Thames River Times

A Look Back: Revisiting some of our favorite feature photos from 2008

Interactive Desk — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:44:19 GMT

In compiling our top five photos of the year, we considered several criteria in the process. Overall punch, great angles, drama, and irony, among others.

Using those criteria, we soon discovered several Times photos were contenders for the top five spread. As such, we had to expand our concept a bit and placed our second string of favorite photos in smaller form on the front page of the paper.

We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed capturing them.

To view the corresponding Top 5 photo album featured in the Jan. 1 Thames River Times inside spread, click on the photo at right.

Hitting the Trail: Organizers continue work to create multi-town trail

Interactive Desk — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:40:44 GMT

With municipal support in place, the committee trying to build a recreational trail from Groton to Preston is on the verge of starting its fundraising campaign.

The Bluff Point to Preston Trail Committee, comprised of representatives from Groton, Groton Utilities, Ledyard, and Preston, has been together roughly a year. In that time, they’ve acquired broad support for the proposal to build a trail from Bluff Point State Park to the Preston Community Park in the Poquetanuck section of that town.

Now it needs the money to complete engineering studies to determine the exact route of the trail and even if it’s feasible. David Holdridge, chairman of the committee, said once the studies are done, the group could capitalize on the information by applying for various state and federal grants.

“We’re certainly encouraged by the fact that so many people feel positively about it,” Holdridge said recently. “This is possibly the most positive reaction I’ve ever experienced to an idea.”

The fundraising effort will be a local initiative. The group is considering asking for small donations from various civic organizations and businesses. It might even leave a few cans on countertops to collect loose change.

“The sooner we get the money, the sooner we can get underway,” Holdridge said.

Preston First Selectman Robert Congdon, a member of the committee and trail advocate, said even if the committee raises the roughly $15,000 needed for the study, as well as the money to build it, the group still has a lot of work to do before it can begin constructing the trail.

For now, the route is theoretical. Nothing will be permanently put to paper until a preliminary engineering study is done and property owners—public and private—agree to allow the route to cut through their land.

Despite much of the proposed trail incorporating the right of way, committee member Peter Borch said the ways make up two-thirds of the potential route. Obtaining easements and other legal documents could take years.

Along the way, the possible route will try to take advantage of several rights of way owned by the state, Northeast Utilities, and Groton Utilities. Obtaining permission, and rights, to use those paths may not be easy. One idea is for the trail, which would begin at Bluff Point, to head north and skirt around the Groton Utilities reservoir property near the Mystic Marriot before continuing north along Route 117. It will cross the Copp property, owned by the town of Groton, and then possibly take advantage of rights of way owned by Northeast Utilities before linking with the former Clark Farm property owned by the town of Ledyard before ending at the Preston community park.

When pitching the idea to Groton Utilities, Borch said the group provided information about Lake Saltonstall, owned by the Regional Water Authority in Branford, and the Airline Trail property in East Hampton.

Admittedly, a lot of work has been completed on the project over the past year. The committee has municipal support, and the state and utility companies are at least considering the proposal.

Those involved fully expect to feel like they’re occasionally “spinning their wheels” while trying to make the proposal real.

“Is it worthwhile to spin our wheels to make it come to fruition? Absolutely,” Congdon said. “If we can make a safe environment for families and people to travel from here to Bluff Point it would be very, very good.”

Al Dion, deputy director of the water division for Groton Utilities, said he’s aware of several successful trails and recreational programs taking place on utility properties throughout the state and Rhode Island. Currently, Groton Utilities offers supervised visits to its property, including hiking and birding activities. The company’s first mission, however, remains to protect the community water supply.

He said the plan, if implemented, must balance the reservoir’s safety and the opportunities for hikers and bikers to enjoy the vistas.

Regarding the proposal, Dion said, “We’re very fortunate here and have some great opportunities to work together.”

Some of those opportunities could include creating spurs off the trail that lead to different parks and commercial areas just off the route, he said.

By MEGAN BARD
Staff Writer

Parent's Eye View: Kids Need Hopeful Role Models During Troubled Times

Interactive Desk — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:37:05 GMT

We are living in precarious times, bombarded with mixed messages, unsure of what the future holds.

On the one hand, we have a president-elect who promises change in the New Year when he takes office and has instilled a sense of hope and enthusiasm in many Americans. There is also increasing evidence that optimism and positive attitude play a key role not only in people’s mental health, but also their physical well being.

On the other hand, we’re in an economic downturn of grave proportions that’s causing enormous stress for families faced, at the very least, with financial insecurity, not knowing if or when the other shoe will drop, and those for whom it’s already dropped and are coping with the loss of jobs—and even homes, due to foreclosure.

So how do parents maintain that important equilibrium between being truthful and communicative with their kids, while at the same time staying positive and hopeful and making them feel safe in the world?

I asked several child psychologists to share their thoughts with me.

“Children may become frightened or confused by these unexpected threats to family security and will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react,” says Marilyn Giuliano of Old Saybrook, in her 28th year as a school psychologist, currently at Mile Creek School in Old Lyme. Giuliano is also state representative for Connecticut’s 23rd District.

Giuliano suggests that parents make time to talk to their children and reassure them that they’re safe and so are other important adults in their lives.

“Your words and physical presence will be comforting and will give you the opportunity to monitor your child’s reaction,” she says, and “to the extent possible, stick to normal routines for meals, homework, chores, and bedtime.”

Younger children will be comforted if you read or play quiet games with them before bed. Spend a little extra time tucking them in and let them sleep with a light on if they ask for it.

”These activities are calming, foster a sense of closeness and security, and reinforce a sense of normalcy,” Giuliano says.

Abby Lipschutz, a licensed clinical psychologist whose practice, Shoreline Psychological, is based in Madison, has been working with children, adolescents, and families since 1996.

Lipschutz concurs with Giuliano that first and foremost, kids need to feel physically and emotionally safe and that needs to be balanced by a realistic picture of the world without creating undue anxiety.

She suggests having family meetings and discussing some of the changes that may be taking place, such as not going out to dinner as much or forgoing a family vacation this year.

