VOLUMEVOLUMEVOLUME XLII, No. 5 XLII, No. 5 XLII, No. 5 JUNE 2019JUNE 2019JUNE 2019

VOLUME XLII, No. 5 JUNE 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 members of the Mennonite community who raked and cleared

winter’s debris from the village gardens in preparation for the emergence of flowers. What

a lovely way to welcome spring, and to welcome visitors to our town. We appreciate the

efforts of all who spruced up these gardens for everyone’s enjoyment – thank you!

THUMBS DOWN: Conversely, the entrance to our town from Route 6 offers a different

view. Many residents have complained about the donation bin at Clark’s Corner. The

organization’s collection only every few weeks leaves a blighted condition the majority of

the time. Perhaps there’s a more suitable placement than immediately after the sign that

welcomes people to Hampton.

RD#11 Tri-Town Meeting

Parish Hill Auditorium

Monday, June 3, 6:00PM

Board of Selectmen

Town Hall Community Room

Monday, June 3, 7:00PM

Referendum

Town Hall Community Room

Tuesday, June 4, 12-8PM

Library Board

Fletcher Memorial

Thursday, June 6, 4:00PM

Board of Finance

Town Hall Community Room

Tuesday, June 11, 7:00PM

Green Committee

Town Hall Conference Room

Wednesday, June 12, 7:00PM

RD#11 Board Meeting

PHHS Library

Tuesday, June 18, 7:00PM

Conservation Commission Meeting

Town Hall Conference Room

Tuesday, June 18, 6:30PM

Planning and Zoning

Town Hall Community Room

Monday, June 24, 7:00PM

HES Board of Education

HES Library

Wednesday, June 26, 7:00PM

For more information on Hampton

Happenings, please visit our Town online at

www.hamptonct.org

OPINION: THE GHOST OF ELIZABETH SHAW

“On June 29, 1745, Elizabeth Shaw, a ‘weak, simple girl, deficient in mental capacity,’ gave birth to

a boy in Windham [now Hampton], Connecticut . She was not happy. Her son was a bastard child,

which could not only bring punishment and public humiliation upon her, but also incur the wrath

of her ‘stern and rigid’ father. She decided to rid herself of the problem by taking the baby into the

woods, hiding it in a nook along a ledge of rocks, and leaving it there to die.” from Early American Crime

This girl grew up in Hampton. I cannot imagine the fear of not knowing what was

happening to her body, even the experience of how she got pregnant. Most likely,

she was raped, perhaps by a family member, or someone she knew in the community.

In the last month, I have had many angry and bewildering conversations with women

friends (and some good feminist men) about our place in the world. Hearing stories of

mothers and grandmothers and aunts and daughters, their varied and valid

experiences, the need to have an abortion (pre– and post Roe v. Wade), and to

protect the very human rights of women and girls everywhere. Neighbors and friends

have already volunteered to create an “underground railroad” to help women and girls

from states like Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio to receive safe and supportive care of

their choice here in Connecticut, at the risk of losing their own freedom to inane

and unconstitutional laws.

Elizabeth Shaw is not merely a footnote to our Hampton herstory; she is a tangible

reminder that we cannot remain silent in the face of ignorance, that we must

educate our children without fear, and continue the struggle for equality and

human rights for all. Mary Oliver

3

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES:

Save Your Photo Files

Just like in the days of film photography, when we

used to save our negatives in either plastic or paper

film sleeves, and slides in boxes, in this digital age of

recording images, many people save their photos on

their computers, camera storage cards, flash drives and

also external hard drives. If we take the trouble to

record images in the first place, doesn’t it make sense

to save those images for later use? We use camera to

capture or record moments in time, moments that

have special meaning to us. As for myself, I’ve been

recording images for over forty-five years and very

often want to look back into my seemingly endless

photo files.

Right from the beginning of working with film cameras,

I used to keep three-ring binders filled with pages of

film sleeves. On each page the date, film type, and

any other pertinent information could be scribed. It

had to be organized for easy searching later on. Many

photographers used to also make contact sheets

(8” X 10” photo paper with negatives placed on them

and then exposed to light) and when developed,

would render a tiny copy of each image. In this digital

age, our cameras record all the data captured from the

camera sensor for all images recorded. This is called

metadata. So, when working with photo-editing

software in a computer, all the information the camera

sensor captured can be seen. And now we can see

the date and time, ISO setting, f/stop, shutter speed,

etcera.

At present, I am using five separate external hard

drives. Four of them are clones of each other. Just one

external hard drive isn’t enough to safely store my

images since I’ve got well over forty-thousand of

them. I also prefer not to keep too many photos in my

computer in case it someday crashes. For the person

that takes their camera out for a spin from time to

time, perhaps one external hard drive will suffice,

and one copy stored on the computer, providing the

computer hard drive has plenty of storage space.

Perhaps at this time the reader will be thinking about

purchasing an external hard drive so not to lose all of

their treasured photos. I hope that’s the case. Recently

I purchased a small external hard drive that holds one

terabyte of files. The cost of that drive was around fifty

dollars. And there are many options on the market that

cost even less. Think about what you need and search

the Internet for the best deal. Good luck!

Pete Vertefeuille

Pete’s 2010 photo graces our June cover.

Shortly before Christmas, new neighbors moved next door to a heretofore

tidy property. Shortly after Christmas, trash started to accumulate in their

yard. It started with an assortment of boxes and a number of garbage bags,

though we were unconcerned with this post-holiday pile. Then paint

cans, ripped up carpet and linoleum, random boards. Again, unconcerned

with what was clearly a sign of interior improvement. Then an appliance

appeared, an upholstered couch, a mattress, tires. The trash keeps piling

up, particularly after trips to the transfer station. For goodness sakes it’s

Memorial Day and the Christmas tree is still on the front door step!

Perhaps this, and perhaps other items, could be construed as fire

hazards? Other items as safety hazards? Is there a blight ordinance?

If not, the possibility of one? Have we no recourse?

Displeased with Scenery

My Dear Neighbor:

With Memorial Day fast approaching, Auntie Mac was hoping to receive

mail relating to proper flag-display etiquette, where to stand during the

ceremony to avoid sunstroke, or what to do when cut off in the barbecue

line, but no, she must contend with that bête noire of small towns: the

Blighted Property. Has she not suffered enough this year? Apparently

not. Well, let us don our foul weather gear and wade into it, shall we?

Hampton has its share of residents who are, shall we say, over-zealous

collectors of outdoor ephemera; this may range from an alarming

collection of whirligigs and gazing balls to staggering piles of large metal

objects that are now only held together by poison ivy and rust. The

collectors range from the blissfully unaware to the patently lazy to the frail

and medically needy, so you might want to discern that your new

neighbors are capable of clearing their yard without assistance from the

Town or Social Services. Hampton has no official blight ordinance,

although Town representatives have in the past on a case by case basis

heroically attempted to help citizens whose combined ill health and living

conditions rendered them unsafe in their own homes. The situation you

describe does indeed sound as if it could be a fire, health, and/or safety

hazard. You are perched on the horns of a dilemma then, dear. You do

not want to alienate your new neighbors, nor do you want to continue

living next door to a veritable minefield of aesthetic and health violations.

