DURHAM
MIDDLEFIELD
ROCKFALL
Business in our towns ....
Old and new, large and small, inside and outside, all are part of the fabric of life in Durham and Middlefield.
Community Guide A look at the history of metal boxes in Durham and mills in Middlefield inside.
A MARKETING SPECIAL SECTION
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009
Index of Advertisers To advertise in the Town Times, call Joy Boone at (860) 349-8026.
ABC Academy ............................30 Advance Care .............................12 Brenda’s Main Street Feed........29 Carolyn Adams Country Barn ..17 Coginchaug Family Practice.....37 Dean Autoworks...........................3 Desjarlais, Marsha, realtor ........38 Durham Dental ...........................14 Durham Fitness..........................18 Durham Healthmart Pharmacy....20 Durham Market...........................13 Ferri Godmother .......................22 Glazer Dental Associates ..........28 Huscher, Debbie, realtor ...........36 J. Randolph Kitchens ................23 Lino’s Market..............................16 Lyman Orchards ........................39 Madison Wool.............................38 Micheli Unisex Styling Salon ....32 Middlesex Community College.39 Middlesex Dance Center ...........12 Midstate Medical .......................11 Midstate Tractor .........................31 Miss Joanne’s Learning Center....28 Neil Jones Home Improvement....35 Paint Spot ...................................21 Painter’s Edge ..............................7 Perk On Main..............................18 Perrotti’s Country Barn .............19 Pet Stop ......................................34 Pools By Murphy .......................25 RLI Electric .................................27 RSK Pool Service.......................32 Sharon McCormick Design ........5 Skincare Studio..........................16 Sticks and Stones......................14 Time Out Tavern.........................15 Torrison Stone & Garden ..........40 Uncle Bob’s Flower & Garden ..33 Whitney Ridge Stables ................9
Local news Local events Local issues Every week in the
March 2009 To our Readers, Every community is made up of man strands, and one of those strands is its business life. All of us can see some aspects of that life – we shop in local stores (hopefully now more than ever), we hire local tradespeople, and we drive by several bustling “industrial parks” on a regular basis. It is interesting, however, to note that business has a strong historical presence in these towns as well, with mills along the Ellen Doyle Brook and Coginchaug River figuring heavily in Middlefield’s story and metal boxes a singular part of Durham’s past and present. In this Community Guide, we share a bit of those stories. In this especially challenging year for the American economy, it is also reassuring to note that businesses in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall seem to be holding their own. As one of those businesses, we are happy to play a part in helping our fellow entrepreneurs survive and flourish, and we commend them to you for your support as well. The Town Times Staff
Table of Contents Durham history.......................12-14 Durham town information .......4 & 6 Libraries .................................16-17 Middlefield history ..................18-22 Middlefield town information ...6 & 8 Political committees ...............16-17 Regional School District 13.........10 State and National Reps .............22 Organizations ..........24, 26 & 28-29 Worship ..................................36-37 Youth Organizations...............30-31
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March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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March 2009
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General town information: Durham, Conn. The town of Durham was founded in 1699 and incorporated in 1708, and is a rural community centrally located and bordered by Middlefield, Middletown, Wallingford and Haddam. The form of government includes a Board of Selectmen consisting of a First Selectman, who is the chief administrative and executive official, and two other members. The Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting are the legislative bodies of the town and may enact ordinances consistent with the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut and specific provisions of the Town Charter. Together with Middlefield, the towns form Regional School District 13, offering both Contemporary and Integrated Day education programs for students in both communities. Town Hall administrative building: 30 Townhouse Road on the Green, Durham, CT 06422 Town Hall hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays County: Middlesex Area: 23.3 square miles Population (2007 census): 6,955 Zip code: 06422 Website: www.townofdurhamct.org Mill rate: 26.25 TOWN DEPARTMENT HEADS First Selectman: Laura Francis (860) 349-3625 Selectman John Szewczyk, jszewczyk@townofdurhamct.org Selectman James McLaughlin, Jmclaughlin@townofdurhamct.org Assessor: John S. Philip, CCMA II (860) 349-3452 Assistant Assessor: Beverly A. LeVasseur (860) 349-3452 Finance Director: Maryjane Malavasi (860) 349-9366 Human Services, Agent for the Elderly: Janet Muraca (860) 349-3153 Tax Collector: Martin French (860) 349-1165 Assistant Tax Collector: Jacklyn Downes Town Clerk: Kimberly Garvis (860) 349-3453, kgarvis@townofdurhamct.org Assistant Town Clerk: Alicia Fonash-Willett, afonash-willett@townofdurhamct.org Town Treasurer: Wendy Manemeit (860) 349-9366 Bookkeeper: Karen Antin Recreation and Senior Activities Director: Sherry Hill (860) 349-8451 Board of Finance chairman: Francis Earle Korn Cemetery Company president: Huge Curley Economic Development Commission chairman: Peter Cascini Library Director: Valerie R. Kilmartin, (860) 349-3857 Probate Judge: Joseph Marino (860) 342-2650 Public Works Director: Kurt Bober (860) 349-1816 Recreation Committee chairman: Kate McLaughlin Registrar of Voters, Democrat: Karen Cheyney Registrar of Voters, Republican: Robert Schulte Town Attorney: Myron Poliner (860) 346-8691 Durham Library: Regular library hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Website: www.durhamlibrary.org. Phone: (860) 349-9544. LAND USE Building Official: Richard McManus (860) 349-8253 Conservation Commission chairman: Casey Cordes Inland Wetlands Agendy chairman: George Zeeb Inland Wetlands Officer: Geoff Colegrove (860) 347-7214 Planning & Zoning Commission chairman: George Eames III Sanitarian: Bill Milardo (860) 349-8253 Town Engineer: Call building department at (860) 349-8253 Town Planner: Geoff Colegrove (860) 347-7214 Water Commission chairman: Raymond Bahr Zoning Enforcement Officer: Geoff Colegrove PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH Resident Trooper: Peter A. DiGioia (800) 256-5761, for emergencies call 911 Emergency Management Director: Francis Willett Fire Chief: Harry Hall, non-emergency calls (860) 349-9112 Fire Marshal: Robert Morpurgo, non-emergency (860) 349-8253, emergency (800) 618-6711 Animal Control Officer: Bruce Rau (860) 349-3980 Director of Health: Brad Wilkinson, M.D. (860) 349-8253 DMIAAB (Durham-Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board): (860) 349-8702 Transfer station located on Cherry Hill Road near the junction of Route 147. Hours: Mondays and Thursdays 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Closed holidays. 4
March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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Town Times Community Guide
March 2009
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Durham continued... DMYFS (Durham/Middlefield Youth and Family Services) The Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services main mission is to provide, promote and support substance-free activities and programs that encourage, strengthen and build character, self-esteem and confidence in the children, youth and families of our community. Director: David Melchionne (860) 349-0258.
