Arts + Culture

Service Runs Deep

Inside the Amity Club's Century of Giving Article by Chelsea Spata | Photography by Mark Arnold Prisco Panza was invited to an Amity Club meeting by a friend in 2012. He didn't join a civic club that year so much as inherit a mission that's been running in Greater New Haven since 1936, when a group of Italian-American professionals founded the organization around a simple premise: unselfish service, humanitarian values, and genuine friendship, in that order. "The club's mission deeply...

Arts + Culture

I Was Shopping Anyway…

How a PTA Errand turned into an app for nonprofits Article by Harshitha Kothapalli | Photography by Mark Arnold What is Shopping Anyway?   Shopping Anyway connects those who ask “How Can I Help?” with those who say “Here’s What We Need.” Shopping Anyway is a one-stop platform where nonprofits can list their needs on a profile page donors can access through a free app. Organizations can list needed items, volunteer opportunities, and fundraising events. When a donor favorites an organization...

Arts + Culture

One Art

After thirteen years leading the MAC, Paige Miglio has turned a downtown into her canvas. Article by Chelsea Spata | Photography by Mark Arnold On her first day as executive director of the Milford Arts Council, Paige Miglio walked into a building that hadn't changed since it opened in 1995. The carpet was original. The paint was original. So was the palette — teal and peach — and the curtains, hand-sewn with pull-backs by volunteers three decades earlier. The roof leaked. And the basement...

Arts + Culture

Door to Freedom

Twenty-five years after 9/11, two Vietnam veterans at Milford's American Legion share what it means to remember. Article by Harshitha Kothapalli | Photography by Mark Arnold This interview took place on September 11. Twenty-five years after the attacks that changed the country, I sat across from two Vietnam veterans at Milford’s American Legion.  For me, September 11 is a horrifying chapter in history, something I learned about through photographs, stories, and memories of those who were...

Professional Services

Found a Wasp Nest Near Your Home?

Found a Wasp Nest Near Your Home? When Should You Call a Professional?It is ill advised to play the hero if you find a wasp nest around your home.  If you notice a small paper nest tucked under the roof eaves, wasps flying in and out of a hole near your deck, or suddenly realize that the buzzing around your porch is not just a coincidence, your first thought might be, “I can probably take care of that myself.”Maybe. But there is a pretty good reason professional wasp nest removal...

Food + Beverage

Risotto di Limone con Gamberi 

Creamy saffron-lemon risotto brightened with limoncello, fresh herbs and Parmesan, topped with pan-seared garlic shrimp Article by Vito Errico, MD | Photography by Mark Arnold The key to a great risotto is balance. The limoncello in this recipe provides a subtle citrus sweetness, while the fresh lemon juice, Parmesan, and saffron add brightness, richness, and depth. The finished dish should be creamy, savory, and lemon-forward. Risotto di Limone con gamberi  | Lemon Parmesan Risotto with...

Food + Beverage

No Sign Required

Dan Kardos spent thirty years opening restaurants. Café Melba is the first one that's his. Article by Chelsea Spata | Photography by Mark Arnold It’s a humid summer morning, and a rush of cool air hits me as I step into Café Melba. All around me is the sound and smell of a restaurant that sleeps – before the prep crew arrives to chop and dice, before the ovens kick on, before the front-of-house staff slinks in. The scents of fry oil, degreaser, and Fabuloso compete for my attention, and I’m...

Arts + Culture

Fully Functional Art

Sunshine Ceramics Joins Creative Forces with Café Melba Article and Photography by Marie Chutjian As a longtime Milford resident and dedicated Wanda's Sugar Shack kid, I was honored to take over her space in Harborwalk and breathe new life into it. Sunshine Ceramics officially opened on the summer solstice of 2023 in that same downtown location where so many wonderful memories live. On any given day you can still come in and find plenty of chocolate, but you'll also see smiling faces and...

Food + Beverage

Passion, Picnics, and Pinot

Alexa Charles on turning her family's land into Stappa Vineyard, where Sunday tradition and experimentation come together in every glass Article by Harshitha Kothapalli | Photography by Mark Arnold A hidden gem in plain sight is the best way to describe the beauty and comfort of Stappa Vineyard. The classy yet inviting atmosphere is what makes Stappa feel less like somewhere you simply stop for a glass of wine and more like somewhere you are meant to stay.  For owner and operator Alexa...

Food + Beverage

Low Tide

A Charles Island Dinner Party Article by Chelsea Spata | Photography by Mark Arnold, Cole Heitmann An Invitation to a Friend, to Supper October 10 | 7 PM Charles Island | Milford CT Please join us for an evening of food, wine, and hearty conversation with renowned chef and restauranteur Alda Bennet. *** Frances Hill watched intently as the seagulls traipsed back and forth looking for food. They were discerning, these gulls, in the way they prodded, tested, exalted their favorites from the...