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On September 11, 2001, Cheryl Ann Monyak of New Hartford was at work in her office at Marsh & McLellan Companies, a professional services and insurance brokerage firm. At that time, the firm occupied eight floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, from the 93rd to the 100th floor. When American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building, their offices spanned the entire impactzone, from floors 93 to 99. No one present in the offices at the time survived the attack: 295 employees and 63 contractors were killed in that attack, including Cheryl who was only 43.

Memorial Mass Notice

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Following is the Memorial Mass notice for Cheryl Ann Monyak published in the Hartford Courant on September 26, 2001:

Cheryl Monyak

Cheryl Ann Monyak, 43, was a victim of the World Trade Center incident on Tuesday (September 11, 2001). Born December 2, 1957, in Torrington. She was the daughter of Joseph and Doris (Woodard) Monyak of New Hartford. In addition to her parents, Cheryl is survived by a brother, Michael and his wife, Theresa; two nieces, Corinne Marie and Miranda Rose; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

A memorial mass will be held on Monday, October 1, 2001 at the Immaculate Conception Church in New Hartford, 5 p.m. Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele Road, New Hartford, has care of the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to The Green Woods Scholarship Fund in Winsted, CT.

Doris Monyak’s Interview With ‘The Daily Campus’

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Doris Monyak, Cheryl’s mother, who lives in New Hartford, was recently interviewed by ‘The Daily Campus,’ UConn’s daily campus newspaper, for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Cheryl received her Batchelor’s and Master’s degrees from UConn. With the kind permission of the editorial department of The Daily Campus, following is the full article:

‘We’ve Been Crying These Last 10 Years’

By: Amy Schellenbaum

This time of year, Doris Monyak’s home is quiet.

The television screens stare blankly, grayed and hushed. There is no scratchy babble of the radio or distant murmurings of television jingles or weather forecasts. There is no prattling of news pundits, no greetings from anchors, no analysts, no “experts” and no photomontages.

In her home, there is no coverage of the event that killed her daughter, UConn alumna Cheryl Monyak.

“I know it’s big news and all, but when you actually see the tower burning and you know she was there – it’s like living it all again,” Mrs. Monyak said.

This year, like the eight years previous, Mrs. Monyak doesn’t want to risk seeing or hearing about the day two jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center. On Sept. 11, 2001, the jetliner servicing American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the floor her daughter worked on as a vice president at Marsh and McLennan.

“She went into work that morning – they were working on a big project,” Mrs. Monyak said. “She was always early. She got in early and was prepared for the day. Then everything happened.”

At approximately 8:46 that morning, the first of two Boeing 767 planes hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The crash directly decimated floors 93-99 of the North Tower, all of which were operated by Marsh and McLennan, where Cheryl, 43, worked, dealing with risk insurance around the world.

“She was a great business woman, and I know she was respected by the people she worked with,” Mrs. Monyak said. “She was a great gal – very intelligent and very outgoing.”

Mrs. Monyak was shopping at Target the morning of the attacks.

“You know, there was a TV section. I heard this woman say, ‘Oh my God,’” Mrs. Monyak said.

The image of the Twin Towers and the surrounding steel-colored clouds of smoke and debris played across dozens of screens in the discount retail store.

“[The woman in Target] said that was the World Trade Center and I knew that’s where Cheryl worked,” Mrs. Monyak said.

Nobody working for Marsh and McLennan on those floors survived; Cheryl was one of 295 Marsh employees that died that day. Mrs. Monyak said she was able to meet the families of other victims.

“Through the business world and everything, she made a lot of friends over the years. She worked with great people,” said Mrs. Monyak.

According to the New York Times “Portraits of Grief,” Cheryl’s friend Martha Ambros described her as a “magic person.” Friends served champagne and dessert at the memorial service to celebrate the life of the woman who made sure a bowl of M&Ms was placed in the middle of the boardroom table, according to the article. When things got heated in a meeting, she would reach across the table and grab some M&Ms to diffuse the tension.

“She did great in the business world, but she was never a snob. She was…an everyday person. She had a lot of common sense,” said Mrs. Monyak. “She was intelligent and willing to try anything. She was very quick at adapting to things.”

According to a Daily Campus article published in 2002, Cheryl was a Resident Assistant at UConn. One day, some students stole a pig from the agricultural side of campus and let it loose in the dorm hallway. According to the story, instead of getting angry, Cheryl laughed it off.

“Nothing bothered her, not even things like that,” Cheryl’s father Joseph Monyak told Daily Campus reporter Jennifer Babulsky.

Cheryl graduated from UConn with her Bachelor’s Degree in business administration in 1979 and got her M.B.A. from UConn in 1981.

“She learned some good things from UConn,” said Mrs. Monyak. “She got along with her women professors…[Cheryl] got to be a strong woman.”

In January 2002, the day before Mrs. Monyak’s birthday, the Connecticut police informed the couple they had found Cheryl’s body. Cheryl’s remains are “back home” in New Hartford. Mrs. Monyak is not traveling to New York City for any memorial services.

“We’re not going to New York because we have her here. I know a lot of parents, husbands, wives who probably never got the body back of their loved ones but…I have no desire to go down. It will be like reliving the whole thing,” Mrs. Monyak said.

Before she took her job at Marsh and McLennan, Cheryl was living in California working for The Travelers Companies and later Universal Studios. But the east coast called her home and she accepted a job offer as an executive at the New York City-based insurance company. She lived in Brooklyn, New York and then in Greenwich.