You could pop over for a friendly hello and an offer to help them take a

few things to the transfer station; that gambit, however, may result in a

rather lukewarm reception. Blight ordinances have historically been

difficult to enact and even trickier to enforce, based on the subjective

nature of what constitutes the tipping point of “too much.” Perhaps a

broken washing machine in the yard is unsightly, but suppose its owner

thinks it looks grand as a planter? A truck may be needed to haul broken

equipment away, but there are no funds to rent one. The possibilities

stretch on ad infinitum, like a parade of over-dressed plastic garden

gnomes. You are welcome to request that the Ordinance Committee

look into developing a blight ordinance (she recommends you look at

Griswold’s), and even more welcome, I assure you, to volunteer your

assistance. Before that, however, Auntie Mac recommends a discreet

word with a Selectman regarding the property. If it is as bad as you say,

you will not be the first to have noticed it, and your intervention may in

the long run be a kindness to your new neighbors.

Your Auntie Mac

CONTRIBUTORS: Deb Andstrom, Cindy Bezanson, Allan Cahill, Anne

Christie, Pat Coleman, Stan Crawford, Marcia Kilpatrick, Lena Ives, Lisa

LaBelle, Michelle Mlyniec, Janice Trecker, Pete Vertefeuille, and Leslie

Wertam. Photos: Cover, Pete Vertefeuille, p. 5 Bill Rose, p. 8-9 Juan Arriola.

4

FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN

The Board of Selectmen and the Board of Fi-

nance have agreed to delay the Annual Town

Meeting until the State Budget is approved in

Hartford, after which time an accurate and re-

sponsible financial plan will be discussed

and acted upon for the Town Government and

Hampton Elementary School budgets.

Also on the agenda of the Town Meeting will be

discussion on the Town’s purchase of a 51 acre

parcel of land along the Little River to the south

of the valley on Hammond Hill. The $171,500

purchase price would be 100% covered by funds

already in the Town’s Open Space Account. The

5-Year Plan for roads and capital improvements is

also on the docket, including paving projects and

generator upgrades at the elementary school.

A hearty “Thank You” to the Mennonite

community for their beautification efforts

around our town.

Allan Cahill

FROM THE REGISTRARS OF VOTERS

The polls will be open from noon to 8PM on June

4 in the Community Room at Town Hall to vote

on the Regional District#11 2019-2020 Budget.

Registered voters and taxpayers listed on the Oc-

tober, 2018 Grand List as owning property as-

sessed for at least $1000 are eligible to vote in the

referendum, though citizens can cast a ballot in

only one of the three district towns. Absentee

ballots are available during regular Town Hall

hours from the Town Clerk up until the opening

of the polls.

SENIORS LUNCHEON

The seniors’ monthly luncheon will be held on

June 12 at noon in the Community Center. This

month’s menu is Pot Luck. Please bring a side

dish to serve four to share, such as macaroni and

cheese, or potato, vegetable, or fruit salad.

Stuffed peppers & beverages will be provided.

There is no charge as we are sharing our bounty

with each other. RSVP by June 6

to jurneez@charter.net; or call 860.933.4561.

ATTENTION ALL DOGS & THEIR

OWNERS! IT’S JUNE – THAT MEANS

LICENSING SEASON — TIME TO SEE

THE TOWN CLERK

Dog licenses for the 2019-2020 year will be

available in my office during regular hours starting

June 1. Fees for the licenses are: Neutered Male

or Spayed Female - $ 8, and intact Male or Female - $19. Kennel

licenses are $51 for ten tags. A late fee of one dollar per dog per month

(or $10 per month per kennel license set) will be assessed after June

30th . Proof of valid rabies vaccination and/or spaying or neutering must

be presented if the dog has not been licensed in Hampton in the past

year, or if the rabies vaccination expires before the end of the previous

licensing period. My office is open on Tuesday 9AM – 4PM and

Thursday 10AM – 7PM. Please feel free to call me at 860-455-9132 x 1

to arrange licensing by mail if the office times are impossible for you.

Remember, licensing is important for the management of rabies and

therefore contributes to the health and safety of our canine and human

communities. See you in June!

RD #11 BUDGET RETURNS TO VOTERS

The Regional District #11 Board of Education at their May 21 meeting

approved a budget level with the current year’s spending to send to

tri-town voters. The initial proposal, a .9% increase, was rejected by the

district’s taxpayers on May 7. Though Chaplin approved the spending

plan 89-26, Hampton defeated it 113 – 160, and Scotland, 57 – 165,

for a cumulative total of 259 in favor, and 351 opposed.

Though the amount allocated for legal expenses increased in the

second proposal by $25,529, as did transportation by $44,800, the new

budget reduced a position in the Business Department by $12,798 and

eliminated two special education paraprofessionals for an additional

$35,504. There was also a $75,000 reduction in health insurance due

to personnel changes.

The anticipated surplus as the fiscal year comes to a close is $50,000 -

$100,000 to add to the audited fund balance of $266,157. There was

no discussion at the board meeting on applying a portion of that surplus

to the towns’ assessments, which was a possibility raised by taxpayers.

The $6,422,464 budget proposal will be voted by referendum

on June 4.

HUNTINGTON HOUSE

It’s Time to Plant the Garden at the Huntington House in Scotland on

June 1. Talk with Angela Fichter from the Daughters of the American

Revolution at 1PM in our new “old” garden. Tours of the historic

farmstead are from 11AM to 3PM. The cost is $5 per person, members

and children 12 and under free. The Huntington House is part of

Open House Day on June 8 from 11AM to 3PM when Cousin Jedediah

Huntington visits the rural Scotland countryside. Breakfast will be served

on the 18th century farm in this living history demonstration along with

tours of the 1720 homestead. Sponsored by the Windham Region Chamber of

Commerce, the event is free.

HOME SAFETY: FALL PREVENTION CLASS

Falls are a major threat to the health and independence of older adults.

One in three adults aged 65 and older experience a fall, and people who

fall once are two to three times more likely to fall again. This class, on

June 4 at 2:30PM at the Town Hall, is free to the public and will include

safety techniques.

5

Postings lavish praise. “Great food, good service,

and a friendly atmosphere…Love the small town

hospitality…Fantastic family owned Café…Great

people and yummy food…Excellent fresh food,

served up by friendly welcoming folks…Great food!

Great people! Great neighborhood feeling!”

“My sister and I stopped by to support the

opening of Hampton Café. We both ordered a

sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich and it's

absolutely delicious,” Kathy Brand wrote. “Please

stop by even if it's to say hello.”

“Friendly service. Nice sandwiches, hot coffee and

tea,” Kathleen Carpenter recommended, “and very

reasonable prices! This is a great addition to town!”

“Döner kebab (lots of spice/condiment options) and

sausage, pepper, & onion grinder were both tasty,”

Preston Britner wrote. “Very reasonably priced.”

“Good food, great coffee and free WiFi,” Andrea

Kaye noted. “Several lunch specials to choose from.”

Customers agree – there is something here for

everyone. While waiting for your meal, you can

wander around the café and absorb the ambience.

