Ridgefield Hamlet Hub

One hundred forty eight women from in and around Fairfield County have found laughter where there once were tears, roses in a bush of thorns. Together, they have rebuilt and restored- not only their personal lives, but the lives of their families. The women all have something in common: divorce.

Divorced Women and Wine, is the brainchild of Ridgefield elementary school paraprofessional, Connie Johnson. The dynamic group helps women cope with the stress of divorce by providing them with friendship, fun and a realm of support services. Johnson chuckles as she admits, “I started the group for selfish reasons and had no noble cause in mind. I wanted to meet women that I could have fun with when my kids were not with me. I had no idea it would help so many women.”

In the confidential company of one another, the ladies share stories, thoughts and life’s struggles. They find solace in one another; sometimes laughing, sometimes crying and lots of times doing a little of both. “My first meeting, I thought I’d go home and cry. I laughed until I nearly peed in my pants,” says Sherman.

The logistics of the Friday evening gatherings are simple.  “I email the group to see if anyone wants to host and limit the group to the first 10-12 women who sign up. We like to keep it intimate,” says Johnson. The homes of members are the meeting venues; the ladies bring wine and the host provides some finger food. “The agenda is what everyone brings to the meeting,” says Johnson. Women of all ages and walks of life are part of the group. “We have women in their twenties and women in their sixties,” says Johnson.

Lifelong friendships have been created through Divorced Women and Wine. “To have people behind me was tremendous. I had one divorced friend before this group. These are my best friends,” says Kristen Sherman of North Salem. Tracey Iaizzi of Bethel, an IT director for a local publishing company agrees, “I joined the group because I needed female friends who I could connect with. I couldn’t ask for more- to have all of these girl friends that I love spending time with. I’ve never laughed more.”

In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, the ladies plan other fun outings including First Friday’s at the Aldrich, concerts in Ballard Park, movies and happy hours. At the time of this interview, some of the members were in the midst of planning a White Water Rafting trip. “It’s made me break out of my comfort zone, “says Sherman. In fact, the ladies have a mantra, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Do one thing that scares you every day.”

But being there for each other goes beyond lending a compassionate ear. “Barbara is helping me find a job,” says Sherman. “I was a homemaker for 17 years and I’m trying to get back into the swing of things,” she adds. “It won’t be long,” pipes in Financial Advisor, Barbara McMahon. The group shares vital resources that span from qualified divorce attorneys to career opportunities and counseling services.

“When you’re in it, you can’t see. You wonder how you’ll ever get through it – from the kids to the logistics and lack of finances,” says Mc Mahon. Empowering each other, the members of the group pick up broken pieces and put their lives back together.

“It’s painful, but through support and a lot of laughing, you can get out the on the other side,” says Johnson.

*This story appeared in Ridgefield Magazine.

*Photograph by caryn leigh posnansky

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The “Farm to Table” sponsors pictured from left to right: Joe and Ilsa Keller and their son Harlan from Garden of Ideas, Sarah Bouissou from Bernard’s, along with Pam Rybarczyk from ROAR. Missing is Monica Brown from 109 Cheese & Wine

By Meg Reilly

Expect lively bidding at this year’s ROAR with Laughter fundraiser event on February 25^th.  Among the exciting live auction items that include a Sonoma Valley wine trip, a private villa vacation in Manzanillo, Mexico and the ever-popular Macy’s Fireworks VIP evening, is a unique dining experience created and donated by three local businesses and long-time ROAR supporters

New this year is a fabulous “Farm to Table” evening hosted by The Garden of Ideas, 109 Cheese & Wine and Bernard’s. The evening will kick off with a tour led by Joe and Ilsa Keller, The Garden of Ideas owners, to view their beautiful grounds made up of eight acres of marsh, woodland, meadow and vegetable plots. Wine and hors d’oeuvres, carefully paired by Monica Brown of 109 Cheese & Wine, will follow the tour. Bernard’s own Sarah Bouissou will use her culinary talents to create a menu that centers on the bounties of the garden. “Creating this special evening to support ROAR was important to all us involved with its planning. It will truly be a magical evening”, said Sarah.

