The polls will be open for the Municipal Election on November 4 from 6AM to 8PM in the Community Room at Town Hall. Early Voting and Same Day Registration is available in the Office of the Registrars of Voters on November 1 and 2 from 10AM to 6PM. The Registrars will hold a limited registration session from 9AM to 5PM on November 3 for those whose rights as to age, citizenship, or residence was attained since October 17. Same Day Registration is available during the Election in the Registrars’ Office only to those who apply prior to the close of the polls. Absentee ballots are available from the Town Clerk during regular Town Hall hours, and curb-side voting will be available during Early Voting and Election Day.

Dayna McDermott-Arriola and Sulema Perez-Pagan
Registrars of Voters

At their regular monthly meeting on October 6, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to publish a “Community Values Statement” on Hampton’s website, a decision which was met with applause from the audience.

The resolution stipulates:
• That Hampton is a place where people—no matter where they were born—deserve to live without fear of harassment, targeting, or unjust treatment.
• That we support state efforts, including Connecticut’s Trust Act, which limit entanglement between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, except under clear and lawful conditions.
• That our town benefits from the labor, traditions, families, and presence of many—seen and unseen—whose stories are woven into the soil and spirit of this place.
• That public safety is best achieved not through raids or fear, but through trust-building, informed community members, and clear rights-based education.

The proposal was brought forth by resident Robin Thompson who addressed the community on the subject in a letter published in last month’s Gazette. Since its publication, Thompson has received much positive support, and while less than a dozen residents attended a Town Meeting conducted earlier that evening, when the Selectmen’s meeting commenced, the number in attendance more than doubled with residents showing support for the proposal.

In a letter read to the Selectmen, Thompson asked the board “to consider issuing a simple, values-based statement affirming that public spaces in Hampton—like schools, libraries, and emergency services—remain places of trust and safety for all residents, regardless of immigration status. This is not a partisan issue,” she said. “It’s a human one.” The Selectmen voted to add a discussion on the issue to the Agenda and welcomed public comment on the subject during the meeting. Thompson thanked the Selectmen “for listening, for your openness to this conversation, and for the care you continue to show this town.”

Thompson also distributed numerous resources for “Welcoming and Safe Communities in Connecticut”, information from “The Connecticut Trust Act”, samples of “Values Statements” from other Connecticut towns, and her own which advocated, “That every person, regardless of birthplace, documentation status, race, language, or origin, holds inherent dignity and worth. That how we treat the most vulnerable among us defines who we are as a community,” characterizing residents of our “small, rural town”, as people who “know what it means to look out for one another.”

The statement was read into the minutes, and a discussion ensued with members of the board and the audience, during which the Selectmen concurred that Hampton has always been known as a welcoming town. Members cited the June, 2022 proclamation adopted by the Board of Selectmen which stated the Town of Hampton “celebrates the diversity of its people and their right to live their lives out loud, free of discrimination, fear and prejudice… and is committed to supporting visibility, dignity and equality” and proclaimed June as “Pride Month in support of the LGBTQ+ community.” The Selectmen voted unanimously in support of the proposal to publish the “Community Values Statement”, and in response, the audience applauded.

As to the Town Meeting held earlier, residents approved “additional appropriations from the Undesignated Fund for the General Budget for the year July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025” to cover unanticipated costs totaling $5,547.86. These were largely due to increased costs imposed on the Sanitation Department and legal fees to cover the litigation regarding taxes on the Solar Park.

Gazette Staff

An attempt to release an investigative report to the public failed at the Hampton Elementary School Board of Education’s October 23 meeting when the motion, made by member Juan Arriola, to discuss the matter, did not receive a second. Arriola, who reviewed the report in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, deemed it important for the public to know, though he refrained from citing details of the report in order to preserve the current confidentiality of the document. Arriola has been a consistent critic of what he and some other town officials consider the school board’s lack of transparency.

The report summarizes the investigation into a discrimination grievance filed by Armin Harris, former custodian, against former principal Patrice Merendina in September, 2023. The circumstances surrounding the investigation triggered several complaints, including one lodged with the school board currently under investigation, two, subsequently settled, with the FOIC, and two with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) which are pending.

