volume xlii, no. 7 august 2019
TRANSCRIPT
VOLUME XLII, No. 7
AUGUST 2019
VOLUME XLII, No. 7 AUGUST 2019
The Hampton Gazette
EDITOR
Dayna McDermott-Arriola
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Juan Arriola, Chair
Peter Witlowski, Treasurer
Sulema Perez-Pagan, Secretary
Angela Fichter
Diane Gagnon
PRODUCTION
Mary Oliver, Art Direction
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THUMBS UP: to the town’s fiscal authorities for producing budgets that resulted in a
nearly three mill reduction this year. Hampton must be one of very few towns, if not
the only one, that continuously holds or reduces its mill rate despite decreases in
State funding. We appreciate these efforts of the Boards of Selectmen and Finance.
THUMBS DOWN: to the Board of Education for awarding a contract that includes an 8%
raise for the elementary school’s principal prior to the town’s passage of their budget.
The vote is the taxpayers’ “say” in monies spent, and this would include approval, or
disapproval, of the raise of the town’s top paid official.
Board of Selectmen
Town Hall Community Room
Monday, August 5, 7:00PM
Inland Wetlands
Town Hall Conference Room
Tuesday, August 6, 7:00PM
Board of Finance
Town Hall Community Room
Tuesday, August 13, 7:00PM
Green Committee
Town Hall Conference Room
Wednesday, August 14, 7:00PM
Agriculture Commission
Town Hall Conference Room
Thursday, August 15, 7:00PM
Conservation Commission
Town Hall Conference Room
Tuesday, August 20, 6:30PM
Planning and Zoning
Town Hall Community Room
Monday, August 26, 7:00PM
RD#11 Board Meeting
PHHS Library
Tuesday, August 27, 7:00PM
HES Board of Education
HES Library
Wednesday, August 28, 7:00PM
For more information on Hampton
Happenings, please visit our Town online at
www.hamptonct.org
Our town's oldest resident, Josephine Dauphin, recently celebrated her 99th birthday! Having lived in
Hampton for over sixty years, Josephine still resides in the home where she and her late husband, Ferdinand,
or "Fred", as we knew him, raised their daughters, Shirley Dauphin Scarpino and Carol Dauphin Kilburn.
The remarkable matriarch is pictured here, front and center, with her beautiful family.
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Our neighbors’ cat seems to be using our raised
vegetable garden as a litter box. I imagine this sort
of fertilizer is harmful to the vegetables. The cat is
friendly and over here frequently, and we haven’t
mentioned it to the neighbors because it would be
impossible to keep the cat out of our yard and
unfair to keep it in their house all the time. She’s
such a sweet little cat, and we welcome the rest
of her company.
Loving the Country Life
My Dear Neighbor:
It is heartwarming to hear from someone who is
not only a courteous neighbor but understands the
difficulties faced by cat owners who know that Fluffy
would rather hang herself than face a lifetime locked
indoors. This concession to the one habit
of domestic animals that cannot be broken—this
connection to their tawny brethren of the veldt that
turns nearly all cats into small furry Marines—can be
quite distressing to those close by with a) wildlife
they would like to see remain alive, and b) garden
areas that should not be used as public latrines.
Auntie Mac believes, with a sigh, that we must allow
cats to do what they will—within reason. (Stray and
feral cats are, however, a topic for another day and
require compassionate intervention on our parts.)
As ruler of your domain you can choose to establish
certain boundaries. Since you profess to liking the
presence of the purring invader, this may prove to
be a bit more complex, but it can be done. Citrus
peels or meadow rue sprinkled around the edge of
the raised bed might do the trick, or if the cat has a
preferred spot, the temporary placement of thorny
branches (or dare I suggest barbed wire) or chicken
wire directly above the soils will urge Pussums to
seek relief elsewhere. In Auntie Mac’s experience,
there’s not much harm that can come to plants,
but the bottom line is that responsible pet owners
should not allow unacceptable behavior that harms
their neighbors’ enjoyment of their own home.
My favorite deterrent to unwanted feline guests,
however, is water—in a super-soaker gun or
long-distance jet hose aimed with military precision
at the offender from your kitchen window or other
location where you will remain unseen and
therefore still be “the nice humans next door.”
One needs to confront these intrepid explorers
Marine to Marine.
Your Auntie Mac
TRAVERSING THE EMERALD ISLE
IRELAND PART I: THE ROOTS
Our trip to Ireland started when Dayna woke me up from a sound
sleep to whisper, “Let’s go to Ireland”. She claims I said “OK”, and with
those five words we prepared for our trip, and an opportunity for
India to visit the land of her mother’s ancestors – the McDermotts and
the Fitzgeralds.
Let’s get the difficult facet out of the way first: driving. I don’t want to
dwell on it throughout this journal, though I could. Suffice to say - it was
an adjustment – driving, and shifting, on the left, on roads that make
our driveway seem wide, enclosed with hedgerows and stonewalls, and
the dreaded round-abouts. But I’m still glad we rented a car so we
could embark on our own adventures.
Our initial destination was Newgrange, discovered by chance when a
massive rock, covered with geometric designs, was unearthed. Further
excavation revealed that it served as the Entrance Stone to Ireland’s
most ancient site, a mound dating to 3200 BC, older than Stonehenge
and the Pyramids. The cairn consists of a passage leading to a chamber
with carved, recessed alcoves containing Neolithic sculptures.
Newgrange served as a tomb and a place of pagan worship. Every
December 21, a handful of lottery winners witness an astronomical
phenomenon as they see a ray of sunlight enter a small opening over
the entrance at dawn to light the passage and the chamber. As with
so many ancient peoples, the sun was a fascination, and the Winter
Solstice symbolized the return of light.
