Monday, July 30, 2012

We've Moved!

Chezsven Blog Wellfleet Today has a brand new site, located at www.wellfleettoday.com. Future posts will all be on the new site from now on. Check it out!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Beach Fun in Wellfleet

Friday, July 27, 2012

Ebook Sales Update

Several blog readers have been asking about ebook sales. Today I received a huge 100 in an email from my son, who just lost his bet that we would not reach that number. Hurray! Apparently, 100 is to be considered "good" since most "indie" ebooks do not sell all that well. (Wellfleet, An Insider's Guide to Cape Cod's Trendiest Town has been available for one month and can be purchased at my writer's site.)

Another blog reader asked about promotion. A week ago I posted reviews. Yesterday Mac Hay mentioned my ebook in the Mac's Newsletter. Early on I urged followers to get 10 friends to buy the ebook. If anyone has done so, please leave a note in the comments and claim your prize. (This contest remains open until someone wins.)

Also, I have been putting up posters around town. Strangely enough, someone has been taking them down. So, I wrote a letter to the Provincetown Banner, which was printed yesterday: "Several weeks ago Banner reporter Marilyn Miller wrote an excellent article about my new ebook on Wellfleet. I have been promoting Wellfleet, An Insider’s Guide to Cape Cod’s Trendiest Town, as best I can. I put up posters in the window of several local businesses, with the permission of the owners, of course. Some one has been going around and removing these posters. The dastardly malefactors leave other promotional material in place. Strange as it may seem, my ebook is being targeted. That’s a shame, because it’s great publicity for Wellfleet, a town that will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2013. Whoever the culprit is, please stop. 75% of the proceeds from the $2.99 sale will go to the Wellfleet Food Pantry."

I sent press releases to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and to the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce, but so far neither Chamber has lifted a promotional finger. I hope they do not see the ebook as competition. It is not.

If you are on Facebook, please LIKE the Wellfleet Guide page. Thanks!

Have you read my ebook yet? Can you recommend it to others?

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Time for a Rip Current

Yesterday seemed like a marvelous day for the beach. The sky was intense blue.
The rain had chased away all the dust particles in the air. Sunbeams sparkled off Long Pond as Sven drove up to the ocean. I knew I would be missing the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hearing, streaming live, but a walk seemed more urgent.
Sven turned right on Ocean View Drive and headed for LeCount Hollow. To our surprise, we could see white caps whipping the waves as we looked past the Lot Full sign at Cahoon. Would it be too windy to walk the beach? Only time would tell. We parked the car and noticed how empty LeCount's was. The lifeguards had put up a sign that read, “Warning: Very Strong Rip Current. Umbrellas will blow away. Water, 62 degrees.” Down by the ocean, teenagers with boogey boards took full advantage of the wild surf. The sand on the beach was blowing south.
It’s unusual to be able to see sand blowing in summer. The scene reminded me of sagebrush, rolling across the prairie. We could feel the sand, too, as the sharp particles hit our bare legs. The wind roared, so we remained silent, no talk.

Once we got home, I checked the computer and was delighted to learn the Environment & Public Works Committee had passed the Safe Chemicals Act, which now goes to the Senate. I felt ecstatic.
Our country has the opportunity to regulate toxic chemicals, after 36 years of anarchy. I urge every one of you to contact your Senators. Let's cause our own rip current in the same-old, same-old world of politics. This momentous decision will impact our world, our children’s world, and the world of our grandchildren. If you have been following my blog, you know many toxic chemicals are endocrine disruptors. I have also written about pesticide residue and urged consumption of organic foods. I even reported on the President’s Cancer Panel Report, which spells out the connection between chemicals in our environment and cancer. Read a good summary of what's at stake on today's Huffington Post.

All we need is 51 Senators, but that will be tough, because so many Republicans are beholden to the chemical companies. In yesterday's Committee vote, ten Democratic Senators voted yes, and the eight Republicans all voted no.

Those of you who live in Massachusetts, please call Scott Brown (202 224 4543), since Kerry is already on board. Brown needs to receive thousands of phone calls before he will consider putting our health before the will of those who helped him get elected. Let’s demonstrate the power of the blogosphere. We need protection from the toxic chemicals in air, water and food. If you prefer to email, use this Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families form of the Environmental Working Group form. Or, both.

