By: Mary Femniak

Dedicated members of the New Hartford Garden Club worked tirelessly Friday night transporting multitudes of beautiful vegetation to the Town Hall for the next day’s May 8th annual plant sale fundraiser. The non-profit’s volunteer members arranged plants the night before the sale in eye pleasing-groupings of vegetables, shade plants, landscape flora, etc. filling the lobby of the New Hartford Town Hall with GREEN.

Saturday morning, despite torrents of rain, early shoppers swarmed the array of mature offerings lovingly grown by club members. Hardy sturdy plants were wheeled out of the lobby by way of a wheelbarrow or wagon grabbed up by experienced gardeners knowing full well the value of the expertly started garden treasures. Mature hardy tomato plants priced at $3.00 to $7.00 disappeared out of the “tomato room” with several varieties sold out before noon. A favorite “Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato,” a blight resistant and self seeding wild tomato disappeared leaving only a lonely plant marker by late morning. Red peppers, eggplant, pumpkin and other green delights gave vegetable gardeners plenty of choices for their summer enjoyment.

Perennials such as lilies, plume poppies, pansy baskets and classic favorites rounded out the selection for those seeking “eye candy” to plant around their homes. “Hens and Chickens” as well as other ground cover were bursting from their pots…eager for transplanting. Shade plants started at $2.00… gorgeous Japanese Red Maple Trees graced one corner of the room and at every turn a treasure awaited to be adopted.

A best seller for the club, the Hypertufa planters were beautifully filled with lovely plants and decorated with bows for Mothers Day. Prices for the Hypertufa started at 10.00 for small, $15.00 medium and $20.00 for large. They proved to be a favorite selection again this year, with many buyers choosing numerous Hypertufa for themselves and for gifting.

Later in the day as garden club members counseled the tentative and helped the unsure pick just the right plant, some of the comments this club member overheard were:

“I wait all year for this plant sale and always get happy wonderful plants from you”, said a New Hartford resident with a new house and garden.

“This is MY tomato plant” said a young boy to his parents as he chose a “Micro Tom”, a tomato plant that grows no bigger than 6-8″.

“You can never have too many,” stated a seasoned gardener filling his arms with pots.

Thank you to all who came, we were able to exceed our goal with your support, and the income from the plant sale will be used to fund community projects. We look forward to seeing everyone at next year’s sale, always held the day before Mother’s Day at the Town Hall. Residents are encouraged to consider membership in the New Hartford Garden Club and are invited to educational seminars and meetings. For more information contact Sibyl Pellum at 860-379-3722 or Mary Lou Ringklib at 860-379-4612.

The early shopper gets the best selection. Photo: Mary Femniak

Master Gardener Brenda Schauffler helps Chris Crook with her plant selection. Photo: Mary Femniak.

The youngest member of the Garden Club. Photo: Mary Femniak

It’s been six months since our article An NPR Moment: An Important Message From Our Editor and I won’t bore you by running through the wonderful reasons why you should support NewHartfordPlus financially.  But maybe I will ~ just a tad:

• An average 1,000 visitors per day come to NewHartfordPlus for their local news coverage ~ a lot of interest in the happenings of our small town of 6,500+ residents;
• Our blow-by-blow news coverage of issues we consider important is unequalled: just look back in our archives beginning in January and see for yourself our comprehensive coverage of the recent budget process ~ over 30 articles (feels more like 300!) covering all New Hartford Schools Board of Ed meetings, all Board of Selectmen meetings, most of Regional #7 Board of Ed meetings and all but one of the Board of Finance meetings (the one I didn’t report on was my symbolic boycott: the April 13 meeting after the Public Hearing on the budget when the Board of Finance made no changes to their proposed budget ~ although I did report the essential outcome of that meeting in the Grapevine quote the next in our April 14 Daily Calendar);
• our attendance at an average of 4 meetings per week, including town boards and commissions, and non-profits.  And this means attending the full meeting, not just a 10-minute stop ~ long enough to shoot a 1-minute video clip, write down 2-3 quotes and then leave ~ as one of the local reporters for one of the newspapers covering our town is now in the habit of doing.
• our unaffiliated view on town politics and events which means sometimes I’ll speak up at meetings and ask the hard questions ~ mostly the ones which residents suggest I ask since they, for their own good reasons, feel they can’t ask publicly;
• link our community in person: one of the huge pleasures of being out in our community at different meetings and events, is being able to connect residents with other residents and local organizations just by saying at the right time: “Oh, so and so would love to contribute to your cause/would be really interested in your service/offers the service you’re looking for/have you thought of getting in touch with…? …”
• link our community on the web:  so many residents let us know “I read about it on NewHartfordPlus!”, “I’m so glad you mentioned that!…”

The only thing that has changed in the last 6 months is that my work hours at my paying job have now increased to an average of 30 hours per week, while Bob continues to work full-time.  NewHartfordPlus is our “extra-curricular” activity, taking up an average of 80 hours per week.  You do the math.  Suffice it to say that when we took a 2-hour break this past Sunday to start work on our garden, we both said: “We have to make time to do this!”

