By: Cary Hull
The story of this Chester villa is an unusual one. You can dine here on April 24 and support the Chester Historical Society.
The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a reception at The Mill, with hors d’oeuvres created by Chef Chris Pardue of Chester Village West, formerly chef/owner of L’Americain in Hartford. At 7 o’clock, everyone heads off to one of ten memorable, unique homes in Chester for a sumptuous sit-down dinner, along with fine wines. Each of the dinner menus is being specially created by the homeowner (many of whom have culinary backgrounds) or catered by a professional chef.
Here are some notes on what you can look forward to that evening…
Homard et Crevette au Cognac in the brand-new dining room of a spacious hilltop home with many fine architectural details…
a multi-layered Paella filled with seafood, chicken, and sausage and served with a saffron- infused rice, created by a professional French chef in the oldest house in Chester…
dinner created by Dennis Welch, of The Wheatmarket, and served in the two-story, antiques-filled barn behind one of Chester’s best-known houses…
seasonal specialties such as shad and grass-fed beef in the former Chester Hotel, surrounded by the owners’ original paintings and photographs…
A French professional chef will create a multi-layered Paella for dinner in the oldest house in Chester.
a South African dinner, prepared by Jim and Jody Reilly from Simon’s Market Place and The Blue Oar, in an authentically restored late 18th century home – originally home to the first Chester post office at the mouth of the Chester Cove…
dining graciously in a 1990 Tidewater Colonial-style home overlooking the beautiful Hadlyme Hills as well as the Connecticut River…
a Moroccan-themed dinner in a house overlooking the Pattaconk Brook…
The event promises to be unforgettable – an opportunity to mix with friends and meet some new friends along the way, to be a dinner guest in one of Chester’s fine homes, and to support the Chester Historical Society. The cost is $100 per person (a portion of which is tax-deductible).
Early reservations are recommended. Reservations are required before April 18. Call JoAnne at 860-767-7032 (M-F, 9-5) or 860-526-9875, or pay online with your credit card at www.ChesterHistoricalSociety.org. About ten people will be hosted at each house. Anyone who would like to buy numerous tickets for one house should call ASAP.
Links:
Chester Historical Society
From a press release provided by the Chester Public Library:
From our first emphatic “No!” as a toddler on through adulthood, our ability to assert the negative is closely linked to our sense of self and independence. Gain insight regarding how you relate to “No” yourself, to better support your child’s developing independence, or to more clearly understand your spouse’s, partner’s, or friend’s relationship with this negative assertion. Join us for a brief presentation and opportunity for conversation on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Chester Library, 21 West Main Street in Chester.
About Seniel Lucien: Since receiving her Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, Dr. Lucien has pursued additional clinical and psychoanalytic training and has worked with children, adolescents, and adults. She has taught at the university level, as well. Dr. Lucien has offices in Chester and Glastonbury. For additional information visit her website www.SLucien.com.
Links:
Chester Public Library
Seniel Lucien
From a press release:
With Walker Evans’ mesmerizing 1936 photographs of sharecroppers in Alabama, David Hays sets the mood for his brilliant staged play reading of the James Agee book.
Hays, who has designed sets for more than fifty Broadway plays and ballets is adding director to his impressive resume. After reading the book many years ago, he decided it needed to be performed. He felt the time was right to listen to the words from the real-life characters in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men which grew out of Agee’s and Evan’s assignment for Fortune Magazine at the height of the Great Depression.
“This story parallels the economic plight of America right now. That’s why I thought it was so important to bring an adaptation to the stage.” says David Hays.
With an outstanding cast featuring award winning film and Broadway actress, Scotty Bloch and actress and Margreta Stage artistic director, Jeanie Rapp, the staged play reading runs March 26 and 27 at 8:00 pm and March 28 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $20.00 and can be reserved by calling 860-767-8943 or they may be purchased at the door.
Margreta Stage Company is a non-profit, developmental, performance and teaching company. It combines the talents of theater professionals and members of the community to bring a unique dramatic experience to Connecticut and beyond.
Tom Briggs, Music Director, Jenifer Grant, clarinet, Linnea Hagstrom, flute, Judith Anderson, violin, Ralph Sturges, Christine Murphy and Art Meister, trumpet.
Under the direction of our music director and composer, Tom Briggs, this group of musicians will be performing such classics as the “Scott Joplin Medley,” “St. Louis Blues,” Variation on a Theme,” “I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” and an all time favorite, “Spanish Eyes.”
The Adult Performing Ensemble is still looking for new members, so come join the fun! For more information, call us at 860-767-0026 or visit our website at www.community-music-school.org.
From a press release:
Irish singer and folklorist Tom O’Carroll performs songs and stories of Ireland at the Essex Library on Tuesday, March 16th at 6:30 P.M.
Tom brings a wealth of stories, humor, wit and history to his performances and, whether playing a plaintive air on the tin whistle or singing and playing rousing traditional songs to the accompaniment of the guitar or the bodhrán (Irish drum), he will captivate all with his lively program of Irish culture. CDs of Tom’s music will be available for purchase after the show.
This performance is free and open to all. For reservations or information, please call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560. The Essex Library is located at 33 West Avenue.
