Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

For the Faint of Hair 

By Clementina Verge

Diamines and aminophenols. Phenylenediamine and molecules. Many find themselves sitting in salon chairs awaiting a color transformation and hoping for a fabulous outcome, without knowledge about what happens to hair follicles during the process.

“Anyone can apply single-process color, but not everyone understands the science behind color and behind the application process,” notes Scott Bond, owner of Byrde + the b, an award-winning, full-service luxury salon, shop, and art gallery in Washington Depot. “Only when you do, can you end up with a really beautiful product.” 

Coloring is a basic beauty school requirement and something anyone can do at home using an over-the-counter product. Unfortunately, the ease of application means that it often falls into inexperienced hands, with disappointing results. Think unflattering shades that do not match the model on the box, dull color, or damaged hair. The reasons for trusting only a highly-trained professional include customization, protection, and proper application.

Bond and his two leading stylists—Lucy Callaway and Ange Zweifel—have been trained at L’Oréal, Revlon, and Davines, and have continued taking in depth, specialized courses. Such knowledge and 62 years of combined experience yields optimum results time after time, creating beauty while safeguarding hair health.

Transforming tresses from a current hue to a desired shade involves exact science. Whether the objective is to cover gray or find a new personal hairstyle, much deliberation goes into each person’s coloring process. Various methods—such as ombre, highlights, or balayage—require precise knowledge and products for customization, making sure the result is a color complementary to face shape, skin tone, and hair texture.

“So many small details go into the equation of formulation,” explains Zweifel. 

Callaway agrees: “The perfect shade is all about neutralizing, canceling, or emphasizing colors within the natural hair shaft. It all goes back to understanding primary and tertiary colors.”

Balayage, for example, offers multi-dimensional and ultra-flattering looks with dozens of possibilities: dark brown, light brown, caramel on dark, brown on black, chocolate brown, ash brown, chestnut brown—and that’s just the brunette side. Each shade requires an exact combination of chemicals and a unique application process, whether lighting a dark base color or creating sun-kissed ribbons on a blonde. 

“It’s 100 percent chemistry and art on a daily basis,” Bond remarks. “The ability to predict underlying pigment makes the biggest difference and being able to do that requires years of experience.”

Though combinations seem endless, Bond prefers simplicity.

“People sometimes forget the color wheel and get overly creative,” he cautions. “We don’t fall for the latest silly trend or technique. For us, it’s about beauty and art. It’s more natural, more beautiful, and more tasteful.”

At Byrde+the b, advanced training is also the norm when it comes to cutting, lending the same solid foundation, with stylists trained at industry powerhouses including Sassoon Academy, Fekkai, and Davines Professional Academy. In fact, all services, from extensions to treatments, barbering, and skincare, are delivered to the highest professional standards, transforming your tresses and skin from average to covetable.

byrdeandtheb.com
10 Titus Rd, Washington Depot
860-619-0422

A Lakeville Couple Creates the Ideal Home

By Joseph Montebello

Tailored, clean lines, comfortable, approachable, and always a little bit of glamour. These are a few of the words that best describe the rooms interior designer John Willey has produced. And the same adjectives apply to the home he has created in Lakeville with his husband Frederick Aronstein and their two-year-old daughter Marlo. In other words, it is perfect.

But perfect doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort and style. Willey opened his eponymous firm in 2006 after a career working for some of the most prestigious designers in the business. His work has appeared in countless publications reflecting his popularity both nationally and internationally. When it came time to create his “forever home,” Willey knew exactly what he wanted.

“We had a weekend house in Millerton for seven years,” explains Willey. “We loved it, but it didn’t have a garage or central air conditioning and with the birth of our daughter we needed more space.”

The couple found their dream house in Lakeville in 2009. And then the fun began.

“The house was built in 1972 and is very contemporary in style with a slung roof. It was a little off the beaten path and the fact that it was just one story was a huge plus. Stairs present a challenge when raising a toddler,” says Willey.

The 4000-square-foot house comes with four acres and features five bedrooms. Having all the rooms on one floor gives the house a palatial feel and seamless flow of space. After the closing Willey worked his magic to make his dream home a reality.

