Mystic Times

A Look Back: Revisiting some of our favorite feature photos from 2008

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:19:48 GMT

In compiling our top five photos of the year, we considered several criteria in the process. Overall punch, great angles, drama, and irony, among others.

Using those criteria, we soon discovered several Times photos were contenders for the top five spread. As such, we had to expand our concept a bit and placed our second string of favorite photos in smaller form on the front page of the paper.

We hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed capturing them.

To view the corresponding Top 5 photo album featured in the Jan. 1 Mystic Times inside spread, click on the photo at right.

The Dolphin Perspective: Aquarium scientist pens guide to dolphin communication

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:17:25 GMT

They are questions that intrigue many humans: how do dolphins communicate with each other? What do their actions mean and to what extent can they communicate with humans?

A recently published book written by Mystic Aquarium scientist Kathleen Dudzinski and fellow researcher Toni Frohoff of Puget Sound, Wash., draws on their 40 years of studying dolphins in the wild to answer those questions.

Titled Dolphin Mysteries, Unlocking the Secrets of Dolphin Communication, the 272-page book is written in easy to understand language despite its references to numerous scientific studies. It includes several photos and drawings and even features a guide on how to properly interact with dolphins in various contexts.

Dudzinski, who studies wild dolphins in Japan, the Bahamas, and Honduras, has developed an underwater audio/video recorder that allows her to tape dolphin vocalizations and movements for later study.

On page 87 of the book, the two women ask the question: “So why study communicative behavior in dolphins?”

Dudzinski and Frohoff continue, “Obviously it’s a fascinating subject with many implications. But is there a greater purpose? Absolutely. Increased public education about dolphin communication and behavior may contribute to greater public protection of dolphins and their habitats...Knowledge of their behavior allows us to glimpse into their psychological and physiological condition. And this information in turn enables people to better manage and care for individuals as well as populations.”

They write that by “eavesdropping” on dolphins, we discover the ways dolphins communicate—with each other and with humans—“are incredibly sophisticated and complex, even by human standards.”

They also write that while animals of the same species direct behaviors to one another that are understood, effective communication between members of different species, is more challenging.

“Over time, individuals, whether dolphins or other animals, may learn the meanings of signals exhibited by members of another species and the two species may even develop mutually understood signs” such as those that exists between gorillas, dolphins, and dogs and their trainers.

Dolphins who frequently interact with humans also may have learned on some level how to communicate with them, perhaps to solicit certain behavioral responses from swimmers. Researchers point to the dolphins’ mimicry of human positions and vocalizations. Dolphins in swim programs are known to circle or somersault around swimmers and copy human actions while they play.

Dolphin Mysteries, Unlocking the Secrets of Dolphin Communication, which costs $30, is available from Yale University Press at www.yalebooks.com.

By JOE WOJTAS
Staff Writer

Hitting the Trail: Organizers continue work to create multi-town trail

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:14:07 GMT

With municipal support in place, the committee trying to build a recreational trail from Groton to Preston is on the verge of starting its fundraising campaign.

The Bluff Point to Preston Trail Committee, comprised of representatives from Groton, Groton Utilities, Ledyard, and Preston, has been together roughly a year. In that time, they’ve acquired broad support for the proposal to build a trail from Bluff Point State Park to the Preston Community Park in the Poquetanuck section of that town.

Now it needs the money to complete engineering studies to determine the exact route of the trail and even if it’s feasible. David Holdridge, chairman of the committee, said once the studies are done, the group could capitalize on the information by applying for various state and federal grants.

“We’re certainly encouraged by the fact that so many people feel positively about it,” Holdridge said recently. “This is possibly the most positive reaction I’ve ever experienced to an idea.”

The fundraising effort will be a local initiative. The group is considering asking for small donations from various civic organizations and businesses. It might even leave a few cans on countertops to collect loose change.

“The sooner we get the money, the sooner we can get underway,” Holdridge said.

Preston First Selectman Robert Congdon, a member of the committee and trail advocate, said even if the committee raises the roughly $15,000 needed for the study, as well as the money to build it, the group still has a lot of work to do before it can begin constructing the trail.

For now, the route is theoretical. Nothing will be permanently put to paper until a preliminary engineering study is done and property owners—public and private—agree to allow the route to cut through their land.

Despite much of the proposed trail incorporating the right of way, committee member Peter Borch said the ways make up two-thirds of the potential route. Obtaining easements and other legal documents could take years.

Along the way, the possible route will try to take advantage of several rights of way owned by the state, Northeast Utilities, and Groton Utilities. Obtaining permission, and rights, to use those paths may not be easy. One idea is for the trail, which would begin at Bluff Point, to head north and skirt around the Groton Utilities reservoir property near the Mystic Marriot before continuing north along Route 117. It will cross the Copp property, owned by the town of Groton, and then possibly take advantage of rights of way owned by Northeast Utilities before linking with the former Clark Farm property owned by the town of Ledyard before ending at the Preston community park.

When pitching the idea to Groton Utilities, Borch said the group provided information about Lake Saltonstall, owned by the Regional Water Authority in Branford, and the Airline Trail property in East Hampton.

Admittedly, a lot of work has been completed on the project over the past year. The committee has municipal support, and the state and utility companies are at least considering the proposal.

Those involved fully expect to feel like they’re occasionally “spinning their wheels” while trying to make the proposal real.

“Is it worthwhile to spin our wheels to make it come to fruition? Absolutely,” Congdon said. “If we can make a safe environment for families and people to travel from here to Bluff Point it would be very, very good.”

Al Dion, deputy director of the water division for Groton Utilities, said he’s aware of several successful trails and recreational programs taking place on utility properties throughout the state and Rhode Island. Currently, Groton Utilities offers supervised visits to its property, including hiking and birding activities. The company’s first mission, however, remains to protect the community water supply.

