First Selectman: Allan Cahill

Much has been accomplished in the town of Hampton in the last two years.  Completion of the Firehouse addition, the Fletcher Memorial Library addition (funded by private donations), and the vote to purchase 51 acres of open space on the Little River. Hamptonites continue to invest in their town to prepare for the future. I will continue to support everyone in these endeavors.

Improvements to the Town Hall include: all windows replaced, a new phone system installed, new floors inside, and outside walkways. The lower level has been completed, thanks to in-kind work provided by the Mennonite community. Work has already started on a new Generator for Hampton Elementary School.  School parking lot re-pavement will commence in 2020.  The Community Center will have new windows by winter, with an outside pavilion by Spring. The Department of Public Works continues to upgrade our roads with paving, drainage work, and dead tree removal.  Over 400 trees have been cut with an additional 500 identified for removal. This public safety issue will be aggressively addressed. The Hampton-Chaplin Ambulance Corp will cease to provide service in April of 2020. I will pursue all options to provide emergency response protection, by collaborating with other towns or private companies.  Business property continues to expand as construction of the Route 6 solar project has commenced.  Expanding the Route 6 business district will provide additional town revenue in light of State of Connecticut grant cuts. I look forward to continue working with Selectmen Bob Grindle and Dan Meade to keep Hampton safe and affordable for all, with a focus of maintaining our high quality of life.

Selectman: Dan Meade

My first job in town was a wetlands agent, appointed by Charlie Halbach. Shortly thereafter I was appointed as a Selectman for a number of years under Walt Stone. Since that time I have served the town in many aspects including the Conservation Commission, the Hampton Elementary School Board of Education, the Grange Building Renovation Committee, Chairman of the Town Garage Committee, and a term on the Board of Finance. I currently serve as the town’s Emergency Management Coordinator. I have served as a deacon for the Hampton Congregational Church under three ministers. I was also appointed to the Board of Auditors and the Board of Trustees. I participated in many repair jobs on the church, the church hall and the parsonage and was recognized as the Gazette’s “Citizen of the Year” for my involvement in the community. Prior to retirement, I worked at Pratt and Whitney, The US Geological Survey, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection as a Senior Staff Hydrologist, as well as private consulting jobs in water resource evaluations for many Connecticut towns to determine aquifer potentials and teaching geology and hydrology at UCONN, MCC, and ECSU. I have enjoyed each and every job, paid or volunteer!

Board of Finance: Judy Buell

I grew up here in Hampton and chose to stay here, after my husband and I were married, to raise our family. In addition to working on the family farm, my husband and I, with our girls, started our own farm. I spent 15 years working at the UConn Foundation as a staff accountant. Last year I started my own successful ice cream business and have been working as a financial consultant for a neighboring town. I have the experience and qualifications to be a valuable asset to the Hampton Board of Finance.

Board of Finance: Kathy Donahue

I currently serve as the Finance Board’s Vice Chairman and on the Human Resource Committee, reviewing employee wages for market comparisons, and served on the Fiscal and Procedure Committee, researching and preparing information for requirement of competitive bidding for town purchases, now an approved ordinance. The BoF is now receiving financial reports from both school boards, and I attend their meetings to stay informed.  I’m a fiscal conservative and voted to lower the mill rate after reviewing the funds needed to support the budgets and financial information which included an ample reserve. I want to see the BoF work towards providing detailed budget documents for the school and the town, available to taxpayers, including historical data and projections of financial revenues and school enrollment.

Board of Finance (2 Year Vacancy): Lisa Sanchez

Board of Education: Juan Arriola

My involvement with the Hampton community has expanded since my retirement as an educator. My purpose, if elected to the Board of Education, is to make our school better academically for the students and more affordable for the taxpayers. I would provide a voice to the community and work to make the operation of our school more transparent than what I believe it is now. The school board needs more diversity among its members and not more years of rubber stamping.

Board of Education: Russ Moffitt

I am running for a position on the Board of Education as I feel I need to give back to our town for the pleasure of living here. I also feel the need to represent the towns’ people as a citizen and not an educator. I want the best education for our children at the lowest cost and feel that I may have some ideas that could help this happen especially with my past experience on the Board of Education.

I have lived in Hampton for fifty years and want to help make our school system the best it can be.

Board of Education: Neal Moon

I decided to run for the Hampton Board of Education because I feel that my diversity of experience would bring a unique perspective to the B.O.E. I have a B.S. in Music Education and have taught music in the public schools. I have worked in the private sector for over 40 years, including owning a music business for over 15 years. I would like to bring my knowledge and experiences from the public and private sectors to the B.O.E. In this way I can contribute to the town of Hampton and its students. I grew up here and know that we need to balance the needs of the students and teachers with the costs of education to the taxpayer.

Board of Education: Perry Matchinis

I see the board’s responsibility as implementing policies that meet the state’s educational goals in a fiscally responsible manner. Hampton, like other towns in Connecticut, is facing the challenge of providing a quality education in a fiscally responsible manner given declining enrollment. To reverse declining enrollment, Hampton must attract families with children. Such families are attracted to towns that provide a good education but are also affordable. Developing a reputation for a good education and affordable living will require creativity to find savings without sacrificing quality. I believe my experience on the Board of Finance has provided me with the skill set required to be an effective board member.

