(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.
Dime Bank is pleased and proud to be celebrating its 140th anniversary on September 27.
Dime was founded in 1869 as a mutual savings bank by a group of public minded businessmen. Its purpose was to provide a safe haven for the common workingman to save for his family’s future and, by so doing, improve the overall well- being of the community. The bank’s name, Dime, in fact embodies its purpose in that it was the average hourly wage at the time.
As we reflect back on Dime’s long history and accomplishments, what stands out among them is that Dime has never wavered from its original purpose. Its focus is still local people and community. While many other institutions have long since gone by the way of the pony express or been acquired by larger institutions, Dime has grown by progressively adapting to its customers changing needs and through that has become stronger. That strength is not only evident in its financial well being, but also in its ongoing commitment to its core values. One that it holds most dear is its strong belief in mutuality. For as a mutual institution, it controls its own destiny which ensures it will remain locally managed and oriented. It cannot be bought by a larger, regional or national institution looking to establish a presence in our market. Therefore, its customers can feel confident that it will be here tomorrow to meet their banking needs as it has over the past 140 years.
Today Dime is truly a community bank, offering a full range of financial products and services to meet the needs of individuals, businesses, non-profits and municipalities. It is here to serve the common good of the community similar to a local hospital or library. Dime has demonstrated this convincingly with the creation of the first bank foundation in our area in 1998. The combination of bank and foundation philanthropy serves as a community resource to countless charitable and community organizations. Additionally, its corporators, directors, officers and staff provide essential expertise and support to community by serving on local boards, membership in civic organizations or by becoming involved in school boards and local government.
As Dime has expanded, so too, has its services. It now offers a full service brokerage, investment advisory and trust services. Just recently Dime opened its eleventh branch in the Borough of Stonington.
We at Dime are proud of our heritage and long standing commitment to make the communities we serve better places to live and work. We thank all of our customers for their continued support and pledge to you to do everything in our power to continue to earn it.
Octagon is jumping right into fall with exciting new menus. Begin to experience the “Art of Steak” with a selection of our starters, including Peppered Kobe Beef Carpaccio with a spicy Arugula Salad or Crab & Asparagus Salad with Bitter Greens and Basil Vinaigrette or Truffled Mussels & Clams with Corn Madeleines or select your own starter plate with blackened Tuna Sashimi, or our daily raw bar including Oysters, Clams, Mussels & Shrimp. Continue your gastronomic journey with one of Octagon’s feature plates: Organic Free Range Roast Chicken with Thyme Tea and Artichoke Fries, Wild Pacific Salmon, Hawaiian Blue Prawns, or Aged Moulard Duck Sirloin with Shallot-Ginger Marmalade and Blood Orange Gastrique. Our current handcrafted Steaks include an 8oz certified Black Angus Tenderloin, a 16oz Brandt Farms all natural Delmonico Rib-eye, a 14oz Snake River Farms Kobe Sirloin, a 22oz certified Black Angus Kansas City Bone-in Strip and of course, Octagon’s Signature 24oz Chili-rubbed Bone-in Rib Eye. All prepared for you with a choice of nine complimentary rubs and sauces.