Cheryl has a scholarship in her name, the New Hartford Knights of Columbus Cheryl Ann Monyak Scholarship. Cheryl is survived by her mother, her brother Michael, his wife Theresa and their daughters, Corinne and Miranda.

“We’ve been crying these last 10 years,” Mrs. Monyak said.

To read the above article by Amy Schellenbaum please visit The Daily Campus.

Cheryl’s Continued Presence

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To catch a glimpse of the exceptional woman that Cheryl was, one has only to read some of the comments posted by her friends and colleagues on Cheryl’s page of the 9/11 Memorial website set up by Marsh and McLellan for its employees lost on 9/11. It’s obvious from these comments that Cheryl continues to be a positive, loving presence in the lives of those who knew her. In the words of her friend, Martha Ambros:

“She was another member of my family and a wonderful source of warmth, inspiration, commaraderie,fun, and love. Cheryl brought a pure, positive energy to everything she did. She wasted no time and made the most of every situation. I miss her everyday. As my daughter, Caroline says, “Mommy, Cheryl is still with us. She will be in your heart forever.”

Cheryl Ann Monyak of New Hartford was one of the 2,977 innocent people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

This memorial bench is dedicated to Cheryl Ann Monyak. The bench is located in Callahan Park, a few minutes from Cheryl's home in New Hartford. Photo: Maria Moore

Murray O. Gibson

Murray O’Brien Gibson, 88, of New Hartford, CT, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2011, surrounded by his children and his wife Nancy Marshall Gibson, the love of his life for 25 years.

Murray O'Brien Gibson

Born March 27, 1923, in Newcastle, Ontario, Canada, Murray emigrated as a boy with his parents Alfred and Edith Gibson and five siblings to the United States and a new home in Cortland, N.Y. He served in World War II in the U.S. Army’s 103rd infantry division from April 1943 to April 1946, seeing combat in France and Germany. He graduated from Cornell University with an architecture degree in 1949 and in 1954 founded an architecture firm in Connecticut with college classmates Jim Russell and Bob von Dohlen. Initially building its reputation on the design of schools and churches, Russell Gibson von Dohlen grew to become one of the most successful firms in western New England, with offices in five states and nearly 200 employees at its peak. Notable buildings designed during Murray’s tenure as chairman include the Connecticut Legislative Office Building, the Connecticut River Plaza and State House Square, all in downtown Hartford, the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, FL, the award-winning Heublein corporate headquarters in Farmington, and the University of Connecticut’s Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. Interior design projects were executed by the firm for clients such as Aetna Life and Casualty and the Hartford Courant. At the time of Murray’s retirement in 1988, Russell Gibson von Dohlen was considered to be in the top tier of architectural firms in the nation.

Murray also enjoyed raising and showing Morgan horses. He achieved notable success in the show ring, crowned by two national championships in 1991 with his beloved horse, Weatherwell Celsius. Murray shared many civic duties with his wife Nancy, including serving the New Hartford Historical Society, St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Beekley Public Library. He was proud to receive the lifetime service award from the Hartford Boys and Girls Club. He deeded 25 acres to the New Hartford Land Trust and served two terms on the New Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission.

He enjoyed working on his beautifully landscaped property, as well as golf, croquet, fishing, walking the beach and attending cultural events, always with his wife Nancy and often with his many children, grandchildren and friends.

In addition to his wife Nancy, Murray is survived by his first wife Gloria Howland, brother Thomas Gibson, and sister Margaret Gibson, son Robert Gibson and his wife Therese, son Garth Gibson and his wife Nora, daughter Laurie Lindberg and her husband Brian, daughter Lisa Gibson, daughter Amanda Gibson and her husband John Butler, daughter Lisa Marshall Favre and her husband Larry, son Jay Marshall, and daughter Sarah Marshall, as well as 15 grandchildren.

A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Pine Meadow at 1 PM. Burial will follow in the memorial garden. Friends may call on Friday, September 2, 2011 at Montano-Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele Road, New Hartford from 4 – 7 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Murray’s name to: St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Hartford, the Mason Beekley Memorial Library in New Hartford or the Hartford Boys and Girls Club.

Visit the online guestbook at Montano-shea.com.

State House Square in downtown Hartford, one of the architectural projects of Murray Gibson's firm, Russell Gibson von Dohlen. Photo: Rotten777 on Photobucket image

Gampel Pavilion, UConn, Storrs, another architectural project by Murray Gibson's firm, Russell Gibson von Dohlen. Photo of painting by Mark Waitkus at waitkusstudios.myshopify.com

By: Maria Moore

Some residents have asked us about the petitions around town asking for the hours of operation of our local (06057) Post Office not to be cut back. Following is the background to those petitions:

No sooner had the carriers from the New Hartford Post Office been reassigned to the Winsted Post Office this past Spring than rumors started to circulate that the hours of operation of the New Office would soon be cut. Some residents, including our reporter, expressed their concern to First Selectman Dan Jerram who, in turn, wrote to the Post Office’s Operations Manager in Hartford to convey those concerns and to ask to be updated on any possible changes being considered for New Hartford; see a copy of Dan Jerram’s letter: Change In Operations Letter, Dan Jerram (104).