Additionally, the investigation, conducted by attorneys, cost $18,000, though board policies stipulate that the Superintendent has ten days to hold a hearing on a discrimination grievance and five days to “resolve the complaint and negotiate a long-term solution, or refer the matter to the Board of Education for consideration”.

After the investigation was finalized, the only information released was a correspondence dated December 21, 2023 from former Superintendent Samantha Sarli to Harris concluding that “the investigators substantiated some of your allegations, specifically that Ms. Merendina engaged in certain inappropriate conduct towards you at times”. Though no further details were offered, it was noted that the conduct was not racially motivated.

Subsequent to the investigation, Harris filed a complaint with the CHRO, and after the specifics were released in a September 10, 2024 article in The Willimantic Chronicle, Merendina filed a complaint to the school board against Arriola regarding his “involvement” in Harris’ case. That complaint alleged that Arriola attempted to attend a meeting, ultimately cancelled, with administrators and Harris, distributed Harris’ letter of resignation at a board meeting, and “disclosed information that he obtained based on his position as a Board of Education member to the public and to the media” causing “substantial damage and injury to Ms. Merendina’s professional and personal reputation”.

After Merendina resigned, accepting a position with Norwich Public Schools which she described as “necessary….to reach my professional goals,” the school board at its October 23, 2024 meeting, voted 5-4 to launch an investigation into Merendina’s “complaint against a board member.”

Invoices received from September 2024 through August 2025 show that the board has spent approximately $12,000 investigating the complaint thus far, conducting extensive interviews with Superintendent Andrew Skarzynski and all board members except three who voted against the investigation, John Russell, Diane Gagnon, and Arriola himself. According to the invoices, no attempts to date have been made to contact Gagnon or Arriola during the course of the investigation which commenced almost a year ago.

As to the allegations under investigation, Arriola admits to distributing the resignation, at Harris’ request, and to attending a meeting between Harris and administrators at the suggestion of the CHRO. He denies disclosing anything that wasn’t public, including to the press, and has repeatedly asked officials to “simply ask the reporter”, which, he notes, wouldn’t cost anything.

In a statement to the board, Arriola said his “involvement” in personnel matters was not one of interference, adding, “I will never turn away from someone who asks me to listen. Never. There is no job or role in this world that’s worth turning your back on a human being in need.”

Arriola has also filed a complaint with the CHRO, alleging retaliation due to his advocacy of school employees who filed discrimination complaints against school officials. Connecticut General Statutes 46a-60(b) (1) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits actions “against any person because such person has opposed any discriminatory employment practice or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or assisted in any proceeding under section 46a-82, 46a-83 or 46a-84.”

The alleged retaliation includes the investigation into Arriola’s conduct, the suggestion by a board member that he be removed from the board, or censured, his removal from all committees, and several serious allegations publicly leveled against him at the September 19, 2024 board meeting, which Arriola has labeled “unsubstantiated, slanderous, and false”.

In an effort to resolve issues raised in the CHRO complaint amicably, Chairman Becker, Superintendent Skarzynski and Arriola participated in a meeting this summer which was characterized as “positive”. The results were announced at the board meeting, with Becker reading from a written statement: “We agreed that the board needs to re-engage in various ad-hoc committees and all the members of the board will be asked to participate. It was also recognized that the entire board needs to work together with the primary goal to support all kids. Improvements are needed in board practice and we need to ensure that across the table we treat each other with respect, listen to the different viewpoints and continue to participate in board presentations and board training, including those related to diversity and equity, all while holding our members responsible for proper behavior but not by singling them out.”

There have been no public updates on further discussions and resolutions.

