volume xliii, no. 2 march 2020 - hampton...
TRANSCRIPT
VOLUME XLIII, No. 2 MARCH 2020
he eastern bluebird no doubt is loved by countless people. In describing its song, one might say it has a very soft,
plaintive call, while others may say it sings a shy, happy song. No matter what, besides watching the bluebird, and
listening to its calls, I find it very heartwarming just to observe such a beautifully colored bird. I often associate the
bluebird with country living, thriving in and around farmlands, in countless country yards where there is diversity
in habitat. We make, or buy bluebird houses and hope to see them occupied and raising numerous broods of their offspring.
And if we’re fortunate enough, maybe they will have two or three broods. Every spring and into summer I watch them building
nests in the boxes I built for them. And to watch both parent birds fly to the nest box with insects in the bills, and hear their
young calling out in anticipation of food, it thrills me greatly. Even during some of the coldest days of winter I often see them
clinging to branches of the peach tree that is in close proximity to their nest box. Sometimes I’ve seen a family of five or six
bluebirds enter a nest box to huddle and keep warm. This winter a family of bluebirds alighted at a feeding station in my
dogwood tree. I hope they are here to stay for many years to come.
Pete Vertefeuille
VOLUME XLIII, No. 2 MARCH 2020
The Hampton Gazette
EDITOR
Dayna McDermott-Arriola
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Juan Arriola, Chair
Peter Witkowski, Treasurer
Sulema Perez-Pagan, Secretary
Angela Fichter
Diane Gagnon
Delphine Newell
Laura McCabe
PRODUCTION
Mary Oliver, Art Direction
The Hampton Gazette is published monthly,
and as a non-profit 501(c)(3) venture, it is
registered with the State of Connecticut and
IRS, and is supported by advertising revenues
and donations. All contributions are tax-
deductible.
CONTACT INFORMATION Editorials,
articles, calendar or event information, press
releases or questions: please email to
[email protected] in Word format
(not pdf) or to Editor, Hampton Gazette, PO
Box 101, Hampton, CT 06247, by the 15th
of each month. All submissions to the Gazette
are subject to editing. The Gazette reserves
the right not to accept submissions.
CIRCULATION The Hampton Gazette is
available online at hamptongazette.com, and
in print by request, free of charge, to every
home in Hampton. Domestic subscriptions
are available by requests at cost; international
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should be mailed to PO Box 101, Hampton,
CT 06247
PHOTOS
(jpg high resolution, please) may be emailed to
EDITORIAL POLICIES
Each letter to the Gazette must be signed and
include and address & telephone contact for
verification. Signing all correspondence to the
Gazette is encouraged, but at the request of
the writer, a signature may be withheld. Letters
written on behalf of an organization require
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All letters submitted to the Gazette are subject
to editing and the Gazette reserves the right to
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Gazette will not print letters it regards as libel-
ous. Photographs and articles published here
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pher or writer and may not be reproduced
without express permission of the contributor.
THUMBS UP: to all those who participated in the Super Bowl Grinder Sale – those
who organized the event, called for orders, purchased the ingredients, prepared the
grinders, and those who purchased them. Because of your contributions, the town
raised $1,300 to split equally between the fuel fund and the seniors. And the
grinders were superb!
THUMBS DOWN: to whoever is breaking into the Transfer Station for the purpose of
taking all the cans and bottles from the Boy Scouts’ recycling bins. Stealing from a
youth organization whose creed is all about “duty” and “honor” and “obeying laws”
and “helping people at all times”? For a couple of nickels? Is it worth it?
Board of Selectmen
Town Hall Community Room
Monday, March 2, 7:00PM
Inland Wetlands
Town Hall Conference Room
Tuesday, March 3, 7:00PM
Board of Finance
Town Hall Community Room
Wednesday, March 11, 7:00PM
Green Energy Committee
Town Hall Conference Room
Wednesday March 11, 7:00PM
RD#11 Board Meeting
PHHS Library
Tuesday, March 17, 7:00PM
Planning and Zoning
Town Hall Community Room
Monday, March 23, 7:00PM
HES Board of Education
HES Library
Wednesday, March 25, 7:00PM
For more information on Hampton Happenings, please visit our Town online at hamptonct.org
CORRECTION: Last month’s list of Citizen of the Year recipients neglected to name the
Gazette’s first, Jeanne Kavanaugh, who set a precedent of dedication for all who followed.
CONTRIBUTORS: Deb Andstrom, Beth Bernard, Cindy Bezanson, Bob Burgoyne, Pat Cascio,
Pat Coleman, Greta Garner, Angelika Hansen, Sue Hochstetter, Michelle Mlyniec, Kelli
Postemski, Sam Roberson, Genevieve Rondeau, Janice Trecker, Pete Vertefeuille, Gay Wagner.
PHOTOS: cover, Pete Vertefuille; pages 5 Sam Roberson; page 8 Suli Perez Pagan; page 12
Juan Arriola; page 13 Cindy Bezanson.
SNOW PLOWING
In anticipation of a late season blizzard, and at the request of our readers, we’re
publishing a list of local people who plow snow -- surely we won’t escape some
measurable amount this winter. Many thanks to those who weather icy conditions
to ensure our safety – and for allowing us to list your service here.
Lloyd Anderson: 860.315.2118
Randy Dominick: 860.942.9326
Green Valley Tree, LLC 860.234.4041
Jake’s Lawncare & Home Improvement, LLC 860.420.9887
Vernon King: 484.885.5210
David Macha: 860.208.0119
Bob Mott: 860.933.5765
James Oefinger: 860.377.5967
John Rondini: 802.233.7382
Next month we’ll publish a list for the second seasonal request – businesses that
remove hazardous branches and trees from yards. Please contact us with your
contact information.
3
Recently our neighbors across the street placed a statue of “Jocko, the
Lawn Jockey” on their front lawn, right across from our house, affording
us a perfect view from our windows of what we consider inappropriate,
and what our friends of color call “racist” when they come to visit us. I
like our neighbors, I really do. I think it’s naivety on their part. Perhaps
it’s a family heirloom, or a valuable antique. However, we find it very
offensive, and in conversations with others, we find we’re not alone.
Would it be wrong to mention this to them?
Sincerely,
A PC Fam
My Dear Neighbor:
Your problem represents in and of itself such a perfect twofold
conundrum that “The Lawn Jockey Dilemma” should be a required
course for anyone considering a Master’s Degree in Ethics and Critical
Theory. Auntie Mac is willing to wager that most people who have this
statue in their yards have never heard of Jocko Graves or the stories
about him. These black-faced, racially caricatured lawn ornaments
were not purchased to celebrate a 12-year-old boy who froze to death
in the 1700’s holding George Washington’s horses (as the legend goes),
let alone represent the bravery of a people (as apologists are wont to
suggest). However, as you say, it may be a family heirloom—something
with which your neighbors are loathe to part. You do not wish to
alienate your neighbors, who have publicly displayed something that
is offensive or insulting to nearly all who look at it. And therein lies the
red meat on the rug of your dilemma: by publicly displaying an item
that is so widely known to be polarizing (as opposed to remanding it
to a basement shelf reserved for “Gramma’s Keepsakes,” for example),
your neighbors are making some type of statement. It is not up to you,
however, to decipher what that statement is. They have made a choice.