From Newgrange we traveled to another spiritual site – later and lasting
- the Hill of Tara, where kings, lords and clan leaders walked among
one another. Visitors walk among the remains of ancient monuments
and earthen structures, such as “The Mound of the Hostages” for King
Niall who held captives from all the provinces of the British Isles.
A place of pagan ritual and the ancient seat of power where 142 kings
reportedly reigned, the Hill of Tara is nonetheless most notable for
humbler, Christian roots. On this hill, with its panoramic vistas,
St. Patrick, the missionary who returned to Ireland where he previously
escaped slavery, introduced Christianity, using the familiar shamrock
to illustrate the mystical Trinity, and lighting a fire in defiance of pagan
law. The Hill has a special place in the hearts of the Irish. The spirituality
here is felt.
IRELAND PART 1, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN
The Board of Selectmen thanks the citizens of
Hampton for passing the General and Hampton
Elementary School budgets at the July
9th referendum, and for supporting the Little River
Open Space acquisition. The new ordinances
approved by voters that established procedures
for bidding contracts and increased options in the
method of collecting taxes should perpetuate
more efficient governance.
The Board of Finance set a 25.82 mill rate that
will fully fund the Budgets. The Grand List of
property grew by 5.5%, or more than 7 million
dollars, in the corporation of Hampton. This
increased value along with fewer students
assessed from Regional District #11 allows for a
reduction in your taxes from a mill rate of
28.50. Even after draws from the Unassigned
Fund Balance to pave Kenyon Road and to
address Capital Projects at the elementary
school and at the Town Hall through the new
“Municipal Reserve Fund” (also approved at the
referendum), our General Fund remains healthy
at 12%. All this after the 500K funding of the
Hampton Volunteer Fire Department’s building
addition.
As First Selectman and Chairman of NECCOG,
I have visited Hartford several times this month
to advocate for Hampton and Northeast
Connecticut.
Enjoy our Summer.
Allan Cahill
CANDIDATES ENDORSED AT RECENT CAUCUSES
Local Republicans and Democrats met last month to endorse candidates for
the Municipal Election. They are as follows:
REPUBLICAN SLATE
First Selectman: Allan Cahill
Selectman: Dan Meade
Board of Finance: : (6 year term) Judy Buell, Kathy Donahue, (2 year va-
cancy) Lisa Sanchez
Board of Education: (4 year term) Juan Arriola, Perry Matchinis, Russ Mof-
fitt, Neal Moon, Dan Postemski, (2 year vacancy) Dayna McDermott
Planning and Zoning Commission: (2020) Gary Decesare,
(2019) Susan Hochstetter
Board of Assessment Appeals: Wesley Wilcox
Zoning Board of Appeals: (2020) Zach Burdick-Chapel,
(2019) Wesley Wilcox
Constables: Matt LaFontaine, Dan Postemski
DEMOCRATIC SLATE
First Selectman: Joan Fox
Selectman: Bob Grindle, Stephanie Bayne
Town Clerk: Leslie Wertam
Treasurer: Ellen Rodriguez
Board of Finance (6 year term): Diane Gagnon, Alyssa Languth
(2 year vacancy): Joy Becker
Board of Education (4 year term): Rose Bisson, Mark Becker,
Matt Flegert, Lisa Siegmund, Marilynn “Sam” Higgins
(2 year vacancy) Michael Jacobson
Planning and Zoning Commission: (2019) Pat Cascio,
(2020) John Tillinghast
Board of Assessment Appeals: Aaron Tumel, Leslie Wertam
Zoning Board of Appeals: (2019) Linda Seretny, (2020) Aaron Tumel
Constables: Christopher Bayne, Jeff Smith, Sr.
HAMPTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Congregational Church will offer a special blessing for
“The Work of Our Hands” on Sunday, August 25th, during our
regular worship service at 10AM. During that time we'll be offering
a blessing for the work we all do in the places we may find ourselves
in the upcoming year. Join us that day, and bring an item you will be
using at school, work or home: a backpack, a tablet, a calendar,
a spatula or a piece of chalk, and we'll offer a special blessing for
each and every person! For more information contact Pastor Jinny
Smanik at 860.455.9677.
GRAND OPENING!
The Fletcher Memorial Library will host a “thank you” party to
celebrate the grand opening of the sunroom addition on August 28
from 5:30- 8PM. There will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 6:30PM
as well as live music by Julie William with Donna T., and refreshments.
The new addition provides a long-needed, fully-accessible space for the
library’s programs as well as a quiet comfortable room where patrons
can read, meet with friends, or use the library wifi. In addition to
opening the function room, the special night will showcase a new water
feature in the butterfly garden, donated by the Joan Dupuis Memorial
Fund for Children. The water feature will enhance the environmental
impact of the garden as well as providing a charming focal point for
visitors.
Fletcher Memorial Library, grateful for all the donations and support
that have enabled this project, looks forward to showing everyone the
results of their generosity.
CONTRIBUTORS: Deb Andstrom, India Arriola, Doris Schmeelk Buck,
Allan Cahill, Pat Cascio, Anne Christie, Pat Coleman, Margaret Easton,
Kathleen Fitzgerald, Paul Fitzgerald, Ann Gruenberg, Marcia Kilpatrick,
Lena Ives, Michelle Mlyniec, Barbara Fitzgerald O’Connor, Philippa
Paquette, John Russell, Linda Sanchini, Laura Tedeschi, Janice Trecker,
Sherri Vogt, Gay Wagner, Susan Zimmerman. Photos: Cover, Janice
Leitch, from her gardens, p. 2 Carol Kilburn, p. 3, 10 Juan Arriola.
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Save the Dates for
these two exciting events!