OK, here’s the pitch:

If you enjoy coming to NewHartfordPlus at least a couple of times per week, and you find something that makes you feel more connected to our community, then Bob and I are asking you to consider adding NewHartfordPlus to your “Must Support” list.  $10 per month, gets you listed on our Stakeholders page which we really will get updated ~ another “housekeeping chore” which we’ve put below “cover the news” on our to-do list.

We are not asking the non-profit organization you belong to ~ only one of which in the past 16 months has made a financial contribution to our local news site.  But of course, we would gladly welcome any contribution from any of the non-profits whose events we cover, and to whom we provide a link on our home page to their organization’s website, all for free.

We are not asking the Republican Town Committee or the Democratic Town Committee ~ which appear to interpret “Unaffiliated” to mean “One of Them,” even if the large number of voters in New Hartford identify themselves as “Unaffiliated.”

We are asking YOU, our reader, to consider supporting this independent, local news source that continues to link you to our community and our community to you.  Whether you consider us “the blog“, as Ben Witte, the Board of Finance Chairman, referred to NewHartfordPlus in his comment blasting our “slanted coverage” and in which he gave the results of the budget referendum to our readers even as our reporter was down at Town Hall waiting for the results ~ or as the closest thing to a local newspaper since the “New Hartford News” ceased publication in the 1950s [ ? gotta check the name and the date with Dina Waker, our original reporter about town] ~ NewHartfordPlus IS the place to catch up on our local news.

So, until another unaffiliated news source takes our place (Please let us know and we’ll help you get started!), or I decide I really am more interested in pursuing a Masters in Social Work than in being the self-appointed town reporter/photographer/editor 24/7:

Your financial support is critical in continuing to keep NewHartfordPlus reporting on our community!

Thank You,

Maria

P.S.  I’ve promised myself today that, even with two back-to-back meetings to cover this evening, many “hot irons in the fire,” and 150 unread emails in my Inbox, I will find the time to plant the two pink lily of the valley I bought at the Garden Club’s Plant Sale last Saturday, because as Bob reminded me again this morning:

“We’ve gotta stay playful at this!”

Watch for the photo of the two planted pink lily of the valley plants  in tomorrow’s Daily Calendar…

Ways to contribute to NewHartfordPlus:

• Send a check to NewHartfordPlus at P.O. Box 667, New Hartford, CT 06057
• Use the “Buy Us A Coffee” PayPal link to make a payment using your debit or credit card.

Or, in the traditional, country way: right now we’re in need of a coupla bales of hay for our garden…

The wisteria is blooming freely again on the large maple opposite the Moore's home, a glorious reminder that "tempus fugit" and the opportunity to plant a spring garden is a fleeting one: Seize it! Photo: NewHartfordPlus archives

Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Monday, May 10, 2010:

• New Hartford Senior Center activities: at the Senior Center, Town Hall, 530 Main St., New Hartford. Activities: Fitness at 9:00 a.m. ($2.50 per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended); Coffee at 10:00 a.m. There will be a plant swap during and after the coffee hour. For more information please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• New Hartford Schools PTO Meeting: at 6:30 p.m. in the New Hartford Schools PTO Multipurpose Room at the Ann Antolini Scool. For more information about the PTO please visit the PTO section on the New Hartford Schools website:
• Public input meeting: The future of Brodie Park South There will be a public input meeting at 7:00 pm third floor of Town Hall, moderated by Dan Eddy. The New Hartford Recreation Commission together with Open Space, Conservation, Seniors, youth sports, and Friends of Brodie are exploring ideas for uses of Brodie South, commonly referred to as the Old Golf Course. For more information, please see our May 5 article: The Future of Brodie Park South, Invitation to Give Your Input:
• New Hartford Village Fire District Annual Meeting: at 8:00 p.m. at the New Hartford Firehouse, at the corner of Greenwoods Road and Route 219, New Hartford
• Have a Spring-related business you want to advertise?: Check out our BRAND NEW Yellow Pages: an economical, simple way to get your business in front of our 29,976 visitors (our April stats). Use the “Submit Your Listing” form to send us your information and we’ll list your business.
• Do you know of an event that should be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Send to newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write ‘Calendar’ in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our new Community Bulletin Board where you can see posters and information on local groups and events.

…NHGrapevine…

“We were so afraid we we were going to break any of them!”