He said the plan, if implemented, must balance the reservoir’s safety and the opportunities for hikers and bikers to enjoy the vistas.

Regarding the proposal, Dion said, “We’re very fortunate here and have some great opportunities to work together.”

Some of those opportunities could include creating spurs off the trail that lead to different parks and commercial areas just off the route, he said.

By MEGAN BARD
Staff Writer

A La Carte: Scampi Into the Kitchen

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:12:38 GMT

One more holiday season has passed, and now it’s time to make fires in the living room fireplace, hunker down, snuggle under a couple of fleece throws, read lots of books and magazines, and, when I’m tired of reading or napping, scamper into the kitchen (which is pretty nippy after the warm living room) and make some good comfort food—soup for lunch, meatloaf for dinner or, a White House favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches on Arnold white bread and Campbell’s tomato soup made with milk.

This holiday season, Doug and I gave each other the best present ever: We took a train to New York City, had dinner at a restaurant called Celeste on the Upper West Side (amazingly inexpensive place that serves fabulous Italian food), then took a cab to the magnificent Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue.

Part of the cathedral was ravaged by a fire seven years ago and some of the damage included the 8,500-pipe organ. After disassembling the organ, the pieces were sent to Missouri, fixed, and sent back to New York. It took years before the organ was made whole. That night, we sat in the choir loft and watched and listened as the Paul Winter Consort—musicians, singers, an Irish dancer, tympani, and that incredible organ—played for three hours for the festival of the winter solstice. If you can ever go to this event next December (or consider going for the summer solstice in June), please do this for yourselves. The evening was positively magical.

We trained home the next day to Old Saybrook, arriving one hour after Doug’s oldest son, who lives in San Jose, arrived for five days. He’s a big eater, so that night I made pepperoni pasta with a salad and Doug’s bread. The next day I stuffed and roasted a seven-pound chicken along with mashed potatoes and sweet corn I’d frozen from the summer’s harvest. The next night, the second day of the snowstorm, we drove to Pizza Cucina (see “Nibbles”). The last night of his visit, I made scampi with linguine and another salad. I have been tinkering with scampi for years, and I think I’m finally getting it right. See what you think.

Scampi

Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (or a little more) good white wine

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth for extra liquid (homemade or good, low-sodium canned)

1 to 1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp, shelled and de-veined and allow to sit a few minutes on paper towel to dry

1 teaspoon of cornstarch

1/4 cup of white wine

1 tablespoon butter

20 to 25 grape tomatoes, halved
(optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper,
to taste

Fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 pound linguine or any kind of
spaghetti

Bring stockpot of water to a boil over high heat.

While water is coming to a boil, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic; sauté for 30 to 45 seconds. Add white wine and allow to evaporate a bit (about 3 or so minutes). Bring to medium and add chicken stock; allow to heat through. When hot, place shrimp in skillet. When the bottoms of the shrimp turn pink, turn them over. When done, remove shrimp from the skillet. Mix cornstarch with wine and add to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add tomatoes (if using) and cook for another few minutes. Add shrimp and cook for a minute or so, then add butter, salt, and pepper to taste and toss parsley.

Meanwhile, liberally salt boiling water and add pasta. Cook just until al dente (a little less than package directions). Drain pasta, and then add to sauce. Toss. Serve hot. (And although Italian purists cringe, I also serve freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese.)

Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can e-mail her at Leeawhite@aol.com.

Nibbles: A Recommendation by Lee

Usually I order pasta with meat sauce at Pizza Cucina, and it’s one of my favorite Nibbles ever. My husband likes that, too, but he also loved pasta with scampi and owner Robert’s chicken parmesan, which isn’t much of a sophisticated dish but he turns it into a symphony. We also love his pizzas, especially the Margherita and the authentic Napolitano with fresh mozzarella.

But a few weeks ago, in a mood of creative culinary pique, I ordered the BLT pizza. What arrived was what I think is the most interesting pizza of all: crispy, thin pizza crust with nice pieces of bacon, maybe a little cheese, and chopped tomatoes covered with creamy garlic dressing, tossed with the green parts of romaine lettuce. I am particularly fond of hot and cold things at the same time and the hot crust and bacon warmed the tomatoes, but the lettuce was at room temperature. I shared one slice, ate four more slices, then picked the bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes off the rest of the crusts. This way I could pretend that I was just eating salad.

Pizza Cucina

117 Boston Post Road

East Lyme

860-739-6234

New Year’s Resolution: Stay Smart

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:11:22 GMT

If there is a politician I would’ve liked to have had dinner with, it would have been Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Moynihan, who authored nine books during his 24 years in the Senate, is generally regarded as the last academic-as-politician, able to reference the ancient Greeks and labor statistics in the same breath.

Plus, I think there would have been plenty of whiskey.

But if I do at times weep for the future, it is over the debate over the role of intellect in public life.

It’s as though we can’t decide if want to elect a president whom we want to have a beer with, or one who can tell you intricate details about molecular structure of Coors Light.

Supporters of Barack Obama will say they are taken with the president-elect’s posture as the professor-in-chief, while right wing detractors dismiss his academic tone as elitist.

Meanwhile, the modern American conservative movement founded by eggheads such as William F. Buckley, Jr. and Irving Kristol threw in with George W. Bush and Sarah Palin, for whom public incuriosity was an election-winning strategy.

The most telling moment, for me anyway, of the election season circus, as reporters and bloggers were on constant Def-Con 5 alert for gaffes, was Palin’s comment about fruit fly research.