BOSTON POPS AT TANGLEWOOD
John Williams’ Film Night
Long established as one of Tanglewood’s most
anticipated and beloved evenings, John Williams’
Film Night returns on August 24, with Boston Pops
Conductor Laureate John Williams introducing the
festive evening, which features the Boston Pops
and Conductor David Newman performing a
program celebrating the music of Hollywood
and more.
The $50 fee for Hampton residents includes a
concert ticket and transport on a luxury bus,
departing at3PM and returning at midnight. Pack
your picnic and beverages, lawn chairs and
blanket and join us.
Reserve your seat by email:
[email protected]. Payment
by August15; mail check to: Hampton Rec
Commission, Town Hall, Box 143, Hampton, CT
06247. For information contact Juan Arriola
860.455.0160, or Gay Wagner, 860.455.9875.
4TH ANNUAL HAMPTON
FALL FESTIVAL
September 28, 2019 10AM to 3PM
Would you like to be a vendor or know someone
who might? It may seem early, but planning is
well underway for the 2019 Hampton Fall
Festival, held in its usual location in and around
Town Hall, the Green and Community Center.
Our festival featured 28 vendors last year and
we’re looking to grow! A schedule of events is in
progress with many fun activities already planned.
Plan to spend the day in our lovely village!
For more information, contact Anne at
[email protected] or 860.455.9979.
Friends of Trail Wood recently gathered there to pen haikus that captured a
moment in time, at the sanctuary and beyond.
Time twists vines and veins
Searching, seeking, supporting
Bittersweet aging.
Philippa Paquette
Planks cross Seven Springs
Where tall ferns crowd dark muck and
Flyers buzz with glee.
Anne Christie
The perfect cloud forms.
It delivers life or death.
Farmers make the call.
Sherri Vogt
Here and Now, Near and
Far reconcile marble halls
Country breeze, peaceful place.
Ann Gruenberg
Fluttering butterfly
Breeze waves grass and shimmers lake
Quiet movement soothes.
Susan Zimmerman
Sun scorched, sharp, prickly.
Dusk’s cool blades, cushions of moss
soothe such weary soles.
Dayna McDermott
Tormentors circle
Sounding out an evil threat.
Be still. They are gone.
Laura Tedeschi
Cat bird, tweet, tweet, tweet
One, two, three – all calling now
Why, why, why so much?
Marcia Kilpatrick
First sip of Guinness
Folks say “an acquired taste”
Kind of like wet mud.
India Arriola
HOURS Wednesday 12-8PM,
Thursday & Friday 9AM-12PM,
& Saturday 9AM-3PM
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MONTHLY EVENTS
AUGUST TOP SHELF GALLERY
Featuring portraits and scenes of Grand Tour
cycling and Cyclo-cross riders by local artist
Janice Trecker.
August 7 FML Book Discussion 6:30PM
We will be discussing Norwegian by Night by
Derick Miller. New members are always
welcome!
August 24 Seed Saving with John Sokoloski
10AM. This hands-on program on seed-saving
at the library will be followed by a tomato
tasting at John’s farm.
August 28 Sunroom Addition Grand Opening
Party! 5:30 – 8PM. Join us for live music, great
food and a ribbon cutting ceremony at
6:30PM.
Wednesday 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!
Friday Story Time, Song & Play 10-11AM
An interactive program for children (0-5) using
a variety of musical instruments, rhymes, songs,
finger plays, puppets, and stories.
Adult Coloring
Experience the stress-reducing and meditative
benefits of coloring in this drop-in program.
NEW BOOKS
Summer is the slow season in the book business, but we still have a variety
of good reads available. Interesting non-fiction about Handel, the latest
revolution in Biology, and a long distance horse race. Good summer reading
from the likes of Mary Kay Andrews and Ragnar Jonasson, plus new audio
books and DVDs.
ADULT FICTION
Mary Kay Andrews Sunset Beach
Jo Baker The Body Lies
Sarah Blake The Guest Book
Lynn Brittney Murder in Belgravia
Jennifer Chiaverini Resistance Women
Jeffrey Deaver The Never Game
Richard Paul Evans The Forgotten Road
Thomas Harris Cari Mora
Peter Heller The River
Anthony Horowitz The Sentence is Death
Katherine Howe The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs
Ragnar Jonasson The Island
Owen Laukkanen Deception Cove
Beverly Lewis The Tinderbox
Niklas Nattoch Dag The Wolf and the Watchman
Sally Rooney Normal People
Lisa Scottoline Someone Knows
Brad Thor Backlash
ADULT NON-FICTION
Rick Atkinson The British Are Coming: The War for America,
Lexington to Princeton
Jane Glover Handel in London: The Making of a Genius
Susan Hockfield The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will
Build the Next Technology Revolution
Kristin Knight Pace This Much Country
Susan Page The Matriarch: Barbara Bush & the Making
of an American Dynasty
Maria Popova Figuring
Lara Prior-Palmer Rough Magic: Riding the World’s
Loneliest Horse Race
Ruth Reichl Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir
Christina Thompson Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia
AUDIO BOOKS
Where the Crawdads Sing, Ask Again, Yes; the Unlikely Adventures of the
Shergill Sisters, When All is Said.
DVDs
The Mustang, A Dog’s Way Home, Five Feet Apart, The LEGO Movie and
LEGO Movie 2, Artic, Hotel Mumbai
SCOUTING NEWS
SCOUTS BSA BOY TROOP 93 &
SCOUTS BSA GIRL TROOP 1093
On June 22, the Troops gathered at the Scotland Fire House for the
Eagle Court of Honor ceremony for Nicholas Nunn. It was a fitting
location for the celebration as Nick’s Eagle Project last year was
organizing the workers and materials for the installation of stairs to the
upper storage loft in the truck bay of the Fire House. State Representa-
tive Doug Dubitsky presented Nicholas with a citation from the State
legislature honoring him for this significant accomplishment. A moving
tribute given by Scotland First Selectman Dan Syme brought tears to the
eyes of many an audience member. Nicholas was presented with the
Eagle Rank badge, the highest rank in Scouting, by Scoutmaster John
Tillinghast. Nicholas also received a silver Eagle Palm, a degree awarded
for every five merit badges achieved in excess of the 21 required for
Eagle Scout. Congratulations to Nicholas and his parents, Heather
and Nat Nunn.
