Beardsley Zoo's Newest Arrival - A New Baby Anteater !

A Giant Anteater was born for the first time ever at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on Saturday, Feb. 13. The new addition and weighed 2.4 pounds at birth and is just over 14 inches.

Proud parents are first time dad "EO" and second time mom, "Pana." The pair was brought to Connecticut's only zoo with the hopes of successful breeding.

"Our fingers were crossed that our Giant anteaters would have babies and we couldn't be happier that the breeding was successful," Gregg Dancho, zoo director said in a statement. "We encourage everyone to follow the baby's growth and progress on our social media pages until the time comes for it to meet the public."

Female anteaters give birth to one offspring and the baby rides on mom's back for the first several months of life, occasional venturing off not too far from mom to explore its surroundings.

Anteaters can live up to 26 years old in captivity and are usually solitary animals. They can weigh up to 100 pounds, and are 5 to 7 feet long. Mother and baby are off exhibit, but should make their debut in the late spring.

Beardsley Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission (ages 12 & older) is $14, children (ages 3 -11) and senior admission (62 and older) is $11, and children under 3-years-old are free.

CONNfection - food festival in Waterbury on March 9

The Palace Theater and Waterbury Neighborhood Council present the return of their third CONNfection event, a showcase featuring Connecticut made food, wine and craft beer, on Wednesday, Mar. 9, from 5:30p.m. – 8:30p.m. at the Palace Theater in Waterbury.  Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St. in Waterbury.

CONNfection attendees will have the delight of sampling some of the best locally sourced products that Connecticut has to offer, including pastas, sausages, artisanal breads, gourmet olive oils, smoked cheeses, specialty condiments, cookies, chocolates, cupcakes and more. Guests will also have the opportunity to sample an array of craft beers and fine wines from a variety of local breweries and vineyards.

Vendors scheduled to appear at this year’s event include 1249 Restaurant, Black Hog Brewery, Brass Works Brewing Company, Carrott Top Kitchens, The Cheesy Smoke House, Dottie’s Diner, Emelyn Sweets, Fascia’s Chocolates, Gift Baskets Galore, Hardcore Sweet Cupcakes, Hogan’s Cider Mill, Polly & Joan’s Cordial Company, Provender Catering, The Olive Oil Factory, The Pasta Gallery, Sunset Meadow Vineyards, Sweet Confections by Regina,  Sweet Maria's Bakery and others to be announced.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Palace Theater’s Annual Campaign, as well as the Waterbury Neighborhood Council’s work on behalf of all Waterbury neighborhoods.

For more area information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com 

Square One Theatre Presents Outgoing Tide

Square One Theatre continues its 26^th Anniversary Season with The Outgoing Tide, by Bruce Graham. This new drama hums with dark humor and powerful emotion. Gunner, husband and father, has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family’s future, but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own. ‘Before the tide goes out’ - the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding.

Performances of The Outgoing Tide are Thursdays through Sundays  through March 20 (2016) at the theatre’s new location on the stage of Stratford Academy at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut.

The Outgoing Tide is described as a touching family drama sprinkled with surprising humor that asks what it means to truly love someone. The twists, the turns, the deeply recognizable family relationships and, of course, the humor, combine to carry the audience to a place where dignity, honesty and humanity take hold and refuse to let go. The Outgoing Tide is a powerful work devoid of sentimentality yet filed with an honorably honest conclusion.

Square One Theatre’s 26^th Season continues at its NEW LOCATION on the stage of Stratford Academy at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut. Square One has re-configured Stratford Academy's expansive stage into an intimate 64-seat black box-type theatre. The audience is actually seated (in new padded chairs) on the stage with the actors, insuring that all patrons have a good seat to hear and see. With this re-designed, modern venue no audience member will be more than 15 feet from the stage. Ample parking is available in the school parking lots.