Do your Senators support the Safe Chemicals Act? What? You're not sure? Get on the phone and urge their support. Let's knock over some umbrellas! Do you think social media has the power to make a difference? Will we get toxic chemicals regulated for once and for all?

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Advanced Innkeeping: A Primer

One of the skills veteran innkeepers acquire is the ability to pigeonhole people, ie. to take in at a glance, a la Sherlock Holmes, clues as to where a guest is on his life journey. I can also often tell, within the first few minutes, how positive the experience at Chez Sven will be. From a few cursory glances, more often than not, I can guess what profession, what age, sexual orientation, whether a couple are married or not, whether the woman is a wife, girlfriend, daughter, or mistress, and what type of holiday is desired, ie. sedentary or active, but also whether people want to be left alone, something we have learned to respect. We get extroverts, and introverts. Some folks want to talk, others don’t. Either is okay with us.

Chez Sven is a green bed-and-breakfast, as our Web site indicates. I ask everyone at registration whether eating organic food at breakfast is important to them. My second question is even more revelatory: How important to you is our being green? I always look to see what number the guest has circled. Sven and I are particularly pleased to receive guests who choose 4, the highest number on our scale. It’s not surprising to me that these folks are the ones who prove the most compatible and get the most out of their stay. To these guests I am able to talk about toxic chemicals in the environment, for instance, something I care deeply about. Often our "green" guests go home with a copy of Theo Colborn’s Our Stolen Future in one hand. I keep a large pile in the office and give them away.

We had a guest this week who was harder to pigeonhole than most. He seemed shy at first, although I noted he circled 4 on the registration sheet, a good sign. He came alone, and was obviously tired. In fact, exhausted would be a better word, and he slept a lot the first two days. No wonder. His profession is demanding: physician. As time passed, I came to appreciate his fine mind, rigorously organized life, and willingness to be open to new experiences. What’s more, Brian totally got Chez Sven. He understood the opportunity to be treated as family and seized it, as his guestbook testimony indicates: “Thank you for opening up your home and yourselves this past few days. What a wonderful, relaxing long weekend.”

Brian spent a lot of time with Sven. “It’s fascinating to see people half your age, or even younger, and that they take pleasure in talking to me,” my husband remarked yesterday. Sven is a great storyteller, but there’s more. He is highly intelligent and, as a retired teacher, enjoys sharing his knowledge. Guests who understand and take advantage of this will get the most out of their stay at Chez Sven.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Cahoon Hollow: This Evening

Demand Chemical Reform

There will be a historic vote on chemical reform tomorrow in Congress. Above, organic bananas from Hatch's, along with four boxes of organic cereal, purchased yesterday for our guests. Nature's Path, the brand with no GMOs. I invite you to begin your day with a haiku from Rachel Dickinson. Read the latest conclusions from Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families on how toxic chemicals in the environment affect our health. Please make sure your legislators side with us - we, the people - not with the chemical industry. Yesterday I called MA Senator Brown and gave his office assistant a long explanation on how these toxic chemicals affect not only his health, but his reproductive life, in the hope of drumming up some internal lobbying. These days it's easy to let Congress know your opinion. No need to call, the way I did. Send an email to off-committee Senators now to urge their support of this important legislation.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Virtual Champagne for Everyone!

Yesterday, at the Prez. Hall auction, I spoke to Jan Morrissey, wife of one of our current selectmen, and she told me how much she enjoys reading this blog, that she often gets her local news here. Many of you must feel the same way, since this morning Chezsven Wellfleet Today received its 300,000th hit. That’s a call to celebrate. Virtual champagne all round!

Fine Art & Travel Auctioned in Wellfleet

From the photos posted yesterday, you can see the Preservation Hall Fine Art & Travel Auction was an event not to miss.
Unfortunately, many of you missed it. Perhaps due to the sterling weather? Maybe unexpected guests dropped in? Or, for some people, a fall renovation project, like house painting, has already laid claim to any free cash and you decided to resist temptation by not showing up? I can tell you the lucky ones who made it to the auction and bid on the spectacular art were glad you weren’t there. Fine art was going at amazing prices, way below market value.

There was yummy food to enjoy before, after, and during the main event. This year Preservation Hall hired a professional auctioneer who was clever with his lively repartee:
“For some reason, honey, I think you want this one.” “As my aunt from Dorchester said, don’t lose it for a mere fifty bucks!” “Watch out: not good when the auctioneer knows your number by heart.” Paper plates stood in for paddles, and people were waving them in the air on numerous occasions.

