The Kelseytown Gazette
Spring Cleaning for Ospreys
Members of the Clinton Land Trust recently donned their knee high boots and headed for the marshes at low tide to spring clean the nesting platforms for a new generation of opsreys producing their fledglings.
The target date for the ospreys' arrival is March 23 but depending on how eager the prospective parents are to start a family, it could be any day.
The males come first, racing each other across the continent from Central and South America to get first dibs on the prime nesting spots. Ospreys return to the same general location where they began life as an egg.
The female ospreys then follow, the males now prepared (pardon the expression) to hawk their site as the perfect love nest. After a brief three week honeymoon, one to three eggs, at tops four, begin appearing in the nest.
In April-May, she sits, keeping the eggs warm while he delivers take in, fish fresher than Lenny & Joe's, still wiggling in the beak. After 35 days, the eggs begin hatching, in the order they were layed. and the pop now has the task of feeding mom, the offspring and himself twice a day. The summer months are dedicated to raising the brood and teaching the fledgings how to fly and hunt for themselves.
In mid August, the mom chirps, "I've had enough" and flies back to South America for six months of R & R. The dutiful father remains. making sure each fledging is ready for the ardous journey and when they have departed, he follows, deservably about Labor Day.
Not to be critical, but when the ospreys take off, they leave the platforms a mess!
Spring cleaning osprey's platforms is not an easy task. Nests are constructed inside a 40 by 40 inch wood sided enclosure with heavy wire flooring, perched 24 feet in the air atop a pole, located in a marsh clearing which is filled with abandoned mosquito ditches, dense grasses and flowing creeks. Additionally, by the time the ospreys have finished constructing their nest, it weighs 200 to 300 pounds.
It is because of the weight of an osprey nest that the platforms need yearly attention. If it's a tough job cleaning a platform, imagine installing one. This has to done in the dead of winter, when the marsh is frozen and the poles can be slid across the ice to the desired location.
Clinton Land Trust members, some who have installed the current dozen which exist in Clinton, do not want to take a chance on a neglected platform collapsing under hundreds of pounds of nests piled on top of each other.
This year's Land Trust's cleaners divided into two teams: George Schadler, Mike Hood and Sally Hefferan and Greg Mirando with Ed and Haline Vanderhoef, with Lou Bougie supervising.
Lou Bougie has a passion for ospreys and served for 27 years as a Land Trust officer. He has a platform in the marshes of his back yard with the high power equipment to observe them. There isn't much his osprey families get away with that Lou doesn't know. He says he's reached the age of supervising but then can never resist mucking in the marshes for a firsthand view of a nest.
Ospreys stuff their nests with fascinating items....fishing filament, rope, all things plastic, and once, even a barbie doll.
The osprey spring cleaning equipment is composed of extension ladders, pry bars, hammers and nails in case of repairs. Totting their cleaning supplies, the team enters the marsh in their knee high boots and at low tide. They wade through creeks, crawl across ditches, using the ladder for a bridge if required, avoiding holes hidden by tall grasses, and arriving at the platform, raise their ladders 20 feet in the air to peak into the platform.
If they're lucky, Mother Nature has done the job and swept the platform clean with her winds. Worst case scenerio, the sleet and snow have frozen the nest into chunks of hundred pound ice. Then it's chipping, and chopping, and prying, and dropping the debris piece by piece to 20 feet below. Occasionally as a welcoming gift for new incoming ospreys, they will haul up fresh sticks to lay the framework for a new nest.
Osprey platforms are located on Hammock Point, in the Hammock and Indian River marshes, and at the town beach.
Perhaps, now understanding the challenges the Land Trust faces in its osprey spring cleaning, our homeowners, snowbirders and cottage rental owners will consider their upcoming spring housecleaning task to be, as the saying goes, duck soup.
Our thanks to Lou Bougie for the education and photos for this osprey story.
The no name book club
This book club has been meeting for 10 years but still doesn't have a name.
Once "Book-ends" was suggested but it didn't seem to take....or matter. So they forgot the name calling and concentrated on the common interest that brought them together--books. Lots of books. Books of all kind: contemporary, classics, fiction, biography, memoirs and fact fiction.