A Durham barn shows its patriotic colors.
General town information: Middlefield, Conn. The town of Middlefield was incorporated in 1866, and is a rural community centrally located and bordered by Middletown, Meriden and Durham. The form of government includes a Board of Selectmen consisting of a First Selectman, who is the chief administrative and executive official, and two other members. The Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting are the legislative bodies of the town and may enact ordinances consistent with the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut and specific provisions of the Town Charter. Together with Durham, the towns form Regional School District 13, offering both Contemporary and Integrated Day education programs for students in both communities. Town Hall administrative building: 393 Jackson Hill Rd., Middlefield, CT 06455 Middlefield Community Center: 405 Main St., Middlefield, CT 06455 Town Hall hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays County: Middlesex Area: 13.3 square miles Population (2006 census): 4,598 Zip codes: Middlefield (06455), Rockfall (06481) Current Mill Rate: 25.92 TOWN DEPARTMENT HEADS First Selectman: Jon A. Brayshaw (860) 349-7114 Selectman David J. Lowry Selectwoman Mary E. Johnson Assessor: Steven Hodgetts (860) 349-7111 Finance Director: Joseph Geruch (860) 349-7112 Tax Collector: Anne L. Olszewski (860) 349-7117 Town Clerk: Donna Golub (860) 349-7116 Assistant Town Clerk: Nancy Davidson (860) 349-7116 Agent for the Elderly: Antionette Astle, (860) 349-7121, Community Center office Social Services: Antoinette Astle, (860) 860-349-7121, Community Center office Housing Authority administers the federally subsidized elderly housing complex at Sugarloaf Terrace. Brenda Cowett, executive director. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Phone (860) 344-9933. Board of Finance chairman: Ellen Waff Economic Development Commission chairman: Charles D. Kreitler Highway Foreman: John Wyskiel (860) 349-7118 Library Director: Todd Fabian (860) 349-3857 Levi Coe Library: The library is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Website: www.leviecoe.com. Phone: (860) 349-3857. Middlefield Historical Society: (860) 349-0665 6
March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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Middlefield continued... Park and Recreation Commission chairman: Robert Levine Park and Recreation Director: Chris Hurlbert (860) 349-7122 Probate Judge: Joseph Marino (860) 342-2650 Registrar of Voters, Democrat: Barbara Jean DiMauro (860) 349-7119 Registrar of Voters, Republican: Barbara Rowe (860) 349-7119 Town Attorney: Kenneth H. Antin (860) 346-8691 LAND USE Building Official: George R. Stronkowsky Conservation Commission chairman: David Chowaniec Inland Wetlands chairman: Darin Overton Inland Wetlands Enforcement Officer: Planning & Zoning Commission chairman: Kenneth Hamilton Zoning Enforcement Officer: Alan Johanson Sanitarian: Lee Vito (860) 349-7123 Town Engineer: Brian Curtis, Nathan L. Jacobsen & Associates, Inc. (860) 526-9591 Town Planner: Geoff Colegrove (860) 347-7214 Water Pollution Control Authority chairman: Edward Bailey PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH Resident Trooper: Thomas Topulos (860) 349-9685, for emergencies call 911 Constables: Michael Polansky, Scott Halligan Fire Chief: David Quick (860) 349-7124 Fire Marshal: Stanley Atwell Assistant Fire Chief: Rob Carlson Jr. Deputy Fire Chief: Dan Wheeler Deputy Fire Marshals: Jeffrey Doherty, David Quick, Charles Zieminski Emergency Management Director: Lee Vito (860) 349-7123 Animal Control Officer: David Chowaniec (860) 349-1333 Director of Health: Matthew Huddleston, M.D. (860) 349-7123 DMYFS (Durham/Middlefield Youth and Family Services): David Melchionne, director, (860) 349-0258 or melchionne.dmyfs@comcast.net. The Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services main mission is to provide, promote and support substance-free activities and programs that encourage, strengthen, and build character, self-esteem and confidence in the children, youth and families of our community. DMIAAB (Durham-Middlefield Interlocal Agreement Advisory Board): (860) 349-8702. Transfer station located on Cherry Hill Road near the junction of Route 147. Hours: Monday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Closed holidays.
