Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

By Hartford Courant |

PUBLISHED: April 26, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. | UPDATED: April 26, 2019 at 4:06 p.m.

In this week’s Nature column, Peter Marteka describes a visit to Suburban Park and the Unionville Lions Club’s Memorial Park, in the Unionville section of Farmington.

The Bottom Line: A beautiful hike through a deep forest, past the remnants of an abandoned 20th Century amusement park, glacial kettle holes and along the banks of the scenic Roaring Brook.

Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult, with a few steep climbs to the top of a hill and undulating paths. The path along Roaring Brook is narrow and close to the water. Watch for tree roots during the hike.

Total Mileage: There are approximately 4 miles of trails circulating through the properties. Visit http://www.farmington-ct.org/home/showdocument?id=2619 for a map of the property.

Directions: I-84 to Route 4. Follow Route 4 into Unionville and take a right on Route 167 at Sanford and Hawley Inc. Take a quick left on Keyes Street and a right on Cottage Street. There is also parking on Park Pond Place off Route 4, just to the north of the intersection with Route 167.

Parking: Small parking area on Park Pond Place, but a larger parking lot at Memorial Park.

Pet-friendly? Dogs need to be leashed and cleaned up after.

I first visited Suburban Park in the autumn of 2017. It was neat to see the remnants of Suburban Park, an amusement park that operated from 1895 to 1905 on top of one of the highest points in town. As I hiked the trails, I saw old foundations, remnants of an old fountain and paths that climbed and dipped over glacial eskers and kettle holes. Although impressed by the park, I left scratching my head along with a quizzical look about exactly what I had seen.

And then last fall and earlier this spring, Timmy Germano came to the park for his Eagle Scout project. A member of Boy Scout Troop 170 in Unionville, Germano organized work days and dozens of volunteers to clear and mark the paths with wooden signs, as well as install informational boards that included archival photos and a detailed history of each of the park’s remaining structures. Signs showcase the former ice cream parlor, the location of the “flying horses” — merry-go-round, in modern terms — electric fountain, dance pavilion and other historical must-sees.

The work is now complete and those who have visited the park in the past will feel like this is their first time. The trails are easy to follow and well-marked, and it is hard to miss any of the forgotten amusement park features, like the foundation of the ice cream parlor where, according to the kiosk, lemonade and Besse’s ice cream was served, using an underground cold storage cellar for refrigeration.

The trails at the top of the park and from the neighboring Hillside Cemetery provide wonderful seasonal views across Unionville. A sign notes this part of Farmington was once called “Langdon’s Quarter” and “Union District,” where mills produced items including oyster tongs, wooden screws and caskets.

Several miles of trails wind over glacier-carved eskers and kettle holes on the back side of the park. The park paths connect with the Lion Club’s Memorial Park and wind along the banks of the scenic Roaring Brook. Paths at the Memorial Park have been named “Lovers Lane” and “Brookside Path” and run for a good distance along the clear-running brook that undulates over large rocks. The white pines tower above visitors adding a fairy tale quality to the walk.

Germano also included some fascinating history about the neighboring Memorial Park, with its man-made canals to Punting Pond where flat bottomed wooden boats were rented out for dates or family fishing trips. Have trouble imagining that? Don’t worry, there’s an archival photo or two to help.

Germano and his Eagle Scout Project has breathed new life into this park, which was saved from development – a mining operation and 50 houses were proposed -when the town purchased it in 1999. By showcasing the town’s past, Germano has preserved the present and future of the site of one of the state’s first amusement parks and its electrifying fountain.

Peter Marteka can be reached at [email protected].

By Hartford Courant |

PUBLISHED: November 16, 2022 at 12:29 p.m. | UPDATED: November 16, 2022 at 9:01 p.m.

The Farmer’s Cow recently completed negotiations with independent Connecticut-based Full Service Markets for the hosting of the Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery within a number of markets located on Connecticut’s roadways.

The recently finalized agreement calls for the Farmer’s Cow, in partnership with the Full Service Markets’ owners, to initially co-locate and co-operate one of the company’s Calfés & Creameries in Unionville, Connecticut, on Farmington Avenue.

The required build-outs, including staffing, logistics system management, and training are scheduled for completion in November.

