim.”

Griswold said she isn’t organizing the tours to make money — she simply wants to educate people on the beauty that is Iceland to those who are like-minded and love nature. But with her signature sense of humor, she requests that no cry babies, sissies, cranks or pantywaists come along and spoil the trip for others.

For Gerri Griswold, there’s no time to waste.

“I’m a jack of all trades, master of none,” she said.

Griswold likes the spontaneity of traffic reporting. And she never aspires to do anything else in broadcasting. a car accident and is blind as a result, is doing quite well.

“He is a champion; he’s just a big gorgeous, fabulous animal,” Griswold said. “He’s definitely blind but he can climb his way up to his apartment; he’s smarter than the average rodent.”

“There’s so much pressure on us in life to do one thing or have that big career, but there are no rules in life.

Whatever it is you dream, whatever fulfills you, just go out and do it. That’s all I’ve ever done, and I sleep really well at night.”

The Prospect | 13

Inside The Club

46 Prospect Street Hartford, Conn. 06103 (860) 522-1271 www.hartfordclub.com

May /J u n e 2 011

BOARDOFGOVERNORS Larry Brown, President

S av e Th e D at e

Karen Reich S e c on d V i c e - P r e si d e n t

M ark A. Caplan F irst Vice -Pre side n t

S c o tt Tr e nho lm Tr e a su r e r

DIRECTORS Matt Danyliw Jerr y Franklin James Heffernan Adam Kornafel

Margaret Lawson Jerr y Long Dwight Merriam Tom Mongellow

CLUB STAFF

General Manager James Fisher jfisher@hartfordclub.com Controller John Williams jwilliams@hartfordclub.com Executive Chef Christopher Kube chef@hartfordclub.com

To m F l y n n Club Counsel

L o b s t e r & L i g hts July 15

Jason Giulietti S e c r e ta r y

A n E v e n i n g i n Athens D in n e r – J u l y 2 2

Michele Perrault Dina Plapler Vincent Valvo

Food and Beverage Service Director James Rybak jrybak@hartfordclub.com Catering Director Christine Pollack cpollack@hartfordclub.com Membership Manager Karen Bowers kbowers@hartfordclub.com

Catering Coordinator Ashley Smith asmith@hartfordclub.com Front Desk Supervisor Chris Healey frontdesk@hartfordclub.com Membership Manager Christine Carpenter ccarpenter@hartfordclub.com

FEEDBACK feedback Comments on Food, Wine and Service jrybak@hartfordclub.com

Suggestions for Member Events mgagnon@hartfordclub.com

STAFF • FOOD&BEVERAGE • FEEDACK

Patr ick S h eeh an Im mediate Past Pres ide n t

C ig a rs U nd e r the Sta r s July 28 Ma rt in i Ma d ne ss on the P a t io – J u l y 2 9 H OURS OF OP ERAT I ON Me m b e r D inin g R oom B re a k f a s t Mo n d a y – F r i d ay 7 a . m . – 9 : 3 0 a .m .

Lunc h Mo n d a y – F r i d ay 1 1 : 3 0 a . m . – 2 p.m .

D inne r Tu e s d a y – Sa t u rday 5 : 3 0 p . m . – 9 p .m .

Me mbe r L ounge O p e n D a ily Be g i n n i n g a t 7 a.m .

S a t urd a y 5 p . m . – Mi d n i g h t

25 Year s o f Hot, St ea m y, D ri v i n g N e w O rl e a n s Ja z z continued from page 4 put in endless hours to make the festival successful from one year to the next, and in the process, have formed lasting friendships. The first Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Fest took place at the Essex Steam Train location with two venues at the steam train location and one on the Dickinson Witch Hazel site. There was also a band on one of the trains, which ran to Essex Meadows, where there was another tent for bands.

The festival continued to add tents to house the expanding roster of bands, many of whom were from all over the world. It had Paris Washboard from France, the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra from Britain, the Climax Jazz Band from Canada, and the Barrelhouse Jazz Band from Germany. Bands from all over the 14 | The Prospect

country came, like the Chicago Six, the New Reformation Jazz Band, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans, just to name a few.