They may be eagerly awaiting a public outcry so that they may smugly
inform you of the proud heritage of Jocko and his contribution to
African American history (muttering a self-satisfied “Take that!” under
their breaths). Some people do live just for those small moments of
perceived glory. Again, they may merely view the statue as yet
another piece of Americana, whose level of kitsch has surpassed any
negative connotation it once had. Or they may be simply hiding their
keys under its base. Who can say?
The only courteous and/or diplomatic course of action, if you insist
on an action of any sort, would be to casually and congenially say to
them “I’m sure that bit of statuary gets lots of comments,” and see if a
friendly conversation ensues. “Informing” them of its effect on you or
your friends is pointless; they are not unaware of its many associations,
including those most foul. You could mention that you know of
museums who are currently collecting these artifacts, as they have
come to represent, even in their most benign, walkway-lighting
incarnations, a grave insult to many people, and have they thought of
making such a donation? Beyond that you can do no more. It will be
a lovely occasion when those who deliberately choose to incite people
around them with knowingly polarizing symbols, solely for the benefit
of feeling some sort of perverse power by doing
so, might pause, think of what might the kinder
thing to do, and place statues of rabbits along the
path, fly flags that say “Summer’s Here,” and put
stickers on cars saying “I Love Hampton.” The
view from the moral high ground is far superior to
that from a walkway dimly lit by a remnant of our
sad and sorry past.
Your Auntie Mac
with
March 14, 7:00PM
Hampton Community
Center
$10 admission, couples $15,
Kids free Doors open 6:30PM, music starts at
7:00, bring your favorite treats and
beverages! To reserve a table for
4-8, please email the Rec Dept. at:
Parking is available at the
Community Center or next door
at Hampton Town Hall. For more
information, please contact:
Juan Arriola 860.455.0160 or
Gay Wagner 860.455.9875
4
SENIOR LUNCHEON
This month’s senior luncheon is on Wednesday, March 11, at noon
in the lower level of Town Hall. Residents at least 55 years of age are
invited to join us for pulled pork, rice, a vegetable, a vegetarian option,
beverage and assorted pies for dessert. The cost of lunch and take-outs
for residents is $5; $7 for out-of-town guests. Please RSVP by
March 6 to [email protected], or 860.933.4561.
HAMPTON CELEBRATES ST. PATRICKS DAY
WITH HONKY TONK TWANG
Dust off your dancin’ shoes and come to the Community Center on
Saturday, March 14, for a night of honky-tonk with Ken Atkins and
the Turnpike Allstars. Bring your beverages and treats for a cabaret-style
party with plenty of space for dancing and singing along.
The Turnpike Allstars band specializes in country and country swing,
with plenty of “twang” to go around! To preview their sound, go to
their Facebook page, “Ken Atkins and the Honky Tonk Kind.”
Ken Atkins is the principal vocalist and guitarist. Band members are
Bob Oxenhorn, bass, Corey Dolinsky, steel guitar, Tom Trombley,
drums, and Paul “Swampy” Davis, harmonica. The band is popular
throughout New England and was last seen in Hampton at the
Memorial Day chicken barbecue.
Doors open at 6:30PM and the music starts at 7:00. Admission is $10,
couples $15, and children are free. To reserve a table for four to eight
people, email [email protected]. For information, call
Juan Arriola at 860.455.0160 or Gay Wagner at 860.455.9875.
TOWN NEWS
As of February 1, K&B Ambulance of Killingly
has been contracted to provide emergency
medical services to replace the Hampton Chaplin
Ambulance Corp for the duration of this fiscal
year, June 30, 2020. Thus far, response has been
prompt and professional, according to the First
Selectman. Officials of the Town of Scotland
recently invited members of the boards of
Selectmen and Finance to a presentation on an
alternate proposal for the delivery of emergency
services and will schedule a meeting for the
public at large later this month. The Board of
Selectmen will be deciding on a long term plan
during the 2020-2021 budget process, which
should prove challenging with declining State
grants and rising municipal costs.
Though there have been many nuisance storms
this winter, they have not consumed much of the
road crew’s time, affording them an opportunity
to remove 115 dead trees along our roads.
The Board of Selectmen approved a purchase
order of a 30’ x 40’ Pavilion to be erected
between the Town Hall and Community Center.
This public works project will be completed by
Memorial Day in collaboration with the
Believers of the Mennonite Church.
MARIA SANGIOLO
CHILDREN’S
CONCERT ON
MARCH 14
Maria Sangiolo brings
an interactive music
program for children
to Fletcher Memorial
on March 14. Sangiolo,
who has been
performing for over
fifteen years for children
in libraries and schools
and at festivals describes
her family concerts as “geared to big kids and their little ones,” and
promises that the audience will be invited to sing, clap along, and
move to some high energy music. She sings about the wonders of
childhood and the natural world and her performance will include
songs from her collection of family CDs: Hello Moon, Under the
Mystic Sea, Fairy Moon and the award winning, Maria and Friends -
Planting Seeds.
The program, which begins at 10:30AM, will be followed by the library’s
usual St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids.
CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS:
“CLIMATE CRISIS”
On March 15, 22, & 29, from 6:30 to 8PM, you
are invited to gather at the Congregational Church
for an adult study that opens up some of the issues
of Climate Crisis. The discussion will be shaped by
ideas raised in David Wallace-Wells’ book The
Uninhabitable Earth. If you would like to be part
of this discussion please contact Pastor Jinny (email
[email protected] or text 860.490.9730).
A limited number of books are available at the
church. The Grounding Virtues from the Civil
Conversation Project will be used to establish a
hospitable space for honest conversations. All who
are interested are welcome! Discussion will be
held in the Ladies Aid room on the lower level.
5
DEBORAH
LEAVENS RETIRES
AFTER 37 YEARS
OF SERVICE
Hampton Elementary
School recently bid
farewell to one of their
longest serving and
beloved teachers,
Mrs. Leavens, who has
retired after 37 years
of sharing her expertise,
her creativity, and
her patience with
hundreds of primary
grade students,
providing them with the fundamentals that would serve as an
educational foundation for the rest of their academic lives.
Along with teaching, Deb Leavens has served as the Hampton
Education Association President since 1992, advocating for teachers in
the school, at board meetings, and at the negotiation table. Recognizing
the vital role teachers play in children’s lives, she also understood the
crucial role of respect for the profession.
Mrs. Leavens has also been instrumental in providing important links
between the school and the community, by writing tributes for retiring
teachers and staff, and by submitting student work to our newspaper.
What a delight it’s been through the years to read their poems, letters
of opinion to the principal and the president, and their interpretations
of familiar proverbs. How else would we have known that “Don’t Put
All Your Eggs in One Basket” means “do not rush because sometimes
it gets really messy”?