Performances of The Outgoing Tide are

 

Thursday, March 10 at 7pm 

Friday, March 11 at 8pm

Saturday, March 12 two performances at 4pm (twilight matinee) and at 8pm

Sunday, March 13 at 2pm (matinee)

 

Thursday, March 17 at 7pm 

Friday, March 18 at 8pm

Saturday, March 19 two performances at 4pm (twilight matinee) and at 8pm

Sunday, March 20 at 2pm (matinee – final performance)

 

Single tickets are $20 for adults and $19 for senior citizens and students

Tickets may be purchased:

By phone: Box Office at 203.375.8778 (24/7)

Online at: squareonetheatre.com

In person: at box office 60 minutes prior to each performance

All performances are at the NEW LOCATION on the stage of Stratford Academy located at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Ct….off I-95 Exit 32 (northbound and southbound) in Stratford Center.

The stage at Stratford Academy is wheelchair/walker accessible and, if needed, the theatre offers its patrons hearing-assisted listening devices. Please inform the box office of any special needs when reserving tickets.

For more information and up-to-date news about suggested parking, the theatre, the plays, the actors and seating chart visit www.squareonetheatre.com

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

 

Gilded Age Lecture Series at Wilton Historical Society

This March, the Wilton Historical Society and Wilton Library are partnering on an informative scholarly series about an important time in America's history, the end of the 19th century known as the Gilded Age. This series examines a changing nation at a critical juncture. Many of today's issues were beginning to take form such as change vs. status quo; federal vs. state involvement; regulation vs. laissez-faire and more. Although lectures are free of charge, registration is necessary; to register please call 203-762-3950, ext. 213 visit the website.

On March 8, Bonnie Yochelson will present How the Other Half Lives from 4 pm - 5:30 pm. In 1890, Jacob A. Riis published How the Other Half Lives, a best-selling book that revealed the horrific conditions of New York's slums, which were the worst in the world. A Danish-born immigrant, Riis was a charismatic writer and speaker who engaged the conscience of his readers while entertaining them. He stumbled upon the innovative idea of using photographs to enhance his message. Author of a dozen books and hundreds of articles, Riis traveled the country giving illustrated lectures until his death in 1914. Join this lecture for a fresh interpretation of Riis' contribution to social reform and photographic history by Bonnie Yochelson, art historian and independent curator.

This lecture is followed by a lecture curated by Matthew Warshauer called: From Civil War to Revolution: The Rapid Industrialization of America and the Challenges We Still Face on March 22 from 4 pm - 5:30 pm. Matthew Warshauer, Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University, will explore the remarkable and fast-paced changes to American life in the aftermath of the Civil War. Mass production during the conflict caused the nation to travel from the edge of industrialization to full blown industrial revolution. The nature of work changed drastically, as did home life, as millions moved from farm to city. Was it the Gilded Age or industrialized poverty? What was government's role and responsibility in this new economy? How much should government then and now be involved in the nation's economic future?

For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

MARITIME AQUARIUM LIGHTHOUSE CRUISE ON MARCH 5 OFFERS CLOSE-UPS OF FIVE HISTORIC BEACONS

Venture out on Sat., March 5 for a rare close-up look at five historic lighthouses in central Long Island Sound during a special boat outing offered at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Participants aboard the Aquarium’s unique new hybrid-electric research vessel, R/V Spirit of the Sound^™, will make passes by five century-old beacons:  Peck Ledge, Greens Ledge and Sheffield Island lighthouses in Norwalk, Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield and Stratford Shoal (Middle Ground) Light.

This 4.5-hour Central Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruise departs at 10 a.m.  Advance reservations are required.

“As we see firsthand with our annual ‘Festival of Lighthouses Contest,’ people have a special fondness for lighthouses,” said Tom Naiman, the Aquarium’s director of education. “There’s a respect there for the role that lighthouses play in our maritime history, and an appreciation for the different ways that they were designed and built. These cruises are a great chance to see these unique structures up close and from the water.”

The cruises will pass by:

• Greens Ledge Lighthouse, a cast-iron “sparkplug” lighthouse southwest of the Norwalk harbor (and south of the Five Mile River). It was built in 1902 and automated in 1972.

