August 3, 2006

Family Fries

Story and photos by Betsy Driebeek

In a simple brick-framed building set back from the road at 2538 Whitney Ave. stands the venerable Glenwood Drive-In. Three generations of the Stone family have been serving up grilled and fried fare there for generations of repeat patrons. Some employees can even boast that they are second generation.

"A lot of the people who come to Glenwood Drive-In now were brought in by their parents when they were kids," said Karen Brown, a third generation Stone, who handles the day-to-day operations behind the scenes along with her dad, Wayne.

Repeat customers and word of mouth have kept Glenwood comfortably busy for 50 years, Brown said. Except for sponsoring town sport teams, the drive-in never advertises.

I happened on a family of four sitting on stools in front of the window one Saturday afternoon. When I asked the patriarch, Matt Eigner, "Do you come here often?" he said, "Well, I was here yesterday."

Although it's not the Cheshire man's usual pattern to dine at Glenwood on a daily basis, Eigner's wife, Kim, said they go there about every two weeks. "And we always come by after getting our Christmas tree," she said. Matt Eigner said he's a 15-year dining vet of Glenwood.

Not only are they regulars, but their menu choices are consistent as well. The Eigner parents always have hot dogs and an order of onion rings, while one son has a hot dog with fries and the other a hamburger with fries.

Employee Turnover Rare

Brown boasts that the generational phenomenon crosses over to Glenwood employees. "Paul Conte has been working here for 35 years. He is our day manager and works the grill Monday through Friday. His son Paul works the grill on weekends. We call them 'Big' Paul and 'Little' Paul," said Brown.

She pointed to Emily Hernandez at the cash register and her brother Charles serving drinks. Brown says their father, Rick, used to work at Glenwood.

Employees stick around. Brown said many kids start working at the drive-in while in high school and continue on through their college years. Two-year employee Jean Claude Bouvier, studying at Southern Connecticut State University to be a high school physics teacher, has the distinct job of greeting the patrons, listening to their orders and shouting them in the direction of the grill and prep areas.

Jean Claude Bouvier takes a customer's order.

"One dog -- burn it. One burger -- LT. One French. One ring. One slaw," Bouvier yelled into Hernandez's ear, while he was manning the drink fountain.

"When I'm over here [at the fountain] you stand over there," Hernandez told Bouvier, pointing away.

"And when I'm back here, then you stand over there," he joked.

I asked Bouvier if the menu items he continually shouts out repeat over and over in his head when he's not at the restaurant. "I did have a nightmare once after working three or four days in a row," he said. "In my dream, I was yelling and yelling the orders and I couldn't stop. Then I finally woke up."

Bouvier sees his share of regulars. He noted an elderly father and son who frequent the restaurant at least three times a week, and always order burgers. "Occasionally, one will branch out and have a hot dog," Bouvier said.

Brown said many town employees have frequented Glenwood over the years, like the mayors and the chiefs of police and fire. Mayor Craig Henrici, who grew up in town, was asked to reminisce about Glenwood.

"I used to ride my bike there as a boy. If you didn't have enough money for the fried clams, Glenwood's tartar sauce with French fries was just as good," he said.

Sen. Joe Lieberman has added Glenwood to his list of good diner spots in Connecticut. He wrote the Stone family a letter after a visit in 1992 telling them that Glenwood is a good place to meet constituents.

The Family Stone

The earliest record of a structure at 2538 Whitney Ave. in the "Greater New Haven Directory" is of a "Dairy Isle." The book dates back to the mid-'50s and shows that a Westgarth Trayner owned the Isle.

Seems Dairy Isle only lasted one year, as the subsequent directory displays Glenwood Drive-In on the property, owned by a Nathan Sokoloff. Brown said it was a hot dog and fry joint with limited hours and that's where her grandfather, the first Stone, came into the picture.

While working for Tip-Top Bakery, Rocky Stone delivered bread to Glenwood. In 1955 after suffering a heart attack, Stone bought the drive-in, lengthened the hours and added fresh seafood to the menu. Brown said it took a few years for Glenwood to catch on.

The building was just big enough for a grill and six seats, but most people purchased the food and took it out to their cars. A phenomenon that remained steady until the early '80s, said Brown.

Stone's son Wayne Stone worked after school until closing time at Glenwood. That proved to be beneficial. Rocky saw only a few years at his food venture before he died and Wayne, at 18, was there to take the helm.

"He knew the business but not the daily operations," Brown said. "With help from his mother and aunt he learned the daily operations and soon Glenwood began to prosper under his direction."