On a personal note, Mrs. Leavens never forgot to invite my father to
the school’s holiday senior luncheons, recalling with every invitation,
and with tenderness, those sweltering afternoons when he would
“surprise” his grand-daughters’ classmates with refreshingly cold cups
of fruit punch, and captivate them with one of his favorite stories. A
retired principal, she understood how much he enjoyed the children’s
entertainment at the luncheons, and entertaining them with folktales in
her classroom.
On January 29, parents and staff organized a luncheon in Mrs. Leaven’s
honor at the school, and in the afternoon, students gathered in the
media center to present her with the best sort of gifts for a teacher,
those which were made with their own hands, and to read poems and
sing songs from their hearts.
For your service to our community, your dedication to our school, and
especially for your love of our children – we thank you, Mrs. Leavens –
and wish you a long and healthy retirement.
Dayna McDermott
DAVID FOSTER HONORED AS
“CITIZEN OF THE YEAR”
Last month, and every year for the past 41, we
have recognized a “Citizen of the Year”, a resident
who has contributed to the betterment of our
town through volunteerism, public service, and
neighborliness. We also recognize residents for
their singular efforts elsewhere.
Our neighbor to the west, Windham, has
bestowed their first “Citizen of the Year” award
on one of our neighbors – David Foster – for his
numerous contributions to his hometown. A
resident of Hampton for the past several years,
Foster, a Willimantic native, has never neglected
his roots, his philanthropy nearly as legendary as
his music career.
Notably, Foster’s donation toward the Shaboo
Stage on Jillson Square went a long way in
realizing Willimantic’s amphitheater, which
opened in August, 2018 with performances from,
among others, Jose Feliciano and the Shaboo
All-Stars, a local band of which Foster is a
member. Foster was one of the original owners
of the Shaboo Inn in Mansfield, the music venue
which sponsored nearly 3000 concerts from
1971 to 1982, bringing renowned artists such as
Blood, Sweat and Tears , Bonnie Raitt, Jonathan
Edwards, James Montgomery, Journey and Sting
to Thread City. The Stage’s Debut was one of
many benefit concerts Foster has been involved
with. He was instrumental in raising $8000
recently for the Covenant Soup Kitchen with
performances of the Shaboo All Stars at the
Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den and Willimantic’s
Bread Box Theater, and in 2014 he participated
in a concert on the stage of our own Community
Center with proceeds donated to the Hampton
Fuel Fund.
Most recently, Foster has vowed to purchase a
new facility for the No Freeze Project, Windham’s
homeless shelter, when the current location
closes this spring.
The Town of Hampton salutes you, David Foster.
Your cultural
contributions
and charitable
acts are
inspiring, and
we’re proud
to say that
you’re our
neighbor.
BURGLURIES CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
HOURS Wednesday 12-8PM, Thursday & Friday 9AM-12PM, Saturday 9AM-3PM
WEB: fletchermemoriallibrary.org 860.455.1086
6
MONTHLY EVENTS
March 11 Artist’s Reception with Lula Blocton
4:45 – 6PM. Art demonstration with
Hampton’s Lula Blocton, our March – April
featured artist, will start at 5PM. Refreshments
will be served.
March 11 Book Discussion Group 6:30PM
We will discuss Angela’s Ashes by Frank
McCourt. New members are always welcome!
March 14 “Music for Children” with Maria
Sangiolo 10:30AM. Maria Sangiolo will
perform interactive music for children which
will have them bouncing out of their seats,
singing and learning all at the same time!
March 14 St. Patrick’s Day Craft & Story
Immediately following the musical program,
we invite you to hear a story and create a craft
to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Refreshments
will be served; all ages welcome.
Wednesday Afternoons Knitting Group
NOON – 3PM. Drop in and have a cup of tea or
coffee and work on a needlework project, or just
come in to socialize. All are welcome!
Wednesday Afternoons Mah Jongg Class
1 – 4:30PM. We are pleased to offer free classes
on Mah Jongg, an ancient Asian game played
with tiles, in our new sun room.
Thursday Mornings Yoga & Meditation Instruc-
tion 9:15 – 10:30AM. Yoga & Meditation classes
are held in our new sun room on Thursday morn-
ings.
Friday Mornings Story Time, Song & Play
10 – 11AM. For children ages 0-5 and their
caregivers, an interactive program using a variety
of musical instruments, rhymes, songs, finger
plays, puppets, as well as a story or two.
Drop-In Adult Coloring: Experience the
stress-reducing and meditative benefits of color-
ing in this drop-in program. Sheets and pencils
will be provided, but feel free to bring your own.
For more information on all listed programs,
please call the library at 860.455.1086.
NEW BOOKS
Lots of popular fiction this month from the likes of Rennie Airth, Preston &
Child, Luanne Rice and Clive Cussler. You can catch up with Bertie Pollock
in Alexander McCall Smith’s latest 44 Scotland Street volume, with the
fantastic imagination of Isabel Allende in her new novel, read about real life
crooks in The Last Job or learn about Ian McKellen in a new biography.
FICTION
Rennie Airth The Decent Inn of Death
Isabel Allende A Long Petal of the Sea
Marie Benedict Lady Clementine
Elizabeth Berg The Confession Club
Georgie Blalock The Other Windsor Girl
Jeanine Cummings American Dirt
Clive Cussler Final Option
Joseph Finder House on Fire
Gregg Hurwitz Into the Fire
Jayne Ann Krentz The Vanishing
Jeffrey P. Lindsay Just Watch Me
Alexander McCall Smith The Peppermint Tea Chronicles (44
Scotland St. series)
Ann Napolitano Dear Edward
Preston & Child Crooked River
Luanne Rice Last Day
Jennifer Ryan The Spies of Shilling Lane
Karina Sainz Borgo It Would Be Night in Caracas
Magda Szabo Abigail
Brad Taylor Hunter Killer
Beatriz Williams All the Ways We Said Goodbye
NON-FICTION
Dan Bilefsky The Last Job (The Hatton Garden Heist)
Garry O’Connor Ian McKellen
DVDS: Outlander Season 4, Joker, The Biggest Little Farm, Gemini Man,
The Lighthouse, Harriet, Motherless in Brooklyn.
AUDIOs: This Tender Land, Alone in the Wild: A Rockton Novel
LULA MAE BLOCTON AT TOP SHELF GALLERY
The March and April display at Fletcher Memorial Library's Top Shelf Gallery will feature
oils and wax-based color pencil drawings by Lula Mae Blocton, former ECSU professor of art.
Blocton does brilliantly complex geometric abstracts marked by radiant colors. Her work,
she says, has had two constants: “a love of art– formal, precise, abstract– and a concern for
human dignity and civil rights.”
Her more recent work, while still highly geometric, reflects both the African-American
experience and the inspiration of African art. Blocton has traveled extensively, and some of
her oils and color pencil drawings in the present show include African decorative patterns.
Blocton’s paintings and drawings are in numerous collections, including The Connecticut
State University System, Albright Knox Museum, Prudential Life Insurance Company,
The Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum,
and Indiana University.
The show opens March 4 with the artist’s reception on Wednesday, March 11, from
4:45 – 6PM, with a demonstration of color pencil drawing at 5.