“In researching all of the possible partnering and franchise options available to us over this past year, we loved the fact that the Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery had both great food and great ice cream,” said Markets owner Marwan Tawfik. “And the fact that it is a part of the local Farmer’s Cow brand, sourced from local farms supporting local communities and economies, made it the perfect choice for us.”

“The Farmer’s Cow brand sources the freshest and healthiest products from not only their own Collective-based family farms, but also from other select local farms engaged in sustainable farming practices, which provide local lettuce, local bacon and pulled pork, local fruits, and local one-of-a-kind drinks…,” reads a press release announcing the expansion.

The Farmer’s Cow brand is known for offering the highest-quality local ingredients, and operates through distribution channels that include their own fast-casual, farm-to-table calfés and kiosks, as well as regional and national chains and grocery stores (including Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, and Big Y).

“The Farmer’s Cow Collective is also leading the farming industry in the development of innovative technologies and environmental sustainability – from developing new pollution-capturing processes to producing clean energy systems that can power and fund numerous projects and programs – their own as well as community-based organizations seeking clean and renewable energy,” reads the release.

The Farmer’s Cow and the Markets’ owners are next scheduled to co-locate a Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery at numerous additional Markets located throughout Connecticut.

“Our next deployment with the Markets’ owners is already scheduled for build-out and co-operation, and all that that entails,” stated Edwin Molina, FC Development Corp., and Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery CEO.

“Once we finalize the physical build-out and officially engage in the co-operation of the Unionville location in November, we then will initiate the co-location and co-operation of the Farmer’s Cow Calfé & Creamery at a number of additional Markets in eastern, southern, and western Connecticut – following that with additional locations throughout all of the state,” continued Molina.

Further expansion of this partnership is being planned not just in Connecticut, but also in other areas throughout New England and beyond.

According to Steven Lane, chief development officer at FC Development Corp., a management and development entity for the Farmer’s Cow brand of companies, the current agreement includes three additional locations in Connecticut, on major roadways.

“We are in discussions with additional partners to develop similar agreements,” said Lane.

“We are continually exploring new avenues of community support and sustainable development with all of our operations,” said Tawfiq. “And having a partner like the Farmer’s Cow and all that their combined companies bring to the table in regard to food sustainability, environmental sustainability, energy sourcing, and pollution abatement – combined with an unparalleled record of community service initiatives – supports both on-the-ground and high-level applications of our combined vision, mission, and goals.”

The Farmer’s Cow, originally established in 2003 in Connecticut, serves many local and regional communities throughout nine states, including throughout New England. The six farms making up the Farmer’s Cow Cooperative are: Cushman Farm, in Franklin; Fairvue Farms, in Woodstock; Fort Hill Farms, in Thompson; Graywall Farms, in Lebanon; Hytone Farm in Coventry; and Mapleleaf Farm, in Hebron.

Puente Pub is now open in the Unionville section of Farmington, bringing what owners Luis and Kerry Vazquez call "American-Latino" fare to the area.

The restaurant opened earlier this month at 81 South Main St., following the closing of Taprock Beer Bar & Refuge.

Puente will offer a mix of Latin American cuisines, with dishes featuring Puerto Rican, Spanish, Mexican, Argentinian, Cuban and Venezuelan flavors, Vazquez told Hearst Connecticut in May. The menu will also have classic American preparations using Latin ingredients, and vice versa, he said.

The dinner menu features several small plates, including a twist on chili fries, with yuca, picadillo, cheddar curds and pickled cherry peppers; and "margherita pizza" empanadas inspired by the tomato sauce and cheese-stuffed empanadas Vazquez ate growing up. Other dishes include chicken tinga taquitos, pork belly "lollipops," octopus ceviche, chicken pot pie "croquetas," choripan (Argentine sausage sliders) and provoleta, an Argentinian dish of molten provolone served with crostini and chimichurri.

Taste of Connecticut

"Stay a while" large plates and entrees include chicken and sausage rice, NY strip with chimichurri, swordfish marinated with cilantro, garlic, and Mexican oregano; and pork and chicken pinchos (kabobs.) Fish n' chips are served New England style with traditional batter, or "Puente" style, crusted in plantain chips. A "Papi Chulo" plate is Puente's take on a Colombian paisa plate, with sirloin steak, grilled sausage, chicharron, rice, beans, sweet plantain and fried egg.