As the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Fest grew, it needed a larger space, so it moved to Moodus, to the Sunrise Resort. The Hot Steamed Jazz Festival was developed to stay in Essex at the Valley Railroad Steam train grounds to keep the tradition of a local festival, providing Connecticut now with two festivals.

The 25th reunion of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Fest will be July 30 at the Sheraton Four Points in Meriden, from 3 p.m. to midnight. The tickets are $30 beforehand and $35 on the day of the event. Information is available at www.greatctjazz.org.

CLUBS WITHINTHECLUB Intra-Clubs BOOK CLUB The book club meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. You will find a gathering of enthusiastic readers discussing history, politics, people of fame, works of fiction, representing the varied interests of each member of the book club. The club has been fortunate to have had local authors attend. There are no rules, by-laws, officers or costs. Food and drink are not provided but members usually remain to socialize and dine together in the main dining room or lounge. If interested, please contact Joseph Hewes at jhewes104@comcast.net

LADIES POKER CLUB The Ladies Poker Club meets on the third Tuesday of every month. We meet at the bar at 5:30 p.m., then go upstairs to a private room to start playing at 6 p.m. “Cheat sheets” are provided, as well as lessons.

We break at 7 p.m. to enjoy a light dinner. We end the game between 8 and 9 p.m. All drinks and meals are on member tickets. If interested, please contact Jackie Reardon at jacquelinreardon@sbcglobal.net.

WINE CLUB The Wine Club meets the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Monthly topics are determined by wine club members.

There is a nominal fee of approximately $20 per person and depends upon the selections chosen for each meeting. In order to have sufficient literature, wine and snacks for the meeting, please RSVP to Thom Page or Karen Reich at klreich@comcast.net to confirm your participation in our quest for knowledge, laughs and a glass or two. CHEERS!

BALLROOM DANCE CLUB All members, their friends and guests are welcome to join the Ballroom Dance Club Group. The Ballroom Dance Club welcomes singles and couples, beginners, intermediates and advanced dancers who want to learn new steps and dances and just have a fun evening of camaraderie, and dancing with professional group instruction. Some club members choose to stay after for a light bite or drinks in the lounge. Dance music is available after the lesson for those who wish to stay and practice. Rumba, Foxtrot, Salsa, Waltz, Cha Cha, Swing and more. Contact Joanne Sousa at 860-528-1110, ext. 122, or JoanneS@jwatts. com, or Herb Glick at 860-523-7013, or HerbGlick@yahoo. com for more information or if you are interested in joining.

TEXAS HOLD ’EM CLUB The Texas Hold ’Em Club meets the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. This club offers a fun-filled night of the most popular poker game around the world. Guests are welcome! Food and drink are not provided but members are more than welcome to purchase any fare on their personal member ticket. If you want to join the gang or have any questions, please RSVP via email to Jason Kasprzak at jkasprzak@gmail.com.

Please include your name, email and phone number in your RSVP.

THE SWEETBREADS SOCIETY The Sweetbreads Society is dedicated to tasting, enjoying and extolling the virtues of sweetbreads and other, sometimes under-appreciated, delicate foods. This loosely organized group meets periodically as the need arises, usually once a quarter. Seating is limited and early reservations are encouraged. Membership is open to all gregarious Hartford Club Members having adventuresome palates, and who enjoy lively and entertaining dinner companionship. If you are interested please contact Steve Tessler at s.tessler@comcast.net.

GOLF CLUB Calling all golfers! Do not despair! The snow has melted, spring is upon us and once again the members of The Hartford Club Golf League will take to the links in their annual Quest for The Cup! The membership, open to men and women alike, will meet and play a nine-hole round once each week from late April to the end of August. The weekly competitions are friendly and are typically followed by dinner and revelry at the 19th hole, which occasionally occurs back at the Hartford Club.

Handicaps, designed to ensure that players of all skill and experience levels can fairly compete with one another are set up and maintained by the committee. Tony Czarzasty is our two-time reigning champion.

At the end of the season, the member who has accumulated the most points will win a memento for their keeping and, more importantly, will have their name emblazoned on “The Cup,” a permanently installed trophy prominently displayed at the Club.