Said Carol, one of the Garden Club members, about the gorgeous tomato plants at Saturday’s Plant Sale. Fellow Garden Club member, Linda Dryansky, who was responsible for the 250+ tomato plants at the sale, had fostered some of the plants out and, as any good parent, she kept close tabs on their well-being.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard ~ or seen ~ in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

"The Tomato Lady" Linda Dryansky who was responsible for the 250+ tomato plants ~ with a little help from her fellow gardeners to whom she fostered out some of the plants ~ at Saturday's Plant Sale held by the New Hartford Garden Club at Town Hall. The lunch room never looked so good! Photo: Maria Moore

The entrance to Town Hall on Saturday morning decorated by the Garden Club which was holding its plant sale inside. Photo: Maria Moore

To All The Ladies Who Tend Their Loved Ones

(mostly without complaint…)

Happy Mother’s Day!

This beautiful hypertufa planter is my Mother’s Day present ~ picked out by me at the Garden Club’s plant sale yesterday. Did you get the gift you really wanted? Send us a photo of it, and we’ll add it to this article.

Happy Mother’s Day!

From: Maria Moore

This weekend calendar is being added to as we come across more events that may be of interest to our readers. If you know of an event, please email us the information and we’ll gladly add it to this Weekend Calendar.

Following are the Calendar listings for this weekend, Saturday, May 8 and Sunday, May 9 in New Hartford, CT:

Saturday, May 8, 2010:

• May Market at Hill-Stead: from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT. Market features over 50 exhibitors of antiques and quality crafts for home and garden. Shop for perennials and woodland plants, enjoy garden and cooking demonstrations with local experts, consult with horticulturalists and Master Gardeners. For more information, please see the Activities and Programs section fo the Hill-Stead Musem website.
• New Hartford Garden Club 2010 Spring Plant Sale: from 8:30 until 3:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Town Hall, 530 Main Street, New Hartford. For more information, please read our May 7 article Garden Club’s Spring Plant Sale….
• Northwestern Regional #7 FFA Plant Sale: from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. today, Saturday and tomorrow, Sunday, in the greenhouse at Regional #7 Vo-Ag Building, 100 Battistoni Drive, Winsted.
• Haight-Brown Vineyard Express: at 2:00 p.m. at Thomaston station, Thomaston. Board 1970′s rail cars at the Thomaston station and take a leisurely 3(+) hour train ride around Litchfield County. On board, enjoy an eight wine tasting, including Haight-Brown’s special release ‘Railway White’, while hearing tidbits about HB history and practices. Unique and tasty Hors Des Ouvres and accompaniments will be served throughout the journey. On the second half of the journey, while enjoying desserts and treats, wine will be available by the glass for just $5. Reservations required; $65 per person. For more information, please visit the Haight-Brown website.
• Synergy Brass Quintet: at 7:00 p.m. at the Bakerville Methodist Church on Route 202, just east of Route 202 in Bakerville. The quintet is acclaimed for “a veritable fireworks display of outstanding musical ability combined with superb showmanship” (Door Concerts, Inc.) in addition to “blazing precision [and] amazing technique”. The concert is a fundraiser for the Bakerville company. Tickets: $15 t at the door; Children under 12 Free. A reception with refreshments will follow the concer. For more information, please visit the Bakerville Library website.
• Steam Vent Coffee House: from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. tonight at First Church of Winsted. For more information regarding the Steam Vent Coffee House, please visit the First Church of Christ website.

Sunday, May 9, 2010:

• Mother’s Day: Please be sure to do something special for that special mother in your life: a bouquet of flowers, a live plant, her special breakfast brought to her in bed ~ all the little things that will make her day memorable.
• Visit your favorite Church, Temple, Meditation Center or Meeting House: Be sure to make time today to visit your favorite church, temple, meditation center or meeting house for good fellowship and spiritual uplifting. For specific information about times of worship or meditation, please check out the list of links in our Houses of Worship tab in the sidebar on our front page.
• Northwestern Regional #7 FFA Plant Sale: from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. today, Sunday, in the greenhouse at Regional #7 Vo-Ag Building, 100 Battistoni Drive, Winsted.


The Farmington River from Black Bridge looking east toward Canton. Photo: Maria Moore

"Drama Daisy." Artwork: Mary Femniak

The New Hartford Garden Club is holding its Spring Plant Sale tomorrow, Saturday in the lobby of Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The plant sale will include a large selection of vegetable plants ready to plant in your garden. And for those looking for tomato plants, there will be more than 250 plants, among them mini tomoto plants, blight resistant plants and many other favorites.

Perennial plants will also be available, from old-fashioned favorites to unusual varieties. And as an added bonus, members of the Garden Club will be available to answer your gardening questions.

Especially for Mother’s Day, there will be hypertufa planters available, filled with plants, a beautiful and popular gift for the mother in your life. These unique containers are handmade by the Garden Club members; see our September 27 article The shape Of Blooms To Come…

Members of the New Hartford Garden Club are all volunteers and the proceeds from this plant sale are used to fund many community projects, including the plantings around the welcome signs at the edges of town, the plantings at Town Hall, at the Bakerville Library, and many more projects.