This can be a wonderful opportunity to teach children about values and money and gratitude about what they do have, Lipschutz points out.

“Great lessons come in during these times of distress,” she says.

Parents can help kids feel like important, contributing members of their families and community by asking them to shut off lights to conserve energy or volunteer with mom or dad at a local soup kitchen to help those in even greater need.

Lipschutz also notes that parents shouldn’t create anxiety by projecting about what hasn’t happened yet and should speak as close to the present as possible.

“It’s not helpful to project into the future if there’s a great unknown,” she says. “It’s better to help children live in the present.”

“Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate,” Giuliano advises. “Elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with your reassurances that the daily structures of their lives will not change.”

Both women agree that maintaining a hopeful attitude is key when the world is throwing curve-balls.

“Hope is a psychological strength that not everyone possesses,” Lipschutz points out. “You really have to teach hope and model hope. We live in a society that’s very fearful, very negative. On the flip side, hope instills optimism, and when optimists are faced with difficult situations, they don’t give up.”

Giuliano adds that fostering resiliency in children helps instill hope and optimism.

“Resiliency is that important and adaptive psychological attribute that allows kids to be calmer, more optimistic, and creative problem solvers in the face of adversity,” she says. “Teaching the dimensions of resiliency helps to create strong kids.”

The bottom line is, no matter how rocky the road may get during these challenging times, children—of every age—who feel loved and safe, encouraged rather than discouraged, included rather than excluded, helpful rather than helpless, will develop the inner resources to cope—and even thrive—no matter what obstacles are put in their path.

E-mail Amy Barry at aimwrite@snet.net.

...With Boughs of Holly: LHS agri-science students host holiday decor workshop

Interactive Desk — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:54:27 GMT

The afternoon before Thanksgiving this year, a friend’s mother sent her on a hunt for seasonal accessories to spruce up the dinner table, leading to a frantic quest for miniature pumpkins. When area stores failed her, she made fall-colored candy bundles and resolved to plan further ahead come Christmas.

A brief afternoon at Ledyard High School last week would have solved her seasonal decorating angst. Horticulture teacher Shelly Roy and four students made Christmas decorating look simple, during a recent gift box centerpiece workshop.

This is the second year Roy has offered seasonal decoration lessons. Those in the know—mostly faculty and parents of agri-science program students—are repeat attendees who made floral cornucopias to adorn Thanksgiving tables last month. The workshops are so popular, Roy offers two sessions.

The featured Christmas centerpiece was a hollow red glass cube criss-crossed by festive ribbon to suggest a gift-wrapped parcel, with three types of white flowers and a bow arranged on top.

“It’s simple, it’s easy, very quick, and it goes together,” Roy said. She found the idea in an issue of Florists’ Review magazine but spruced up its institutional color palette when she interpreted it for the workshop.

Participants began by sticking greens around the base of the wet block of flower foam sitting in the empty cube. They cleaned all of the leaves off the bottom tip of each piece so it stuck cleanly into the foam. They added the large spider mums and then the smaller flowers.

Student helpers, thrilled at the opportunity to teach their teachers, ensured the different plants were spaced with aesthetic symmetry at slightly different heights, keeping the whole visually interesting but also pleasing to the eye.

“What do you think is wrong with it?” senior Jessica Senphansiry asked Susan Rhorer, gesturing to her
flowers. As the subsitute teacher watched, Senphansiry deftly thinned out one section of the arrangement and tightened another.

“What’s really neat is seeing how the kids can teach,” Roy said, echoing several of the teachers there.

Everyone finished the craft by fashioning a four-loop bow from the ribbon and attaching it to a small wooden pick with wire. The pick landed in the center of each arrangement with the loops and end of the bow folded among the flowers. Then, in a brief hour, 10 happy teachers paraded off with homemade decorations that, Roy assured them, would remain vibrant through the holidays if watered and kept in a cool location.

And if their houses were too steamy, she said, everything needed to make the centerpiece can be purchased at a craft store and filled with flowers from the supermarket.

Make Your Own
Gift Box Centerpiece

Materials:

1 6-inch glass cube

2/3 brick of floral foam

Greens (like some fir or spruce)

Three stems of white spider mums

Two stems of white cushion mums

Four stems of white carnations

1 1/2 stems of yellow or green
hypericum

2 to 3 yards of wired ribbon
(2 inches wide)

1 6-inch wooden pick with wire

The Kissing Ball

Junior Cheri White described it as “a misletoe times seven and put on steroids.” The kissing ball is a sphere of boxwood attached to a hanging hook and decorated with ribbon.

To make it, use one third of a block of flower foam covered with chicken wire or a kissing-ball-specific sphere of foam, and attach it to a wire with a hook. Then fill in the foam with sprigs of boxwood until all the interior is hidden. Make a bow out of ribbon, attach it to a wooden peg, and then plunge the peg into the foam near the top of the ball. If desired, attach a few hanging pieces of ribbon to the bottom of the bow to make it look like the bow went through the kissing ball. Then hang it up and go find someone to meet beneath it.

The Boxwood Tree

Make this miniature Christmas tree by starting with a piece of foam. Stick one sprig of boxwood in the top to create a vertical axis. Then, visualizing a triangle with the tip of that first sprig as its point, fill in the foam. Make sure there are longer pieces at the bottom and shorter pieces toward the top.

Choose tree accessories to stick, interspersed, into the foam that match with the rest of your Christmas decorations, senior Jessica Senphansiry advises. Then top it with a bow.

“You want to give it rhythm and harmony,” she said.

By KIRA GOLDENBERG
Staff Writer

Top Books and Beats: Local business owners recommend book and music titles

Interactive Desk — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:52:46 GMT

Eons ago, in the Paleozoic Era, people went to bookstores to get books and to record stores to get records.

There they met professional bookworms and record store geeks behind the counter, people that the writer Nick Hornby called “professional appreciators.”

Despite the twin meteors of the Internet and big box stores, these places still exist in southeastern Connecticut.