Please contact Richard Meehan (rmeehan@meehangoodin.com) subject: Golf League if you are interested.

INTRA-CLUB UPDATE: Want to join one of our many intra-clubs? Have an idea for a new one? Contact Michele Perrault at mmperr2@gmail.com.

CIGAR CLUB The Mark Twain Cigar Gathering meets the third Tuesday of the month for dinner and an evening of contemplation and relaxation.

Some months may feature a special guest, and others will be an evening of camaraderie in the cigar lounge. Space is limited so please contact Tom Mongellow at mongellowt@ctbank. com, and remember to bring your favorite stogies.

The Prospect | 15

NEWMEMBERS

Please Welcome Our Class of of Winter 2011 Timcia Hall TD Bank Sponsors: Stephen Roche and Jason Giulietti

Corey Brinson Law Office of Corey J. Brinson, LLC Sponsors: Earl O’Garro and Marc Miller

James Parker Wella Fargo Sponsor: Jason Giulietti and Michael Fitzpatrick

Morris Mete Barnum Financial Group – Metlife Sponsors: Michael Fitzpatrick and Ken Cook

Rose Alma Senatore Catholic Charities, Inc. Archdiocese of Hartford Sponsor: Dr. Pamela Reid and Galo Rodriguez

Matthew Gaughran Barnum Financial Group – Metlife Sponsors: Steve Toross and Neil Caron

David Seder Travelers Sponsor: James Heffernan and Todd Sullivan Donna Howe The Hartford Sponsors: Karen Reich and Olga Timofeyeva-Vogt Thomas Lescalleet Griffin Land Sponsors: Oz Griebel and Dwight Merriam Brian Newman Kostin, Ruffkess and Co., LLC Sponsors: Andrew Mandell and Lawrence Greenfield Jason Newman Kostin, Ruffkess and Co., LLC Sponsors: Andrew Mandell and Lawrence Greenfield Patrick Clarke Kitchen Cabinet Outlet Sponsors: Michael Fitzpatrick and Nick Cianci Harold Blinderman Day Pitney, LLP Sponsors: Ken Boucher and Roger Lavallee Lamonte Odums Trivisional Omnimedia Group, LLC Sponsors: Bob Thiesfield and Ken Cook Sheila Hogan Hospital for Special Care Sponsor: Denise Nappier and Brendan Kennedy Brian Dickstein Spectrum Healthcare, LLC Sponsor: Jason Giulietti and Karen Reich Sean Murphy Spectrum Healthcare, LLC Sponsor: Jason Giulietti and Larry Brown

James Eckerle The Hartford Sponsors: Evan Fowler-Guzzardo and Karen Reich David Crandall Hospital for Special Care Returning Member Noel Anderson Principal Financial Group Sponsors: James Heffernan and Jason Giulietti John O’Brien Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce CT Trust Counsel, LLC Sponsors: Ken Cook and Larry Brown Rasheed Ali Travelers Sponsor: Michael Fitzpatrick and James Moss Paul Cicchetti Reflex Lighting Group of CT Sponsor: Nick Cianci and Marc Miller John Lukomski, Jr Travelers Sponsor: Nick Cianci and Meredith Lavallee Joseph Henry XL Insurance Sponsors: William McDonald and John Burrows Joseph Gillette Complete Restoration Solutions Sponsors: Patrick Clarke and Herb Glick Meredith Lavallee Travelers Sponsors: Larry Brown and Dana Hrelic Dr. Louise Feroe Connecticut State University System Sponsors: Larry Brown and Dina Plapler

Karen Tripp The Hartford Sponsors: Kathy Heffernan and Nancy Ainsworth Jesse Vanek Hartford Symphony Orchestra Sponsors: James Heffernan and Matt Jasinski Jacqelyne Trieber Auto Donation Depot, Inc. Sponsor: Bob Margolis and Michele Perrault Shaun Sheridan Whittlesey and Hadley P.C. | Greater Hartford Jaycees Sponsor: John Jezowski and James Moss Taj Johnson Aetna Sponsor: Dr. Kenneth Alleyne and Evan Fowler-Guzzardo Adam Man The Forman School Sponsors: Dr. Pamela Reid and Jason Giulietti Glenn Anderson Advantage Staffing Sponsors: Michael Fitzpatrick and Vince Valvo John Reynolds Event Planning Services Sponsors: Kimberly Reynolds and Marty Flanders Frank Coulom Robinson and Cole Sponsors: Theodore Tucci and Dwight Merriam Chris Van De Hoff Tcors Capitol Group, LLP Sponsors: Tom Mongellow and David O’Hearn Roger Tabshey General Paving and Construction Corp.

