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Chris Wadsworth at Camp Sloane.
Natalie Wadsworth
After more than four decades of dedicated service, Chris Wadsworth has retired from his role as director of Camp Sloane YMCA in Lakeville, Connecticut. His retirement marks the end of an era, with Wadsworth having been an integral part of the camp’s growth and success since 1978. His tenure, which spans two periods—1978 to 1985 and 1990 to 2024—has been characterized by unwavering commitment, love, and care for the camp’s mission and its community.
“Camp Sloane has been my life,” said Wadsworth, reflecting on his extensive time at the helm. “I love that place, and it’s been so rewarding to help it grow and thrive.”
Under Wadsworth’s leadership, the camp has maintained its charm and beauty, thanks to his tireless efforts in overseeing its upkeep and operations. Starting out working part-time when he was still in college, Wadsworth learned a lot of his handyman skills on the job. “It’s an amazing place to work. It’s a long day and we just go nonstop so it’s a pressure cooker, but everyone is there for each other,” said Wadsworth.
Wadsworth’s dedication to the camp has extended beyond his professional responsibilities. “It’s a year-round job, and there’s always something to do—whether it’s building projects in the winter or preparing for the next season,” he explained. “In the fall, we’re all exhausted, but it’s not too long before we’re already thinking about next summer.”
Wadsworth stressed the importance of the support he always received from a remarkable team, including the camp’s director Rhino Merrick, executive director Paul “Bear” Bryant, and facilities director Dave Wright. Wadsworth emphasized that the success of the camp has always been a team effort. “We’ve been very fortunate to have an incredible group of people here,” said Wadsworth. “And the community has been amazing. Our tradespeople have become friends, and the community support has been outstanding. The town of Salisbury has been top-notch to work with.”
Wadsworth officially retired on Dec. 31, 2024, and enjoyed a retirement party the first weekend in January at the Interlaken Inn. “I was humbled by all the nice comments and thoughts. It was really something,” he said. In passing the torch to Dave Wright, who has been with Camp Sloane for 15 years, Wadsworth said, “I’ve worked with Dave for so long, and I know the camp is in great hands.”
Looking ahead, Wadsworth plans to spend more time with his family, particularly his wife, who is very active in Falls Village, and his two children, who both had the opportunity to experience camp life. “It was wonderful having my family at the camp. My kids loved it, and I never had to worry about them being embarrassed by their dad working there,” he laughed.
Although he seems ready to take a step back, Wadsworth expressed a desire to stay involved in the local community. “I hope to be more active in town now that I have more time,” he said, alluding to his future plans to take on handyman projects at his own home and perhaps even lend his skills to local initiatives.
“I’ll miss the community, the team, and the work. It’s been inspiring, and I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished. I know the camp will continue to thrive, and I’m excited to see what’s next,” said Wadsworth.
Chris Wadsworth’s contributions to Camp Sloane are immeasurable, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of campers and staff. As he steps into retirement, the community he helped build will remain a testament to his hard work, dedication, and love for Camp Sloane. “I’ll miss the community and my coworkers,” said Wadsworth, “but I know it’s in really good hands. And that’s the truth.”
For those who want to send a message of thanks, Chris Wadsworth can be reached at cwadsworth@campsloane.org.
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Dani Shapiro, left, and Laura Karetzky.
Beowulf Sheehan and Nelson Hancock
On Saturday, Jan. 18 at 5:30 p.m., the first in a new series of conversations called “Telling Stories” will take place at Spring Hill Vineyards in New Preston, Conn. Moderated by writer and teacher Maggie Levine, this inaugural session will feature bestselling author Dani Shapiro and Brooklyn-based painter Laura Karetzky in a discussion about their creative processes, storytelling techniques, and the connections between their art forms.
Shapiro, author of eleven books, and the host and creator of the hit podcast “Family Secrets.” and Karetzky, known for her narrative-driven paintings, will explore how they weave multiple perspectives and non-linear narratives into their respective works. “The reason I paired Laura with Dani is because Dani’s work, even in her fiction, is not linear. She jumps around in time and weaves different perspectives. Laura’s narrative paintings do something similar—they often tell multiple stories through layers and perspectives,” said Levine, who founded her newsletter and social platform, ArtWrite, to explore the intersections of art and writing. Levine will guide the conversation, highlighting the common threads between these two artists’ practices.
“I was beginning to see the danger in adhering to a single narrative, hewing to a story,” said Shapiro about writing. “The peril wasn’t only in getting it wrong, it was a kind of calcification, a narrowing, a perversion of reality that hardened and stilled the spirit.”
“I believe that we are experiencing concurrent truths that are in constant flux,” said Karetzky. “It’s only when I start putting an image down on canvas that I begin to understand the myriad complexities of a particular story. It’s through this process that I begin to unearth what I actually think and see.”
This conversation will take place at Spring Hill Vineyards, located along the Shepaug River in New Preston. Established in 2006 by Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, the vineyard is also the site of Spring Hill Arts Gathering, a summer arts festival hosted in the vineyard’s gorgeous barn space. The conversation will be hosted in this same charming barn, offering an intimate setting for this exciting new series.
