![Colonial Theatre to host upcoming gaming convention](https://millertonnews.com/media-library/shirecon-will-fill-colonial-theatre-with-magic-and-mystery-on-sept-15-and-16.jpg?id=50741222&width=980&quality=90)
ShireCon will fill Colonial Theatre with magic and mystery on Sept. 15 and 16.
Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas
NORTH CANAAN —About 150 gaming enthusiasts from throughout New England are expected to converge on the Colonial Theatre this weekend to attend ShireCon 2023, a role-playing and board game event, bringing with them an economic boost for businesses in town, according to the historic venue’s new owners.
ShireCon 2023, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16, is the first major event hosted by the Colonial Theatre since partners David and Stacey Fiorello and Mark and Lenore Mallett held a gala grand opening May 13.
Co-owner Mark Mallett said since then, steady progress has been made by the team, including the return of movies to the big screen, this weekend’s hosting of ShireCon, and marketing for future events and activities to be hosted both in the main theater and the upstairs ballroom.
“We’re trying to not get ahead of ourselves. We just opened it back up and are beginning to hold events with a really good response. We are very satisfied and pleased at how it’s going so far.”
Mallett noted that the theater’s website is up and running but is being overhauled and rebranded with an updated look and feel, and the partners recently hired Britta Bibliotti of Falls Village as part-time events manager.
The theater has begun offering free community films, supported through $500 sponsorships from local businesses, who benefit from promotional publicity, including having their businesses featured on the theater marquee and on the big screen during the movie, as well as in email blasts, on the website and through social media.
Sponsors receive 100 tickets, and up to 20 can be reserved for the sponsor, who also gets to select from a list of films and choose the date and show time. Advance registration is required for the free movies.
The theater provides the concessions at $1 and $2, said Mallett. “We may have to increase the price in the future, but the goal is not to make a profit out of the gate. The goal is to cover our costs.”
Upcoming films sponsored by various businesses through fall and winter of 2023 include “Cinema Paradiso” on Friday, Sept. 22; Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” on Saturday, Oct. 14; “Hotel Transylvania,” on Saturday, Oct. 28, and “Elf” on Sunday, Nov. 26.
“We are trying to limit them to two a month,” Mallett said of the community movies. “We want to keep it special and keep people excited about it. Plus, we have to staff them,” Mallett explained. “This isn’t our core competency, so we want to move forward pretty deliberately and slow.”
With summer winding down and fall and winter approaching, Mallett said the theater will be looking to holiday events and parties for all ages and interests, and even taking reservations for weddings in the spring and throughout 2024.
But in the meantime, excitement is brewing over the arrival of ShireCon 2023 on Friday and Saturday, said Mallett. “It will occupy both the ballroom upstairs and downstairs theater, and we anticipate 100 to 150 people from seven states to attend.”
Enthusiasts travel from a considerable distance, as do vendors, said the theater co-owner, who noted that the ShireCon founder and organizer, Thom Wilson, has also been promoting and encouraging gamers to frequent local eating establishments and inns.
Wilson said he is excited about bringing his convention, now in its fifth year, to the North Canaan theater. He said the event outgrew its former site, the Center on Main, home of the Falls Village Children’s Theater, and when he read an article in the local newspaper about the Colonial reopening, he said he reached out to the owners within a day.
“We outgrew the venue and needed to find a larger space. The Center on Main was very good to us, allowing us to use their space for four years,” Wilson explained. “The Colonial Theatre has more than enough space for us this year and the foreseeable future. Although we don’t expect to grow too rapidly, we think we have enough room for 175 to 200 people in the new venue.”
The ShireCon founder further noted that the North Canaan site offers enhanced parking and food options, “which made the decision to move pretty easy.”
Wilson said in addition to the gamers, “We’ll have 12 vendors, seven special guests and 10 volunteers.” And he’s not just the convention’s founder, he has been a gamer his entire life.
“There will be generations of my family playing games at the Convention…myself, my son and two daughters, and my granddaughter, Piper. “There are a couple of games just for kids. Honestly, I’d love more of these next year.”
Mallett said he and is partners are excited to “get the community back and interested and to have the theater with its lights on once again.” He said there is still much work to be done heading into 2024, including improvements to the 10,340-square-foot, two-story structure, including enhanced outdoor lighting, and marketing the space to community organizations and as a venue for special occasions.
“It’s a labor of love and we love what we’re doing,” Mallett noted. “It’s really neat to see the community’s reactions.”