Sponsors: Diane Prestileo and Richard Meehan John Vesko III The Brickman Group Sponsor: John DeHoyas, James Heffernan and Richard Meehan Bette Rieger A Granddesign, LLC Sponsor: Jackie Trieber and Bob Margolis Robert Gerardi Retired Sponsor: Ruth Sharaf & Herb Glick

Interested in becoming a Hartford Club member? It’s more affordable than you think! Contact the Membership office at 860-522-1271.

16 | The Prospect

Community

Connection Keeping you up-to-date with the happenings in the Hartford community!

THE BUSHNELL

HARTFORD STAGE

www.bushnell.org

www.hartfordstage.org

Hair April 26 – May 1, 2011 THE MOST EXCITING SHOW IN TOWN! HAIR FEELS UTTERLY OF THE MOMENT IN ITS POWER TO MOVE US. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IT.” – Bloomberg News The Public Theater’s new Tony-winning production of HAIR is the most electric celebration on Broadway! This exuberant musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. HAIR features an extraordinary cast and dozens of unforgettable songs, including “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” “Good Morning, Starshine” and “Easy To Be Hard.” Its relevance is UNDENIABLE. Its energy is UNBRIDLED. Its truth is UNWAVERING. It’s HAIR, and IT’S TIME.

West Side Story May 24 – May 29, 2011 More than 50 years ago, one musical changed theater forever. Now it’s back on Broadway, mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. Directed by its two-time Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents, West Side Story remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The new Broadway cast album of West Side Story recently won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway’s finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.”

Gem of the Ocean May 12 – June 5, 2011 From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fences.

Set in 1904, this tale of a spiritually tormented young man is the first installment of Wilson’s decade-by-decade, 10-play chronicle of the 20th century, The Pittsburgh Cycle. Citizen Barlow comes to the home of a former slave and “soul cleanser,” Aunt Ester, who sets him off on a spiritual journey to find a city in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On his way to the mythic city, he makes startling discoveries about guilt, duty and redemption.

Fraulein Maria June 15 – June 26, 2011 Conceived and choreographed by Doug Elkins Directed by Barbara Karger and Michael Preston Fräulein Maria celebrates Rodgers & Hammerstein’s timeless songs from The Sound of Music as re-imagined by acclaimed choreographer Doug Elkins. Set to the 1965 movie soundtrack, Elkins’ affectionate humor shines through his idiomatic tips of the hat to such dance legends as Martha Graham, Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham. He merges modern and popular dance forms including hip hop and “vogueing,” reinventing this beloved classic into an edgy and fun cabaret romp. Recommended for everyone, including children 5 and older.

“SO EXCITING IT MAKES YOU ACHE WITH PLEASURE.” – John Lahr, The New Yorker

The Prospect | 17

Club Member

EVEN T S Kentucky Derby Party Saturday, May 7

4 p.m.

Drinks on Member Ticket Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets! Join us as we celebrate the fastest race in sports.

Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and the race on our big screen. After the race, stay for dinner — chef will have a few Derby-inspired specials in the dining room! And for the ladies, take this opportunity to showcase your favorite “Derby” hat… you may even win a prize!

Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 8

Seatings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. $38 adults / $18 kids under age 5 no charge Join us as we honor all moms. Enjoy our elaborate buffet complete with madeto-order omelets, carving stations, decadent desserts and so much more.

Be sure to make your reservations early!