Gazette Staff

The Providence Mandolin Orchestra will perform on November 16 at 3PM in the Community Center, a wide repertoire of music for its unique instrumentation of mandolins, guitars, and bass. The Orchestra was formed in 1913. This community group currently under the direction of Grammy-nominated mandolinist/guitarist Mark Davis has gained a reputation for excellence through its many local concerts, international tours and recordings. Known for its dedication to the performance of both traditional and contemporary music, the orchestra has performed in Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Orchestra sections include first and second mandolin, mandola, mandocello, classical guitar and string bass. The varied repertoire for this concert will include: The City Awakes (Netherlands) – E. Stopler; Lieder ohne Worte (German) – K. Wolki; Grooves (USA) – O. Hartford; A Lament for the Loss of Polite Language (Aus.) – R. Schulz.

This concert is co-sponsored by the Hampton Recreation Commission. Tickets will be available at the door: Adults $15, seniors $10, students $5.

Mark Davis

Hampton Congregational Church will once again hold their annual Harvest Dinner on Saturday, November 8, from 5-7PM. The event features roast pork, with a vegetarian option of stuffed squash, along with maple carrots, roast potatoes and homemade desserts. The cost is $15 for adults, $10 for children, and children under 5 are free. There is also a take-out option,

Hampton Congregational has their annual fall dinner for three reasons. One is to build community within the congregation as we work together to serve it. The second is to provide a place for the broader community to gather. During a time where people are increasingly isolated, and loneliness is an epidemic, having a chance to sit with old neighbors and meet new ones is a gift this meal affords. Finally, it serves as a fundraiser. Hampton Congregational is the second oldest meeting house in Connecticut with continual worship services since it was built, but as the church is over 300 years old and the building is nearly that old, expenses like the new boiler we just installed aren’t cheap. The meal helps the congregation support our mission.

So, make plans to join us on November 8 with a great meal for a good cause.

Appaquag, from the Nipmuck “swampy area”, also known as Cady Hill and Grow Hill, for the families who farmed there, is one of the oldest sections of town. Though Appaquag had its own one room school house, from 1774 to the early 1900’s when the seven schools consolidated into three, it was without some of the amenities common to the other sections, such as stores, mills, depots, and post offices. Situated in the northeastern corner of the town, Appaquag was the smallest of the seven districts, and according to the 1869 map of the town, the most sparsely populated, due in large part to its industry: farming.

Appaquag’s “Grow Farm” is one of the oldest in town, the home built between 1730 and 1748. Like several of our earliest settlers, Thomas Grow was from Andover Massachusetts, arriving in Hampton in 1730 and purchasing 100 acres in the portion of town that was originally part of Pomfret, later incorporated into Hampton and designated as the school district called Appaquag.

Upon his death in 1755, Grow deeded half of the land to his son, Joseph, and the other half to his son Thomas, Jr. who would become known as Deacon Thomas Grow. Though the Grow Farm is described as “prosperous”, much more is written on the Baptist Church that was established there. Born in 1743, Deacon Thomas Grow, according to Susan Jewett Griggs’ Folklore and Firesides, welcomed parishioners to his home for services prior to constructing the Grow Meetinghouse on the property, a wall of which, reportedly, is still visible. His son, William, would continue as the first ordained pastor, from 1776 to 1783, and a Grow cousin, James, a farmer and a schoolmaster, continued as pastor from 1788 to 1805.

Along with a church, the farm also had its own cemetery, the Grow Burying Grounds, circa 1740. Here, on a small hill along Carter Road, members of the Grow family rest in peace, flags marking the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers Deacon Thomas and Ebenezer, who served under General Israel Putnam. A few of the gravestones are still legible, and Deacon Thomas, identified as “a prosperous farmer and leader of the Grow Hill Baptist Church”, is inscribed thus:

Died
June 5, 1824,
Aged 81 Years
Every sea and lake and river
shall restore their dead to view
shout for gladness O believer
Christ is risen and so shall you.

The ministers and veterans of the American Revolution were not the only members of the Grow family of renown. According to Janet and Jim Robertson’s All Our Yesterdays, “In the 1860’s, the speaker of the House, a representative from Pennsylvania who sponsored the Homestead Act, was Galusha Grow – who had been born on what is now known as Grow Hill on the northern edge of Hampton, Connecticut.”

In 1876, the Stone family purchased the Grow Farm , operating it for over a hundred years. Harold Stone, a life-long resident, described growing up on the farm in several entries of Hampton Remembers, illustrating an industrious, and simple, life.