7
Scouts BSA Troop 93 information John Tillinghast, 860.455.9387.
Scouts BSA Troop for girls, Scott Garafano, 860.933.0103
Family Cub Scout Pack 93 information, Tiffany Lutz, 860.546.6699
AREA HIGH SCHOOLS RELEASE HONOR ROLLS
Congratulations to the following students for placement on their schools’ honor
rolls.
Arts at the Capitol Theater
Grade 10 High Honors: Emi-Lou Perkins-Couture
Grade 12 Honors: Summer Stoddard
Grade 11 Honors: Olivia Dickinson
Grade 10 Honors: Taegan Praytor
Grade 9 Honors: Gabriel Burrell
Ellis Technical School
Grade 10 High Honors: Dillon Cornell, Brett Gile
Grade 9 High Honors: Kendall Crawford, Caleb Evans, Nathanael Studer
Grade 9 Honors: Jaidyn Armstrong, Devin Cornell
Lyman Memorial
Grade 11 Second Honors: Genevieve Rondeau
Parish Hill Middle/High School
Grade 12 High Honors: Maximilien Blanchard, Rebeca Burnham, Ethan Dunn
Grade 11 High Honors: Brent Freed, Nicholas Meister
Grade 10 High Honors: Vivial Rowntree, Jason Salois
Grade 8 High Honors: Dylan Fernandes
Grade 7 High Honors: Hannah Becker, Harmony Freed, Morgan Lee, Sydney
Lovegreen, Jonah Mlyniec, Kaya Morell, Evelyn Rondeau, Stephen Silva,
Anthony Tatulli
Grade 11 Honors: Kaysie-Marie Dupuis
Grade 10 Honors: Joseph Landolphi, Mason Stoddard
Grade 9 Honors: Levi Ethan
Grade 8 Honors: Isabella Chokas, Ralph Marden
Saint Bernard School
Headmaster’s List: Colin Britner
High Honor Roll: Serena Britner
Windham Technical School
Grade 10 Honors: Owen Letson
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to the following students for earning Dean’s List distinction at
their respective schools.
Eastern Connecticut State University: Anna Bourassa, Noah Chokas.
Congratulations also to Ashley Walton who graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art.
Springfield College: Alexander Simon
University of Connecticut: Sarah Danielson, Sarina Dery
NEWS FROM LYMAN
Recently, the Lebanon Regional Future Farmers of
America Chapter’s Parent and Alumni Association
hosted the Pasta Dinner and Square Dance at the First
Congregational Church of Lebanon. All proceeds went to the Morehouse
Scholarship which is open to application for all FFA seniors. Several students
helped to set-up and serve food at the dinner. Immediately following the
dinner was the square dance, open to the public and FFA District 5, which
includes four different FFA Chapters. In attendance were several members
from the Ledyard Chapter, which will host our next district event -- bowling.
Shortly after February break, we had our FFA (spirit) Week. Students were
encouraged to dress up in accordance with the name of each day: ‘Merica
Monday, Boot Day Tuesday, Official Dress Wednesday, Flannel Thursday,
and FFA Friday, when we had our annual pancake breakfast hosted by our
natural resource teacher and FFA Advisor, Mr. Picard, in our new food lab.
Our chapter is also trying something new this year by hosting a clothing drive
where all clothes will be donated to a nonprofit organization. Lastly, we are
all very excited for the beginning of the lambing season and are welcoming
three new lambs with hopefully several more to follow.
Genevieve Rondeau
Lebanon Regional FFA Reporter
SCOUTING NEWS
On the weekend of February 14-16, Scouts BSA
Troops 93 and 1093 invited the oldest Cub Scouts to
join them on a cabin camping adventure at the JN
Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford. The Troop
girls and boys planned and carried out a variety of
activities as well as the menu and the logistics. On
this very cold Saturday, the Scouts completed lessons
in first aid, fire building and safety, knot tying, and a
flag retirement ceremony held at the campfire. The
fun included hiking around Goss Pond, Manhunt,
and Capture the Flag. All this activity left all
the Scouts entertained, enriched, and exhausted!
On February 8th, Family Cub Scout Pack 93 held its
annual Blue and Gold Banquet to celebrate the
110th birthday of Scouting. The Scouts and their
families enjoyed a delicious potluck meal and fun
games. Scouts earning their next rank were: Sam
Caisse with Bear and Gracelyn Brohinsky, Cecelia
Nunn, and Sean Postemski with Wolf.
Congratulations to all!
UPCOMING FOOD DRIVE
March is here and that means it’s time for the annual
Scout Food Drive. Every year Hampton residents
open their cupboards and wallets to donate about
a thousand items of food and personal care
items. These are then distributed to the Hampton
Food Pantry, housed at the Congregational Church,
and the Covenant Soup Kitchen. The boys and girls
of Family Cub Scouts Pack 93 and Scouts BSA
Troops 93 and 1093 will be distributing bags and
collecting food. On Saturday, March 21, bags with
flyers will be hung on mail box posts. Bags will also
be available in the post office lobby for PO Box
holders. On the following Saturday, March 28,
donations will be collected. You can drop off your
donation at the Hampton Congregational Church
between 8 and 10:30AM. If you wish to have your
donation picked up, please call 860.208.2848 and
leave your name and address. Please help us to
once again make this event a success.
Donated items should be non-perishable items such
as the following: cereal, canned soups, baby food,
canned pastas (with and without meat), canned
beans, fruit juice (bottles boxes and pouches), coffee
(ground or bean), canned fish and meat, peanut
butter, sugar, diapers (all sizes) and wipes, plastic
grocery bags, paper lunch bags for Sunday bagged
lunches, feminine and personal care items (soaps,
tooth brushes, deodorant) zip baggies and small
and large paper plates.
Michelle Mlyniec
8
RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Chicken & Rice
or “Sick Chicken”, so named by Gay Wagner’s children because she
invariably made if for families with illnesses; it’s nearly as beneficial as
chicken soup.
1 cup rice or basmati (not quick cooking)
2 ½ cups water
8 - 9 chicken parts (I use thighs)
1 chopped apple
1 chopped medium onion
1-2 chopped celery stalks
thyme, salt & pepper (or your preferred
herbs)
Combine rice, apple, onion, celery and
water in a 9x13 baking dish. Add salt,
pepper and thyme. Cut excess fat off
the chicken parts (leave skin on to crisp)
and layer over the rice/water. Season the chicken with salt, pepper
and thyme. Bake at 375 degrees for an hour or until chicken has
browned, rice has absorbed the water, and is tender. Delicious
because the chicken drippings flavor the rice as the dish cooks.
Leftovers reheat well.
FALLEN LOG HOMESTEAD BAKERY
Baked goods are a favorite no matter the season
or the occasion, and it seems they are a necessity
to every post-meal whether at home or at a
gathering. Not only are they a tasty comfort to us
all, but they spark conversation and interest and
even introduce us to the people that make them.
Baker and Hampton resident Judy Kauffman
opened up shop back in October, and has been
baking and taking orders for the community since.