There are musical instruments and antiques from

Jamie Boss to admire. There are jams and jellies,

courtesy of Renée Cuprak, you can purchase to

enjoy with your morning toast. There are maple

products – candy, brittle, almonds – from Dragonfly

Farm. There are also books to read, or to take home,

or bring to a friend.

This is what makes the Hampton Café so special.

One can never quite tell who, or what, you might

find here. You won’t know until you venture inside

where there’s one certainty waiting for you: you’ll

love it!

Juan Arriola

The State of Connecticut recently recognized Dave Demontigny

for his service with the Hampton Fire Company. Representative

Doug Dubitsky presented Dave with the award at the Annual

Ham and Bean Dinner in the newly renovated Firehouse.

THE HAMPTON CAFÉ AT THE

HAMPTON GENERAL STORE

In a small community like Hampton, there is always the need for a place

where we can connect with one another. Clearly, that place has been, and

continues to be, the Hampton General Store. Though the present version is

not one where you can pick up a fresh doughnut, a newspaper, or a quart

of milk or oil, it is one where residents can sit for a spell and enjoy a cup of

coffee and one another’s company.

Proprietors Randy and Rowan Saylor have re-named the place “The

Hampton Café” and serve sandwiches, grinders and pizza. This winter,

there were also daily specials, hearty meals like shepherd’s pie, lasagna,

and soups. And though that grinder or pizza can easily be boxed or

wrapped for home, it can also be enjoyed in the store at one of the tables

set there for customers. “A respectable, pleasant atmosphere where people

can sit and eat, or meet up with a friend for lunch, or just sit and catch up

to local gossip,” Diane Gagnon recommends, adding, “Good gossip only!”

There’s something nostalgic about sitting in a place where neighbors for a

century have taken a few moments to simply slow down and relax at the

pace of small town life. “It is wonderful to have a family business in the

heart of Hampton. Seeing friends sitting at the counter, everyone is happy

to see you. I stop in for a coffee and to see who is there,” says Renée

Cuprak. “And the homemade food is good, too.”

At the Hampton Café, one can sit and respond to the comings and goings

of friends and neighbors with cheerful exchanges. One can catch up on the

news of the town, discuss the budget, learn of upcoming happenings. Or

ask about the health of a community member, or how one’s son or daugh-

ter is doing. Conversations are always spontaneous; we all have something

in common: our town and its people. “The heart of Hampton! Every time

I go, I run into friends and neighbors. The atmosphere is cozy,” Marissa

Bozza appraises. “It always feels just like visiting a good friend at home.”

It is the intimacy of this place that makes it so pleasant. It’s a warm

place. A welcoming place. It invites you to sit for a minute, or the entire

afternoon. “I've never quite felt ‘at home’ in any establishment as I have in

The Hampton Café”, Linda Navin shares. “This is very important to me,

as I'm a bit of a ‘wallflower’. Randy, Rowan and Diane, quite literally,

welcome you with open arms.”

“When you stop in you're sure to be greeted and run into someone you

hadn't seen in a while. It's a great gathering place,” says Lisa Grady. “And,

oh yeah, there is food. You can't go wrong with that!”

Oh, yeah, there’s the food! And it’s delicious. My wife’s favorite – their

roast beef grinder with horseradish sauce. Other customers have referred

to it as “the best roast beef in the northeast.” My favorite – a grinder stuffed

with ham, capicola, salami and jalapeno peppers. The sandwiches are

custom made.

HOURS Wednesday 12-8PM,

Thursday & Friday 9AM-12PM,

& Saturday 9AM-3PM

6

MONTHLY EVENTS

June Top Shelf Gallery

Christopher Cunningham’s “Landscapes:

Tropicals & Abstracts” are the featured paintings.

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.

June 5 Book Discussion Group 6:30PM

We will be discussing Gone So Long by Andre

Dubus III. New members always welcome!

June 18 Quiet Corner Reads 2019 Author Visit 7PM

Join other Quiet Corner readers for an evening

with Andre Dubus III, author of The House of Sand

and Fog, Townies, and Gone So Long at The Man-

sion at Bald Hill in Woodstock. Tickets available at

Fletcher Memorial Library.

June 19 & 26 and July 3, 10, 17 & 24 Summer

Reading Program 1 – 2PM

The theme for the 2019 Summer Reading Program

is “A Universe of Stories”. We will be exploring the

Solar System, learning about planets and stars.

Hands-on activities, stories, and a snack will be

provided. All ages welcome!

YOUR PASS TO MUSEUMS, PARKS,

& EXCITING PLACES AROUND THE STATE!

The Fletcher Memorial Library is very pleased to offer discounted admission passes, as well as

several free passes, to our patrons. Connecticut Science Center, Hartford: 20% off General

Admission. Connecticut State Parks: Free admission to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Gillette

Castle State Park in East Haddam, and Fort Trumbull State Park and Visitor Center in New

London. Mystic Aquarium, Mystic: Save $5 per person for up to four people. The New Britain

Museum of American Art: Free admission for up to four people. Springfield Museums/Dr. Seuss

Museum, Springfield: Free admission for up to four visitors per day. The Tantaquidgeon Indian

Museum, Uncasville: Always free to the public. Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art,

Hartford: Free general admission for two adults and two children (through age 17).

NEW BOOKS

A strong lineup of adult fiction this month, with new novels from favorites

like David Baldacci and Donna Leon, a new detective from Alexander

McCall Smith, and the much reviewed Women Talking from Miriam Toews.

Nonfiction offerings include a biography of Sandra Day O’Connor and books

on Japanese cherry trees and being a grandparent.

ADULT FICTION

David Baldacci Redemption

Clive Cussler Celtic Empire

Mario Giordano Aunt Poldi & The Vineyards of Etna

Judith A. Jance The A List

Martha Hall Kelly Lost Roses

Donna Leon Unto Us a Son Is Given

Susan Mallery California Girls

Alexander McCall Smith The Department of Sensitive Crimes

(Detective Varg)

Carlene O’Connor Murder in an Irish Pub

James Patterson The 18th Abduction

Rosella Postorino At the Wolf’s Table

Karen Robards The Fifth Doctrine

Peter Robinson Careless Love (DCI Banks)

Jennifer Robson The Gown

John Sandford Neon Prey

Lisa See The Island of Sea Women

Miriam Toews Women Talking

Stuart Woods Wild Card

ADULT NON-FICTION

Naoko Abe The Sakura Obsession: The Incredible Story of

the Plant Hunter Who

Saved Japan’s Cherry Blossoms

Mark Bowden The Last Stone: A Masterpiece of

Criminal Interrogation

Anna Quindlen Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting

Evan Thomas First: Sandra Day O’Connor

SCOUTING NEWS

On April 16th, the Scouts spent hours of their spring

break working on the trails at Nature Conservancy’s

Rock Spring Wildlife Refuge in Scotland clearing trails

and re-painting blazes, pleased to get outside on a

beautiful day and share some good work. On April 28th,

the Troops had an extraordinary celebration to mark

the momentous achievement of Travis Jacobson as he

earned the highest rank in Scouting, that of Eagle

Scout. The Congregational Church’s Holt Hall was

packed with friends, relatives, and local dignitaries as

the Troop presented Travis with his Eagle award, a

rank that only about 3% of those who start as Cub

Scouts achieve. The requirements include earning at

least 21 merit badges over the course of Scouts BSA

and also showing leadership within a Troop. A hallmark

of the Eagle Scout rank has been the Eagle Project

where the Scout will plan, develop, and give leadership

to others in a service project helpful to the community

in an organization other than the Boy Scouts of

America. Travis’ project last year was to upgrade the

trails and bridges at the Blue Flag Meadow on the

north end of town. Travis worked to organize

donations of materials and time as well as to conduct

the trail renovation project with the volunteers he

recruited. The Troop couldn’t be prouder of his

accomplishments.