“We basically gutted the house,” he says, “and went through nine months of construction. Our other house sold immediately and the new owners bought all of our furniture, so we were living in a hotel. I designed the kitchen of my dreams, created a home office for each of us, and a playroom for Marlo. The biggest change we made was raising the ceilings throughout the house. We have a very large attic, so we took the eight-foot ceilings and raised them to 11 feet. It was a very dramatic transformation and added to the house’s spaciousness.”

Following a tradition he started with their previous houses, Willey painted the front door in a striking deep color. In Millerton their door was a bright shade of red. For this house he chose a high gloss black, which accentuates the hand-blown windows on either side.

The majority of rooms are painted in a soft, cooler palette of grays and blues, accented by the perfect accessories, from a piece of art, a vignette of collected objects, stylish throw pillows, and a mixture of modern pieces with traditional upholstered ones to create rooms that one never wants to leave.

Like so many during the pandemic, the couple has pared entertaining down to small groups. The spacious kitchen, truly a space to fulfill anyone’s notion of the perfect space, affords ample seating, incredible views, and tons of natural light. The glass-enclosed sunroom, with its heated floors (and minus the ‘70s hot tub) has become the perfect spot to spend cold weather days.

When the project began Aronstein announced that he did not want to be involved. 

“‘Just design it he said,’” recalls Willey. “He pretty much stayed out of my way. I think he sat on one sofa, saw one piece of fabric and one set of tiles. The perfect client!”

Fortunately they are both ecstatic about the finished product, as is their daughter, who has a room of her own and plenty of space to play—and no stairs to deal with.

East Meets West at Byrde + the b 

By Clementina Verge

Imagine leaving your local salon not only with spectacular tresses and a fabulous manicure, but with glowing skin and a rejuvenated body poised to heal itself. You can experience this at Byrde + the b, which recently welcomed an acupuncturist and an aesthetician to the team, as it continues to expand services and affirm its status as a leading full-service luxury salon equally focused on beauty and health.

Joining the award-winning Washington Depot staff are Fon-Lin Nyeu, a practitioner of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and Danielle Occhialini, a former beauty advisor and resident artist at luxurious labels including Lancome and Chantecaille. Using acupuncture, Gua Sha massage, and customized facials in tandem with medical-grade Celluma light therapy, a lymphatic drainage suit, and the salon’s superior skin care products—such as the Vitamin A-infused Environ line—“the two talented women offer treatments that are different but complementary,” enhancing overall skin health rather than merely concealing superficial signs of aging, notes owner Scott Bond.

Occhialini’s interest in beauty began after high school when she started doing make-up, and shortly after, she realized her passion for skin care. Advancing in corporate settings, she learned the business aspects of the industry, but also the practical side involving ingredients and skin conditions.

Harmonizing such knowledge and experience, she provides personalized facials and a tailored plan for each client, infusing skin with vitamins and hydration.

“I custom-blend peptides and create individual serums for each client, in front of them, and allow them to take it home to continue treatment between visits,” Occhialini explains. “I don’t know anybody else who does that.”

Skincare becomes particularly important during the cold and dry winter months, something recognized in Chinese medicine, which urges preparation for next season, this season. “For skin to be good in spring and summer, you need to work on it in fall and winter,” shares Nyeu, who also treats clients in New York City, where she resides.

After studying biology and women’s studies at Cornell University, Nyeu realized she wanted to be a doctor, but not work in hospitals or research labs. Drawn into a different direction, she pursued alternative medicine, earning a doctorate while also becoming a licensed herbalist, yoga and pilates trainer, and certified doula.

Bridging such holistic practices, she uses the skin as a way to evaluate what is happening throughout the body. Used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, facial acupuncture is not just a beauty regimen that covers appearance, but a genuine medical procedure that promotes health and skin rehabilitation from within. By stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles, acupuncture produces natural substances, such as pain-relieving endorphins, and helps even post-stroke patients with facial paralysis, she explains.

Its benefits are numerous, Nyeu notes, citing brighter tone, reduced sagging, restored muscles, decreased wrinkles, increased collagen and elastin, improved lymphatic drainage, and even balanced digestion.