ROAR with Laughter takes place on February 25 at 7 pm at the Matrix Banquet and Conference Center. To make your reservation, learn more about the event or place your pre-event online auction bid, go to www.roar-ridgefield.org.

*Photo courtesy Donna Svendsen

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Mike Lauterborn in front of his ‘Writing for Interactive Media’ class

*Thanks to Fairfield HamletHub editor, Mike Lauterborn for writing this great article. He captures the entrepreneural spirit of the Hubs and encourages his students to bring their writing to the next level through creative online media.

Bridgeport, CT – What better way to show students the potential of a Blog than to introduce them to someone who has made a commercial success of her own?

That was Mike Lauterborn’s thinking when he invited Kerry Anne Ducey, the founder of HamletHub, to speak in his “Writing for Interactive Media” class at the University of Bridgeport on Tuesday, June 24. Professor Lauterborn is also the Editor of Fairfield’s HamletHub, one of 11 town sites the HamletHub network now encompasses in Connecticut.

Ducey, as a long-time Ridgefield resident, has always been very plugged into the goings-on in her town and recognized a void in information flow from other local media. As such, and initially under the banner Talk of the Town, she started pushing out information online about events, school news, entertainment, retail offers and more, often while still in her pajamas and from a small computer in her bedroom.

The community really began to tune into her posts and she started to receive inquiries from businesses that wanted to advertise on her site. More clients came on board, which created more workload than she could effectively handle. The opportunity to broaden her scope also presented itself.

Ducey’s husband Ken, a mergers and acquisitions exec, stepped in to help her replicate the site’s template, change the name to HamletHub (to avoid any potential dispute with The New Yorker magazine and its Talk of the Town feature) and appoint other locally plugged-in people to serve as editors of its sister sites.

Now the initial Ridgefield site is a comprehensive business model that the other Hubs are eagerly mirroring, with respective editors dispensing local content, promoting the site through Twitter and Facebook, and attracting the interest of both advertisers and subscribers.

Lauterborn’s students – 16 undergraduates in all – have created their own Blog sites, themed around topics of their personal interest. The goal is that they gradually become experts in these topics, garner abundant followers and attract their own advertisers who want to align with content relevant to their businesses.

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How many lemonade stands have you stopped at in your life? It seems kids are born with a beautiful entrepreneurial spirit. Some kids take that spirit to the next level—moving from the lemonade stands to mowing lawns or walking neighbors’ dogs.

Do you have a kidpreneur living at your house? If so, we’d like to hear from them. I happen to be the mom of a kidpreneur. My son began a coffee delivery business at the age of 10. He went on to create an online sports website where he would track scores, feature video, and provide game time commentary. He even had contributing writers and one advertiser.

Kids with ideas have no boundaries. And, unlike adults, they don’t focus on the obstacles that could potentially cause roadblocks. They focus their energies on the joy of creating and the people who will potentially benefit from their product, service, or organization.

One of our HamletHub editors, Sally Allen, is the mom of a kidpreneur. Henry’s Handmade Connecticut Candles was born of Henry’s desire to earn some money so he could purchase Legos.

“I started making candles because my dad said I had to start paying for my own Legos. I love Legos and save my money to buy them,” Henry explains on his website. “I came up with candles, which my dad said was an ok idea. I did some research and decided to make the best candles ever, ” he adds.

While most candles are created from oil, Henry decided to make his candles out of beeswax made in the United States. Yes, the candles are a bit more expensive when composed of beeswax, especially American beeswax, but they are also 100 percent natural, healthier for the environment and for you. He offers unscented and scented (with aromatherapy essential oils) candles.

Even the wicks on Henry’s Handmade Candles are natural, made either from wood or 100 percent cotton and attached with melted wax.