When Main Street resident Ann Davis needed help with her spring yard

work, the 4th grade Webelos and 1

st grade Tigers of Pack 93 answered

the call! On April 23, the Scouts and their parents descended on her

yard with trimmers, tarps, rakes and leaf-blowers in hand. Thank you to

these Scouts for “Doing a Good Turn” for this grateful resident. On May

7, under the threat of thunderstorms, the monthly Family Cub Scouts’

Pack meeting was forced indoors. Spirits remained high, however, and

every single Cub Scout family was in attendance as we celebrated the

theme of “Friendships in Scouting”. Pack 93 awarded the rank badge

of Webelos to 4thgraders Kira Aiello, James Allen, Ethan Bray, Zane

Finch, Tricia Nanni, Emily Nunn, and Savannah Stearns. We’d like

to congratulate these boys and girls and their families on their

accomplishments. The Family Cub Scout Pack 93 is for boys and girls

in grades K-5. The next Pack meeting is June 1st at the Wolf Den

Averill Youth Camping Site in Pomfret. During this ceremony, we will

retire the tattered flags that we have collected and “crossover” our

Scouts to the next grade level rank. For more information contact:

Michelle Mlyniec, 465.7344 or MMmlyniec@gmail.com.

Michelle Mlyniec, Interim Cubmaster

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 jwalret@gmail.com. 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 swgarafano@aol.com.

7

PARISH HILL’S PHACT PTSA

DIGITAL FAMILIES

Parish Hill opened its doors recently for a

Facebook Digital Families Community Event.

The goal: “for parents and students to have an

open, evolving conversation about how to make

positive, safe decisions when using digital tools.”

The program included an interactive presentation

about issues ranging from preconceived ideas to

current research as well as how to have positive

interactions on social media with topics such as

“Privacy and You”, “Healthy Habits”, and

“Family Tech Talk”. Every student went home

with at least one prize. Even more important,

everyone went home with tools to help their

families engage in meaningful and shared

conversation about digital literacy, safety and

citizenship.

THIRD ANNUAL SPRING FLING

Parish Hill’s Spring Fling will take place on

June 1, from 11AM to 3PM. The annual event

will feature local vendors, animals from local

farms, food trucks, snack stations, and a Chili

Cook-Off, a DJ to dance to, and a Dunk Tank,

Bounce House, Face Painting, and Batting

Cages. Fun for all ages!

Lisa LaBelle

8

T he very first front page of the Hampton

Gazette reported on our town’s

agricultural roots. Pearl Scarpino’s

“Under All Is the Land” also chronicled

the slow demise of the family farm. Like so many

towns in New England, the Industrial Revolution

beckoned residents to the mills established in

neighboring communities such as Willimantic and

Danielson, while Hampton’s population, and its

farms, dwindled. During the Depression, our dairy

farms numbered thirty. The 1957 Grand List

named 21, and by 1978, the year the article was

published, there were only four left. Now there

is only one.

Unlike many other Connecticut towns, however,

Hampton has escaped suburban sprawl and the

encroachment of commercial enterprises, and in

terms of agriculture, we seem to have reinvented

ourselves with the times. Chickens -- so many

chickens! -- have replaced all those

cows, and vegetables have replaced

larger grain crops.

In 2010, the Gazette featured

all the farmers who were

starting to sell vegetables from

their gardens: Bird Song Farm

offering 35 varieties of

vegetables, Turtle Ledge Farm selling weekly

to subscribers, Indian Ledge Farm, which piled its

daily produce into a wagon parked in front of the

General Store, Full Moon Farm operating a market

Saturdays in an old barn, Christadore’s Corn Crib,

and the Farmer’s Market at Chapel’s Greenhouse,

where local vendors gathered with tailgates full of

whatever was growing for the hundred or so

customers who spent Friday afternoons there to socialize

and to shop.

Along with the eggs and vegetables, products sold here are also

derived from our pastures and orchards, our maple trees and our honey

bees. This was most recently evidenced in the Fletcher Memorial

Library’s “Homegrown” event. We expected to stop in for a few

minutes and instead, spent three hours visiting with vendors and

sampling their items. Farmers were represented by well-known

establishments and new neighbors alike.

Dragon Fly Farm’s display was filled with maple products - candy,

candied nuts and brittle, River Valley Farm with honey and goat’s milk

soap, and Full Moon Farm with freshly picked asparagus. Pebble Brook

Farm produced maple cotton candy, along with jugs of maple syrup

and jars of maple cream. Cuprak’s Cupboard featured an assortment of

jams, common selections such as strawberry, raspberry and blueberry,

and unusual varieties such as “Peach Rosemary” and “Razzy Rhubarb”.

At the Barton Farms table, one could purchase pots of parsley, sage,

rosemary and thyme, along with cilantro and basil, and a roasted root

vegetable hot sauce – “Dragon’s Blood Elixir -- Guaranteed to

Cure Bland Food”.

Alongside these familiar farms and faces were new neighbors.

Mennonite families were offering fresh bread and fresh eggs, pear

butter and apple butter, and an absolutely beautiful bouquet of

flowers attracted visitors to a table advertising whole chickens.

“Community Exchange” was the way Charity Stoltzfus of Riverstone

Farm described the Mennonite’s philosophy, explaining with the

example, “we planted someone’s potatoes this week, and roofed

9

another family’s home”. This tradition was the cornerstone of our

town’s past.

“Hampton Remembers”, Alison Davis’ chronicle of “A Small Town in

New England, 1885 – 1950”, describes, “In those days Hampton was

quite self-sufficient with nearly everything a family needed available

right here in town. From ‘cradle to grave’ you were cared for by your

fellow townspeople.” From barn-raising to husking bees, many of the

town’s agricultural efforts were communal. And while the Hampton

farm was largely independent, with families raising their own cows,

chickens, goats, sheep and crops, most farms were dependent on

someone else’s “specialty” as well, which in turn generated revenue

for individual families. This custom is also recorded in “Hampton

Remembers”.

When I was first married I made butter, put the cream in an

old-fashioned churn, with a crank you turned ‘round, then you had to

mold it in pound molds. Then I hitched up the horse, took the wagon

and went up to the store on Hampton Hill. One day in particular I took

thirty-three pounds and got thirty cents a pound for it so I had 9.90.

I bought all the food I needed and had some left to put in my pocket.

Lucy Lewis

My father used to do market gardening and raise cucumbers for pickles.