Artist Jim Holland had at least half a dozen bidders competing for his seascape with buoy. The winning bid was $2200. At Left Bank Gallery, Holland’s work is much more expensive.

My favorite painting was the star of the afternoon, Vincent
Amicosante’s masterpiece, seen above, commemorating the Centennial of the building that is now Preservation Hall. The detail of the lace was beyond belief. (See photo posted yesterday.) Vincent spent three weeks on prep alone. He devoted two months to this painting, worth $8500. It went for $3000. (Vincent shows at Harmon Gallery. Do stop in and see his other work while in town.)

And, I didn’t even mention the travel deals. The week in a cottage on the Maine coast cost a young man only $400. Two people won African safaris for $2600 each, per couple. The Lieutenant Island stay was a steal at $800.

A lot of happy Wellfleetians returned home with a canvas under their arm and/or a fabulous trip in their future. Thanks go out to all the organizers, to Prez. Hall Board President Marla Rice, described by the auctioneer as a “lovely goddess,” to the volunteers who carried in the paintings and served drinks, to the artists and Prez. Hall regulars who contributed art and travel. It was one swell party.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Prez. Hall Art & Travel Auction a Success

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Conversation at Winslow’s

I met Tracey Barry Hunt, owner of Winslow’s Tavern,
in the bar of her Main Street restaurant for a chat about my new ebook on the trendy little Cape Cod town where we both choose to live: Wellfleet, Massachusetts. We have something else in common: Vassar College. Tracey is Class of 1994. I graduated in 1969, a whole quarter of a century earlier. Sven and I enjoy dining at Winslow’s where Tracey’s chef/husband Philip Hunt serves up fine cuisine and excellent wine from his native country, South Africa. The walls upstairs are covered with enlargements of old postcards and etchings of Wellfleet. The bar makes the perfect setting for our conversation.

TRACEY: What surprised you the most in doing research for the ebook?

ALEXANDRA: The early history. The fact that what we consider the center of town only dates from the mid-19th century. That there were homes on Bound Brook and Chequessett Neck first. That the Native Americans were moved to Indian Neck. I also didn’t know Champlain came here before the Pilgrims, so I learned a lot about Wellfleet. Imagine what Main Street was back then, an ordinary country road.

TRACEY: That’s why I love the postcards.
This is turn of the century. I think of Bob Finch’s description of his daughter, another Vassar grad, my dear friend Katie. It’s pretty amazing to live in a place where history is ever-present. The buildings have not changed in 100 years.

ALEXANDRA: Pretty incredible!

TRACEY: Did writing the ebook make you see Wellfleet differently?

ALEXANDRA: I’m a member of the Economic Development Committee. That experience made me realize a town full of non-residents is foolhardy. We need young children to keep our elementary school going. Schoolteachers should be able to afford to live here. I’ve started worrying about the lack of housing for low-income families, during the recession. Wish I had the time to look for solutions.

TRACEY: I know. I have a waitress here. She’s 36, with two small kids. Her husband works at Cape Associates. They couldn’t afford to stay where they were living for the summer and moved in with her mom at Harborside. That’s how they’re able to be here. It all boils down to housing.

ALEXANDRA: I touch on that in the ebook. There’s even a photo of a Harborside trailer.

TRACEY: We have to think outside the box. We can’t just bring tourists here. The data storage and tech industries are exploding. Those people can work anywhere. I have a graphic designer who bartends in summer. He chooses to live in Wellfleet, in part because he spent summers here as a child.

ALEXANDRA: In writing my blog, I was struck by how many people remember summers in Wellfleet fondly. Wellfleet still means so much to them. That’s one of the things I wanted to explain.

TRACY: There are advantages for young families here, you know? The schools are amazing. Recreation, safety, natural resources, all are unbeatable. I love the fact that my six-year-old can walk down Main Street and I won’t be terrified … What made you decide to write an ebook?

ALEXANDRA: It was born out of my blog. I originally started the blog as promotion for the B&B but soon it morphed into something more.

TRACEY: Having a point of view and selling it is a hallmark of being a Wellfleetian.