The First Selectman hasn’t received any response to his May 19 letter; however, in late June a notice on the front door of the Post Office seemed to confirm residents’ fears: the window hours on the Saturday before the 4th of July holiday were being cut back to 10 a.m. through 12:00 noon, instead of their regular 9 a.m. through 1 p.m.

The entrance to the New Hartford Post Office on July 2. Photo: Maria Moore

On July 2 our reporter went to the Post Office at 9 a.m. and watched as a steady flow of residents went about their regular business at the Post Office – or almost. Those who had come to transact business at the window were unable to; they each tried to open the door inside the lobby and when they couldn’t, they turned back with a confused look on their faces to read the hours of operation on the blue sign on the door; “9 a.m.” the sign said, and yet there they found themselves, after 9 a.m. and with the door locked. Their confused air deepened, until our reporter pointed out the white sheet of paper above the blue sign announcing the holiday-shortened hours. No-one could remember the Post Office hours being cut back before, and a number of the would-be users wondered why they hadn’t been informed of the change. Residents’ reactions to the change in hours differed; a number of them were clearly annoyed at the incovenience. Some shrugged left, saying they would run other errands before coming back later to transact their business, others said they wouldn’t have time to come back again that day, and a few tried to figure which other post offices might be open at that time.

Asked what they thought about the change in the hours, several residents expressed their dismay, saying they lived on Main Street and didn’t have mail delivery to their homes. “I have a hard time getting to the Post Office in the evening,” a young woman who works out of town said, “It’s going to be even more difficult if they cut back the hours.” An older gentleman who said he spends summers at West Hill Lake, said: “A government office should be able to start work by 9 a.m.!” Another resident said she would be happy to give up Saturday home delivery of mail rather than to cut the office hours; another resident immediately after her disagreed, saying that she wouldn’t want to lose Saturday delivery. Two residents suggested that the Post Office would do better to close the Pine Meadow Post Office and keep the New Hartford Post Office hours unchanged.

Only one resident among the 24-30 people our reporter spoke to said that she thought the cut in hours was necessary for the Post Office to stay afloat financially.

Our reporter left the Post Office at 10 a.m. when the window opened for business and with the steady stream of customers continuing unabated.

July 2 Petition

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Our reporter had brought with her to the Post Office a petition she had prepared asking for the hours to remain unchanged. During the one hour that she had been at the Post Office, approximately 90 to 100 residents came to use the Post Office; approximately 35 residents tried unsuccessfully to use the window, and of those our reporter engaged in conversation approximately 20 of them; of the 20, 15 signed the petition she had prepared asking for the Post Office hours to remain unchanged.

Ongoing Petition: Your signature Is Needed!

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For the past two weeks Jennifer Lajoie and her mother Charlene of New Hartford Center have been collecting signatures of fellow residents in an effort to keep the hours of the New Hartford Post Office unchanged. Copies of the petition are available at the following locations:

• The Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall;
• The Tax Collector’s Office at Town Hall;
• Passiflora Cafe;
• Hoffmann’s Hardware Store;
• Village Hair Care;
• Radwick’s Coffee & Sandwich Shop;
• New Hartford Farmers’ Market (Friday afternoon);
• Blue Sky Foods.

Please stop in at any of the above locations to sign a copy of the Post Office petition.  Or you may download and print out a copy of the petition and collect signatures among your family and friends; download a copy of the petition New Hartford Post Office Petition, July 16 (146).

You may leave off completed sheets of the petition at any of the above locations.  On Friday, August 5, all the petitions will be collected and they will be hand-delivered to Chris at the New Hartford Post Office.

Thank you for helping to deliver the message to the management of the Post Office  that New Hartford is a vibrant, growing community that needs a full-time Post Office to fill its needs.

The notice on the door of the New Hartford Post Office with the shorter hours of operation for July 2. Photo: Maria Moore

Photos & Text By: Maria Moore

With the temperature in the 90s, the NewHartfordPlus crew headed for the Cove – Stanclift Cove, our town’s private beach on the Barkhamsted Reservoir. Here are some images from that trip.

Driving down Route 219, the first glimpse of the reservoir promises cool waters.

Driving farther along, both public beaches on the Reservoir, East Beach and West Beach (in image), are filled to capacity and closed to the public.

Hanging a left from Route 219 to 318, we headed down the steep hill only to come up the other side onto Route 181. We'd missed the Cove!

Slowly retracing our route, we found the entrance tucked away on the right.

At the end of the long drive, a sign that we've arrived.

Tall pines line the entrance to the beach area.

The large beach area.

The swimming area goes out to the diving platform, a favorite with good swimmers.

At the farther end of the beach is a small boat launch.

The shade of the pines provides a cool respite from the open beach area.

Picnic tables provide a place for family picnics and cookouts.

A last look back at the beach seen through the pines. Stanclift Cove is a wonderful place for families to spend the hot days of summer.

About Stanclift Cove: The Cove is a private beach on the Barkhamsted Reservoir shared by both the towns of Barkhamsted and New Hartford. Residents are required to purchase a beach sticker for the Cove. For more information about the Cove and to download a copy of the Stanclift Cove brochure, please see our June 18 article Stanclift Cove Beach Opens Today…

We are reposting this profile of the Barden Farm to include it in our NHDiary section. It first appeared on our June 10 Farmers’ Market article as the market’s Vendor of the Week profile.