He put them up in jars – they were called Valley View Pickles. He took

all his vegetables in crates and his pickles to Willimantic to be sold in

the grocery stores there.

Vera Hoffman

We had five or six cows and we sold milk to the neighbors. All around

us was summer folks, you might say. That was my job, I used to run

around to the neighbors and deliver the milk on my bicycle, the bottles

of milk in the basket on the handlebars.

Robert Fitts

We brought the coal from Hampton Station and delivered it to homes

and we cut ice at Bigelow Pond and filled Hampton icehouses.

Bertha Burnham

On our farm we had a large sugar maple grove and

produced about a hundred gallons of maple syrup

every spring that we sold locally for $4.00 a gallon.

The syrup along with the apples and huckleberries

and cranberries that we picked and sold brought in a

nice little extra income for our big family.

Arthur Kimball

We used to pick huckleberries in the summertime

and Mr. Clapp at Elliot Store would give us ten cents

a quart the first week, nine the next and when it got

down so’s he was giving us three cents a quart then

we picked to preserve for our own use… We used

to get our firewood, we used to sell wood and I

remember it was four dollars a cord, sawed and

delivered.

Harold Stone

Not many made cheese but my mother made

cheese. She had to have a lot of fresh milk and she

put it in a big tub made of tin. She put the rennet

into it at the beginning. Then she let it stand and it

curdled or set, like custard, and then she cut that up

a little bit so it would be easier to handle and the

idea was that she must have all the sweetness, the

drippings out of the cheese and have just the

custard part left. So it was put in a cheese box of

4, 5, 6, 7, 8 pounds and in a cheesecloth and put

in big presses that would do 2, 3,4 cheeses at a

time. Each press had a cover screwed down which

pressed out the whey and after a few more days no

more whey came out. But my mother looked at

the cheese each day and covered it with oil to

keep it from getting too dry right on top. She

trimmed the curd that squeezed out around the

edges (and I was always standing with my mouth

open waiting for a little bite). It took probably a

matter of two or three months of her pressing it a

little every day to get all the moisture out of it.

When it was done she sold the cheese.

Helen Mathews

In my lifetime I’ve seen so many things change.

When Grampa used to do the delivery for Annah

Burnham’s Inn he used to go down to New

London and pick up her customers and bring them

up – and then regulations came in that you had to

have a special license so he gave it up. And the

same thing happened about his dressing off the

beef to take it to Gallup’s store – the regulations

came through and you could only do it for your

own family consumption but not for sale. And my

father couldn’t sell chickens anymore because of

regulations. Of course the raw milk couldn’t be

sold – you had all the inspections. All these

regulations changed everyone’s lives. I’m not

disagreeing with it but I’m just mentioning it to

show how much our lives have changed.

Ethel Jaworski

10

MENNONITES IN HAMPTON

In the fall of 2017, I saw a Mennonite family at the

Hampton Fall Harvest Festival. I went up to the

woman and introduced myself. She told me her

family was buying a home in Hampton. I told her

I looked forward to getting to know her. In the

spring of 2018, I was in my flower garden and

looked up the driveway to see a woman in a dress

that went to the ground and a small white hat that

tied under the chin. She was walking a Jack Russell

terrier. I ran up to her and asked if she would let

me show her my garden. She assented and came

down the driveway. When I asked her what her

husband did, she said construction, but he used to

do landscaping. I asked if I could hire him to edge

my garden and put mulch on it, since I had just had

shoulder surgery. She said she would speak to him.

Later I contacted him, and we set a date. Lo and

behold, not only did he show up, but his wife did

too, and her parents who were visiting from out of

state. When lunch time came, I suggested that they

come in for lunch. The men kept working, but the

women went home and came back with cookies

(Mennonite cookies are yummy), carrot sticks, and

peanut butter dip (healthy and yummy). I asked

the women to strip my left-over chicken for me so

we could have chicken sandwiches, because it hurt

my shoulder too much to do that. They cheerfully

did that, and we all ate, and the men went back

to work.

Eight Mennonite families have moved to Hampton.

Two more are committed to come here. The

Mennonites rent the basement of the Hampton

Town Hall to hold church services on Sunday

morning and to hold school for their children

during the week. One married couple and one

single lady teach children in the school.

Mennonites are Anabaptists, which means they do

not practice infant or young child baptism. To

them the act of baptism requires someone mature

enough to understand the difference between good

and bad and old enough to have self-knowledge

that he has sinned and wants God to forgive him.

He is repenting. You cannot join the Mennonite

church until you are baptized. A Bible passage

supporting this comes from Mark 1: 4-8.

Many of us have seen Amish families. There are

Amish colonies in many states. My grandparents

raised me, and my early years were in a suburb of

Philadelphia. On weekends we drove to Lancaster

and went to Amish food stands. My grandparents

bought, directly from Amish farms, fresh vegetables,

fruit, homemade egg noodles and pies (pies are

good for you!). The Amish and the Mennonites differ in dress and

habits. In getting ready to do this first article on Mennonites I

discovered that there is an entire spectrum of different types of Amish

and different types of Mennonites. Of the eight Mennonite families

that are here in Hampton, some of the heads of household were born

and raised Amish, and some were born and raised Mennonites.

This Hampton Mennonite Church is the type known as Beachy,

after Moses Beachy.

The old order Amish use a horse to plow. No tractor, no electricity,

no cars are allowed to members, although if you want to hire old order

Amish to build you a barn, they are allowed to hire someone to drive

them in a car to a bus station or train station to get to where you live.

The new order Amish allow tractors. Old order Mennonites use

tractors with steel wheels, electricity, and horse and buggy (no cars).

The Hampton Mennonites use cars, computers, phones, cameras,

tractors, but no television and no radio because TV and radio are

seen as showing a way of living that is sinful and inappropriate for

believers (the conflict between Jesus’ kingdom and the kingdom of this

world). Amish and Mennonites are non-resistant.

The current minister of the Hampton Mennonite Church is Jonas Lapp.

He explained that ministers do not get paid, do not go to a seminary.

Mennonites study Scripture and get chosen for ordination by a

combined method of the congregation voting, then the use of lot.

Both men and women vote, but only a man can be minister. The vote

is by lot. Candidates who receive a pre-determined minimum number

of votes choose a book, and the one who chooses the book that has a

slip of paper in it is ordained. The one chosen by lot is then ordained

by prayer while laying on of hands by other leaders. The use of the lot

is found in the book of Acts. While there are no term limits, someone

from within the congregation will eventually succeed him as a minister.

They plan to ordain another minister within a year to form a leadership

team. They will eventually have a team of three or more ministers.

Four churches in Lancaster, Pennsylvania are helping support the

Hampton Mennonite school and Choice Books up here. Stop and

Shop in Willimantic have some Choice Books, and the congregation is

renting book storage for Choice Books in Pomfret. Choice Books are

inspirational, wholesome reading materials. To learn more about

Beachy Mennonites see beachyam.org on your computer.

The Hampton Mennonite Church has services every Sunday at 10 AM.

The services last two hours. On most Sundays the service is followed

with lunch to which people bring food from home. I have attended

some services and found them meaningful (and the food yummy!).

