by Tony Schillaci and Don Church
photo by Ruth Tefft

L-R: Dana DellaMonica, Patti McClure and Nicole Marion in "The Spitfire Grill."

Songs of hopefulness, encouragement and renewal tell how a stranger helps to transform a depressed town, its inhabitants and herself for the better in “The Spitfire Grill,” a wholly American musical that plays at the Spirit of Broadway Theater (SBT) in downtown Norwich through September 27.

Its heroine, Percy Talbott, beautifully acted and sung by Dana DellaMonica, is paroled after five years in prison to a small town that she saw in a travel magazine.

Gilead, Wisconsin is in reality an economically battered town that has lost it hopes for a brighter future. Percy’s presence leads to uplifting changes in the lives and attitudes of most of the townspeople, especially Hannah, the tough-as-nails-heart-of-tarnished-gold owner of The Spitfire Grill.

As the play unfolds, each character has an opportunity to tell their respective tale more in song than dialog.  The folksy music and provocative and revealing lyrics swiftly move along this touching story of renewal. It has just the right amount of humor that bubbles out of the situations and the characters to make it all so human – a truly rewarding night at the theater for audiences of all ages.

Dana (Percy) and Nicole Marion (Shelby) treat the audience to beautiful vocal gifts when they duet in “The Colors Of Paradise,” and in solos – “When Hope Goes” (Shelby) and “A Ring Around The Moon” (Percy).

Patti McClure (who just completed playing the title role in the national tour of “The Drowsy Chaperone”) gives her heart and soul to the part of Hannah.  She practically steals the show with her superb performance, including the rousing, uplifting ensemble numbers “Something’s Cooking At The Spitfire Grill,” and the show-stopping first-act finale, “Shoot The Moon.”  She does the same with the second-act opening.

The show’s major comic relief is offered in the characterization of Effy, the town gossip and postmistress, skillfully performed by Heather Ruley who plays the troublemaker with just enough vulnerability to delight the audience – the pest you love to hate.   And her vocalization in the ensemble numbers is pure and memorable.

Of the three male cast members, only David E. Meyers as The Visitor does not sing; his silence speaks volumes and touches your heart in unexpected ways.

John Marion (Caleb) laments his job loss and hopelessness about his future prospects in “Digging Stone.”  John has gotten better and better in every performance he’s done at The Spirit of Broadway.

Sheriff Joe Sutter is sung and played refreshingly by Randy Taylor.  At last, a sheriff in a small town who isn’t a jerk!  His “Forest for the Trees” solo and his duet with Percy, “These Wide Woods,” are the “there’s no place like home” anthems of the piece.

The music and book is by James Valcq; lyrics and book by Fred Alley. It was nominated for many major awards Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country.

Founding Artistic Director Brett Bernardini has done it again as producer, director and now musical director – on piano and keyboard – for this show.  His always brilliant blocking and getting outstanding performances from his actors ensures consistently exciting shows at SBT.

Brett’s set design, coupled with Ruth Tefft’s costumes and Glenn Michaud’s lighting design make the town and inhabitants of Gilead come alive in imaginative and believable ways.

The sole criticism is that we did not get to applaud the wonderful musicians: Gus Guastamachio on percussion, Jan Zacharski on violin, Tim Maynard on guitar, Celeste Cumming on cello and director Brett Bernardini, a piano virtuoso.  Although unseen, these performers deserved to take their bows with the rest of the talented folks at “The Spitfire Grill.”

The Spirit of Broadway Theater, 24 Chestnut Street, down the hill from Norwich town hall. Tickets: (860) 886-2378. www.spiritofbroadway.org. Plenty of free parking.  

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Paws for the Good News that Rocks! Top Dog Rufus, while visiting Mystic, paws-es during his busy schedule to read the Resident with Alexis Ann, editor & publisher.

by Alexis Ann
photo by Tricia Cunningham

There is so much activity and excitement in our region!  While summer winds down, autumn’s action heats up!  The Resident Scoop for this issue is “New London Ledge Lighthouse A Century of Service” by Todd Gipstein, Groton resident, and National Geographic photographer / producer / writer.  Todd presents the history and some firsthand experiences inside this landmark.  Find out how you can help ensure its restoration and celebrate the 100th Anniversary of our Ledge Light during a Centennial Gala at Port ‘n Starboard, Ocean Beach, on September 25th.  More here.

Top Dog Rufus is accustomed to “red carpet” treatment, as he is the Top Winning Bull Terrier of ALL TIME.  When he came to Mystic, he was given the ‘red carpet’ Mystic Style – riding right seat in the Famous Pizzetta Fire Truck with chauffeur Chris Owens.  Thanks to Rufus for bringing the Spirit of Community back to Mystic during these dog daze of summer here.

