The community of those who value Freedom of Information and First Amendment rights lost a beloved and irreplaceable advocate last month. Ethel Silver Sorokin died on Dec. 11, 2012. Given the magnitude of the terrible tragedy that occurred in Newtown that week, it was easy to miss the news of her death. But her death and, more importantly, her life, are well worth remembering. Along with her late husband, Milton Sorokin, Ethel was one of a breed of lawyers dedicated to the principle of defending the First Amendment and Freedom of Information laws from the perpetual attacks against them.Ethel was too modest to ever see herself as a role model or trendsetter. But she was both. Perhaps it is best to describe her as a pioneer, a term that lacks ego, but suggests toiling in uncharted territory. For she was among the first group of extraordinary women to become successful lawyers in their own right, in what was then a profession unwelcoming to women that was little more than a misogynistic “old boys club.”After graduating from Vassar College — at the time an all-women’s school — where she was an exceptional student among a group of exceptional students and editor of the college newspaper, she attended the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she once again excelled academically and was selected editor-in-chief of the law review. She was one of only two women to graduate in her class.A few years after graduating from law school, Ethel and Milton opened a law practice in Hartford. Partners in life and work, the Sorokins built a formidable practice representing individuals and businesses, while raising three accomplished children and engaging in numerous professional, civic and charitable causes. In fact, they never turned down a cause they believed in or turned their back on an injustice they observed.Two of those causes were the First Amendment and Freedom of Information.Throughout their careers, Ethel and Milton represented the news media in many important cases. They fought for local newspapers and against cross-ownership of the various news media in order to give the public as many independent voices as possible on matters of civic importance. They fought to open government meetings and records so the public could better understand and debate the issues affecting them. Their work helped lead the way to passage of the Freedom of Information Act in 1975. In 1993, Milton became a member of the Freedom of Information Commission. Behind the scenes, Ethel assisted the commission’s staff in its legal work.From the time of Milton’s death in 1996 until recently, Ethel led the Center for First Amendment Rights, which she and Milton founded. Among other things, it sponsors informative and provocative educational programs for adults and particularly for school children throughout Connecticut. The center is now affiliated with the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut.Ethel had a disarming way of getting people to help in her many causes, from giving civics lessons on local public access television to participating in legal symposia on sophisticated issues of constitutional law. She made people feel that they were the only ones who could possibly do the jobs she had in mind for them. On more than a few occasions I was the happy victim of her not-so-subtle manipulations. It was almost impossible to say no when Ethel asked you to do something. For it was never for herself, always for a greater purpose.Ethel was also a most generous and thoughtful individual. Whether something good or bad happened to someone she knew, she would write a personal note in her barely legible handwriting congratulating or consoling them. If she read a book that she knew a friend would enjoy reading, she would send a copy to that friend. And she always donated to the causes her friends espoused, as she asked them without embarrassment to donate to hers.Ethel’s life-journey did not take her far from her birthplace in Hartford to her lifelong home in West Hartford. To paraphrase an expression, however, she came a long way, baby.As a woman, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and as an esteemed lawyer and educator, Ethel had it all and did it all. She had a brilliant mind, yet remained remarkably humble. She demanded excellence from herself, but accepted the limitations of others. She sought little for herself, but asked much for those in need. No matter how difficult the task, she was the eternal optimist.In life, Ethel Silver Sorokin was a humanitarian nonpareil, a trailblazer for women lawyers and a shining beacon of light for those who follow in her footsteps. In death, Ethel will be greatly missed by all who knew her, as well as by those who have unknowingly benefited from her extraordinary life. Mitchell W. Pearlman, former executive director of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, is a member of the CPAN board of directors. He is a lecturer in law and journalism at the University of Connecticut and the author of “Piercing the Veil of Secrecy: Lessons in the Fight for Freedom of Information,” a book about transparency, good governance and the future of democracy. He lives in Glastonbury.
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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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