John Cavaliere will be the first to tell you he has always been “a dreamer.” But dreams don’t pay the bills, especially in today’s economy. And so now, Cavaliere, who 10 years ago bought a Westville antiques store with a historic vaudeville theater in the back, then lovingly restored and reopened that theater as Lyric Hall, is in financial trouble.

"George Corsillo speaks softly and carries a big stylus.  Kickstarting his "forty-something" years in graphic design, Corsillo's "first real job" was a doozy: working in New York for Paul Bacon, "one of the most famous book jacket designers of the 20th century." Voice suffused with awe, he points out that Bacon "did the original covers for Jaws, Catch-22, Shogun, Ragtime;" also Slaughterhouse-Five, Rosemary's Baby and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, plus Joseph Heller's We Bombed in New Haven. He invented "the big-book look," Corsillo says, marked by "little illustration and big type.

On the front lawn of the Marvelwood Drive home of Ted Baldwin and Barbara Geller, a young giraffe stretches for food. Nearby, its towering parent surveys the landscape.A stork cackles while a giant black spider meanders through the low-growing, bamboo-like grass. All are neighbors in the Baldwins' free-range residential paradise. Some homeowners adorn their lawns with inflatable Santas, wicker deer, and other holiday displays. In the spring, others put out whirligigs or garden gnomes. A few, however, defy the status quo.

"An abandoned showpiece circa-1890 home in Westville is crumbling-and the city, its legal owner, and a series of would-be rescuers say they can't stop it. More specifically, they say they've been trying to put the property into responsible hands. But they can't work their way through a maze of invisible out-of-town bankers, mortgage lenders, and lawyers who seem in no rush to protect their investment. The saga has gone on for five years, since the early years of the national foreclosure crisis. The fate of the home at 500 Central Ave.

When Jennica Harris graduated from college with an accounting degree, she found it was difficult to connect well with potential employers during interviews, just as it had been tricky connecting with peers in school.  Harris has Asperger's Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that creates social competency gaps in people with IQs that are average or above.  But on Saturday, it was a whole new Harris who graduated from Chapel Haven's unique two-year Asperger's Syndrome Adult Transition Program.  Harris is now confident, self-sufficient, a self-advocate, has joined the choir at Southern Conn

A BIG THANK YOU to all our members, partners, supporters and sponsors who attended the WVRA 2014 Annual Meeting last week at Lyric Hall! 

Save the Date for May 9-10! There will a large number of music, art, artisans and crafters, gallery shows, tours, performances, and interactive activities for all ages! Visit the ArtWalk page for more info as it gets updated and added to. The Westville Village ArtWalk is a free, annual, community-based arts festival that spans three blocks in Historic Westville Village and Edgewood Park every Mother's Day weekend. ArtWalk traditionally draws between 8,000-10,000 visitors. This is a superbly fun day for kids and adults of all ages.

Check-out local film-maker Jake Grubman's recently completed mini-doc ode to Manjares Fine Pastries/Tapas Bar, the food, the people, the culture and the ambience. "It's like Cheers, but without the beer, and a lot more coffee!" Watch HERE.