December's book fell into the genre of fact fiction: Mary, Mrs. Abraham Lincoln by Janis Cooke Newman. It was Halina Golicz's choice but Gail Webster assumed the role of discussion leader, one with which she was very familiar.
A retired middle school English teacher--- and the book club's founder--- Gail opened the conversation, asking if the author had stretched their crediblity in the quotes she attributed to Mary.
She raised for discussion also: Was Mary really mad? Did her son commit her to the asylum for her money? Was it Mary's ambition which led to Abraham Lincoln becoming president? In today's medical world might Mary have been diagnosed bipolar?
All had sympathy for Mary in the deaths of her children, in dealing with the coldness of her husband, and shopping for clothes to raise one's spirits. All agreed that the book was a good read.
There are nine book club members. They take turns holding monthly meetings on a Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. Refreshments are casual--an open bottle of white wine and one of red, a few light snacks with everyone helping themselves.
Joanne McCarty likes the diversity of the membership---the unique perspectives that come from the group's combined southern, midwestern, New England and Polish roots.
In a category of "must read", the book members recommend: The Thirteenth Tale-Setterfield, Those Who Save us-Blum, People of the Book-Brooks and The Widow's War-Gunning.
Among the contempory novels the members enjoyed were: Water for Elephants-Gruen, Pillars of the Earth-Follett: My Daughter in France-Keating; Loving Frank-Horan, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society-Shaffer, The Glass Castle-Walls; Snowflower and the Secret Fan-See; Where the Hart Is-Letts; The Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood; The Secret Life of Bees-Kidd, and all of the Da Chen books.
A favorite classic was Pearl Buck's East Wind, West Wind.
Books that disappointed them were: Zookeeper's Wife-Atkinson; Edgar Sawtelle-Werblenski; The River God-Wilbur Smith; The Profrssor and the Madman-Winchester and Possession-Byatt.
The Devil and the White City generated different opinions.
The book club has only one rule--- whoever chooses the book must have read it first herself. Gail says, "We learned that lesson early, the painful way."
With Visions of Sugarplums...........
Candy Lovers! This store is for you! Right here in Clinton on the Boston Post Road across from Grove Gardens.
What shall it be? Truffles, Godiva, Munson, gummy bears, lollipops, and even some romantic candy. There's something for every taste and age group.
Easter is coming. How about a custom made basket with a selection of his or her favorites. Delivered locally to the door too.
Or maybe, it's nuts that you find irresistable. Large, delectible fresh cashews, pistachios, chocolate covered almonds. Take a bag and help yourself to a variety. All are priced at $7.99 or $9.99 a pound.
The candy in the cannisters is one price at $6.99 a pound.
Too much to absorb all at once? How about relaxing a cup of coffee in the lounge while you make up your mind.
Welcome to the Candy Lovers Outlet at 342 East Main Street, Clinton.
The owners are Jeff and Lisa Bailey, a young couple who are the parents of 6 year old twins, Justin and Austin.
Lisa has worked as an office manager for 21 years. As a career change she chose a candy store because, "it's fun, and sweet." The couple also owns a second business on the premises, the L & J Salon which they have operated for seven years.
Lisa says they can afford to keep the candy prices reasonable because her Dad owns the building.
The Candy Lovers Outlet opened just after Thanksgiving. Customers' favorite choice to date has been the truffles, replenished many times since the opening. But there is candy for every occasion, and pocketbook...a novelty teddy bear for a child's birthday; a single white or red rose out of chocolate to say I love you, or I'm sorry; or a hostess gift saying how sweet you are to invite me.
The Candy Lovers Outlet is open seven days at 11 a.m. Closing time is 5 p.m., excepting Thursday and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. There is convenient parking in front within steps of the entrance door.
For questions or to place an order, call 860-669-2000.
Crocus, Snowdrops & Robins are here at last
Snow crocus--C. sieberi, C. chrysanthus and
C. tommasinianus--are in bloom in front of the Congregational Church and elsewhere in Clinton. Larger Dutch Crocus--C. vernus--should appear the third week of the month. While the cold and snows this year delayed crocus bloom by a week to ten days, common snowdrops--Galanthus nivalis--stuck their tall nodding heads above clearings in the snow at their usual late February bloom date.
Photos above were taken at 38 High Street.
History in the baking
The Piccadeli Station Deli and Bakery makes history as the Clinton's first fulfledged bakery.