Board of Education (2 year vacancy): Dayna McDermott

Since I served on the school board and as its chairman years ago, I have publically advocated for retaining an elementary school in our town by facilitating its affordability, promoting the multi-aged classrooms which should academically and socially benefit all students, and reduce costs. I would also work to increase communications and relationships between the school and the community – our intelligent students and our knowledgeable residents have much to offer one another.

Planning & Zoning Commission (2019): Susan Hochstetter

I’ve lived in Hampton most of my life. I love the rural feel and historic look of the town and will always try to balance growth and progress with respect for our unique character as a historic rural town. I have served on the commission as both an alternate and then as a full commission member. I would like to continue on the Planning and Zoning Commission to help guide the town and protect its character.

Planning & Zoning Commission (2020): Gary DeCesare

I am Gary DeCesare and I have served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for nearly 15 years most recently as the Vice Chair.

I believe in preserving the rural atmosphere of our town while at the same time recognizing and protecting the property rights of our property owners who pay the taxes that keep this town moving forward. While I believe that the Planning and Zoning Commission is necessary as a regulatory body, I also have the strong view that minimal, not more, regulation is key to preserving our property rights and our community.

Board of Assessment Appeals & Zoning Board of Appeals (2019): Wesley Wilcox

Zoning Board of Appeals (2020): Zach Burdick-Chapel

My experience working as a land surveyor for large engineering firms has provided me with insight towards many regulations that other towns have in place as most of our clients are municipal groups, whether it’s small towns or state projects. My experience also includes residential designs for lot layouts, septic designs, and boundaries. I have worked on many projects including utility improvements, boundary disputes, road design, bridge layout and zoning for wetlands and flood zones.

Constables: Matt LaFontaine & Dan Postemski, Jr.

A day Selectmen have dreaded for some time has arrived: the Hampton-Chaplin Ambulance Corps has made the difficult decision to end its six decades of volunteer service to the two towns. The decision is not a thoroughly surprising one. First Selectman Allan Cahill has broached the possibility with the Board of Finance several times over the course of the last few years as area towns have increasingly been forced to look beyond their volunteer organizations for emergency coverage.

In a correspondence dated September 18 to Cahill and First Selectman Bill Rose of Chaplin, Ben Brockett, the HCAC Chief, announced the Corps’ decision to “cease operations as of April 1, 2020…This provides six months of notice to the towns to seek a viable and sustainable BLS ambulance service to serve the towns’ needs in the years ahead.” Brockett also thanked the Selectmen “for the open dialog as it has helped to guide this difficult decision.”

The Ambulance Corps began its services in 1955 with 15 members, an annual cost of less than a thousand dollars, and one renovated bread truck donated by the American Legion, equipped with stretchers, a resuscitator, and bandages, and housed in a resident’s barn. That year the Corps responded to 24 calls. The latest Annual Report notes that the 15-20 volunteers trained and certified as EMT’s and EMR’s and supplied with the latest medical equipment answered 405 calls with the Corps receiving $28,000 from the town this year for its operating costs.

What has remained constant throughout the 65 years of the Corps’ existence is the expert service residents have come to expect with the rapid response and the familiar responders. There’s something so comforting to all of us who have required their services in knowing that assistance was minutes away, and that our well-being was in the capable hands of our neighbors, with several of the town’s families generationally answering the call.

Coverage, however, especially during the night, was becoming increasingly difficult. A proposal for the town to compensate individuals for coverage was suggested to, and well-received by, the Board of Finance at the beginning of the budget cycle, but the Corps withdrew the request. Since that time, the Hampton and Chaplin Selectmen have met with Corps leaders to discuss future services.

“Hampton and Chaplin have been very fortunate to be covered by professionally skilled volunteers for decades,” Cahill said. “The Selectmen will pursue all options to protect the community.”

What sort of services, and the costs, remains unknown. What is certain is that an appreciative town extends deepest gratitude to the present and past corps members. For more reasons than we can name, your services will be missed.

Dayna McDermott

Small towns come together in large ways to commemorate special occasions and people, and a recent event at Fletcher Memorial Library was no exception as nearly one hundred residents gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the building’s new addition. Among them were honored guests Roma Dupuis, whose generous contribution realized the completion of its construction, and members of his family.

Originally, the library board considered asking the Town to fund the remaining $25,000 after a donation drive garnered $23,000 toward the expansion of the existing sunroom. But resident Roma Dupuis offered to contribute the balance with funds from the Joan Dupuis Memorial Fund for Children, sparing the taxpayers any cost in providing an accessible space to accommodate the increase in participants at the many programs the library sponsors. The fund was established after the tragic accident and untimely death of Mr. Dupuis’ beloved wife, their children’s beloved mother, and the town’s beloved educator. Mrs. Dupuis served as a paraprofessional at Hampton Elementary School for over 20 years. Several of her eight children, and many grandchildren, were present at the opening.