The orchards at Lyman’s are among the most recognizable symbols of Middlefield. Here the sun rises behind the bare branches on Easter morning 2008. 8
March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
LLC
1104574
Town Times Community Guide
March 2009
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Regional District 13 Schools Regional School District 13 administrative offices 135A Pickett Lane, Durham, (860) 349-7200 www.rsd13ct.org Susan Viccaro, Superintendent of Schools Ron Melnik, business manager Coginchaug Regional High School 135 Pickett Lane, Durham, (860) 349-7215 Dr. Steve Wysowski, principal Andre Hauser, assistant principal Parent organization: Coginchaug Parent Advisory Group Contact person: Karen Meiman Memorial Middle School 124 Hubbard St., Middlefield, (860) 349-7235 Kevin Brough, principal Parent organization: Memorial Parent Teacher Council Contact person: Jill Root, (860) 788-3858 Meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Library. Strong Middle School 191 Main St., Durham, (860) 349-7222 Scott Nicol, principal Parent organization: Strong PTO Contact person: Rick Hanley, Hanley@members.asce.org and Anne Levine, (860) 349-9543 or annelarrylevine@sbcglobal.net Meets first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Strong library. Brewster Elementary School 126 Tuttle Rd., Durham, (860) 349-7227 Nancy Heckler, principal Parent organization: BKPTA (Brewster Korn PTA) Contact person: Mary Jo Griffin, (860) 349-3088 Meets on the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between Brewster and Korn schools. Korn Elementary School 144 Pickett Lane, Durham, (860) 349- 7210 Laurie Sinder, principal Parent organization: BKPTA (Brewster Korn PTA) Contact person: Mary Jo Griffin, (860) 349-3088 Meets on the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between Brewster and Korn schools. Lyman Elementary School 106 Way Rd., Middlefield, (860) 349-7240 Karen Brimecombe, principal Parent organization: JLPA (John Lyman Parent Association) Contact person: Michelle Rulnick, (860) 343-1617. Meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at John Lyman School.
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March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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Town Times Community Guide
March 2009
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The Durham Manufacturing Company Compiled by Betsy White Booz Special to the Town Times
Driving down Route 17, Durham, in 2009, quite a bit has changed over the last century. From a Main Street made up of family homesteads, tanneries, schools, taverns, churches and businesses, it has become an Historic District of residences, side-by-side with a few commercial storefronts, mostly at each end, and one major business, the Durham Manufacturing Company. Tucked behind the Durham Volunteer Ambulance Corps building, just north of Strong School, the Durham Manufacturing Company was started in 1922, in part with some of the machinery and materials from the then-defunct Parsons/Francis business (see sidebar, page 14). Its 12 founders, pictured next page, include many of the same names as those who were part of Merriam and Parsons. In Century of Change, which covers the history of Durham from 1866-1980, the company is cited as “one of the largest manufacturers of metal boxes and cabinets in the country.” Initially known as a “quality supplier of cash boxes,” the company then moved into the manufacturing of first aid kits and toolboxes, earning recognition as the
largest supplier of first aid boxes to the armed forces during World War II. In the 1980s, Durham Manufacturing was building and selling, under its own name, a line of storage bins, first aid cabinets, literature racks and sesame lock boxes, and, according to Century of Change, it was “…a leader in each of these fields.” More than eight million pounds of steel were used each year in their production. Currently, the company’s website notes that it “has developed into one of the leading producers of metal and plastic products for packaging, storage, organization of maintenance products as well as heavy duty material handling equipment, storage and workstations.” Elsewhere on the internet, the description says they manufacture material-handling equipment and storage products including storage racks, bulk storage shelving, work benches, carts, trucks, industrial storage cabinets, metal and plastic storage bins [and] gas cylinder storage cabinets. Still headquartered in Durham, but with locations in Mexico as well, the plants are called “state of the art manufacturing and distribution facilities,” totaling over a quarter of a million square feet. The company has a “network of six strategically
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Choreographer for CRHS ShowChoir & Musicals: Once Upon a Mattress, Beauty & the Beast, The Wiz, Grease, 42nd Street, Crazy For You March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
At right, an early billboard advertised the products of Durham Manufacturing; below, the front of the factory on Main Street in Durham directly behind the Ambulance Corps building. Photo at right from Century of Change Photo below by Betsy White Booz
located warehouses across the U.S,” which the website said means “the majority of our standard storage product lines are always in stock, ready for immediate delivery or customer pick-up.” One published source reports there is also a warehouse in England.
Durham Manufacturing is among the town’s top 10 taxpayers for both real estate and personal property, according to this year’s grand list, behind Connecticut Light and Power. It is still Durham’s largest employer, with approximately 240 employees.
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‘Metal Box Capital of the World’ When it comes to the manufacture of metal boxes, although Durham Manufacturing remains the only company still in business in Durham, it was actually the Merriam Manufacturing Company that paved the way. According to the History of Durham, Connecticut, covering local history from the first grant of land in 1662 to 1866, the Merriam Manufacturing Company of Durham was organized on January 25, 1851 “for the manufacture of Japanned and Stamped Tin Ware, Tin Toys, etc.” Familiar surnames like Newton, Parsons and Lyman are included on the early Board of Directors lists, with the first president being Miles Merwin Jr. William Chauncey Fowler, author of the book, wrote, “The success of the enterprise has been somewhat varied. Its productions are well known and appreciated, and the present state of its affairs is such, as promises permanence, and, as is believed, will add to the prosperity of the village in which it is located.” Prophetic words, indeed. Merriam Manufacturing did succeed and prosper for many years. During the Civil War, Merriam produced collapsible candle lanterns for the Union Army. In the 1870s, the firm created a new line of metal stationary boxes. Unfortunately, fire claimed the site in 1998, and it has remained, basically, a vacant lot since then. Environmental concerns due to production involving lead made the property a federal superfund site. Although the heirs of Allan Adams offered it to the town after the fire, Durham declined the offer. In 1884, W.A. Parsons and George Francis became the second manufacturers of metal boxes in Durham. Specializing in tin cash boxes, safe deposit boxes and display racks, the company dissolved around 1918. In addition to the Durham Manufacturing Company, founded in 1922 as the third Durham metal box company (see prior story), there was a fourth metal box manufacturer, the W.A. Parsons Company, established in 1950 by William A. Parsons. Although initially producing tool boxes, waste baskets and metal displays, Parsons transitioned into the manufacture of emergency lighting cases, cabinets and specialty products, as well as tool boxes. The company was family owned and operated until 2002. It was sold in that year and closed its doors in June 2003.