Family Night Mexican Fiesta

Cooking with Chef Kube: A Global Adventure This Month: American Grill Masters Thursday, May 26

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. $32 per person This month we are in our own backyard! Get ready for the holiday weekend and join Chef as he shares the tricks of the grill! Nothing says summer better than cooking on the grill.

Priam Wine Dinner Friday, June 3

Beginning at 6:30pm $59 per person Priam Vineyards was founded in 1998 in the historic town of Colchester, Conn.,

by Gloria Priam and Gary Crump. Priam Vineyards has won numerous International wine competition medals in the past few years as a winery. Their 14 international award-winning wines are produced in the style of Northern France and Germany.

Join us as we explore this local treasure.

Friday, May 13

6 p.m. $24 adults / $10 kids Bring the family for an evening “South of the Border” as we transform the dining room into the ultimate Mexican Fiesta!

Enjoy traditional tacos, nachos, fajitas and more! What a great night for the family!

Patio Grand Opening Friday, May 20

6 p.m. $29 per person Join us for the grand opening of our patio!

Enjoy the warm summer breeze on our very private patio. Our culinary team will prepare a buffet dinner of summer favorites and you can even take a spin on the dance floor.

Come and help us kick-start the summer!

It’s Back!

Lobster & Lights

Friday, June 17

Reservations Begin at 6 p.m. $55 adults / $25 kids Under age 5 no charge Our most popular event of the year is back for the summer months. Our Lobster & Lights buffet is a lobster fest like no other. Enjoy our famous raw bar, assorted salads, clam chowder, grilled specialties and of course whole steamed lobsters!

So, make sure you come ready to eat.

Please note that this is always a sold-out event, so be sure to make your reservations now!

Tiki Night on the Patio Friday, June 24

A Summer of Lobster & Lights June 17th July 15th August 19th Make your Reservations Now!

18 | The Prospect

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. $18 (drinks on member ticket) Put on your best (or worst) Hawaiian shirt and join us on the patio! Enjoy many island favorites and of course plenty of drink specials!

Please note that for certain member events (not including holiday brunches) seating will be available at tables of 6 to 8 people. When making your reservations, please indicate whom you would prefer to be seated with and we will do our best to accommodate your request. For smaller parties, please be aware that you will be seated with other members. This is in an effort to promote camaraderie among our membership.

Red, White and Blue Night on the Patio Thursday, June 30

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. $18 (drinks on member ticket) Kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend early! Our culinary team will be preparing some summer classics from the grill and so much more. Show your American spirit!

Talcott Mountain Music Festival Returns and We Have Your Tickets!

Watch for Updates on the Club Website!

MONTHLYHAPPENINGS Closing Reminder Please note that the clubhouse will be closed on Monday, May 30 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.

Annual Club Shutdown Please note that the clubhouse will be closed on Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 10 for our annual club shutdown. Be sure to check the website for a list of area clubs that will be offering reciprocity during that time. www.hartforclub.com Be sure to visit our website for the latest news and information from the Club — it’s our way of keeping you connected 24/7. See what is happening at the Club — view menus and wine selections for the events, make dining room reservations, see what is happening in the community and so much more!

Having trouble accessing the Member Only section? Email your questions or concerns to mgagnon@hartfordclub.com.

Daily Member Table Dining alone? Join our daily Member Table in the Member Lounge. The Member Table lets you catch up with old friends or meet other members in a casual atmosphere. Reservations are not needed — just stop by!

New! Member Value Program We are also introducing a new business networking program. We are looking for members who are business owners, presidents or decision makers who would like to provide fellow members with a “little perk” or discount just for being fellow members. For more details please contact Ken Boucher at ken@parksleepfly.com or at 860-214-7761.

Visit the Club’s website to see who is already participating in this program!

Club Happy Hour In the Member Lounge Every Tuesday – Friday 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

2-for-1 Drink Specials and Complimentary Hors D’oeuvre Platter Make the Club your Happy Hour Destination!

Talk of the Town Thursday, May 12 Thursday, June 9 5:30 p.m.

Complimentary Featured Speakers: May 12

Pedro Segarra, Mayor of Hartford June 9

To be Advised

THC’s Monthly Guest Speaker and Social Networking Event!