Dale Dupuis, the eldest of her children, spoke briefly before the ceremonial ribbon cutting. “A library is one of the most treasured gifts that we pass on to future generations,” he said. Referencing the inscription on the ancient Egyptian Library of Thebes, he said his mother exemplified ‘Medicine for the Soul’ for her own and other children. “She affected lives by sharing her heart, providing encouragement and support, compassion and empathy, protection and guidance, comfort and consolation…She loved children and loved to teach and when the two of those things came together, she loved that most of all.”

Also recognized during the ceremony – Michael Barr for the construction, the musicians who entertained the guests throughout the evening, all who furnished the refreshments, and the town for its generosity.

The donation also provided funds for a water feature in the library’s butterfly garden, dedicated to Mrs. Dupuis and her dearest friend, Phyllis Stensland, also known for her service of nearly 50 years at the elementary school. A plaque announcing: “The Joan Dupuis and Phyllis Stensland Children’s Water Garden Sector” presides over a stone patio in the shade of hydrangeas where a waterfall spills into a pool of water lilies and a bench provides a place to rest and listen to the music of the falling water among flowers and butterflies. “The water feature will enhance the environmental impact of the garden as well as providing a charming focal point for visitors,” said Library Board Chairman Anne Christie, who designed the landscape, the first certified butterfly garden in Eastern Connecticut.

Flowers and butterflies are a theme common to the memory of Mrs. Dupuis. The Memorial Fund was initially used to build a solarium located in the elementary school library. Students are drawn to its warmth to read and to sprout the seeds they plant. The mural at the solarium’s entrance was painted by Mrs. Dupuis’ daughter, Kim, and one of the panes on the wall of windows is a stained glass depiction of Mrs. Dupuis surrounded by children and butterflies. One plaque lists the recipients of the Joan Dupuis Award for Special Achievement, and another “In Memory of Mrs. Dupuis in her Springtime” reminds us “Without butterflies, the word would have few flowers”.

And so the memory of Mrs. Dupuis dwells in another sunlit place in our town where books are revered, and children are enriched, and butterflies flourish in the garden.

Dayna McDermott

Of the 35 towns that comprise the National Heritage Corridor called The Last Green Valley, Hampton is one of the smallest in population, yet this year, apart from the City of Norwich, Hampton offers more Walktober events than any other town in The Last Green Valley! There are fifteen events scheduled in Hampton this October that span interests including hiking, biking, art, nature, wild edibles and local history. Please note that several of the events listed below require registration. For additional information on the entire Walktober series of events, please go to The Last Green Valley’s website at thelastgreenvalley.org.

October 2 & 17 Relaxed Ramble 11AM – 1PM & 1 – 3PM

A guided, moderate walk on Goodwin Forest’s trails. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin Forest.

October 6 Goodwin Arts Day 1 – 4PM

Join a variety of art and nature enthusiasts for an afternoon of crafts, games and programs. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

October 6 Abandoned Road Ramble 1 –3PM

Explore the Town of Hampton’s latest open space acquisition, the former Edwards property, a matured forest abutting Goodwin Forest. Sponsored by the Hampton Antiquarian and Historical Society.

October 11 Full Moon Night Hike and Campfire 7 — 9PM

Let the full moon guide your path as you take a night hike at Goodwin Forest, followed by a campfire and s’mores. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

October 12 Autumn Mushrooms 10AM — NOON

Join a foraging family who hunt, photograph, identify and love to eat fungi for a discussion on cooking and eating wild mushrooms. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

October 12 From the Mayflower to Main Street: The Brewsters of Hampton 1– 3PM

Starting at the Community Center, listen to a presentation of the history of Hampton’s Brewsters, descendants of Mayflower leader William Brewster, including artist John Brewster Jr. Walk to the Brewster house and tour this restored early 19^th century family residence to see period antiques and decorative touches, as well as copies of John Brewster Jr.’s portraits. Sponsored by the Hampton Antiquarian and Historical Society.

October 19 Mountain Bike Ride 9AM — NOON

Quiet Corner NEMBA will lead guided mountain bike rides through Goodwin Forest’s trails. Bike and helmet required. Sponsored by Quiet Corner NEMBA.

October 19 Kids Mountain Bike Ride 9AM — NOON

An introduction to mountain biking for kids at least 8 years of age at Goodwin Forest. Parents must be present. Sponsored by Quiet Corner NEMBA.

October 19 A Day in the Life of Edwin Way Teale 10:30AM & 1:30PM

October 21 Fall Tree ID 1:30 — 3:30PM

Learn how to identify trees using bark, twigs and buds at Goodwin Forest. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

October 26 Acorn Adventure: Hug a Tree and Survive 10 — 11:30AM

After a video and talk about how to find your way and stay safe in the woods, we’ll put our new skills to work on trails. Sponsored by The Last Green Valley and McLean Research.

