A couple of months ago, I fielded a reference question about 1410 Highland Ave, the current location of The Butcher Bros Steakhouse. This patron wanted to know which restaurant was there about 35 years ago.
Questions like these are not uncommon, but there’s usually enough information online to find a quick answer. Searching online, I uncovered what many Cheshire-ites already know: 1410 Highland Ave became The Butcher Bros in 2023, Bone in Prime opened there in 2021, and Perfectly Prepared Catering had a run from 2018-2020, closing due to COVID-19. At some point before Perfectly Prepared, that location was Cugino’s Pizza (a fact some helpful staff members were able to help me out with). Everything before Cugino’s was a dead end, so I turned to our local history collection on the library’s lower level. It was time for some good old-fashioned research!
My reference resources of choice were the local directories. These directories were published yearly and our collection includes most editions from 1965 to 2020, covering Cheshire, Hamden, North Haven, and the entire New Haven County at various points in its publication history. These books, and our entire local history collection, are available for anyone to use in-library on the lower level.
The directories are filled with all kinds of fun information. Did you know Cheshire had 3,253 telephones in 1956? And 8,404 telephones by 1968?! Okay, maybe not the best example of how fun this information can be… Still though, quite a few telephones!
But back to the research question: What’s the history of 1410 Highland Ave? I flipped to the Cheshire section of these directories and searched by street name. I was thrown for a loop in 1984 and 1983, which is when that portion of Highland Ave was still called Milldale Rd. You’ve got to be on your toes with this kind of thing.
I narrowed my search between the years of 1983 and 1997 to get a comfortable range around the “35ish years ago” goal. Even within this 15 year period, there’s a lot of action!
I got in touch with the patron who requested this information and we decided the restaurant they remembered was likely Vigilio’s. The best kind of mysteries, however, only lead to further questions—this one is no different. What happened between 1991 and 1993 when there was no information submitted to the directory? What is Spindrift? Where is Michael Anthony now? And most importantly, what is Twilight Zone? A coworker vaguely remembers a club called Twilight Zone, but I can find no information to back that up. Whatever the case, this research shows that even the most unassuming of questions can be an adventure.
This summer, the Cheshire Public Library turned up the heat (and the magic) on our Summer Adventure by introducing a wildly fun and fiery addition: Reading Dragons!
Originally developed by the Dover Public Library in Ohio, Reading Dragons is a free, card-based reading incentive program that rewards kids with collectible dragon cards for each hour they read. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of librarians nationwide, the program has taken flight, now used in over 400 libraries across 42 states and 5 countries—and we’re thrilled to be part of the dragon-loving fun.
How It Works
At its core, Reading Dragons inspires kids to read more by tapping into their love of collecting, creativity, and games:
Finish 3 levels of the Cheshire Library Summer Reading Adventure and get a complete starter deck of Dragon Duel Cards—it is that simple.
Each card features original artwork of dragons and mythical creatures.
Gameplay is similar to Rock, Paper, Scissors, except with dragon types (fire, water, and leaf).
Cheshire’s Dragon Dueling Decks: Our Fiery Twist
We decided to take the Reading Dragons concept and add our own twist to the cards and the program. Originally, the program called for giving readers a individual trading card for each hour they read. At first, we planned to follow the program as designed but we quickly realized this would overwhelm our staff. Instead, we decided to give participants who completed the first three levels of our program, a full starter deck of 24 custom-designed cards.
This not only freed up staff for programs, collection maintenance, and development but it also allowed our summer readers to get their cards at the halfway point. This allowed us to recapture our summer readers attention. We are hoping this will lead to more kids to finishing the program this year.
One of our proudest additions? The Bookwyrm Dragon set, lovingly designed by our talented staff member Laurie Lee, who previously created the Cheshire Cat logo for last year’s registration prize. This year, Laurie stunned us again with her imaginative Cheshire Cat/Dragon hybrid—one of the stars of the starter deck! Laurie is an incrdible artist who always goes above and beyond for the library.
Game On: Our First Dragon Duel Tournament
This week, the dragons truly came to life with our first-ever Dragon Duel Tournament—and the turnout was amazing! Our library was packed with excited young readers-turned-card battlers, eager to put their decks to the test! Their goal defeat their opponent’s dragons and win special edition cards with game changing powers!