“We stand for more than just great hair and nails,” assures Bond. “We are committed to all-over health.”

byrdeandtheb.com
10 Titus Rd, Washington Depot
860-619-0422

Pouring new life into the present, while honoring the past

By Linda Tuccio-Koonz

Timing is everything. Especially when you’re gutting part of a century-old building to open a brewery. 

Not to mention, the cavernous brick structure was home to the historic Seth Thomas Clock Factory in Thomaston—and the project is ticking forward in the midst of a pandemic.

“My business partner and his family owned the building for close to 40 years,” says Ed Daigneault, of the complex where Clocktown Brewing Company now stands.

“When I first saw it, I just thought it was huge. There was a bunch of machinery in an unused portion in the back; it was essentially a junkyard.” 

Daigneault’s friend, George LaCapra Jr., and his wife, Stacy, envisioned that section as a lively brewery/restaurant. They invited him to be their partner, along with LaCapra Jr.’s dad, and extensive renovations ensued.

Clocktown Brewing Company opened in October 2020. Daigneault, who came up with the name, says he couldn’t imagine it being anything else. After all, clockmaker Seth Thomas (1795-1859) is Thomaston’s namesake. 

“It seemed appropriate,” he says. “A lot of breweries are in old industrial buildings, but this one’s got quite a history.”

Thomas, a Wolcott native, started his business in 1813 in Plymouth Hollow (renamed Thomaston in 1865). Expansion continued when his sons took ownership. As new styles were introduced, other companies became involved and eventually took over.

The Thomaston plant closed in 1970, but Seth Thomas clocks are still renowned for their craftsmanship, including the four-faced masterpiece above the information booth in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. (You know, it’s the one in the brass tower. You’ve seen it in films from Superman to Men in Black.)

“Growing up, just about everyone had a Seth Thomas clock in their classroom,” says Daigneault, recalling the white-faced clocks that ticked the school day away. 

A Watertown resident, he and LaCapra Jr. became pals when their daughters played soccer together, and have long shared a love of craft beer. Daigneault, formerly a sportswriter for Waterbury’s Republican-American, has been crafting his own for over a decade. 

“I mentioned to my wife that I’d be interested in trying to make beer at home. She brought me a home-brew kit for Christmas; it took off from there.” 

LaCapra Jr. is president of UniMetal Surface Finishing, based in the building where Clocktown Brewery operates. When he first asked Daigneault to join the brew business, Daigneault thought he was kidding. 

“It was at a mutual friend’s birthday party, ironically at a brewing company,” he says. As you can imagine, “there’s a very steep learning curve when you go from brewing five gallons of beer in your garage to producing 300 gallons at a time in a commercial setting.” 

But everything fell into place, especially after recruiting Chris Sheeler, formerly of Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford, as head brewer. “I’ve been learning from him,” Daigneault says. “He’s a godsend.”

Between their wide variety of beers (several with time/clock-themed names), ample space for indoor/outdoor seating, and the airy, hint-of-steampunk atmosphere, Clocktown has found success despite the pandemic. They also serve up everything from burgers to pizza, along with live music and trivia nights. 

“A number of people have come into this building and said, ‘I used to work here and this is just amazing,’” Daigneault says. “Yesterday a woman from my church said she grew up in Thomaston and half her family worked in the clock factory at one point or another. She was happy to hear not only that we’re open, but that we’re having success in making use of this building.”

Descendants of Thomas have visited, too, and say they love what’s been done.

“I’m touched by the number of people who’ve told me this is one of the best things to have happened to Thomaston,” Daigneault says. “It might be a little bit of hyperbole, but it’s good to hear.”

clocktownbrewingco.com
135 S Main St # 3, Thomaston
860-880-8240

Continues Thriving in Today’s Market

By Clementina Verge

For some 32 years, Paul Niland has greeted the day with the sound of forklifts, 18 wheelers, laughter among colleagues, and even meows from Woody—the barn
cat. Some say it takes him at least an hour to get from his truck to his office as he stops and “checks in” with every employee. It is this level of personal interest in his staff and customers that has propelled the growth of Woodbury Supply—from a small office in Woodbury to six thriving locations across New England.