By: Maria Moore

“Ed, you’re blessed, you really are.” Our reporter called out to Ed Barden as she waved goodbye to him across the field. “You think so?” He called back, as he carried another tomato plant ready to be transplanted. “I know so! Just look at that beautiful view.” “I would if I had the time!” Ed answered with a laugh and then turned back to his planting.

Ed Barden

You get the feeling though, that Ed knows that view very, very well: It’s provided the backdrop for his entire life. “How long has your family been farming here, Ed?” Our reporter had asked earlier on her visit. “Since 1919, when my grandad bought this land.” He’d said, going on to explain that his granddad had sold the land he owned in Campbell Falls, near the Massachussetts border, to the state for a state park and with the money from that sale he’d come down to New Hartford and bought the land on Burgoyne Heights where the farm is located. “In 1943 the barn burned down,” Ed continued. “The town held a fundraiser for the farm, and they raised $1,700. With that they paid two men $7 a day to work 7 days a week to rebuild the barn.” “Was everything gone?” “Everything, the livestock, everything.” An extraordinary act of community for a family that’s so rooted in this community.

Ed is a third-generation farmer, and you get the feeling that he’s a man who knows who he is, and what he does and he is totally comfortable with himself. And together with his wife, Anita, Ed earns a living from the farm, something that’s becoming more of a rarity as farm land is ceded to developers.

Anita Barden, one of the organizers of the New Hartford Farmers' Market

Over the years, as their family has grown from two children to four, the Bardens have also added to their business: They’ve built a separate building where customers can go at any time to pick up fresh produce; they’re selling at Farmers’ Markets, including our local Farmers’ Market in Pine Meadow which Anita helped to start four years ago; last year, with daughter Cara’s help, they launched a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program; and this year, Anita has just gotten a commercial kitchen licensed at the farm.

Ed and Anita welcome their customers to their farm, and more often than not, their customers will stop and visit for a while, sitting on the front porch of the farmstand, enjoying the view, looking at the farm animals, or throwing the ball for Buddy, their irrepressible Border Collie, while Barnabas, their large, white dog looks solemnly on. The rhythm of life on the farm is peaceful, and their customers carry some of that away with them when they leave. It’s no wonder that they have a growing number of loyal customers – the NewHartfordPlus crew among them – who look forward to their visits to the Barden’s farm, where they know they will find the best local produce, and a sense of kinship and community.

The Barden Farm is open 7 days a week, year-round. The farm is located at 45 Burgoyne Heights, .2 mile up West Hill Road from the Town Hill Road (Route 219) intersection. To contact the farm, please call 860-379-8803, or email bardenfarm@aol.com. For more information about the farm, including its CSA program, please visit the Barden Farm website.

With 90-degree weather, the Barden family does the only reasonable thing: they hang out on the porch of their farmstand. Photo: Maria Moore

Charlie, the youngest of the Barden children, lends a hand on the farm. Photo from September, 2010, NewHarfordPlus archives

Ed Barden transplanting his tomato plants into the field of his family farm. Photo: Maria Moore

Photos & Text By: Maria Moore

Everything came together perfectly for the first New Hartford Farmers’ Market of the season yesterday afternoon. The weather was ideal, sunny and not too hot; the vendors’ stands were filled with goods despite the earliness of the season; and friendships were rekindled among the vendors and their buyers, both old and new. Following are photos of the market, a celebration of the best in our community.

Ms. Carrot was happy to be back at the market after the long winter

Mike Hotchkiss shows his wife Connie a plant he's considering buying at the Barden farm stand while Mary Lou Ringklib takes a close look through the plants.

MarWin Farm is now bringing its farm-fresh poultry to the market for both their Farmshare customers and weekly shoppers. Here Kenny Dahill, operating from his "minimalist" stand, looks in his cooler for Karann Schaller's poultry.

 

Cara Donovan manning the Sweet Pea Cheese stand.

Nathan Day - and a friend - provided the lively music during Friday's market.

How much fun was the Farmers' Market on Friday? A LOT of fun, as Mary Barden shows in this photo.

The most original stand of the day was the Planted Feather with its tie-dyed canopy which took two tries to get it just right, said Wendy Scalon. Cool!

Chef’s Demo – A Weekly Market Feature

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The Chef’s Demo – a favorite of the 2009 New Hartford Farmers’ Market season – is now back! This season there will be Chef’s Demos every week. This past Friday, the demo was by Pamela Dunn; look for our separate article on the Chef’s Demos at the market.

Update: 6 p.m., Friday, May 27:

One last call Carol Allen at UpCountry SportFishing at 6:00 p.m. this evening confirmed that the tagged trout worth $5,000 has not been caught. The deadline has now passed and anyone catching the trout after this point will not be able to claim the prize money. The fishermen’s loss is the insurance company’s gain: Odd On Promotions does not need to make any payments on the 2011 New Hartford Fishing Derby that had insured the chance of having to make a payout with them.

Check out Odds On Promotion’s website to see the full spectrum of promotions they offer.

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As of 5:00 p.m. today, Thursday, May 26, the tagged trout worth $5,000 that was released into the Farmington River as part of the New Hartford Fishing Derby has yet to be caught, our reporter confirmed with the Grady Allen at UpCountry SportFishing.

With the deadline set at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, May 27, there’s just one day left for some lucky angler to catch the jackpot!

Reminder: Only those who registered for the New Hartford Fishing Derby can claim the prize.

To review the rules for the New Hartford Fishing Derby, see our May 16 article A $5,000 Trout Yours For The Catching….