During a press event Palin was making a point about the federal government frittering away taxpayer money on projects that “really don’t make a whole lot of sense” and have “little or nothing to do with the public good. . . things like fruit fly research in Paris, France.”

Well, it turns out, that research into fruit flies has been valuable in the search for the causes of autism.

Now, I don’t have any proof of this, but I’m willing to wager that the fruit fly comment was a talking point meant to be humorous and innocuous.

Instead, it was especially embarrassing moment for the campaign, seeing how much they touted Palin’s sensitivity to families with special needs children.

But imagine for a second if at a press conference Obama gave a dissertation on how fruit flies are an integral part of autism research.

Can you just hear the cable television talk show hosts? “It’s Al Gore nerd-talk all over again.”

I’m sure Obama’s acolytes would have nodded along, in the same manner conservatives laughed along with Palin at Frenchies dissecting fruit flies.

Now that scene wouldn’t have happened, not the least of which because Obama is a much better politician than either Palin or McCain would dream of being.

After all, this supposed left-wing change messiah hired his opponent Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and invited Pastor Rick Warren, whose supporters helped ban gay marriage in California, to speak at his inauguration.

President Che Guevara this is not.

But I hope—there’s that word again—that Obama, who used the word “connotes” during an appearance on David Letterman and made me smile, continues to project his obvious intellect in public.

It’s not elitist to be the smartest guy in the room, especially when that room is the Oval Office.

And if maybe Obama can be a president that younger people look up to, maybe he’ll inspire them to know more tomorrow than they do today.

This is the opinion of Stephen Chupaska.

Star Search Begins For Area Boys’ Basketball: ECC graduated big-time talent from last year

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:10:08 GMT

Nicholson, DeNiro, Streep, Roberts, Pacino, and Hackman can’t star in every movie.

Sometimes a Philip Seymour Hoffman emerges from obscurity to win an Oscar. The same premise can be related to the Eastern Connecticut Conference boys’ basketball 2008-2009 season. Opportunities for new stars to step forward abound after a year of superstar headliner performances.

It was a rare ECC boys’ basketball season, featuring the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in New London’s Allan Chaney. The 6-9 forward is now playing at the University of Florida. Last year also starred three other college scholarship players in NFA’s R.J. Evans (Holy Cross), Killingly’s Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart), Stonington’s Kevin Donahue (Assumption), and his teammate Tim Sartor, who also scored more than 1,000 points.

The New London-NFA ECC Final drew 1,700 people to NLHS with another 200 fans left out in the parking lot hoping to get into the sold-out affair. It was a celebrity, star-fueled league a year ago.

Now, you can’t find a returning player who averaged more than 17 points a game last year and only a few who averaged more than 14. Where are the stars this year? Well, nobody heard of Carrie Underwood before American Idol. As the season unfolds, potential All-Area players will develop. But will they be worthy of Oscars or Razzies?

Who Are the Best Players?

Here are a few candidates for area basketball starring roles.

Jeremy Cumberlander –
Stonington

A 5-foot-11 talented, left-handed shooter could challenge 20 points a game and lead Stonington to a fifth straight strong season. Last year during the Bears’ 19-win campaign and run to the Class M semis, Cumberlander was the third scoring option behind Donahue and Sartor. Sometimes he was the fourth scoring option. This year, he will not have to defer to anyone, although coach Mike Reyes will stress quality shot selection to a player who topped 30 points often during middle school ball.

Nick Singleton and
Shakimm Curry - New London

Fresh off a football state title, the 6-foot-2 speedsters will be two of the better all-around players in the ECC, showcasing rebounding, defense, and scoring ability.

Andre Curiel – St. Bernard

At 6-6, one of the top rebounders and low-post presences. Played with last year’s stars on New London-based AAU youth team that made the national tournament four years ago.

Jon Nazarko – East Lyme

Scored 30 in the Vikings’ impressive 84-76 win over Northwest Catholic in the season opener.

Mike Gittens – Montville

Another player with size who has a big-time pedigree.

Greg Porter – Fitch

Six-four junior led Fitch in scoring as a sophomore with 15 points a game.

Trevor Murallo – Waterford

Transfer from Fitch scored 31 in an opening game victory over Montville.

Jesse Sutherland – Montville

Try to find a better major three-sport athlete than Sutherland, who is already All-Area caliber as a junior in football and baseball.

Kevin Castodio – Stonington

Six-three forward can bang underneath and hit 3-pointers. Though baseball is his top sport, he could sneak into some All-Area teams in this wide-open basketball season.

Conor Gleason – Wheeler

The junior guard has started since his freshman season. With his 3-point shooting range and green light to shoot, he could produce some impressive numbers.

Who Are the Best Teams?

Pencil in NFA and New London into the ECC Final again. Neal Curland’s NFA squad lost Evans but returns a host of role players ready to step up. New London will dominate ECC Small. Stonington and Windham will battle in the Medium. NFA is the pick in the Large, although East Lyme might challenge and Fitch will improve greatly from 3-17 season.

By Larry Kelley
Special to the Times

One Man’s Pilgrimage: Local man’s Q&A book on the Mayflower Pilgrims gains in popularity

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:06:38 GMT

Montville resident William Muttart started out researching and writing a small history of the Mayflower Pilgrims and their arrival in America because he wanted to create an accurate history to pass on to his three sons, six grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.

The motivation to write that history came in 2001 after Muttart discovered he is a direct descendent of seven of the 102 passengers onboard the Mayflower who braved the cold North Atlantic during their 66-day journey from England late in 1620.

“Prior to that, even though I was rather interested in history, I really hadn’t paid much attention to the story of the Pilgrims,” Muttart stated.

Shortly after he learned of his family’s lineage, however, Muttart says he began noticing how articles in newspapers seemed to be highly critical of the Pilgrims.