All of our participants received a special edition card, however our tournament champions walked away with the most powerful card we have unveiled so far:
The dreaded and coveted Cock-a-doodle-DOOM card! A card that harnesses the massive power of the Chicken jockey and defeats any card in the game. Needless to say, this will be a very limited edition card.
What’s Next for Cheshire Library and Reading Dragons?
This is just the beginning. We are already brewing up plans to continue the Reading Dragons experience into the fall and winter, with:
All-new cards
New game changing powers
Even more duels, events, and excitement
Reading has never been so mythical—or so much fun.
A huge thank you to the creators of the Reading Dragons program, local artist and library staff member Laurie Lee, and to our own amazing team here in Cheshire. We’re thrilled to bring reading and creativity together in such an unforgettable way.
We recently uncovered some Cheshire Library memorabilia from at least 60 years ago. Though they’re regular objects you would find at any library—a bookmark, a checkout card holder, and a library card—they reveal a lot about the time they’re from and remind us of the dramatic changes that have taken place since.
First the bookmark: At the time the bookmark was printed, CPL’s hours were a bit different than they are now. They were open Monday through Friday, from 3:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 PM, presumably to allow for a dinner break. These days, we’re open from 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Fridays. As a reminder, our summer Saturday hours for July and August are from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Maybe the most interesting part of the bookmark is the phone number for The Cheshire Insurance Agency: three digits!
The library checkout card holder is most notable for the quaint slogan of First Federal Savings and Loan Association: “You’ll find us most helpful.” The First Federal Savings and Loan Association isn’t around anymore. 218 Maple Ave changed hands several times in the late 20th century and became a branch of Naugatuck Savings Bank in 1999 (later renamed “Ion Bank” in 2013).
Lastly, the library card. Those who’ve been coming to the library for a while know our cards have gone through many iterations. I love when patrons come to the circulation desk with one of our old Cheshire Cat branded cards because it means they’ve been loyal patrons for some time. But I’ve never seen a card anywhere near as old as this one. In place of a barcode, there’s a stamped metal insert with only four digits.
Across the board, the United States has become a more expensive place to live in the last 57 years, but at least you don’t still have to pay 25¢ when you need to replace your card! (25¢ in 1968 is the equivalent of $2.32 today).
It can be easy to walk through today’s libraries and look at them as though they came into existence at that very moment. Historical artifacts like these remind us that we’re part of a long chain of library excellence—standing on the shoulders of giants, as they say.
Every so often an actor seems to become a shooting star, rising to the top from seemingly nowhere, and now he or she seems to be in everything. Leonardo DiCaprio started as a 14 year old in a Matchbox commercial and by 19 had an Academy Award nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Harrison Ford made American Graffiti at 31, an unknown actor who was remodeling a kitchen for the casting director, then made himself part of history just three years later when Star Wars sent him to superstardom faster than the Kessel run. Brad Pitt had a small role as a cowboy hitchhiker in Thelma and Louise, then rose to stardom a year later in A River Runs Through It.
Some actors start out young – Shirley Temple was just three when she made Stand Up and Cheer, making 50 films before retiring at the age of 22. Judy Garland began performing with her sisters even younger – just two. Studio executives were feeding her amphetamines by 16 to keep her energy up, leading to an overdose death at just 47. Justin Henry is the youngest ever Academy Award nominee at just 8 years old, for Kramer Vs. Kramer. Tatum O’Neal remains the youngest winner of an Academy Award, landing her a Best Supporting Actress at just nine years old, forPaper Moon. Halley Joel Osment was just eleven in The Sixth Sense, but was already a veteran after playing the son of Forrest Gump at the age of six.
Now, another young actor is exploding on Hollywood, not yet thirty with dozens of awards to his name. Timothée Chalamet seems to be taking the world by storm. Although his mother danced on Broadway, Chalamet credits Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in 2008’s Dark Knight for starting his acting bug.