First, Wayne Stone added a screened-in porch to the small eatery, but still needed more space. So he built a new structure behind the original so as not to interrupt business. That new building is the current one, having been expanded a number of times to accommodate the growing clientele.

Wayne Stone has four children. Brown and her sister Kelly Ciccone said that they did not spend a lot of time as kids hanging around Glenwood, but both remember distinctly waiting forever for their dad to finish work so he could take them places.

In their teens, the kids started to help out at the drive-in and three of them, Robbie Stone, Brown and Ciccone, currently work at the restaurant with their dad.

Of course, Ciccone works on the side of the building with her name on it, "Kelly's Kone Konnection." "I started working at the Glenwood at 17," she said. "I worked the cash register. After working for a few years my dad came up with the great idea to add on an ice cream parlor. He asked if he built it would I manage it. I said yes right away and within a few months we had the foundation poured." The Konnection opened in 1985.

Ciccone graduated from Ice Cream University in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., and regularly attends ice cream seminars and conventions all over the world.

Now there is a new generation of Stones, five of them, ranging from two months to 12 years. Brown said her son has grown up at Glenwood.

"He came to work every day until he went to school," she said. "He still comes to work with me on vacations and over the summer. The customers all know my son and ask me all the time for updates. He is still too young to know what he wants to do with his life, so I am not sure if he will work here. Maybe in the summers he will, but who knows."

Ciccone said she hopes the new Stone generation will keep Glenwood in the family.

Brown said customers tell her that their kids love to play "Glenwood" at home by yelling out orders. With any luck, Rocky Stone's great grandchildren will play the real game and keep the family business going, serving the great grandchildren of his customers.

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It's Dickerman Time

Hamden siblings Rachel and Alex Hird test out Dickerman's kitchen equipment over the weekend.

It's summertime and that means the Jonathan Dickerman House on Mt. Carmel Avenue is open for visitors once again. The Hamden Historical Society is conducting weekend tours of the home and cider mill.

When Jonathan Dickerman built his house in 1792 it was across the street from its current location, under the Sleeping Giant. The state took ownership in 1924 during the formative years of the Sleeping Giant Park, and at one point used the house as a ranger station.

Lois Casey, a 20-year volunteer docent at the site, said in 1961 the western end of Mt. Carmel Avenue was to be straightened out. In preparation the state gave the house to the town. The water company owning the land across the street from the home gave that to the town. This paved the way for the historical society to move the Dickerman House on a sled-like apparatus across the street in 1962, said Casey.

A society brochure states that the house "reflects the conservative tastes and plain living of Hamden farmers in [the late 18th century]."

In 1992, the Talmadge cider mill was brought in from another location. Volunteers dismantled it piece by piece at its West Woods Road site and then reassembled it after the mill reached its Mt. Carmel destination.

Though 'tis the season for Dickerman, Casey said the highlight of the year for her is in the spring when Hamden third-graders visit. "Their thank you letters are a delight to read because they are so sweet and so sincere and it's amazing what they remember," she said. "And some say, 'I'll be back in the summer with my parents.'"

The house is open July to early September on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Special arrangements at other times may be made in writing to P.O. Box 5512, Hamden, CT 06518.

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Grim Prognosis for 2556 Dixwell

In this 1973 photo, Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Munson admire the historic plaque on their home, newly refurbished by historical society member Thomas Penna (right). Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society

By Betsy Driebeek

Foiled again. That's how some people in town feel about the imminent demolition of the pre-Civil War home at 2556 Dixwell Ave. Another piece of Hamden's past, to be seen in photographs and memories only.

"It's not historic because George Washington slept there or Lincoln gave a speech on the patio, it's the architecture. We're losing a lot of the old architecture," said Al Gorman, president of the town historical society and member of the Hamden Historic Properties Commission.

Last fall, Hamden dentist Doug Rollins purchased the property at 2556-2565 Dixwell Ave. to build an office building for his and other health professionals' practices. When contacted, Rollins referred questions to his attorney, Bernie Pellegrino.

Gorman said before the purchase, Rollins met with the Historic Properties Commission to explain his plans for the property. In turn, Rollins listened to the thoughts of the commissioners. "We tried to encourage adapted use of the building, to take our suggestions and discuss them with his architect. He professed that he liked old houses which left us wishfully thinking, for a while," said Gorman, also president of the Legislative Council.

But, he said, that "while" was cut short when Rollins sent a letter to the commission stating that after much thought, the home could not be used in his plans.

"I've seen those plans," Gorman said. "It is a two-story building, a bastardization of lots of designs to keep everyone happy. We wanted him to keep it to the scale of the neighborhood and incorporate the home into the plan."

Preservation Worthy?

