Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Reviving the Village Gardeners

Last summer, many people in town were grumbling about how shabby the public plantings looked (right). All those beds of hydgrangea that dot the village were overgrown with weeds and they had not been mulched as in previous years. Jack Limpert decided to do something about it and talked to Debbie Munson about organizing volunteers to take care of the public beds. While the Board of Selectmen has budgeted for some maintenance, there are still other garden areas that will go to weed again unless volunteers step in to help. Jenny Law (below) and Karen Lindquist were weeding outside Town Hall on Sunday, and if you would like to volunteer to keep Falls Village looking its best this summer, call Jack Limpert, who is organizing weeding teams, at 824-5958.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Your View Counts!


Community Forum to discuss
The Future of Housatonic Valley Regional High School
Tuesday April 29, 7 PM
Lee H. Kellogg School



From the Region One Press Release:

Strategies are needed to ensure Housatonic Valley Regional High School students the best possible preparation for life and work. Difficult decisions will have to be made by the Board of Education as enrollment figures shift and economic factors continue to put pressure on limited resources.

To inform the Board's decision-making; a Long Range Planning Team has been established and has begun work. The Team, made up of community members, staff and faculty, has scheduled a series of public forums in each of the member towns, at which they will present important information as well as solicit citizen responses. A survey to record public opinion, accessible online and in print, will also be introduced.

The community's participation in this planning process is essential to the direction of Housatonic Valley Regional High School. All citizens in Region One are urged to participate in the forums, and respond to the survey

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Spring Wish List


The Falls Village Daycare is always looking for volunteers and donations. Here's the not-for-profit pre-school's Spring Wish List


Building & Grounds

Back door needs to be repaired
Tile by front door, and in I/T program needs to be replaced
Plastic window boxes for flowers – 5
Seed packets – vegetable and flower
Gardening tools
Someone to build and install shelves throughout the Center
Handy man to construct a covered sandbox, coat hooks for preschool, and build a baby swing set on the toddler play area.
Electric Dryer
Storage cabinet with doors
Computers: we need someone who can fix them!
Someone who can sew? We need a creative person to make us curtains. (Fabric to be provided by the Center)
Bookcases – 3 or 4 needed
DVD player
CD/Tape/Radio players – 1
2 sets of speakers for computer
Four or six passenger stroller for the infants under 12 months
Double Stroller
Picture paper for our computer and Kodak printing dock
Batteries – All sizes
Toddler outdoor climbing toys
Baby swings - 2
Our screens keep falling out! Any ideas for installing them so the children are unable to push them out?
Power washer – The Center is in need of a bath!
Plastic storage bins with lids (shoe box size)

DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE?
Fabric – for creative art projects
CD’s – burn you child’s favorite music (dancing and rest time music)
Dress up clothes – do you have any old Halloween costumes
Old magazines, grocery store flyers, or catalogs for activities

Falls Village Daycare Center Inc
35 Page Road
Falls Village, CT 06031-0261

860-824-0882

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Next Great Website: Real Memories.com


Last year at this time, Kimberly Rock and I were sharing our fantasies about what we'd do if we won the lottery and could buy the Falls Village Inn. In the meanwhile, we have each developed websites and if we're successful enough maybe one of us can buy the Inn someday. (Or maybe we'll buy it together.) Kimberly and her husband, Eric Haggard, who live in the sweet yellow house with the white picket fence on Main Street, have launched an awesome new business called Real Memories, where you can upload your digital photos and choose custom frames for each picture and add a personalized caption to the mat as well. Real Memories prints your pictures for you with high quality paper and ink and eliminates the guess work in trying to find a frame that fits your pictures and your decor. What's more, they will gift wrap and UPS every purchase, which makes it a great gift source for birthdays, anniversaries and Mother's and Father's Day. They manufacture their products in downtown Torrington, creating local jobs and boosting the regional
economy.

Real Memories reflects Kim and Eric's loving family life and devotion to making happy memories for their daughters, Jessy and Jordan (who are pictured above in their colorful playroom), which is why I decided to write about them for my new website, Rural Intelligence. Hopefully, this small-town synergy will someday rescue and revive the Falls Village Inn.

The Real Deal:
Kim and Eric are offering a 15% discount for their friends and neighbors in Falls Village. When you visit the site, enter code: intro15rm

Monday, April 14, 2008

The Newest Website in Town


Roberta and Tommy Scott, who run the meticulous Falls Village Flower Farm on Kellogg Road, now have their own website. All last year, they took photographs of the plants and flowers they grow themselves, so now you can browse their site and preview their stock in bloom before heading over to the farm to shop. The Scotts kept the site simple on purpose, because they wanted it to reflect the farm itself, which is all about exquisite, healthy plants and hands-on, personal service.

