Category Archives: Deep River

Letter to the Editor: An Open Letter to Republican Women

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To the Editor:

I am a fellow Republican woman who always wanted to be married, but I wanted a career instead of children. Thankfully, when I headed off to college in 1974, I had access to birth control and thanks to Roe v. Wade I also had access to what could be a very excruciating choice. [Thankfully I never had to make that choice.] So it was time travel for me to hear Art Linares’ answer to this question at the debate held on October 8 at the Valley Regional High School: “Where do you stand on the SCOTUS Hobby Lobby decision?” Linares only stated that “he was raised Catholic and isn’t up for appointment as a Supreme Court Justice.” In other words, he is againsta woman’s right to choose even birth control!

Haven’t we already dealt with this issue 40 years ago? This extremely right-wing view could have totally changed my life and taken my choice to have a career away from me. Also, I would note that extremist views such as Linares’ are not a fit with his own district’s constituency.

Birthing a child sometimes can be life-threatening. Linares doesn’t care: “No exceptions.” I have had a colleague who died from a brain hemorrhage while she was trying to have a child.

I may have wanted to hear more on Linares’ stances, but it seems he doesn’t like to show up to debates.

Please, if you value your choices as a woman, do not vote for Art Linares.

Sincerely,

Sue Huybensz,
Deep River

State House Candidates Stone, Carney Debate Tonight in Old Lyme, 7pm; Also, State Senate Candidates Linares, Bjornberg at 8pm

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Challenger Emily Bjornberg (D)

Challenger Emily Bjornberg (D)

State Senator Art Linares

State Senator Art Linares (R)

Republic State Senators Art Linares and Democratic challenger Emily Bjornberg have agreed to at least three public debates for their election contest in the 12-town 33rd Senate district, though Bjornberg is calling for at least one more face-off to be held in one of the northern towns of the district.

In a separate campaign development, Colin Bennett of Westbrook has been endorsed the receive the Green Party line on the Nov. 4 ballot. Bennett has run for the seat several times as the Green Party nominee in past elections where former Democratic State Sen. Eileen Daily of Westbrook faced Republican challengers.

The Green Party has secured a ballot line in the district with past campaigns by Bennett, and particularly with the 2012 contest after Daily’s retirement where Melissa Schlag of Haddam won nearly ten percent of the vote as the Green Party candidate in the contest with Linares and Democratic nominee Jim Crawford of Westbrook. Schlag was elected last year as the Democratic first selectwoman of Haddam, and is supporting Bjornberg in this year’s election.

Bennett is not believed to be waging an active campaign for the Nov. 4 vote, but he has been included in at least one of the Linares-Bjornberg debates. Bennett has been invited to participate in a Sept. 23 debate at Valley Regional High School in Deep River that is sponsored by the Essex Library. The debate begins at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium, with written questions from the audience that will be screened by the debate moderator, Essex Librarian Richard Conroy.

Devin Carney (R)

Devin Carney (R)

Mary Stone (D)

Mary Stone (D)

The first campaign face off between the one-term Republican incumbent and Bjornberg, of Lyme, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School in Old Lyme. The session, sponsored by the New London Day and the Eastern Chamber of Commerce, begins at 8 p.m.  The evening starts at 7 p.m. with a debate between the candidates for the 23rd House seat currently held by Marilyn Giuliano.  Democrat Mary Stone of Old Lyme will face off against Republican Devin Carney of Old Saybrook.  The 23rd seat covers Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and the southern section (south of I 95) of Westbrook.

Old Lyme is part of the 20th Senate District, but Lyme, its northern neighbor, is in the 33rd District. The district also includes the towns of Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Portland, Westbrook, and parts of Old Saybrook.

The candidates will also appear at a debate sponsored by the Westbrook Council of Beaches in early October, and at a forum, not a debate, sponsored by the Chester-Deep River-Essex chapter of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce on the morning of Oct. 3 at the Chester Meeting House.

Bjornberg this week urged Linares to agree to hold one additional public debate in one of the five northern towns of the district, Colchester, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, or Portland. Bjornberg said she would keep her schedule open for a northern town debate

Late Registration for Cappella’s ‘Magnificat,’ ‘Gloria,’ Sept. 15

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Cappella Cantorum MasterWorks Chorus late registration/rehearsal for Bach’s Magnificat and Vivaldi’s Gloria is Mon., Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. at John Winthrop Middle School, 1 Winthrop Rd., Deep River, 06417.