While some early information he found was true—like the Pilgrims did not first step ashore onto Plymouth Rock but waded ashore on Nov. 11 west of the area known today as Provincetown, Mass.—he found so much other conflicting and negative information, “I began to wonder if everything I’d been told about the Pilgrims was true,” he said.

His research over the next five years eventually turned into the book One Hundred & Eleven Questions & Answers Concerning the Pilgrims: Passengers on the Mayflower, 1620, which Muttart self-published in 2007.

In the 16 months since its initial publication, the book has been gaining the interest of history buffs, historical scholars, and school teachers.

A background investigator by trade for federal judges assigned to the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, Muttart is familiar with the process of digging into records to ferret out information.

“If you learn nothing else from this job, you learn that you better be accurate, you better be objective, and you better be thorough,” he pointed out. “I wanted to put together objective information no matter where it led me.”

Once Muttart had completed his initial research and recorded what he’d found, he realized it was time to verify his facts.

“I contacted the Mayflower Society, in Plymouth, and they referred me to a woman who was a former librarian for the society who was quite knowledgeable about Pilgrim history,” he explained.

That librarian was Linda Ashley, whom Muttart says he still has not met in person.

“When she read the material, she thought I had the beginning of something that should be published, or at least distributed on a wider scale than just to my family. She edited a couple of drafts and was pretty supportive of the whole project, so I asked her if she would co-author the book with me,” Muttart said.

When Muttart sent the manuscript to Peggy Baker, director of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, she agreed to look at it despite her initial reservations.

Her quick reply was a welcome surprise for Muttart, who wanted his information to be as accurate as possible.

“She wrote a five-page letter to me, and it was right to the point, telling me where my information was wrong,” Muttart said. “I really appreciated that, because that was really the springboard for my information being accepted and being accurate. I really have to thank Peggy for getting me over the top with my information.”

The stamp of approval for Muttart came when the staff at Plymouth Plantation agreed to offer his book for sale.

“That’s the last place I would have expected to market my book,” Muttart admitted, “since they are very particular about what they handle. You’d better be accurate about your information.”

Over the past year more than 300 copies have been sold at Plymouth Plantation, and Muttart says the buyer sent him a note recently declaring the book a “huge success.” Muttart believes the book has become such a success in the marketplace—considering the number of related titles it’s competing against—because it contains no long narrative, no fictionalized storytelling, and no drawn-out characterizations, just quick questions and answers.

“I call it a ‘Reader’s Digest’ approach, where you can pick and choose a few questions, and then hopefully you’ll want to read the whole thing,” he noted.

While the material is stated simply, Muttart says much of the information he provides deals with controversial information about the Pilgrims.

“What’s bothered me over the years is the great amount of erroneous information that’s been printed. And it seems like the week before Thanksgiving [each year] everybody wants to dig up an article about the Pilgrims that exposes something about their background that is rather unsavory,” Muttart mused.

“I rarely see an article that is very truthful toward the Pilgrims. It really surprises me,” he added, and describes how an archeologist mentioned in one article said “the Pilgrims were intolerant and discriminated against Catholics, Jews, and Indians.” It’s a statement that Muttart takes exception to, since his own research has never been able to reveal documentation to support such a claim.

“There may have been an individual Pilgrim who did something at one time that wasn’t acceptable, but as a group there was never any indication of that,” Muttart stated.

In the 16 months Muttart’s book has been on the market, teachers across the country who have gotten wind of it have ordered it for their students, and the Governor General of the Mayflower Society published a review recommending that all 27,000 members of the society place it on their reading list.

“When I started doing this, you might assume I was trying to find information that would put the Pilgrims in a better light,” Muttart said, “but I wanted to write what I found just for my children and grandchildren, no matter what I found.”

By Jason J. Marchi
Times Correspondent

“One Hundred & Eleven Questions & Answers Concerning the Pilgrims” by William P. Muttart and Linda R. Ashley is available from the publisher at $16.50 for a single copy, two books for $15.50 each, and three books or more at $14.50 each. Prices include the cost of sales tax and shipping. For more information, write to Mayflower Books, P.O. Box 341, Montville, CT 06353; send e-mail to mayflowerbooks@99main.com; or call 860-848-7418.

Nature Notes: Raptors at our Feeders

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:02:24 GMT

The increase in bird feeding throughout the year across the United States and Canada has resulted in larger numbers of normally migratory birds remaining in the north during the winter and a northward range expansion of several one-time southern birds such as the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottis).

Many of these birds are able to switch between an insectivorous diet during the summer months and a seed-eating diet during the winter. Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis), red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus), and many others benefit from the warmheartedness of their human neighbors. In return, these birds give us many observational pleasures and provide the careful watcher insight as to their social behaviors.

A Not-so-beneficial Effect of Bird Feeders

Looking out my window one afternoon, I saw the back and tail of a crow-sized bird hunched over on a tree branch in the yard. As I watched, the bird resumed pulling at a lump it was holding down and feathers were scattered to the wind. By its size and the barring on the tail, I knew I was watching a juvenile Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii) having lunch. Only rarely was the hawk’s head visible, but when I attempted to get closer, the hawk grasped its prey in the talons of one foot and flew into a nearby evergreen where I could no longer see it.

What was the Prey?

I retrieved some of the feathers and identified the prey as a mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). I surmise the hawk had captured the dove as it flew to a neighborhood feeder and carried it to my yard. As a mourning dove is about one quarter the hawk’s size, the dove would make a substantial contribution to a Cooper hawk’s daily energy needs.