Welcome to the “Talk of the Town.” On the second Thursday of every month, we will feature a prominent speaker from our community that will share their advice, life-experiences and so much more!

Each presentation will be followed by complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Bring a friend!

Are you a new member of the Club?

Prior to the Member Mixer we will be holding a brief New Member Orientation. Meet the clubhouse staff, learn all of the benefits of your membership and get a chance to meet other members of the club. Watch your email for an invitation.

Monthly Member Mixer Wednesday, May 25 and Wednesday, June 22 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

COMPLIMENTARY

Young Executive Happy Hour Thursday, May 19 and Thursday, June 16 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

COMPLIMENTARY

Join us for our Monthly Member Mixer, where you can catch up with your fellow member and have the chance to meet our newest members. Be sure to bring a friend — what a great opportunity to showcase your club and what is has to offer!

Are you a young executive and looking to meet other young executives?

Then this is the perfect opportunity for you! Join us for complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink specials. A great way to meet your fellow members!

The Prospect | 19

calendar of events May 1

May 2

sunday

monday

• Member Table – Noon Club Closed

May 3 Tuesday

• Membership Committee Meeting – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon

May 8

May 9

May 10

sunday

monday

Tuesday

• Member Table – Noon Club Open for Mother’s Day Brunch

• Member Table – Noon • Wine Club – 6:30 p.m.

Open for Breakfast Open for Lunch

Club Happy Hour - 5:30 p.m.

Open for Dinner

May 4 WEdnesday

• Member Table – Noon • Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

May 5 Thursday

• Member Table – Noon

May 6 Friday

• Member Table – Noon

May 7 saturday

• Kentucky Derby Party – 4:00 p.m.

May 11

May 12

May 13

May 14

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Communication Committee Meeting – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Texas Hold ’Em – 6:30 p.m.

• Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

• House Committee Meeting – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • “Talk of the Town” – 5:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Family Night – Mexican Fiesta – 6 p.m.

May 15

May 16

May 17

May 18

May 19

May 20

May 21

sunday

monday

Tuesday

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Member Table – Noon Club Closed

May 22

May 23

sunday

monday

Club Closed

• Member Table – Noon • Ambassador Committee – Noon

May 29

May 30

sunday

monday

Club Closed

• Member Table – Noon • Cigar Club – 6 p.m.

• Ladies Poker club – 6 p.m.

May 24 Tuesday

• Member Table – Noon • Book Club – 6 p.m.

May 26 Thursday

• Member Table – Noon • American Grill Masters Cooking Class – 6:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Patio Grand Opening Party – 6 p.m.

May 27

May 28

Friday

saturday

• Member Table – Noon

June 1

Tuesday

JunE 2

JunE 3

JunE 4

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Member Table – Noon • Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

JunE 5

JunE 6

JunE 7

sunday

monday

Tuesday

Club Closed

May 25 WEdnesday

• Member Table – Noon • BOG Meeting – Noon • Monthly Member Mixer – 5:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Young Executive Happy Hour – 5:30 p.m.

May 31

Club Closed

• Member Table – Noon

• Program Committee – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon

• Member Table – Noon • Priam Vineyards Wine Dinner – 6:30 p.m.

JunE 8

JunE 9

JunE 10

JunE 11

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Membership Committee – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon

• Communication Committee Meeting – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Texas Hold ’Em – 6:30 p.m.

• Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

• House Committee Meeting – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • “Talk of the Town” – 5:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon

JunE 12

JunE 13

JunE 14

JunE 15

JunE 16

JunE 17

JunE 18

sunday

monday

Tuesday

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Member Table – Noon

• Member Table – Noon • Wine Club – 6 p.m.

Club Closed

• Program Committee – 8 a.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Dance Club – 6:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Young Executive Happy Hour – 5:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Lobster & Lights – 5:30 p.m.

JunE 19

JunE 20

JunE 21

JunE 22

sunday

monday

Tuesday

JunE 23

JunE 24

JunE 25

WEdnesday

Thursday

Friday

saturday

• Member Table – Noon Club Closed

• Member Table – Noon • Cigar Club – 6 p.m.