And the people that work and own book shops and record stores are still experts in their fields and have opinions about what was good reading and good listening in 2008.

Dan Curland, owner of Mystic Disc in downtown Mystic, counted Rockferry by Duffy, the 24-year-old blue-eyed soul singer from Wales, as one of the best albums he heard this year.

And Curland was tipped off about Duffy from an unlikely source.

“My 9-year-old daughter, Lena, turned me on to her,” he said. “[Lena] has good taste.”

Curland said Duffy reminded him of the late Dusty Springfield, whose Dusty In Memphis, from 1969 was produced by the late Jerry Wexler.

Rockferry features former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler as a producer, whose string-laden arrangements are both baroque and restrained.

“Listen to that,” Curland said, while cueing up the title track. “Not bad for a blond-haired girl from the UK.”

The other albums on Curland’s turntable—vinyl is king at Mystic Disc—include the latest archival releases from Bob Dylan (Tell Tale Signs), Neil Young (Sugar Mountain –Live at Canterbury House), and Stephen Stills (Just Roll Tape from 2007).

For jazz fans, Curland recommended the box set commemorating the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, that includes a double CD, a vinyl edition, and a DVD about the making of the record.

Blues fans should check out the latest by Lurrie Bell, whose Let’s Talk About Love, from 2007 was the strongest seller at Tumbleweeds in downtown Niantic in 2008.

“That sold every time we put it on in the store,” owner Tara Wyatt said.

Wyatt also said Jukebox by Cat Power, the nom de rock of singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, was another popular release that sold plenty at Tumbleweeds.

As for what she found interesting this year, Wyatt has been feasting on a steady diet of soul and funk.

“I don’t listen to a lot of mainstream stuff,” Wyatt said.

Foremost has been Pebble To A Pearl by Nikka Costa.

Wyatt noted the most mainstream thing she’s been smitten by is the latest by Brett Dennen, the folky from California, who has recorded with the Afro-beat singer Femi Kuti.

Down Main Street at the Book Barn, owner Randi White said the most notable book he’s read this year has been The Knack, not to be confused with the band of “My Sharona” fame.

Appropriately enough, The Knack, by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham, is an economics book aimed at small business owners.

White said that most financial advice titles are written either by or for people who work at Fortune 500 companies.

“I’m not one of those companies,” he noted.

And business has been relatively brisk this Christmas season at the Book Barn.

“We’ve seen a definite increase in the number of used books sold this year,” White said. “The collectable book market has bottomed out, but people are buying used ones as stocking stuffers.”

As for reading material on his nightstand, White said that most of his favorites this year have been mysteries.

Patience Banister, co-owner of Bank Square Books in Mystic, was most impressed with Mudbound, by novelist Hillary Jordan.

She said that President-elect Barack Obama’s books, The Audacity of Hope and Dreams From My Father, continue to be hot sellers.

Also Banister has been selling plenty of copies of Wally Lamb’s latest, The Hour I First Believed, and Toni Morrison’s new novel, A Mercy.

And young readers have been scooping up copies of Stephanie Meyers’ “Twilight” series and The Tale of Beedle the Bard, the latest by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

“It’s not selling as much as the Harry Potter books,” Banister added.

By Stephen Chupaska
Staff Writer

Special Distinction: Barbara Miller first woman named to Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame

Interactive Desk — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:51:04 GMT

Gales Ferry resident Barbara Miller became the first woman inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame Dec. 9. The honor was created by Governor M. Jodi Rell in 2005 to recognize people who both served with distinction in the military and went on to devote their careers to public service. Miller is one of 40 total inductees.

“To be inducted as the first woman is a very great honor,” said Miller, 74. “But as I maintain, it was a great honor for me to serve my country and I feel very blessed to have been able to do this,” she said.

Miller had a 20-year active duty career as a Navy nurse with service during the Vietnam War, retiring at the rank of commander. An educator for more than 26 years, she has provided medical instruction, training, and volunteer services for multiple organizations including the Department of Developmental Disabilities, Connecticut League for Nursing, the American Red Cross, the
American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society. She has served as president of the WAVES Unit #40, president of the state chapter of the Military Officers Assocation of America, and director of the Retired Activities Office, Submarine Base New London.

Miller said the ceremony, in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, was a beautiful, choreographed affair with two Navy sailors from the Groton Submarine Base there to present a medal and certificate from Rell. Attendees received certificates from state congress members and other high-ranking leaders too.

“I almost needed a wagon to carry everything home,” Miller said.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, 40 Connecticut veterans have been inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame, including former President George H.W. Bush and four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

“It is most appropriate that we pause each year to recognize and honor the heroes of the past and present who have so vitally shaped our nation and way of life,” said Governor Rell in the statement. “These individuals not only answered the call of their nation, they have answered the call of their communities. It is what they have done beyond their military service that truly sets them apart as individuals worthy of this special honor. The example they have set, the courage they have shown, and the public service they have given is most worthy of the respect and admiration of all Connecticut citizens.”

By Kira Goldenberg
Staff Writer

The Clip File: Christmas, 1988

Interactive Desk — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:49:10 GMT

New London kicked off the 1988 Christmas season on Dec. 2 with its first annual Plaza Lights Festival.

Mayor Carmelina Como Kanzler hit a switch lighting the tree next to the Soldiers and Sailors monument.

The Downtown New London Association ran the tree lighting ceremony that has since been repackaged by New London Main Street as the Celebration of Lights and Song.

Downtown Mystic retailers were worried about the impact of the five-year-old Crystal Mall on holiday sales.

Michelle Gemma, now an accomplished photographer but then a clerk at the former A Stitch In Time boutique, told the newspaper that shoppers are loyal to Mystic.

“I think people like Mystic because it’s quaint and historical,” she said. “They go for a small town atmosphere rather than the flashy trendy mall.”

The former Software Etc, computer store and Radio Shack, both in the Crystal Mall, were selling some of the hottest items that Christmas season.

Popular that year were computer flight and submarine simulators, with Cold War-era names such as “Red Storm Rising.”