He recalled a particularly heartfelt moment when a group of children from the Canaan Child Care Center attended one of the first free community movies, and a little boy started to cry. When asked what was wrong, the youngster kept saying “excited,” “excited,” in Spanish, Mallett recalled. “He couldn’t contain his emotions.”
CANAAN, Conn. — Virginia “Ginny” Cables, 81, passed away peacefully on Aug. 28, 2024, at Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canaan, surrounded by family. Born to the late Marie K. Negri and George Ralph on Dec. 7, 1942, Ginny lived a life full of love, laughter, and dedication to her family.
A devoted homemaker, Ginny took great pride in creating a warm and welcoming home. She had a deep love for gardening, cooking, baking, and thrifting. She took pride in nurturing flowers and plants that brought beauty to her surroundings. Animals always held a special place in her heart, and she was known for her kindness and care towards them.
Ginny’s greatest joy came from spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She cherished family gatherings, whether they were simple picnics or special events, where she could share stories, laughter, and love. Those who knew her will forever remember her quick wit, sense of humor, and the radiant smile that brightened every room she entered.
Ginny leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and warmth that will be cherished by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. She will be deeply missed, but her spirit will live on in the hearts of her family and friends. She will be remembered by her nicknames “Aunt Squeak” “Grandma Gin” “Ginny” to everyone she met.
Ginny leaves behind her daughter, Michele M. Cables Wilkinson of Sheffield, Massachusetts and her son Frederick E. Cables Jr. and his wife Anita Cables of Canaan; grandchildren, Chelsea Quenneville Brown (Joseph Brown), Blake Wilkinson, Logan and Miranda Cables; great grandchildren, Jade and Kristina Brown and Ethan Robles; her siblings, Richard Ralph (Cecelia), Stanley Ralph (Rosemary), David Ralph (Vicky) and Donna Roux (Ronald). She was also survived by her several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her mother, Marie K. Negri and father George Ralph, her husband, Fredrick Cables Sr., her siblings, Burt Veronesi and Valerie Poley.
Calling hours will be Friday, Sept. 13, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home in Canaan, CT. A celebration of life will be held at the Canaan VFW on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 1-4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Litchfield County, Salisbury Branch, 30A Salmon Kill Road, Salisbury CT 06068 or The Little Guild of St. Francis in Ginny’s memory.
MILLERTON — Linda Kaplan, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, sister-in-law, cousin and friend, passed away Sept. 3, 2024. Linda will be remembered as a deeply kind woman guided by faith, family and love.
Linda was born to Francis Crawford and Lydia Johnson (nee Snyder) in Sharon, on Sept. 14, 1942. She attended Webutuck High School in Millerton, and then started her career in banking, where she worked until her retirement as a Vice President. Linda was a loving mother who raised her two sons and instilled in them her love of faith and family.
Linda met her future husband, Sanford (Sam) Kaplan, at a dance in Millerton, and they were blessed with 30 years of marriage during which they enjoyed their time on Simmons Street. Here, Linda enjoyed tending to her garden where she could be found picking green beans and tomatoes. She also enjoyed solving the daily crossword puzzle, knitting, and listening to Sam play his guitar. Together, Linda and Sam enjoyed hosting their family for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Passover celebrations. They especially enjoyed annual summer visits by their granddaughters which always included visits to their farm where they rode ATVs. Linda and Sam’s interest in dairy farming led them to travel to Europe where they toured dairy farms; a trip they fondly recounted to their family for years.
Linda’s faith was evident, not only through her family, but also through her involvement with the Millerton Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed community outreach, singing in the choir, working with children, teaching ESL classes, and helping to develop and implement programs.
Linda is predeceased by her husband, Sam Kaplan, her mother, father, and brother Thomas Crawford. She is survived by her two sons; Lorin Stapleton and his wife Mary Stapleton of Brewster, New York, and Brian Stapleton of Sandisfield, Massachusettds; her two granddaughters, Bridget Stapleton of Jersey City, New Jersey and Colleen Stapleton of Boston, Massachusetts; her sister-in-law, Susan Crawford; nephew David Keys and his wife Barbara; niece Susan Jenkins and her husband Rick Herring.
Calling hours will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546. A Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. at St. Martin of Tours Church of St. Mary in Lakeville, CT. Rev. Dennis Arambasick will officiate. Burial will follow at Irondale Cemetery in Millerton, NY. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
David Colbert with one of his sculptures on the sculpture walk he has created over 35 years.
The Cornwall Open Studio took place on Saturday, Aug. 31. It is a Cornwall tradition and has been taking place for eighteen years.
