One would be wise not to doubt Arsenault, whose authorial debut, Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains, is released this September. Her ferocious talent is visible on every page and, in person, self-assurance emanates off her like steam off hot coffee.

Illustrator Barry Blitt claims that he is just trying to make himself laugh. But he makes everyone else laugh as well. He is perhaps best known for his covers for The New Yorker. His knack for rendering current political issues with the darkest of humor has won him accolades from critics and fans—and a lot of hate mail from dissenters.

Once they agreed to rebuild, the owners envisioned a modern day farmhouse. The original footprint was slightly larger than Churchill would have made it had he been starting from scratch, bringing the final house to about 4000 square feet.

Speaking from experience, Mary Schinke firmly believes that dying at home is overrated. And as president of the board of directors of Regional Hospice in Danbury, she personally understands the trauma, confusion, and sadness a family endures over the loss of a loved one.

The Pleasant Valley resident creates paintings, prints, ceramics, cards, textiles, and mobiles of sometimes fantastical design––and often more subtle in form yet still stunning. She calls her work “modern, sophisticated, graphic, and bold with a fun color sense,” reflecting her love for the simplicity of line. Velasquez works in both digital and traditional methods.

Fifty years ago, Children’s Community School (CCS) was established in the basement of Waterbury’s Berkeley Heights Housing Project. The pre-K-grade five school, serves inner-city children whose families live at or below the federal poverty level—97% of whom identify as Black or Hispanic.

Attention to detail and love of traditional cooking has earned Roma multiple awards for being the best Italian restaurant in Connecticut.

For 45 years, Ian Ingersoll has been creating custom cabinetry in the sleepy town of West Cornwall. Up until the pandemic hit, his guild of ten craftsmen were producing pieces for architects and designers of hotels and restaurants throughout the U.S.

One of my favorite jaunts in Litchfield County on a warm sunny day is zipping by the pretty antique houses and big expanses of farmland in Sharon enroute to Paley’s Farm Market. Paley’s is both a garden center and authentic farm market, with oodles of plants, gourmet cheeses, and locally grown produce.

Deidre Houlihan DiCara had spent 29 years as a professional in girl scouting, 23 of those as the executive director of the Girl Scouts of NWCT, until she was approached seven years ago to assume the leadership role at FISH NWCT—Friends in Service to Humanity—in Torrington.

Fifty years ago Sharon Dante followed a dream and started a classical ballet training program that grew into the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory—an organization that has trained thousands of dancers across the country and abroad, many of whom have gone on to successful careers with some of the premier dance companies in the world.

It is easy to understand why so many horse enthusiasts are enamoured with Arabians. On a visit to Trowbridge’s one day, I met a sweet dapple-grey named Atlanta Blue who had me at hello. He nudged me gently with his soft muzzle and tempted me to linger.