Born in just 1995 (ouch), Chalamet’s premiere was on Law and Order in 2009, moving to films with a role inInterstellar. From there, an almost non-stop string of movies came. Call Me By Your Name (2017) earned him an Academy Award Best Actor nomination, the third youngest nominee ever. His success culminated in the lead roles for the Dune films (another movie nominated for the Oscar), Wonka, and the recent A Complete Unknown, a biography of singer Bob Dylan (now 83), for which he was again nominated for an Oscar at 29 years old. Chalamet had Dylan’s approval for the role. He sang more than 40 of Dylan’s songs for the soundtrack (and did an excellent job), and yes, he himself played both the guitar and harmonica for it. On top of that, between acting, singing, and playing the actual instruments, Chalamet also co-produced the film. He lost the Oscar to Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), but became the youngest actor ever to win the Screen Actor’s Guild Best Actor award for the role.
Some actors start out unknown and bloom into fame in time; others seem to shoot straight to the top. Some who do fade out for a variety of reasons (James Dean made only 3 films; Mel Gibson’s behavior became a liability, Drew Barrymore was in substance rehab by thirteen, Ezra Miller became erratic), but others manage to navigate the pitfalls and go on to have long and amazing careers (Jeff Bridges, Clint Eastwood, Betty White, Kurt Russell, Mickey Rooney, for some). Time will tell if Chalamet can keep the fire burning.
I’m betting he does. Check out his work, and see if you agree!
Side note: Both A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist have only been released on Blu Ray disc, so check your player first.
As a parent of two young kids, my time away from work is a constant stream of requests and/or demands. The 4-year-old: refill my milk cup even though you’re currently buttering my toast and haven’t even made your coffee yet. The 20-month-old: read Trashy Town to me again. The 4-year-old: I just discovered My Little Pony and I love it, so now my name is Princess Twilight Sparkle and my brother is Spike. Spike: read! Twilight: you are no longer Momma, you’re now Princess Celestia. Can you talk like Princess Celestia? Spike: I will scream-cry if you don’t read to me in two seconds.
Sometimes you need a change of scenery in order to prevent your kids (or yourself) from scream-crying. For me, the library’s museum passes have been invaluable when it’s too wet to visit the playground at Bartlem Park or too cold for miniature horses at Brooksvale Park. Museum passes offer discounted or free admission for adults and kids to museums and educational attractions across Connecticut and beyond. You can reserve them up to 30 days in advance and print almost all of them from home anytime, requiring no special trip to the library. For added convenience, many museums will just scan the pass right from your phone. Here’s our young crew’s experience with the passes.
The Children’s Museum
Location: 180 Mohegan Drive, West Hartford
Pass perks: one free admission for every paid admission
Cost before perks: $15/person ages 2 and up, below 2 is free (price info)
We visited The Children’s Museum when Twilight was two years old and Spike was an unhatched egg. The museum accepted the digital pass that was sent to my phone via email, and soon we were in an indoor air-conditioned wonderland. The museum looks like a former school with one long hallway and branching classrooms that have been converted to different activity areas. I appreciated the easy navigation! The woods-themed dramatic play room was a hit, as was the craft room. The dinosaur room was another success.
There’s also a large collection of live animals spread across three rooms: snakes, chinchillas, box turtles, and more, all of whom came to the museum after being given up, injured, or confiscated. The museum has regular demonstrations where kids can meet some of the animals. Twilight wasn’t interested in petting the ball python, but there were so many other activities that kept her engaged that it wasn’t a loss.
KidsPlay Children’s Museum
Location: 61 Main St, Torrington
Pass perks: Half-price admission for up to 6 family members
Cost before perks: $14 for everyone age 1+, free under 12 months (price info)
KidsPlay has become our family’s favorite museum. There are so many rooms and activities here: play vehicles, a climbing wall, air play, a craft room, a music room with a piano, a grocery store, a pioneer cabin with dress-up clothing. We could not possibly visit every area in one trip! We were impressed not only with the breadth of activities, but how clean and well-maintained the space was. We loved this museum so much on our discounted visit that we got a year-long membership, so we’ve gotten to experience rotating play areas like kinetic sand and a hockey rink.
Street parking is a breeze in downtown Torrington, and there’s an off-street lot as well. The only drawback is its limited schedule. As with any museum, check the hours of operation before you visit!