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Town Times Community Guide
Time Out Taverne: A Durham Tradition Featuring your favorite fine Angus beef, pastas and seafood selections along with the fresh creations of a talented kitchen staff - Time Out Taverne welcomes spring with new wines, brews and martinis. The arrival of warmer weather (coming soon!) means a return to open-air dining on our deck and patio. We thank you for your patronage during our first year back and look forward to serving you in the future.
Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM Daily lunch and dinner specials Deck and patio for al fresco dining HD TVs with satellite feed in the lounge Reservations welcome
Time Out Taverne Restaurant Fine Food & Spirits www.timeouttaverne.com Town Times Community Guide
March 2009
1103206
100 New Haven Road (Rt. 17), Durham 860.349.1721 Fax 860.349.1722
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Levi E. Coe Library, Middlefield
Levi E. Coe Library, 414 Main Street, P. O. Box 458, Middlefield, CT, 06455. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Call the library at (860) 349-3857 or visit www.leviecoe.com for information or to register for any program. You can also renew, reserve and check your library record on the website.
Get involved in politics — It’s your government! Middlefield Democratic Town Committee Current chairman Seb Aresco, (860) 349-9785. Middlefield Republic Town Committee Current chairman Kathleen Kokoszka, (860) 346-5321
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March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
Durham Public Library
Durham Library, 7 Maple Avenue, Durham, CT 06422. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Visit www.durhamlibrary.org to search the catalog, review your account, register for a program or renew your materials online. For information or to register for a program by phone, call (860) 349-9544. Durham Democratic Town Committee Chairman Laurie Stevens, (860) 349 1916; e-mail Durhamdems@comcast.net Durham Republican Town Committee Chairman Jay Berardino, (860) 349-3110; e-mail: Durhamrepublicans@sbcglobal.net
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March 2009
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A brief history of water-driven commerce in Middlefield By Trish Dynia Special to the Town Times Middlefield’s young men who came of age during the Revolutionary War period fully expected to carry on the long-established traditions of this farming community: receive land from their fathers, marry a local girl, raise a large brood of children and live out their lives on the land as their families had done for three generations. But circumstances had begun to contrive against such a life. By 1790, Connecticut had become the second most populous state after Rhode Island, with 49 people per square mile, and Middlefield was squeezing 60 people into each square mile. This seems like a lot of wiggle room to us in the 21st century, but to a predominantly farming community, it was suffocating. Early settler families like the Millers, Augurs and Coes, who once held massive land tracts, found themselves squeezing onto smaller lots as the lands were divided and bequeathed through three or more generations. Land in Middlefield was becoming scarce and valuable. Faced with
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the prospect of impoverishment or prolonged dependence on fathers unwilling to part with land, young families began to look outside the community. At first, the nearby highland frontiers in Western Connecticut and Massachusetts beckoned, and when those lands became populous, upper New York State and Ohio were popular destinations. The steady drain of young people from the community continued through the early years of the 19th century, and by 1815 about a third of the young had left Middlefield, bringing the population to an all time low. When the Great Embargo of the War of 1812 shut down the Port of Middletown, this left Middlefield with no major outlet for farm goods. Land values, at a premium just 20 years before, were now at an all time low. Middlefield’s remaining populous was nothing if not persistent, and recovery was slow but steady. As nearby urban communities recovered from the trade restrictions and economic depression caused by two wars with England, those towns became more urbanized and relied on Middlefield farmers for local produce.
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Allyn Brook as it tumbles past a ruined dam next to Mickey Fowler’s Executive Office Building at the corner of Baileyville and Way roads. And when New England’s textile industry developed, long haired merino sheep were imported from Spain, and Middlefield led the country in sheep production by 1826. But nothing affected this farming community’s eventual industrial success more than the introduction of milling technology. Water mill technology had been perfected in England prior to the Revolutionary War, but in order to keep the colonies dependent upon the mother country, this technology was withheld.