To read about the the Fishing Derby which was held on Saturday, May 21, , see our May 22 article Fishing Derby Awards Prizes…

Fishermen in the Farmington River near the Route 219 Bridge in New Hartford Center. Photo: Maria Moore

A beautiful place to sit and watch the activity in the river.

The plaque on the bench commemorating Paul Brodeur. Photo: Maria Moore

An Ultra Fine Day For Paul Brodeur: Newpaper clipping

A newspaper clipping has been tucked into the plaque on the bench near the 219 Bridge, probably put there by the same loving hands that have planted spring flowers around the bench. The clipping reads:

“It was an Ultra Fine Day for Paul Brodeur of Newington, Connecticut, when he landed this gorgeous 29″ brown trout on the Farmington River with his 7’9″ 2-weight rod. He tells us he has had many fine fish since he bought this “fun” Orvis Ultra Fine Rod in 1985, but this was “a record I’ll never top and a day I’ll never forget and all on a 2-weight rod!”

Wow! Very few will ever top that, Paul!

Text & Photos By: Maria Moore

First Lieutenant James Flannery came back to Antolini School – almost a decade after graduating from our local elementary school. The reason for his visit was to thank the 3rd and 4th grade students who had corresponded with him while he was on tour in Afghanistan. “I loved receiving your letters, and my men loved them too.” James told each class he visited, thanking the students for their support. And then he sat with the class and answered all the children’s questions – or at least as many questions as they could get in during his 15-minute stop with every class.

1st.Lt.James Flannery

The children wanted to know about every aspect of James’ life in the army: what he ate (prepared meals), where he slept (sometimes he and his men had to go into people’s houses and and tell them they were going to be sleeping there), if he missed his family (yes, very much), what made him join the army (he’d always liked to be active, to be outdoors), and what he would do if he captured Bin Laden (handcuff him and put him in jail). James listened carefully to each question and then answered it seriously, treating each student with the utmost respect. It was clear to see from his manner why this young man, who had gone on to finish his education at West Point, was now rising so rapidly in his chosen career.

The visits to each class went by quickly and then it was time for the soldier to exchange affectionate goodbyes with the students from his own elementary school who had taken the time to write to him, an unknown soldier on duty in Afghanistan.

Our photographer accompanied 1st Lt. Flannery on his visit to three classes on Monday afternoon, March 14: Mr. Tancreti’s 3rd grade class, Mrs. Jones’ 4th grade class and Mrs. Hawley’s 4th grade class.  Coincidentally, James had been a student in all three teachers’ classes when he attended Antolini, something which made each visit that much more special.

Following are photos of 1st Lt. James Flannery’s visits to the three classrooms:

Mr. Tancreti’s 3rd Grade Class

James responding to the children's questions.

The children in Mr. Tancreti's class had lots of questons to ask of the soldier who had just returned home from Afghanistan.

Mrs. Jones’ 4th Grade Class

James visiting with Mrs. Jones' class.

Mrs. Jones enjoying James' visit to her classroom.

Students had many questions for James and they listened attentively his answers.

Mrs. Hawley’s 4th Grade Class

James sits with Mrs. Hawley as he visits with her class.

James holds a book on Bin Laden which was on display in Mrs. Hawley's class while he answers a question about the terrorist.

Students in Mrs. Hawley's class listening to James.

One of the students couldn't help peeking at the photographer sitting immediately behind her.

Kate Rieger, Principal of Antolini School, listening to the exchange between James and the students in Mrs. Hawley's class.

Many Thanks to Mr. Tancreti, Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Hawley for welcoming our photographer into their classrooms.

Many Thanks as always to Kate Rieger, Principal at Antolini for inviting us to be part of James’ visit.

By: Maria Moore

This past November the Historical Society hosted a talk by Town Historian David Krimmel on the founding of New Hartford, in which David described the evolution of the town’s landholdings from the original proprietors to those of modern-day landowners. Tomorrow night the Society will host a talk by Peter O’Brien who will populate the early landscape described by David with the people of that time.

Our reporter spoke with Peter about his research of the early inhabitants of the town, asking first of all how he had become interested in that research.

Peter pinpointed the beginning of his interest to when he and wife Sally bought their home in 1977 and were given a page of the history of the house from the previous owner to the one they bought the house from. Colin Tate had given them a rundown of those who owned the house, but it was very difficult to unravel information from the land records. And so he put his interest aside until 6 or 7 years ago when, having recently retired from his position at Post University, he found himself reading a history of New Hartford by Sarah Jones, a 19th Century writer. He started to notice inconsistencies, and that sometimes things weren’t as they seemed.

“When you have doubts, you have to start at the beginning.” Peter said, and that is what he did, going through town records, church records, probate records, even newspaper records. With Sally’s help, Peter created a database in which he records all information he finds regarding the early people of New Hartford. “I have 3,000 people in the database so far.” he told our reporter, scrolling down to the end of his spreadsheet. And he is still adding information. Right now he is going through Litchfield Superior Court records which are stored at the State Library, a long and laborious process. “It feels like voluntary servitude!” He said wryly, adding that he has several more years of research in Hartford still left.

Tomorrow, however, he will have the opportunity to share all he’s learned about the early residents of our town – at least those who lived here between 1700 and 1800; an arbitrary cut-off but a necessary one, Peter and our reporter agreed. Peter will not be talking about any one early resident, rather he will extrapolate from the specific pieces of information that he has accumulated to draw a general picture of what it was like to live in New Hartford during that time.