Christopher Rich, a sailor stationed at the sub base, was a fan of a submarine simulator that apparently allowed users to attack Libya.

“I’ve killed Gaddafi several times already,” he said.

And who could argue with a game called ‘Earl Weaver Baseball’ under the tree.

Radio Shack had a hard time keeping compact disc players in the store, at $160 a pop.

But retailers around the region were also concerned about the effect of Electric Boat on the shopping season.

People also opened up their homes in different ways that Christmas.

JoAnn and Biddle Morris of Mystic welcomed a Russian exchange student from the still-in-existence Soviet Union. Several families in New London who lived in historical Victorian and Queen Anne homes allowed tours of their houses, which were decked with boughs and holly.

Schools around the region dealt with how to celebrate the holidays in the schools.

East Lyme Superintendent Robert O. Minor offered guidelines in the town’s public schools.

“The air we have in the community is whatever we do is non-sectarian,” he said.

In Ledyard, the First Church of Christ put on a performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ directed by the Hygienic Art’s James Stidfole, while Connecticut College’s Unity House celebrated Kwanzaa.

The Day’s editorial board added some levity to the season by offering a mock-commentary on the state of the Roman Empire around the birth of Christ.

The editorial chastised Rome for “the plodding pace” of its census. No word if it favored a “strong emperor.”

And like it should, Christmas brought out the best in people.

The Groton Motor Inn donated chicken dinners to the Salvation Army in New London allowing a Christmas dinner to anyone who wanted one.

By Stephen Chupaska
Staff Writer

It’s Here! It’s Finally Here!: Christmas is filled with rich family traditions

Interactive Desk — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:47:48 GMT

Christmas is but hours away. This year, there are sure to be a small number of children who are not quite sure what to believe about Santa Claus. Way back in the late 1970s when I was struggling with my own beliefs about Santa, my big sister straightened me out.

“Now Kerri, of course Santa is real. You know that air is real even though you’ve never really seen air, you know that God is real even though you’ve never really seen God. The same goes for Santa: he’s like air and God. You know he’s there but you may never see him in action.” My big sister is quite smart and I had no choice to believe her. Besides, her explanation made perfect sense.

These days, children who are pre-tween age need look no further than their computer, library, and DVD collection to have their faith in Santa affirmed. “Take it for granted” is no longer applicable for this generation; they can actually prove that Santa is real (but they’ll still never see him in action).

Mrs. Claus Explains it All (Sourcebooks, 2008) is a book of questions answered by Elsbeth Claus, a.k.a. Mrs. Claus. My younger children’s favorite question was, “Dear Mrs. Claus, I’m worried that Santa is too fat. Does he ever exercise?” To which Mrs. Claus answers: “Santa is certainly plump…he’s a big fan of my home cooking and our Chef and Baker Elves are among the best, but he’s surprisingly fit and limber—he has to be to accomplish all his deliveries on Christmas Eve.”

Mrs. Claus also explains such mysteries as how the reindeer get their names and where elves come from. No inquiry about Santa goes unexplained or unanswered.

Visit http://www.christmassantaclaus.com/naughty_nice.asp to answer a few simple questions about your daily living habits (Do you share your toys? Is your room clean?) to find out if you are on Santa’s naughty or nice list. I am pleased to report that I am… “…so good that you should be the angel on top of the tree. Everyone at the North Pole, including me, is very proud of you Kerri. Keep up the wonderful work.”

Santa’s Nice-o-meter found at http://www.claus.com/naughtyornice/nn_hmpg2.php was not so kind: “Still very much on nice list, but must continue good behavior. Should eat more vegetables instead of junk food. Was very polite last Thursday. When doing chores, needs to do them as well as possible. Often exhibits good behavior.”

Mr. Jingle the Elf at http://www.growley.com/cmas/christmas/elfland/nice-list.html was even harsher than the Nice-o-meter. When Jingle was asked if I was naughty or nice, he said I “…just might squeak by.” and advised me to perform good deeds if I would like a “happier” answer.

The last Christmas movie our family watched was Fred Claus, the story of Santa Claus’s brother. I highly recommend this PG-rated movie for any 8- through 12-year-old who is experiencing inner turmoil about Santa’s existence. The scenes in Santa’s North Pole toy factory are amazing. The movie directors were even able to film a bike being placed in cardboard box, complete with packing materials for safe shipment. Charettes of all ages took different truths away from this movie.

Children can actually find out where in the world Santa is minute by minute as he begins his journey on Christmas Eve. Log onto http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html and you can find out when Santa will be in the vicinity of Ledyard, Gales Ferry, and Preston.

The Web site even explains how the tracking of Santa is conducted: Why does NORAD track Santa? Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, NORAD tracks airplanes, missiles, space launches, and anything else that flies in or around the North American continent. While the tradition of tracking Santa began purely by accident, NORAD continues to track Santa. We’re the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And we love it. NORAD is honored to be Santa’s official tracker on Christmas Eve.”

Merry Christmas to you.

Kerri Charette lives in Ledyard.

In Preston’s Pastures: Buckley Quarter Horse Farm is a family affair

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:12:29 GMT

When Stacy Brown brought Twister to the Buckley farm, she was afraid to ride her own horse.

Brown had purchased Twister 18 months before and had been working with another trainer. The horse is headstrong, to say the least, and was unruly. The trainer was tough. Twister’s behavior worsened. The horse was scared, and so was Brown; if he coughed, Brown jumped.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Brown said recently. She decided to switch trainers.

In the fall of 2007, Brown brought Twister to William “Buster” Buckley at the Buckley Quarter Horse Farm on Hollowell Road and hoped for the best.

The first day, Buster just walked the ring with Twister, trying to get the horse to relax.

One year later, Twister will rest his head against Buster’s shoulder to show affection. Brown has won multiple competitions riding Twister, her first coming the first time she got back in the saddle.

“He and Tara [Green] really saved me…and Twister,” Brown said recently of Buster and his fiancée.

Bill Buckley, Buster’s father, credits his wife Carol, Buster’s mother, with getting the family interested in horses.