From a press release:
Transfiguration church in Kizhi, Russia. The Centerbrook Architects Lecture Series continues Friday, March 19th at 7 P.M. with God Comes To Earth: Ecology, Theology, and Architecture, with Prof. Michael Crosbie, at Essex Town Hall)
Professor Crosbie, a prolific writer on the topic of religious architecture, will discuss the ways in which today’s religious structures challenge old ideas, fashioning sacred places where me might not expect to find them, using space and materials in decidedly untraditional ways.
Michael J. Crosbie has served as an editor at Architecture: The AIA Journal, Progressive Architecture, ArchitectureWeek.com, and is editor-in-chief of Faith & Form, a quarterly journal on religious art and architecture. He is also a frequent contributor to Architectural Record and writes about architecture and design for the Hartford Courant. He has also appeared as an architectural expert on The History Channel. He is the author of more than 15 books on architecture, including five books for children. Dr. Crosbie is Chairman of the Department of Architecture at the University of Hartford, and has served as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and Catholic University.
This lecture is free and open to all, but reservations are strongly suggested. Please call the Essex Library for information or reservations, at 860-767-1560. The Essex Town Hall is located at 29 West Avenue in Essex.
From a press release provided by Cary Hull:
Camp Hazen campers and instructors prepare for rowing classes in the 1920s. Not only did campers row on Cedar Lake but rowboats were available for rent at what is now the Town Beach. (Photo courtesy of Camp Hazen)
The Chester Historical Society will host a program, “Camp Days,” featuring those two camps — Camp Hazen and the former Burr Brook Day Camp — on Sunday, March 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Chester Meetinghouse. In addition to touching on the histories of each camp, Camp Hazen YMCA Executive Director Denise Learned and Burr Brook owners Howard and Barbara McKee will share their memories and experiences.
The program will revolve around the popular cracker barrel format that has been successful for so many Chester Historical Society programs. The Camp Days committee encourages community attendance and especially former campers and counselors to come and relive their camping experiences. Bring photos to share as well!
The program is open to the public at no charge. It will be fun for children as well as parents. Appropriately, camp fare refreshments (bug juice?) will be served at the conclusion of the program. For more information, see the Chester Historical Society’s website, www.ChesterHistoricalSociety.org.
Links:
Chester Historical Society
From a press release:
Even music lovers are intimidated by the monumental four-opera cycle written by Richard Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen, despite its place in the pantheon of great music. But the Essex Library’s “Opera at the Library” is planning to make these musical masterpieces new fans, when its “Wagner Without Fear” series kicks off Saturday, March 13th at 2 P.M., with a talk by opera scholar James Kuslan. His easy-to-enjoy lectures combine erudition with humor (and surprises!)
The first screening in the Ring Film Series will be Das Rheingold, the Metropolitan Opera’s definitive, classic staging, starring James Morris, Christa Ludwig, Siegriend Jerusalem, and Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Friday, March 19th at 2 P.M. Enjoy this dazzling performance in Surround Sound and Stereo, with our newly upgraded sound system.
Mr. Kuslan, a popular speaker on the topic of classical singing, has lectured on operatic disasters and on madness in opera (and mad modern stagings). As artistic producer, he is creating a series of vocal CDs for Deutsche Grammophon to feature some of the German classical record company’s most glamorous stars, and wrote the liner notes for London Records’ 20 CD collection, Opera Made Easy, which highlights the artistry of Luciano Pavarotti. He also wrote completely original dialogue for Salt Marsh Opera’s performances of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.
Don’t miss this chance to discover (or get better acquainted with) the music of this controversial genius. Call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 for information or reservations.
Photography by fine art photographer Jerry Reed will be on display at the Essex Library through the month of March, including this one, called “Nothing Left To Shelter”.
Additional learning materials will offered as a follow-up to the program. Jerry has previously conducted 27 digital photography workshops. This is not a “how to” workshop, so there is no need to bring your camera or computer, just an open mind. The program is free and open to all. Please call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 for reservations or more information. The Library is at 33 West Avenue in Essex.
From a press release:
Recipients of mini-grants in 2009: Mt. St. John School, Camp Hazen YMCA, Deep River Congregational Church, Essex Library Association
In January 2009, students of Chester, Deep River, and Essex in grades 7-12 responded to a survey and the results showed that while our youth gained assets since the May 2005 survey, we still have room to grow. We would like to improve scores in the areas of parental support, communication, positive values, and planning and decision-making. The more “assets” a youth possesses, the greater his or her chances of succeeding, or thriving. As might be expected, the fewer assets possessed, the greater the chances of getting involved in risk-taking behavior such as alcohol or other drug use, violence, etc.
Activities that may be eligible for mini-grant funding, up to $1,000, include community service projects, projects that link multiple generations, projects with role model components, skill and leadership training, and after-school activities. Projects benefiting all three towns are encouraged. The Healthy Communities•Healthy Youth Mini-Grant Committee of Tri-Town Youth Services will review all applications. Funding for approved projects will be awarded on April 13, 2010; projects will take place May 1-August 31, 2010.
Applications and guidelines will be available at the Tri-Town Youth Services office beginning March 1. All applicants are required to attend a mini-grant workshop at Tri-Town Youth Services on Tuesday, March 9 at 6:00 p.m. Completed applications are due by March 23 at noon. For additional information, call Gail M. Onofrio at 526-3600.