•  Sheffield Island Lighthouse, one of Norwalk’s iconic structures. Built in 1868, the granite-block lighthouse with a white lantern tower was deactivated in 1902 upon the debut of Greens Ledge Lighthouse. The Norwalk Seaport Association bought the lighthouse in 1986 and re-lit it in 2011, though not for navigational purposes.

•  Peck Ledge Lighthouse, a cast-iron “sparkplug” lighthouse at the southeast approach to Norwalk Harbor. It was built in 1906 and automated in 1933. A recent online auction to place the lighthouse – but not the light’s operations – into private hands drew a top bid of $235,000.

•  Penfield Reef Lighthouse, a charming granite-block lighthouse with a short lantern tower rising from the white mansard roof.  It was built in the early 1870s and automated in 1971.  

•  Stratford Shoal Lighthouse, a granite-block house whose location is still debated: is it actually in Connecticut or New York?  Built about 8 miles off Bridgeport on the Sound’s dangerous Middleground Shoal in 1877, the light was automated in 1970.

All the lighthouses are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Maritime Aquarium educators will offer details, histories and anecdotes about the lighthouses, and also point out the Sound’s visiting winter waterfowl.

Binoculars will be provided. Naiman said the Aquarium’s lighthouse cruises are a special photo opportunity for both lighthouse buffs and bird-watchers, so bring your camera! 

R/V Spirit of the Sound has a climate-controlled cabin and two deck levels. The country’s only research vessel with hybrid-electric propulsion, the $2.7 million, 64-foot catamaran is bigger, quieter and greener than the Aquarium’s former boat. 

More lighthouse cruises targeting these same beacons are planned for April 2 and May 7.

Tickets for a Central Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruise are $70 (or $60 for Aquarium members) and include a box lunch.

In addition, the Aquarium’s Western Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruises will visit eight historic lighthouses on March 26, April 23 and May 28. Tickets for these six-hour outings are $75 (or $65 for Aquarium members) and include a box lunch.

Advance purchase is required for all Aquarium lighthouse cruises. Reserve tickets online at www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

The Maritime Aquarium is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate visitors about – and to create stewards for – Long Island Sound. It accomplishes this by allowing visitors to get close to more than 250 species native to the Sound and its watershed, including sharks, seals, sea turtles, river otters, jellyfish and other animals. One of the top places for family fun in Connecticut, the Aquarium also features hands-on educational programs and displays, public study cruises out onto the Sound, and Connecticut's largest IMAX movie theater, with a screen that's six stories high.  TripAdvisor.com reviewers rate The Maritime Aquarium as one of the Top 25 aquariums in the U.S. and the best aquarium in New England.

Where to go Maple Sugaring in Connecticut

The groundhog predicts an early spring this year, but even if he is wrong, one early sign of spring is certain. Fragrant plumes of steam rising from sugar shack chimneys throughout Western Connecticut always herald the arrival of maple syrup season, New England’s traditional signal that winter is on the way out.

As soon as days are above freezing and the sap begins to run, the fascinating process begins: tapping the maple trees, collecting the sap and boiling down the thin watery sap to turn it into thick, fragrant syrup. Clouds of white smoke show that the boiling kettles are in action.

Western Connecticut, where sugar maple trees abound, offers more than a dozen sugar houses in Fairfield County and the Litchfield Hills where visitors are invited for demonstrations and tours, along with sweet tastes and take-home purchases.

While many sugar houses welcome visitors every weekend when syrup is boiling from late February to late March, (see list below), some museums and nature centers in the region plan a special day or weekend to celebrate the season. Many festivities include pancake treats. They are served, of course, with delicious local maple syrup.

A SWEET HISTORY LESSON

Maple syrup making is a long-time tradition in this region and several special sites will offer interesting demonstrations of how methods have changed over 300 years, from the first Native Americans through Colonial times to today. The Institute for American Indian Studies will be showing examples of early techniques at the Flanders Nature Center Sugar House at Van Vleck Farm Sanctuary in Woodbury on March 6 and 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m..  Demonstrations also will take place at the NewCanaan Nature Center, on March 19 and at the annual Open House at the Great Brook SugarHouse in New Milford on March 19 and 20.