ALEXANDRA: Especially because we’re green. I have all B&B guests fill in a registration form. One of the questions asks how important it is that we’re green. The second is about eating organic. That leads to conversations. As time passed, I became more passionate as I educated myself. I often share what I’ve learned over breakfast, if guests are open to it. And, I give them a copy of Our Stolen Future, by Theo Colborn, the expert on endocrine disruption.

TRACEY: Wellfleet inspires a fierce passion, doesn’t it? I see the cycle of nature ever- present here. I see your eBook as an extension of that. You share information with people.

ALEXANDRA: And my love for this town.

TRACEY: It’s a politically-conscious little town, isn’t it? Why did you decide to donate some of the proceeds to the Food Pantry? Why is that important to you?

ALEXANDRA: You see the boxes at the library and the bank.
It’s hard to realize neighbors go hungry. Last winter 40% of the residents were unemployed. I wanted to do something, so I decided to give 75% of what I earn with this eBook to the Wellfleet Food Pantry. The other 25% will go to my son so he can buy more organic produce for his children. Does Winslow’s have a freezer?

TRACEY: We do. There are nights we have leftovers. We could freeze tomato sauce when there’s excess. Give it to the Food Pantry.

ALEXANDRA: In France they had Les Restaus du Coeur, started by an entertainer named Coluche. The idea was that no one should go hungry.

TRACEY: I could help support the potluck dinners at Preservation Hall in winter.

ALEXANDRA: It can all come together. I’m hoping the ebook will inspire people that way.

TRACEY: What’s the first thing you do when you get back here after being away?

ALEXANDRA: Sven and I like to walk through the woods to Dyer Pond. Getting closer to nature resets everything ...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

New Reviews Praise Ebook

Today I have two great reviews to share, as well as a guest post at Smarter Travel and an interview on Huffington Post... Patricia Borns suggests my ebook as "Wellfleet Summer Reading" on Boston.com's Globe-Trotting. Popular blogger Donna Hull, who writes My Itchy Travel Feet, The Baby Boomer's Guide to Travel, recommends "Learning About Wellfleet from a Local." My ebook on Wellfleet is also mentioned in an interview I did with Irene Levine for Huffington Post. Finally, I was asked to write a guest post for Smarter Travel. Check out, "Yes, You Can Do Cape Cod on a Budget." If you are on Facebook and have not yet LIKEd the ebook, please do so. And, spread the word. Every little bit helps ... Soon I will let you know how many copies we have sold, and how that breaks down. If you have not yet purchased the ebook, please do so through my author's site, which allows more of the proceeds to go to the Wellfleet Food Pantry (rather than Amazon). Thank you!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Jim Holland Shows at Left Bank Gallery

Our guests reported lots of folks strolling through the village Saturday night, due to the numerous art openings, including new work by Jim Holland at Left Bank Gallery. Or, was that opening a week ago already??? There is so much going on this July that it's hard to keep track of everything. The second half of the month brings new plays at WHAT and Harbor Stage, rave reviews for Payomet's Midsummer Night's Dream in Truro, a party at Castle Hill July 14th. Lots of cool events from the library, including 2012 Distinguished Speaker Jhumpa Lahiri on Thursday, July 19th, at 7:30, at the Congregational Church. Next weekend brings the annual Preservation Hall Fine Art & Travel Auction. (One of the prizes is a three-night stay at Chez Sven for Oysterfest.)

Which of these events/activities have you put on your calendar?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Hot Days in Wellfleet

It's hot. It's way too hot. We should not complain, because other parts of the country are suffering under three-digit temps. Check out the line to use the restroom at the back of town hall. Maybe these people wanted to splash water in the face, and that would have been a good idea. The heat is getting to us all. Today someone yelled curse words at me in the parking lot at Stop & Shop. He was backing up his car and wanted me off the spot he was backing into. I was taking a short cut towards the store. How was I to know he intended to back up? This week I encountered one very unpleasant person on the phone, and another online, protesting that we should do one night. We do not do one night usually, and especially when it gets this hot. Sven beats the heat by taking outdoor showers. I sit in my air-conditioned office. I grew up in Washington, DC, where we had hot, humid days every summer. Not 105 degrees, though, a temperature last week in DC. Do you believe the climate has changed? How do you beat the heat?

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Banner Year for Cape Cod Bugs, Beetles, Etc.