The Vietnam veteran said one of the earliest memories of his wife is an old picture of Carol as a 7-year-old girl, with a black and white pony.

The couple have known each other since birth and have been married 37 years. They have always had horses in their life.

In their 20s, Carol and Bill started boarding other people’s horses. They had a small farm in Lisbon before they were hired by the late owners of Applewood Farm in Gales Ferry.

In 1976, the couple thought they hit it big when they were hired by Falls Creek Farm in Sterling to manage the vast horse farm. They doubled their salary, were given housing, and had horses everywhere.

That year Buster was born. Bill’s father told him that it was time for him to get a real job.

They stayed for 27 years.

If Bill has any regrets, it’s that he and Carol didn’t create their own farm 20 years ago.

“It’s nice to have a place for the future, for the kids,” Bill said recently of Buster and his sister Laura.

The Hollowell Road farm is a family affair.

The entire family, with help from employee Brian Morris, takes care of every aspect of the farm.

Buster and Laura train and tend to clients’ horses. Bill, who is a judge for the National Quarter Horse Association, and Carol do the same. Buster’s fiancée, Tara Green, is also a championship rider who has been around horses her entire life.

They manage the horses, show the horses, shop for horses, and sell the horses. They act as consultants for their clients who live out of state who board their horses at the farm.

The locals who keep their horses at the stables receive the same treatment. The Buckleys try to make the property as welcoming as possible. There are no barn hours. The cubbies used to store saddles and other materials are inside a small office attached to the barn. A wood stove keeps the place warm on raw, cold days.

While trying to ease Brown back onto Twister’s saddle, Buster and Tara stood in the middle of the ring, softly offering encouraging words. Brown said the entire family, many of which have been clients for at least 10 years, and just about everyone who keeps their horses at the farm were the same.

Brown bought a second horse, Erin, in May of 2007. Buster chose her.

“I was going to quit,” Brown said of her mental state before becoming part of the Buckley farm family. “I wanted it to be a stress reliever.”

Now she’s at the farm, either caring for Twister and Erin or in the ring, every week.

Bill said they’re always about 400 projects behind—they need fix the gutters and mend the roof—but he wouldn’t change things.

Bill and Carol hope that horses remain in the lives of Buckleys to come.

Buster and Tara’s 10-month-old daughter, Isabella, already knows what to do when she’s put in the saddle. She pumps her legs and bounces up and down as if she’s riding, they said.

Isabella already has her own pony, a grey lady named
Jasmine.

About the Farm

The Buckley Quarter Horses barn on Hollowell Road has a 45-stall barn with indoor and outdoor riding facilities.

Father and son team, Bill and Buster Buckley, respectively, have been in the winning circle for more than 20 years. Recent awards include Buster being chosen as Reserve World Champion at the NSBA World Show.

The Buckley farm focuses on Western Pleasure and English style riding along with pattern events, such as Western Riding, Horsemanship, and Equitation.

BY MEGAN BARD
Staff Writer

Scouts Go to the Dogs: Ledyard now home to Dog Scout Troop 188

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:10:09 GMT

Most parents know that they can enlist their daughters in Girl Scouts and their sons in Boy Scouts, but a smaller contingent knows, for the furrier child, some areas offer membership in Dog Scouts.

And as of last month, one of those places is Ledyard.

“It actually was my dog’s fault,” said new troop co-leader Sheri Throop of Ledyard. “I have a Standard poodle, and we were looking for activities to do as a family that would be good to do with the dog.”

They searched for letterboxing, which entails following clues to find boxes hidden in public places, online a couple years ago, she said, and found out the activity can earn a Dog Scout badge.

A couple years later, Dog Scout Troop 188, covering Eastern Connecticut and part of Rhode Island, was born. It held its first meeting in November, and the next one will be in January.

The troop is under the auspices of Dog Scouts of America, a Michigan-based, 13-year-old nonprofit that champions responsible pet ownership and the importance of the pet-owner bond. There are three other Dog Scout troops in New England and about 80 troops nationwide. One woman drove more than five hours from Maine to attend Troop 188’s first meeting.

DSA is explicit about who gets to be the center of attention during Dog Scout activities—the dog is the scout, and the owner is “the individual at the loop end of the leash.”

The Dog Scout Motto is, “Let us learn new things that we may become more helpful,” and the dog-owner duo must pass a test to prove the four-legged half is docile before the dog can be called a Dog Scout and wear its official red neckerchief. Any dog breed and owners of any age can participate.

Throop, co-leader Julianne Grove, and other interested participants will meet this month to decide what sorts of projects, activities, and badges scouts may pursue. Dog Scouts can earn badges for skills like therapy work and search and rescue.

“She did a great meeting,” Ledyard Animal Control Officer Kimlyn Marshall said of Throop. “She had cookies and chips, and she had dog biscuits for the dogs.”

By KIRA GOLDENBERG
Staff Writer

People interested in joining Troop 188 can contact Throop at 287-9031 or Grove at 401-369-1187. For more information about Dog Scouts, visit www.dogscouts.com.

Change is Inevitable

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:08:43 GMT

...but that doesn’t make it any easier.

Our older son called to tell me he wouldn’t be home for Christmas for the first time in his entire 25-year-old life.

OK, what really happened was my son, after warning me a month earlier, called to tell me—in what was actually a very Solomon-like, mature way—that he would be spending Christmas with his girlfriend and her family in Long Island. But, he stressed that they would be back in Connecticut two days after Christmas to attend our annual cousins’ Hanukkah party (we’re an interfaith family).

I didn’t want to sound like one of those mothers. I bit my tongue so hard it hurt and mentally edited all the guilt-inducing lines that were trying to make their way past my lips like, “Your brother is only home for 13 days,” “We’ve never opened Christmas presents without you (even though we had to shake you awake and throw you out of bed as you got older,)” “It just won’t be the same,” etc.

I didn’t want to make it about me because I could tell by his voice that it was a difficult decision for him, too, and that he was concerned about my reaction. Even while wallowing in self-pity I felt proud of him. I also didn’t want to put him between me and his girlfriend or even imagine that one day I would become one of those awful women who makes their sons choose between the their mothers and their wives.