Hawks at Bird Feeders

In conversations with several neighbors who feed birds, I find they have mixed feelings about these small hawks: Some people despise them for killing “their” birds, others realize that hawks have to make a living like other animals do. What intrigues me is that some people who have a “thing” against hawks find nothing wrong with letting their pet kitty out of doors to wreak mayhem, or to feed feral cats which in sum kill millions of birds each year. At least the hawks eat what they kill. Maybe their habit of eating in broad daylight is what riles those who feed the birds.

Birders note that when there is a hawk in the neighborhood, many smaller birds disappear and nearby feeders are avoided for a while. On first arriving at a feeding station, a Cooper or the smaller sharp-shinned hawk, A. striatus, may take three or four birds in quick succession. The smaller birds rapidly become wary and the hawk locates a nearby hiding place from which to dart from ambush to capture more prey. Usually the hawks only visit a feeding station for a short period of time each day and take a bird or two. If a feeding station is especially busy or there is an exceptionally good hiding place nearby, the hawk may continue to visit for one or two weeks, but eventually the prey birds stay away, and the hawk has to find another location or starve.

Coopers Hunt
Late in the Day

Both hawk species burst out of dense foliage during the day, scattering and sometimes capturing smaller birds at feeders. They take advantage of the need for birds to find food regularly on short winter days. In the northeast, it gets dark soon after 4 p.m. and diurnal (day active) birds become less cautious as the day ends because they have only a short time left to find food and consume it.

In addition to hunting at feeders, hawks focus on intercepting unwary birds making their way to their overnight accommodations. Cooper hawks often capture prey just as evening falls. When successful, one will continue to feed well after dark.

Defensive Behavior of Prey

Some birds mob (harass) and scold these hawks. This behavior seems to bring other birds’ attention to the predator, helping them locate it, and reducing the hawk’s ability to capture prey unaware. Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) mob hawks and owls all year long; while mockingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, and common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) primarily mob these birds during the breeding season. During these short winter days, however, most birds merely leave the area when a hawk moves in.

Albert Burchsted is a field biologist recently retired from the College of Staten Island, part of the City University of New York. He lives in Niantic and can be reached via e-mail at al.burchsted@gmail.com.

Oh Peanuts! Make your 2009 resolutions green

Interactive Desk — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:01:38 GMT

Even in these austere times, when there may have been fewer gifts under your Christmas tree, or perhaps gifting this year took on a more rudimentary approach: groceries, cash for heating oil, or re-gifted items, and fewer of those perplexing things someone gave you that you never really knew what to do with, there’s always the post-holiday hang-over question: What to do with the mountains of packaging peanuts?

Convenient to a fault, plastic polystyrene peanuts have had a population explosion in recent years, mostly thanks to the growth of Internet shopping. With the advent of Cyber Monday, no doubt you have a spare box or bag of them lying around the house.

Admit it, you’re tempted to set packing peanuts out with the trash, right? Or maybe on recycling day—towns must accept these things, right? After all, many municipalities pick up Christmas trees soon after the holidays.

Most of our packing peanuts are chemical based, which means they will be around forever. While they aren’t recyclable, they can be reused many times, according to Janice Ehle/Meyer, recycling coordinator for the Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency (CRERPA) in Old Saybrook, which serves the nine communities on either bank of the river or next door along the Sound.

Ehle/Meyer suggests checking with local packaging services, antique shops, and Ebay auctioneers who may be in constant need of packing materials. Back in October, in the middle of my fall cleaning attack, Office Express in the Old Lyme Marketplace gladly accepted my peanuts.

The peanuts must be clean and dry, whether you’re storing them yourself for next year, or handing them off to someone else.

No, although I have many home remedies drilled into my brain, thanks to my Depression-scarred parents, peanut washing isn’t one of them. Those things became ubiquitous much later than the 1930s.

As packers and shippers also look for more green products, you might find that some packing peanuts are made from a vegetable derivative and will break down in our environment. It’s hard to tell the difference, unless you get a few wet. If they disintegrate, they are made from vegetable matter. If not, they simply float.

If you’re still at a loss for what to do with your allotment, Ehle/Meyer suggests contacting the Plastic Loosefill Council at 800-828-2214 for a list of drop-off centers. Or, if you have massive quantities, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers at 410-451-8340.

Whether we re-purpose our peanuts or not, Americans at least entered the holidays with the intention of being greener gifters, according to Plow and Hearth (www.plowandhearth.com), a national catalogue and Internet retailer that specializes in home and lifestyle products.

More than half of Americans said they were likely to purchase environmentally friendly gifts, according to P&H. Although money was listed as the single largest obstacle, up to two thirds said respondents were willing to spend 10 to 25 percent more to “go green,” and women were more likely than men to do so. Those were
September or October sentiments, so it would be interesting to see if actions followed intentions.

When she’s not writing or talking, Suzanne can be found puttering around her gardens in Old Lyme. Contact Suzanne at sthompson@wliswmrd.net.

If you’re ready to start the New Year with a green thumb, tune into my weekly radio show, “CT Outdoors,” on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Matt Kunze, New England Wild Flower Society’s chief propagator, will talk about the secrets of native wildflower seed propagation. Catch the show at 12:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Sundays at 7 a.m. on WLIS 1420 AM, Old Saybrook or WMRD 1150 AM, Middletown.

Mule at Work: Kawasaki Mule on loan to Mystic Fire Department

Interactive Desk — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:34:51 GMT

The Mystic Fire Department recently acquired a brand new mule, but it’s not the department’s latest pet, and it certainly bears no resemblance to a donkey.

Thanks to the Kawasaki Loaner Program and New England Cycle Works of Groton, the fire department recently took delivery of a 2009 Kawasaki Mule for use at emergency scenes. In addition, the Mule will also be available to the Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. The machine will be made available for mutual aid to other departments for off-road emergencies and other incidents.