Registration is $40, Vivaldi’s Gloria $12, Bach’s Magnificat $6.

Rehearsals are Monday nights. Use the rear entrance.

The Gloria, Vivaldi’s best known sacred work, is a joyful hymn of praise and worship.

Cappella is a non-auditioned Chorus.  Tenor and bass soloists will be auditioned from the membership, on Sept. 22, 7 p.m.

Adios Dear Deep River!

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John Guy Laplante

John Guy LaPlante

Well, Friends, it’s time for me to say goodbye to the town I love. I never thought this day would come. Never wanted it to come. I have been happy here. Fifteen years ago I chose Deep River as my retirement community– chose it deliberately, mind you.

It’s a strange story: I had my whole career in Massachusetts. Just retired, I came here to Connecticut for a one-week program at what is now Incarnation Center in Ivoryton. Well, one thing led to another and I became the director of its big and fine Elderhostel Program. Spent eight good years there. And that’s how I got to discover Deep River. I caught the town at the cusp, it seems. It was just coming out of a prolonged sleepy period. My instinct told me it was about to flower. How right I was. What I longed for was real, genuine small town life.

Within a few days I bought a condo at Piano Works—yes, the one I am living in. It turned out to be perfect for my needs. Then right away I applied to join the town Rotary Club. Rotary had long appealed to me but I was always too busy. That was another smart decision. It was a happy day when the Rotarians swore me in. I made friends in the club and in town. I became involved in remarkable programs—Rotary always commits to serving its community however it can.

A big project was the creation of Keyboard Park with its pretty Gazebo and Fountain. Another very meaningful one was our annual Patriotic Fourth celebration on Independence Day right there at Keyboard Park. Another was the purchase of what is now the Town’s iconic Elephant Statue in front of Town Hall. That was a big expense for our club but we considered it important.

Here’s a nice memory. On one Deep River Family Day we inflated balloons through the elephant’s trunk! Honest! Handed them to delighted kids. I admit we had a second motive. We wanted to prove to everybody that that statue is really a fantastic water fountain. Water shoots out the elephant’s trunk! I still don’t understand why water hasn’t been connected to it permanently.

Another project was the re-dedication of the Observation Deck at the bottom of Kirtland Street that overlooks the Connecticut. It’s Rotary that made that deck possible years ago. We had a beautiful ceremony with speeches, a fife and drum corps, the whole works. (But know what? Some vandal has destroyed our beautiful brand-new plaque for it! I’d like to shoot him. Or her.)

I’m happy to tell you that those projects were always accomplished with the full cooperation of the Town and the help of First Selectman Dick Smith.

Yes, Deep River Rotary was wonderful. I’ve lived in numerous places, but emotionally I’ve considered Deep River home. In fact I’ve loved the whole area, including the delightful neighboring towns and villages on both sides of the Connecticut Estuary.

Oh, I had been a journalist on a big newspaper. Here from Deep River I found fresh outlets for that passion of my younger days. And I’m still enjoying creating articles and now blogs … though momentarily I’m slowed down by all the work of selling out and moving to California.

The reason I’m leaving is simple. I’m old and feel it and show it. My dear daughter Monique out there in Morro Bay wants me under her wing.

Know what? Many times over the years, I’ve heard the call, “Go West, Young Man!” Well, after all these years, and now far from young, I’m saying yes to that call.

But for sure there will be tears in my eyes when I do go to Bradley to fly off for that big and ultimate chapter in my life. Living at Piano Works in this gorgeous corner of the world has been great. Thank goodness I’ll have wonderful memories to sustain me. And I hope to come back and visit.

Passion At The Bee: Big Book Getaway Summer Series Kicks Off With Romance, Erotica Novelists, Today

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Bestselling Authors L. Marie Adeline, Charles Dubow and Lauren Willig to discuss their work with Moderator, Nick Hahn, at the historic Bee & Thistle Inn

Summer is right around the corner, and with warm weather comes fun and relaxing days spent at the beach … but, no beach day is complete without a good book.  And, warmer weather isn’t the only thing to look forward to this summer: The Big Book Getaway Blockbuster Summer Reading Series opens on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the historic Bee and Thistle Inn in Old Lyme, CT.

