Bold in the cold

WINSTED — It may have been 15 degrees and chilly outside, but that did not stop the seventh annual Gator Parade from rolling through town with sirens blaring and Christmas lights flashing on Sunday, Dec. 18. The parade is named after Gaeton “Gator” Gangi, a member of the fire department who passed away in December 2004.Starting on Meadow Street, the procession went through many neighborhoods throughout town and included emergency vehicles, police cruisers and trucks from the Winsted Fire Department.Surrounding towns, including Riverton, Colebrook, Pleasant Valley, Canaan and Norfolk participated in the event, which was said by spectators to be the biggest one yet. Vehicles were adorned with Christmas lights, holiday decorations and ornaments. Residents lined up along the parade route to witness the festive occasion.

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Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

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Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

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Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

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