It's a buggy summer, no doubt due to the mild winter we all experienced here in New England. Yesterday our cottage guests called us over to see the baby spiders that had been born overnight. They rimmed the space between the wall and the ceiling. Hundreds of them. The guests were from the city. "I hate spiders," the woman declared with a shudder. Can't say as I'm too fond of spiders either, but I vacuumed them up. Still, we must expect critters here in the woods: ticks, spiders, flies, water beetles, gnats. The only insect that seems scarce so far is the mosquito. (In the past, my parents would use chemical bombs to kill the insects inside the cottage. Now we all know better: chemical residue all over the floors and furniture is worse than a few spider bites.) Guests have reported that there are lots of green-headed flies at the ocean beaches. I haven't experienced the flies myself, since I have not yet been to the beach. And, last week, my blog received this comment: "Can someone tell me what those TINY little pesty insects are on Cape Cod National Seashore beaches? They nip, but don't leave any marks. They tend to be around the dunes, not near the ocean, and when the wind kicks up, they are non-existant. How can we keep them at bay? After driving two hours to get to Coast Guard Beach, it's a downer to be pestered by them." What do you think this person is describing?

Friday, July 13, 2012

When Chez Sven Becomes Networking Central

We are always happy to have return green guests, like Rosemary and Jeff, at Chez Sven for the fourth time, or Al and Betty who left yesterday morning, and have been coming as many years to kayak. It's nice to have the opportunity to catch up on what's been going on in their lives. Jeff is the manager at Za, a restaurant in Arlington, where I hope to spend some evenings this fall since my younger daughter now lives four blocks away. I wondered if Jeff knew about Real Pickles? Now, I didn't myself, before Dan and Addie came to visit, on the recommendation of friends, for their honeymoon. When I realized they own and run an organic pickle company, I immediately contacted Elspeth Hay, who writes Diary of a Locavore and organized for her to interview them at the farmers' market here in Wellfleet.
Her post yesterday was on real pickles, but she left out the part about my tip and didn't take their photo. Dan and Addie were a darling couple, so that's a shame. When Jeff and Rosemary arrived, I asked whether they had heard of "Real Pickles." Jeff said that Za does some of its own pickling. He had never heard about Real Pickles, no, but likes the fact that they local-source their product from the farms of friends, and will definitely check them out. Networking central, over and out.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Wellfleet's Harbor Stage Delivers

Yesterday Sven and I finally got to see Hedda Gabler at Wellfleet’s Harbor Stage. Going out at night is a big deal for busy innkeepers. It’s rare we do anything in the evening these days. But Wellfleet has a new theater, which I mention in my ebook Wellfleet, An Insider's Guide to Cape Cod's Trendiest Town. I was elated to attend my first Harbor Stage play and celebrated by putting on a long black dress.

“We visited Ibsen’s house in Norway, remember?” Sven said as I wrapped my polka-dot scarf around my neck. “You were angry, because it was closed.”

That was when I remembered, a beautiful manor house, shaped like a U. It was raining. Henrik Ibsen had lived there.

His play, singled out by the Harbor Stage Company as its first production, was an interesting choice, albeit not an easy one. Written in 1890, Hedda Gabler is Ibsen’s most performed play. There was a definite lightness to the Harbor Stage production, despite the intensity of the controlled emotions expressed by Brenda Withers in the main role. The costumes and set were amazing. The acting, top-notch throughout.

“When you put it into context, it's the ideas of that time.” Sven said afterwards. “The genius who was above everyone else but slightly coo-coo, in comparison with the rest of society.” He was referring to Ejlert Løvborg whose manuscript Hedda burns. Løvborg was played by Robert Kropf, who also directed.

The character that drew my attention was neurotic Hedda herself, the strong-willed woman who wants to live her life without the restrictions society imposes, but does not quite dare do so. Wikipedia says this role is regarded as “one of the most challenging and rewarding for an actress even in the present day.” Fingers twitching, Brenda Withers pulled it off. She became Hedda for me. Jonathan Fielding was also excellent as her husband. (The two actors stopped by Chez Sven a month ago, remember?)

Afterwards, Amanda Collins came on stage to invite the audience to attend the two other plays of the season. She mentioned that the ticket price was intentionally low – $20 – because the troop wants theater to remain accessible. The woman sitting next to me whispered that the last four performances of Hedda Gabler are already sold out. When we arrived, there were a dozen people in the foyer, hoping for seats. Word has gotten around about the quality of the production. This is success. Congratulations to the courageous actors of Harbor Stage. Good job!