Located in the restored, circa 1850, railroad Depot, on the Boston Post Road, across from Grove Street, Piccadeli is the creation of Kevin McHugh, a graduate of Johnson & Wales, and former pastry chef at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.
Where residents in the 1800's once waited for the arrival and departure of the New Haven & New London train, there are now displays of crusty artisan breads, giant frosted cupcakes, fruit tarts, eclairs, scones, turnovers, sticky buns, cookies, four layer vanilla and chocolate cakes, and tables where customers can sample the wares with a cup of coffee, have breakfast or a lunch of homemade soup, salad or sandwiches.
All food is prepared from scratch on the premises. Kevin begins his day at 2 a.m mixing up dough for fresh scones and muffins for breakfast. He moves next to the bread dough, the European kind--he calls it Artisan--- with thick outer crusts and tender insides.
He makes a foccadia bread with herbs, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, and stuffed breads, and by special order, an enormous square sandwich feeding 16 people.
Prior to Piccadeli's occupancy, the Depot stood vacant. According to railroad buff, E.C. Schroeder, president of the Clinton Historical Society, the Depot was built around 1850 and used as a station into the 1890's. It was then moved from its original easterly location, and rebuilt on its current site, serving as a freight station into the 1960's. The late Dan Buell, Schroeder said, remembered when cars were delivered by railroad.
Orthodonist Kenneth Carlough restored the Depot for his practice, after which Malone's Coffee Shop got its start before moving to the former Henry Carter Hull Library.
Kevin said everytime he drove by the vacant Depot on his visits to his daughters, he thought, "What a great spot for a bakery deli."
The Piccadeli entrance, with convenient parking, is in the rear, and includes a handicap ramp.
Kevin has made an effort to retain the train station's decor, and the ticket window has been retained inside the front hallway.
Piccadeli Station is open Monday thru Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sundays.
Phone: 860-664-0061 and 860-664-0062. Fax: 860-664-0095
Civic Calendar
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Thursday, March 11, Arbor Garden Club will feature a program by rosarian David Long of the Elizabeth Gardens in New London, in the Andrews Memorial Town Hall at 7 p.m. Event is free and open to the public.
Saturday, March 20, Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at the Andrews Memorial Town Hall, in green room, 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Call for an appointment at 1-800-733-2767 or on line at www.RedCrossBlood,org.
Saturday, March 27, Clinton Chamber of Commerce Expo, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Andrews Memorial Town Hall. Admission free.
Lou Bougie and Dib Burnham are in the front room reading letters from the Lord, Chalkers and Kelsey families.
Demonstrating the job, Lou picks a letter from a pile in front of him and begins reading, " My dear long long lost child! May I hope ever to hear from you, ever to see you. Long, gloomy years have passed since you left home. I am feeble, born down by the weight of years..."
I am rivetted. Lou stops reading and announces the first lesson in being a letter reader is to not get emotionally involved or nothing will ever be accomplished. He writes on a 3 x 5 card, "Killingworth, August 18th, 1850; letter from Mother M Lord", and places both pieces in a plastic sleeve.
A minute later, Dib bursts into laughter, quoting from a letter she's reading from a Clinton salesman's comment on a trip to upper New England to sell silver spoons, complaining that sales are not good because Connecticut dealers have a reputation of "gulling" (cheating) customers.
She giggles again over his second statement that the morals of people there are not good.
Lou shakes his head, signifying, "See what I mean about nothing getting done when one gets involved."
Over at the computer Bert Godwin, co librarian with his wife Ginny, removes a disk which he has just burned. and Charlotte Nealy moves into place and begins typing in more indexing records.
In the back room, across the table from Ted, Ginny is placing the completed indexed items into their properly assigned box, or file cabinet, or album.
Four years ago when the Godwins accepted the librarians' job, they had to begin from scratch in setting up an indexing system. Neither were trained librarians so they relied on Bert's former profession as an entomologist and began with the simpliest form of Number 1, which was a photograph of the Stanton House. Today, numbering is up to 15,480 items.
Double records are kept, the index books in the library and an indexing on disks for storage off premises in case of a fire.
If the library were destroyed, the disks would provide a record of the contents, with the first page of every document scanned on the disk.