“The company was founded on a simple premise by the original founder, Ken Norris, and our motto remains the same,” notes Niland, company president. “Combine top quality products, dedicated workmanship, competitive pricing, expert advice, and always put the needs of our customers first. Every day. Every customer. Every project.” Such commitment has been upheld even during difficult times—including recessions—when Niland “did it all” and still does now. To this day, Niland believes in a hands-on approach where you will find him in the warehouse loading and off loading trucks, delivering products, and assisting customers in the showroom.

Embracing the family tradition, his son John became involved with the company
as a teenager, working summers in the warehouse, and learning the business while
advancing within the company. Today, as company vice president, John handles most day-to-day operations. Under this father and son leadership, a staff of eight has evolved into 76 employees sharing a strong work ethic and commitment— especially during the recent pandemic.

Focused on quality and integrity, since the late ‘80s, Woodbury Supply has partnered with Marvin windows and doors—another family-operated business since 1912—known for building quality, beauty, and simplicity into people’s everyday lives. Woodbury Supply has locations in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. This thriving company offers an extensive product line including exterior and interior doors, windows, siding, decking, and custom millwork. Four locations feature Marvin Design Galleries that incorporate functioning displays and countless solutions to help customers make
informed decisions.

Woodbury Supply’s Millwork Department offers an unmatched variety of services. From pergolas to porticos, mantles to moldings, arches to curves—using state-of-the art equipment, the highly trained staff provides expert advice and support. Whether customers are building a dream house, renovating their current home, or remodeling a room, the staff at Woodbury Supply sees each project from inspiration and selection, to delivery and completion.

“No matter the size and scope of a project, we can make it happen,” assures Paul. “One thing we have never lost sight of as a company is how important the customer is to us. Without the customer, we would not be here, and therefore, we do anything we possibly can—whether it be for a consumer, a builder, or an architect.”

woodburysupply.com
104 S Pomperaug Ave, Woodbury
203-263-4441

Oh, Litchfield County, I might owe you an apology. If this Readers’ Choice issue has taught me anything, it’s that I really need to get out more. Like, a lot more. I’m embarrassed by how many of these businesses I haven’t visited. Well… maybe not “embarrassed” per se. I stopped being embarrassed when I realized nobody’s embarrassed by anything anymore, as evidenced by TikTok.

In my own defense, my hermetic habits began as soon as I moved to Kent 15 years ago. “What Not to Wear,” the TV show I co-hosted for a decade, was ridiculously popular at the time. Because I was critical of people’s clothing choices on the show, members of the general public thought I should be held to high style standards in my free time. 

“Clinton! You’re wearing a T-shirt! Isn’t that what not to wear?” 

“Ummm. I’m wearing it with sneakers and running shorts because I’m literally exercising right now. This is a gym.”

After a few thousand similar interactions, I learned to lock myself away from the scrutinizing eyes of humans and get in touch with nature. A squirrel will never say your comfy shoes look like a couple of desiccated cow patties. A white-tailed doe won’t roll her eyes at your jeans because they make your butt look flat. A beaver will never criticize your coat! Unless it’s lined with actual beaver, in which case you will receive some brutal side-eye. 

But I did manage to get off my own property a little, especially after the show got cancelled. And so I’d like to take this opportunity to give props to some of my Litchfield County favorites. Some of which made the best of lists, some of which may have been overlooked by you, dear reader. Yes, you. You’re not perfect either, ya know. <insert winky emoji here>

Aspetuck Animal Hospital, specifically Dr. Trish, thank you for talking me down off a ledge when my 14-year-old Jack Russell, Mary, started spewing all sorts of liquids from all sorts of orifices. I will forever appreciate your after-hours appointment, even if it meant picking you up from your home because your kid borrowed your car. If you ever need a ride again, call me. You’ve got my number. 

Arethusa Farm Dairy, your mint chip ice cream got me through the darkest days of the pandemic. And nights. And afternoons. And sometimes mornings. I will love you with all my heart for as long as my body can tolerate lactose. If that changes, all bets are off.  

Kent Greenhouse, you have the patience of whatever patron saint watches over amateur gardeners who wouldn’t know their asters from their elbows. You have answered my stupid questions with patience, and in exchange I have given you all the money I’ve ever made. 

Megan at Marble Valley Farm, you are my favorite farmer. Mostly because I don’t know any others, but that’s neither here nor there. You have encouraged my heirloom tomato addiction and introduced me to Peter Wilcox—who rocked my world. (He’s a potato, people. Get your minds out of the gutter.) 

