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Sharon Beach and transfer station stickers are now available. Forms for those who need to get their stickers by mail are available at the Town Hall by the back door entrance, or they can be downloaded and printed by going to sharonct.org.
Renters are reminded that proof of residency is required. Acceptable proofs of residency include a lease, a note from the landlord, or a utility bill in the renter’s name with the address. A stamped self-addressed envelope is also required.
Beach sticker prices are as follows: Regular stickers are $30, with each additional sticker in the same household costing $15. Seniors aged 65 and older can purchase stickers for $10. Non-residents can purchase stickers for $150 each. Caregivers, provided the family already has one sticker, can get them for $15. Stickers for Airbnb properties are $50 and must be obtained by the property owner.
Boating, kayaking, and paddleboard stickers are $20 each. A waiver form must be completed and filed with the Selectmen’s Office for each individual who will be using the vessel before the stickers can be purchased.
The prices for 2024/2025 transfer station stickers are $150 for residential, $60 for each additional sticker on the same property, and $250 for stickers not affixed to one car, such as for rental properties or rental cars.
The Selectmen’s Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Payment can be made by check or cash only.
If submitted by mail, your receipt and sticker will be returned to you by mail. For more information, contact Tina Pitcher at 860-364-5789 or tina_p@sharon-ct.org.
Residents of greater Amenia and a wide radius beyond have a penchant for world-class food served in country ambiance, a reason that Serevan, hosted by Chef Serge Madikians, became a destination for so many. In recent months, Madikians decided it was time to retire and the important restaurant closed.
Before long, new owners saw the potential and purchased the restaurant. So much about it was right. The new owners from Manhattan would open a new restaurant to be named “Panacea.”
The enthusiastic new owners are Chef Jacob Somers and his fiancée Khendum Namgyal. Pausing the hard work of preparing to open a restaurant, Somers took the time to provide some details on Wednesday, June 12, just days following the purchase. The couple will be married soon, and at that point, the two will co-own Panacea, Somers said.
One of Namgyal’s talents is fresh house-made pasta, although her duties will be varied, as needed to align with her talents.
The couple met in 2019, serving as chefs at Union Square Café, the landmark spot in Manhattan. Somers said that Namgyal will run the front-of-house operations in addition to kitchen work.
“In short, we’ll both be doing a lot of everything,” Somers said.
Eager to open, Somers said they are aware that this is peak season, both for diners and for garden-fresh produce. Namgyal has past tenure at Natoora, a Brooklyn-based distributor of seasonal produce from local farms directly to restaurants. Seasonality is a key word indicating that the freshest of ingredients will drive the menu.
Asked to categorize the Panacea cuisine, Somers resisted a broad label because the emphasis will be on seasonality.
“If I had to generalize, it would be ‘New-fare, eclectic, Americana Continental cuisine’,” Somers said, adding, “similar to Union Square Cafe.”
“I’ve been cooking professionally in NYC for around 14 years now,” Somers said. He began as a line cook at Clinton Street Baking Company on the Lower East Side and moved on to a few other spots before traveling to Alsace, France for an internship that was life changing.
Returning to Manhattan, he worked for Chef David Burke and then the Hudson Clearwater where he immersed in seasonality. From there he moved on to the Union Square Café, gaining lifelong friends, colleagues, and fellow chef, Khendum.
“I am so excited to become part of Amenia,” Somers said, having first visited the area in late October and been drawn to it. Then he saw the Serevan property in Amenia.
“My jaw dropped,” Somers said. “It looked so similar to my Alsace experience. I knew from the moment I laid my eyes on the property that I had to make it a reality.”
Clearly, there is a love story embedded, as Somers said, love of cooking well, love of the setting, and the love he has for Khendum, all coming together in Panacea.
On to the present, Somers reported that he and Khendum are unpacking, repairing and getting ready to open Panacea’s doors to diners, probably in July, maybe by July 4.
Somers was delighted to report phone calls from people already seeking reservations but they are not quite ready yet.
The property was listed for $890,000 and sold on June 6 for $800,000. Listed for sale in July of 2023 according to First Key MLS. 7 acres with restaurant equipment and 2,645 square foot building.
Catherine Haggarty and Dan Gunn at Geary Contemporary.
Catherine Haggarty and Dan Gunn’s joint exhibition at Geary Contemporary in Millerton opened with a reception on Saturday, June 15. The work offers a compelling exploration of contemporary themes through distinctly personal and artistic lenses. Both artists, each with their unique backgrounds and approaches, create a dialogue that is both introspective and engaging.
Catherine Haggarty, born in 1984 and currently residing in Brooklyn, has had her work on the pages of Bomb Magazine, Artnet, Hyperallergic, and other beacons of cultural resonance. She is a visionary force behind NYC Crit Club and The Canopy Program where she channels her artistry into mentoring the next wave of creative voices. The NYC Crit Club is an alternative, education-based platform that offers inclusive, low-cost courses in critique, connection, and community, fostering growth without financial stress. “We built a program for people who want to be connected to the New York art world while avoiding the system that’s really difficult to gain entry to,” said Haggarty. “The program helps bridge the gap between ageist, classist opportunities for people that are interested in being artists”
Jack and Dolly Geary, the owners of Geary Contemporary, have been working with Haggarty since 2022. “We’d known about Catherine through the Crit Club and then Dolly and I both did a studio visit and we’ve been working with her ever since,” said Jack Geary.
In Haggarty’s pieces entitled “Just Drawing,” abstract and figurative elements dance together, creating narratives that blur the line between reality and dreams. Drawing is at the heart of her practice, and her playful experimentation with light, planes, and textures invites viewers into a world that is both whimsical and deeply introspective. Through the use of repetition, there is an added layer of engagement that creates an immersive experience.
“I think you have to make something for it to teach you something,” said Haggarty. “So, I draw a lot and that’s why this show was really important; to make a show just about drawing as a serious medium, not just something that often is used as a preparatory system for making larger things.” Cost was also a factor in the decision to have a show of drawings on paper. Haggarty explained, “Drawing for me is incredibly important, and philosophical, and also materially diplomatic. The whole show is just about drawing, which is enough.”
In a captivating contrast to Haggarty’s introspective drawings, Dan Gunn unveils his series “The Ungrateful Son,” (which takes its name from a Brother Grimm fairytale) where larger-than-life stoneware toads, which double as functional floor lamps, merge folk art tradition with contemporary resonance. Drawing inspiration from his suburban Kansas roots and weaving in cultural and political reflections, Gunn’s amphibious creations delve into themes of masculinity, myth, and intergenerational tales, prompting viewers to reinterpret familiar symbols through a fresh and thought-provoking lens.
Tara Foley, one of the assistants at the Geary Contemporary shared, “I like the mix of the mundane and the mystical, that pull between almost opposites.”
The show runs through July 28 at Geary Contemporary (34 Main Street, Millerton).