FAMILY CUB SCOUT PACK 93:
Pack 93 welcomes incoming Cubmaster Tiffany Lutz to our top
leadership ranks. Having served as a Den Leader and the Pinewood
Derby Chair, Tiffany has stepped up to take the reins. We know the
community will warmly welcome her and continue to work with the
Pack. The August meeting on August 20th will be a Slip-n-Slide party in
the evening. The Pack has secured a 100 foot long slide to provide a
good evening for all! Any boys or girls interested in Scouting are
welcome to join us to see what our Pack is about. Location and time are
TBD, so stay in touch with Tiffany for more details.
Michelle Mlyniec
Scouts BSA Troop 93 is for boys in grades 6-12 and meets Tuesday evenings at the
Hampton Congregational Church from 7-8:30 PM. For more information contact: John
Tillinghast, 455.9387 or [email protected]. Scouts BSA Troop 1093 is for girls in grades
6-12 and meets Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 PM. For more information contact:
Scott Garafano at 860-933-0103 or [email protected]. The Family Cub Scout Pack 93 is
for boys and girls in grades K-5. Look for us at your school open house in September or visit
our recruiting evening on September 17th. For more information contact: Tiffany Lutz,
Home phone: 860.546.6699 or email: [email protected].
7
GIVE A BOOK, TAKE A BOOK,
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Hampton Elementary School has a new way to
get books for year-long reading! Our Little Free
Library is located at the entrance to our school.
It will give children 24/7 access to books. To use
it, open the door, find a book that you want to
read and take it. If you have a book to exchange,
then place your book inside.
A huge thank you from all at our school goes out
to PHHS teacher, Mr. Prouty, and PHHS student,
Aidan Stone. We asked Mr. Prouty to help us
with this project. He opened it up to his students
as an extra project for them on their own time
and beyond other school projects. One student
with Hampton community ties volunteered to
design and build our Little Free Library.
His name is Aidan Stone and his parents,
grandparents, great-uncles and many more family
members have all been active in the Hampton
community. Aidan went above and beyond to
design the Little Free Library. He made a special
effort to build it with recycled, reused and
donated materials. The Little Free Library was
shared with our students at our Summer Reading
assembly on the last day of school, and Aidan
assisted with the installment of it at the front of
the school.
Once more, thank you from Hampton
Elementary School to Aidan Stone.
Linda Sanchini
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to the following students for their
academic achievements in their respective schools:
ST. BERNARD’S SCHOOL
Grade 7 Headmaster’s List: Colin Britner
Grade 10 High Honor Roll Serena Britner
ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY
Dean’s List: Emily Buell
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
2019 Graduates: Samantha Card, Michael
Castillo, Sylvia Daleb
Dean’s List: Sam Card, Sylvia Daleb,
Sarah Danielson, Brianna Herman
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Claire M. Lintilhac Memorial Award for
Excellence in Asian Studies: Ian Lake
8
As students of today look forward to a new school
year, we look back— recognizing our great fortune
in the recollections of those who received their
education from one teacher, with siblings and
neighbors, in the one room schoolhouse.
Our town was once divided into seven sections
with each district responsible for its own school.
According to an article by Pearl Scarpino, in 1899
a committee of members from each district
was formed to determine the advisability of
consolidating some schools, but it wasn’t until
1909 that “a town meeting finally voted to take
over responsibility for the several school districts
and assumed their indebtedness. Upkeep of the
schools was left to a newly elected school
committee of nine members.” Efforts to further
unify the schools weren’t documented until 1927,
when voters approved the following
resolution: “That we are irrevocably opposed to
further consolidation of our schools whereby such
consolidation means a
furtherance of the
whims of state paid
supervisors; that it is
high time that we the tax payers of the town
commence to study and pay closer attention to the
present conditions of our schools with the view of
applying the necessary remedies for their much
needed betterment from within the town,
rather than to delegate our birth-right to outside
influences whose own pecuniary interest, and the
masters they serve, come first.”
In spite of this staunch opposition, the seven
schools eventually consolidated into three –
Bell School for primary grades, Center School for
grades four, five and six, and Clark’s Corners for
seventh and eighth graders. There’s only one
person still with us who remembers a school other
than these, Margaret Easton, who recalls the
ABC Schoolhouse:
My first two grades were in Howard Valley School.
I think all of my sisters went there, too. I had eight
sisters. Viola, Amy and I were there together. There
were eight grades and one teacher. There was no
place to play games, no place for baseball, only
room for something like jump rope. So the older
kids would take us for a walk up and down the road
at noon time. At Howard Valley we had to get a
bucket of water from the family across the road and
we all had to drink out of the ladle – dipped it in,
drank from it, put it back in. Amazing we all didn’t
get sick.
One disadvantage of district schools was too
few students in a given grade. In Hampton
Remembers, Wendell Davis recalled:
When I was in the fourth grade at the Center School I was the fourth
grade, lock, stock and barrel. So I got promoted so there were three in
the fifth grade, my bother Merriam, Barney Pawlikowski and me…
We had one book and we’d open it up, y’know. Barney’d run his eyes
down one page and down the other, turn to Merriam and say “Shall I
turn?” and Merriam would say, “No, I’m still there,” and pretty soon
he’d finish and they’d say to me “Where are you?” and I’d point at the
top of the first page. So finally Barney’d say “Listen, get your heads in
here, I’ll read it to ya’. Very soon I was demoted to the third grade.