The feeling of fellowship is excellent, and the services have non-

members attending plus visitors from other Mennonite congregations.

A recent service I attended had a Mennonite family from Wisconsin,

one from Massachusetts, and one from Pennsylvania.

Angela Hawkins Fichter

The Gazette extends a warm, belatedly and continuously, welcome to the

Mennonite community. How good it is to hear children's laughter again in the

building which once schooled some of us, to see the baseball fields utilized as

they once were, to have the Congregational Church fill with the spiritual music

of their concerts, and our community events fill with our new neighbors and

their gentle and generous presence.

11

GERANIUMS

We associate the word “geranium” with the prominent splash

of red globular blossoms that are the standard in window boxes

on city balconies and in baskets on country porches. These annuals are actually

members of the genus Pelargonium which has grown to produce myriad varieties

in shades of red, orange, purple, pink, and white, along with multi-colored

flowers, and cultivars grown primarily for their foliage with leaves variegated,

veined, bronzed, marbled, rimmed, striped and frosted. Seasonal displays at any

nursery attest to their continued popularity planted singularly and in container

gardens.

The true Geranium, derived from the Greek meaning “crane”, is the perennial

often referred to as “cranesbills” for the appearance of their seed casings. They

grow heartily in our gardens and along our roadsides in spring. The five petals of

pale pink or lavender to nearly white, or dark pink to purplish and almost blue,

form the small saucers of the delicate New England wildflowers which wave above

clumps of palmate leaves and resemble many of our garden varieties. Cultivars,

however, are more floriferous.

Of the hundreds of varieties, several are pink. Geranium endressii ‘Wargrave’,

the most commonly grown, produces silvery pink petals that float over foliage with

a similar sheen, complimenting artemesia ‘Silver Mound’ and softening the intense

hue of the Lychnis “mullein pink”. The vibrant cultivar ‘Patricia’ is perfect for the

rock garden, forming small hills of magenta blossoms to invigorate foliar alpines

from late spring through summer. Pale pink flowers veined in crimson smother

geranium sanguineum ‘Striatum’, its tendrils spreading to swirl around other spring

pastels, such as spires of lavender salvia and clouds of pale blue catmint. A darker

variety, ‘Pink Penny’, blooms later in the season to partner with the darker pastels

of balloon flowers and phloxes. Along the garden edge, where geraniums are

always welcome, Cantabrigiense ‘Crystal Rose’ bears deep pink blossoms

mid-summer, while ‘Karmina’ produces purplish pink flowers in early summer and

colorful foliage in fall.

White geraniums are necessary components of the moon garden. ‘Album’ is the

purest, compact mounds which spread to create a ground cover of finely serrated

leaves speckled with clear white flowers in late spring. 'Kashmir White' sparkles,

its translucent petals larger than those of most geraniums, rising over clumps of

deeply dissected foliage to put forth a spectacular glow in early summer with

repeat blossoms till fall. Cultivars of the mostly white variety are quite exotic,

requiring closer inspection than the distant splashes ‘Album and ‘Kashmir White’

that draw the eye. ‘Double Jewel’ is a diminutive gem with multiple layers of starry

white petals with purple centers, perfect spilling over a wall, and the award

winning ‘Mrs. Kendall Clarke’ bears spring blossoms of the most delicate

lavender imaginable veined in white.

‘Johnson’s Blue’ was the first of the blue geraniums to garner attention and an

award, and it remains a garden standard. Taller than most, its nodding habit

doesn’t distract from its brilliant blooms which flower most of the season with the

vibrancy of peacock feathers. ‘Rozanne’, a Plant of the Year recipient, is a tidier

version, flowering longer and more prolifically, its indigo blossoms bearing starry

white centers which open profusely in early summer and continue sporadically till

frost. While many geraniums’ foliage colors in fall, the leaves of ‘Havana Blues’ are

golden in spring, prior to the emergence of its flowers, pale periwinkle with violet

streaks. The two inch blossoms are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds and

large for geraniums and for this plant, an eight inch dwarf. ‘Summer Skies’ bears

delicate violet ruffles of double blossoms throughout the summer, and ‘Delft Blue’

has the appearance of violet paint splashed across its white flowers.

There are a few perennial geraniums as flamboyant as

the bright red annual. Geranium ‘Sanguine’, or

“Bloody Cranesbill” for the red coloration of its

autumn leaves, is the strongest geranium in color and

stature. In late spring, the solid rounded mounds

forming in the rock garden are smothered with

fluorescent magenta petals to complement violet

carpets of woolly thyme, to invigorate the soft laven-

der mist of catmint, or to create striking contrasts with

the chartreuse froth of lady’s mantle. Sparser blossoms

repeat all summer. The magenta petals with black

centers of the more recent cultivars, ‘Splendens’ and

'Dragon Hearts', are also arresting in the rock garden.

On the opposite spectrum, are the very subtle cultivars

grown primarily for their scent, though their attributes

are several, starting with a tolerance of dry shade

which makes them wonderful candidates for ground

covers underneath shrubs. In our garden Geranium

macrorrhizum ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ skirts Viburnum

sargentii ‘Onodaga’ to perfection. The geranium’s soft

pink tubular petals circling the blossoms’ rose throats

mirror the shrub’s inflorescence of pale pink florets

surrounding sterile raspberry blooms. The geranium’s

spreading tendrils form a dense carpet to anchor the

columnar shrub, its foliage emerging maroon along

with its blossoms before maturing to summer’s dark

green. Both the foliage of the shrub and the geranium

ignite in the fall with orange and red flames. Yet it’s

the scent of the geranium’s aromatic leaves, a

heavenly perfume, which is especially prized.

Geranium cantabrigiense 'Biokovo', a Plant of the Year

recipient, is an exceptional scented specimen with

dainty white petals flushed pink.

There are a few geraniums which one must view up

close to appreciate. These include “Ballerina”, a small

clump of fine foliage in the rock garden, or among

other ethereal plants, lifting its soft pink flowers veined

in wine to float beneath airborne umbels of heliotrope

and the fluff of filipendula. “Espresso”, so named for

its large bronze, sharply divided leaves, has pale

lavender, darkly veined petals, eventually maturing to

white, providing a spectacular contrast of foliage and

flower. “Raven” bears broad, plum colored blooms in

May, with repeat flowering throughout the summer

and into early fall. It’s glossy, almost black blossoms

require pale companions, such as “Moonbeam”

coreopsis, to show. ‘Midnight Cloud’ deserves a

prominent place on the garden edge. A magical

plant, its white flowers flushed palest pink sprinkle

themselves over the velvety purple foliage like a

gossamer veil, hence the name.

From the rock garden, through broad ribbons across

the rims of perennial borders, to intimate niches,

there’s always room for geraniums. And there’s always

room for the annual commonly called “geranium”,

too, particularly where expanses of greenery require a

splash of color. In a garden where chartreuse bamboo

became rampant to the point of eliminating everything

except the trees and shrubs that provide seasonal

displays there, a single red geranium hanging in the

center from the limb of a willow supplies the garden

with sufficient vibrancy all summer. And, of course,

they’re always welcome on the porch.

with Dayna McDermott

12

GOODWIN CONSERVATION CENTER

June 1 Trails Day Bird Walk 8 -10AM

Join Naturalist Lena Ives for a morning on the trails with the birds. We’ll meet

at the parking area at the intersection of Eleventh Section and Nutmeg Lane.