While describing to our reporter what life was like in the 1700s, Peter said: “It was a very different world back then; familiar and very different.” “What do you mean by that?” Our reporter asked. “The vocabulary was the same, but our understanding is different. For example, take the statement “all men are created equal.” Their understanding of “equal” is different from our understanding of it.” In a little more than 200 years, our value systems have become very different from those of our ancestors.

“There’s something very compelling about connecting with people who shared the same space as we do.” Peter said, expressing perfectly what has kept him at his research for all these years. And tomorrow evening, it will be his audience that Peter will help connect with those early inhabitants of not only our town, but in many cases, of our homes.

Peter O’Brien will present his talk on ‘The People, Material Culture and Relationships in New Hartford in the 18th Century’ at 7:00 p.m. at the Senior Center on the third floor of Town Hall tomorrow evening, Wednesday, February 23. The talk will be followed by a reception at the Historical Society on the other side of Main Street across from the Town Hall. See our video of David Krimmel’s presentation ‘The Founding of New Hartford’.

An 18th Century house currently being used as a private school in the Bakerville section of New Hartford. Photo: Maria Moore

Photos & Text By: Maria Moore

It was standing room only in the New Hartford Senior Center yesterday afternoon as family members, colleagues, well-wishers and members of the media all came together to witness the swearing-in of Judge Michael Magistrali and his staff, who are now the officials of the newly-formed Torrington Area Probate District Court.

Brian Mattiello

Former State Representative Brian Mattiello welcomed everyone to the ceremony; Mr. Mattiello had been Judge Magistrali’s campaign manager during last fall’s elections had there been a campaign since Judge Magistrali ran unopposed. Mr. Mattiello was followed by Attorney Thomas Wall who administered the oath of office to Judge Magistrali; Attorney Wall is a long-time colleague of Judge Magistrali, someone whom, the Judge said, he had admired since his childhood when he remembered seeing Attorney Wall walking to his Torrington office.

Once he had been sworn in as the head of the new Probate District Court, Judge Magistrali swore in his office staff, beginning with the office assistant, “Judy” Batista, then the Assistant Clerks, Shelley Consodine and Paula Marchetti and then the Clerk Gayle Pellegren. Suzanne Pombar, who was formerly the Clerk of the New Hartford Probate Court, was sworn in by former Judge Skip Rogers, long-time Probate Judge in New Hartford, and as a testament to their many years working together, the two hugged as they wished each other well.

Judge Michael Magistrali

Judge Magistrali made a point of thanking the retiring judges from the former local probate courts who sat in the audience, among them Judge Isabell (Hartland), Judge Rogers (New Hartford and Barkhamsted), and Judge Barber (Winchester). He especially acknowledged the personal help and support he has received from Judge Alan Barber and Judge Skip Rogers and he presented both with a certificate commemorating their years of service as probate judges.

And then the ceremony was brought to a close, with Judge Magistrali inviting all to stay and visit and enjoy the refreshments which he hoped, looking at the large crowd assembled, would be sufficient for all.

The Torrington Area Probate District Court includes the towns of Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, New Hartford, Torrington and Winchester. The Torrington Area District Probate Court is one of 54 new probate districts which have replaced the 117 local probate courts previously in place in Connecticut. This regionalization of probate courts is part of the state effort to regionalize services and effect cost savings.

The Torrington Area Probate District Court is located on the first floor of Torrington City Hall at 140 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790; telephone #: 860-489-2216. For information or with questions regarding New Hartford probate matters please contact Suzanne Pombar at the Torrington Area Probate District Court at 860-489-2215 or by emailing Suzanne at SPombar@ctprobate.gov.

Congratulations and best wishes: to Judge Michael Magistrali and his Staff on their appointment to the Torrington Area Probate District Court, our new district probate court.

The staff of the new Torrington Area Probate District Court.

Suzanne Pombar is sworn in as Clerk of the new Probate District Court by former Judge Skip Rogers. The two had worked together for many years in the New Hartford Probate Court.

Suzanne and Skip hug at the end of Suzanne's swearing in, a sign of the friendship between the two former officials of the now disbanded New Hartford Probate Court.

Gayle Pellegren being sworn in as Clerk by Judge Magistrali. The two had also worked together in the former Torrington Probate Court.

Judge Michael Magistrali with Attorney Thomas Wall.

Judge Michael Magistrali is sworn in as the new Judge of the Torrington Area Probate District Court by Attorney Wall.

Judge Magistrali presents former Winchester Judge of Probate Alan Barber with a certificate of appreciation.

New Hartford's former Probate Judge, Skip Rogers, receives a certificate of appreciation from Judge Michael Magistrali of the new Torrington Area Probate District Court.

Article And Photos By: Neil Tolhurst.

The popular ice skating rink on our Pine Meadow Green has recently been revamped. Several notable improvements were made to enhance this New Hartford winter fun spot, with more to come. The most noticeable one is a substantial size increase, making it about 1/3 larger than last year. Other changes include additional benches, improved lighting, and a porta potty that will be there soon. Decorative lighting under the ice and a warming hut have been discussed as possible future improvements to family fun at the rink.

How did this progress happen? Whose ideas and actions made it reality? What were their motivations? What is the Rink Revamp Formula?