One advantage of eight grades in one room was the responsibility older
students assumed. In an article on “The Center School in the 1930’s”,
George Howell wrote:
The furnace was a large pot belly stove. On the top of the furnace was
a large pan for water. In wintry weather the pan was filled with water
before we went home. The reason for a full pan of hot water in the
morning was to prime the large upright hand pump outside of the
school building. During the deep snow and wintry weather, this was
a big chore relegated to an older boy. With coat, hat and most
importantly heavy duty gloves, without which his hands would get wet
and freeze to the handle, he was responsible for the only plumbing in
the building …We had outhouses in the back of the school house, the
girls on the right and the boys on the left. In the winter, getting there
presented several problems, deep snow and snow drifts. Older students
helped small children dress for the trip to the outhouse and cleared a
path for them by shuffling their feet through the snow.
We usually associate the tribulations with trudging for miles through
five feet of snow, neglecting the daily trials of primitive realities, like
plumbing. Charlie Halbach reminded us of this in “School Days”:
The wood for heating was located on the boys’ side, so it was our job to
bring it in. We were also responsible for keeping water in the water
fountain, which was a three gallon crock with a spigot. We would fetch
the water from the Jewett property across what is now Route 6, using a
9
couple of pails. The method of drawing water from the well was unique.
There was a wooden structure on a platform well cover. It measured
about four feet high and one to two feet wide. The crankshaft had a
sprocket over which a chain traveled and small buckets were attached to
the chain. When the crank was turned the small buckets dipped into the
well water below and were filled with water. When the buckets reached
the top, they tipped releasing the water into a sluiceway and into our
waiting pails. Probably 24 to 30 buckets holding about two cups each
were needed to fill our pails.
Teachers were responsible for educating students in all grades and in all
subjects. However, one musician started her teaching career when she
was hired to provide music instruction in all of the schoolhouses, and
continued to offer lessons here for the rest of her life:
Catherine Ameer Wade taught music lessons starting at the Bell
School. Ray Pawlikowski took violin lessons, so I wanted to, too. The
whole class took music lessons with Catherine – there were only six kids
– two boys and four girls – Joyce Mason, Joyce Pearl, Nancy Stocking
and Carol Macmillan, who, like me, went on to a career in music. Later
on, I took piano lessons with Catherine. She would have supper with us
after the lesson.
Paul Fitzgerald
Some students remember moving from one room schoolhouses to the
consolidated school. Gloria Burell started first grade in a one room
schoolhouse and transitioned to the consolidated school half way
through the year. It was that experience that she, understandably,
remembers. Others do as well. Kathleen Fitzgerald recalls:
I attended the Bell School for grades one through three and Clark’s
Corners School for grades four and five. We moved to the new
consolidated school in fifth grade. We brought our lunch to school and
at recess, we played baseball. Alfred Vargas drove the school bus. My
father, Ed Fitzgerald, also drove a school bus in Hampton for 18 years.
Mrs. Woodward was our teacher at Bell School, and my Aunt Viola was
our teacher at Clark’s Corners. Her son and daughter, my cousins Jimmy
and Barbara, and my brother Paul were in school together with Viola as
our teacher, so none of us could misbehave.
Barbara Fitzgerald O’Connor doesn’t mince words in describing what it
was like having her mother for a teacher:
I went to the Bell School first. It was a huge shock, coming from a
parochial city school, St. Joseph’s in Willimantic. The Bell School had an
outhouse and a well. There was a big stove. If you sat close to it, you
roasted. If you sat a distance from it, you froze. Our teacher, Lois
Woodward, was also still “citified”, and didn’t like the antiquated set-up
either. I then went to Clark’s Corners school where my mother, Viola
Navin Fitzgerald, was the teacher. That was hell. I couldn’t even roll my
eyes! She was afraid of showing favoritism. There was no well there, so
we went to my grandmother’s house, but when Paul Navin married,
Margaret didn’t want to continue that arrangement so we went across
to Ambrose’s. When we ran out of cups we used arithmetic paper, and
there was a way of folding it to make a flat, pointy cup. One year during
the Christmas break we moved to the consolidated school.
With its completion in 1950, the consolidated school housed all
students in grades one through eight, and the era of the one room
schoolhouse ended:
Seventy years ago, the last six students graduated
from Center School --Arthur Fitts, Jimmy Rodriguez,
Herbert Kemp, Nancy and Sue Macmillan, and me.
We had a ceremony at the Grange Hall. We were
the last ones to use that venue for graduation. It
took two men and an army to roll up the curtains
on that stage.
John Russell
Their histories preserved through those who remember,
one in particular was memorialized when Doris Schmeelk
Buck won a national award for her poem based on the
Bell School, a nostalgic retrospect of “The One Roomed
School”:
I have fond memories of the one room school,
the sound of the bell in the belfry,
ringing out over the clear October air,
young arms tugging on the bell rope.
The entry ways with the pegs to hand coats
and sweaters,
with shelves over head for caps, mittens and hats,
boots and rubbers lined up on the floor.
The large stove to throw warmth into the room
on chilly days.
The rows of windows on each side of the building.
I sit at my desk and daydream out of the window.
The teacher calls my name, I don’t hear
doing art work, making maps.
The smell of white paste used for art,
ink wells at each desk to dip our pens in,
chalk squeaking on the blackboard,
clapping chalk erasers together outside,
watching the white dust billow and float
away on the cool air.
Sounds of children’s voices playing in the
school yard,
and the singing of songs in the one room,
youthful voices drifting out over the air.
Yes! I have fond memories of the one room school.
There was a closeness between the teacher
and students.
Dear! Dear! One Room School.