Mystic Fire Department’s Assistant Chief Anthony Manfredi explained, “It’s going to be used for parades and special events in the area. It’s going to carry a medical defibrillator, and it’s going to be used for our regional HAZMAT team to transport HAZMAT technicians and the equipment they need to hot zone areas.”

The Kawasaki Mule is a four-seater but can convert into a two-seater. “It has an extra long bed on it, so if we had to we could put two backboards with two patients on them and transport them out of a wooded area, for example. It’s very versatile,” Manfredi said.

The Mystic Fire Department approached New England Cycle Works about Kawasaki’s loaner program for emergency services. The vehicle is on loan for 11 months, at which time the department turns it in.

“Kawasaki gives [New England Cycle Works] a little discount on selling it, so they sell it for less because it’s a used vehicle. It helps everybody out,” the Assistant Chief said.

Recently, the Mule put in some time on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition site in Voluntown.

“It provided a great asset to our Incident Management team that we sent up there for transportation around the site. I transported it up there to transport the different key players around the site. They used it day and night. It was available to them 16 hours a day,” Manfredi noted. “It’s nice to know it’s already been put to good use.”

After the loan period is over, the department plans to renew the contract to procure another vehicle. “It would be up to New England Cycle Works to do it again, but they seem pretty positive they’re going to,” Manfredi said.

Fritz Hilbert, chief of the Mystic Fire Department, added, “The Mystic Fire Department is extremely grateful to Jeff Welcome at New England Cycle Works for his willingness to help out the Emergency Services and take part in this special loaner program developed by Kawasaki. We are very fortunate and thankful to Jeff and his staff.”

“We’re lucky enough to be involved with a manufacturer that participates in the program,” said Welcome. “It was a combined effort between the Mystic Fire Department, New England Cycle Works, and Kawasaki to loan this vehicle. It’s good exposure for us, but most of all it’s for the community.”

Manfredi added, “They’re really excited about working with emergency services in the area. It’s a big asset to us—not only to us but the whole region.”

By Susan Cornell
Special to the Times

Top Books and Beats: Local business owners recommend book and music titles

Interactive Desk — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:32:05 GMT

Eons ago, in the Paleozoic Era, people went to bookstores to get books and to record stores to get records.

There they met professional bookworms and record store geeks behind the counter, people that the writer Nick Hornby called “professional appreciators.”

Despite the twin meteors of the Internet and big box stores, these places still exist in southeastern Connecticut.

And the people that work and own book shops and record stores are still experts in their fields and have opinions about what was good reading and good listening in 2008.

Dan Curland, owner of Mystic Disc in downtown Mystic, counted Rockferry by Duffy, the 24-year-old blue-eyed soul singer from Wales, as one of the best albums he heard this year.

And Curland was tipped off about Duffy from an unlikely source.

“My 9-year-old daughter, Lena, turned me on to her,” he said. “[Lena] has good taste.”

Curland said Duffy reminded him of the late Dusty Springfield, whose Dusty In Memphis, from 1969 was produced by the late Jerry Wexler.

Rockferry features former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler as a producer, whose string-laden arrangements are both baroque and restrained.

“Listen to that,” Curland said, while cueing up the title track. “Not bad for a blond-haired girl from the UK.”

The other albums on Curland’s turntable—vinyl is king at Mystic Disc—include the latest archival releases from Bob Dylan (Tell Tale Signs), Neil Young (Sugar Mountain –Live at Canterbury House), and Stephen Stills (Just Roll Tape from 2007).

For jazz fans, Curland recommended the box set commemorating the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, that includes a double CD, a vinyl edition, and a DVD about the making of the record.

Blues fans should check out the latest by Lurrie Bell, whose Let’s Talk About Love, from 2007 was the strongest seller at Tumbleweeds in downtown Niantic in 2008.

“That sold every time we put it on in the store,” owner Tara Wyatt said.

Wyatt also said Jukebox by Cat Power, the nom de rock of singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, was another popular release that sold plenty at Tumbleweeds.

As for what she found interesting this year, Wyatt has been feasting on a steady diet of soul and funk.

“I don’t listen to a lot of mainstream stuff,” Wyatt said.

Foremost has been Pebble To A Pearl by Nikka Costa.

Wyatt noted the most mainstream thing she’s been smitten by is the latest by Brett Dennen, the folky from California, who has recorded with the Afro-beat singer Femi Kuti.

Down Main Street at the Book Barn, owner Randi White said the most notable book he’s read this year has been The Knack, not to be confused with the band of “My Sharona” fame.

Appropriately enough, The Knack, by Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham, is an economics book aimed at small business owners.

White said that most financial advice titles are written either by or for people who work at Fortune 500 companies.

“I’m not one of those companies,” he noted.

And business has been relatively brisk this Christmas season at the Book Barn.

“We’ve seen a definite increase in the number of used books sold this year,” White said. “The collectable book market has bottomed out, but people are buying used ones as stocking stuffers.”

As for reading material on his nightstand, White said that most of his favorites this year have been mysteries.

Patience Banister, co-owner of Bank Square Books in Mystic, was most impressed with Mudbound, by novelist Hillary Jordan.

She said that President-elect Barack Obama’s books, The Audacity of Hope and Dreams From My Father, continue to be hot sellers.

Also Banister has been selling plenty of copies of Wally Lamb’s latest, The Hour I First Believed, and Toni Morrison’s new novel, A Mercy.

And young readers have been scooping up copies of Stephanie Meyers’ “Twilight” series and The Tale of Beedle the Bard, the latest by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

“It’s not selling as much as the Harry Potter books,” Banister added.