October 26 Fall Fairy Homes 1 — 3PM

Contribute to Goodwin’s fairy community by creating your own fairy home and help us make our forest home to magical guests. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

October 29 Hampton Station 10AM — NOON

Starting at the intersection of Eleventh Section and Estabrooks Roads, hear some of the lore of the Air Line trail as we stroll the site of the Hampton Station. Sponsored by Connecticut Eastern Railway Museum.

October 30 Long Distant Hike 10AM — 1PM

Enjoy the company of fellow hikers on this 3 hour, 5-6 miles hike on Goodwin’s trails. Sponsored by Friends of Goodwin and the DEEP.

Hampton Congregational Church announces this year’s tracker organ concert which will feature Colin MacKnight, a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow from The Julliard School in NYC, on Sunday, October 27, at 4PM. MacKnight is also Associate Organist and Choirmaster at Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, Long Island.  He has also held assistant organist positions at famed St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, as well as at Church of the Resurrection, also in the city.  He’s received first prize and scholarships at the 2017 West Chester University International Organ Competition, the 2016 Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition, and the 2016 Arthur Poister Scholarship Competition.  Equally prestigious organ competitions throughout America include Third Prize in the Longwood Gardens International Competition and First Place in the NYC AGO competition and the Northeast Regional Competition, after which he was selected to give a “Rising Star” recital at the AGO National Convention in Houston in June of 2016.

The church’s 1846 organ was built by Dennison Smith of Hartford.  It is the oldest known Connecticut built organ and the State’s oldest still in the building in which it was originally installed. The instrument is kept in good condition thanks to a grant from William and Beatrice Utley who were much involved in the 1982 reconditioning that saw the organ returned to playable condition. Colin’s program will concentrate on the music of Bach, which is well presented on the Dennison-Smith organ. A free will offering is welcomed.  Refreshments will follow the concert.

A classically New England home sits on Main Street in Hampton, as it has for nearly two centuries. Jonathan Clark built the house for a young couple, Betsey Avery Brewster and her husband, attorney Joseph Prentis, in 1821-1822. With its simple elegance, the house was suitable for a young woman with Betsey’s impressive family tree. Born in Hampton in 1798, she was a descendent of William Brewster, the minister who came to America on the Mayflower with the Pilgrims. She was the daughter of Hampton’s first doctor, John Brewster, and half-sister of John Brewster, Jr., a deaf itinerant portrait painter whose primitive paintings are highly valued today. The Brewster’s solid social standing and relative affluence meant the couple was well situated for success, their prospects bright. The new house reflected the optimism for their future together.

A small red barn nestles under the trees behind the home, genteel but plainly dressed, like a less well-to-do relation. Unlike the house with its classic ornamentation, the barn is devoid of decorative touches. Also unlike the home with its well-documented history, there is no record of when the barn was built or by whom. There are no reminiscences, no children to share memories of climbing the ladder to play in the hay loft, of mucking stalls, of playing hide-and-seek among the carriages or of riding the horses. The little red barn holds its secrets close.

According to the current owner, Richard Prario, this is an “English barn”, common in agricultural Connecticut, although this one is smaller than usual. Its small size indicates it was not a farming barn, but an “in-town” building for keeping carriages and horses close to the house, another sign of the relative affluence of the young Prentises at the time of construction. Typical of the English style, it has gable ends, is windowless and has centrally located doors on the eave sides of the building to allow easy access for carriages or wagons. The beams are hand-hewn and the siding is vertical, simple choices. An unadorned cupola sits on the roof, serving the practical purpose of providing light and ventilation.

Inside, the barn has three bays, as is typical of English barns. A center aisle runs from one side door to the other. Traces of stalls remain in the bay on the south side, which would have provided relative warmth for the animals in the winter. On the north side of the center aisle a third bay provided additional space for storage and other uses. A hand-made, built-in ladder composed of thick dowels leads to a hay loft.

The simplicity of the barn in comparison to the Prentis’ house may reflect the changing circumstances of the young couple. Two years to the day after the completion of their new home, Joseph and Betsey were in serious financial straits, turning to her brother, Dr. William Brewster, for help. For $1000, Joseph leased all lands and buildings his wife had inherited from her father to William, including the new house. He also borrowed an additional $500, then another $500, then $200 and lastly, an amount to cover money owed to his clients totaling $330.46. A list of personal property Joseph provided as collateral included “1 chaise, 1 one-horse sleigh and 1 ox cart”. The barn probably existed at that point, sheltering the chaise, sleigh and at least one horse.

Sadly, the loans did not solve whatever problems the Prentises had, and their monetary difficulties continued. In October 1825, the court judged Joseph an insolvent debtor. The Prentises left Hampton for a fresh start in Douglas, Massachusetts and Betsey’s brother, Dr. William Brewster, became the new owner of their home and its furnishings. English Thread in American Homespun, a history of the Brewster family, quotes Hampton historian Robert Burgoyne’s description of the property as it was in 1825, including the barn. “Back of the house was a solidly built privy which could accommodate two, and a barn for livestock and their food storage.” Dr. Brewster sold his original home, which was further north on Main Street, to attorney and future Connecticut governor Chauncey Cleveland and moved into the Prentis house with his wife and children.