So why did I feel so sad?

I don’t think it’s that I can’t accept change. I know change is inevitable. I’ve had my fair share. I know our kids are growing up. I know I have to let go.

I think it’s more about the overwhelming sense of loss than the sense of lost tradition.

For one day, time is suspended in this magical place where behind beards and crooked baseball caps, the innocent little boys of Christmases past shine through. Wearing the same goofy grins on their young adult faces, they open the stockings their 93-year-old Florida grandma has been sending them every Christmas since they were toddlers.

For one day, we hang out all together, a family unit, still intact, gazing at a tree decorated with the sweet little sheep both sons made out of unprocessed lamb’s wool from the same third grade teacher’s farm…the numerous whimsical one-of-a-kind ornaments purchased on family vacations throughout the years…the Joe Namath keepsake the boys gave their Jets fanatic dad more than a decade ago…and the small wooden hearts and stars painstakingly hand-painted by a beloved sister and aunt who died too young.

It’s an odd place to be—a neither here nor there limbo—when one has kids who are no longer dependent and live on their own, yet are still years away from marrying and producing grandchildren to bring home for the holidays and recapture the childlike wonder of the season.

And then I think of all the people for whom this will be a first holiday following the death of a close loved one and all the people who have been affected far worse than we have in these scary economic times—those who have lost jobs and homes and don’t know where their next meal is coming from or how they’ll be able to afford gifts for their kids, let alone a tree to pile them under.

So I’ll try to be more flexible and focus on all we have, rather than what we don’t have: our health, jobs, family, friends, pets, and two terrific sons who could be a whole lot more oblivious than they are to their mother’s feelings as they continue their exciting and inevitable journeys out of the nest and into adulthood.

E-mail Amy Barry at aimwrite@snet.net.

After Heartbreak, LHS Football Players Hold Heads High

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:07:06 GMT

Late field goal nips Colonels in state final.

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

Is there any feeling worse than losing a championship in the last minutes of a football game?

Immediately, no. Ultimately, of course.

A football team won’t lose any sleep when a superior opponent, driven by 250-pound linemen who shoulder shrug air conditioners and backs who win track sprint championships, blows them out in a state championship.

There’s not much you can dwell on in a 49-7 pasting. A team’s pride might take a hit, but the pain doesn’t last for years.

Getting blown out seems more preferable than agonizing over a close loss such as Ledyard’s 16-14 setback against Brookfield Dec. 6 in the Class M championship.

In a blowout, you tip your helmet and recognize the opponent was superior. Although coach Jim Buonocore and the Colonels were respectful of the Bobcats in their post-game comments, nobody, perhaps not even Brookfield’s backers, could definitively say the better team won.

A low, wobbly 29-yard field goal, which would not have been good from 30, trickled over the crossbar with 1:49 left to play gave the Bobcats their first lead. The game-winner came from a kicker who missed an extra point and booted two consecutive kickoffs out of bounds. Brookfield couldn’t have felt confident about him as a weapon, but the Bobcats still bypassed a 4th-and-1 at Ledyard’s 12—another sign they weren’t a better team, fearing they wouldn’t gain a yard. But the kicker made it, ugly or not, although Brookfield left time on the clock for a Ledyard comeback.

Ledyard quarterback J.J. Jablonski completed three passes from the Colonel 28 to the Brookfield 29 before the Bobcats’ leader, Trevor Treibt, intercepted to seal Ledyard’s fate.

If Ledyard’s players had not won the Class M title last year and experienced the high of overachieving to 10 wins and an exhilarating victory over New London, this loss would have deepened an already devastating wound.

“This hurts, but it was an honor to coach this team,” Buonocore said. “Who would have expected us to be at this point when we started out in August?”

Not many predicted a Ledyard return to the finals. The Colonels were reassembling a graduation-ravaged team (18 seniors) from last year and learning a new offensive system. A season-opening 34-7 loss to Berlin seemed to suggest the Colonels would not be playing December football. New team, new coach, no playoffs, no problem. Everyone gets a grace period.

But as all Colonel fans know, Ledyard regrouped on the fly, went 9-2, conquered New London, and whipped Cheney Tech, 43-0, in the semifinals. Only once-beaten Brookfield stood in their way for the program’s first repeat championships.

Few would have predicted Brookfield would be kneeling down to kill the final seconds after Ledyard romped to a 14-0 lead in the game’s first seven minutes. Ledyard’s defense was stuffing Brookfield’s spread offense. Running back Barquis Haley (110 yards) found huge holes of running room. Jablonski zipped the ball oll over the field to Fred Hewett and Sam Saccomano, hitting the latter with a picturesque 57-yard touchdown bomb to make it 14-0.

Brookfield didn’t have enough size or speed, it seemed. But the Bobcats finished 12-1, including a regular-season win over impressive Class L champ Masuk, for a reason, even if they didn’t feature any Division I prospects. And they found a way to win, making a mistake or two less than the Colonels in their valiant if unfinished bid to repeat as state champs.

“We started out very fast, but were unable to maintain that fire,” Buonocore said. “It looked like we had their game plan in the palm of our hands, but offensively, we put our defense’s backs to the walls too often. This is the state finals and when you get to this setting, things change. We’ve dropped some passes, lost the battle of field position in the second half, and got into too many 3rd-and-6s. We didn’t make enough big plays.”

Ledyard didn’t make big plays late while Brookfield did, including a one-handed interception in the end zone. Jablonski, who threw for 220 yards to complete an extraordinary season as a first-year starting QB, telegraphed two other passes resulting in interceptions.

Haley, a transfer who hadn’t played since 2006, gave Ledyard a big lift late in the year when he joined the team in late October after becoming eligible. But he showed his lack of conditioning and speed, failing to take long runs “to the house” for touchdowns the way former Colonel back Tim McNeil would have last year.