This free event is open to the public, with reservations encouraged. For more information and to reserve a seat, visit www.springhillvineyards.com/events or email contact@springhillvineyards.com.
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Alec Linden
Erin Ash Sullivan, the evening’s featured act, performing her music for a rapt audience.
This year's first installment of the 12 Moons Coffee House open mic and performance kicked off to a packed house despite bracing weather on Saturday, Jan. 4.
“This is the best thing you can do on a freezing evening,” said the night’s featured performer, singer-songwriter Erin Ash Sullivan. Applause and murmurs of assent filled the vaulted interior of Falls Village’s Center on Main.
The event, which is funded entirely by donations, occurs on the first Saturday of each month and has, except for hiatus during the pandemic, been running since 2012. Since taking over in 2022, the night usually draws between 30 and 50 attendants, said John Nowak who organizes 12 Moons with his wife Nancy. “Tonight we have about 60,” Nowak said.
The evening’s structure followed the standard 12 Moons layout, starting with an open mic session which was then followed by the featured artist taking the stage at 8 p.m. Nowak explained that he sees the night as a showcase of the deep and thriving music community in the region, as well as a supportive platform for newer performers to showcase their work.
The event has a strong regular following — “We have people who come every month,” Nowak said — but continuously draws new participants. “There has always been somebody new for the open mic for two and a half years,” Nowak explained, referencing his tenure as the event’s organizer.
Saturday evening’s open mic showcased the varied and vibrant Northwest Corner talent pool, closing with David Capellaro reciting his own original poetry, a few lilting tunes from local legend George Potts, and a couple of traditional songs performed a cappella by South Kent resident John Milnes Baker, who runs his own folksong night on the second Monday of every month at the Bulls Bridge Inn.
One of Milnes Baker’s songs related an amusing tale about a traveler who unwittingly gets wrapped up in a strange barter system involving mink skins in Arkansas. When asked where he found the song, he said he wasn’t sure — he’s 92, and heard it as a teenager.
He said he grew up on the south shore of Long Island among a rich balladeering culture, and has a good memory for a tune. “I literally know hundreds of songs,” he said.
After a short break, it was time for Ash Sullivan to take the stage as the night’s featured act. “What we try to do is get local, professional artists to be our featured act — and we have,” said Nowak, noting that they now are exploring artists from further afield in New England.
Ash Sullivan, who hails from Harvard, Massachusetts, thanked the crowd and other performers before diving into the set. “This is like the best open mic I’ve ever been to,” she said to cheers from the audience.
The songs Ash Sullivan played stuck close to home, focusing on her hometown, friends, family, and intimate moments shared between loved ones. She sang about her grandmother, who was cast on the original Broadway staging of Oklahoma but backed out to marry Ash Sullivan’s grandfather, and how she wished she could have gotten more stories from her when she had the time. She also sang about motherhood, memories of going to the beach with a difficult teenage friend, and a difficult summer at home after college.
The songs were simultaneously tender and humorous, the vocals primarily accompanied by her finger-picked guitar except for one for which she played the ukulele. “Ukulele players are like vampires — they tend to sire other ukulele players,” she said, explaining that her husband’s ukulele playing had inspired her to take up the instrument.
She closed with a song about rejoining — and winning — a hometown pie eating contest as an adult after having won it twice as a preteen. The refrain encapsulates the air of levity and sentimentality that was consistent throughout her set: “Sweetness brings a sweetness that money just can’t buy.”
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Chili lovers had a feast as they decided on their favorites at the Chili Cook-Off at the Copake Grange. The winner of the next competition, planned for Saturday, Jan. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m, has been a hot topic around town for months.
Rita Jakubowski
Rita Jakubowski, recording secretary and membership director for the Copake Grange, says the 2025 calendar, already packed with events for all and open to the public, is the result of the group’s increasingly diverse membership, up from seven in 2018 to 125 today.
The playlist for a “Love to Dance” Party, on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., the brainchild of Madeline Silverman, will feature songs which contain the words “love” or “dance” with suggestions submitted to tinyurl.com/JanuaryDance. Held several times a year, Jakubowski says, young people come out “in droves” for the party.
Donations of $5 and items for the Roe Jan Food Pantry and emergency supply cabinet at the Taconic Hills School are appreciated.
Movie Night’s “Mississippi Burning” in recognition of Martin Luther King Day, is set for Sunday, Jan. 19, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The movie is free with a $10 fee for a following meal of soup, salad and bread to help with the historic building’s “never ending needs.”
Months-long competitive talk of the “legendary” fourth Annual Chili Cook-Off, will be settled on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when attendees taste samples and vote for the best entry. Chili may be purchased to eat there or take home.
To participate in “Jammin’ at the Grange,” on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. or the next free Open Mic Night scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. contact lennybarham@gmail.com
“Making Collages” on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for children seven to 18 will be led by Grange artists Liz Fenamore and Deborah Macheski. The $5 admission fee will include art supplies.
For more information on the Grange at 628 Empire Rd. near the Clock Tower, go to www.copakegrange.org. or email copakegrange@gmail.com.
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