June 1 Trails Day Family Woods Walk 11AM - NOON

Join Naturalist Lena Ives on a slow ramble through our trails where stops

sparked by curiosity are encouraged! Kids of all ages and their families

are welcome.

June 1 Trails Day Long Distance Hike 2 – 5PM

Length of this hike on less traveled trails will be determined by consensus and

conditions, but plan on 5-7 miles. Heavy rain cancels. Wear comfortable shoes,

bring a snack, 1-2 quarts of water, bug repellent and sunscreen.

June 1 Full Moon Hike and Campfire 8 – 10PM

Let the full moon guide your path on this hike in Goodwin State Forest,

followed by a campfire and s’mores. Inclement weather cancels.

June 1 & 2 Native Plant Sale 9AM – 2PM

Help spread native plants throughout the Quiet Corner's gardens! Available

plants are listed on the Friends of Goodwin Forest website.

June 2 Goodwin Forest Trail Run 9AM

It's not too late to register for the 10k and 30k trail runs throughout Goodwin

and Natchaug State Forest! Check out the Friends of Goodwin Forest to register.

June 5 & June 20 Relaxed Ramble 11AM – 1PM & 1 – 3PM

Join Goodwin Guide Jack Griffin on a moderate walk on forest trails. All are

welcome. Hiking sticks available to borrow.

June 8 Forest Owners and Gypsy Moths: Dealing with Infestation and Mortality

10AM - NOON

Gypsy moth defoliations for the past three years have been the most damaging

in over 30. This program will examine past damage, present conditions, and

what the future holds.

June 8 Canoe on Pine Acres 2 – 4PM

Registration required for this paddle around Pine Acres Pond with Goodwin

Friends Dale and Kate May.

June 12 & June 26 Trail Running Club 5:30 - 6:30PM

Join us for a relaxed run on Goodwin trails. The route and pace will be chosen

by participants.

June 12 Predator Series: Fisher 6:30 - 8:30PM

Fisher are talked about often, sometimes heard, but rarely seen. Come learn

more about this elusive species from Master Wildlife Conservationist Paul

Colburn.

June 13 Identification Walk 4 – 6PM

Bring your own, or borrow from our collection of field guides, to help the group

identify as much as we can during a short walk on the trails.

June 15 Long Distance Hike 10:30AM - 1:30PM

Enjoy the company of fellow hikers and get some great outdoor exercise on this

three hour, 5-6 mile hike on our trails.

June 22 Gardener’s Roundtable 1 – 3PM

This workshop is intended for gardeners of all experience levels and covers a

range of topics, so please come with your questions, expertise, and stories of

success and failure in your gardens.

June 18 Women in Nature Hike 4 – 6PM

Led by Program Director Beth Bernard, these monthly hikes are designed

especially for folks who identify as women and include time to explore and

share conversation.

June 29 Summer Residents Bird Walk 8 – 10AM

Join Naturalist Lena Ives on the trails to see what birds we can observe tending

to nests and breeding, and in the museum to discuss the behaviors birds exhibit

as they breed and raise their young.

June 29 Summer Plant and Fungi Foraging With The 3 Foragers10AM - NOON

The summer months offer a bounty of ripe berries, nectar-laden flowers, and

edible plants and mushrooms that carpet the forest floor after warm, rainy days.

Learn how to identify, harvest, and prepare the wild foods of summer.

June 29 Citizen Science Series: An Introduction to Getting Involved 1 – 3PM

This series will provide different opportunities to get involved with citizen

science projects to expand your knowledge and that of researchers! Suitable

for children ages 7 and older.

CONNECTICUT AUDUBON SOCIETY

GRASSLAND BIRD CONSERVATION CENTER

218 DAY ROAD, POMFRET CENTER

June & July Birds of Connecticut Photography

Exhibit

June 5 – June 26 Wednesday Noon Walks

NOON

June 7 & 19 Bird Walk/Breeding Bird Surveys

7AM

June 15 & 22 Whip-poor-will Walks 8:45PM

June 26 Bull Hill Bird Watch/Hike 8AM

TRAIL WOOD

93 KENYON ROAD, HAMPTON

June 2 Edwin Way Teale’s Birthday 1- 4PM

Celebrate Edwin Way Teale’s 120th birthday

with cake and with the new Caretakers,

Paul & Laura Tedeschi.

June 14 Father’s Day Family Treasure Hunt

1-4PM

Tell Dad to take a hike! Find hidden stamp

boxes featuring nature facts, collect them all

and get a prize.

June 14 Non-Fiction Book Club 2-4PM

A lively book discussion led by Jacqueline

Jacobsohn on “Nomadland” by Jessica Bruder.

June 27 Trail Wood Bird Walk 8AM

Join us as we discover various nesting birds at the

Teale sanctuary.

June 28 Frog and Toad Calls 7 - 8:30PM

Enjoy an evening walk around the pond to hear

and identify different frogs and toads.

For fees and other information, call (860)928-4948 or visit:

ctaudubon.org.

LOIS KELLEY is featured in The Henry Ford

Museum! The letters, photographs and journals of

Lois Kelley, who we memorialized in the March

issue of the Gazette, have recently been included

in the collection at The Henry Ford Museum in

Dearborn, Michigan, which houses memories and

memorabilia of post-war women in agriculture.

The former and first Director of Goodwin

Conservation Center, Lois also worked at Old

Sturbridge Village, where the curator referred

her family to The Henry Ford and its special

exhibit. Letters to her parents, photographs, and

journals chronicle a young farm wife’s experiences

in Connecticut towns with planting peas,

harvesting corns, birthing calves, and square

dances at the Grange. A wealth of information

for the museum, and another Hampton writer to

earn national recognition!

13

the hole, preventing bees from getting out while

feeding them at the same time. The queen is in the

box too, but she is in her own very tiny box called

the queen cage. Keeping her separated for a week or

so allows the other bees to get to know her so they

don’t attack her once she is released. Out to the hive

we went, new bees and equipment in hand.

“Well, that looked nothing like the video and did not

go according to plan,” my husband and I said to each

other as we return to the house, now soaking wet.

According to the instructional video, one simply

removes the feeder can, then gently removes the

queen cage, which gets attached to one of the

frames with a rubber band, and lastly one simply

shakes the bees from the box and into the hive.

Done. My experience was a tad different: the can

did not wiggle out as easily as it should’ve and the

queen cage was stubbornly wedged and would not

come out. Bees were flying around everywhere and

it started to sprinkle. I ended up sticking my hand

into the box, yanking the queen cage out, and

dumping the bees into the hive. I managed to get the

queen cage under the rubber band that was on the

frame just before it started to pour. “Hurry up! Put

the lids on!” my husband encouraged. “I know!”

I grumbled back. Once back inside the house, I

watched the ‘how to’ video again, said a little prayer

that our new colony would survive the ‘dump and

run’, and called it a day.

