Ice cream meets history, again

A mooo-ving experience

 Today I headed to the historic Field View Farm in Orange, on the Derby town line.
 

Chillin' on a hot summer afternoon

We were going to go there Sunday afternoon, but a thunderstorm ruined our plans. It would not be fun trying to enjoy some ice cream when lightning is in the atmosphere.

So instead my daughter Allegra and I visited the nation's oldest continuously operating dairy farm today. The farm was founded in 1639.

We were not disappointed. It was a super hot afternoon, in my opinion, and the ice cream was super cold. It didn't melt at all as we sat and enjoyed.  

Allegra ordered a cup of strawberry with sprinkles.

 

And I went with swamp ice cream. Interesting name, eh?

It was cookies and cream ice cream with caramel swirled in it and M&Ms mixed in as well. Yes, it was sweet. But a delicious treat.

I asked Allegra to take the picture in front of some of the fresh vegetables for sale there, just to create that farm atmosphere.

After living in the area my entire life, it was the first time I ever went to Field View Farm.

There were a few picnic tables to sit at and the only drawback, if you could call it that, was the faint aroma of manure in the air. Cows were relaxing under cover just a few yards away.

But it is a dairy farm after all! 



If you missed any of the previous ice cream posts, you can check them out here, here, and here.

FRIDAY FIVE: A recap of this week in the Valley

These are five of the stories that made headlines in the Valley over the past week.

They are written by Register reporters Bridget Albert, Rich Scinto, Phyllis Swebilius, and Patricia Villers, and Register correspondent Jean Falbo-Sosnovich and are listed in no particular order.



Seymour couple wins $60M Powerball jackpot.


Seymour school board cuts $131,000 post.

Derby police chief tells cafe to shape up.

Ansonia to get farm market.

2nd severed cat's head found in Oxford.

Operation Gift Cards receives $20,000 donation

 

Veteran Angel Cadena, left, accepts a $20,000 donation on behalf of Operation Gift Cards and the Disabled American Veterans from Steve Lobdell, center, and Steve Curry of Fairfield Firefighters Local 1426. / Contributed photo

Operation Gift Cards for wounded troops, a program co-sponsored by 62 Connecticut organizations, has received a $20,000 donation. 

Angel Cadena, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan-two tours) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (one tour) and a member of AMVETS (American Veterans) Post 43 accepted the $20,000 donation July 10 from the Fairfield Firefighters Local 1426.

The check was presented by Steve Lobdell and Steve Curry. The Fairfield firefighters raised the money during the annual Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half Marathon and 5K hosted by the Fairfield firefighters' local in June.

Lobdell, creator and President of the fairfieldhalf.org, and Steve Curry, Assistant Chief of the Fairfield Fire Department and an Air Force veteran, have both been among the 199 representatives (from 64 organizations - 62 from Connecticut) who have visited the wounded troops for Operation Gift Cards. 

The AMVETS and the Fairfield Firefighters Local 1426 have been the largest two supporters of Operation Gift Cards.

This information was provided by Al Meadows of Shelton.

Troop 3 collecting memories of Edmund D. Strang

Troop 3 Scoutmaster, Pack 3 Cubmaster influenced thousands

Among other endeavors, Edmund D. Strang was a WWII veteran, Scoutmaster of Troop 3, Cub master of Pack 3, Advisor to Explorer Post 33, Sunday school teacher, an incorporator of the Derby Little League, coach of the Laurels Little League team, past president of the Derby-Shelton Rotary Club, and a member of the Housatonic Council Executive Board.


Strang was a positive influence on thousands of lives. He died in 1995 at 85 years of age. "We are collecting the experiences of people whose lives Ed touched and enriched," said Robert Bednarcik of Oxford. 

Gary Scarpa, director of the Shelton High School Drama Club and co-director of Center Stage Theatre remembers Ed.
“I was discovered in the basement of the Methodist Church, known as the red church across from the Derby Green in Derby, Ct., by a talent scout named Ed Strang.”
Bednarcik said Scarpa was so outstanding singing in the (Gang Show) chorus that Ed had him sing “Little Brown Jug” in a duet. Scarpa said Strang “changed the course of my life”.

Robert Feeney, former VP of Pfizer, state, “My life was shaped by just three men, my father, Ed Strang, and a Professor of Chemistry at Yale University. Everything I did and became in my life I owe to these three men who directed my feet in the right paths.”

Alice Costello remembers Ed. In 1960 she received two tickets to the Troop/Pack 3 Gang Show held at the Derby Methodist Church. She became good friends with Ed and Caroline Strang.
Costello said she enjoyed the show so much she later participated in it singing “Second Hand Rose”. She was a Den mother in a Cub Pack in Bridgeport and decided that she would run a similar type program for her Cub Scout Pack. Strang gave her lots of jokes and ideas.

He and Caroline would go to visit her show every year. Costello attended 43 of the Troop/Pack 3 Gang Shows. She remembers taking a group of Cubs to the Troop/Pack 3 Gang Show. One Cub had to go to the bathroom but didn’t come back. She looked all over for him.
When the curtain opened there he was on stage with the chorus crying because the den mothers didn’t believe he didn’t belong to Pack 3. Costello became the first female Cub Master and was awarded the Silver Fawn (equivalent  to the Silver Beaver) by the Bridgeport Council.

What do you remember about Ed?
Contact me, Robert Bednarcik, at 203-888-2956, 95 Old Church Road, Oxford, Ct .06478 or at RobertBednarcik@netscape.net.


The above was contributed by Robert Bednarcik.  

Church lists summer schedule

OXFORD - St. Peter's Episcopal Church of Oxford will hold its summer services at 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. Sundays. Regular service schedule will resume in September.

This information was provided by a church member. 

Church flea markets to benefit mission projects

SEYMOUR - Great Hill United Methodist Church, 225 Great Hill Road, will hold  Flea Markets outdoors  in the grove, or indoors if rain, on Aug. 25 and Sept. 8.  Each will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Outdoor rental space for the flea market/tag sale items, product vendors, and antique dealers (no food vendors) is available for $25 for a 12 x 12 foot space.  Set-up can begin at 7 a.m. and break down beginning at the close of the event at 1 p.m. The church will have coffee, soda, and water for sale.

All proceeds fund the church’s local and worldwide mission and ministry projects. The publicity committee will aggressively promote these events.

Call Pat Andreana, 203-888-0489 or email her at patandreana@aol.com for a registration form to reserve a space; only 24 spaces available.


This information was provided by a church member.

Farmers' market is great news for Ansonia

Kudos to Vinnie Scarlata, Ansonia Economic Development Commission chairman, for gaining city approval this week for a farmer's market.

It will be set up in the municipal parking lot on West Main Street, near the train station. Grand opening is slated for Thursday.


As an Ansonia resident I must say I'm happy about this positive turn of events. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Mayor James Della Volpe has voiced his support, as has Bart Flaherty, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission. 
 
Scarlata said he looked at the following potential locations: Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center; City Lot, East Main Street; City Lot, West Main Street; Farrel Corp. Lot, Main Street; Nolan Field, Wakelee Avenue; Veterans Memorial Park next to City Hall, Main Street.

He considered a variety of necessary attributes, such as parking, accessibility, traffic, visibility, vendor spaces, site maintenance, police coverage, insurance, and state certification.

Scarlata used his own criteria to rate the sites, and came up with the West Main Street spot. Commission members will serve as market managers.

Scarlata and all city officials deserve plaudits for moving quickly to make this concept a reality.