NECC celebrates its many supporters, fills up on nostalgia

Rob Cooper stands next to the flying Pegasus at his restored Mobil Station on Route 44 in Millerton.

Photo by Christine Bates

NECC celebrates its many supporters, fills up on nostalgia

MILLERTON — The North East Community Council (NECC) celebrated its donors under a tent next to Millerton’s iconic Mobil gas station on Saturday Sept. 21.

Guests mingled and explored the down-to-the-last-detail restoration of a 1957 Mobil gas station with its emblematic flying Pegasus, period gas pumps and a 1957 Chevrolet pickup while snacking on pizza from a food truck.

Christine Sargent, NECC’S executive director, thanked all of the contributors for making NECC’s expanding programs possible.
The station was acquired by Rob Cooper, owner of Associated Lightning Protection, in 2019 and became an instant Millerton landmark. The site of an abandoned gas station that sits between two functioning gas stations on Route 44 continues to be renovated.

Asked why he recreated a Mobil Gas Station, Cooper explained his nostalgic passion for old gas stations and also not wanting a national retailer at the entrance to the village which would compete with established mom and pop businesses. The gas station is not permitted to dispense fuel or operate as a business but has become a community gathering spot. The next event will be a car show on Oct. 4.

Latest News

Haystack Festival brings literary minds to Norfolk

The Great Room at Norfolk Library filled to capacity for the Haystack Festival.

Jennifer Almquist

Just after noon on Sunday, Oct. 6, attendees of Norfolk Foundation’s Haystack Festival spilled out of the red Shingle Style Norfolk Library into brilliant October sunshine, emerging from the final book talk of the weekend (excepting an event for young readers later in the day). The talk, which was a conversation between horse experts journalist Sarah Maslin Nir and author David Chaffetz, was rife with equine puns and startling facts. The tongue-in-cheek use of the word “cavalier” brought laughs from the engaged audience, while Nir disclosed that horses eat for a full 16 hours a day.

The talk brought levity and humor to the festival’s conclusion, while also diving into the serious history of the relationship between society and horses. Chaffetz explained horses were fundamental in the formation of large empires: “We don’t see empires until horses became fundamental to the political state.” Nir elaborated that the “wild” horses in North America are not native, but feral horses descended from animals brought by Spanish imperialists. “No tea grows in England,” she explained, “it is the result of empire – and so are horses.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Project SAGE's solemn vigil

"The Red Sand Project" is intended to draw attention to often overlooked domestic violence issues in the Northwest Corner.

Natalia Zukerman

To mark the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Project SAGE held its annual community vigil on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Community Field in Lakeville. Project SAGE is a community-focused organization dedicated to supporting, advocating, guiding and educating victims of relationship violence through a range of services and outreach programs.

A large group of people gathered quietly in the center of the field where they were handed packets of red sand. Red Sand Project, created by artist and activist Molly Gochman, is a participatory artwork that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to encourage people to reflect, connect, and take action against the vulnerabilities that contribute to human trafficking, modern slavery, and exploitation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Northwest Corner artists unite for Clay Way Tour Oct. 19-20

Pottery of all sorts will be on display at the Clay Way Tour, featuring 26 area artists.

Provided

Now in its 8th year, The Clay Way Studio Tour is an annually held event featuring some of Connecticut’s best potters. Twenty six artists will show their work among nine studios.

The Tour takes place in Litchfield County Connecticut and Wingdale, New York Oct.19 and 20 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Potter and organizer Jane Herald explained the origin of the tour.

Keep ReadingShow less