We always put up ice at home. Everybody did. Now today if people had to depend on ice you couldn’t do it – ‘cause we don’t have the season for it! Dad made an icebox for the house, lined it with zinc and filled in the space with sawdust. It was a chest type – you lifted up the top to put the ice in and your ice was on one side and your food on the other. It was out in the back room and for when it melted, it had a hole down through and pipes down underneath so the water went right down under the building…You set your milk in these tin pans about ten to twelve inches across the top, smaller across the bottom. And up home we had what you called a milk, butter, and cheese pantry known as a butt’ry…We used to pick huckleberries in the summertime and Mr. Clapp at Elliot store would give us ten cents a quart the first week, nine the next and when it got down so he was giving us three cents a quart, then we picked to preserve for our own use…We had, as a rule, somewhere around twenty cows…When I was a small boy my day started about ha’ past five or a little earlier than that because we had to have our milk cooled and down to Elliot station by seven o’clock. We had the stables to clean and the milking and we had to pitch out the silage after we got a silo and pitch down the hay, and feed ’em the grain…We had to pump the water and turn the cows out into what was the horse barn there because that’s where the pump was and one boy could pump and keep pumping, steady if two cows were drinking…In the summer, you had your haying and those days you didn’t kill weeds with pesticides. You had to work. Vacation? I don’t think they knew what the word meant…Well, say, I don’t think the children today have anywhere near the fun that they had those days. They worked hard but of course they enjoyed their time off more.

Harold’s sibling, Elmer, ran the farm until he retired in 1954, when the operation was purchased by his sons, Clarence and Walter, and became known as the “Stone Brothers.” The farm grew during their ownership to a hundred cows, some pigs, lots of chickens, and many buildings to accommodate the daily operations, two large barns, a tool and oil shed, a garage for vehicles, a pig pen, and a pole barn.

Many of the changes through those years were the result of growth and of legislation. While Elmer still milked the cows the old-fashioned way, Walt and Clarence machine-milked. Laws required the equipment that was always cleaned in the house to be washed in its own room in a larger barn. Milk sold directly to customers or brought to the train station was now sold to Cumberland Farms. Previously stored in cans placed in a large container chilled with water, milk was now poured into a bulk tank hitched to a milk truck and hauled away.

The work load didn’t change. The farmers worked from sunrise to sunset, the children milked the cows before school started, and brought the cows in after school, and their mothers cooked a breakfast every morning of “fresh juice, cereal and fruit, eggs, bacon or sausage, fried bread, pancakes, milk, coffee, and sometimes homemade donuts,” Phyllis Stone recalled.

The major changes, however, occurred during the last century when the number of dairy farms dwindled down to three in the last half, all in the Appaquag part of town, and eventually to only one.

Allan Cahill came to Hampton in 1975 at the age of 18. His widowed mother and her husband, a generational farmer, searched for farms from Georgia to New Brunswick before finally settling on what was then the Postemski farm, the northern most portion of the original Grow Farm. For the next 25 years, the Geers ran the dairy operation Raydongeo Farms named for members of the Geer family – Raymond, Donald and George.

In 1999, Al and Clark Woodmansee started the partnership known as Woodhill Farm. Al became the sole proprietor when he bought the business in 2013, and on September 29 of this year, he and partner Kevin Burnham created Grow Hill, LLC, the real estate holding company. Today the farm encompasses what was known as the Geer farm, a portion of the Albro farm on the Pomfret line, the Stone farm, much of the Polom farm, and half of the Loew farm — five farms into one.

Farming, Al says, is not just a vocation; it’s a way of life. He’s “on call” 24-7 in this capacity, and in the other role he serves, as First Selectman. Following in the footsteps of one of his predecessors, on the farm and in the town — Walt Stone — Al says he watched and listened closely to Walt and many of those he admired who preceded or worked with him, becoming the town’s Chief Official in 2011. Running unopposed this November, he will start his 14th year as First Selectman, but, out of respect, he won’t break Walt’s record of 20 years.