Fallen Log Homestead Bakery is located right on
Route 6, at 500 Providence Turnpike, just before
the Brooklyn town line. The Kauffman cottage is
one you can’t miss, and one where customer
favorites such as Judy’s whoopie pies and dinner
rolls are all made fresh and by hand.
Judy’s whoopie pies are her most popular item,
and for good reason. The chocolate whoopie pies,
that come with either vanilla, mocha or peanut
butter filling, can be requested and ordered at any
time, and it’s not just her whoopie pies that she
can whip up; she also makes cookies, pies, bread,
and cupcakes. Her breads, which range from
white, cheddar cheese, jalapeno cheddar cheese,
cinnamon raisin, zucchini bread, and banana nut
bread, are quite popular as well. Her dinner rolls
are also a favorite, which the Senior Luncheon
often orders and serves.
All of Judy’s baked goods are fresh and cooked
by hand. “We’re Fresh Matters” she expressed
her slogan with a smile, adding that all of her pie
fillings are made from scratch. It’s not just the fact that you’ll get fresh
baked goods that have the quality and taste to match, it’s also the prices
that will make them even more appealing. A plain loaf of bread costs
only $5, and if you want the cheddar cheese bread or the jalapeno
bread, it will only cost you $7. The prices for the pies go from $5 to
$12 depending on the size, and her cookies are sold by the dozen
($4.25/dozen).
As for the future of the bakery, Judy plans to be open year round by
next year, and come spring, Fallen Log Homestead Bakery will be open
from 10AM to 5PM and will also start taking gluten free orders. She
also plans on selling coffee and tea by the spring season. HOPE Coffee
is the brand she’ll be buying from, and this particular coffee comes
straight from Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. What’s amazing
about this brand is that the coffee beans are purchased directly from
the farmers that grow them, and the proceeds go toward projects to
help the people of these countries as well as the farmers.
With affordable prices and food cooked with care, you shouldn’t have
to look further than Fallen Log Homestead Bakery for quality baked
goods. “We enjoy the community and want to give back to the
community,” Judy stated. It’s a kind gesture, and one that is extremely
appreciated. If you haven’t already, and would like to place an order
and receive a delicious treat, you can call Judy at 717.468.3174.
Whether it be her highly requested chocolate whoopie pies or her
spectacular bread that you order, you surely won’t be disappointed.
Suli Perez-Pagan
2019 HOLIDAY DOOR DECORATION FAVORITES!
On behalf of the Historical Society, I’d like to say “ thank you” to all
who participated in the Holiday Door Contest. This is a fun way to
appreciate our neighbors’ efforts to make our town and Holiday season
shine. The three top favorites were 154 Hammond Hill Road, 131 Main
Street, and 749 Pudding Hill Road.
Sue Hochstetter
9
COMING TO HAMPTON
In early 2018, my husband Michael and I made a spur of the moment, but
at the same time carefully considered, decision to move from our 20-year
home in Stonington up to “the Quiet Corner.” There were many reasons
for this choice ranging from the cost of living on the Connecticut shore to the
desire for a quieter, less frenetic way of life. There was even the element as
simple as taking on “the challenge” of relocating from a place where we
had sunk deep roots. It is easy to get comfortably settled in a place and
moving home is a great way to test one’s endurance for drastic change.
When successful, it is a reassuring reminder that you are able to handle
whatever changes may come your way.
We are both by profession artists and artisans and because of our self-
employed and childless status we were able to relocate relatively easily
thanks to our being able to work from anywhere and without the concerns
faced by families with younger children. As location was not a limiting issue
for us, it became merely a question of where we would like our new home
to be. The Quiet Corner came to mind as I grew up here, and while I
hadn’t lived here in 20 years, it was an area familiar and dear to me.
Michael, while originally from southwestern Connecticut and not particularly
familiar with this part of the state was drawn to its quiet existence and
calmer way of life.
And then there is the historic home factor …We both greatly appreciate
history and we both love historic homes. Our Stonington home, while not
as old as our Hampton home, was a small 1932 cape built on a family farm
with a history dating back to the early 1700s. While not family members
ourselves, we were very much embraced by the family (descendants of the
very same family who first established the farm in 1712) and we were gifted
with the vast knowledge of history they harbored. We worked very hard to
learn everything we could about the property and maintain the house in the
original fashion true to its 1930’s era construction.
From the moment we first set foot into what is now our Main Street house
we knew immediately that it was “home.” Main Street itself is like a step
back in time and the beautifully maintained homes are a wonderful tribute
to the Quiet Corner’s long history. We were excited and prepared to take
on the responsibility of a long line of both past and future caretakers for our
1870 home.
Shortly before leaving Stonington I was talking
with a friend who had taken on the task of
relocating several years prior. I remember
most clearly her telling me “there are
wonderful things and difficult things about
moving and you won’t truly understand either
until you have done it.” It seemed like an
odd thing to say at the time but in retrospect,
she was oh so right.
Initially, just the physical reality of packing up
a home of 20 years, and two home businesses
of an equally long duration, was daunting. It
was literally months of preparation combined
with the stress of both buying our new home
and the necessity of selling our current
home. I remember well the sigh of relief
issued as the last box of our possessions came
through the door of our Main Street home.
Before our actual first night in our Hampton
house, I was under the impression that this
relocation was merely a move “back
home.” I grew up literally less than seven
miles from our new Hampton home and
thought of this as “returning to from whence
I came.” I quickly realized I was very much
mistaken. Hampton, while only a few miles
away, is worlds apart from the community in
which I grew up. I was born and raised in
Mansfield which, in comparison to the small
community of Hampton, is a town with a
much larger, highly transient population
mostly on account of the University. Because
of this, one is afforded a fair degree of
anonymity. The community was small enough
to feel “tight knit” but large enough that you
were forever encountering people you did not
yet know. Hampton, in contrast, is so small
that everyone knows who you are before you
introduce yourself. This can be a bit of a
challenge when it comes to defining yourself
to others, but at the same time it provides a
comfort in knowing how close knit this
community truly is.
Finding your way in a small New England
community is challenging and I think
“strangers” are always a bit suspect. But slowly
at first, and overtime, we have gotten to know
many wonderful people in this magical place
who have, in a relatively short period, proven
to be a great support. Many of the friendships
we have forged here in less than two years are
stronger than ones established over 20 years
on the shore. Those new ties are a beautiful
reminder of the value of small town living and
what can happen when people truly reach out
to each other.
Laura McCabe
Harold Stone remembered: We had two woodsheds that would hold
twenty cords apiece, plus some extry, and when I left the farm there,
those sheds were packed full, and the chunks were in a separate place
for the big wood.
Cows were not the only animals on the farm. Heifer calves were raised;
bulls were sold. There were pigs in the pig pen. “Mother Stone had
chickens in the old farm house yard,” Phyllis recalls. “Walt Jr. wanted to
raise chickens, so we bought 75 broilers. When it was time to kill them,
he went to help his dad, put one on the chopping block and that was
it.” Phyllis did the rest, but she never plucked or cleaned a chicken.
Perhaps it was an old wives’ tale, but she was told that if you didn’t do
it just right, you could disturb a gland and it would make the meat
bitter. In those days, for Sunday dinners guests would sometimes come
and kill and pluck and clean the chicken, and then enjoy the meal.