Puente's cocktail list also features American-Latino influences, like the Farmington River Water with brewed tea, Evan Williams Honey Bourbon, lemonade, muddled mint and honey; and a Cuba Libre "made the way Chef Luis and his cousin Dario drink them in Puerto Rico" with chilled Don Q Rum, crushed ice, Coke and lime. A red sangria is available on tap, and other cocktails feature tequila and pineapple rum.

A longtime chef who helped open Farmington's Butchers & Bakers restaurant in 2017, Luis Vazquez grew up in Puerto Rico and attended culinary school there, later becoming an executive chef for the governor's residence. He also previously served as executive chef at Mohegan Sun's SolToro. Kerry Vazquez worked for the former Apricots restaurant in Farmington, later joining the team at Simsbury's Metro Bis.

This is Luis Vazquez's first ownership experience, which has been a dream of his for "a long time," he told Hearst Connecticut last month.

"We were driving by when we saw the place was for sale, and Kerry said, 'We've got to call it Puente,'" he said. "It just clicked in our brain, because 'puente' means 'bridge' in Spanish."

"...There's a little metaphor there about what this bridge symbolizes as far as connecting people with the food and connecting people with each other, you know, and and just try to enjoy the restaurant experience again after a very rough couple of years."

Puente is currently open for dinner only: Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. The restaurant will add lunch, brunch, takeout and delivery in the coming weeks.

FOOD & DRINK

Every year, Connecticut Magazine asks readers and experts for the state's best dining spots. This year we asked our panel of experts to give some extra love to those restaurants where amore is on...

By Don Stacom | [email protected] | Hartford Courant

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In what could be another change for Farmington’s Unionville section, a developer is proposing to replace a two-story office building with a three-story complex of apartments and retail.

The plan by SR Unionville II LLC would take down the current building at 30 Mill St. and replace it with a longer, taller one with more frontage directly along Mill Street.

The company is planning a 7,100-square-foot retail space on the first floor, and 24 apartments on the second and third floors.

SR Unionville II is scheduled to discuss details of the apartments including floor plans and estimated rental rates when it appears at a Plan and Zoning Commission hearing Dec. 12. The public will be able to offer comments.

Advocates for the project contend that it will bolster Unionville’s resurgence and fit into the long-term plan for a compact village center in the heart of the section.

Unionville section has been undergoing significant change over the past decade.

Around 2013, Walgreen’s built a pharmacy at 5 Mill St. on a corner lot that for year had been a rock pile. Walgreen’s ultimately shut down during the pandemic in 2020, but Dollar Tree this year opened a location in the same building.

About the same time that Walgreen’s opened, developers restored the long-blighted Upson Nut Co. mill along the Farmington River.

The 19th century brick building was remodeled and upgraded to become the Upson Market Place, with shops, a restaurant and businesses along with about a half-dozen one- and two-bedroom townhouses. The building is roughly across the street from 30 Mill.

Several restaurants at Upson or nearby have closed over the years, most recently Pomona Pete’s. But others have thrived, and town leaders see Unionville as on the upswing.

“The businesses there did a decent job getting through COVID compared to a lot of our neighboring towns,” Town Council Chairman C.J. Thomas said.

“We’re continuing to fill up businesses there. Unionville has come out of the pandemic in a pretty good state,” he said. “And the Unionville Village Improvement Association has done a great job of keeping the historic feel of Unionville.”

Elsewhere in Unionville, New Horizons is building a 22-unit addition to its New Horizons Village apartment complex for adults with disabilities. The nonprofit operates 68 single-occupancy and shared apartments at its Unionville campus.

Potentially the biggest new project for Unionville is Old Mill Commons, a 268-apartment plan that was approved years ago but never constructed. Some neighbors have expressed concern that if developers ever revive the dormant plan, it would severely change Unionville’s atmosphere because of its size.

The plan would use Perry Street property that has stood vacant since the Charles W. House & Sons felt factory shut down nearly 20 years ago. The factory and several connected buildings opened in 1908; the only one left standing is a gutted two-story brick structure alongside Union School.

