HARTFORD — Newly elected State Rep. Jay Case (R-63) of Winsted was sworn into office Wednesday, Jan. 9, taking over for outgoing Republican John Rigby of Colebrook, who stepped down to spend more time with his family.In a brief phone conversation last week, Case said he was happy the swearing-in ceremony had been completed. “I’m glad it’s over, and I’m excited to get to work,” he said.The election of Case marks the first time in many years that a 63rd district representative has been a resident of the Laurel City, and Case said his primary focus will be helping constituents thrive in a difficult economy.The newly redrawn 63rd district includes Winchester and Colebrook, along with portions of Torrington and Goshen. The consolidated district, which formerly included seven towns, may make it easier for its representative to cover the area and focus on needs of municipalities.Case is among 17 incoming Republican freshmen and 52 members of the party overall now serving in the state House. Democrats saw 19 freshmen elected to the house and have a nearly two-to-one majority in the House, at 99 to 52. Democrats also have a 22 to 14 majority in the state Senate.State of the StateThe swearing in of all legislators for the new 2013-14 term included Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s State of the State address, to which Case responded last week in a written press release.In his emotional address, the governor said he does not believe more guns are the answer to violence such as the tragic school shooting that occurred last month in Newtown, and said a commission would be formed to make recommendations on school safety, mental health services and gun violence prevention.The governor also discussed ongoing budget problems at the state level, which have included shortfalls in revenue and difficult cuts in spending to keep the state’s budget in the black.“Two years ago, we faced the single largest per-capita deficit in the nation. It was a problem decades in the making,” Malloy said. “We knew that getting our fiscal house in order was critical to creating jobs. Connecticut employers needed a responsible and predictable partner in state government. We came together and passed a balanced budget. We cut more than we added in new revenue. And even after revenues came in short, as they did in 31 other states, we know today that our budget as enacted fixed more than 90 percent of the problem.”Tackling spendingCase was one of several legislators to immediately go on the offensive in his response to the governor’s address, issuing a statement calling for greater fiscal responsibility.“This state’s number one problem is spending,” Case said. “We have to take a close look into our budget and recognize we aren’t bringing in sufficient revenue that will maintain this type of spending. We need to buckle down and we need to learn to use some fiscal common sense.”Case has yet to propose specific remedies for the state’s economy but did say he plans to use his new assignments on the Appropriations, Human Services, Energy and Environment committees to tackle some of the state’s most pressing problems.“For this business community to see more regulations, more crippling economic frustrations and more of the same, something has to change,” Case said. “We can’t keep over-regulating small businesses in this state, otherwise the economy won’t improve here.” Case did thank the Democratic governor and fellow legislators for working across the aisle in December to reduce $365 million in state spending. He said spending reductions need to continue in the new session.“I’m excited to get to work,” Case said. “Together, we’ll make Connecticut thrive.”
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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