For more information: About the New Hartford Garden Club, please contact Sibyl Pellum: 860-379-3722, or Mary Lou Ringklib at 860-379-4612.

A hypertufa container from a previous year. Photo: Mary Femniak

Photos and Text By: Mary Lou Ringklib

The New Hartford Garden Club planted approximately 400 daffodil bulbs at the Nepaug Cemetery last fall. One of our members commented that they are starting to bloom.

Most people will not notice them as they are driving too fast in that area. I had to be careful when I pulled to the side of the road.

The Nepaug Cemetery is located on Route 202, about a mile west of Steele Road on the right-hand side driving toward Torrington.

For more information: about the New Hartford Garden Club, please contact Mary Lou Ringklib.

By: Maria Moore

Our reporter was recently sitting at the bar of a local establishment, quietly enjoying a glass of red wine when a resident, who asked to remain anonymous other than to say that he is a proud Irishman, came up to her and told her of an amazing road project happening in town that he’s been watching over the past couple of weeks. Having heard more than she ever wanted to know about the virtues of paving vs. chip sealing roads ~ at least until the next Board of Selectmen meeting ~ our reporter rather reluctantly put down her wine glass and asked: “What kind of a project?” The resident’s answer made our reporter next ask: “What have you been drinking?” But he swore it was him speaking, and not the glass of beer in his hand, and he offered to give our reporter the contact information of the person carrying out the amazing project. The following is our report on the amazing project now going on in Aprilcake Lane in New Hartford.

Hope's pound cake

Hope Springstone is a longtime resident of New Hartford. A quiet woman, she has lived on Aprilcake Lane for many years. Her children grew up there, and now her grandchildren are dropped off at her home by the school bus several times a week. Hope loves to bake, and she always tries to have a baking project ready for the grandchildren to help with. And this grandmother would have been happy to continue her quiet routine, except for one thing: Aprilcake Lane is in terrible shape. “You think Steele Road is bad? You should try driving down Aprilcake!” Hope had told our reporter over the telephone. And our reporter did just that on her drive out to Hope’s home. After carefully driving around the many potholes, and almost driving into the small stream that had thankfully receded form the road surface after the last few days of heavy rain, our reporter arrived at Hope’s house to see for herself the amazing project.  And there before her were loaf-sized blocks, that looked exactly like pound cake, were fitted neatly together, paving the accessway into Hope’s driveway. Holding her breath, our reporter drove her Corolla over the accessway and into the driveway for the smoothest part of her drive yet.

“I can’t believe it!” Were our reporter’s first words to Hope who smiled and said she’d heard that a lot since she started her paving project. And Hope smiled even more as our reporter stooped down and tried to dig her nail into the “pound cake” pavers, but to no avail. The material seemed as tough as concrete. “What are the pavers made of?” Our reporter asked, but Hope just said it was a secret ~ she’d recently applied for a patent and if approved she’d be looking to manufacture the pavers for commerical use. Hope would only say that she had gotten the idea from the New Hartford Garden Club article on cow pots she had read on NewHartfordPlus; see our February 28 article Cow Pots Start The New Year…

“I don’t have cows, but I do love to bake!” Hope said. And she did so hate driving over the surface of Aprilcake! So, using her pound cake recipe as a guide, she had experimented with different ingredients and bonding agents (“You don’t want the pavers to disintegrate in the rain!” Hope said) and she had come up with a recipe for a paver that, once baked, could be hit with a hammer and it wouldn’t chip. “The grandchildren had a lot of fun with that phase of it!” Hope said, laughing. They had tried everything, and still the pavers had come through unscathed.

“Are they expensive to produce?” Our reporter asked Hope. “Just a few pennies. And it’s an easy recipe to make.” Hope estimates that it takes 10 minutes to prepare a batch of pavers, and 30 minutes to bake the loaf pans. Hope bakes a half-dozen pans at the time, and she tries to bake about 4 batches a day, in between her tending the house, and her grandchildren’s visits. Once the pavers have cured for a day, Johnny her husband, who worked on a road crew before retiring several years ago, prepares the ground and Hope arranges the pavers in place. “I leave a half-inch gap between each paver and I pack that in with soil.” Hope explained. This allows the rain to drain right off the pavers into the ground. And ice? “We just threw sand on top, like any other road surface.” Johnny, who had joined us for coffee and a piece of Hope’s delicious pound cake,said. “And how long do you estimate the pavers will last?” Our reporter asked. “They’ll probably outlast us both!” Hope said. “And me too, if I keep eating as much cake as I do!” Our reporter added, helping herself to just one more slice of pound cake.