Reduced to its simplest equation, the New Hartford Rink Revamp Formula for Success is:

Citizen request + Town government support + Volunteer effort = Progress

We’ve seen this formula succeed in the past, and now it has for our ice rink in Pine Meadow. Here’s how it happened:

According to local Pine Meadow resident and frequent ice skater, Tom Goddu, a request to enlarge the rink was made by another Pine Meadow resident, George Tolhurst. During New Hartford Day at Brodie Park last fall, his request was made to New Hartford’s First Selectman Dan Jerram. He, and his wife Carlene, agreed it was a good idea. Dan pointed out that enlarging the rink would be more efficient if it were done at the same time the plastic liner under the ice needed replacement. He promised to research the possibilities and see what could be done.

Christian Goddu shows his down low, one skate move.

After learning from town staff that the slope of Pine Meadow’s Green would be an obstacle to enlarging the rink, Dan obtained enough topsoil to level a larger area for the rink. Local New Hartford resident and land surveyor, Ron Dufour, volunteered to help and assigned one of his employees, Carmine Matrascia, to help out with the surveying work and leveling.

Ron said, “I’m a life long New Hartford resident and when things like that pop up that we can help out with, then we’re more than happy to do it. If we can help out with projects like that, like we did for the SK8 Park, then we’ll help them out by donating our services so the project can get off the ground.”

When asked about his motivation for acting quickly and thoroughly on the request to enlarge the rink, Dan explained: “Well, it seemed like a common sense request to take a look at. When we looked at it and I talked with the staff about it, it happened at a convenient time because they were getting ready to replace the tarp that holds the water. It didn’t seem to be that big of an issue to overcome. We also reached out to Tom Goddu and talked with him a bit about trying to improve the lighting. He had also broached an idea of trying to do the decorative lighting, which would have been a home run if we could have done it. We just couldn’t squeeze that in.”

“There will be a porta john over there so the Moms watching their kids will have a sanitary facility. Also, we’ve had a single light pole with a floodlight there, which is inadequate for the design, now we have a secondary one and we’re trying to get a third. We’re just trying to reach out to do it a little bit better. I’m not trying to take credit for the ice rink; obviously it’s been there a long time, but just trying to tweak it and make a good idea a little bit better.”

New Hartford’s Pine Meadow ice rink dates back to the late 1980s. Back then, well known local painter and youth sports coach, Jerry Kelly, asked First Selectman Reggie Smith Jr. to allow Jerry to build an ice rink at Pine Meadow. He got immediate support from Reggie.

Their conversation was “…at a stop sign on the side of the road, at most for 2 minutes. That’s what I’m talking about. Bing, bam, boom, done.”, Jerry recalled. Fueled by fond memories of childhood skating on West Hartford’s Fern Park and Elizabeth Park ponds, and skating on the Conard High hockey team, Jerry acted quickly to establish the Pine Meadow rink. He had rink construction experience from building a rink at his West Hill home and building rinks at the homes of several youth league hockey players from Avon that he coached.

Prior to this, New Hartford had a rink on the tennis court at Callahan Park. Former First Selectwoman Anita Baxter explained that the Callahan Park rink had to be closed because of ice damage to the tennis court’s surface. That closing led to Jerry asking to build the rink at Pine Meadow.

In recent years, our Pine Meadow rink has been maintained through volunteer work. Tom Goddu said: “I love to skate and about seven or eight years ago I kinda adopted it. It’s been set up by the town and then taken care of by volunteers. I’ve brought over 5 gallon pails of water for resurfacing the ice and used to use the back of my little Ford Escort wagon to get them there. More recently, I take bigger 35 gallon trash cans with water there in my minivan. Over the last two years a local Regional 7 High School student, Matt Hawkins, has been helping as part of his community citizenship program… and he’s not even a skater. There have been other folks helping who I don’t even know. I’ve got a rink at my house, but I like the Pine Meadow rink and it’s a community service for me to help maintain it.”

Looking back at the Rink Revamp Formula, it seems soooo simple:
Citizen request + Town government support + Volunteer effort = Progress

Based on one citizen’s request to our First Selectman, several improvements benefiting many people have been made. New Hartford’s Formula for Success worked. Despite the anti-government complaints we frequently hear these days at a national level, our revamped Pine Meadow rink shows how, on a local level, a combined effort from volunteers and government employees, a private-public partnership, can succeed.

Get your skates and stop by the rink for some winter fun!

Skating is fun, especially when Mom gives a tow!

By: Neil Tolhurst

Today is December 21. It is the first official day of winter, and at 6:38 p.m., it will be the annual Winter Solstice. It is also the first time since 1638 the Winter Solstice coincides with a total lunar eclipse. As you may recall, that was the year the Pequot War, right here in Connecticut, ended with the September signing of the first Treaty of Hartford.