TASTY CELEBRATIONS

The first weekend in March brings the annual Maple Sugar Festival at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center. On March 5 and 6 there will be demonstrations at the little red sugarhouse on the museum’s Heckscher Farm and many activities for families as well. Saturday’s Chef’s Challenge features maple recipes and Sunday everyone is invited for the museum’s annual pancake brunch 

The Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center located on 10 Deerfield Lane in Ansonia is also holding their annual Maple Festival on March 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Participants are invited to enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast with real maple syrup from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.  The cost of the breakfast is $8 per person. The fun continues with a pancake eating contest, demonstrations on how to tap a tree plus Native American and modern day maple sugaring methods along with live animal presentations.

The 10^th annual Maple Festival at Sweet Wind Farm takes place in East Harland on March 12 (sweetwindfarm.net) and the Sharon Audubon Center has its big day on March 19.  Pancakes will be served at the NewCanaan Nature Center Syrup Saturday festivities on March 19. 

VISIT ANY WEEKEND

The Lamothe family started farming in 1971 with a few pigs and a vegetable garden. They began making maple syrup for their own use with a modest 7 taps.  As word got around, so did requests from far and wide to purchase the precious maple syrup they made.

Lamothe's has come a long way since their first 7 taps; today, Lamothe's is Connecticut’s largest sugarhouse with more than 4,000 taps and a state-of-the-art sugar house.

On weekends, in February and March, Lamothe’s offers free tours on their farm from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.  Visitors will learn how maple syrup was discovered and how it developed over time and is made today. Visitors will see how maple syrup and sugar are made and enjoy delicious samples. Complimentary coffee and hot chocolate is also served. Store hours are Mon. – Thurs. 10-6, Fri.-Sat. 10-5 and Sun. 12 – 5.

Lamothe's Sugar House, 89 Stone Road, Burlington, CT (860-675-5043) www.lamothesugarhouse.com.

The following locations welcome visitors on any weekend when smoke from the chimney says that the syrup kettles are a-boiling. Many of these sugarhouses are located on scenic farms. The first three weekends in March usually are prime time, but weather can alter schedules and a warm winter means an early season. A call ahead is absolutely necessary to verify openings, hours and directions before making a trip.

For more information about maple syrup destinations and a free copy of Unwind, a full-color, 152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in the Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County in Western Connecticut, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitwesternct.com

Maple Syrup Sugar House Sites:

Brookside Farm, 79 East Chestnut Road, Litchfield, 860-567-3805

Brothers and Sons Sugarhouse, 998 Saw Mill Road, Torrington, 860-489-2719

Coolwater Sugarhouse, Great Mountain Forest, Windrow Rd., Norfolk, 860-542-5422

Dutton’s Sugarhouse, 28 Sunny Ridge Road, Washington, 860-868-0345

Flanders Nature Center Maple Sugar House, Church Hill Road, Woodbury, 203-263-3711, www.flandersnaturecenter.org

Great Brook Sugarhouse at Sullivan Farm, 140 Park Lane (Route 202), New Milford, 860-210-2030. mid-February-March, http://youthagency.org

Kasulaitis Farm and Sugarhouse, 69 Goose Green Road, Barkhamsted, 860-738-9492

Hilljack Sugar Shack, 74 Wilson Rd., Litchfield, 860-482-6052.

Lamothe’s Sugar House, 89 Stone Road, Burlington, February 21-March 30. 860-675-5043,lamothesugarhouse.com

Laurelbrook Farm, 390 Norfolk Rd. & Route 44, East Canaan, 860-824-7529

Sweet Wind Farm, 339 South Road, East Hartland, 860-653-2038, sweetwindfarm.net (Saturdays only)

Warrup’s Farm, 11 John Read Road off Route 107, Redding, 203- 938-9403,  warrupsfarm.com

West Hill Sugarhouse, 525 West Hill Road, New Hartford, 860-379-9672

Woodbury Sugarshed, 41 Washington Road, Route 47, Woodbury, 203-263-4550, woodburysugarshed.com