And then the timer sounded, and Hope bustled over to the oven to take out the next batch of pavers. Her goal now, she said, is to keep adding a row of pavers to Aprilcake every day. And who knows, she might just finish paving the whole lane herself before the town road crew shows up there, saving the town precious tax money. “And if Doug Spencer (the Interim Highway Foreman) were to call?” Our reporter asked Hope one last question. “I’d invite him over for coffee and pound cake, and maybe we could work something out…” Hope said. And with that, our reporter left hope to her baking, and drove over the pavers onto Aprilcake Lane, without a moment’s hesitation.

Many Thanks: To our Irish Friend, who can tell a yarn like no other, and who is an inspiration to our reporter.

Hope gave us this photo of pavers which she said: "Are close enough!" to the ones she bakes. Photo courtesy of Hope Springstone

Looking Forward: Commentary by Chris Jones

With all of the planning, protestations and delay that might accompany the rebuilding of something at the site of Ground Zero in New York City, our fair Town Center area seems to be caught in a time warp, some of which is good, some bad.

A welcome sign in New Hartford

Several years ago there were a couple of different plans put to paper for changes in the center of New Hartford to create a more pedestrian friendly environment. Modification to traffic flow, added walking areas and perhaps even a fix to the crosswalk lights at the intersection of Rte. 44 and Central Ave. (or is it Steele Rd. I always get them confused.) were all on the table as part of an enhanced plan to create more public parking for visitors and merchants alike.

Now, with several more years of inaction under our belts, it seems little has been done to see any of this come to fruition. Even now as the BOF (Board of Finance) and BOS (Board of Selectmen) swap ‘puts and takes’ in the budget process, monies always seem to go elsewhere rather than perhaps where they should go, or were intended to go.

Yes the sewer plant needs to be finished and yes we need to finish the Brown’s Corner project, but where’s the money coming from?

While there have been a number of very successful projects and improvements including the Land Trust’s management of the walking trail behind Town Hall, and the expanded municipal parking both at the river end of Bridge St. and behind the Catholic Church ~ they always seem to get the best parking while the Episcopalians still have to park on the street ~ the Downtown area still suffers from a lack of something.

I’m just not sure of what. Money, interest, or perhaps just plain determination.

The Garden Club has done a wonderful job of plantings, the façade improvements to a number of the downtown properties have made a big difference, and the sign kiosk at the corner of Rte. 219 and Rte. 44 is a simple but nice added touch. Just not sure you can really get a good look at what’s on there unless you are walking by, but I guess that’s the point. You really need to make walking in the Center area a little less like crossing the 405 at rush hour.

Visually, New Hartford Center has always been a beautiful place. If there was a way to get rid of the power and phone lines above ground that clog the eyes of the beholder, the impact would be stunning. Several nice building improvements including Town Hall have also made a huge difference in what was the Old Center and today.

And now with the long overdue, and what appears to be fabulous rehabbing of the old Library building, we have added yet another piece to the puzzle; however, in doing so additional parking, and local traffic will need to be allocated to those firms that fill the newly-renovated space.

Thru it all we have created a quilt of streets that serve as parking lots and parking lots that serve as streets. It is a maze. And the problem with that, for example, is there is now regular parking on Central Ave. that effectively blocks the northbound side of Central Ave. as you head into Downtown.

So, to recap, love what the owners did with the property, not crazy about the new parking on the street, and lose the power lines.

Having said that there is a ton of stuff going on in the Center. A ton! That’s the good news.

I’m quite sure that P&Z considered all this in its deliberations regarding the use of the Old Library. However, with the rest of all that is happening in the area, and coupled with a crossing walkway light that has to my knowledge never been fixed, several DOT planned designs to change the traffic flow at that intersection, and increased parking demands in general, New Hartford Center is still a crap shoot during peak traffic hours. Unfortunately that is still the bad news!

Having been out of the loop now for a number of years I’m not really sure what the plan is for the Center area, but I am sure that a plan is needed. Whatever may have been created as a pedestrian-friendly plan has likely lost whatever luster it may have had and it now sits a lonely stepchild to more pressing or politically expedient public works projects. However, with 13,000+ cars a day traversing the downtown intersections on Rte. 44 and growing, the Town Leaders need to put the Center, and the idea of “pedestrian- friendly” back on the front burner.

The consumption of parking by apartment tenants and visitors alike is still a problem. Some of the merchants downtown have taken matters into their own hands and even been forced to put out signs reminding parkers that 15 minutes is all you are allowed if you want to park in front of their stores.( I think it a bit cheeky but I try to be a good citizen and park elsewhere.) Regardless, traffic flow, parking, and pedestrian safety and ease may never really see a suitable fix, but I hope it will always be a part of the greater dialogue.

I also understand all too clearly that with money tight, budgets busted, and with the Town roads reeling after another good winter beating so they now feel more like riding a luge than driving on a real road, resources will have to go elsewhere.

As a lifelong South Ender I have always thought that our Town Center was, and is, a very special place. Real New England charm! I also am a firm believer that as goes the Center of our Town, so go we all.