On average, twelve people work on the farm all year, with sub-contractors and bartering with area farms during the harvest season. The farm exports 12 to 15 tons of milk per day, sold to Guida’s Dairy. Residents might notice a tank truck drive daily through town between eight and ten every morning on its way to New Britain.

There are 800 cattle who call the farm “home”, and only two dairy barns. “We’d all rather be outside, right?” Al asks, explaining that several shelters provide protection from the weather when needed and accommodate the philosophy of “lose free choice housing”, which allows the cows to roam free.

The goal, Al says, is animal comfort. “We treat them like children, with age and size appropriate groupings, and a lot of freedom.” We’re stewards, he says, of the land, keeping it in open space and protecting it from development, and of the animals. “We take excellent care of the cows. They pay the bills.”

The cows and the farm are also celebrated with a wine called “Woodhill”, produced and bottled here in Hampton at Quiet Corner Winery. “Why a cow on a wine bottle?” the label asks. “Quiet Corner Winery is nestled in a part of Connecticut rich in farming history. We chose to feature a cow on our Sauvignon Blanc label as a tribute to the hardworking farming community, particularly honoring the dairy farms of Hampton. Our goal is to craft a wine that not only stands the test of time but also celebrates the heritage and dedication of this agricultural region.”

And so — a toast. Here’s to our town’s dairy farm, conserver of land, protector of animals, preserver of history.

Dayna McDermott

At our Annual Fall Festivals, the Gazette, given that we’re a newspaper, conducts a community poll. This year we asked residents to: Mark the rules you still adhere to that were passed from your Depression Era parents and grandparents.

With 26 participants, 25, or all except one, selected Have left-over nights for supper.
Turn off the lights when leaving the room was marked by 22 of us, followed by 21 residents who Wear Hand-Me-Downs.
Eighteen of us Compost and Order tap rather than bottled water.
Seventeen of us Save buttons and Reuse bows, but only 15 of us Save nails and only 14 of us Reuse wrapping paper.
Fifteen of us Turn off the water while brushing our teeth.
Fourteen of us Never leave the car running.
Thirteen of us Use fans rather than air-conditioning.
Twelve of us Save the twists from wrappers (in that “miscellaneous draw” that many mentioned).
Eleven of us Reuse uncancelled stamps.
Only nine of us Walk instead of drive whenever possible (though this was dependent on age, weather, and safety).
And the number one thing we no longer do: Darn Woolen Clothes. Only two of us still do that (though many of us remember wearing darned clothes, especially socks).
In conclusion: we’re a thrifty, frugal bunch, who probably also remember the proverb – “Waste not, want not.”

Each year, residents contribute to a Community Poem. Here is this year’s.

Fall is…
Migration.
Formations of geese,
Insects singing at night.

Chipmunks and squirrels scrambling.
Harvest,
Apples and pumpkins.

Loving the sun as it fades.
Leaves changing to red, orange and yellow,
The annual fashion show of colors,
The mustiness of the fallen leaves.

Walking the airline trail,
Hooking a salmon,
Crowds cheering young athletes —
Running, kicking, blocking.
A horse bouncing in the cool air.

Trick-or-treating,
Spooky season!

Dear Auntie Mac,

I’m debating whether or not I should remain friends with some old friends I’ve known most of my life whose “politics” differ so greatly from mine on matters of race, gender identity, immigration. I’m all for free speech and diversity of ideas and have prided myself on my wide circle of friends, but I don’t think I can maintain friendships with those whose ideology I find, frankly, inhumane. Am I wrong to do this, and should I tell them why on the way out the door?