The farm saw many changes through the years, some resulting from
growth, others from legislation. When Clarence and Walter purchased
the farm, there were 50 cows; the Stone Brothers increased the
number to one hundred. Harold relays that there were no more than
twenty cows at a time when he grew up there. He recalled:
I had a milking stool that had a little platform in front where you could
rest the pail instead of having to hold it tight with your knees the way
you do when you use an ordinary three-legged milking stool. It was quite
a help!
Elmer Stone milked the cows by hand in the black barn; Walt and
Clarence machine-milked. Phyllis remembers when there was no milk
room and all the equipment was cleaned in her house and returned to
the barn. When the laws changed, a larger barn was built with a milking
room, and the pig pen was moved far from the dairy operations. The
methods for milk storage changed a lot also. Harold described:
You set your milk in these tin pans about ten to twelve inches across the
top, smaller across the bottom. And up home we had what you called a
milk, butter, and cheese pantry known as a butt’ry besides the other
pantry where you kept your food. 10
THE GROW FARM ON GROW HILL:
THE STONE BROTHERS
The “Grow Farm” is one of the oldest in town.
Thomas Grow arrived in Hampton in 1730, like
several of our earliest settlers from Andover,
Massachusetts, and purchased 100 acres in the
northernmost portion of town, at that time part
of Pomfret and referred to, for a long while and
sometimes still, as “Grow Hill”. There were no
buildings on the parcel at that time, though the
house, one of the oldest in town, was built
between 1730 and 1748 when Grow, who died
a few years later in 1755, deeded half of the land,
which included the house “where I now live”, to
his son, Thomas Jr., and the other half to his son
Joseph. The earliest section of the house is the
south-facing salt box, which remains on the
property and is now part of “Woodhill Farm”.
The “Grow Farm” has been in the Stone family
since 1876. Phyllis Stone has lived there since1953,
nearly three-quarters of a century, and her late
husband and long-time First Selectman Walt lived
there all his life. Walt’s father Elmer was also raised
on the farm, along with two siblings and four
half-siblings, including Harold, whose memories of
the farm are recorded in “Hampton Remembers”:
When I was a small boy my day started about
ha’ past five or a little earlier than that because
we had to have our milk cooled and down to Elliot
Station by seven o’clock. We had the stables to
clean and the milking and we had to pitch out the
silage after we got a silo and pitch down the hay,
and feed ‘em the grain…We had to pump the wa-
ter and turn the cows out into what was the horse
barn there because that’s where the pump was and
one boy could pump and keep pumping, steady, if
two cows were drinking.
Elmer and his sons ran the farm until two of them,
Clarence and Walter, purchased it in 1954 when
the dairy farm became known as the “Stone
Brothers”. Mother and Father Stone lived in the
old farm house, in the half facing north, while
Clarence and his wife Bea lived in the other half,
and Walt and Phyllis raised their family in the
house she still lives in. There were plenty of
buildings to accommodate the daily operations.
Phyllis remembers the big, black barn, a small
garage which served as a tool shed and an oil shed,
a garage for vehicles, a pig pen, another large barn,
and a pole barn beyond it for the cattle, recalling
that Walt told his son Walt Jr. that he couldn’t mar-
ry his future wife, Pam Colburn, until the pole barn
was completed. Mr. Colburn, she relayed, brought
a bunch of friends to finish building it.
Phyllis remembers when it was stored in milk cans placed in a large
container chilled with water. Raw milk, she says, was given to babies,
but it had to be from the same cow, according to Dr. Valentine, so that
if the baby had digestion problems, the milk could easily be tested. The
Stones sold raw milk directly to customers until the laws changed; then
the milk was sold to Cumberland Farms. The milk was poured into a
bulk tank which was hitched to a milk truck and hauled away.
Phyllis and Bea kept the books for the farming operation, but that was
not their only job. An enormous breakfast was prepared every morning
for when the milking, which started at sunrise, was finished: fresh juice,
cereal and fruit, eggs, bacon or sausage, fried bread, pancakes, milk,
coffee, and sometimes homemade donuts. After breakfast, cleaning
the barn and washing the pails were among the many farm tasks to
complete daily. “There’s always something to do on a farm,”
Phyllis said.
Phyllis went to a cattle auction only once to see what it was like.
“I didn’t know how to bid, I didn’t understand the process. Just a wink
or a nod was sufficient,” she explains. “I bid once by mistake, and Walt
asked, ‘why are you bidding?’ I didn’t know I had!” They didn’t wind
up with that cow, though they did leave with another. “Elmer always
said – look at the back end. It should look like it was hit with a board,
and check out its teeth,” Phyllis recalls. “The auctioneer brought out this
cow and I thought – look at those teeth! Look at that stature! This must
be a good cow!” Walt was part of the bidding, but when it went too
high, the bidding stalled. Phyllis asked, “Don’t you want that cow?”
Walt answered, “No, it’s too much.” But Phyllis raised her hand at the
last minute – sold! For $900! “Walt said - what did you do that for?
And I answered – I don’t know – I just did it. Don’t you have enough
money?” Walt, she recalls, explained that he was planning on
purchasing two cows, not one. Needless to say, Clarence was very
angry. “When asked – what are we naming him? – Clarence took off his
hat and scratched his head (those of us who have lived here for a long
while can all see this) and said – Fort Knox! Clarence never allowed me
to go to another auction.”
When Phyllis and Bea tried to milk Fort Knox, the cow broke the
milking machine. Phyllis put the machine on, Bea
dumped the milk, and when Phyllis went to take
the machine off, Fort Knox moved closer to the
cow next to her, squeezing Phyllis – hard – but
Clarence took no pity. Now she refers to it as
“her first hug from Fort Knox,” adding, “She
did produce many good heifers.”
The farm was also a perfect setting for 4-H, and
for 19 years Phyllis’s local club, the “This n’
Thats”, cooked, baked, sewed, and learned
crafts including jewelry, basket weaving, making
moccasin slippers from sheep’s wool. “I loved
working with the kids,” Phyllis says. The girls
also hiked and camped in tents at Crystal Lake –
“29 girls!” – and at Goodwin. “Walt helped set
up and left the truck there,” she recalls. “I don’t
know why – we couldn’t drive it!” Her daughter
Ruth and Jennifer Burr were Junior Leaders and
baton twirlers. They made their own uniforms,
taught the younger girls, marched in the
Memorial Day Parade, and later in the parade at
Eastern States, exhibiting in Connecticut’s 4-H
building where they all earned blue ribbons.
There were, of course, chores for the children on
the farm. Harold relayed:
In the summer you had your haying and those days
you didn’t kill weeds with pesticides. You had to
work. Vacation, I don’t think they knew what the
word meant.
The boys milked before school started, Phyllis
recalls, and Ruth brought the cows in after school
with the dog or her horse. “Walt Jr. was good with
the cows,” Phyllis says. “Jimmy drove the tractor.
He liked machinery. He used to say -- I’d be a
farmer if you could teach the cows to take
Saturday and Sunday off!”