Ledyard’s defense played, paced by end Drew Roselle, safety Saccomano, and cornerback Zeke Torres (interception) among others, played well enough to win, allowing the offense to nearly ride its first seven minutes of fury to a title. But a bounce here, a call there, a Brookfield 72-yard punt and a Ledyard 11-yard punt, and ultimately an ugly field goal, spelled the slim difference.

Some Ledyard parents were telling some dejected Colonel players they had a great season and to “get them back in wrestling.” A good number of Colonel football players participate in one of New England’s top wrestling programs (17 state titles).

But the prevalent feeling on Ledyard’s sideline at Waterbury’s Municipal Stadium was not despair or humiliation, it was pride. Ledyard didn’t win Dec. 6, but the Colonels have won before and handled themselves like winners from start to finish this year.

“This senior class has been truly amazing,” Buonocore said. “The leadership and character of these young men have really been a fine example for our younger players to emulate. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the seniors and thank them for making this transition so seamless for them as well as myself. I would imagine that this senior class will go down as one of the best in a storied Ledyard High School football program history.”

Ledyard High School Honor Roll: First Marking Period

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:04:06 GMT

Highest Honors

Grade 9: Bipul Dahal, Victoria Jones, Kelly Nelson, Hayley Schneider, Kyla Wingrove-Haugland

Grade 10: Stanley Brown, Olivia Klinikowski, Katherine Pietras, Basil Polsonetti, David Sindel, Sarah Woodruff

Grade 11: Katelyn Cusmano, Jenny Forster, Taylor Gunnels, Mark Horler, Erika Johnson, Kate Mueller, Ryan Pollin, Alice Richardson, Alison Smith, Stephanie Tse, Michelle Wang

Grade 12: Chelsea Bateman, Melissa Buriak, Michaelina Deneka, Sarah Ganong, Boothe Higgins, Kevin Howie, Joshua Juoni, Rebecca Lantelme, Matthew Lupica, Lauren Lynch, Kathryn McCarthy, Sydney McKelvey, Erik Moore, Brandy Morneau, Joshua Palmer, Leah Pemberton, Lauren Petersen, Michele Saums, Maxwell Sullivan, Joana Sun, Sophia Wright

High Honors

Grade 9: Lindsey Ackley, Zachary Ash, Callie Bateman, Evan Bensko, Katelyn Bosse, Jillian Brockway, Elizabeth Burton, Adam Butters, Andrew Charette, Xiao Chen, Megan Comstock, James Cusmano, Michael DeLia, Brett Drake, Jenna Farquhar, Chelsey Fuller, Natalie Gross, Adelina Jakuba, Andrew Kline, Emily Loy, Morgan Lynch, Gabriel May, Brittanny McCoy, Amber McKennerney, Ava McPhail, Amber Morth, Kelsey Nixon, Sarah Nogacek, Justin Patrick, Bryauna Phillips, Elliott Pillsbury, Porter Reim, Nathan Robinson, Lexanne Rodriguez, Forest Smith, Michael Spellman, Erin Strickland, Kathryn Wilson, Jiaqi Zhou

Grade 10: Breanna Browne, Steven Burger, Amber Calderon, Alex Canestrari, Jillian Comstock, Daniel DeNinno, Diane Deschenes, Elizabeth Disco, Patrick Duplice, Brianna Flickner, Joshua Fuchs, Tyler Hespeler, Naomi Hutchins, Amanda Hutchinson, Allyson Loy, Chelsea McGarry, Stacey Miner, Michael Montanari, Cameron Pollard, Jack Porter, Christopher Reilly, Melissa Rogers, Crystal Schmitt, Erica Sheltry, Taylor Strelevitz, Austin Walker, Bartek Wojciechowski

Grade 11: Calvin Ackley, Ashlen Adcock, Bradley Allen, Celina Amerson, Mackenzie Bensko, Nicholas Bozym, Kristen Campeta, Emily Cleary, Erin Colella, Zachary Collins, Barrett Dobbs, Cody Doucette, Joanie Drake, Laura Erhart, Jennifer Gadaree, Kierra Gracie, Geoffrey Grooms, Philip Huang, Colleen Lavin, Alison Mueller, Justin Prescott, Emilie Saccone, Austin Swan, Ashley Ziervogel

Grade 12: Kaylyn Banning, Melissa Bunnell, Sarah Butler, Brita Case, Nicholas Cometa, Lucas DelGrosso, David DeNinno, Rachel Doughty, Kirsten Eichelberg, Alexandra Eliason-Beam, Jessica Franco, Claire Hamel, Mariah Hardy, Margaret Higgins, Jonathan Huang, Stephanie Leach, Elijah Mena, Victoria Meyers, Trevor Montierth, Rebecca Morea, Giles Morgan, Edward Munch, Laura Norman, Caroline Oddo, John Pangelinan, Daniel Pealer, Olivia Phetteplace, Alvaro Prada-Llovet, Kevin Raksnis, Emma Reim, Paulo Rouquayrol, Samuel Saccomano, Kiriyanie Soeng, Amber Spivey, Collin Stiles, Adam Strickland, Alyssa Susi, Emily Traglia, Jaclyn Umrysz, Kevin Wade, Kellie Younger

Honors

Grade 9: Darren Alexander, Kaylyn Bruciati, Corey Coates, Katelyn Craig, Keri Daberkoe, Matthew Daggett, Jennifer Disco, Rachel Draper, Steven Galloway, Mariah Harper, Sarah Heikkinen, Destiny Henkel, Harly Hewlitt, Hunter Hornback, Gregory Knight, Laura Lantelme, Caitlin Larmann, Marykate Malone, Alexander Manwaring, Ashley Marquardt, Conor Massie, Brian McGarry, Ravi Mishra, Ryan Morgan, Bronwynne Nagle, Cassondra Nowland, Heather Perry, Samantha Poe, Hannah Posey, Ashleigh Scahill, Savannah Simon, Sarah Sinnett, Katherine Stapleton, Ronald Tardiff, Kaitlyn Turner, Taylor Vetrano, Kale Webler