By Stephen Chupaska
Staff Writer

Carl C. Cutler Middle School Honor Roll

Interactive Desk — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:29:46 GMT

Grade 6

High Honors: Jonathan Barstow, Shea Berry, Matthew Bonner, David Burstein, Alyson Clarke, Katrina Codilla, Ashley Cronan, Nicolas Devaux, Mikaela Dimaapi, Nicholas Fairbank, Haley Flax, Diana Francis, Jacob Franklin, Sam Gardner, Katherine Georgetti, Kathrine Grant, Jaliyla Griffin, Catherine Hodgkinson, Megan Keogh, Jacob Kowalski, Rohit Kumar, Ryan Mayer, Daniel Mewha, Ashley Montgomery, Grace Moriarty, Conor O’Donnell, Daniel Osborn, Michaela Poppick, Janessa Reeves, Giacomo Roberts, Cooper Robinson, Arielle Stanberry, Nicholas Starasinic, Sophia Streimer, Lauren Szczesny, Morgan Tess, Raymonjo Victorino, Alison Wilkinson, Madeleine Williams, Dakota Williams, Montana Woods

Honors: Margaret Adams, William Baldwin, Bryan Brown, David Brown, Sean Carrigan, Vincent Chen, Robert Comerford, Alexis Conant, Patience Coombe, Hayley Cooper, Jamie D’Angelo, Cassidy DiCarlo, Amber Dickinson, Andrew Dion, Isabel Ellery, Isaac Ervin, Ryan Glass, Kimberly Hernandez, Rosemary Hofstedt, Joshua Hooper, Regina House, Olivia Johnson, Danielle Keefe, Jacqueline Lewis, Joseph Luethy, Rachel Luke, Drew McCarty, Matthew Nowak, Isabella Nowakowski, Finian O’Connor, Alana Olendorf, Brett Perry, Adam Reinhold, Kevin Ryan, Alper Sahin, Olivia Shinn,
Emma Stark, Luke Teixeira, Kyle Thompson, Bennett Tiesinga, Gabrielle Westrate, Cameron Wilhelm, John Woodard

Grade 7

High Honors: Alexandra Abbiati, Joseph Allyn, Robert Anderson, Elizabeth Arruda, Brianna Berg, Kendra Blomstedt, Jacob Bondy, Kayla Brown, Samuel Caramante, Madeline Carney, Lisa Chan, Kathryn Charette, Sarah Dinovelli, Grace Dotzert, Caroline Entwistle, Marc Evans, Avery Fiftal, Timothy Flynn, Michael Gaiewski, Odessa Glaza, Zakkiyya Griffin, Cooper Halvordson, Zahra Kamel, Kelly Kerst, Jacklyn Kokomoor, Madeline Kotfer, Tyler Latham, Jim Lin, Madeline Little, NaKeisha Little, Susannah Lucey, Thomas Mason, Daria McKenna, Nicholas Nado, Rose O’Connor, Russell Parker, Abigail Plungis, Joseph Podbielski, Rachel Pollard, David Porter, Jack Porter, Summer Roberts, Hunter Schramm, Sierra Scott, Andrew Singer, John Stevens, Christopher Weaver

Honors: Aurora Abad, Jacob Benavidez, Amanda Brown, Matthew Buechel, Zachery Cloudas, Joseph Conahan, Brooke Davison, Mark Dunning, Aiden Ely, Joshua Fillion, Kurt Fitzgerald, Christopher Freeman, Richard Greider, Jackson Gunderman, Nicholas Hampton, Joaneta Laurent, Chase Lettrich, Bailey Mahler, Ruyah Mansour, Megan McLeod, Joseph McNeil, Jessie Moroyoqui, Corina Pinder, Christian Price, Josee Rockwell, Isabelle Rousseau, Ashley Salazar, George Sefransky, Madeline Sisson, Nathaniel Smith, Robert Watts, Matthew Wilkinson, Isabella Zazzaro,

Grade 8

High Honors: Krystal Czapek, Alyssa Denno, Alex Devaux, Kailyn Doiron, Cecilia Dolan, Clare Doyle, Ian Etienne, Elizabth Gaccione, Sarah Giblin, Lauren Hunt, Alexander Keller, Julia Lane, Catherine Lanyon, Katherine Mason, Erika Mayer, Caitlin Noel, Stacia Pombrio, Allissa Poppick, Zachary Porter, Jocelyn Rogers, Michael Semancik, Srinivasa Srirangam, Christina Szczesny, Emmy Walrath, Crystal Westrate

Honors: Ashley Adams, Sara Adams, Peter Aldrich, Amar Barta, Ian Boyd, Shawn Burns, Julie Chamrad, Amber Coombe, Brady Cronan, Alexander Davis, William DeCourcey, Gregory Dolan, Miriam Etienne, ZacharyFernandez, Nancy Fitzmorris, Jesse Gardner, Malanie House, Peter House, Sabrina Innaurato, Christopher Kane, Cassandra Keefe, Stefanie Kiely, Austin Kliphon, Olivia Kosztala, Rubayet Lasker, Alana Luzzio, Eamonn Maguire, Alba Marques, Eden McDowell, James Messina, Jack Moriarty, Catherine Nowakowski, Jeanelle OCampo, David Oko, Joshua Paquette, Matthew Pochal, Jonathan Shaffer, Coral Smedberg, Lauren Smith, Chloe Taylor, Paige Vinson, Kristen Wagman, Elizabeth Wallace, Roslin Wilhelm,
Carly Wilson, Alexandra Wisniewski, Kathryn Yalen, Holly Zeppieri

Mystic Middle School Honor Roll - Trimester 1

Interactive Desk — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:29:04 GMT

