Latest News
SHARON — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Monday, Aug. 26, that an agreement was reached with Northwell Health to maintain labor and delivery services (L&D) at Sharon Hospital for the next five years.
Northwell Health is set to become the new owner of Sharon Hospital pending a merger with Nuvance Health. The recent agreement was reached as a solution to “resolving the antitrust investigation into the proposed affiliation between the two hospital systems,” stated the Aug. 26 press release from the attorney general’s office.
In the statement Tong was quoted, “Miles and minutes matter when it comes to labor and delivery, and I am pleased that Northwell has committed to preserving affordable, lifesaving care—especially maternity care—for Western Connecticut. This is a strong, enforceable agreement for healthcare access in Connecticut.”
The agreement was reached following an investigation by the attorney general’s offices of Connecticut and New York as to the antitrust implications of Northwell becoming a competitor in Hudson Valley and western Connecticut.
In addition to Sharon Hospital, the agreement included the preservation of services and staffing at Putnam Hospital for one year after the merger is finalized. Northwell agreed to install a unified electronic records management system across its expanded hospital network and to permit contractors to work across state lines within the network.
Sharon Hospital released a statement Aug. 26: “We are pleased to partner with the Connecticut and New York Offices of the Attorney Generals in developing an Agreement of Assurances which identifies specific post-affiliation activities and commitments that will benefit the communities currently served by Nuvance Health. Under the Affiliation Agreement, Northwell has made a commitment to provide Nuvance Health with capital, expertise, and support to achieve long-term fiscal stability and make critical growth investments.”
State Sen. Stephen Harding (R-30) stated, “This has been a top concern in the Northwest corner: keeping the doors of Sharon Hospital’s Maternity Ward open and operational. Our mutual goal is to maintain affordable access to rural health care in our region. I thank Attorney General Tong for his work on this.”
A pending resolution remains before the Office of Health Strategy’s Certificate of Need regulatory process, which will need to be resolved before the merger between Nuvance and Northwell can occur.
Unwinding with wine at Spring Hill
Wine finds its perfect pairing in art at Spring Hill Vineyards in New Preston, Conn., where site-specific sculptural installations function as the visual feast to complement a focused lineup of thoughtfully crafted wines.
Guided by an ethos for quality over quantity, four wines—a light, bright estate-grown cabernet franc, sippable unoaked chardonnay, lean and refreshing Cayuga white, and a sweet rose of pinot noir—make up Spring Hill’s current wine list.
“We don’t want to be big, we want to be good,” said winemaker and farm manager Andrew Johnson as he swirled a glass of 2017 cab franc, currently being poured for tastings. Echoing with a teasing laugh the late-70s Masson vow to “sell no wine before its time,” Johnson explained that the winery’s best product—a deep, velvety Marquette—is still awaiting ‘its time’ since being vinted in 2021 and spending 14 months maturing in Hungarian oak barrels.
A similar impetus has driven—and continues to drive—the careful curatorial decisions that built a compelling outdoor art exhibit of the wooded glade that serves as Spring Hill’s gathering space.
Before founders Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia planted their first grapevines or artworks, the site that would become Spring Hill Vineyards was a hay farm that dated back to the 18th century; reinterpreted vestiges and suggestions of this history represent the core aesthetic being cultivated.
View of Spring Hill through a window in the Bee Brook Grotto, housed inside a 1940’s grain silo.Sava Marinkovic
“Everything here has had a past life,” according to Stephanie Ingrassia—the modernized barn was built from 150 year old beams and siding, the restrooms from a train car. Over the main space towers a refitted 1940s silo, original to the site, whose cracked doors invite visitors to make the thirty foot climb to its crown grotto—a scintillating surprise of sinuous forms and gleaming materials that is meant to feel, according to artist Randy Polumbo, “like a shared memory from the future.”
And the facilitation of sharing—of memories, moments, and the space provided—is what Wine Tasting Program Manager Emma Terhaar describes as Spring Hill’s true mission.
“It’s a community space to be shared,” said Terhaar, summarizing the Ingrassias’ vision for a place where residents of rural Connecticut could gather and mingle with their community. “It’s a destination worth coming to, for whatever reason,” Terhaar averred, whether for a glass of wine, a gander of art, or just to relax with friends and family.
Spring Hill Vineyards is the annual host of Spring Hill Arts Gathering (SHAG) and maintains SHAG’s permanent collection. Upcoming events include dancing and drinks for Salsa Night on Sunday, Aug. 25; a croquet tournament guided by United States Croquet Association’s Preston Stuart on Sunday, Sept. 8; and a celebration of Sept. 22’s autumnal equinox featuring food, yoga, meditation, live music, and—a given for all things coming into balance—plenty of wine.
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, renowned for its cutting-edge environmental research, recently unveiled a new art installation, showcasing the vibrant synergy between art and science. On Friday, Aug. 16, a small group of invited guests that included patrons, donors, trustees, board members, and other friends of the institute, were led through a private tour of the exhibition by Cary Institute President Joshua Ginsberg. The exhibition features work from staff, programs run off-site through the institute, and the work of artists from the Canoo Hills Creative Arts Residency, a program that has nurtured creative expression at the intersection of art and ecological science since its inception in 2009.
The residency program has hosted 11 artists over the years, but was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic as the institute underwent significant renovations. The building was originally designed by Malcolm Wells, regarded as the father of modern earth-sheltered architecture. The renovations led by Bruce Becker, an expert in energy efficiency and historic restoration, incorporate principles from LEED and the Living Building Challenge, achieving Zero Carbon, Zero Energy, and Core Green standards. The building now boasts an Energy Use Intensity Rating of 61 kBtu/ft², making it 48% more energy efficient than a typical office building. In other words, the building itself is a work of art and has restored Wells’ original vision of creating a near-zero energy building. It is a perfect complement to the art it now houses.
Curated by Susan Burks, a recommendation from Jack Banning, husband of former Board Chair, Irene Banning, the exhibition is thoughtfully designed to resonate with the institute’s mission and vision. Burks aimed to incorporate “local where possible, artists who worked with scientists, scientists who were artists, and artists inspired by ecological science.” The result is a collection that is both approachable and profoundly connected to the natural world.
The Cary Institute’s commitment to integrating art into its scientific mission is a reminder that knowledge and creativity are not separate endeavors, but intertwined paths towards a deeper understanding of our world. This ethos is reflected not only in the individual works that now adorn the walls and halls of the institute but also in the overall atmosphere of the newly renovated building — a space where art and science coalesce to inspire thought, dialogue, and action. As Ginsberg aptly shared his vision for the exhibition: “What we didn’t want is things that were literal. We wanted it to be inspirational. Because in the end, I think both art and science should be inspirational.”
To arrange a tour of the Cary Institute, contact Joshua Ginsberg at ginsbergj@caryinstitute.org.