10
The following day was dedicated to Dublin, and no
driving. We started at Kilmainham Gaol, where
visitors find the roots of the Irish Republic, a
museum chronicling rebellion, and a tour of the
prison where many rebels were executed,
including the 1916 revolutionaries. Originally for
criminals and debtors, Kilmainham was built in
1796 as a modern prison, though today’s standards
find the cells unbearably small, cold, damp, and
unlit, and at one time, crowded. You can feel the
despair through the walls. Many political figures
were locked away here; and standing in the
stonebreakers’ yard where they were executed,
we’re struck to the marrow listening to the fate of
the rebels who launched the 1916 Easter Uprising.
These fourteen men, who were literally spit upon
by Dubliners when they surrendered after the
unsuccessful siege that destroyed their city, were
soon to become martyred heroes due, in part, to
Commander Maxwell , known as the “Man who
Lost Ireland”. His delay in their executions gave
Dubliners time to discover that the 20,000 British
troops who stormed the city to defeat 1000 armed
Irishmen murdered innocent people, women and
children included. This, coupled with the overly
cruel method of execution (James Connelly, nearly
dead of gangrene from a wound he sustained
during the battle, was dragged to the prison from
the hospital and propped in a chair to be shot)
united the Irish to the cause of Ireland’s
freedom. In their parting words, these men
seemed to understand what their sacrifice
meant for their country.
Next, Trinity College to see the roots of Irish
reverence for the written word. The Book of Kells,
viewed beneath glass, medieval Gospels
handsomely printed and beautifully illustrated and preserved by monks,
are great works of art in their painstaking attention to detail. Included in
the exhibit is the Long Room where more than 200,000 of Ireland’s
oldest books are stored, floor to ceiling, and the country’s oldest harp
is displayed along with the 1916 proclamation and marble busts of
notable writers. We closed our day with a Dublin must - the Literary
Pub Crawl -- two performers entertaining us with a scene from
Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”, a letter of Oscar Wilde’s, and stories
of and from Shaw, Behan, Stoker, Yeats, O’Casey, Joyce and Synge.
At O’Brien’s we also enjoyed our first, and certainly not last, Guinness –
reason enough to return!
On the third day we traveled through the Wicklow Mountains, first
to Powerscourt and its gardens which National Geographic ranks the
third most beautiful in the world after Versailles and Kew. In contrast,
from there we drove through the desolate “Sally Gap”, which reminded
us of the surface of the moon. For as far as the eye can see, there are
only peat bogs, and sheep. There is literally no place like it on earth.
Further south, and nestled within the mountains, is Glendalough,
a medieval monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century.
You’re not aware of it until it comes suddenly into view, every step
changing the angle and allowing you a different glimpse – a church,
a round tower, the priest’s house, the cathedral, a granite cross, the
gateway, the graveyard. Sacred grounds, and every step was
respectful of the spirituality and peacefulness that dwell here.
Leaving Glendalough, we drove through one of the highest mountain
passes in Ireland -- the magnificent Wicklow Gap.
Toward dusk, we arrived at Cashel, the “Rock” lighted at twilight.
We toured there the next morning, the guide a talented storyteller,
blending the history and lore of over one thousand years. The Rock
of Cashel was the throne of kings and the site of historic events.
St. Patrick baptized King Aengus, Ireland’s first Christian ruler,
here in 432. Brian Boru was inaugurated here as the first King
of Ireland in 1002. His grandson bequeathed the site to the Church
to protect it, and the Cathedral that still rises there was built in the
13th century. When Cromwell attacked Cashel in 1647, the 1000
townsfolk who sought refuge in the Cathedral were all slain,
we’re informed, in the place where we are standing.
Juan Arriola
IRELAND PART 1, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
11
wooden stairs descend to a “dock” and to the
ocean of grass. The island is planted with a
variety of mosses, thymes, sedums, and creeping
veronica; among these ground covers, a small
American flag waves. The garden at large, and
this grotto in particular, and Shelby, the beautiful
Corgi who escorts us through the tour, makes
visitors feel as though they’ve stepped into the
pages of a Tasha Tudor storybook.
A picket fence, striped with mauve tradescantia,
separates the front from the back yard. Passage
through an arbor brings visitors to a circular
garden where an urn in the center, brimming
with colorful annuals, is surrounded by
perennials – the deep blues of centaurea,
Siberian iris and baptisia and the pale blues of
amsonia and Jacob’s ladder, golden coreopsis
and sparkling white daisies, Asiatic lilies spurting
their sunrise hues now, the trumpets of summer
lilies later, one of the most impressive collections
of lupine I’ve ever seen with mauve, primrose,
pure white and raspberry blossoms, and luscious
peonies all flourishing under the arch of a
flowering plum. The house, which also serves
as a wall for ornamentation, marks the southern
border of the garden and hosts a bench and a
fountain. The northern border is delineated with
a shed, an ornament in itself. A painting of the
shed in the midst of these flowers recently won
a prize in a competition. The garden has served
as an inspiration for several works of art.
A path beneath crab apples wanders toward a
water garden. Lined with astilbes, lily-of-the-
valley, hosta, trillium, and Jack-in-the-pulpit, it
eventually leads to a large arbor covered with
the ivory lace of a hydrangea vine and the
vibrant spurs of honey suckle, providing another
cool spot to rest. The path from the arbor spills
into a circular lawn, demarcated with a row of
forsythia, a bright golden wall in spring, and bird
houses, and beyond, an impressive assortment of
pines, the remains of a Christmas tree farm,
enormous now, through which a tunnel appears.
The trees are too dense to permit entry, though
it’s an enchanting visual suggestion.
A deck extends across the back of the house,
multiple tiers hosting multiple tables and chairs.