Peter Haller, who has fought for preservation for years, was the only person to speak against the project at last week's Planning & Zoning meeting. (The commission is expected to vote on Rollins' site application June 27.)

The Whitneyville resident said there are 60,000 square feet of land on the property. "It makes no sense that it can't be worked with," Haller said.

Pellegrino told the P&Z Commission that professionals had inspected the house and deemed the structure unsalvageable. "Economics aside, if anything was done to the house, little of the original structure would be left. So much needs to be replaced that the foundation would be the only thing left," he said after the meeting.

Haller disagreed. "It's common to have the damage that this house has and be saved. Ever since the urban renewal of the '60s it has been a common excuse for developers to say, 'A building is exhausted and can't be retrieved.'

"I don't think [Rollins] has shown the community any effort to save the building," he continued. "Those of us who want to save the house want to see facts, data, economics of restoring the building [and] an architectural drawing of the big building [that will go up behind the house] -- or why it can't be done. He was never pressured to do so prior to [receiving a letter from the historical society]. I think P&Z and the town dropped the ball."

The house was built in 1858 by Dennis Sanford. He farmed the land across the street, which was formerly the Meadowbrook Golf Course and is now the site of the new middle school.

According to the 1986 edition of Martha Becker's "Hamden Our Architectural Heritage," it is a "simple Greek Revival house. Although its original clapboards have been replaced by layered shingles, the entry, gable window and six-over-six sash that are characteristics of the style have been retained."

Because the house is over 100 years old it sports an historical society plaque bearing Sanford's name and the 1858 date.

"DEMOLITION" covers the plaque. Photo/Betsy Driebeek

But that plaque is now hidden by a large piece of white cardboard with the word "DEMOLITION" handwritten on it. Below that is a typed notice stating that an application for a permit to demolish the structure has been filed with the Building Department, and anyone who objects to the demolition can submit notice to the department. (The demolition permit is to be issued Aug. 9.)

So far, only the historical society has submitted a letter in response to the application. While public input must be allowed, building inspector Robert Labulis said there's nothing he knows of that can stop the wrecker's ball.

Any Hope?

There doesn't appear to be any.

"We haven't had good success with saving houses set for demolition in Hamden," said Joe Pepe, historical society archivist.

"There is nothing legally we can do short of talking with [Rollins] and purchasing [the house] from him," said Gorman. "I hope that Dr. Rollins goes back to the architect."

Haller wants the demolition delayed to allow time to garner support to salvage the home. "If [the house] is going to be saved it has to come from leaders of the community to talk and try to figure something out," he said.

He said state Rep. Peter Villano (D-Hamden) and state Sen. Martin Looney (D-11) have called him in support of saving the house. E-mails seeking comment from the legislators were not responded to.

When asked about the likely demolition of 2556 Dixwell Ave., Mayor Craig Henrici said, "It certainly appears that way. There is nothing legally the town or an individual can do. It is sad when you lose a historic residence or building. On the other hand, the owner has his rights also. It is unfortunate that this issue did not come up at an earlier point in time."

The last chapter in Becker's book is called "Lost Hamden." It contains pictures of houses that have been "demolished by owner" or moved out of town. Many of those sites are now vacant lots, shopping centers or parking lots.

In the next revision of the book, one might very well see that the picture of 2556 Dixwell has been moved from the front section of historic homes still alive to the back.

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All We Need is a Miracle

Learning the old-fashioned way at Mount Carmel Nursery. Photo/Betsy Driebeek

By Sharon Bass

Marcy McDonough had a hard time fighting back tears yesterday. She was talking about the imminent closing of Mount Carmel Nursery School, a venerable Hamden institution that opened its door and heart to children in 1950. McDonough has been a teacher there for 10 years. Her twins, now at Hamden High, are alums.

"It's a very emotional situation," she said of the little nursery school at 3845 Whitney Ave. "It's hard to put on a happy face."

"But you have to," said Paula Mergen, a teacher's aide for the past year. Her two children also went there. "I think it's so sad that this home for the children won't be here anymore. I knew my kids were in fabulous hands. You'd talk to them about their day and they loved Mrs. Frappier and Mrs. McDonough."

Teacher Marcy McDonough (left), director Maureen Frappier
and teacher's aide Paula Mergen. Photo/Sharon Bass

June 2 is the last students' last day. McDonough, Mergen, director Maureen Frappier and the parent board of directors didn't want there to be a last day. Ever. But after many unsuccessful efforts to keep the school afloat -- fairs, open houses, fliers posted around Hamden and other towns, advertising -- reality sunk in. The school that has given many Hamdenites their educational start in life must say goodbye.