J.P. Gifford, you consistently make the best bacon, egg, and cheese on a roll I’ve ever eaten. OMG so gooey and eggy and bacony. Thankyouthankyouthankyou. And thanks to Kent Pharmacy for the Lipitor chaser.

Custom Blends at Krafted Brew Lab 

By Clementina Verge

Whether indulging in a decadent espresso or Americano, it is easy to overlook that only days earlier, the coffee beans infusing that drink were raw, tasteless, and unmemorable. They find their way to Litchfield County from faraway lands, including Ethiopia, Burundi, Panama, Mexico, Zambia, and here—in a charming Bantam cafe—Jason Wallengren brings out the best in each bean via a meticulous roasting and crafting process.

The Krafted Brew Lab, opened by Jason and his wife Kimberly last summer, is aptly named: science and art meet as the couple experiments with small-batch, artisanal coffee and flavors from around the world.   

The desire to create such an experience ignited years ago in New Zealand where Jason, an accomplished artist, completed a residency—and later intensified in Germany, where Kimberly’s marketing career anchored them for a decade.

“The coffee culture in every country we visited is so unique and meaningful,” Kimberly reminisces. “In Italy, it’s the espresso. In Germany, it’s the Sunday “kaffee und kuchen” ritual of afternoon coffee and cake with friends. As we spent time in different cafes, with different people, we loved seeing the passion behind hand-crafted coffee.”

During those years abroad, the couple—who now live in New Preston with their two children—learned the difference between mediocre and consistently outstanding coffee: a multistep process that begins with high-quality beans, followed by perfect roasting, precise grinding, and proper pouring.

At KBL, it starts with imported, single-origin beans. Because climate, altitude, and soil composition influence flavor profile, customers sample a variety of aromas, whether African citrusy notes or a sweeter Latin American flair. Next, the roasting process demands a delicate balance of time and temperature.

“If that roast isn’t right, it doesn’t matter how fancy your coffee maker is, that cup of coffee will not be right,” explains Jason, who takes great pride in preparing some 150 pounds of beans in-house each week, and achieving optimal flavor—including nutty, floral, earthy, or chocolaty subtleties. 

Launching a business endeavor during a pandemic was not easy, but inspired by their overseas experience with coffee’s power to lift mood, incite conversation, and foster a creative environment, the Wallengrens opened KBL in August 2020. They gratefully acknowledge the community for being welcoming and supportive and are happy to have found their place in Bantam, “a revitalized creative enclave.” 

In addition to teas and freshly roasted coffees, KBL offers baked goods from Litchfield-based Troy Brook Bakery and drinkware handcrafted by local artist Claire Chapman.

Whether crafting a cappuccino to jumpstart someone’s morning or a macchiato for a mid-afternoon energy boost, the Wallengrens strive to create a memorable elixir of freshly roasted coffee with each drink.

“For us, it’s not just a cup of coffee,” Kimberly explains. “We want people to know that we are a unique place that really takes coffee seriously. We love conversations with our customers, educating them about what we’ve learned, and sharing our passion and joy.”

kraftedbrewlab.com
860-361-9300
725 Bantam Rd, Bantam

Art Gallery Opens in Bantam 

By Clementina Verge

“Art is defining and all encompassing,” declares Art Matuszewski, founder of amArtHouse in Bantam. “There is no civilization without it. No architects. No engineers. We can’t develop without art. It opens our imagination, connects, explains, clarifies, and inspires our human need to continue creating.”

Such inspiration now dwells at 1062 Bantam Road where contemporary art showcased against historic architecture offers striking juxtaposition that reflects Matuszewski’s unique vision. 

“My dream from many years ago was to own an arts center with curated collections. When I saw this house, I knew exactly what I wanted it to become,” Matuszewski recalls about the 1755 Colonial, which during its lifespan has been a private home, a medical office (in the 1820s), and a clothing store. 

Trained in restoration and dedicated to conservation, Matuszewski immersed himself in a four-year renovation and completed most of the work on his own. Honoring history, he preserved the original structure, salvaging every piece of wood possible, and refinishing original flooring and beams. While incorporating modern amenities such as heat and lighting, he protected Colonial pane-window spacing and chose historical colors, like the milk paint enveloping the wooden siding.

