Nobody will be accusing Republican gubernatorial candidate Martha Dean of pandering to the news media after she announced her candidacy last week by calling the reporters who will cover the campaign “vermin.” This is seen as a departure from the usual announcement of the intention to run for governor — in Connecticut, at least.It was one of several applause lines at Dean’s formal announcement that drew literally dozens, counting some print and TV vermin, to the Old State House in Hartford last week. By vermin, we can assume the candidate was referring to the secondary definition of the word, which is “very unpleasant and offensive people,” although the principal definition, “objectionable animals (as lice or fleas) that are difficult to control or to get rid of,” presumably fits the Dean view as well. Dean’s antipathy toward journalists is strange because they made her what she is today. This was accomplished by merely recording the outrageous things she has actually said in her unsuccessful career as an office seeker. True, what she says sometimes requires interpretation and that’s where vermin who write editorials or opinion columns come in.Last week, for example, she offered the following observations that cry out for additional reflection:Her candidacy is further evidence that she was put here to be God’s blessing on Connecticut.If elected, she would work to repeal the state income tax, she would seek the elimination of public employee unions and she would repeal the post-Newtown gun control measures. The latter is her most important promise, as she is the darling of the gun law resisters.u u uDean is known for making two losing runs for attorney general against Richard Blumenthal in 2002 and George Jepsen in 2010, but she became even better known, notorious even, for posting a video on her Facebook page soon after the Newtown massacre that claimed it was all a hoax perpetrated by anti-gun and anti-Second Amendment forces of evil. I wrote in this newspaper at the time that she claimed the video was posted “only because she’s a believer in sharing ideas.” These particular ideas ranged from the incredibly bizarre — the killings never happened, what you saw on television was a movie — to the incredibly hurtful — parents lying about their children being dead.She questioned why the killer was able to kill everyone and not wound some, whether people stopped in the vicinity were accomplices and whether the government of the United States had a role, which, she conceded, was highly unlikely, though “theoretically possible.” She did disown those saying a smiling parent seen on the video was evidence the killings didn’t happen, but suggested the smile could be “a red flag” to investigators.u u uCandidate Dean’s gun nuttiness was also on exhibition in her last campaign against Jepsen when she promised, if elected, to see to it that all school children, Boy and Girl Scouts and little campers be trained to use guns.“We teach sex education in school, yet we omit the most basic skill needed to exercise fundamental constitutional rights,” she said and still got 480,000 votes. In the Old State House last week, Dean also spoke of once having Ronald Reagan, bearing a caged canary, no less, come to her in a dream. (Even news vermin don’t make this stuff up.)Now, here was a statement by a candidate for high office that surely required amplification. A supporter in the audience suggested Dean’s seeing Reagan in her dreams indicates the late president was handing down his legacy to Martha but she got a bit confused as to why the Reagan legacy came equipped with a bird in a gilded cage.The woman observed that real life, caged canaries once accompanied miners into unventilated coal mines to determine if the veins contained deadly gases. As long as the canary kept singing, the mine was safe. But Dean wouldn’t go along with the supporter’s theory, saying she didn’t know why she dreamt of Reagan and his caged bird but the dream did inspire her to read Reagan’s books. Dean probably peaked with the announcement, God’s blessing and Reagan’s canary, but she may prove to be an inconvenience for the Republican campaign, the pre-primary debates and candidate Tom Foley, who has not appeased the gun nuts completely. Simsbury resident Dick Ahles is a retired journalist. Email him at dahles@hotmail.com.
Latest News
One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