So I suppose this pipe dream is just one other chore to add to the ever-growing list of things “to do”. But keeping a plan in place for the Center of Town and the expanding demands by all who enjoy it and utilize it and depend on its resources won’t cost much.

Just some thought. And God knows we have plenty of that at Town Hall.

Oh, and fix the crosswalk light.

Chris Jones, a long-time resident of New Hartford, is a former selectman of the town. Chris’ Looking Forward commentaries appear regularly on NewHartfordPlus.

A view looking down Central Avenue towards the center of New Hartford. Photo: Maria Moore

By: Mary Femniak and Dina Waker

Theresa Freund talks to Garden Club members. Â Photo: Mary Femniak

Theresa Freund of Freund’s Farm was the guest speaker at the New Hartford Garden Club’s first 2010 meeting on February 3. Garden club members eager to talk “dirt” and plan a new growing season turned out to hear about the Connecticut farm’s invention taking national gardens by storm. Members were not disappointed: Theresa’s presentation was not only interesting and educational but an entertaining history of the evolution of the “Cow Pot”.

Theresa and her husband Matthew are second generation dairy farmers and own Freund’s Farm in East Canaan, now a major business with a new world market; due to their environmentally friendly creation they affectionately call “Cow Pots”. Giving credit where credit is due, Theresa told the audience “A total of 250 milking Holsteins (and one Jersey) provide the manure to make the Cow Pots”. The Freund’s herd is the largest herd of cows in the state of Connecticut on pasture. Each day they change the pasture with a 20 day rotation program assuring that the animals do not damage the approximately 200 acres during the five months they graze.

The Freunds have nearly perfected the complete use of all the ingredients the cows so efficiently supply for cow pot products. The manure is fed through a methane digester that supplies the farm with hot water that heats the home, barn and offices. The residual liquid is used for fertilizer and the bulk waste becomes cow pots. The molding process for the pots heats the ingredients and adds air making each pot weed, pathogen and odor free. “Making the Cow Pots includes heating the manure to 110 degrees, producing methane as a byproduct and then the manure goes through a digester to squeeze out the liquid” informed Theresa.

From the first cow pot prototype six years ago, to recently having their product featured on “Martha Stewart”, “The New York Times” and “Johnny Seed”… Theresa is quick to mention with pride the positive environmental impact of their cow pots. Land and waste management is a life style for the Freunds, who proudly point out that cow pots are not only good for plants but their use helps to reduce garden plastic containers that are the bane of landfills. Cow Pots act like a slow release fertilizer, are 100% biodegradable and can be planted directly in the garden without shocking the plant with transplanting.

Theresa ended her presentation by answering questions from the New Hartford Garden Club members eager to gather details on Cow Pot fine points, and she delighted the crowd by giving away “Cow Pot six packs” for club members to use in their spring gardens. A table of homemade baked goods made by NHGC members and spirited conversation topped off the successful meeting.

Interested garden enthusiasts are encouraged to consider membership and are invited to educational seminars and meetings. Contact Sibyl Pellum at 860-379-3722 or Mary Lou Ringklib at 860-379-4612 for more information.

Theresa Freund talks about the environmentally-friendly Cow Pots created by her family on their farm in East Canaan. Â Photo: Mary Femniak

This Community Calendar continues to be updated throughout the day as new events are brought to our attention.

Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Saturday, December 5, 2009:

• St. Paul’s Annual Christmas Fair: from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.(?) at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Prospect Street, New Hartford. Handmade wreaths, homemade cookies, crafts, and lots of food!.
• Paint Winter in Watercolor: with Collette Hurst, a New Hartford Art League Workshop, from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 noon at the New Hartford Fire House, Route 219, New Hartford. For more information please visit the New Hartford Art League website.
• Wreathmaking Demonstration: with Mary Lou Ringklib of the New Hartford Garden Club, at 1:00 p.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. Make your own holiday wreath, and you’ll be so proud of it you’ll want to enter it into the Christmas Wreath contest! The application form is available at the library ~ winner of the contest will be announced at Light New Hartford on Sunday.
• Ski Sundown Snowmaking Demonstration: at 2:00 p.m. at Ski Sundown, Ratlum Road, New Hartford. No snow yet but Bob Switzgable told us that there would be a tour of the ski center, and other fun stuff! Get a behind the scenes look at how Ski Sundown works ~ especially for New Hartford residents.
• Should your event be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write Calendar in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our new Community Bulletin Board where you can see flyers for local events and information on local groups.

…NHGrapevine…

“One year we were caroling around the bonfire and it started to snow. The kids just went wild!”

Kathy Beyer told our editor, Maria Moore, at last night’s Bakerville Holiday Festival. “Just magical!” Our editor answered, as she looked around at the group singing carols around the bonfire.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard – or seen – in town and we’ll add it to this section. Want to catch up on past Grapevine quotes? Check out the …NHGrapevine.. section.