Mill owners were forbidden by the crown to pass on milling technology to the colonies. The basic concept of utilizing waterways to power tools was not unknown to industrious colonists, and there were many saw, grist, fuller and cider mills along the West River (Coginchaug) in Rockfall and Beseck River (Ellen Doyle Brook) in the Baileyville section of Middlefield in the 18th century. The first recorded mill was a grist mill established
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by William Miller about 1760 at what is now known as Wadsworth Falls. But earlier town records indicate that the rights or “privileges” to use water power were carefully worded in land deeds. In 1734 Benjamin Miller deeded land and the “liberty of flowing” to his son Ichabod on 120 acres of his land, though he reserved to himself the southeast corner for a mill. Later deeds used specific wording when selling partial rights on a portion of a stream: “the privilege of using water in my turn when it shall not discommode the corn mill” or, the privilege included the “right of drawing, digging or trenching.” And we complain about modern day wetland laws limiting the right to use our property as we see fit? By 1790 a paper mill was established in Rockfall and for a time this area was known as the Paper Mill Quarter. Later endeavors included two gun powder mills, one of which exploded twice and was destroyed by the second one in 1825. (This took place on the property which now houses Roger’s Manufacturing.) Bone and saw mills, a pistol shop, cotton, grist mill and nail shop lined the Coginchaug River in Rockfall for many years. The last known water-powered enterprise on the falls itself was a cotton mill which generated electricity for turning out 4,000 pounds of fine double twisted yarn with 58 employees. The manufacturer closed
down shortly after the turn of the 20th century, but all machines remained in place. According to former Korn School teacher and historian Ray Hubbard, when the Hurricane of 1938 hit central Connecticut, several Rockfall men who had once worked at this enterprise fired up the water wheel, which then provided the Rockfall area with electricity for several days while the majority of the state remained in darkness. In 1848 a group of 12 local entrepreneurs formed the Middlefield Reservoir Company and built a dam on the Ellen Doyle Brook. This endeavor turned the Wild Cat Swamp into what we know today as Lake Beseck. The original dam was lined with brownstone from a quarry on Powder Hill Road. When the builders discovered that the stones contained dinosaur footprints, they laid the stones out in such a way that it looked as though the dinosaurs were traversing the dam. Unfortunately, those original stones were covered with concrete when the dam was reconstructed after the 1938 hurricane. Prior to the building of the dam, several water-powered industries enjoyed a modicum of success, including saw, carding, grist and bone mills, all located in the approximate area of what is now the Fowler Complex/Blackbird Tavern. From about 1820 to 1830, Ira and Alfred Bailey ran a distillery next to what the town
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This industrialized hillside is on the corner of Baileyville and Way roads looking towards High Street, circa early 1900s. records call "the upper bridge on the Beseck River." The Bailey brothers produced hard cider, brandy and whiskey, in what to some was "A curse to the parish, and many thought their troubles were traceable directly to this fountain of blackness." After the dam was built, a button factory first thrived just below the dam and later the Metropolitan Washing Machine Company straddled both sides of the hairpin curve in the road. Organized in 1860, the company built several additions and eventually a company store, which later became Fowler's Market (which burned
down in the late 1980s), and company housing for workers along what is now High Street. At its height the Wringer Shop produced 400 machines per day and employed 160, mostly local individuals, including recent immigrants from Ireland, Poland and Italy. With the electrification of America in the early 20th century, mills closed but new enterprises took over the former land and shops, including Rogers Manufacturing, still in Rockfall, and the Lyman Gun Sight Corporation in Baileyville which relocated to Middletown about 10 years ago.
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Due to the diverse nature of business in Middlefield, a combination of farming, industrial endeavors, and land to build on, Middlefield avoided what was considered the evil of industrialization. Endowed with plenty of land to build housing for workers and schools to accommodate the children, Middlefield never experienced the squalor that plagued large industrialized cities such as Bridgeport and Waterbury. And Middlefield never experienced the trauma of becoming a ghost town by losing the one industry that kept it afloat.
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State and National Representatives Sen. Ed Meyer (Durham) Email: Meyer@senatedems.ct.gov Phone: (860) 240-0527, or 1-800-8421420 Legislative Office Building, Room 1000 Hartford, CT 06106-1591 State Rep. Matthew Lesser (Durham and Middlefield) 1160 South Main Street Middletown, CT 06457 House Republican Office Legislative Office Building, Room 4014 Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-8585 (800) 842-8267 Matthew.lesser@cga.ct.gov State Sen. Thomas Gaffey (Middlefield) Email: Gaffey@senatedems.ct.gov Phone: (860) 240-0425, or toll-free 1800-842-1420 Legislative Office Building, Room 3100 Hartford, CT 06106-1591 Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (Middlefield and part of Durham) Washington, DC 2262 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3661 Main District Office 59 Elm Street New Haven, CT 06510 (203) 562-3718 Congressman Joe Courtney (Part of Durham) (860) 577-8283 P.O. Box 1372 Vernon CT 06066 U.S. Senator Chris Dodd 448 Russell Building, Washington D.C., 20510 (202) 224-2823 30 Lewis St., Suite 101 Hartford, CT 06103 (860) 258-6940 U. S. Senator Joe Lieberman 706 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-4041 One Constitution Plaza, 7th Floor Hartford, CT 06103 (800) 225-5605
March 2009
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Interest & Service Organizations Art Guild of Middletown The Art Guild of Middletown was formed to foster and encourage art and the development of the visual artists in the Middletown area by developing quality programs to bring artists together, providing venues for the artists to exhibit their work and providing art instruction and workshops in drawing and painting and related visual arts. The guild meets once per month on a Thursday evening in the fellowship hall of the Middlefield Federated Church. Meetings usually include demonstrations. Art Guild of Middletown, PO Box 205, Middletown, CT 06457 Web site www.middletownartguild.org Bob Spooner, president, bspooner@yahoo.com (860) 346-6546 Benchwarmers Fundraising organization for athletics and scholarships in District 13, meets once per month. For information, contact president Jack Castiglione at (860) 349-2282 or visit www.durhambenchwarmers.com. Business Networking International The local chapter of Business Networking International conducts its weekly meeting in the United Churches of Durham Fellowship Hall, Main Street in Durham, at 7:30 a.m. on Fridays. To learn more, contact Kirk Hagert at (860) 349-5626. Cause for Paws P.O. Box 420, Durham CT 06422 (860) 349-0410 or e-mail ctcauseforpaws@yahoo.com Cause For Paws is a small rescue group that will trap, alter, vaccinate and release adult feral cats in Durham and Middlefield. Using an in-home volunteer foster care system they test, treat and socialize all kittens brought in from cat colonies and then place these kittens in new permanent homes. Their focus is on the feral and strays from the towns of Durham and Middlefield and they do not have the capacity to take in adult cats. Cogin-Chuggers The Cogin-Chuggers square dance club holds dances on the second and fifth Fridays at Brewster School on Tuttle Road in Durham. Dances are 8-10:30 p.m., with rounds throughout the evening. For more information on beginner lessons or directions, call Alicia Morse at (860) 349-8084. Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation P.O. Box 19, Durham, CT 06422 President: Merrill Adams 24
E-mail: coginchaugvef@comcast.net Website: www.coginchaugvef.com The Coginchaug Valley Education Foundation (CVEF) was founded in March, 2008, as an independent education foundation, whose mission is to promote excellence, innovation and creativity in education for the community and to support life-long learning in the two towns by giving grants and sponsoring programs. Durham Fair Association Main Street, P.O. Box 225 Durham www.durhamfair.com (860) 349-9495 For information e-mail to secretary@durhamfair.com The Durham Fair will be held from Sept. 25-27 in 2009.