Each level is lined with wands of Solomon’s seal
and the splayed leaves of hostas, the whole
shaded densely with a maple and with pines.
Calla lilies filling urns lend a relaxed, tropical air,
while a water fountain produces a relaxed,
soothing sound. Tucked into the sheltering
plants, it’s one of the many places here
offering an oasis for visitors, and for the birds
who frequent the Leitch’s garden.
with Dayna McDermott
OUR NEIGHBOR’S GARDEN:
AN ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE
Jan Leitch is an artist, and it shows in her garden. In the applied principles
of scale responsible for the perfect balance of open space and structural
mass, in the lines supplied with paths and suggested with gates and arbors
and benches, in the shapes of the multiple trees that provide permanent
structure, the textures that offer constant interest, and in the repetition of
features to ensure rhythm, the ingredient necessary for consistency and
comfort. These elements are accentuated with strokes of color from leaves
and from flowers, all the more appreciated in their subtlety.
Jan’s garden is one of natural “rooms”. Upon entrance, a split rail fence
visually divides the driveway from the yard, lush rhododendrons on the
descent, a sparkle of deutzia clustered at the end in the shade of a ‘Kousa’
dogwood, its ivory bracts in full bloom in June. On the opposite side, a
shore of juniper sculpts the driveway, anchored by a “star” magnolia
which provides bright white blossoms in early spring.
South of the house, tomatoes grow in raised beds, fenced and fortified
with wooden stakes, the area decorated with a unique collection of
watering cans. On the other three sides of the house, the flowering year
unfolds. Wooden gates lead to the garden, the perfume of a mock orange
beckoning. The house itself is nestled within various evergreens, hollies
and azaleas, skirted with an assortment of hostas and underscored with a
brick path leading to the front door and to an iron bench. A rest here
provides the visitor with a view of a pool of pale and deep purple iris in
the front lawn, bearded and Siberian, frequented by hummingbirds. Birds
are everywhere. A cardinal perches in a white paper birch while several
varieties stream through the air. The garden is generously supplied with
birdfeeders and bird baths and bird houses and the plants which attract
them. A handmade feeder designed and made by Jan’s husband Bob,
which holds a special recipe and is equipped with built-in perches, has
successfully attracted orioles this year. The benches, the paths, real and
perceived, and the birds suggest an unhurried pace, an invitation to the
visitor to rest a spell. Along with places for people to sit and for birds to
perch, there are hanging baskets and urns overflowing with flowers,
lending charm and color, and pollen.
Another bench sits beneath a crab apple, pink buds opened to pure white
earlier this spring, as well as a rare, yellow magnolia. In a far corner, a
textured garden of finely needled and silvery prostrate evergreens, blades
of ornamental grasses, and leathery hostas, with spurts of color from irises,
hosts a bench which swings in the shade garden, offering the ultimate in
relaxation and a view of their home and gardens. An iron bench tucked a
little further back into a sea of glossy pachysandra is sheltered from the
road with a row of sweeping pines, another restful spot.
A grotto, of sorts, is carved into another corner, a miniature replica of an
island. A lighthouse serves as its centerpiece, and Bob built a small shed,
where a sea gull perches, and a building for whale oil which would have
been its original purpose. With a scale of one inch equaling one foot,
stonewalls and walled terraces are constructed with miniature rocks, and
12
GOODWIN CONSERVATION CENTER
August 7 & August 22 Relaxed Ramble 11AM – 1PM & 1 – 3PM
Join Goodwin Guide Jack Griffin on a moderate walk taken on forest trails. All
are welcome; hiking sticks available to borrow.
August 10 Family Woods Walk 1 - 2:30PM
Join Naturalist Lena Ives on a slow ramble through our trails where stops
sparked by curiosity are welcome and encouraged!
August 10 Identification Walk 3 – 5PM
Bring your own field guide or borrow one of ours as we identify what we see
along the trails.
August 12 REI’s CT Women’s Speaker Series: Women Naturalists
6:30 – 8PM
Registration required for this program in West Hartford.
August 14 & 28 Trail Running Club 6:30 - 7:30PM
Join us for a relaxed run on Goodwin trails, with route and pace
determined by those who attend.
August 14 Full Moon Night Hike and Campfire 8 – 10PM
Let the full moon guide your path on this night hike at Goodwin,
followed by a campfire and s’mores. Inclement weather cancels.
August 24 Mushroom ID for Beginners: Summer Fungi 10AM - NOON
RSVP required for this program with a foraging family who hunt,
photograph, identify, and love to eat the fungi of New England.
August 24 Nature Writing Workshop 1 – 3PM
For those who want to explore nature and writing with author
Penelope Pelizzon, we’ll read, walk, observe, write, and share
our own work.
August 31 Long Distance Hike 11AM – 2PM
Enjoy the company of fellow hikers on these three hour, 5-6 mile
hikes on our trails.
For more information on all listed programs, or to register, contact
860.455.9534 or [email protected], or visit friendsofgoodwinforest.org/current-
programs.html or www.ct.gov/deep/goodwin.
CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY
GRASSLAND BIRD CONSERVATION CENTER
218 DAY ROAD, POMFRET CENTER
August 7 – 28 Wednesday Noon Walks
August 8 Evening Bird Walk 6PM
August 29 Evening Bird Walk/Nighthawk
Watch 6PM
TRAIL WOOD
93 KENYON ROAD, HAMPTON
August 3 Fascinated by Ferns! 2 – 3:30PM
Retired ecologist Charlotte Pyle will lead a walk
to identify and discuss different ferns.
August 10 Nature Sketchbook Journaling
9AM - NOON Roxanne Steed will assist
participants with applying watercolor and drawing
techniques to capture nature.