I’m happy to announce it’s been almost two weeks

and the bees look great! There are eggs and babies

galore in the hive and I thought I saw our queen

today! I found out from the Apiary that the supplier

had changed the packaging this year which caught all

the beekeepers off guard. I was also reassured that

bees are hardier than we think, and to not give up.

Our chickens wander along the short perimeter of

the hive’s fence. “I have my eyes on you Miss Lily,”

I chuckle as she looks up at me with that innocent

little face. They don’t understand why they can’t go

in there. They don’t like it when I’m paying attention

to the bees and not them. I’m convinced they are

licking their chops as they hover around the hive.

“Here you go,” I coo as I toss handfuls of grapes and

spinach out for our gang to munch on. “You know

I think you guys are so very cute. And you know that

I love each one of you very much! There are things

I’ll need to do to help our bees, but I’ll always be

here for all of you!” I console, making Doug,

Brownie, Porridge, Checkers, Gert and Lily very

happy chickens indeed.

Cindy Bezanson

GUESS WHAT CHICKIES! THE BEES ARRIVE TOMORROW!

“It’s that time again you guys,” I said to my chickens while tucking them in that night.

“Tomorrow, we will be beekeepers once again!” All six clucked at me as if they

understood. What they were really saying was, ‘Why didn’t you bring any snacks to

give out!?’

“Close your eyes now and go to sleep, my babies. I’ll see you all in the morning”.

We had been waiting quite a while for this day… seven months to be exact. The hive

we’d started the summer before didn’t make it past October. I learned that many

beekeepers had experienced the same loss and that no one had a clear understanding

of why. So those of us with only one hive put our order in for new bees and looked

forward to spring.

There were chores to be done in preparation for their arrival: the frames containing

honey were spun and emptied and honey jarred, the empty frames packaged and put

in a safe place, the hive boxes were spruced up with a fresh coat of paint, protective

gear laundered, and finally, all bee equipment was cleaned and properly stored for

winter. “The yard looks empty without the hive there,” I sulked to my husband.

“We’ll try again in the spring,” he comforted.

Winter began and we set about our cold weather routine. Our flock frequently joins us

when we are outside. We open the gate that separates our area from theirs. They run

out and run everywhere like excited kids at an amusement park. “Stick together!” I

yell after them as they scatter across the yard. We let them explore for a bit while we

split more logs for the wood stove and refill the bird feeders. One by one they all wan-

der over when they hear my husband start up the garden tiller. “Juicy bugs!” Porridge

clucks eagerly. Brownie just about runs the gang over to get to the rich soil and

feverishly digs in. We have a short window of time left before the ground freezes and

we take advantage of it by adding compost and manure to both gardens for better dirt

in the spring. After Doug and his ladies have had their fill, I scoot all of them back over

to the coop and latch the gate behind them. “There. You can play on your side until

it’s time for bed”.

“One more month!” I called to my husband. It was March already and our bees were

due to arrive mid-April. This year, I decided to try Saskatraz bees. They are hybrids

from California and are said to have good overwinter ability, good mite resistance,

and the queens are supposed to be great layers. As we all know, Connecticut can

get ridiculously cold, especially when the wind blows, so the good reports of

overwintering appealed to me. And who doesn’t want a queen bee known to lay lots

of baby bees? Mite resistance is a great quality in bees as is regular mite treatments by

the beekeeper. It would be irresponsible to not pause here and take a moment to

elaborate on the importance of treating your hive for mites.

“Varroa destructor (Varroa mite) is an external parasitic mite that attacks the honey

bees. The disease caused by the mites is called varroosis. The Varroa mite can only

reproduce in a honey bee colony. It attaches to the body of the bee and weakens the

bee by sucking fat bodies. In this process, RNA viruses such as the deformed wing virus

spread to bees. A significant mite infestation will lead to the death of a honey bee

colony, usually in the late autumn through early spring. The Varroa mite is the parasite

with possibly the most pronounced economic impact on the beekeeping industry.

Varroa is considered to be one of multiple stress factors contributing to the higher levels

of bee losses around the world.”-Wikipedia

I look at mite treatments for bees the same way I look at flea treatments for our boys.

We can’t see the fleas on either cat, but stop treating and see what happens. You may

never see a mite on your hive (they are very tiny and red) but every hive has them and

you need to treat. Be sure to read up on which product is best for your hive. Too

strong a treatment could do much damage, and too weak a treatment will do nothing.

So, the day finally arrives! “We’ll be back soon!” I call to our chickens.

“I hear bees are very tasty,” Lily cackles.

“There will be no eating of the honey bees!” I sternly call back to her. “Remind me

to put a fence around the hive when we get back,” I say to my husband as we drive

off, full of hope and promise. In anticipation of this very day, I had brushed up on my

reading, reviewed notes from the previous year, and watched many ‘how to’ videos.

I stumbled across a renowned Apiary nearby and was impressed with their genuine

care for both bee and beekeeper. And I found the videos to be extremely informative

and helpful.

We arrive at the Apiary along with dozens of other excited, anxious, soon-to-be

beekeepers. The bees are delivered in ‘packages’ - wood or plastic boxes about the

size of a shoebox. There is a hole in the top. An upside-down can of sugar water plugs

Rural Heritage Rural Heritage Rural Heritage Arts School, Arts School, Arts School, LLCLLCLLC

GREEN THUMBS: BAMBOO

Bamboo has rapid growth spurts. It can have growth spurts of feet per day.

Do not try to grow it as it gets out of hand rapidly. Buy things made from

bamboo as they are a sustainable substitute for less earth-friendly materials,

such as plastic, metal and wood that are purchased daily. The following are

good things to buy made from bamboo.

Cutting Boards: Cutting boards should not have groves for bacteria to hide in.

Bamboo is dense and will not suck up much moisture. It’s tougher than

plastic, making it a good surface where microorganisms won’t live.

GOOD FOR: Toothbrush Handles: Plastic handles take a millennium to

decompose in a landfill. Everything in the bamboo handle will break down in

two years and leave only the bristles. Sun Glass Frames: Petroleum derived

plastic or metals, such as titanium, which require intensive mining are used

in many sun glasses. The sun glass frames and the case can be made of

bamboo. Sheets: Bamboo chips are shredded and made into a substance

that is then spun into yarn. Unlike cotton, the bamboo used to make the

fabric requires no irrigation, fertilizer or pesticides. The sheet also wicks

away moisture to keep you cool.

Marcia Kilpatrick

has recently opened to teach & share

learning of arts, crafts, and life skills!

We call it the Cottage, a peaceful place

adjacent to Goodwin State Forest.

Do you have something you would like

to learn or to teach? This is the place,

at 170 Estabrooks Road, Hampton.

There are open classes where you can

stay as long as you want. There are also

teacher-lead classes at specific times.

Beginning June 6, open classes Thursdays,

10 am to 6 pm. Specific classes to be

posted on Facebook and our web page:

ruralheritagearts.com

Call 860.934.3228 for more information.

To advertise in The Gazette, please contact our advertising

director at 860.455.7039 or hamptongazette@yahoo.com

The Hampton Gazette

PO Box 101

Hampton, CT 06247