Lakeville Journal Street Fair brings together nonprofits for day of local fun

SALISBURY, Conn. — Live music, lobster rolls, face painting and a mix of local nonprofit organizations filled Academy Street in downtown Salisbury on Saturday, Aug. 8, for the fifth annual street fair hosted by The Lakeville Journal.

Audrey Cole of the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA) was on site with information on the often-bewildering subject of Medicare.

Cole, who lives in Sharon, said the WCAAA is a nonprofit serving 41 towns in Western Connecticut with Medicare counseling, Alzheimer’s care, caregiver support, meals, transportation, chore assistance and more.

Medicare is always a hot topic, she said, in part because figuring out which program to choose — and when to sign up — can be difficult.

“There are lots of deadlines, lots of programs,” she said.

The advantage in asking WCAAA for help, Cole said, is its independence.

“We work for the taxpayers. We don’t steer anyone in any direction.”

Cole said the two big questions someone new to Medicare needs to answer are “How is your overall health?” and “What is your financial situation?”

Nearby, Danny Tieger was tuning his guitar in anticipation of a crowd of youngsters eager to hear live music. When they appeared, he had them brainstorm about what kind of animal they’d like to hear a song about. As the children pitched ideas, Tieger drew rapidly on a sketchpad propped up on an easel for everyone to see.

The children came up with a combination of a lion, a bird and an alligator.

Some people might find that melange a little daunting, but Tieger immediately launched into a song, made up on the spot.

“What’s our alligator-bird-lion’s name?” he asked.

“Chomps,” said a little boy.

“Chomps it is,” Tieger replied.

In the parking lot of Johnnycake Books, Linda Ciano, director of community engagement for Project SAGE, greeted visitors beneath a large tent.

The Lakeville-based nonprofit domestic violence agency has two fundraisers currently underway.

“The Bling’s the Thing” offers jewelry donated by supporters at bargain prices, while a five-dollar bill gets shoppers an extra sturdy, large blue Project SAGE tote bag.

Project SAGE is also sponsoring a community art project and inviting anyone to participate — no artistic skills required. The results will be displayed at an event at the Scoville Memorial Library on Sunday, Sept. 13.

At the Salisbury Association, Lou Bucceri held forth on a range of local history, from Salisbury’s iron industry and the role of its cannons in the American Revolution to the Holley knife collection and Ethan Allen’s insistence on being inoculated against smallpox by his friend Dr. Thomas Young of Amenia Union.

The idea of deliberately injecting a healthy person with a small amount of a disease was very new and, to many, seemed unwise if not downright evil. So Allen got his smallpox inoculation on the steps on the Congregational Church on a Sunday, for maximum publicity.

“And he was hauled into court on a charge of blasphemy,” Bucceri said.

Allen subsequently beat the charge.

Around 1 p.m. John Keilty of Litchfield took over the live music duties. He set up a Bo Diddley beat on one note, turning it into a repeating motif recorded electronically. He then soloed over it, soaring off in unexpected directions before bringing it back to the riff.

Keilty said his primary job is running a guitar repair business. He plays in a couple of bands, including Shake the Dust out of Litchfield.

“We call ourselves the Farm Band, because we always seem to play events held at farms,” he said.