August 24 Mindful Walk 3 – 4:30PM
Registration required for this meditative walk with
Lisa Cohen, certified by the Kripalu School of
Yoga and Ayurveda.
August 25 Non-Fiction Book Club 2 – 4PM
Jacqueline Jacobsohn will lead a discussion on
August’s selection, Every Man Dies Alone by
Hans Fallada.
To register, and for information on fees and
required materials, call 860.928.4948.
GREEN THUMBS
Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterfly (Asclepias) populations have
been on the decrease for decades and milkweed
is needed for their larval stage. A bit of a come-
back is happening now as farmers, gardeners,
and land managers have been planting more milk-
weed. Mowing milkweed is now advanta-
geous for the monarchs according
to the Michigan State University. The May issue
of Biological Conservation reports that monarchs
prefer laying their eggs on young milkweed, as
observed when mowing one third of the patch in
mid-June and letting it grow back, and trimming
or cutting back another third of the patch in
mid-July or early August. In their experiment they
found ten times the amount of eggs per stem on
the new growth compared to the old growth.
Forcing this new growth seems counter-
intuitive, but this produces the young growth
that the butterflies need for laying their eggs.
Marcia Kilpatrick
A NON-CHEMICAL WEED KILLER Pat Cascio
I've been gardening here in Hampton for over 40 years. The most frustrating
irritant is trying to stay chemical free but successfully attack the weeds. Weeds,
inclusive of poison ivy, bine weed, poison oak, and all the numerous weeds in
gardens.
Try this. A wonderful woman, who works for Goodwin State Forest, took pity
on me as I complained vinegar wasn't my solution. Behold, I wasn't using the
correct strength. One needs to use horticultural strength. Yes, it's an environ-
mentally friendly, natural weed control option, but mixing up a home brew of
vinegar weed killer is not the best idea (or very effective). It is better to purchase
a product labeled for weed control because: The higher the concentration of
acetic acid, the better it will work. Kitchen grade vinegar is only 5% acetic acid
and is not a very good weed killer. Horticultural vinegar is much stronger -- 15
to 30% acetic acid -- and a much more effective herbicide. The percentage of
acetic acid and volume applied to weeds determine effectiveness.
WARNING: Handle with care! The acetic acid in vinegar is an acid and acid is
corrosive. Any solution above 5% acetic acid must be handled with care. It can
burn skin and cause eye damage. I have heard terrible stories of people spilling
acetic acid on themselves.
Here are two recipes I've used in Hampton.
Vinegar Recipe
Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle:
1 gallon white vinegar.
1 cup of salt.
1 Tablespoon liquid dish soap. OR
2 cups Epsom salts
1/4 cup dishwashing detergent
1 gallon distilled white vinegar
Mix all ingredients together and shake well until the Epsom salts are dissolved.
Place in a spray bottle and apply to weed foliage.
SAVE THE DATE!
September 14, 2019, 10 AM
Hampton Rec Commission
5k Run/Walk Runner and walker categories
Course: rural Hampton roads and trails
of Goodwin State Forest
Sign-up website: runsignup.com Registration online in advance
or on site 8:30-10 AM on Sept. 14
Start: Hampton Fire Company
190 West Old Route 6, Hampton, CT
$15.00 through September 7, 2019;
$20.00 after September 1, 2019 Proceeds to support Hampton Fire
Company’s new facility Shirts for first hundred registrants
Post-race refreshments INFO: Bob Johnson
860.455.0794
Celebrate the Natural Beauty of Hampton with the Gazette’s Annual Calendar! This year’s theme is Nature. Please send photographs of your special Hampton places or jpgs of artwork that showcases Hampton at its best. August 30th deadline. Please send to [email protected]
Classes for many different arts & crafts at your
convenience, classes can be individual
& combined. Party/Events welcomed!
170 Estabrooks Road, Hampton
Specific classes to be posted on Facebook
and our web page: ruralheritagearts.com
Call 860.934.3228 for classes or
more information.
Rural Heritage Arts School, LLC
SEED SAVING
John Sokoloski will present “Seed Saving” on August 24 at
10AM at Fletcher Memorial Library. The free program will
focus primarily on easy self-pollinated garden favorites like
tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas. He will also discuss
techniques for saving the seeds of more difficult insect or wind
pollinated plants and those that require isolation or hand
pollination like squash, melons, cucumbers and corn.
Weather permitting, a tour of Sokoloski’s own vegetable
gardens with some heirloom tomato tasting will follow
the program.
Sokoloski has been seed saving over twenty years. He has
grown around 300 varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as
beans and peas. As a member of the seed savers exchange,
Sokoloski has sent tomato seeds to Russia and to Queen
Elizabeth II’s gardeners to replace lost tomato varieties.
“With seed saving,” he says, “you get to eat wonderful
vegetables not available in stores or even most farmers
markets.”
To advertise in The Gazette, please contact our advertising
director at 860.455.7039 or [email protected]
Selling a variety of non-GMO /
chemical free in-season produce
right off the farm! Large selection of heirloom tomatoes
OPEN DAILY 10AM-6PM
Saturday 8AM-4PM CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday
Come join us on Saturday, August 10
for food & giveaways!
The Hampton Gazette
PO Box 101
Hampton, CT 06247
BOSTON POPS Lenox, Massachusetts
EVERYONE WELCOME!
JOHN WILLIAMS’ FILM NIGHT
Celebrating the music of Hollywood and more!
Saturday, August 24 $50 includes concert ticket and luxurious bus
3PM-12AM, concert 8PM
All seats are on the lawn at the Music Shed
Reserve your seat NOW by emailing
Payment by August15, mail check to Hampton Rec
Commission, Town Hall, Box 143, Hampton, CT 06247
Info: Juan Arriola 860.455.0160
or Gay Wagner, 860.455.9875 For more details, see article on page 5