In honor of this stupendous coincidence, I hereby declare today is also “Winter is Great!” and/or “Is your Winter glass half full or half empty?” day. Why? Well, to be quite frank about it there are too many folks complaining about winter, complaining about snow, and complaining about cold temps. Sooooo, wrap that wool scarf around your neck, slide your paws into those big furry mittens, wrap up in your favorite blankie, and pull up to the fire. Here’s why the Winter glass is half full, not half empty:

• Today is the hump day of all hump days! It marks the end of shorter daylight hours. Each day from now until the Summer Solstice will have more daylight. Rejoice!
• Winter is the season of NO YARD WORK! Yes, yes, yes, I know there will be time spent clearing snow, but that time adds up to much less than those yard work hours.
• Those pesky spring, summer, and fall insects are gone! We’ll have several months of no bugs…and no tedious tick inspections after being outdoors.
• The kids are back in school!
• Road construction traffic jams and delays are few and far between. Hooray!
• The racket from those neighboring lawn mowers or weed whackers won’t disturb Saturday or Sunday afternoon nap time.
• There are no unbearable days with high 90 degree temperatures and high 90% humidity.
• Winter snow storms often bring out the good in people as they help each other dig out cars, clear driveways, etc.
• We motorcycle owners can get caught up on postponed repairs and maintenance.
• You can see farther through the trees now that their leaves are off the branches.
• There are lots of winter sports to enjoy: skiing, skating, snowboarding, ice fishing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and motorcycle ice riding.
• There are fewer people out camping or on the trails.
• Because of hibernation, fewer dangerous animals are roaming in the woods and people’s yards.
• The Snowbirds have gone to Florida and Arizona and the college kids are back in school so our roads have fewer drivers on them.
• It’s far easier to stay in with a good book – no guilt about yard work needing to be done.

To sum it up – put a smile on your face and be ready to tell a winter complainer that it really isn’t as bad as they think. Enjoy Winter!

Neil gives his snow blower a workout while Mocha frolics by his side. Photo: Neil Tolhurst

Those of us who drive down Route 44 as part of our daily routine have recently watched the ice skating rink take shape on the Pine Meadow Green. But this year the rink is bigger and the verdict of those using it is unanimous: “AWESOME!”

More to come on the revamped rink…

Christian Goddu shows his down low, one skate move. Photo: Neil Tolhurst

Skating is fun, especially when Mom gives a tow! Photo: Neil Tolhurst

BFFs enjoying the larger rink. Photo: Neil Tolhurst

By: Maria Moore

In motions filled with the true spirit of the holidays, the members of the town’s Board of Selectmen and of the Board of Finance unanimously approved establishing an account, the ‘Neighbors To Neighbors Community Fund,’  which will be funded by donations from the community and which will be used to provide help to those in need in our community.

The ‘Neighbors to Neighbors Fund’ has been proposed by the Social Initiatives Group which has been meeting over the last several months to establish a unified and streamlined structure to deliver help to New Hartford residents in need.  The group was convened by First Selectman Dan Jerram in response to a request by members of the town’s clergy and other members of the town’s caring community.  The types of needs that the group discussed helping with include medical bills (including prescriptions and dental), utilities, and emergency housing.

At both the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance meetings Dan Jerram spoke strongly in favor of establishing the account. He said he has checked with the town’s auditors, Robert King which saw no problem with the town establishing the ‘Neighbors to Neighbors Fund.’ Dan added that many towns already have such funds open and some of those accounts have grown to hold a sizable amount of money. “One town has a 7-figure fund (over $1 million)!” Dan told both boards.

Members of both Boards had questions about the fund and how it would be administered.  Selectman Tom Klebart asked whether the fund would replace the efforts to help the needy now being made by the organizations that were supporting the new fund.  Dan responded that the fund would supplement the other organizations’ efforts.  He said there will be a screening process, where now there isn’t anything in place.  Selectman Bruce Gresczyk said that Winsted has such a fund and it is administered through the First Selectman’s Office.  Dan said that Christine Hayward, his Administrative Assistant and Jean Barnicoat, the Senior Center Director would both be working with the group members who were sponsoring the fund.

At the Board of Finance meeting, Board member Reggie Smith wanted to be assured that no taxpayer money would ever be involved.  He was assured that the money would come from donations from the community and not from the town.  Reggie had questions about the manner in which the funds would be disbursed and he was told that Christine and Jean would be involved in screening applicants and members of a panel made up from volunteers from the Social Initiatives Group who would approve the help to be given.  The group would use a voucher system, with no direct cash payments being made.

With the members of both Boards satisfied that the fund would not involve taxpayers’ money and that it would be administered by its own independent panel, each Board unanimously approved establishing the ‘Neighbors to Neighbors Community Fund’ at Northwest Community Bank on Route 44 in New Hartford.

The clergy and the members of the caring community that worked to establish this unified approach of helping our neighbors in need include: Father Tim O’Brien (Immaculate Conception Church), Reverend Margret Hofmeister (North Congregational Church), Maria Moore (NewHartfordPlus and the New Hartford Business Council), Reverend Salin Low (St. John’s Episcopal Church), and Penny Miller (New Hartford Lions Club and the New Hartford Women’s Club).  Pastor Tim Yeadon (St. Paul’s Lutheran Church) and Richard St. John (American Legion) have also joined the group.  First Selectman Dan Jerram convened the group and has supported its mission, while his Administrative Assistant Christine Hayward has supported the group with her expertise and enthusiasm.

Note: We will publish a news update on the ‘Neighbors to Neighbors Fund’ once the account has been established.  We will then provide information on how to contribute to this fund. In the meantime, please direct your questions about this fund to Christine Hayward in the First Selectman’s Office at 860-379-3389. Donations to the fund will be tax-deductible.

A view down Ten Street with the New Hartford Elementary School beyond the stop sign. Needy families with children will be some of those that will be helped by the 'Neighbors to Neighbors' fund. Photo from NewHartfordPlus archives.