And, of course, there was time for fun. There
was a three acre pond in the back of the property,
and Phyllis remembers making hot chocolate for
all of the members of the Parish Hill band when
the Stones hosted a skating party with a bonfire
on the ice. Skating, swimming, fishing, raising
chickens, feeding calves, planting, tobogganing:
it was a healthy, happy place to grow up.
Well, say, I don’t think the children today have
anywhere near the fun that they had those days.
They worked hard but of course they enjoyed
their time off more. Now everybody has all the
time off and…
Harold Stone
Paintings courtesy of Phyllis Stone (Walter Stone house and
barns by Carolyn Jones, original Grow Farmhouse and ell by
Pat Donahue).
11
GOODWIN CONSERVATION CENTER
March 4 & 19 Relaxed Ramble 11AM – 1PM
Join Goodwin Guide Jack Griffin on a moderate
walk on forest trails. All are welcome. Hiking sticks
are available to borrow.
March 21Long Distance Hike 11AM – 1PM
Enjoy the company of fellow hikers on this three
hour, 5-6 mile hike on our trails.
March 28 Game of Logging Certified Training:
Chainsaw Training for the Novice and Ama-
teur 8AM – 4PM
Registration is required for this program with
certified instructor Bill Girard designed for novice
or amateur chainsaw users. Students bring their
own saws and safety gear, practice the skills
taught, and fell trees under the guidance of a
professional instructor. Topics covered include:
personal protective equipment, routine saw
maintenance, chain sharpening, notching and
boring techniques, safe felling practices, using
wedges, limbing, and handling difficult trees.
Registration form and payment must be received
by March 21. Contact Beth Bernard
CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY
GRASSLAND BIRD CONSERVATION CENTER
218 DAY ROAD, POMFRET CENTER
March 2 – 30 Monday Morning Walks 8:30AM
March 4 – 25 Wednesday Noon Walks NOON
March 5 (5:30PM) 14 & 19 (6:45PM) & 27 (7PM)
Woodcock Watches
March 8 Reception & Exhibition: Focus on Nature
Photography Contest 2PM
March 9 Being the Change: A New Kind of Climate
Documentary 6:30PM
March 14 (in Willington) & 21 (in Canterbury)
Citizen Science Volunteer Monitoring Program:
Tracking Hikes 9AM – 3PM
March 24 – May 26 Tuesday Master Naturalist Vol-
unteer Training Program 8AM - NOON
March 24 & 31 Early Morning Bird Walks 8AM
March 28 Bull Hill Hike 9AM
The Center at Pomfret’s Summer Camp Online
Registration is now open. Please find us online at
ctaudubon.org/pomfret-camp
TRAILWOOD
93 KENYON ROAD, HAMPTON
March 6 –27 Friday afternoon walks, 1PM. Join plant enthusiast Anne
Christie and nature photographer Amy Porter for a leisurely walk on the
trails at Trail Wood. All ages welcome.
March 6 Full Moon Walk: Worm or Sap Moon 7:30PM
Walk to the Beaver Pond by moonlight and enjoy a campfire.
March 7 Trail Wood Troubadours 6:30 – 9PM
Join a group of musicians and music lovers on the first Saturday of the
month to play and sing songs written during the period Teale lived at
Trail Wood, 1959-1980. Register at ctaudubon.org/trail-wood; space is
limited to 12 participants per session.
March 8 Hooray! It’s Daylight Savings Walk 4PM
Appreciate the late afternoon light on a walk through Trail Wood, with
readings from Teale’s “North with the Spring.”
March 27 Frog and Toad Calls 6:30PM
Learn to identify who is calling in your back yard! Follow up with an
evening walk around the pond to see if we can hear them.
March 28 Easter Egg Painting Workshop 9AM – 12:30PM
Learn to blow eggs and hand paint and decorate them. Eggs will be
provided; share ideas for an Easter Egg tree.
March 29 Open House 1-3PM
Visit the home of Edwin Way Teale and his wife Nellie. Learn about
Teale’s life and work, visit his study and Writing Cabin.
Applications accepted through March 15 for the 2020 Summer Writer &
Artist In-Residence Program. For more information and forms visit
ctaudubon.org/trail-wood.
12
JOSHUA’S TRUST
Joshua’s Trust and the Connecticut Museum of Natural History recently co-sponsored a series of three talks on climate change.
The last of these is on March 8 at 2PM in Room 130 at the UConn Biology/Physics Building on North Eagleville Road. Beth
Bernard will direct activities specifically for children on climate change based on curriculum designed by the award winning
Project Learning Tree. After the talk, there will be a brief reception as well as information tables.
GERTRUDE: TRIBUTE TO A HEN
Gertrude. The name is of German origin and means
“strength”. Our Gertie wasn’t from Germany, but she was
every bit as strong as the ‘name meaning’ suggests.
We brought Gertrude home in the summer of 2014 along
with her younger sister Dandy (short for Dandelion – so
named to reflect her very sunny disposition). Although the
two girls were very young, they were already producing silky
smooth, light brown eggs. Both were a beautiful deep shade
of rusty red. Our knowledge of Rhode Island Reds was
limited but we knew the breed was hardy and that they
were good layers.
Gertrude took charge the second we let her out of her
crate. She was met at the gate by our three large Brahmas:
Jack – our sweet handsome rooster, and his two sisters –
Shea and Brownie. Standing in front of Dandy, Gert clucked and squawked
and strutted, letting everyone know that she was the boss. I don’t understand
chicken language, but she must’ve explained herself in a way that meant
‘business’ because nobody rebutted or asked any questions! Usually when
new chickens are put into the fold, scuffles break out until a pecking order is
established. Brownie and Shea, who were much bigger than Gert, stood
behind Jack as if to say ‘yes ma’am’. And Jack… well, Jack fell head over heels
in love with Dandy the moment he saw her. He willingly gave up his authority
so he could be with Dandy. Once she realized he wasn’t going to hurt her,
Gertrude let Jack follow Dandelion everywhere she went. And Dandy was in
heaven. They’d dart across the yard chasing bugs together, hold up weird
shaped blades of grass for the other to examine, and do what they loved most
– taking baths in the dirt on a sunny day. Brownie and Shea always joined in,
while cautious Gert stood guard, surveying the skies for predators. After Jack
had his fill, he’d take over the watch and Gert would flop down next to her
sister. That chicken was a contortionist. She could get herself into shapes and
positions one wouldn’t think possible for a bird. Then she’d just lay there, still
as a stone, letting the sun soak in. The others would stand up, shake off, and
gaze down at her in wonder. She was so entertaining.
Gertrude was stern, but fair. When disagreements did break out, she’d get
right in the middle of the brawl and, I’m convinced, tell everyone to shake
hands and make up. We’d watch her cluck at one, then the other, and then
back at the first one. To our amazement, peace would be restored and soon
the whole flock was running around and playing again. And when Jack was
sulking over whatever roosters sulk about, Gert would comfort him and gently
groom his comb and waddles, bringing instant relief. Gert was like a ‘super
chicken’! Not surprising. There have been many ‘super Gertrudes’ throughout
history. To name a few:
Gertrude Courtenay (1504 – 1558) Marchioness of Exeter, married to Henry
Courtenay of the court of Henry VIII , and godmother to the future Elizabeth I.
