Please Support the RHS Historic Cemetery Project

Rowayton is host to three historic cemeteries, whose interred include many of the hardworking people who made Rowayton the special place it is today. The Union Cemetery on Rowayton Avenue, the largest and youngest of the three, is owned and maintained by the Rowayton Union Cemetery Association. Sadly, the other two, the older Raymond and Bouton/Hoyt Cemeteries, founded around the time of the American Revolution, have not been so fortunate and for many years have been in a sorry state of neglect.

The RHS is currently working to remedy this situation. At the Raymond Cemetery, established by the Raymonds in 1782 for their family and friends, a group of volunteers has spent months cutting down saplings, removing branches, leaves and weeds, mowing the grass, and even unearthing old gravestones buried under years of accumulated debris. The volunteers are now working with a preservationist whose goal is to clean and restore the old headstones.

In another RHS sponsored cemetery revitalization project, Jake Raymond, a descendent of many of the town’s founders, finished a clean-up project at the Bouton/Hoyt Cemetery on Witch Lane as part of his Boy Scout Eagle Scout Project. The RHS hopes to bring the preservationist into that cemetery as well.

Without the continued efforts of the RHS and their volunteers, the future of the Raymond and Bouton/Hoyt Cemeteries is uncertain. If the trees and brush continue to grow unfettered, they will overtake the headstones, one by one, until the cemeteries all but disappear. Your contributions to the RHS can make a significant difference in preserving these important facets of Rowayton’s vibrant history. You can even earmark a donation specifically for cemetery restoration. Thank you in advance of your support! Donations can be sent to the RHS, P.O. Box 106, Rowayton, CT 06853.

Rowayton Arts Center

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, 1:00-4:00pm

Upcoming Events:

October 9-10:
Noreen Gaffney - Silk Screening: Create a Scarf Workshop

October 10 – November 7:
26th Mavis Fenner Memorial All-Media Juried Exhibition

October 23-24:
Pamela duLong Williams - Figurative Workshop

November 20:
Holiday Workshop for Children

November 20 – December 22:
16th Holiday Gift Show

Classes and workshops:
RAC offers continuing classes and workshops as well as art exhibitions. For schedules and details, visit www.rowaytonartscenter.org or call 866-2744.

The Norwalk Mentor Program
Only one hour a week can change lives forever... yours and theirs.

Established in 1986, the Norwalk Mentor Program, a program of the Human Services Council in partnership with the Norwalk Public Schools, is one of the longest running and most acclaimed mentoring programs in the country. The Norwalk Mentor Program is a school-based program that coordinates a structured one-on-one relationship between a student and an adult volunteer.

This unique approach provides youth (grades K-12) with an adult who can meet them for one hour per week at school, during the school day and engage in activities conducive to the school setting. By sharing fun activities and exposing youth to new experiences, a mentor encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, supports academic achievement and introduces the mentee to new ideas. Mentors act as friends and positive adult role models and spend the hour each week having fun with their mentees – play catch, read a book, shoot some hoops, create an arts and crafts project, or just talk!

The Mentor Program’s objectives are to help students increase their self-confidence and improve their academic performance, provide them with personal connectedness, and instill in them a greater hope for the future. You can go to their website at www.hscct.org/mentor for more information. If you have an hour to give, or for more information, please contact Jackie L. Effren at 849-1111, ext. 3042 or email her at jeffren@hscct.org.

The Underground

Once again the kids had a phenomenal time at the UG! Thanks to the very dedicated work of Alyssa Nollman, the kids had a fun and safe place to socialize. The Underground Teen Center is an RCA sponsored program held in the lower level of the Rowayton Community Center. It provides a safe and supervised venue where our middle-school kids (6th, 7th, 8th graders) can “hang out” and socialize with friends one Friday night a month. There is an adult chaperone and 2-3 high school students in attendance. There are board games, cards, ping pong, pool, foosball and a pinball machine. Weather permitting, there are also outdoor activities such as basketball, soccer, football, flashlight tag, Frisbee and “manhunt.” They will also be scheduling some special events such as a trip to the SoNo Field House, bingo night with terrific prizes and a final beach party in June.

This year the 6th graders will meet one Friday night a month from 6:30-8:30pm and the 7th/8th graders will meet together one Friday night a month from 6:30-8:30pm. A one-time registration fee of $100 for the year pays for staff as well as a pizza dinner each night for 10 sessions from Sept.-June. Please check the RCA website at www.rowaytonct.com and the Rowayton Clamdigging section of the newspaper for updates on the opening of Underground. For more information or questions contact Ted Hildner at tfreddy@me.com.

40th Anniversary River Ramble t-shirts and limited-edition posters are still available!

This limited-edition poster, which depicts 12 classic River Ramble t-shirts dating back to 1990, is printed on high-quality archival paper and measures 20 inches by 30 inches. It makes a great holiday gift! Email River Ramble Co-Chair Kelly Brewer for more information.

Note: t-shirts are available in XL size only.

Remember, please shop locally and support your local Rowayton merchants. Go to www.shoprowayton.com for more information.