Singing Christmas carols around the bonfire at the Bakerville Holiday Festival last night, Friday, December 4. Photo: Maria Moore

The Bakerville Library was all lit up with everyone going from the bonfire to the library and then on to see Mrs. Santa in the old firehouse builidng next to the library. Photo: Maria Moore

H1N1 (Swine Flu) Clinic Update: Upcoming clinics will be announced early this week. For more information please visit the Farmington Valley Health District’s H1N1 (Swine Flu) Vaccine (Swine Flu) Information webpage.

Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Tuesday, November 10, 2009:

• Early Release: Northwestern Regional # 7 Middle School: Early release at 12:05 for parent teacher conferences.
• New Hartford Senior Center activities: at Senior Center, Town Hall, 530 Main St., New Hartford. Activities: Fitness at 9:45 a.m. ($2.50 suggested donation per person, per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended); Cribbage ‘n cards at 1:00 p.m. For more information please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• Bakerville Library Story Time for 3 to 5 year-olds: at 10:15 a.m. Bakerville Library, 6 Maple Hollow Road, New Hartford. For more information please call the Bakerville Library at 482-8806 or visit the Bakerville Library website.
• Veterans Day Celebration at Antolini: at 10:30 a.m. in the Multipurpose Roomd at Ann Antolini School; 9:45 a.m. for coffee and doughnuts). Join the Fourth grade students and teachers at Ann Antolini School for a tribute to Veterans.
• Board of Finance Meeting: at 7:00 p.m. in the Sessions Conference Room at the Town Hall, 530 Main Street, New Hartford. Please see our Community Calendar the agenda for this meeting.
• Should your event be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Send to newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write ‘Calendar’ in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events – a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our new Community Bulletin Board where you can see posters and information on local groups and events.

…NHGrapevine…

“We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Said a long-time employee at Town Hall to our reporter, Maria Moore. The employee was commenting on the absence of First Selectman Earl MacInnes from Town Hall who was in his office for less than two days in the last two weeks and was not there yesterday either. With one month before the Jerram administration moves into Town Hall, one has to wonder who is minding the store.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard – or seen – in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

A photo of Town Hall taken yesterday, Monday November 10 at 4:30 p.m., shows the First Selectman's office in the corner of the building with the lights out. The second window on the 1st floor facing Route 44 is the Bookkeeper's office and the next three windows (lights out) are to the Sessions Conference Room. The three windows on the second floor are to the New Hartford Schools Central Office which closes at 4:00 p.m. Â Photo: Maria Moore

The Welcome To New Hartford sign on Route 44 just over the Canton-New Hartford line has a wonderful late-fall palette right now thanks to the plantings by members of the New Hartford Garden Club. Photo: Maria Moore

The following is an update to members of the New Hartford Business Council on Business Council activities for the next month or so.  If you are a business owner in New Hartford or if your company does business in New Hartford please consider joining the New Hartford Business Council and remember:

“Please support our local businesses so we can all keep business local!”

Friends,

It has been a bit since the last time we spoke. The elections are over and I find myself with a bit more free time, permanently apparently. So I wanted to update those that my not know and remind those that do, what is going on and what is coming up. I”l start with events:

First, we have the first of our Holiday Season Events this Friday. Joanne Dahill and her team have taken the Holiday Marketplace to a new level this year. Word is there are so many vendors and contributors, Walmart is worried about this events effect on their fourth quarter profits. See the attached flyer or the signs and posters around town. For the new members, this is a great event that raises money for Bookfriends and helps keep the libraries flush with new books. A great chance to get together, drink some wine, support local businesses, sample some food from local restaurants, win great prizes….the list goes on and on. Bottom line be there Friday. I will be taking attendance and those that aren’t there, and haven’t provided an acceptable excuse, will have numerous campaign signs dumped on their lawns…You know I’ll do it;)

Next, we have Light New Hartford, culminating December 6th with the tree lighting downtown, it has now become a series of events. There is an art walk by the arts council, a wreath making competition with the Garden Club, MaryLou Ringklib is hosting a wreath making class, Bakerville Library is having a tree lighting Friday, the North Congregational Church is having a dinner, Breakfast with Santa at Antolini. There are some things I’m forgetting…more details to follow, so mark you calendar.

Finally, we have the Holiday Mingler at the Northwest Community Bank on December 8th. This is a networking/holiday party, last year we had a great turnout, many connections were made. This is a great chance for you to introduce yourself to other members and remind us all what you do and how we can help you with your business and vice versa. A flyer will be sent out soon, keep your eyes peeled and again mark your calendars.

