WINSTED — Gilbert and Northwestern’s time on the diamond has ended. The Yellowjackets and Highlanders softball and baseball programs experienced mixed success this season, and as they welcome a long summer break, the Tri-State Baseball League’s season has just begun.GilbertThe Yellowjackets’ baseball program struggled endlessly this season. Despite some very solid pitching efforts from Gilbert junior Austin Brochu, the team finished just 5-15 overall. The Jackets and head coach Pat Cooke were ambitiously seeking a playoff spot, but were unable to scratch out the necessary wins in a very competitive Berkshire League.It is not all calamity and woe for the Yellowjackets, as the team graduates only one senior, Jaron Kolek, and could see a big return in experienced ballplayers next season.The Lady Jackets surprised many, and maybe even themselves, turning out a hard-earned banner season after years of struggle and toil. The Yellowjackets’ softball program finished 10-11, an enormous improvement over last season’s final record of 3-17. The girls worked their way into the postseason but were ousted in the first round after a 24-4 loss at Morgan.The softball program should also welcome back a wealth of veterans, as they graduate just two seniors this year. Unfortunately for the Jackets, filling the talented cleats of seniors Jess Shotwell and Jennie Fritch will be an arduous task at best.NorthwesternNorthwestern’s youthful baseball squad produced a spectacular season, working a 13-7 overall record as well as a playoff appearance. The Highlanders were unable to battle deeper into the post-season after a late game rally by Stonington at home handed the Highlanders a first-round 23-7 elimination loss.The Highlanders graduate six seniors, including Jaron Morris, Ryan Nelson, Rich Paquette, Mike Bell, Bobby Lippincott and Andrew McCarthy. Sharing a common quality with their crosstown rival, Northwestern’s season allowed a large crew of young ballplayers to gain some crucial experience, and should those players return next season, there will be no shortage of talent to attempt another strong run into the playoffs.Northwestern’s softball squad topped all the local ball clubs with an astounding 19-3 overall record. The Lady Highlanders fought their way into the second round of the playoffs after toppling Planfield at home, but forfeited an early lead against Rocky Hill to take a 12-5 loss at home.The Highlanders graduate three seniors this year, Nicole Bianchi, Casey Burke and Shanley McClave. Similar to their baseball counterpart, Northwestern’s softball squad will remain a serious contender in the Berkshire League should they have a favorable number of returns for next year.Tri-StateThose who are still yearning for local ballgames are urged to check out the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League for some extremely entertaining and competitive outings. There is no admission charge and plenty of opportunities to catch a game. Schedules, results, and further information can be readily found at www.tristatebaseballct.com.
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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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