Added April 15:
Here's a story about another new garden website that should interest any serious plant person.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

A View from Backstage

Betty Tyburski, who now lives on the Twin Lakes, left her heart in Falls Village, where she lived for 35 years. A familiar face at the David M. Hunt Library, she volunteered backstage at the Falls Village Children's Theater production of "Annie". She writes:

Well, I woke up this morning and as I dressed, I sang silently to myself "Easy Street, (drum drum drum) "Easy Street," (dah dah dah dum dum)! At odd moments I have found myself singing "It's A Hard Luck Life" and other Annie tunes. Scenes from the play come forth again and again, such as Daddy Warbucks dancing with Annie or Miss Hannigan going off stage to let off a scream. I guess you can say that I caught the Children's Theater fever pretty bad, and that's good. What fun it was to be involved with the show! I was so high after opening night that when I returned home I could not get the electricity out of my body for several hours. It was such a incredible undertaking and it all ended so beautifully. I never saw the show from beginning to end until dress rehearsal night, and even then there were still some rough spots. (Holy Cow! The kids learned how to take their bows just before the opening night curtain!) And, when I attended rehearsals at Kellogg or the Town Hall I saw actors not knowing their lines and the general enthusiastic chaos of dozens of high-spirited kids running wild (until Lannie tamed them down with a few well-placed shouts). And from this organized chaos came forth a beautiful, mesmerizing, intoxicating play starring young children from tiny Falls Village. And I must single out six-year-old Elijah Stone: Seeing him on stage singing his solo, gently rocking side to side, tore my heart to pieces. Being behind stage was something to behold too. Some actors were high-strung, others were low-key. One scene that was especially fun to watch was when the kids formed a circle and played a hand-slapping, sing-song game and Lannie joined in. His back-stage presence, so calm and full of fun, was especially good for the children. His private pre-show pep talk with the actors, complete with nerve-calming screaming was perfect. He is a magician whose professionalism and devotion to theater turns untrained children into disciplined actors. Anyway, I thank the Falls Village Children's Theater for letting me take a small part in the production of Annie. I thank all the other adults whose hard work and devotion to a dream made the play Annie come to life for all who participated or came to watch. It was a memorable experience, to say the least. And now I sign off as I feel, once again, the urge to sing "Easy Street".
Director Lanny Mitchell helps his cast calm their nerves and let off steam backstage

Photos by Betsy Howie

What's Going on Inside 107 Main Street?


Annie Bidou knows, and she reports:

Since Clifton Jaeger moved out of the Old Town Hall space, I’ve heard rumblings in Toymakers Café that people are intimidated by the new tenants. No friendly pieces of art in the windows; no signs of who or what dwells within. In fact, it is Michael Klemens the herpetologist and Ken Leabman, his partner, who have settled in.(They're with Michael's son Robert in the photo below.) “We LOVE Falls Village,” they say. “It’s a magical, charming town.” I have been pleased to make their acquaintance through their visits to our café. First, let me clarify – a herpetologist is someone who specializes in the study of amphibians like reptiles, lizards, turtles and snakes. (During the recent bog turtle controversy surrounding the proposed golf course in Norfolk, Michael was consulted as an expert.) And he is wondering if there are any artistic young people out there who would like to draw some amphibians to post in his window! (Drop your artwork off at Toymakers and we’ll be sure they get it). As for Ken, I’m excited to report that he is helping Michael open a small antiques store in the front of the left side of the building this spring! The shop will specialize in antiques and decorative objects from the 1880’s to the mid-20th century. Signs of life on Main Street! Yes!! Michael and Ken are a quiet burst of fresh energy here in town.

Rather than providing privacy, the shades currently on the windows are there to protect the furniture, books and fabrics from U.V. sun damage. When the antiques store is ready, the shades on the left hand side of the building will be gone.
The two live in Amesville but dine frequently at Toymakers, where I hope some of you have met and spoken with them. Ken seems more easy-going, whereas Michael often is immersed in intense business or scientific conversations. But both of them have terrific senses of humor and delightful smiles, and I look forward to their visits. I think the most heartwarming moment was when I heard Michael say, “You know, everyone gets caught up in the politics of it all, and no one really cares about the bog turtle.” I have not followed, or taken sides in, the turtle controversy, but I am proud to have as a neighbor on Main Street a man who could make such a caring, intelligent, big-picture statement.

“We have been delayed in getting things going because of the ongoing renovations to the roof and windows,” Michael laments. At this point, they even struggle to get in the front door due to warping caused by water damage. With so much to contend with, let’s give them LOTS of encouragement to bring their trades to our fair town. And LOTS of business once they open their antiques store. Leaving a comment of support (or bringing amphibious artwork to the cafe) would help right now!