Thanks for reading the Resident, the Good News that Rocks! Please remember to patronize our advertisers as they’re helping to make the “good news”  happen.

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story & photos
by Todd Gipstein

Visit the Resident on Flickr for more pics!

We were out in a terrible storm, coming up the coast of Connecticut. Our ship was being tossed. The seas were high, the wind and rain intense. We were scared. The helmsman gripped the wheel as we peered into the darkness. We were all looking for Ledge Light. We knew when we spotted that beacon, we would make our home port of New London safely.

We sailed on. The storm battered us. And then came the cry, “Ledge Light to starboard!” And we all saw it. That bright light, blinking in the darkness, telling us where we were, where to go. We breathed a sigh of relief.

Until you have been out at sea in a storm, you can never really know what that lighthouse means. To a mariner, it is comfort. It says, “You are home.”

It is a point on a chart. It is a building, alone in the sea, on a tiny manmade island. It is an aid to navigation. It is a symbol of maritime New London. It is New London Ledge Lighthouse.

Perched out in Fishers Island Sound, at the mouth of the Thames River, Ledge Light has served us for a century.

This is its story.

Around 1900, the Lighthouse Board determined that the increased boat traffic to New London harbor warranted a new lighthouse to supplement New London Harbor Light, upriver on Pequot Avenue.

Building of the lighthouse was authorized by the United States Senate in 1906 and in 1908 the contract to build the structure was awarded to the T.A. Scott Company of New London.  Total cost allocated for the project was not to exceed $115,000. Completed in 1909, the lighthouse was originally named Southwest Ledge; however, to avoid confusion with a lighthouse having the same name in New Haven harbor, the name was changed to New London Ledge Light.

The unique three-story, eleven room brick and granite design of the house came about as result of the influence of Edward Harkness and Morton Plant, two wealthy home owners in Waterford and Groton. They wanted the lighthouse to be representative of the styles of their homes. Architects came up with a design incorporating both Colonial Revival and French Second Empire styles.

Ledge Lighthouse was originally equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens, now on display at the Custom House in New London. The characteristic of the beacon was three white flashes followed by a red flash every thirty seconds. The lighthouse was placed in operation on November 10, 1909.  Three-man crews maintained the light and the house, doing the daily polishing, oiling, fueling, painting and repairs that a lighthouse needs.

Their days at the house included plenty of time to read, fish, make music, keep an eye on boats, and contemplate the beauty around them.
And then there was Ernie.

Facts about Ernie are hard to come by, but stories are not. Whether he ever existed is somewhat of a moot point by now. He has grown in legend and is so associated with Ledge Light that he might as well be real.

According to the legend, Ernie was a keeper, probably in the 1920s or 30s. His younger wife, who lived ashore, ran off with the Captain of the Block Island Ferry. Consumed with grief and loneliness, Ernie allegedly climbed to the roof of the lighthouse and jumped. His body was never found. But his business with Ledge Light was not done. Legend has it that Ernie haunts the lighthouse to this day. He sometimes turns on the foghorn on clear days. There are cold spots inside. Strange noises, whispers. Boats are mysteriously untied. All manner of occurrences have been ascribed to Ernie.

This writer can report he spent a night on Ledge Light unmolested by any spirits. Perhaps Ernie just found me uninteresting. Or maybe he was on shore leave.

There are other stories and other ghosts associated with this lighthouse. They are all as real as we want them to be.

Ledge Light continued on with keepers coming and going and the years spinning by. It survived the 1938 hurricane, when waves crashed up to the second floor and the keepers took refuge in the lantern room. The lighthouse was automated, and in 1987, the keepers left.

The same weather which creates painterly vistas of the light have also been its worst enemies. The relentless pounding of the waves, the wind, ice and rain have all taken a toll on this venerable structure. With no keepers to attend to daily maintenance, the structure has deteriorated. Ledge Light may look fine from a distance, but on a visit to it one encounters rust, crumbing walls, a foundation peeling away from the iron sub-structure, broken glass, and leaks. The building is itself a ghost, haunted by a glory that has faded with time.

What will happen to it? What will be Ledge Light’s next chapter?

Will it crumble away to be replaced someday by a steel tower?

Or will it be restored and preserved to be used as a museum, study center or bed and breakfast? Ledge Light has great potential, and there are many ideas for its future.

In 1988, the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit organization, received a thirty-year lease from the Coast Guard.  The Foundation wants to restore and preserve this landmark, a lighthouse that is one of the best known in America and a symbol of our area. Look how many business and organizations use it as part of their logos and you will understand the grip it has on our local hearts and how much it is a part of our identity!

The Foundation is in the process of merging with the American Lighthouse Foundation. Becoming a chapter of a larger organization will give us many more resources and options as we move forward.