Grade 8

High Honors: Emily Calobrisi, Zachary Goldberg, Ian Grasso, Mollie Kam, Sophie Kornacki, Sophie Moore, Allison Murphy, Amanda Roy, Renee Sajedian, Lucy Schlink, Chloe Slater

Honors: Kimberly Armstrong, Cody Arsenault, Jordan Auber, Devin Bogle, Clare Bornstein, Monica Brooks, Annika Burgess, Cory Candelet, Christopher Chapman, Christopher Chevalier, Alice Clark, Patrick Coan Melanie Coffey, Mackensie Crowley, Dominique Curtis-Charbonneau, Avery Dodd, Sarah Downie, Amy Dugger, Colton Faria, Eric Fast, Julia Ford, Lise Freitas, Brenden Gayowski, Sarah Gosselin, Keegan Gray, Nicholas Herrman, Gustaf Jungnelius, Tyler Kelly, Jennifer Leandro, Cameron Lyon, Hunter Minicucci, Nicole Mitchell, Joni Moody, Kaitlyn Morin, Jay Nieuwenhuis, Alexander Nolan, Amelia Palmer, Carly Paulauskis, Kiera Petersen, Daniel Riordan, Anna Sentell, Sarah Shea, John Skogerboe, Stephanie Stearns, Madison Sutton, Haley Thompson, Adam Tran, Aaron Williams

Grade 7

High Honors: Charles Dipollino, Matthew Fields, Kyle Gillick, Emily Green, Emily Grey, Elizabeth Hall, Jamie Hayes, Alessandra Jimenez, Henry Kaczman, Montoya Miller, Caitlyn Near, Alexander Orf, Zachary Poirier, Emily Prue, Eric Zhang

Honors: Chelsea Alfonso, Andrew Armstrong, Haley Barravecchia, Haley Becker, Rebecca Brand, Katherine Brandon, Rachael Brown, Benjamin Bundesmann, Daniel Chevalier, Evan Conlon, Emily Craig, Cole Curtis, Daniel DeDominicis, John Dipollino, Jackson Donahue, Collin Esquirol, Gabrielle Fabian, Conor Ferguson, Wyatt Floyd, Laura Gallicchio, Michelle Garvey, Connor Gilbert, Makaella Glaza, Samuel Godfrey, Lee Hamilton, Alexander Holder, Kelsey Houlihan, Graham Hutter, Heather Jackson, Rachyl Jackson, Annie Knizeski, Joseph Luketich, Jake McClelland, Marlena McCue, Charlotte McSweeney, Morgan Miller, Elizabeth Morrison, Brianna Nolan, Claire Nordness, Meg O’Lari, Pooja Patel, Howey Qiu, Mary Rowley, Douglas Schweid, Kyle Shea, Quinn Slocum, Thomas St. Rock, Max Steinmetz, Francis Sternberg, David Swenarton, Amanda Thomas, Bradley Turner

Grade 6

High Honors: Kenneth Blanchet, Abigail Contino, Molly Crowley, Patrick Dugger, Patricia Dunn, Julie Fabrykiewicz, Shane Foster, Hannah Gilman, Jack Hobert, Caroline Kam, Maeve Manfredi, Naomi Middleton-Krancberg, Ethan Murphy, Samuel Ognisty, Megan Sartor, Taylor Simao, Francesca Trombino, Emmye Vernet, Daisy Wolcin

Honors: Jacob Aubrecht, Elisha Benoit, Andrew Boucher, Andrew Bourque, Kyle Burdick, William Cannon, Brock Cataldi, Sabreena DaSilva, David DeCarlo, Jessica Downie, Alexander Earley, Madeline Ferrara, Emily Gardiner, Danielle Herrman, Nathan Holliman, Gabriela Hoops, Ian Kilcoyne, Gwendolyn LaValley, Hannah Lyon, Morgan Mancini, Anna McGugan, Kathryn McKinley, Isaiah Miller, Patricia Moody, Sarah Morrison, Michael Nossek, Avish Patel, Benjamin Potter, Matthew Prue, Taylor Regan, Julia Reid, Carley Richards, John Riordan, Collin Sawyer, Claire Schlink, Ryan Schrempf, Rachel Shaw, William Spencer, Emily Stajduhar, Margaret Waugh, Alexandria Wilcox, Katherine Winchester, Nicholas Zujus

Land of Plenty: Festival attendees donate more than three tons of food

Interactive Desk — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:16:59 GMT

It was more than anyone expected.

The 5,200 people who attended the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration’s annual Festival of Lights on Friday donated more than 6,400 pounds of canned food items for needy residents.

The aquarium then donated the food to the Gemma E. Moran United Way Labor Food Center in New London. The event, which is hosted by Friends of Mystic Aquarium volunteers, offers free admission to the aquarium for anyone who brought a canned food item to the Friday event.

The aquarium collected 2,200 more pounds of food than last year when 4,200 pounds were donated.

“We thank those who attended the Festival of Lights for their generosity toward local residents during these challenging times,” said Peter Glankoff, senior vice president of marketing and public affairs at Sea Research Foundation, Inc. “Families arrived at our gates on Friday night with not just a can, but bags of food. As a result, we collected a record-breaking amount that will feed families into the new year.”

“We are deeply appreciative of this impressive contribution from the community,” said Paul Jakoboski, vice president of the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. “The amount of food donated will provide approximately 6,500 meals.”

The turnout of 5,200 was the largest ever for the event, according to the aquarium, which decorated its main exhibit floor. The event included a special sea lion show, carolers, bell choirs, holiday music, storytellers, photos with the Eastern Connecticut Ballet’s Sugar Plum Fairy, costumed characters, face painters, and a visit from Santa.

By Joe Wojtas
Staff Writer