Roaring Brook Nature Center
Location: 70 Gracey Road, Canton
Pass perks: one free admission for every paid admission
Cost before perks: $9 for adults, $7 for children 12 and under (price info)
Our Children’s Museum pass also grants discounted admission to Roaring Brook Nature Center (not to be confused with Roaring Brook Park, the not-for-the-faint-of-heart local trail). The nature center has an indoor section with taxidermy dioramas of our local habitats, live animals, play nooks, and a library, plus an outdoor area with rescued birds and turtles. Twilight enjoyed the scavenger hunt, singing lullabies to Tomasina the black vulture, and looking for turtles in the pond.
The highlight of the trip, though, was a hike along the trails next to the nature center. The trails are free to access and open from dawn to dusk, and a lot of it is hemlock forest (i.e., those really cool dark forests that make you feel like you’re a character in a fantasy book). The kids played Poohsticks from the bridge over the creek and explored a set of lean-tos while their bird nerd of a parent listened to warblers and nuthatches calling in the trees.
Connecticut Science Center
Location: 250 Columbus Blvd, Hartford
Coupon perks: 15% off up to six admissions
Cost before perks: $29 for adults, $23 for ages 3-12, plus $7 per person for butterfly encounter (price info), plus $7 per vehicle for 3 hours of parking in the adjacent garage (garage information)
Twilight loves the CT Science Center. When she was two years old, we could easily spend an hour just in the water play area. (They provide smocks, but it’s still a good idea to bring backup clothes and shoes.) There’s also live animals including a sloth, a butterfly encounter, and lots of interactive science activities that get more interesting as Twilight gets older. A glass elevator lets you look out across the whole museum, and it’s roomy enough for you to indulge in repeat rides without compromising foot traffic.
This is not a reservable pass, but a coupon that you can pick up anytime and use anytime. Even with a coupon, this is admittedly a pricier outing. But if you can swing it, it’s worth a visit.
Dinosaur State Park
Location: 400 West St, Rocky Hill
Pass perks: free admission to the exhibit center for two adults and four kids age 6-12; kids 5 and under are free
Cost before perks: $6 for ages 13+, $2 for ages 6-12, free parking and trail access
The kids recently visited 200-million-year-old dilophosaurus footprints at Dinosaur State Park, where you can visit indoor exhibits for free with the CT Parks Pass. (This is a physical pass that needs to be picked up and delivered back to the library.) The footprints are housed in a geodesic dome that also includes dino dioramas, crafts, and some live reptiles and amphibians. The adults loved it, but Twilight was a little disappointed that dinosaurs were extinct and weren’t there stomping around making the footprints.
Luckily, the nature trails outside the exhibit center are perfect for small legs, and they’re free to use without the pass. We saw a big (and completely harmless) water snake sunning itself near the marsh!
Overall, there are so many activities at each place that you really can’t go wrong with borrowing a pass. And even if your museum outing is more miss than hit, hey – at least it’s a few hours in which your kids aren’t pretending they’re Keith Moon and your living room is a Holiday Inn!
Why don’t all the passes give me free admission?
We would love to offer passes that grant free admission everywhere, but the museums set the terms for their passes and decide what they’re going to make available for libraries to purchase. Sometimes that’s free admission. Sometimes that’s just a discount. It all depends on the museum, but we always get the best discount we can!
Why doesn’t the library offer passes to Beardsley Zoo, Mystic Aquarium, or the Maritime Aquarium?
Good question! Unfortunately, the aquarium passes don’t really offer a good value for most patrons. (Think a percentage off a yearly membership, or a few dollars off if you purchase add-ons beyond general admission.) Instead of disappointing our patrons, we opt to get different passes with better discounts. As for the Beardsley Zoo, they changed their ordering process a couple years ago, and it doesn’t jive with the way we make purchases. However, we’re planning to add more animal-themed passes in 2026. Stay tuned!
What about the Peabody Museum? Why doesn’t the library offer a pass?
We don’t offer a Peabody Museum pass because it’s completely free! They gave it a major overhaul recently, and it’s a gorgeous space. Fossilized skeletons and plants are on the first floor, with minerals and animal dioramas on the third floor. Human history is exhibited on the second floor.
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