Misfortune followed the Prentises to Massachusetts. Joseph’s legal practice in Douglas failed to thrive, and he and Betsey returned to Hampton to live in their former home with her brother’s family in 1835. The Brewster/Prentis residence was crowded, with nine adults and one child in residence.

Betsey Prentis died in Hampton on October 16, 1838 at the age of 40. She was predeceased by a one-year-old son who passed away on May 8, 1838. The site of her burial is a mystery. There is no headstone for her with the other Brewsters in Hampton’s South Cemetery, although it’s possible that it may have been lost over the years. There is no trace of her in Douglas, either, although the Prenitis’ daughter, Eliza, married into the Dudley family of Douglas. A branch of that family remains in the town to this day.

Records show that Joseph and their son, John, subsequently moved to Rock County, Wisconsin in 1840. Two years later, John “sold his interest in two parcels of land in Hampton”. At the age of 60, Joseph left Wisconsin for California, writing to his family about his move. The 1850 census in Placerville, County of El Dorado, California includes a Joseph Prentis among those living in a boarding house. His occupation was “miner”, his claim valued at $1000. Shortly after, he disappeared. His family never heard from him again.

The financial humiliation of the Brewster family started with Joseph, but it was not to end with him. By the 1830’s, Hampton was losing population as people moved west to more fertile land or to cities to work in the burgeoning mill industries. With fewer patients, Dr. Brewster’s income suffered. His economic decline was exacerbated by the inability of many of those who remained in town to pay him. He had depleted his savings to rescue Joseph from his debts and now found himself unable to pay his own. By 1839, he realized his only option was to place all his property in the hands of a trustee. The probate court ultimately found him an insolvent debtor, just like his brother-in-law. A public notice, posted at his residence and published in the newspaper, notified anyone interested in the estate to contact the trustee. It must have been a painful and humiliating time for the Brewsters.

The inventory compiled by the trustee lists Brewster’s “home lot and buildings, about 16 acres”, but does not specify the nature of the buildings. It also lists items that might have been stored in a carriage barn close to the house: “1 chaise and harness; 1 gig and harness; 1 sleigh;1 side saddle; 1 side saddle best; 1 bridle; 1 man’s saddle; 1 bridle and martingale; 1 horse”. In addition, there are many farm wagons, carts, sleds, implements and livestock listed, so somewhere on the Brewster property there was at least one more barn for farming purposes.

After settling all his debts, Brewster was able to retain the residential property and some other land holdings. He owned a drug store near the house and supplemented his income selling patent medicines. He appears to have fortified his income sufficiently to avoid further monetary problems.

At about this same time, Dr. Brewster became embroiled in the larger national issue of slavery. In 1896, abolitionist Joel Fox recorded his recollection of an 1840 incident in which Brewster brought a young girl, a runaway slave, to Hampton. He recalls that not long after her arrival she met a man who had come from Florida to visit friends, who recognized her, and who knew she was a runaway. She told the Brewsters, who kept her hidden until the man returned to Florida. Soon after, the son of the girl’s owner, Mr. Price, came to Hampton to claim his mother’s property. He approached attorney Chauncy Cleveland for help. Cleveland, however, abhorred slavery and told him in no uncertain terms “if he would fill his office with gold he would not help him”. Price found someone else to help, the girl was ultimately found and arrested and was brought before Judge Eaton of Plainfield. Cleveland volunteered to represent the girl.

In court, Cleveland contested Price’s right to appear to reclaim the girl on behalf of his mother because Price had no power of attorney to act on her behalf. That night, Price was caught forging one and had to leave Connecticut to escape arrest for fraud. The girl went to live with Rev. S.J. May, Massachusetts abolitionist and friend of William Lloyd Garrison, who had defended Prudence Crandall’s school for “young Ladies and Misses of color.”

When Dr. Brewster began to suffer from health issues, the family left the Hampton home to live in Danielson where Brewster’s son, Francis, also a doctor and druggist, could care for him. They lived in a large frame house with an attached drug store, located near the railroad tracks where a bank now stands.

In 1854, Francis sold the Brewster house to William and Hannah Clark. Since then, it has served as a private residence, an inn and tavern, and a private residence again. Over the years, various owners have altered the barn. The cupola was modified and the doors have been changed. It has a new, quiet life with Rich Prario, dressed on holidays in patriotic bunting or Christmas wreaths, a reminder of Hampton’s history and of how many stories can be found in even the simplest places.

Jean Wierzbinski

Owner Rich Prario will provide more information about the Brewster house accompanied by a tour of the house on Saturday, October 12 from 1-3 pm. The free event begins at the Hampton Community Center.

