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HVRHS draws 1-1 in Torrington
Sep 19, 2024
Photo by Riley Klein
TORRINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School boys varsity soccer tied with Torrington High School after a thrilling showdown Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Defensive dominance from both teams kept the game scoreless for the first 72 minutes of play. A penalty kick put Torrington up 1-0 with eight minutes left. HVRHS responded rapidly when striker Brayan Lopez-Gonzalez threaded a shot between two Raider defenders and the goalie for a game-tying goal with two minutes remaining.
Patrick Money battles for a 50-50 ball against Torrington.Photo by Riley Klein
For a non-league game, tensions ran surprisingly high between both sides. Hard fouls led to chirping between the coaches on the sidelines and between the players on the field, yet no cards were issued by the officials as they let the two sides duke it out.
As evenly matched as the game was, so to was the crowd balanced in its support for both sides. The HVRHS girls soccer team filled the bleachers to cheer on the boys in Torrington. Coach Adolfo Portillo hyped them up to make some noise late in the game, which paid off. Portillo thanked the fans for their support after the game.
Anthony Labbadia plays midfield for HVRHS.Photo by Riley Klein
After narrowly avoiding a loss, the Mountaineers hoisted Lopez-Gonzalez high above the huddle. In a post-game interview, Lopez-Gonzalez said was nervous as he received the ball in the box. He stared down the two defenders in front of him and fired a rocket right down the middle. It whizzed past the keeper and the whole HVRHS bench swarmed him in celebration.
“We always say if we’re down one we gotta keep our heads up and just keep pushing through it,” said Lopez-Gonzalez on how he kept his composure in the final minutes.
HVRHS’s season record moved 2-2-2 after the game while Torrington moved to 3-1-2. The Mountaineers return home to host Thomaston High School Friday, Sept. 20 at 3:45 p.m.
The bench takes in the game and the sunset at Robert Frost Athletic Complex in Torrington.Photo by Riley Klein
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Fresh finds at Ivy's Collective
Sep 18, 2024
Cynthia Hochswender
Tucked into the woods at the southeastern edge of Sharon for many years was an abandoned property, the former site of a beloved garden center called Nora’s.
Ivy and Daniel Kramp often drove by the old Nora’s, after moving part-time to Sharon in 2015 (both are successful realtors in New York City). It ignited a dream for Ivy, who had always loved interior design.
“One of our favorite things to do up here is go to estate sales,” she said.
“But everything is always so expensive,” Daniel said. “We go, we see the prices, we walk out.”
In September 2023, the couple decided to buy the former Nora’s and open it under a new name: Ivy’s Collective.
“It was a passion project,” Ivy said. “We wanted to create curated, approachable estate sales that went on all year long.”
But because they are in the city all week, they needed to find just the right person to execute that dream. Through a mutual friend they were connected to Liz Macaire, who had recently launched an estate clearance business.
“I was starting to run out of space for all the things I was selling on commission for my clients,” she said. She met Daniel and Ivy at the perfect time — and not long after, made another important connection, with Simon Kristoph, a former visual director for a high-end fashion store. He’d just moved to Litchfield County, and immediately teamed up with Macaire, creating the new Macaire + Kristoph Studio (they recently opened a second location in West Cornwall).
When the foursome are together at Ivy’s Collective, the energy in the shop is electric.
“It’s always a party in this place,” Macaire said.
Adding to the party atmosphere are the croissants and hot breakfasts served at the popular bakery at Ivy’s Collective, called Blue Gate Bakery. The space is zoned for only three uses: an antique store, a bakery, and a garden center. The Collective now has all three.
Because Blue Gate is a bakery and not a cafe, there is no dedicated seating. Customers often come in and sit on the pieces that are for sale. It ignites their imaginations.
“People come in for a croissant, and leave with a table or a lamp,” Macaire said.
As Realtors, the Kramps are familiar with the important part that imagination plays in the sale of furniture or property. They always recommend “staging,” which involves clearing out many of the seller’s more personal items, and adding attractive and appropriate furnishings that enhance the space.
“It’s non-negotiable,” Daniel said of staging. “You’re selling the vision of living in a space — versus showing buyers empty rooms and dusty shelves. It helps people see past the clutter or the emptiness.”
Both Daniel and Ivy Kramp are already expert stagers, but they can also now work with Macaire and Kristoph, who are experienced stylists and also have a bounty of consignment furnishings available to fit every space.
“Other people do staging, or interior design, or moving, or estate sales,” Macaire said. “We provide all those services in one place.”
Stop by Ivy’s Collective to meet the team between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday at 2 Route 7 in Sharon, just before the bridge (and get a delicious treat at the Blue Gate Farm Bakery). The new West Cornwall Macaire + Kristoph Studio is at 406 Sharon/Goshen Turnpike, and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find Macaire and Kristoph at www.macairekristoph.com.
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Matthew Kreta
The Sharon Playhouse hosted a one-night stage reading of “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” on their main stage on Sept. 13. The reading featured an absolutely star-studded cast including the playwright, Charles Busch, and was sold out.
“The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” follows the midlife crisis of the main character, Marjorie Taub, and takes place entirely within the two-bedroom apartment of her and her husband Ira. The play was first produced in 2000.
From the very beginning it is clear that Marjorie is in full distress but can’t quite place a finger on why, other than the death of her therapist. Only able to be “assisted” so much by her constantly working husband and nagging mother who lives just down the hall, Marjorie begins to find some solace and joy again due to a chance meeting with her old childhood friend, Lee. Lee has lived an absolutely extraordinary life, and her openness and stories begin to revitalize Marjorie. From there, the play explores Marjorie and her family trying to navigate these changes.
The five-person comedy featured Charles Busch as the titular allergist’s wife, Marjorie, as well as Tony winner Joanna Gleason, Tony nominee June Gable, television and movie actor Richard Kind and Juilliard School graduate Rodd Cyrus. Director Carl Andress read the stage directions for the audience’s benefit. The sheer talent of these five actors and actresses was clear from the moment they began, and their proficiency made this reading nearly feel like a complete production, despite the static and simplistic nature of stage readings.
Throughout the night, the cast fully embodied each character over the course of the hour and forty minutes that the audience had the pleasure to watch, delivering punchline after punchline with absolutely perfect timing and conviction. The audience, in turn, was absolutely roaring with laughter and applause. It was very rare for the hall to be silent, as the writing and cast delivered a night of non-stop hits that left patrons more than satisfied.
The Sharon Playhouse will open on Friday, Sept. 20 with the final production of its main season, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.
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