Durham Fair Foundation The Durham Fair Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by the Durham Fair Association. The foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote Connecticut’s agricultural heritage, history, rural life and the Durham Fair by sponsoring educational events and programs. Donations to the Durham Fair Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information, including memorial donations, gifts and bequests, write to: The Durham Fair Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 642 Durham, CT 06422. Len Baginski is president, (860) 349-3305. Durham Garden Club P. O. Box 105, Durham; Barbara Olsen, president, (860) 349-8625. Durham Historical Society P.O. Box 345, Durham Durhamhistoricalsociety@hotmail.com Sarah Atwell, president, (860) 716-5497 Durham Lions Jay Huntington, president, (860) 349-9235 Durham Lions meet on the second and
March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Cantina Restaurant in Middletown. Durham/Middlefield Exchange Club Web site dmexchangeclub.com E-mail: dmexchange@hotmail.com Durham/Middlefield Exchange Club P.O. Box 281 Durham, CT 06422-0281 Contact: Peter Cascini (860) 349-2309, pcascini@comcast.net Exchange, America’s service club, is a group of men and women working together to make our communities better places to live through programs of service and its national project, the prevention of child abuse. Gaylord Cancer Survivors Group Support group for cancer survivors and their caregivers. Contact Vena Sutherland at (860) 349-3443. Meetings first Wednesday of each month in the Chauncey House at Gaylord in Wallingford, at 6 p.m. Kosciuszko Club 168 Main St., Rockfall; (860) 346-9521 Lake Beseck Association The LBA meets on the third Tuesday of every other month at 7 p.m. in the Middlefield Community Center to discuss social, political and environmental
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issues concerning the lake and its community. During the summer months, the meetings are occasionally held at the town beach. Everyone is welcome to attend. Lake Beseck Association, P.O. Box 255, Rockfall, CT 06481. President: Dick Boynton (860) 346-6008. Levi E. Coe Library Association Board of Directors Membership in the Association Board of Directors is open to any Middlefield resident. The purpose of the association is to maintain and support the library. Members serve on library committees responsible for fundraising, long-range planning, finance and capital improvements. The group meets every first Tuesday at the library at 7 p.m. If you are interested, contact the library at (860) 349-3857. Middlefield Historical Society Lynette Brayshaw (860) 349-0665, 405 Main St. There is a Historical Society room and permanent displays in the Community Center. — Middlefield Lions Club Lynn Johnson, president, president@middlefield-lions.org; vice president, Judy Didato, membership@middlefield-lions.org; Web site www.Middlefield-lions.org. Middlefield Lions Club, P.O. Box 1, Middlefield, CT 06455 Middlefield Women’s Club Members come from all walks of life and are of diverse ages. Members are free to give as much time as they can afford. Meetings allow opportunity to enjoy a girls’ night out while making worthwhile contributions to the community. The group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Middlefield Community Center. Their calendar runs September through June with a summer break. E-mail to mhamilton27@comcast.net for info. Middlesex Chamber of Commerce The Middlesex Chamber of Commerce holds monthly breakfast meetings that feature a wide variety of speakers, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell. Monthly business seminars take place every second Tuesday at the Chamber Office, 93 Main St., Middletown, CT 06457 Phone (860) 347-6924, fax: (860) 346-1043 Email info@middlesexchamber.com Local Division meets second Wednesday of each month at rotating businesses. Lou Brockett, chair for Middlefield Jerry Lipchus, chair for Durham -
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Town Times Community Guide
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Midlea Garden Club President, Linda Betta (860) 349-1428. Second Monday at the Middlefield Senor Center at 6:30 p.m. Moms Club The MOMS Club® of Middletown, a chapter of the International MOMS Club® (IMC), is a non-profit, non-denominational organization for at-home mothers and their children. This club serves the towns of Middletown, Cromwell, Durham, Rockfall and Middlefield. They offer playgroups, community outings, guest speakers, “Moms Night Out” and much more. Join to make friends for yourself and your children! For more information, e-mail funmomsclub@hotmail.com or visit
www.geocities.com/momsclubofmiddletown. P.A.L.S. The Durham Public Library’s PALS (Public Association of Library Supporters) supplies most of the funding for the library’s special events, new collections and initiatives. Membership is only $10 for an individual and $25 for a family. Annual dues supplement fundraising activities, which include the Taste of Durham and the annual book sale. Please pick up a membership envelope at the library’s main desk and become a real PAL of the library today. Parents of Performers POPS is a fundraising organization dedicated to the music programs at Coginchaug High School, including show choir, chorus, concert band and jazz band. This group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the teachers’ lounge at Coginchaug. For more information, contact Kari Keuhnle at (860) 349-3896. Red Hat Society Red Hat Society, means fun after 50 (and before) for women of all walks of life. Red Hatters believe silliness is the comedic relief of life and, since we are all in it together, we might as well join
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Town Times Community Guide
red-gloved hands and go for the gusto. Underneath the frivolity, share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next. Middlefield groups include the Scarlet O’hatters, Queen Mother Betty Ferretti (860) 3499864; the Ruby Trippers, Queen Mother Margaret Arndt (860) 349-9724 and Girls with Hattitude, for the working red hatter, welcoming pink hatters, Queen Mother Antoinette Astle (860) 346 5961. The Durham Daring Divas, Queen Mother Vena Sutherland (860) 349-3443, also accept pink hatters. Visit www.RedHatSociety.com for more information. Sixty Plus Club This social and travel club for seniors meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at 1 p.m. in the United Churches of Durham Fellowship Hall, Main Street in Durham. Contact president Ellie Golschneider at (860) 349-3329 for additional information. Special Olympics The Greater Middletown Special Olympics (GMSO) serves athletes with developmental disabilities who reside in Durham, Middlefield, Cromwell, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, Middletown and Portland. Athletes can
participate in a year round program of well-coached sports. For information, call Special Olympics Connecticut at 1800-443-6105, 1-877-660-6667 or online at www.soct.org.