The Cliffs of Moher along the Wild Atlantic Way are the most famous landmarks on Ireland’s west coast. One must have the luck of the Irish to view them entirely, however, for it is Mother Nature with her thick, rolling fogs who decides whether you will see the cliffs, or only hear the sound of the waves pounding the 702 foot drop. Mother Nature was also responsible for their formation over 300 million years ago, when flooding deposited sediment into the river, creating a delta that eventually compacted into rock. With the spectacular views of the waves crashing against the sandstone, shale, and siltstone, you may be inclined to hike all nine miles of them. You wouldn’t be alone. It’s estimated that every year over one million people visit the Cliffs of Moher to climb into the bracing air, walk along the serpentine ridge, listen to the roaring surf and the scores of birds, perhaps glimpse a pod of dolphins shining in the mist, or on a crystal clear day, the distant Aran Islands. The Cliffs of Moher, and the area known as “the Burren”, form a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Global Geopark, a landscape with a geological heritage of international significance, which belongs on everyone’s bucket list.

Formed 350 million years ago, the Burren’s 220 square miles of mainly exposed limestone is located in the northwest part of County Clare. The Gaelic name for it is Boil Boireann, which translates to “Great Rock.” Edmond Ludlow, the Cromwellian General who served during the forfeiture of land and forced relocation of the Irish wrote, “The Burren is a county where there’s not enough water to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him,” when the Irish were given the option of death by hanging or banishment to the inhospitable land west of the River Shannon with the choice, “Hell or Connaught.” In spite of this tragic history, visitors find the region an incredible work of nature, not unlike the Badlands of South Dakota. In stark contrast to the miles and miles of unproductive terrain are limited patches of green and evidence of early life. Along the desolate, uninviting land we encountered archaeological cairns, or wedge tombs, engineered over 5000 years ago, leaving us with questions like – why here? Who? What reason? It’s amazing what ancient man can inspire in us by the simple, yet complex, placement of enormous, heavy slabs of stone. In the Burren we also discovered abandoned buildings — homes, castles, abbeys and all those stonewalls — slabs of limestone on edge. The people utilized the natural resources available to them, and survived.

Further up the coast we stopped in the harbor city of Galway, the sixth most populated city in Ireland. Upon arrival, it seems as though all of its residents are walking its streets and have taken all the parking spaces. But that shouldn’t deter you from a visit. Park at the very visible Cathedral, Our Lady of Assumed into Heaven, which offers plenty of parking at affordable rates. From there it’s a short distance over a bridge spanning the River Corrib to the crowded streets of the Latin Quarter which prescribe a slow stroll to absorb this city’s overwhelming charm. Galway is over 800 years old and was originally walled. The “Spanish Arc” still remains from the early fortification. Though the city is a favorite of the Irish, at one point in its history you could not enter if a “Mc” or an “O” preceded your surname under the order:  “That neither O, ne Mac, shoulde strutte ne swagger, throughe the streetes of Gallway.” It’s also considered the unofficial capital of Gaeltacht, the native language still spoken in Ireland, and the claddagh ring, featuring two hands clasping a heart and topped with a crown as a symbol of love and loyalty, was the creation of a resident of Galway Bay. Our daughter proudly wears her mother’s ring, which her mother gave her. Galway is a delightful city. Brightly colored banners criss-cross the cobblestone streets, and the storefronts and pubs are bedecked with flowers. We dined at the Kings Head, a medieval pub, and then strolled around listening to musicians and enjoying this beautiful city’s ambience before driving to our final destination for the night.

The Connemara countryside is gorgeous. We encountered fields with the ponies unique to this region, according to legend the descendants of Scandinavian horses left by the Vikings and Andalusian horses from the Spanish galleons. We passed pastures filled with wildflowers, or boulders, abandoned ruins and thatched roofed cottages, and stonewalls. We chose for our night in Connemara a remote place on the coast near the small town of Ballyconneely. I’m not usually a believer in “user friendly” technology, but the GPS we used to find our accommodations was greatly appreciated. We twisted and turned, crossed one-way bridges over small rivers, around hairpin curves and along extremely narrow lanes with the GPS incessantly “recalculating”. Our Irish neighbor, when asked how narrow the roads in Ireland are, had pointed at our driveway and said, “This is wide.” Such were the roads here, and just as I was ready to give up hope of finding our hotel, a sign announcing “Connemara Sands” came into view. We selected this hotel because of its private beach. When we arrived, the sun was starting to flush the horizon orange and purple, so we walked down the sandy path to the strand and across the inlet with the ocean at low tide, witnessing a sunset which will not easily be forgotten. We collected small pieces of unpolished Connemara marble and seashells before returning to the hotel pub and ordering our nightly Guinness. Paddy, the bartender, was not bothered by our daughter’s first sips of Guinness. “The drinking age in Ireland is rather blurry,” he assured, “especially in Connemara.”

Juan Arriola

Autumn is the season of the view. Folks travel great distances to see the flame of New England’s trees. Even though Connecticut’s brim with their own vibrancy — with scarlet swamp maples and orange sugars, the yellow flames of birch, bronzed oaks, golden hazels, coppery pears – we, too, make the annual pilgrimage through the Mohawk Trail, returning across southern Vermont, solely to concentrate on the colors.

Anyone who has a lovely view from their house is very fortunate. One of my friends could see clear to the shore from her property. Another shares her exquisite photographs with us of sunrise in “the enchanted forest”. Many of Hampton’s summits provide spectacular views, of rolling hills and river-coursed valleys, and many of us have a special place where we can see “forever”.