Grade 10: Rachel Adams, Nathan Allen, Magen Anderson, Benjamin Blask, Rachael Bolves, Gillian Bowes, Michael Brannan, Ian Bredeweg, Matthew Buriak, Hayley Burke, Jamie Burton, Wahnetah Carty, Robert Chesnut, Vanessa Contreras, Sara Dart-Ford, Morgan Duffy, Erica Eakin, Erin Fedors, Karen Fernandez, Bryan Fillion, Natalie Flanagan, April Flemming, Katherine Gabriele, Dean Gilbert, Hannah Graebner, Emily Haggett, Bethany Holland, Cory Hudson, David Hughes, Nastasia Humphries, Britta Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Mariah Kane, Katherine Kuklinski, Matthew Liguore, Cara LoBianco, Jillian McCarthy, Brittney Medders, Skye Patsiga, Grace Peterson, Hiedi Phillips, Nicolas Polonsky, Connor Rabideau, Dylan Rabideau, Caitlin Read, Karleigh Reeves, Spiro-Nikolas Revis, Benjamin Richardson, James Richmond, Morgan Ross, Bethany Runkle, Brooke Russell, Jonathan Schilke, Robert Shaffer, Brendan Sullivan, Michael Traystman, Russell Vassallo, Alex Withrow, Allison Woods, Collin York

Grade 11: Stephanie Alonge, Erica Armaos, Kristina Ash, Sawyer Auger, Eric Bowles, Nicholas Bredeweg, Ashlie Brown, Cory Cavanaugh, Rahul Chandrasekaran, Serena Cochran, Jessica Contreras, Jessica Costa, Lauren Cunningham, Carli DeLaura, David Deschenes, Sarah Dube, Kenneth Dutton, Athena Ellis, Kevin Esposito, Jackson Farquhar, Ellen Fedij, Jacob Fedors, David Fidrych, Laurel France, Kaitlynne Fuller, Brett Galisewski, Julia Gomes, Brianna Gomez, Shawn Grady, Alisa Green, Kevin Hagen, Brianna Harris, Kevin Henne, Nathaniel Hernandez, Audrey Higgins, Rebekah Hileman, Arielle Humphreys, Derek Hutchins, Athena Jackson, Haley Jensen, John King, Sarah Kline, Kristen Kohlhepp, Ronald Lee, Rebecca Lynch, Christopher Magro, Adam Mailhot, Nathanael Maloney, Ruth Mattison, Catherine McAuliffe, Jessica Meyer, Kyle Morgan, Hope Nelson, Jacob Nelson, Timothy Nohara, Kyle Norton, Ryanne O’Connor, Nickolas Palermo, Jennifer Panosky, Nicholas Penrose, Chase Philpot, Kristin Phrasavath, Kara Piatek, Alfred Posis, Karley Reising, Rachelle Seney, Ashton Shayer, Rebecca Sherman, Janae Stogden, Kylie Stoiber, Stephen Strong, Shane Sullivan, Maria Swan, Matthew Thibodeau, Steven Timmerman, Ezequiel Torres, Allison Troy, Alexander Wall, Amber Weinberg, Amanda Woods

Grade 12: Garrett Bajorin, Kali Batson, Kyle Beglau, Bethany Billing, Joseph Bingaman, Christopher Blomstedt, Daniel Calderon, Wilson Carroll, Danielle Celotto, Nina-beth Coffey, Eric Congdon, David Crocetta, Zachary Davis, Ariel Dembrowski, Shayna Diggs, Danielle Donahue, Tyler Edwardsen, Danielle Fernald, David Figueroa, Emily Flemming, Patrick Flint, Brenda Garcia, Karen Hamilton, Jonathan Hanks, Jennifer Hansen, Jacob Jablonski, Nathan Jackson, Emily Janacek, Morgan Kauffman, Brandon Ketcham, Marissa King, Angelina Labasi, Angela Lamb, Benjamin LaRose, Thy Le, Jeannette LeBlanc, Christina Lee, Lacee Leith, Kaitlyn Luke, Taylor Mahan, Katherine Maher, Jennifer Maloney, Morgan Martic, Alyssa McClain, Jasmine McDowell, Kaitlyn McVicker, Craig Merrick, Elizabeth Mitchell, Kelsey Morris, Caleb Morth, Mackenzie Newman, Meghan Nogacek, Shane O’Connell, Amanda Orkney, Kevin Oswald, Jaime Palomino, Courtney Parke, Carly Paterson, James Pellissier, Danielle Peters, Charles Pillsbury, Michelle Preston, Francisco Ramirez, Richard Roselle, Lindsay Schoonmaker, Jon Schwabenbauer, Jessica Senphansiry, Chelsea Shepard, Dillon Sierpinski, David Slonski, Emily Smith, Kyle Smith, Michael Smith, Anthony Stapleton, Amanda Steele, Tyler Stegall-Smith, Alesha Timmerman, Felicia Ting, Amanda Utz, Mark Watrous, Joseph Weiss, Lauren Whipple, Rachel Willette, Justin Wilt, Kelly Wood, Matthew Zeppieri

Dance Extension Announces Dancer of the Year

Interactive Desk — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:58:28 GMT

The faculty of the Dance Extension has selected Melissa Buriak of Gales Ferry to receive the 2009 Studio Dancer of the Year Award. Buriak will receive a full scholarship to the Tremaine Dance Convention to be held Jan. 24 and 25 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. The award is sponsored by the Tremaine Dance Convention.

Buriak, 17, has been studying dance since the age of 3, and takes classical ballet, pointe, tap, and jazz at The Dance Extension in Waterford and New London. She has performed for eight seasons with the Community Dance Ensemble, Inc., a non-profit charitable dance company under the direction of Maggie Dennis, at nursing homes, senior centers, and benefit concerts throughout New England. She has also performed at Walt Disney World Resort, Hershey Park, and the Garde Arts Center and has attended numerous master classes and conventions in New York City as well as the U.S. Performing Arts Camp.

Buriak, a senior at Ledyard High School, is the daughter of Leon and Roberta Buriak of Gales Ferry.