It is a day when Cornwall artists invite the public into their studios to see what they are working on and how they do it. The artists work in various media, including painting, sculpture, photography and artistic shoes.
To participate, prospective tourists go to cornwallct.org/event/cornwall-open-studio-2024/ where a map and a list of the artists is available to download and print. The event is free, there is no registration, and so armed with the map, those taking the tour are set to explore not only artists’ studios, but the beautiful drive through Cornwall.
David Colbert, sculptor, is the initiator of the event. He said of his work, “I was smitten by the geometry and eventually the geometry led me to art.” Behind his studio in Cornwall Bridge he has a quarter mile sculpture path which he has been building for the past thirty-five years. Those on the tour could meander down the path and enjoy the beauty of the geometrically derived works.
Asked if there were any special artists and studios that should not be missed, he said, “I can’t help but mention Tim Prentice, whose shop, barn and whole place is pretty amazing.” At Prentice’s studio in West Cornwall, an old barn, mobiles, and other kinetic works of art hang from walls and ceilings and populate the surrounding fields. Across the road, another barn holds larger sculptures.
At 93, Prentice still works most days in the studio beside his house. He said he works on “small things.” He struggles with fading eyesight due to macular degeneration. He will be in a film by The Vision and Art Project, which seeks to bring awareness of macular degeneration by featuring artists like Tim Prentice. The film will be shown at the Cornwall Library sometime in the coming months.
In spite of his failing eye sight, he enjoys getting out to the studio and working and was welcoming visitors on the tour.
Another interesting studio is that of Lauren Brinkers Shoes in Cornwall Bridge. The shoes are hand painted and “one of a kind.” “I studied in London and went to shoe making school there,” Brinkers said. “I studied traditional men’s shoe making and transitioned into women’s.” She wanted to bring “more color and expression into shoes.” She learned how to work with leather dyes and paints the shoes to accomplish this goal.
A display of Lauren Brinkers handmade, one of a kind , hand paintied shoes on display at her Cornwall studio.Robin Roraback
Next to Lauren Brinkers’ studio is that of Stephan Sagmiller, who shows with his photographs that “The world is worth looking at closely. You’ve got to look at them up close. That’s my ethos as an artist.” His photos are large and colorful and invite you to do just that — look up close.
In West Cornwall, the abstract landscapes of Suzan Scott were on display at the Souterrain Gallery. Scott says of her work, “I’ve always had a strong connection with nature. I see everything, every blade of grass.” It was overwhelming for her. She began to paint still lives thinking they’d be easier, but in doing so she realized that still lives are similar to landscapes in that she could break down the parts as she did for still lives. “Why not go out and do landscapes and simplify them — abstract them?”
Her process is to layer tinted glazes, sometimes as many as thirty. She will work on a painting, let it rest, go back to it, work some more, and continue this until the painting is finished, which can take a week or months.
Scott paints scenes from the northwest corner and has “favorite spots” that she revisits. “The more I see it, the more I can interpret it, and it becomes mine.”
These are just a few of the artists on the tour. There were also Curt Hanson’s beautiful landscapes and the looser, colorful paintings of Magaly Ohika, Katherine Freygang and Sally Van Doren. Photographers Nick Jacobs and Bela Selendy also opened their studios. They use their cameras to explore life and nature.
If you missed the tour this year, be sure to keep an eye out for it next Labor Day Weekend. It is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. To contact these artists or find out more about their work, go to: cornwallct.org/history-culture/arts-artists/ or go to the tour website to find links to their websites.
Fresh donuts by Hanna Rybolt at ILSE Coffee.
Something scrumptious is cooking beneath Colonial Theatre.
Pastries by Hanna was established in February of 2024 at 27 Railroad St. in North Canaan. The owner, Hanna Rybolt, is a resident of Canaan who studied in the pastry program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Her interest in baking is rooted in fond memories with her family. The baked goods and pastry products are sold locally at ILSE Coffee just next door, as well as the Great Barrington farmer’s market. Her pastry kitchen is located below Colonial Theatre.
Rybolt aims to ensure the goods are produced with locally grown products and sold in community businesses. Pastries by Hanna’s best-selling product is brioche-style donuts.
The business is solely owned and operated by Rybolt, who stated she is looking forward to what the future will bring for the bakery and is hoping to collaborate with more companies in the area.
Customers can custom order goods online at pastriesbyhanna.com or check out her Instagram page @PastriesbyHanna.