Charlie Larsen of Durham on the medal stand. Willy’s Friends Willy’s Friends is an organization that promotes the benefits of animal adoption. Send e-mails to Willy@helpwillysfiends.com or visit helpwillysfriends.com for more information.
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Youth Sports & Organizations 4H Club Local leader, Kathy Naples (860) 982-1366 Boy Scouts Boy Scouts are for boys in fifth grade through 18 years old. Middlefield Troop 33, Scoutmaster Robin Heath (860) 349-1154 Durham Troop 27, Scoutmaster Jim Smigel (860) 349-9418 Cub Scouts Cub Scouts are for boys in first through fifth grade, Durham Pack 27, Cubmaster Toby Bates (860) 349-3075 Middlefield Pack 33, Cubmaster Jim Murray (860) 759-0701 Coginchaug Little League Coginchaug Little League, P. O. Box 34, Durham, CT 06422, Rick Quirk, president, (860) 349-3520. Visit www.coginchaugll.org for more information. Coginchaug Scholarship Committee The Coginchaug Regional High School Scholarship Fund is recognized by the communities of Durham and Middlefield
for their efforts in raising funds to assist young people in educational pursuits. This is a nonprofit organization, staffed by student and adult volunteers. Each year scholarships are presented to the graduating class of Coginchaug students. Fundraising events include operating the chocolate-covered Banana Booth at the Durham Fair, a golf tournament and the annual Scholarship Ball which is held in March. The organization includes 18 adult members (board of directors) with terms of three years each, not including the elected officers. There are also 12 directors from the student body of CRHS, with three students appointed from each class. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month (except December) at the high school. Contact Lori Sbona at (860) 349-4046. Coginchaug Soccer Club Coginchaug Soccer Club promotes the game of soccer within the towns of Durham and Middlefield and provides a positive soccer experience for all club participants. The club promotes the development of coaching and player skills to enhance team play and the overall soccer experience, and emphasizes
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Town Times Community Guide
fun at all levels of play, good sportsmanship, physical fitness, healthy attitudes and teamwork. The club meets the first Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Middlefield Community Center. Web site www.cogsoccer.org. Contact club president Gary Sawacki at president@cogsoccer.org or (860) 349-2120, or Matt Taber, registrar, at registrar@cogsoccer.org or (860) 349-0647. Durham Basketball Association of CT Visit www.dbact.org or send an e-mail to president bob.corazzini@dbact.org for information. Durham/Middlefield Youth and Family Services The Durham Middlefield Youth and Family Services’ main mission is to provide, promote and support substance-free activities and programs that encourage, strengthen and build character, selfesteem and confidence in the children, youth and families of our community. 405 Main St., Middlefield CT (860) 3490258, Director: David Melchionne. Falcon Football and Cheerleading President, Jim Banack, (860) 349 8773 Vice president, Robert Levine, (860) 3496376. Forms and information are available at www.dmfalcons.com. -
Girl Scouts Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girls in the Durham Middlefield area are placed in troops generally by grade/age level dependent on availability of adult leadership teams. Training and support is available to all on the leadership team; parent helpers are encouraged. Troop meeting times vary. For more information, contact Pat Sidoti, Membership Marketing Manager, Girl Scouts, Connecticut Trails Council, Dekoven House, 27 Washington St., Middletown, CT 06457, (860) 347-5768. Visit www.gsofct.org for more information. Contact co-manager of local service unit Shirlon Smigel at (860) 349-9418.
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Durham Attractions Allyn Brook Park, Pickett Lane behind Strong Middle School, features a playscape, a walking/fitness trail, pavilion, picnic tables, seasonal bathrooms, tennis courts and a brook. Site is adjacent to high school and Little League fields.