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Ledge Lighthouse, we are holding a Centennial Gala at the Port ‘n Starboard at Ocean Beach on September 25th. There, we will be able to look out and see Ledge Lighthouse as we celebrate its century of service. There will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Music. There will be the premiere of National Geographic photographer/producer Todd Gipstein’s documentary film “Ledge Light.” There will be auctions of art, objects and experiences related to Ledge Light and our maritime area.

This once-in-a-century event will also kick off fundraising efforts. We need to raise as much as $40,000 dollars to conduct engineering and architectural studies to determine the exact status of the lighthouse and its foundation. Only then can we proceed with the actual restoration and adaptive reuse of this local landmark.

You can help us.

We need you to come to the gala and show your support. We need you to get the word out and encourage others to join us on September 25th. Tickets are $75. There are other donor levels of 250, 350, 500, 1,000, and 5,000 dollars (each includes 2 Gala tickets). You can send a check for tickets / donations to the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation at P.O. Box 855, New London, CT  06320. Or you can email your credit card information to Light@Gipstein.com. Or you can call us at 860.445.1949.

If you have ever looked at Ledge Lighthouse, ever sailed by it or fished near it, you will know what it means to this area. It belongs to us all.
We don’t want to lose it.

With your help and support, we won’t. With your help, this beacon in the darkness, this symbol of our area, this aid to navigation, this home for ghosts will live on for another century, lighting a path home for mariners and for dreamers.

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story & photos
by Alexis Ann

(Click on photo for ID’s)

Visit the Resident on Flickr for more pics!

Welcome Rufus!  On August 27th, Mystic rolled out the red fire truck – Pizzetta – for Top Winning Bull Terrier of ALL TIME, as printed on his business card.  It was quite an exciting couple of days spent in our historic town of Mystic in synch with the kick-off of the Seaport’s Dog Days of Summer promotion.

Kudos to Richard Prisby of the Whaler’s Inn, downtown Mystic, who with Florence Tambone, his public relations person, organized this warm, fuzzy event that captured audiences from far-and-wide to include CNN viewers every hour-on-the-hour.  Wow!!  PR doesn’t get any better!
First stop on Rufus’ busy schedule was Academy Point on Thursday, to catch up with some long-time friends, and make some new ones.  Paul Narducci, a local New London celebrity and resident of Academy Point, enjoyed meeting Rufus, a celebrity of his caliber.

Next stop for this busy ‘lil fellow was the Mystic Aquarium, where he greeted TV crews from CNN.  Rufus assisted in announcing the names of the California sea lion pups.

Then, he was off to the Seaport for a special debut, kicking off the Dog Days of Summer promotion.  He insisted on having a peek at our oldest whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan, as he likes to know what his cause is all about.

Yes! Top Dog agrees to make a grand appearance during a cocktail party held at the Ancient Mariner, downtown Mystic, to help raise monies for the restoration of the Morgan.

Skip Tarroca, owner of Ancient Mariner Restaurant spearheaded the fundraiser cocktail party, where everyone and anyone who so desired, showed for a meet-and-greet photo op with legendary Rufus.

A big thanks to Chris Owens, owner of Pizzetta, Mystic, for chauffeuring Rufus around town in his Fire Truck Company 77.  And, of course to Rufus’ parents, Mom, Barbara and Dad, Tom Bishop, Holmdel, NJ.

Thank you, Rufus, for bringing the Spirit of Community back to Mystic!

PROCLAMATION CH ROCKY TOP’S SUNDANCE KID “RUFUS”
WHEREAS, Rufus is a Bull Terrier (colored) and was born on April 8, 2009
to Sire Einstein The Joker and Dam Ch Rocky Tops Ulster;
and
WHEREAS, Rufus is owned by Tom and Barbara Bishop of New Jersey;
and
WHEREAS, Rufus holds over 750 titles including 35 Best in Show;
and
WHEREAS, Some of Rufus’s most notable wins are his Best in Show at the 130th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2006,
Best in Show at the 2005 Morris and Essex Kennel Club Dog Show
and Best in Show at the 2005 Kennel Club of Philadelphia National Dog Show;
and
WHEREAS, Rufus has also won the prestigious Bull Terrier Club of America Silverwood Trophy
and the BTCA National Specialty three times;
and
WHEREAS, Rufus holds the honor of being a Certified Therapy Dog with Therapy Dog International
and he spends his time visiting nursing homes, veterans’ hospitals, schools and animal rescue leagues;
and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Edward Haberek Jr, by the power vested in me as First Selectman do hereby proclaim,
Thursday, August 27, 2009 to be “Rufus Day” in the Town of Stonington.
Signed and sealed in Stonington, Connecticut this 27th day of August, 2009.

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