Ginny describes their job as cataloguers, not researchers. They are the providers of the material that allows the researchers to pursue their work.
Occasionally, though, one of them, namely Ted Nealy, succumbs to the lure of researching a subject.
He has documented the life of Clinton's Civil War General Horatio Wright and Clinton's era of baseball when the whole town shut down to watch its star, a black man, Ted James play.
Ted Nealy in Sturges' box has found the guest list for his first marriage containing at the top of the list, the names, Mr. and Mrs. Ted James.
For persons interested in Clinton history, the Society's library is a veritable treasure trove of interesting material, and trivia.
There is a microfiche machine with issues of the Clinton Recorder on film going back to 1900.
There are family scrapbooks, and albums of obits, boxes containing ships' ledgers and ship captains' papers, and family geneologies, and real estate cards with descriptions of houses; and a collection of local authors' books, and early postcards.
Name a subject, and the Godwins will provide the location in a minute's time.
And if this weren't enough, Jane Welch----whose contribution to the library's collection is recording oral histories---- brings in homemade cookies to nourish the Wednesday gang of cataloguers and visitors.
There are cookies, as well as cataloguing and researching jobs to go around so if local history is your passion, you might want to stop by the library at Old Brick on Wednesday mornings, 9 a.m. to noon.
But be forewarned, Lou Bougie will expect you to work, and not just stand around and talk.
Not all trees coming down
Not every tree is coming down despite recent appearances.
Quietly and without fanfare, Clinton's Tree Committee has planted 75 trees in the last decade, some as replacements but most to add color and beauty of the town's thoroughfares, public buildings and changing seasons.
The impetus for a Tree Committee came from Carol Carlough Geiser following a hurricane which toppled an off balance tree in her front yard, trimmed for utility wires. A former biology teacher, that incident prompted Carol to enroll in a course at Conn College on urban landscaping, where she found her calling.
Carol still chairs the town's five person Tree Committee. She chose to go the town government route rather than a private citizen group in order to qualify for local government services, and state and federal grants.
To date the Committee has received $14,000 in grant money, which added to the town budget's stipend of $500, has allowed the planting of such species as sycamores, copper beech, London plane, cherry, dogwoods, sugar maples and redbud. Attempts to plant holly at the beach failed.
A thrifty shopper, Carol regularly checks the nursuries for sales. Her ideal planting tree is 7 feet tall, with a 2 inch caliper trunk and an 800 pound root ball, costing on average $200. She's thrilled when she hits a 50% off sale.
The town crew helps with digging holes but the committee likes to do its own planting. She prefers planting in fall, avoiding the summer maintenance of watering.
Carol's criteria for removal is the tree is dangerous, encroaching upon buildings, or just old and decrepid; otherwise, she prefers to let it remain.
The Tree Committee, Carol explains, is not a regulatory body, but simply advisory. She said its membership worked closely with the former Public Works director who served as Tree Warden, and continues to do so with current Tree Warden, Gary Bousquet, who is also an arborist.
"Gary called to say he was about to post a sugar maple tree on Cow Hill, and I was delighted to say, we have its replacement," Carol said.
Aside from exhibiting at the Chamber of Commerce's Expo, sponsoring an annual art show and applying for grants for more "creatively coloring", Carol aspires to embark upon creating a townwide inventory of historic trees, including those on private property.
She notes that the huge chestnut oak in front of the Congregational Church is, after a chestnut oak in Prospect, the largest in the state.
From The History of Middlesex County 1635-1885 (published in 1884):
In 1846, Buckminister B. ELDERKIN, George L. HURD Esq. And others living on East Main street, succeeded in a arousing a spirit of enterprise in tree planting. In the early spring of that year elm trees were planted on the East Green, on East Main street. These were carefully watered during two summers followings, and now several of the trees measure nearly eight feet and a half in circumference, two feet from the ground, and the whole presents a beautiful part worthy of the originators.
Previous to 1846, tree planting has made some progress, especially the planting of hard maples, and Main street, Clinton, is celebrated for its continuous double row of trees for the distance of a mile and a half. In April 1881, Hon. B. G. NORTHROP offered a premium of $100 to the persons who should set out the greatest number of trees during that year. This stimulus produced a large number of shade trees on the cross streets of Clinton that will, in time, make the village look almost like a forest of trees.