Gertrude Bell (1868–1926) archaeologist and spy
Gertrude Weil (1879–1971) Jewish American activist in women's suffrage,
labor reform, and civil rights
Gertrud Luckner (1900–1995) Christian social worker against Nazism
Gertrude Crampton (1909–1996) American children’s writer and teacher
Gertrude Alderfer (1931–2018) American professional baseball player
Gertrude Vachon (1962–2010) better known as Luna Vachon, American
professional wrestler
There are so many more not mentioned here. All strong, amazing women.
All with the name – Gertrude.
13
Huffpost, “Parenting – 15 Girls' Names
That Have Plummeted in Popularity --
How Times Have Changed”, by Caroline
Bologna, states: “Gertrude peaked in
popularity in 1906, when it took the No. 22
spot on the list. That year, 2,580 baby girls
were named Gertrude. Its final year in the
rankings was 1965, and in 2017, a mere 26
baby Gertrudes came into the world.”
Which in my humble opinion, makes the
name even more special.
As time went by, new members were
added to the flock and some have passed.
An optimist at heart, I always hope (expect)
everyone to live to their maximum life span
age. Most chickens live five to seven years
although ten to twelve years is not
uncommon. So of course, I think all my
feathered babies will live to be at least ten.
I miss the ones who aren’t here, but have
sweet memories of their time with
our family.
We didn’t have Gert for ten years, but
we did get to enjoy her loveliness for six
delightful years. Although I’m no longer an
inexperienced farm girl and have set more
realistic expectations around the life spans
of chickens, I still feel that sad little sting
when one is gone. Gertrude was a real lady.
She was a champ. She was a Marchioness,
archaeologist, activist, social worker, writer,
wrestler and baseball player. She was a silky
red head who laid the most perfectly
shaped, delicious brown eggs. She was
sergeant, flock mate, sister, family. Regal,
confident, unselfish, calming. She was our
chicken. She was our Gertie. Thanks for
the memories Gertrude! Here’s to you!
Gertrude: (2014 – 2020) Rhode Island Red
from Hampton, Connecticut.
Cindy Bezanson
ROBERT VERNON GARNER JR.
passed away on December 26, 2019, in the 84th year
of his life. Bob’s illustrious career in aviation began in
1957, after joining the Navy Reserve and studying
aircraft mechanics at Boston University, when he
was commissioned a Naval Aviator and Officer and
assigned to VP8. He was a commercial aviation pilot
for Pan American World Airways, and continued
flying as a “weekend warrior” in the Naval Re-
serve. Upon hearing of an opportunity for helicopter
training in the Army, he enlisted, trained to fly heli-
copters, and joined the Rhode Island Air National
Guard. In 1988 he resigned from his military service
and retired from Pan Am, spending his time here on
Sunset Hill with his family. Our condolences to his
wife, Betty, of 59 years, his sons Robert, David, and
Henry Garner and his wife Michelle, his daughter
Anne Curry and her husband, Thomas, his grandson
Brewster Curry and his wife Julia and their children,
Rudolf and Thomas, and his granddaughters,
Alison Curry and Greta Garner, who shares her
loving eulogy with us.
Dear O’Papa,
As I look back, there are many memories I can recall
that I will forever tuck safe inside my soul. Like when
you, me, and O’Mama made tons of lemonade all
summer, or when you took me for bike rides, or
when we played checkers, or when we talked –
especially when we talked. We talked to each other
lots of places, but my favorite place was when I
came to Sunset Hill early in the morning with my
dad and you were the only one awake, downstairs in
the kitchen, and we would talk to each other. We would talk to each other about
anything in the world – events in our lives or things on our mind which untwined
itself into long conversations, branching out into exchanges lasting hours on end
while we waited for O’Mama to come down or Anne to arrive. Always, you were
a house, especially in those conversations. You were a house; a safe, nurturing
house where I could let out anything weighing me down.
You were a house of wisdom. You have taught me countless things. You taught me
that my emotions were valid and you always made me feel special. You let me
pour my tears out onto you and you always wanted to help me feel better. You
taught me that I was important and you taught me self-value. You even took me
to Munson’s when I was crying once because you know that rich chocolate helps
heal the wounds. You taught me all about the future. You taught me what it
means to fall in love. You rooted joy into every situation; driving to school, leaving
school, or even riding a panicking pony galloping away with me. You found ways
to make everything fun, whether that was singing “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
or cracking up over the littlest things or entertaining me with memories from your
life. By being yourself, you brought the sunshine into any situation. Many people
know you by the mischievous twinkle in your eye and your sense of humor. I
remember the time in second or third grade when you were dropping me off at
school and I was crying because I didn’t want you to leave. I hadn’t cried getting
dropped off in years! That tells you something.
You were strong in every single way. The most obvious ways are in your career,
that you were in the Army, that you climbed up into the hayloft and drove your
tractor and rode your bike all around town into your 80’s – but you were also
strong in your unwavering faith, your unbeatable bravery, and your determination
throughout all the hard places in your life. I saw this power inside you most clearly
when you broke your neck and your ribs and God knows what else, and you
stood up and fought and tried again and didn’t let your failures knock you down
and you recovered. You lived life to the very fullest. You made it rich and you
created the colors that made it so beautiful. At the end of your time here, when
you were fighting against your cancer, you were so strong – even if you were too
tired to carry on. You didn’t tell us how much you were hurting because you
cared so deeply about us. You didn’t want us to worry – and although we may
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ROBERT GARNER OBITUARY CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
have wished you would have told us, your actions radiate a special
kind of strength.
You were always so kind, so generous, and so thoughtful. You
put an incredible effort into being the best father, husband, and
grandfather you could be. You are the best grandpa in the whole
wide world to me and you always will be. Although you had a
tough and resilient shell, the rawness found deep inside your
heart was what made you such a wonderful person. Animal
movies and beautiful songs made you cry. I remember when you
read a card you wrote to O’Mama and you told her that she was
your best friend and it sent tears streaming down your face;
and I knew from then on that when you said or felt something
important that you truly meant, it was easy to tell from how it
pulled on your heartstrings. You felt such tenderness and
understanding for others who were hurting and you included
everyone; welcomed everyone into your life like they should
consider themselves one of the family.
I miss you. I miss your hugs. I see you in the stars that light up the
sky at night, I see you in the sunsets on your homeland, I see you
in the deep blue sky that you have flown through in many an
airplane at the tippity top of the world. I think of you often – but
now I know that you’re always safe, always at peace and living in
eternal glory with the Lord. You’re always watching over us and
looking after us just like you did here on earth. One of the last
things that I told you is that this isn’t goodbye forever – that
I would see you again one day and to you it wouldn’t seem like a
very long time that we’re gone. I’m going to strive to be the best
person I can be, just like you did, so that I can be with you again
one day.
I love you. Greta
The Hampton Gazette
PO Box 101
Hampton, CT 06247