The new summer series will feature themed events from June through September, sponsored by The Day.  The first event, titled ‘Passion at the Bee,’ will feature bestselling authors Lauren Willig, Charles Dubow, and L. Marie Adeline, moderated by Nick Hahn.  The beautiful Bee & Thistle Inn provides the perfect setting, and will serve a full luncheon and dessert for all attendees, prepared by Chef Kristofer Rowe.

Lauren Willig.

Lauren Willig.

An expert at keeping her readers riveted, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig uses elements of mystery and romance to immerse readers from around the world in her stories.  With translations into more than a dozen languages, Willig’s books have received the RITA, Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards.

Her works have also been selected for the American Library Association’s annual list of the best genre fiction.  Willig is the author of the “Pink Carnation” series, based in Napoleonic times, and her latest work, “That Summer,” will be released on June 3.

Charles Dubow’s life experiences have taken him to many different places, and now he finds himself making a strong debut in the literary world with “Indiscretion,” a moving and multifaceted tale. Before his move into literature, Dubow was Founding Editor at Forbes.com and later became an editor at Businessweek.com.

“Indiscretion” is an irresistibly sexy and sleek story of love, lust, and betrayal retold through the eyes of a close confidant and observer.   This remarkable debut is an exciting, textured novel that smartly explores the boundaries of marriage, friendship, and fidelity, and reminds us that sometimes perspective is everything.  “Indiscretion” is a summer read that is impossible to put down, and you are unlikely to forget.  Intriguing, seductive, alluring—this is a book to take to the beach and devour before sunset.

Lisa Gabriele

Lisa Gabriele

The S.E.C.R.E.T. erotica trilogy is published in more than 30 countries, and is a bestseller in many of them.  They’re written by L. Marie Adeline, a pseudonym for Lisa Gabriele, who has also written Tempting Faith DiNapoli and the Almost Archer Sisters, both bestsellers.  She also writes and produces for television and radio, and was the show runner on the Gemini and Screen award-winning CBC reality program, Dragons’ Den.

Her essays and articles have appeared in several anthologies and in the New York Times Magazine, New York magazine, the Washington Post, Salon, Nerve, Glamour, Flare, Elle and Chatelaine.  She was the original Dear Diary columnist for Vice Magazine. Adeline’s articles on feminism and erotica have been read widely; her most recent piece on the relationship between the two subjects is “Is Feminism Un-erotic?” for XO Jane and for Salon.com.

Nick Hahn.

Nick Hahn.

Nick Hahn’s writing career started during his days as a student at the University of Notre Dame.  He later became President and CEO of Cotton Inc., and eventually went on to form Hahn International, LTD, an agribusiness consulting group primarily focused on third world countries.  Hahn has spent 14 years living abroad working amongst indigenous people from Africa to Latin America, writing down observations of social and political unrest in travel journals.

Hahn’s 14 years abroad inspired his first novel, “Under the Skin.”  In addition to writing his novel, Hahn also writes and narrates audiobooks.  Nick Hahn previously appeared at the Big Book Getaway at Mohegan Sun in February 2014 on the International Thrillers panel.  Hahn also moderated the Avon Romance panel at the same event.

Tickets to “Passion at The Bee” are $55 each, which includes a full luncheon, dessert, author presentations and book signing session.  Visit www.thebigbookclub.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

Tickets are also available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/684004 .

The June 7 event will be the first of four events to be held this summer and fall.  The Day Publishing Company is the title sponsor for the series; The Day is an award-winning multi-media company and daily newspaper that covers a 20 town region in eastern Connecticut.  LymLine.com and ValleyNewsNow.com are also media partners.

The historic Bee and Thistle Innis an important stop within Old Lyme, Connecticut’s art colony, arguably one of the most famous Impressionist-oriented art communities in America.   While retaining the integrity of the historic landmark built in 1756, the transformed Bee and Thistle Inn provides a link to the past while nurturing artists of the present.  Innkeepers Linnea and David Rufo are building an inspirational environment which serves as a gathering place for artists and authors to collaborate, display and sell their work.  Visit the Inn’s website at www.beeandthistleinn.com.

The official bookseller for the event is Bank Square Books of Mystic.  Locally owned and independently operated, Bank Square Books has been a staple of the downtown Mystic community for 25 years.