The SR Unionville II plan is of a vastly smaller scale. It would raze the nondescript two-story building that’s currently home to the eBenefits Group and formerly a yoga studio.

Built in 1969, the building and its two-third-acre lot are owned by R & R Realty Investors LLC.

The proposal is to replace it with a modern three-floor building with maximum retail frontage along the Mill Street sidewalk.

The first floor would be smaller than the other two, with enough unused room for 11 parking spaces beneath the second floor, according to plans filed with the Plan and Zoning Commission.

The property is in the Unionville Center and Village District zones, which mean it will be subject to architectural review by the town as well as the usual zoning and safety reviews.

The commission’s Dec. 12 hearing is set for 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Humans like mild winters. Animals do, too. They are more likely to survive a temperate season than a cold one. So if Connecticut humans notice that their local wildlife is more visible and lively than usual right now, they’re right.

The recent string of hot days — reaching up to the 90s in the past week, unusual for April in Connecticut — made sightings of frisky woodland creatures even more common.

“A lot of things that were hibernating are active, already out and about. There is a really high level of activity,” said Jenny Dickson of the Wildlife Division of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“Animals are trying right now to find food to put on weight, or trying to set up territories and find mates. They are making themselves very obvious to everyone, not just to other foxes or other killdeer,” Dickson said.

It isn’t just animals who are out in abundance. Humans are, too, enjoying the warm weather with outdoor activities, often with their school-aged kids during spring break. More people outside naturally leads to more animal sightings.

“Warm weather makes it all seem more obvious and abundant to us,” she said. “When you’re outside paying attention to things it increases the likelihood that you’ll see things.”

The usual suspects of Connecticut’s animal kingdom are enjoying the sunshine: bears, deer, rabbits, bobcats, foxes, fishers, shrews, snakes, raccoons, coyotes, rodents and birds.

Increasingly, moose are part of the state’s zoological mix.

The DEEP issued a warning on Thursday for motorists to be on the lookout for New England’s largest land mammal, after a moose was spotted within five miles of I-91 in East Granby.

“Though Connecticut’s moose population is small (about 100 individuals), moose can pose a serious threat to public safety if they wander onto roadways,” the DEEP news release states. “During this time of year young moose may be dispersing long distances in search of new areas to occupy, making them more of a public safety concern.”

Moose, deer and bear collisions with vehicles should be reported to DEEP at 860-424-3333.

Away from roads, Dickson said close encounters between humans and animals can be avoided and far-away encounters can be fun reminders we live in a state full of natural wonders.

“An animal walking through your backyard minding its own business is something to enjoy and appreciate. Connecticut has an amazing diversity of wildlife. We get to see it. It’s a cool experience,” she said.

If a person wants to keep wildlife at a distance from houses and pets, there are strategies. Most of them center around food, which all animals are searching for constantly.

“Bring bird feeders in for the season. Don’t put the trash out until collection day. Don’t store pet food outdoors. Don’t put food on the ground. If you scatter corn for birds and squirrels, it may attract bears and coyotes,” Dickson said.

Most creatures aren’t strong enough to break a screen. But bears are. If a bear smells food through a screen door, it might come into the kitchen. One did last year in West Hartford, when a homeowner left marshmallows and crackers on the counter. The bear came back the next day, wanting more.

“If bears want in, they will get in,” Dickson said.

There were 67 bear home entries in Connecticut last year, and two attacks, according to DEEP. Bears have become so numerous in the state that an annual bear hunt was proposed in a bill in the state General Assembly. The bear hunt idea was nixed by the Environment Committee.

Also last year, a bear became an Instagram star after he was found hibernating under a porch in Plainville. Many human families would find that more unsettling than Marty’s family did. There are strategies to stop that from happening, too.

“When managing backyards, it’s always important to look at places where animals could crawl, under a shed, under a deck,” Dickson said. “To keep them out, make sure you have tight fencing put up around those spaces.”

When walking a pet outside, the pet is safest on a leash in case of a wildlife encounter.

“Make sure the animal is aware you’re there. Then get yourself and your pet to safety,” Dickson said. “Animals think of each other in different terms than we think of them. They have instinctive reactions to one another that can cause problems sometimes.”

People who see wildlife and want to report it for DEEP records, can visit the DEEP website.

Susan Dunne can be reached at [email protected].