Many of our homes, however, are hemmed in with natural plants or those we impose on our perimeters, preventing us from appreciating distant vistas, or near ones. Enclosures are necessary in distinguishing the garden, while a view connects us with the surrounding countryside. A balanced landscape design incorporates the two — elements which envelope, and those which open.

A borrowed view is one of a landscape which lies beyond our own. A most important component of Japanese gardens, “shakkei” can encompass a glimpse, or a grand panorama, faraway or close. A few years ago, we cut over thirty trees, old and compromised with weather, which formed a natural barrier between ours and the neighboring property. What a difference to our yard — opening a pool of light and facilitating a breeze and affording a view of a clearing in the woods filled with wildflowers. On a grander scale, the stonewall in front of our property underscores a distant row of trees across acres of fields. By manipulating the viewer’s sight line, we borrow views beyond our boundaries and broaden our yards. Placing a focal point that calls attention to the distance is one way of accomplishing this — a birdhouse on a tall pole in an open expanse draws the eye to itself and to what lies behind it. We can also control the transition from our lawn to the beyond with elements that are sympathetic to both landscapes – trees common to the two properties strategically placed and linking the two realms. This helps camouflage the actual delineation between the separate territories. Framing a view is another way to call attention to it — a glimpse of the countryside between a row of trees, especially essential when the vista is overwhelming and threatens to reduce the visual dimensions of our own yards.

We can also frame views in our own lawns with arbors, pergolas, breaks in the shrubbery, fences, and gates, which always beckon visitors because of the promise of beyond. The arbor that serves as the entrance to one of our gardens frames a beauty berry to the east, and to the west, a Japanese maple. Our wisteria arbor frames a fountain of pink roses from one angle and the horizontal tiers of a viburnum from another. Though our gazebo sits in a garden surrounded with flowers, the exotic foliage of a mimosa is seen through one arch, and a sitting area of white wicker beneath a variegated willow through another. While enclosures such as these are meant to provide privacy, they must always leak at least a glimpse of elsewhere.

Views are essential for the places where we sit, the porch, a terrace or patio. We have views throughout the year from our deck, of ‘Lemon Glow’ daffodils through the golden branches of a shrub dogwood, of sunny pools of evening primrose splashing through the greens of hostas beneath canopies of silvery willows, of the katsura when it bursts into its coral and marmalade flames beyond the scarlet arc of the sourwood. If a view exists in your lawn, provide a place to rest to see it. The way we acquire the furniture in our gardens is happenstance; where we place it is not, and requires comfort in the form of shade and stable terrain, and a beautiful view.

Since splendid vistas are often seasonal, they sometimes surprise us, though once seen they are rarely forgotten. During the flowering year, the approach to our house is through a corridor of gardens; in spring, however, the scene at the end of the driveway – the sulfur spurs of witch hazel, dark red buds of swamp maple, and the pearly catkins of pussy willow, the pale green twigged and the coral barked – supply a riveting spiral of silver, yellow, olive, rust, and orange. In summer our gardens, singularly and as a whole, provide all the views we want, with perennial vignettes vying for attention through leafy windows. At the moment, it’s the confetti of the raspberry asters sweeping over a darkening rim of sedums and across mauve stalks of turtlehead and the dusty rose plumes of moor grass, all speckled with the magenta petals of a few late season phlox; and I can tell from their swell that in another week the wild asters will capture us with their clouds of gentlest blues and purples, falling over the woodland garden like a delicate veil. From April through October I find myself daily identifying “the view” and inviting family and friends to sit where they can appreciate it. Later in fall, it’s layers of foliar frames, a glimpse of the burgundy viburnum through the whiskery tassels of a purpling grass, or the bright red umbrella of the Japanese maple through a wreath of hydrangea’s mauve panicles, or callicarpica’s amethyst berries through the bronzed fronds of mimosa. And in winter, it’s the impact of trees on the landscape. Provide your yard with those that produce berries or interesting bark, or sparkle after an ice storm like the willow’s cascades of diamonds, or hold the dustings of a powdery snow, as pines. The ultimate borrowed view is the sky, and there is none as spectacular as winter’s sun rising or setting through the black brooms of branches.

Though essential in winter, the view from our windows is important throughout the year. The trunk of the birch seen from the kitchen exfoliating rust and cream and buckskin, the mountain laurels reaching across the front windows to flush the panes pale pink, the aerial views of the gardens from upstairs, and especially the window that introduces us every morning to the day: the last of summer’s flowers blooming now on its ledge and the far away trees starting to ignite, and the view of an unblemished sea of snow in distant fields, all the way until we watch winter’s slow leaching and the return of the gray green mists of spring.

Dayna McDermott

I’ve eaten a few bugs in my lifetime. Not voluntarily, of course. Although a delicacy in some countries, I do not find the taste or texture of ‘insect’ appealing at all. And I’m not talking about the bugs that all of us unknowingly consume. We’ve heard about the ones that crawl into our mouths while we are asleep. Fact or fiction? Here’s what I found in Forbes:

Answer by Matan Shelomi, Entomologist, on Quora:

“In terms of creatures that crawl into your mouth while you sleep … likely zero. Insects are not that stupid. They will not crawl into the warm, moist, CO2-exhaling cave that is pretty obviously the entrance to something big and living. Granted, some insects like roaches do occasionally crawl into ears and get stuck, but that’s very rare. The idea that we swallow a certain number of spiders every lifetime/year/night is just an urban legend.”