Now to the business of the council, I am happy to say we have a full board again, As you may remember, Carol Monroe of Northwest Bank, graciously agreed to be the Treasurer and recently Kim Trumbull and Gardner Graves of Realty Works have agreed to be the Secretary, so expect to be seeing more regular communications. Additionally we have a Steering Committee which includes at present, Mary Ann Gunning of Chapin Park Bed and Breakfast, Ron Miller of Ace Marketing and Sales, Maria Moore of NewHartfordPlus, Phil Worley of the Canton Chamber of Commerce and the Board including those previously mentioned and Dawn Whalen, Computer Explorers and me, Barnum Financial. Lot’s of new ideas and lot’s of new energy is kicking around, if you would like to join in on this energy, our next meeting is next Wednesday the 11th at 9:00 a.m. at Chapin Park B&B.

If you haven’t done so already get your blurb to NewHartfordPlus, if you sent it in with a check recently it will be up soon.

Look forward to seeing you all Friday,

Bart

Bart Baxter is co-president with Dawn Whalen of the New Hartford Business Council.

To Learn More: About the New Hartford Business Council and the great things the  Council does to enhance our community, see the NHBC Biz Notes page in the New Hartford Business Council section on NewHartfordPlus.

Bart Baxter and Dawn Whalen, co-presidents of the New Hartford Business Council at the recent Fall Membership Meeting held by the Business Council at Michel Angelo's Restaurant. Photo: Maria Moore

NewHartfordPlus is now publishing memorials of New Hartford residents. If you would like us to publish a memorial of someone special to you, please email the text to us at newhartfordplus@gmail.com. We are providing this as a free service to our community.

Born in Bristol, CT on Jan. 3, 1920 ~ Departed on Sep. 9, 2009 and resided in New Hartford, CT

Helen May (Reed) Tonkin, “Mrs. Tonkin,” passed away peacefully at mid-day on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, at Cherry Brook Health Care Center in Canton, CT with her devoted husband of 50 years, Robert Linnell Tonkin, of New Hartford, CT, by her side.

She was born on January 3, 1920 in Bristol, CT to parents, Amelia (Kohl) Reed and William Wallace Reed. She grew up in Bristol and graduated in 1941 from the Teachers’ College of CT (now Central Connecticut State University). She received her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Hartford in 1958. She taught for a couple of years in Bristol. Helen and Robert were married in February 1959. In 1960, their daughter, Priscilla was born. In 1964, they moved to New Hartford, (which is, incidentally, the birthplace of her paternal grandfather, Seymour Wilcox Reed). In 1966, she took the position of Librerian at the Bakerville Library. She remained in this position until her retirement in 1993.

Helen was very active as a 4-H member, and is fondly remembered as a leader in the 4-H programs, both in Hartford and Litchfield Counties. She was a long standing member of the New Hartford Garden Club, and an active member of the New Hartford Historical Society. Helen loved gardening and joyfully shared plants from the abundance of her Nepaug garden with her friends and family. She is most fondly remembered for the extra diligence and thoughtfulness she had for remembering exactly in which topics or books library-goers were interested. She would often go out of her way to procure and then hand-deliver precisely the right book or other literature to the person who needed it. The last day of Bakerville Library Story Time each June was held in her garden, with mothers and children all enjoying the morning explorations through woods and garden, with lemonade and refreshments for all. She started the Bakerville Marketplace fair, which thrives to this day on the grounds of the Bakerville Library on the first Saturday of August.

She was predeceased by her parents. In addition to her husband, Robert, she is survived by her sister, Mildred Emily Reed, of Bristol, daughter, Priscilla Tonkin Marshall, and son-in-law, Robert Joseph Marshall, of New Hartford. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Sandra Dils Tonkin Hennen, of Madison, niece, Pamela Tonkin Meier, her husband, Giovanni Meier, and their three daughters of Madison, and nieces, Patricia Mather Morrell, of Eastham, MA., Gatria Mather Wheeler, of Eastham, MA., and Deborah Mather Stoudenmire, of Charlotte, NC. Helen leaves many grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins.

There are no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held in Helen’s honor at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2009, at Harwinton Congregational Church, Rt. 4, Harwinton, CT. A Luncheon Gathering will follow at 11:30 a.m., at the Eureka Grange Hall, Rt. 202, Nepaug, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Bakerville Library, 6 Maple Hollow Rd., New Hartford, CT 06057, The New Hartford Historical Society, P.O. Box 41, New Hartford, CT 06057, and the Resident Council of Cherry Brook Health Care Center, 102 Dyer Ave., Canton, CT 06019.

Montano-Shea Funeral Home, 5 Steele Road, New Hartford has care of the arrangements. Helen’s family would like to express their deepest appreciation to everyone at Cherry Brook Health Care Center for their kindness, care, and love for Helen during her time there. Visit an online guestbook at Montano-shea.com.

A scene from the August 2009 Bakerville Marketplace which Mrs. Tonkin started during her tenure as librarian at the Bakerville Library. Photo: Maria Moore

The bake sale booth at the Bakerville Marketplace which takes place outside the Bakerville Library started by Mrs. Tonkin. Photo: Maria Moore