• Ladies Poker Club – 6 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • BOG Meeting – Noon • Monthly Member Mixer – 5:30 p.m.

JunE 26

JunE 27

JunE 28

JunE 29

sunday

MONday

Tuesday

WEdnesday

Club Closed

20 | The Prospect

• Member Table – Noon • Ambassador Committee – Noon

• Member Table – Noon • Book Club – 6 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon

• Member Table – Noon

JunE 30 Thursday

• Member Table – Noon • Red, White & Blue Night on the Patio – 5:30 p.m.

• Member Table – Noon • Tiki Night on the Patio– 5:30 p.m.

The most updated calendar of events is available at HartfordClub.com To make reservations to any of these events, please contact the club receptionist at 860-522-1271 or frontdesk@hartfordclub.com.

TopReasons Tento Join

The

The Hartford Club

Powerful Opportunities.

Unmatched Camaraderie.

Now.

10.

Experience the exclusive culinary vision of Chef Kube and his staff.

9.

Select from more than 100 special events throughout the year.

8.

Take in the historical ambiance while enjoying breakfast, lunch and dinner.

7.

Access over 150 reciprocal private clubs throughout the U.S. and abroad.

6.

Network and build relationships with an influential membership.

5.

Host a meeting or event in one of our eight private rooms – complimentary room rental as a member!

4.

Experience exceptional service for an exceptional value from our catering department.

3.

Make connections within the Club’s dynamic IntraClubs.

2.

Join now and pay no initiation fee!

1.

New membership and rate structure makes membership valuable and affordable.

For details about membership, contact Karen Bowers or Christine Carpenter, Membership Managers, 860-522-1271 or kbowers@hartfordclub.com or ccarpenter@hartfordclub.com.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Club.

All that is missing is you.

46 Prospect Street | Hartford, Conn. 06103 | (860) 522-1271 | www.hartfordclub.com

FROM THE HARTFORD CLUB

Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Michael Casparino Mr. & Mrs. Dritan Curri Mr. & Mrs. John Deans Mr. & Mrs. James Eckerle Mr. & Mrs. Enrico Ferrante Mr. & Mrs. Louis Golden Mr. & Mrs. Lee Hoffman Mr. & Mrs. Dale Hovey Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Jasinski Mr. & Mrs. Philip Kelly

Mr. & Mrs. John Lawrence Jr. Mr. & Mrs. James Nathan Mr. & Mrs. Jason Newman Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Pizano Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Shortall Mr. & Mrs. Scott Smith Ms. Debora Sokolski & Mr. Bruce Jones Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Studenroth Mr. & Mrs. Jesse Vanek

June

May

The following members are celebrating their wedding anniversary or birthday in May and June:

Happy Birthday Allen Ackerman Geraldine Aksomitas Mitchell Armen Boyd Arnold Christopher Aroh Donna Baily Morris Banks Linda Becker Andy Bessette Howard Blythe Beverly Boccaccio William Briggs Alice Brown Frances Bunovsky Robert Camilleri Joseph Cappa Cynthia Clifford Christopher Coe Jordan Coe Juan J. Collas Lloyd Daniels Sarah Davis Angelo DeFazio Christine DeLisa Kenneth DeLisa Nancy Driscoll Jennifer Dunn Raymond Eng Mary Facey

David Fay Evan Fowler-Guzzardo Susan Fundock Diana Galik Rebecca Georgetti Richard Grondin Joshua Hall Pamerla Hayes Karen Healey Marjorie Herzog Carolyn Hoffman Dale Hovey Alan Howarth Elliot Joseph Peter Karl Gayle Lewis Lynn MacDonald Lauren Manafort Andrew Mandell Paul Marchese Bob Margolis Henry Martin John Martin Kathleen Martin Earl McMahon Linda Preble McVay Jennifer Mira Howard Model Gregory Norman

Edward O’Donnell Jr. Donald Pendagast Christine Roosevelt Patricia Sabia Grazyna Sadanowicz Diane Sardilli Joseph Scali Bernard Schilberg Samuel Schrager Eugene Sheehan III Jane Sheehan Sandra Sheehan Charles Shivery Jorge Simon Lisa Pavelo Soeder Sarah Stevens Jacob Studenroth Martha Theroux Diana Timlin Eric Turner Pedro Vega Susan Wasch William Wasch Gene Wasynczuk Joan Wetherall John Wheat Diane Whitney Lisa Zborowski Jeffrey Zuzolo

ARE WE MISSING YOUR BIRTHDAY OR ANNIVERSARY? Be sure to contact the membership office to update your member profile.