A relief! What about in our food?

“That’s a different issue. Because crops are almost always infested with insects, the harvests will usually have pieces of insect too.”

The article goes on to summarize that: “…while these levels are a maximum; most food sold will be far less contaminated. So, assuming the food you ate was as defective as possible, you may have eaten enough parts to make a few whole insects … but you’d have never noticed, and it would all be extra protein anyway.”

Gross, but ok I guess, since we don’t know we’re eating them anyway. The snacks I involuntarily eat are the ones that fly into my mouth while I am out jogging. The small bugs that zoom straight to the back and get swallowed right away aren’t as gagging as the bigger ones that get stuck and are unable to be spit out. The quandary arises – try to cough it out and risk breaking it into a bunch of pieces, or bite the bullet and just swallow. Either way….. eeeewww!

Our chickens’ view of the creepy crawlies is very different. They scratch and dig and peck to find the biggest, best, juiciest bugs to gobble up. Our rooster, Doug, is an expert. He’ll hold up giant worms or moths and call the flock over. “Look what I have for you,” he seems to say as the ladies nearly trample each other to be first to get there.

I, too, look for the biggest bug but I’m not looking for a meal. I’m looking for the queen. Beekeepers across the country are in constant pursuit of her location. Hives are assembled in a variety of different configurations and everyone has their own method of beekeeping. But the common denominator in every single hive is — her royal highness. Though she is the biggest insect in the colony, and with a very distinct shape and color, our queen is now hard to find. Upon each inspection, I go in fully intent on spotting her. She is most likely to be found on the frames containing newly laid eggs. There is your first challenge. Those eggs are white and small. Smaller than a grain of rice. If eggs are present and they are standing straight up, they are freshly laid, which is a good indication that your queen is alive and well and close by. When we first set our hive up back in the spring, she was in her own compartment so I was able to get a good look at her. She’s beautiful! And I was fortunate enough to find her a few weeks ago, too. Although her footprints are everywhere inside the hive, I just can’t seem to locate her anymore. There are many more bees in the hive now than before — our hive is practically busting at the seams! That is a good problem to have … as long as the bees don’t get the notion to swarm (an article for another time). Also, the queen will hide if the colony feels exposed or threatened. I’ve learned that many beekeepers are unable to locate their queens. Some of us are still learning where to look. One blogger observed:

“When the queen makes her way across the frame, she seems to move with a purpose. She charges quickly through worker bees, who often move out of her way, leaving a wake of empty comb behind her. This movement creates a visual break in the pattern of the hive. Some beekeepers are able to find their queens just by searching for this disruption. The pattern is changed also when she is still. A resting queen will have a circle of worker bees around her. It is an almost flower-like shape, each worker a petal facing the queen in the center.”

I’ll definitely keep that in mind when I peek into the hive this weekend. I find beekeeping fascinating! “Isn’t this cool you guys?” I call to my flock as they circle the fence for a way in to join me. “I know why you want to come in here you little stinkers. There will be no eating of the bees!” Our biggest hen, Brownie coos at me with that cute pleading cluck of hers. The others chime in, hoping I’ll open the fence. “You have plenty of your own bugs to eat over there,” I console as I toss a handful of cherry tomatoes in. Our garden harvest is surprisingly huge this year and we are happy to share the overflow with our chickens.

I watch them happily devour the red fruit and think to myself, how easy it would be if I could actually let the chickens into the bee yard to help me locate the queen. I know they have excellent radar when it comes to finding the biggest and best. I know for certain that they would all want to be first to find the largest bug! Of course, I could never let them, but I sure bet our chickens could, in fact, find our queen!

Cindy Bezanson

The 4th Annual Fall Festival will be held in and around Town Hall and the Community Center on September 28 from 10AM to 3PM.

Along with the Library Book/Bake Sale in the lower level of Town Hall, Hampton Artist Showcase at the Community Center, a Blacksmith, a Cub Scout Encampment with S’mores and a Cornhole Championship, there are scheduled events. A Pottery Throwing Demonstration will take place from 10AM to 1PM and Jamie Boss & Friends will provide Live Folk and Bluegrass Music from 10:30AM to 1:30PM. There’s plenty of activities for children — Free Hayrides touring the town at 11AM and 1:15PM, a Kiddie Tractor Pull at noon (sign up starting at 11AM), and Livestock — chickens, rabbits, goats, and Scottish Highland breed cows, which kids can sit atop for photos. Kids can also participate in the Agricultural Contests (drop off produce by 9:30AM). There are lots of interesting vendors, tag sales and exhibitors, and, of course, Food Vendors: hot dogs and hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and chips, a chicken BBQ, delicious baked goods, homemade ice cream and maple cotton candy!

See you there!