Have you been to see Hedda Gabler? Did you enjoy the show?

7/15 Update: Check out another rave review for Harbor Stage in the Boston Globe.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

What's On The Bookshelf?

Breasts, A Natural and Unnatural History is an important book. Florence Williams answers all the questions you might have had about breasts and many you could never have imagined. What woman doesn’t have a friend or family member who has gotten breast cancer? One out of eight women in the United States will get the disease during her lifetime. Breast cancer declares itself at a far younger age than for previous generations, as the 2009 documentary Toxic Breast reported. And, Barnstable County has a 20% higher rate, compared to the rest of Massachusetts. But this is a book for every woman … and man. There is even a chapter about Camp LeJeune where marines drank polluted water and developed breast cancer. Williams also investigates early puberty in girls and how it may affect them as women. I especially enjoyed Chapter 6 on, as the author switched from the past to the present and future, reporting on the latest theories and possible causes of breast cancer. I learned that young women who nurse a baby are protected by pregnancy hormones, while women, who choose to bear babies later in life, run a higher risk, and that a new 3D detection test is under development. I met biologists like David Newburg, who studies breast milk in an attempt to duplicate some of the benefits, “the Nutrasweet for the survival set, the mysterious stuff of breast purified into a paper packet.”

I was pleased to have the author confirm my theory on the danger toxic chemicals in the environment pose to human health and shared her dismay that government agencies are not doing more to protect us. “Perhaps it’s time, say many activists, to look deeper into chemical exposures, especially since damning evidence in animals and in occupational studies is slowly mounting,” writes Williams. If you suspected many breast cancers are environmental in origin, here is confirmation. Give this book to every woman you care about. The author’s extensive research may cause them to make some lifestyle changes.

Have you read this book? Did I make you want to read it? What are you reading right now? Do you follow Summer Booklist recommendations or choose books yourself?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Sharks No Longer Rare? Swimmers Beware

These cute little guys make an appearance in my new ebook. They are swimming off Wellfleet, as well as Chatham and Orleans. Again this year great white sharks are in pursuit. Not many people swim in the ocean in July, since it is so cold. Should you venture into the water, or even be kayaking, as our current Green Room guests are, beware of the great whites. A man in Orleans did not take the threat seriously. Read what happened on Boston.com. There is also a comprehensive report on CNN ...

Monday, July 09, 2012

What Is this Wellfleet-Beach Find?

I found this ________ (fill in the blank) during my walk on Lieutenant's Island with Alice last week. Can any of you smart nature-loving, beach-walking veterans of Wellfleet tell me what it is?

Sunday, July 08, 2012

Fleet Moves Moves Wellfleet

What? You weren't up at dawn to see Fleet Moves at White Crest? A lot of people were, including your favorite blog reporter. The performance started in the far parking lot and continued, using all props available, until dancers faced the rising sun and even entered the ocean. (See photos below)

Yesterday evening Wellfleet learned that the Fleet Moves troop will probably stage a second dance festival here in 2013, good news, because the energy generated was marvelous for the town. Anyone who saw these dancers leaping through the air during the Fourth of July parade understand what I mean.
They performed a number of scheduled and unscheduled dances, showing off different locations. In this photo, Janet Lesniak welcomes the dancers to Preservation Hall last night. With Janet, stand Wellfleet's Sky Freyss-Cole and her friends Katie Schetlick and Zena Bieber. The Main Stage performance drew thunderous applause after each act. The show was sold out, and fifty people, trying to buy tickets, were turned away during the afternoon.

Chez Sven was one of the sponsors. We even opened our home to two of the dancers, Anne Zuerner and Rishauna Zumberg, who must have logged an incredible number of miles in walking between venues, Chez Sven, and the Holbrook Avenue watering hole chosen by organizers Katie and Zena.
I felt sad to say goodbye to my houseguests. Anne, on the left, choreographed the second dance at last night's show. I admitted during intermission that I had not understood its full meaning but enjoyed watching all the same: the emotions came through loud and clear. The festival continues all day. Tonight there will be a final free dance party for everyone at Prez. Hall. Get your dancing shoes on ….