“Most wicks are attached with glue,” Henry points out. “It’s easier and faster, but that also means you’re burning chemicals in your home. Why would you want to do that?”

Because Henry doesn’t use any chemicals or preservatives, when all the wax burns down, the jars can easily be cleaned out and reused.

His two most popular items are his travel candles, which come in light-weight tins, and his pinecone firestarters. For the latter, Henry attaches a wick to the pinecones, which he collected hyperlocally at Sherwood Island, by drizzling wax on them. They keep your fire blazing and, if you wish, nicely scented.

Visit Henry’s fantastic website, where his motto is “You design it, I make it.” You can place your custom order—choosing the type of container, scent, and color—right there on his website.

If your child is a kidpreneur, we’d love to feature his or her idea on HamletHub. Please have your child write to us at: Info@hamlethub.com and let us know all about what they have created.

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Tipping around the holidays can be arduous task. During these tough economic times, digging into your wallet for but another gift is tough. Making matters harder is not knowing the appropriate dollar amount to give.

What if you are not in the financial position to give at all? What is an acceptable amount to give?  Should the tip be hand delivered, mailed or left outdoors for the recipient?  What if you’re appreciative of the services provided but do not have the funds to give a generous tip? Should money always be given as a tip?

With the help of Peter and Emily Post and many men and women who provide services to those in Ridgefield, some of your perplexing questions will be answered.  One thing is for sure, showing appreciation and gratitude to those who make life easier for you throughout the year, is appropriated and welcomed. If you are not able to provide a financial tip, a simple note of appreciation is always appreciated.

Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute and great-grandson of Emily Post, reminds us that tipping is personal and based on our budget when he says, “Do what you can, and do it in the nicest way you possibly can.”  According to Mr. Post, you should “tip the people who perform services for you year-round, who are there for you when you need them and whom you have a valuable relationship with.”

Tipping Guidelines from Emily and Peter Post

And, it is true. Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern) and Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively were strolling on Main Street last night. In fact, they stopped by Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shop to enjoy some homemade ice cream. Word on the street is that they were very pleased with their selections. Today’s online version of People Magazine covered the romantic evening Reynolds & Lively spent in “picturesque” Ridgefield. Nice coverage for our special town.

From People Magazine

Ryan Reynolds took girlfriend Blake Lively on an old-fashioned date in Connecticut Friday night, where the two held hands and shared ice cream out of the same cup.

The couple spent the evening walking hand in hand at the annual Ridgefield Downtown Holiday Stroll, in picturesque Ridgefield, where carolers roamed the streets, kids posed for pictures with Santa and couples took rides in a horse-drawn carriage.

After strolling around the holiday festival for a bit, Reynolds, 35, and Lively, 24, stopped into Deborah Ann’s Sweet Shoppe, where they “tried a few samples of ice cream off of those little spoons,” says an eyewitness at the ice cream parlor.

“They picked their own flavors, English Toffee and Chocolate Fudge Brownie, but put them in the same cup and shared it.”

“They left holding hands,” says the eyewitness, who further described them as “very nice. They just blended in. They seemed very happy together. They were very excited about the ice cream.”

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HamletHub recently had its first sit-down with First Selectman Marconi since the days following Irene.  And like many of us, Marconi has noticed that there has been “a very high level of pressure and frustration in town.”  It’s the worst he’s seen in his 13 years as First Selectman.  He’s not sure, but perhaps the lack of power and water for so many days left people with a heightened awareness of what is going on around them.

Irene

And speaking of Irene, Marconi recently testified in Hartford, one of the only elected officials to do so, on Irene’s impact on Ridgefield.  He’s sees the problem as two fold ~ CL&P was completely overwhelmed by the storm and lacks the preparedness for major storms, and there was a complete failure of the Connecticut emergency response system.  Marconi believes that until these two situations are remedied, Ridgefield, and Connecticut, will not be ready for another major storm and are at risk of more long-term outages.  He is also very thankful for the kind words many Ridgefielders have shared with him since the storm.