22 | The Prospect

Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Aroh Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Bennett Mr. & Mrs. Harold Blinderman Dr. & Mrs. Karlos Boghosian Mr. & Mrs. Larry Brown Mr. & Mrs. Robert Camilleri Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Cappa Dr. & Dr. William Ceruzzi Mr. & Mrs. Michael Clarke Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Coe Mr. & Mrs. John Facey Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Gilland Mr. & Mrs. William Glotzer Mr. & Mrs. Tim Golubeff Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Greenfield Mr. & Mrs. James Heffernan

Mr. & Mrs. Efren Jaffe Judge & Mrs. John Langenbach Mr. & Mrs. Harmon Leete Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Leitz Dr. Ellen Marmer & Dr. Harold Shapiro Mr. & Mrs. James McManus Mr. & Mrs. John Miller Mr. & Mrs. Brian Newman Mr. & Mrs. David O’Hearn Ms. Dina Plapler & Mr. Earl McMahon Mr. & Mrs. John Slosek Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Spatz Mr. & Mrs. Michael Thomson Mr. & Mrs. Scott Trenholm

Happy Birthday Rasheed Ali Priscilla Bard Brien Beakey Mark Bertolini Karen Cappa Kelly Cieplinski Sharon Crandall Christopher Dadlez David Dangremond Brian Dickstein John Driscoll Jr. Ronaldo Dunlop David Erff Frank Fagan Anna Fallon Tammy Fauth Margaret Felice Anjanette FerrisSenatus Michael Fitzpatrick Tracy Fox Christine Gauthier Terry Gellin Eliot Gersten Jason Giulietti R. Nelson Griebel James Heffernan

Carol Herron Paul Hoey James Hoffman Peter Kelly Philip Kelly Rudolph Ksiazkiewicz John Lacey John Langenbach Chad Langevin Benjamin Levy Jerry Long Robert Lyons Norma Maderazo Ellen Marmer Denise Nappier Audrey Nathan Holly Neumann Jason Newman James Nicholas Corine Norgaard David O’Hearn Thompson Page Lena Parker Jesse Pellegatto Linda Pendergast Carol Proom Jeffrey Rabuffo Pamela Reid Garrett Reynolds John Reynolds

Thomas Reynolds Emily Rogers Daniel Sabia Maria Savastio Boehm John Shea Alfons Skudlarek Lori Skudlarek John Slosek David Smith Alfred “Pat” Soucy Andrew Spanyi Cheryl Stabnick Julia Tashjian Robert Thiesfield Judi Threfall Jesse Vanek Edward Varano Patricia Verde K. Grahame Walker Andres ShawWasnke Virginia Way Karen Wheat Nancy Wheeler Douglas Whinnem Gary Whitney Karen Zabrensky

Come and join us!

Membership is just a phone call away at (860) 522-1271, or email kbowers@hartfordclub.com or ccarpenter@hartfordclub.com.

23 | The Prospect

The Prospect | 23

The Road Ahead

M

ost journeys in life require planning, especially wealth management and retirement.

And while the route may be clear, are you sure you’re on the right one? Are there signs to help you along the way? If you’re unsure, talk with us. Here are a few things to consider as we start a new year: • Recognize the difference between chasing past performance and future opportunities • Develop your list of priorities for the short and long term • Think in terms of life stage and not actual age • Consider our conservative, disciplined approach to investing that has served clients for 87 years [and counting!]

So, give us a call and learn how we’ve been leading investors since 1924. Let us help you navigate your financial journey ahead.

100 Pearl Street Hartford, CT 06103 860-727-9530

1500 Main Street Springfield, MA 01115 413-733-5111

www.stgermaininvestments.com