The Blackhawk helicopter from AVCRAD will be on display at the Groton Fall Festival on Saturday, October 10.
The countdown is on for Groton’s Fourth Fall Festival. It’s time to mark your calendar and save the important date of Saturday, October 10. This is a special community event created and sponsored by the Groton Business Association (GBA) of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.
Groton’s Fall Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a rain or shine event. You can obtain full information by going to the GBA website at www.grotonbiz.com or calling the Chamber at 860.572.9578. The deadline for registering is Friday, September 25.
For businesses, artists and crafters, it is an opportunity to connect with your current customers and attract new ones. For non-profit organizations it is an opportunity to promote your message to thousands in person.
The primary site is Poquonnock Plains Park, centrally located in the middle of Groton. This will be the site of an Arts and Crafts Show, business displays, exhibits and food vendors. Other sites for the Festival are Sutton Park, the location for skate board contests, and the Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High School, the location for the car show.
New this year is radio controlled airplane demonstrations throughout the day. RC Propbusters, a radio controlled model airplane club, is providing the aerial demonstrations. Back for another year, the Blackhawk helicopter from AVCRAD will be on display.
Fan favorite Brett Pill signs autographs before the game for (l-r) Troy Sullivan, Montville and Alex Huber, Mystic.
story & photo
by Vito J. Leo
For a couple of longtime season-ticket holders, the excitement surrounding the Norwich pro baseball team’s first playoff appearance in seven years was only tempered by a late-summer chill that descended on Dodd Stadium on September 9.
“If the weather is good, we’ll be here for every playoff game,” said Rose City resident Linda Jackson as she and her husband, Harry, cheered on the Connecticut Defenders as the Norwich nine easily handled the New Britain Rock Cats, 6-2, in the Eastern League playoff opener.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for years,” said Linda, a season-ticket holder for a decade. “These guys have had a great year and they’ve got one heckuva manager,” she said, referring to Defender-in-Chief Steve Decker.
Steve chose strikeout artist Ben Snyder to start this pivotal game with New Britain ace Deolis Guerra toeing the mound for the Rock Cats.
Both starting pitchers had rather shaky first innings, but Steve recovered far more quickly than did the Rock Cats’ hurler. The Norwich starter’s first three pitches of the game were balls but he then settled down and proceeded to tame the Cats, holding them scoreless until the ninth.
Deolis also settled down after a rocky first inning, but not before the Defenders had put a four-spot on the board, keyed by D.H. Martinez-Esteve’s three-run homer.
The Defenders finished atop the Northern Division with an 83-59 record this season.
(l-r) Amy O’Connor and Ed Dean give a toast in honor of their 23rd wedding anniversary.
by Ed Dean
photos by Alexis Ann
“Marriages performed by the Captain are valid only for the duration of the voyage.” So reads a sign aboard the Mystic Whaler, a windjammer owned and captained by John Eginton based in New London. On August 23rd, when Amy O’Connor and Ed Dean boarded the Whaler, the couple just laughed at the sign. It has been 23 years since they boarded for their wedding voyage. Both the ship and their wedding have weathered the times.
The Mystic Whaler (MysticWhalerCruises.com) is a vintage tall ship, built in 1967 and restored by Captain John in 1993 to pristine condition. With 83 feet of hardwood decking and 3000 square feet of sail, the schooner is frequently chartered for special events like this anniversary party.
On Sunday, there were many similarities to Amy and Ed’s wedding voyage 23 years prior… scrumptious clam chowder from the ship’s galley, swinging music – this time by Hot Cat Jazz Band (HotCatJazz.com) – sitting on the bow, numerous bottles of sparkling champagne and many of the same guests including parents of the bride and groom.
Now entering his fourteenth year as owner of Mystic Whaler Cruises, Captain John Eginton restored the Mystic Whaler in 1993.
This nautical anniversary was also marked by some key differences, most notably the addition of twenty beautiful teenage children of original guests, including daughters Danielle and Tara Dean who helped Ed arrange the surprise party. And much like the story of “Bride Wars,” this second trip also included close friends Margie and Al Warner, Chester, who missed the original wedding because they inconveniently scheduled their nuptials on the same day 23 years ago. And some new friends like Fred Brooke and Lynn McCarthy of Old Lyme, founders of the Angel Ride (AngelRide.org) that raises funds in support of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
After a sunny four-hour sail across the Sound, the Mystic Whaler returned to dock in New London. There, Ed – who is an adventure photographer (PhotoAdventuresWithEd.com) – used circuit camera technology, based upon the original concepts developed in the early 1900s, to capture memories of the day in a sunny panorama.
(l-r) The winners of the Fifth Annual CT Moose Riders Rig Roast Cook Off was the Moose Lodge 950 Team, Dave George, Little Mike, Andre St. George, Collin Laffey, Alexis Laffey, and Kevin Dubicki.
(l-r) Last year’s winners, Phil Michard, Steve Wisniewski, Mark Michard, and Ed Wisniewski, members of the Sprague Rod & Gun Team, came in 4th this year.
story & photos
by Alexis Ann
On Saturday, August 15th, the Bozrah Moose Lodge held their Fifth Annual Moose Riders Pig Roast Cook-off. They raised approximately $4300 and around 400 people attended the event. The money that was raised is used throughout the year to help various local charities and those in the community who are in need. In the past, the Moose Lodge donated to places like the Madonna House, Norwich, and the Backus Hospital Maternity Ward for their New Mother’s Program. The Moose Lodge also holds a chili night during the winter as another fundraiser.
Mrs. Gresh’s second grade class, Woodstock Elementary, handmade a quilt to donate to the “Blanket Norwich With Love” blanket drive at the Leffingwell House Museum. Their quilt is one of the many that brought the total delivered and distributed to 15 different shelters, organizations, people and animals in need to over 700! An amount double what was originally hoped for, as of September 9th. Volunteers of the drive will continue to collect and distribute blankets through Saturday, September 19th.