When amArtHouse opened in October 2021, it culminated years of passion. Born in Poland into a creative family, Matuszewski still remembers the smell of turpentine used by his grandfather, who established himself as a “phenomenal artist” during a difficult time in then-censored Warsaw. His mother continues to be a prominent textile painter in her 70s.

After emigrating alone to the United States, Matuszewski settled in New York City and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Post graduation, he owned a restoration/faux finishing studio in Manhattan for many years. Eventually, he relocated to New Preston with his wife and daughter, but restorative work continued taking him across Europe. Museums in England, Russia, and Italy. Shows including La Biennale in Paris and the Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA) in Belgium—one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious fine art and antiques fairs. Such exposure and experience increased his determination to open a gallery close to home.

The current exhibition centers on Richard Pitts, an FIT professor and prominent artist of the Post War Art Movement in New York, who left a lasting mark for prioritizing the integrity of art over commercial success. As a student, Matuszewski said he did not understand the magnitude of Pitts’ work, but now, he proudly displays its impact.

Five others—Chris Kelly, Robert Messyasz, Steven Lowy, Mario Busoni, and Karen Gentile—add to the kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, and mediums, including pastels, painted aluminum, stained glass, mixed media on canvas, and “atmospheric lamps” serving as functional art. Thoughtful and exhilarating, the collection is harmoniously organized, transitioning visitors from space to space, and continuing outside where large scale sculptures demand attention by day, and light the landscape by night.

In a world that often dilutes art and is driven by instant gratification, Matuszewski desires his gallery to be a comfortable place that inspires and fosters dialogue. Next year, conversations will extend outdoors, where benches and paths will be installed throughout the three-acre property.

“My goal is to focus on curating art, presenting the work of artists, and showcasing art with substance,” he notes. “This is my mission.”

amarthouse.com

By The History Chix

If you live in Litchfield County, you know it is a place rich in history.

Are you familiar with Cotton Mather Smith who resided in Sharon for most of his life in the 1700s? Mather Smith was the preacher of the Sharon Congregational Church where his passion for religion and spreading Christianity was evident.

To provide a bit of a background to Reverend Smith’s eventual move to preach in Sharon, it is important to understand his early years.

Reverend Smith was born in 1731 in Suffield, Connecticut. At the age of nine, Smith heard a speech given by George Whitfield about the revival of religion which was a topic and practice that had grown stale in the American Colonies.

Whitfield’s preaching was so powerful that soon after his Suffield appearance, 500 people joined the local Suffield church and the town became a place which experienced the Great Awakening of Religion. Smith was captivated by that very speech made by George Whitfield, and that sparked him to eventually study under Jonathan Edwards of Northampton, Massachusetts.

Smith found a great passion and motivation for preaching while studying with Edwards who was one of the true founding fathers of The Great Awakening. Smith officially became licensed to preach in 1753 and finally settled in as the pastor at the Sharon Congregational Church in 1755. It was at the Sharon Congregational Church that Smith practiced his gift of sharing religion until his death in 1806.

In his time at the Sharon Congregational Church, Reverend Smith gave over 4,000 talks and sermons in which three of those sermons ended up being published. He was considered a bit of a hero in Sharon. He took care of his fellow townspeople during a smallpox outbreak which affected at least 700 people in his community, and he also served as a chaplain of the armed forces during the Revolutionary War.

Smith was married to Temperance Worthington Smith, and the two had six children. Perhaps you have heard of his daughter Juliana? Juliana was an important figure in The Sharon Literacy Club, and she went on to marry Jacob Radcliff who was the first New York Attorney General, a member of the Supreme Court, and served as the Mayor of New York City in 1810.

Another of Smith’s children was John Cotton Smith. He graduated from Yale in 1783 and practiced law within Sharon. John Cotton Smith then went on to become a member of the House of Representatives both locally and nationally, and eventually became the Governor of Connecticut in 1812. His residence, called The Governor Smith Homestead, is still a well-known landmark on the south end of the Sharon Green. It is even speculated that Noah Webster wrote some of his Blue-Backed Speller (later known as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) in this home when he was a guest of the Smith family.