Enrollment has dropped, said Frappier, who's been at the school for 19 years. Today there are 39 children ages three to five who attend the nursery school. At its peak, there were 50. For a small school, the decrease is huge and painful.

It's a nursery school, not a daycare center. Children attend two to four hours a day. Some go twice a week; some four times. That worked a half-century ago when many mothers stayed home to raise their offspring. But today parents want full-time care, every day. Also, there is now more pre-kindergarten offered through the public schools for free.

"We knew it was coming," said Frappier. "We could see the writing on the wall. My main concern now is to make everything as wonderful as we possibly can for the rest of the school year."

In fact, neither Frappier nor her two teachers seem to be thinking much beyond the moment. Asked what they will do next, they collectively shrugged.

The Hamden Women's Club (now defunct) opened the nursery 56 years ago in the basement of the also defunct Mount Carmel library, at the corner of Whitney and Woodruff streets. It would move three times over the years.

"They wanted it to be a unique school to serve the community," said Frappier. "Every child is a unique individual and should be taught that way."

Photo/Betsy Driebeek

Mount Carmel Nursery School's final destination is a rented house that was transformed into one big room and filled with wooden blocks, books, art supplies and a play kitchen. And no TV.

"Creativity is so important," said Frappier. "There's so much more for them to explore and experiment."

Mayor Craig Henrici was exploring and experimenting at the school in the late 1950s.

"I remember Rose Conte, God bless her soul," he said yesterday upon learning his alma mater was closing down. "Mrs. Burgess made sure we all washed our hands before we ate anything. And I remember snacks and naptime."

Photo/Betsy Driebeek

Henrici sent his two oldest kiddos there in the 1980s. "I feel very sad. It's an institution in Hamden," he said.

Literally minutes later, Public Works Director John Busca entered the mayor's office.

"It was the 'it,'" he said, after being fed the news. "It was fabulous. My kids went there -- they were potty-trained, of course -- and they loved the teachers." Busca said he was president of the board during his children's tenure there. And the place was rocking.

"It was political. You had to know someone to get in," he said. "Back then there was a two- to three-year waiting list."

"We tried everything under the sun to keep the school open," said Frappier. "The way of life has changed so dramatically over the years."

The little nursery needs a big miracle, she said. And nothing short of one, to stay alive.

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Still Farming After All These Years

Anne Hindinger with her son, George, and daughter, Liz, in front of a painted apple tree.

Story and photos by Betsy Driebeek

Opening day for the famous Hindinger Farm on Dunbar Hill is today. So the other day I went to talk with the Hindinger family -- mom, Anne, daughter, Liz, and son, George. Dad, William, wanted to be there for the interview but was not feeling well.

While they were readying for the new season, I told them of two interesting experiences I had at their farm.

First, I related the time I was 36 weeks pregnant and pushing my 2-year-old son in a toy car around the kid's play area. That evening my water broke and out came child number three.

"Oh, I can't tell you how many people have told us something like that," said Anne." One woman came to pick strawberries saying, 'I've just got to get the baby out of here.'"

The second experience etched in my mind occurred on September 11, 2001. Stunned as we all were that day, I went to Hindinger's to sit under the warm blue sky atop Dunbar Hill with its expansive views. My children played as I sat on a picnic table finding solace, wondering how the events of that morning could have been possible.

Solace at the farm.

"You weren't alone," said Anne. "One woman told me, 'I didn't know where to go but felt I could ground myself here.'"

Of course, people do go to Hindinger Farm to buy produce, feed the goats, observe a beehive and attend the annual festival. This June the family will put on a strawberry fest.

The farm was not always open to the public. William Hindinger, great great-grandfather to Liz and George, established a self-sustaining farm there in 1893. It was dairy along with turkeys, pigs, chickens, fruits and vegetables. Over the generations, the family farm dropped everything but the fruits and veggies.

Eighteen years ago, the Zoning Board approved the Hindingers' request to carry items other than their own produce. "This gave us the ability to sell more, and also protected us from an act of God wiping out crops," said George.

The zoning change also allows the Hindingers to open up earlier in the season, when they don't yet have their own crops to sell. Liz buys produce from other farm markets.

Getting the stand ready for this week's opening day started at the close of the 2005 season, a few days before Christmas. The family works six days a week pruning the fruit trees, cleaning, organizing and fixing things it couldn't get to during the retail months. George planted the first crop of corn on April 3, and Liz has just started planting flowers.

They sell 60 percent of their fruit through retail now and 40 percent wholesale. "We have 50 acres of fruit and couldn't possibly sell it all here," Liz said. All the vegetables grown on the farm are sold at their store.

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September 19, 2005