Miller’s Pond State Park, off Foothills Road, offers fishing, hunting, hiking and mountain biking. This park is a designated “walk-in” facility. Parking is available at the main gate, pit toilets are available. Miller’s Pond is a scenic, quiet lake
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without a boat launch or beach. Numerous rock outcrops reach out into the pond to provide fishing platforms. An easy, flat trail circles the lake, although it is a little rocky in places, so shoes should be worn on your hike. Miller’s Pond was acquired in 1955 by the State Park and Forest Commission from the heirs of Thomas Macdonough Russell with monies provided in the trust fund of George Dudley Seymour. At that time the park consisted of 30 acres of pond and 170 acres of wooded land in the towns of Durham and Haddam. In succeeding years the state purchased additional property, completing acquisition of all the land around the pond in 1972. Millers Pond is unique in that its principal source of water comes from large springs which create a body of unpolluted water excellent for small mouth bass or trout. The original dam at the pond was erected some time before 1704. Thomas Miller built the upper dam to provide a reservoir to serve
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Town Times Community Guide
his gristmill further downstream. Directions: From Route 9, take exit 11, follow 155 west, turn left onto Millbrook Road, bear left onto Foothills Road. The parking area is on the right. Deerfield Farm www.deerfieldfarm.org 337 Parmelee Hill Road e-mail:Melynda@deerfieldfarm.org phone: (860) 301-7828 Deerfield Farm is located on 75 acres of rolling hills. This growing business started as a 4-H project and hobby 34 years ago. Prior to that farming was the way of life for the Naples family of Durham. In 2004 Deerfield Farm spread its feet and grew into a full time business. The present location on the corner of Parmelee Hill Rd. and Pent Rd. is town owned open space. The land and barn are leased from the town of Durham. In spring of 2005 the building of the new barn was done along with the installation of our milking system, tie stalls, and barn cleaner. Fencing went up and the cows arrived in late spring of 2005. In December of 2005 we started bottling our own milk and selling it from the farm. Now all of the milk is bottled at the farm or made into cream, butter, yogurt, chocolate milk, or soft cheese in our own state certified processing room on premises. Our bottled Raw Milk is also sold at
10 stores throughout Middlesex, New Haven and Fairfield Counties. Deerfield Farm welcomes visitors and groups for field trips.
Durham’s annual Memorial Day parade, followed by a 10K Road Race sponsored by the Exchange Club, is a beloved tradition. In alternate years, Middlefield sponsors its Old Home Days, ending with fireworks.
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March 2009
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Middlefield Attractions
157 in Middlefield, contains several Lyman Orchards is a 1,100-acre farm waterfalls with an overlook, as well as an at the junction of Routes 147 and 157 in expanse of wooded areas for hiking. The Middlefield. Established in 1741, Lyman park also offers areas for mountain bikOrchards is the ninth oldest familying, swimming, stream fishing and picowned business in the United States. One nicking. of the most scenic areas in the state, the Indian Springs Golf Club, located at orchards feature a variety of pick-your124 Mack Rd. in Middlefield, is a 9-hole own apples, peaches, pears, berries and course featuring 3,000 yards of golf with pumpkins. a par of 36. Designed by Al Zikorus, the The Apple Barrel market, golf course opened in 1964. Call (860) 349Connecticut’s largest year round farm 8109 for more information. market, features a variety of fruit and Lake Beseck is a manmade impoundproduce, in addition to a bakery, deli and ment created by a dam across Ellen much more. The Apple Barrel is open Doyle Brook. The lake is fed by several seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. small brooks and submerged springs. For more information, call (860) 349-1793. Lyman Orchards Golf features two championship 18-hole public golf courses designed by Robert Trent Sr. and Gary Player. Call 1888-99-LYMAN for more information. Wadsworth Falls State Park was given to the state in 1942 through the will of Col. Clarence Wadsworth, a Middletown resident who devoted his life to civic endeavors and preservation of real estate. The 285acre park, located on Route Fun at Lake Beseck’s annual picnic.
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Town Times Community Guide
The lake, which offers a public beach for Middlefield residents and a public state boat launch, has a surface area of approximately 120 acres, a maximum depth of 25 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. It contains approximately 416 million gallons of water. Most of the shoreline is privately owned and developed with numerous houses and cottages. Fish species observed in Lake Beseck include largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and sunfish. The beach is open during July and August, a pass is required and can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office beginning July 1. Dinosaur Park is a vest-pocket space on the west side of Powder Hill Road where several very clear dinosaur tracks can be found on the rocks.
Peckham Park, located between Main Street and Strickland Road, offers a variety of activities for residents of all ages and features a walking path, basketball court, playscape areas, baseball and soccer
fields and a pavilion. The park is operated by the Park and Rec Department. (At left, looking over Peckham Park; above, a new climbing feature.)
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March 2009
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Houses of Worship Church of the Epiphany (Episcopal) 196 Main Street, Durham, CT 06422 Rev. Beth Hoffmann (860) 349-9644 www.durhamepiphany.org . Middlefield Federated Church (Congregational/UCC & United Methodist) 402 Main Street, Middlefield, CT 06455 Rev. Dale Azevedo (860) 349-9881 www.gbgm-umc.org/mfc/ . Notre Dame Church (Roman Catholic) 272 Main Street, Durham, CT 06422 Rev. Fr. Mariadas Lipton (860) 349-3058 www.ChurchofNotreDame.org . St. Colman’s Church (Roman Catholic) 145 Hubbard Street, Middlefield, CT 06455 Father Gregory Mullaney (860) 349-3868 stcolmanchurch.com/default.aspx . Temple of Ekcancar 1 Harvest Wood Road, Middlefield, CT 06455 Sri Harold Kemp (860) 346-2226 www.ct-eckankar.org . United Churches of Durham (Congregational/UCC & United Methodist) 228 Main Street Durham, CT 06422 Rev. Dr. Elven Riggles (860) 349-3683 www.uccwebsites.net/unitedchurchesofdurhamct.html . Victory Tabernacle Church 191 Meriden Road, Middlefield, CT 06455 Pastor Peter Leal (860) 346-6771 www.vcconline.org
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At right, Girl Scout members of Church of the Epiphany participate in Girl Scout Sunday in March. Below, walkers from six area churches participate in an annual ecumenical Crop Walk to raise money for hunger relief. Bottom right, Notre Dame raises money annually to buy water buffalos for Heifer International.
Opportunities for worship also abound in neighboring communities, representing a diversity of faith traditions.
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Greta Wilt - Memorial Middle School - Grade 5 Town Times Community Guide
March 2009
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Seen around our towns...
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March 2009
Town Times Community Guide
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March 2009
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Town Times Community Guide