Cell Tower

Since the storm, he has also been receiving many calls about the need for a cell tower in Northern Ridgefield.  In the days following Irene, many were cut off without any way to communicate, and now see this as a real problem.  However, he still believes a fair number will oppose any plan, so he’ll be going back to the drawing board to find a location that can satisfy most parties involved.

Schlumberger Property

With elections in November, the town purchase of the Schlumberger property, along with a private developer, will be on the ballot.  Although the Board of Finance voted against it this past week, that does not necessarily indicate that they are all against it.  More information is still being gathered, but unfortunately, our Revised Charter, did not allow for a vote after the information was received. The vote had to have taken place 15 days following the BOS decision to put it on the ballot, and without information, they felt a no vote was the only way to go.

What Selectman Marconi feels is important to understand is that if the property is not sold by December 31, Schlumberger has indicated that they will land bank it ~ or as per Public Act 490, they will raze all the buildings and promise not to develop or sell it for 10 years in order to receive a for a tax break (for 10 years they will pay roughly $10 per acre in yearly taxes).  After 10 years, they feel real estate prices will improve, and it will be sold to the highest bidder. Mr. Marconi’s fear is that it will turn into another Bennett’s Farm debacle.  If the purchase is approved, the Philip Johnson building and the auditorium will be preserved, the other buildings demolished, and the environmental issues resolved.  The property then could be used for some retail and housing, hopefully, recouping some of the tax base that was lost with the decision of Schlumberger’s move.

Vacant Property

On another note, there is a lot happening with properties around town:

• The property once occupied by Young’s (91 Danbury Road) was recently purchased by Patrick Downend and permits are in place to begin construction there. No definitive plans are in place as to what type of business will fill the vacancy.
• The green between Starbucks and the Early Bird Cafe is privately-owned, and it is the owner’s decision when and what to build.  The town is only brought in for permits, clarifying codes, etc.
• Hay Day/Balducci’s is being cleaned-up with the hope that it can be sub-divided and leased to several tenants, since finding one to occupy the entire space has been futile.

• The large white house on the corner of Main and Governors Streets is hopefully being prepared as a bed and breakfast.  They still need to make a few changes to meet all the town codes, but what a asset that will be to the Community Center.

PI Rocks

Marconi finds the Pi rocks around town, just as interesting as we do. And no, he has no idea who is painting and placing them, or if they have significant meaning. We gave the Ridgefield Police Department a call and they too are baffled as to the significance of the Pi rocks.

Social Hosting

The recent tragic deaths of two 16 year old Ridgefield youths brings to attention consequences for parents who “social host” or hold parties at their homes and serve alcoholic beverages to minors. Mr. Marconi says this is “unacceptable” and confirms that there are arrests made in these situations. He warns that many parents have become desensitized to the severity of these issues.

We checked in with Ridgefield Police about legalities and consequences to those who host and minors who partake in underage drinking parties: “In general we respond to a claim and probable crime by investigating the situation,” says Cliff Scharf. Usually this is brought to the attention of police when a neighbor complains of noise or a road that is packed with vehicles. “We will disperse the party making sure, first and foremost that the kids are safe,” says Scharf. In many cases, this requires that police call parents and have them pick up their children.  If there is probable cause, police make arrests. This may involve charges of delivery or possession of alcohol or hosting of a party resulting in charges of infractions or misdemeanors.

It should be noted that state laws for “social hosting” vary. In Connecticut, parents are not charged in situations that arise in their own home that they are not aware of. Therefore, should they be asleep while youths are drinking in the home and did not give them permission or have knowledge of it, they are not charged.  Link to learn about “social hosting” laws in Connecticut: http://compelledtoact.com/Involvement_pages/State/state_soc_host_statute.htm

We will continue our Thursday meetings with Mr. Marconi. Should you have any questions you would like answered, or issues addressed, please email: kerry@hamlethub.com or terri@hamlethub.com

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