No Longer Able to Put Politics Aside

My Dear Neighbor,

The people we have known most of our lives know things about us that no one else ever will. They remember the way your house smelled of cinnamon. They remember that the ratty old armchair that you still have was ratty even when it was in your parents’ living room being used as a pincushion by your grandmother when she visited twice a year. They remember your father’s voice. They’ve seen the little cemetery where you buried your parakeet, and they helped you come up with naughty names for your 7th grade science teacher. Time passed and you acquired more friends, some perhaps more refined, more avante garde, more intellectual. But there are reasons you have clung to these precious people. Try to remember them now. A lifelong friendship is forged in mutual interests, shared experiences, and more than a few trips down memory lane. Experiences along the way pull us in this or that direction. It’s perfectly permissible to ask one of these friends, when a subject comes up on which you disagree, to say, without anger or accusation, “That just doesn’t sound like you. I remember when we both agreed on this. What happened to change your mind?” The response may not be what you had hoped, and in fact, as passions about so many things are running high these days, it could be met with a torrent of semi-intelligible sputtering directed not at you but at the futility of presenting a cogent argument despite a conviction of being in the right. This happens to all of us, dear, and you can assure your friend that you didn’t mean to cause any anxiety but are truly interested in their take on this issue and their personal reasons for this position. If you still reach an impasse, fall back on what has connected you to this person for all these years, and re-explore common interests and activities.

More frequently these days, Auntie Mac and Lars have found themselves quite on opposite sides of a current issue, and as we both peer across the shrubbery at each other wondering who this person is with whom we have shared so much through the years and yet apparently know so little, we wisely revert to the topics at hand, namely, what are we to do with the climbing roses this fall, however did the privet grow so tall this season, and will the cobblestones hold up for another winter under the punishment of a meticulous gardener with a new snow blower. All subjects dear to both our hearts, and about which we find much communal joy discussing. Every so often, apropos of nothing, remind your friends how much you treasure them, and how much they have meant to you over the years.

We are not our politics. We may stray onto unfamiliar paths and try on new belief systems, much as one would try on different hats. We may find ourselves reveling in the feeling that we are now part of an inclusive group and are no longer alone. We may be fearful of any number of things and are comforted by having articulated for us a way to explain that our fears are grounded and that our current reality is unfair and unjust and not our fault. Our fear may make us strident and close-minded. And we need, especially in these times, to be reminded that we are loved, and respected for our many good qualities, and cherished for the long road we’ve walked with our friends that still has many twists and turns left in it. Abandoning the past, dear, because the present is uncomfortable, is a sure way to lose faith in the future.

Your Auntie Mac

My classmates and I are beginning to see each other on a regular basis again, often—sadly, at our parents’ and their friends’ memorials. At our age (60 somethings) they are not often weepy affairs. The recent passing of Sylvia Curry was one such. A grand event for a grande dame. Sylvia, Syl, or “Mrs. Curry” as some still call her, was one of those “hip” moms of Hampton.

• She was a working mom (like mine) of which there were few, then.
• She was a domestic goddess (as in, she could do ANYTHING waaaay before Martha Stewart).
• She was the first to have a Diane von Furstenberg “Wrap Dress”. We were in awe.
• She could stop us dead with a look (and an eyebrow higher than John Belushi’s—you know what I mean).
• She was smart and saavy and wasn’t afraid to tell people what she thought. No holds barred.
• “She didn’t take crap”. (from her grandson Josh’s eulogizing.
• She loved her family and community fiercely.

Syl adored the home she and Fred built to raise their wild and wonderful “boys”. It seemed like we were in and out of each other’s houses a lot, and there was definitely a conspiracy between my mother, Syl, and Sunny Peterson as to where we were, where we might be going next or what trouble we might be up to. We were welcome any time in their house on upper Main Street, after college, and moving into our grown up lives.
“What are you doing now?” she would query with that look. And she was really interested. And really listened. Maybe not agreeing with everything, but honoring who you were in that moment.

One day, while visiting from Vermont, I stopped by for a chat. We sat in the kitchen. Syl mentioned she was frustrated with the small space and wanted to do something different. Looking at the wall with cabinets on the north side, I casually suggested a window facing her garden. Again, she gave me that look.

The next time I visited she pulled me into the kitchen to show me the new view of her garden. She was so tickled with her new window. It was, she realized, where she stood in the quiet of every morning: to think, to pray, ponder the next creative dinner, rapt in wonder at her garden, to have her own moment.

We’re missing the moments with you already, Syl; Godspeed.

Mary Oliver