Connecticut
An outdoor swim festival in Vermont … in the winter? These hardy CT swimmers are headed there this weekend
Jeff Ruben of Madison once swam in Antarctica. He was a tour guide on a ship with a Russian doctor who swam regularly so Ruben joined him one day. The water was minus-3 degrees.
“It’s not something you want to do for a long time,” said Ruben, 60. “It feels kind of like it’s burning you.”
So it’s no surprise that Ruben, who swims year-round at Hammonasset Beach in Madison, is joining a growing number of winter swimmers who will travel to the northernmost part of Vermont this weekend to compete in the Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival at Lake Memphremagog, a 31-mile-long lake that straddles the border of Vermont and Canada.
The festival is in its 10th year and about 175 people will swim, including six from Connecticut.
The swimming “pool” is 25 meters long and cut out of ice. There are races from 25 meters to 200 meters and the competition starts Friday with a 25-meter “hat race,” in which swimmers try to outdo each other with creative headgear.
Two of Ruben’s friends went last year and urged him to sign up.
“It has a reputation of being a fun event,” Ruben said. “Not everybody wants to get in a swimming pool made out of ice, but I like swimming in the winter.”
The festival is the creation of Phil White, who lives on the lake in Newport, Vt. Years ago, he started an open water swimming competition in the summer and had an ice-skating festival in the winter. One winter day, he was out on the ice and some town workers were cutting blocks of ice for the winter carnival. He took a photo of the ice cutter and posted it on social media and wrote, “Anybody want to go swimming?”
“It was a joke,” White said this week.
Except people started to ask him if he was serious. Half-serious, he replied. He didn’t know how to cut a pool into the ice but thought he could figure it out. “I said, “I don’t know anything about winter swimming, and I wouldn’t undertake it without some experienced people helping me with safety issues and organization.’”
Swimmers offered to help, and the first event was a one-day affair. The town workers cut a hole in the ice for the pool on Friday but by Saturday morning, the water had frozen again, and the swimmers and volunteers and White spent the morning breaking up the ice with sledgehammers so the event could take place. There were about 40 swimmers that day.
Safety is important. There are volunteers who walk along the side of the pool with hooks, in case swimmers need to be pulled out. There are EMTs. There are people who help the swimmers disrobe before the event and help them get their clothes back on after and help them to the warming hut.
Martin McMahon of Simsbury, who became the first person from Connecticut to swim the English Channel in 1985, went to the festival in 2020, right before COVID shut everything down. He went back again in 2022.
“You’re in for such a short time, your body can’t tell if you’re hot or cold,” McMahon said. “It’s bizarre.
“The first year I did it, I was so freaked out about being cold that I swam my events – it’s a two-lane pool – I would beat the person next to me, then I was climbing out fast, grabbing my robe and practically running to the (warming) hut. Then I watched and saw all the other swimmers, when they finished, they were stopping to shake the hand of the person next to them. I felt like a bad guy. So once I could mentally handle it, I’d hang out and wait.”
McMahon, who swam an Ice Mile (which is exactly what it sounds like, a mile in frigid winter water) once when he was younger, said there’s a procedure for warming up after getting out of the water.
“You have to climb out and just shiver and get some warm liquid into your body,” he said. “You don’t jump into a hot shower; you walk into a hut and just shiver until you stop shivering and then you go into the shower.
“It’s a blast. You’re with all these other crazy people from all over.”
It should be pointed out that wetsuits aren’t allowed. The water on Tuesday was 30.5 degrees. On Saturday, the outdoor temperature is expected to be 12 degrees (that’s the high) with winds in the 11-14 mph range.
It’s so cold, the water is trying to freeze so the swimmers are swimming through slush.
“Like a frozen margarita,” said Ruben, laughing.
“We have to stir it during the swimming to keep it from icing over,” White said.
There is a bubbler going when the swimming is over for the day to keep the water from freezing.
The event gained popularity post-COVID when pools were closed, and swimmers were forced to swim outside if they wanted to swim at all. Some became outdoor converts.
Susie Nolan Loiselle of Old Saybrook, who swam at the event in 2020, was a winter sailor before she became a winter swimmer.
“It was the next logical step for me because I do frostbite sailing,” said Loiselle, 59. “We break the ice and sail around in little boats and race other clubs.
“I was already doing something in the cold. You capsize a few times and you’re like, ‘This isn’t so bad.’”
Loiselle has been in Florida for the winter, but she has been immersing herself in a tub of ice water daily to get ready for the event. The first time she competed, the air temperature was 14 degrees with a negative wind chill, and the water was about 30 degrees.
“They have to skim out the ice chunks that are forming,” she said.
Loiselle is on the board of the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA). She competed in the first national winter swimming championships earlier this winter in Virginia, where 45 competitors swam in a pool outdoors.
That was more serious; this weekend is more about fun. She is ready for the hat race; her first time she fashioned a Ken and Barbie pool hat.
“I froze Ken and Barbie into the pool and made ice cubes,” she said. “I got there and saw people had smoking paper mâché dragons … mine was lame in comparison.”
The hat contest serves as a warmup for the event.
“The first event should be head above the water so people could get used to the cold,” White said. “Getting your head down in the water is a whole different experience.
“We’re trying to project this as, as intimidating as this might be, it’s very doable. I think an awful lot of people are looking to challenge themselves, not against others, but against themselves. This is something we’ve conveyed is safe – we take safety really seriously, but at the same time we have fun with the challenge of it all and people can see, ‘Oh, other people are doing it. I’m going to try it.’
“Then they get hooked because the endorphin release after they warm up is huge.”
Amy Meskill of Killingworth was a swimmer in high school and college and started swimming in the winter in 2021. She went to the festival last year and is going back this weekend.
“It’s mentally challenging to get out there and train on days it’s windy and below freezing,” said Meskill, 32, who trains at Hammonasset. “But we go every weekend pretty much to the beach and swim to stay acclimated to the water.
“My husband thinks I’m a little crazy.”
Connecticut is set to receive more than $154 million aimed at improving health care in rural communities.
The funding comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, according to a community announcement.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services will lead the initiative, partnering with other state agencies to implement projects across four core areas: population health outcomes, workforce, data and technology, and care transformation and stability, according to the announcement.
The program will include several innovative projects, such as a mobile clinic pilot with four primary care and four dental vans, a health workforce pipeline through the Area Health Education Center and UConn Health Center, and community health navigators.
“Rural Connecticut has unique challenges, and its residents deserve the same access to high-quality care and support as anyone who lives anywhere else,” Lamont said. “This investment allows us to tackle those challenges head-on – from expanding mental health services and building a stronger health care workforce to modernizing our technology infrastructure and connecting residents to the services they need. This is about making sure every corner of Connecticut has the opportunity to thrive.”
The program was developed through extensive public engagement, including more than 250 written comments, meetings with health care providers, local government officials and community organizations, as well as in-person and virtual listening sessions held across the state, according to the announcement.
Andrea Barton Reeves, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services, highlighted the program’s long-term vision.
“This program reflects our commitment to building systems that work for rural residents over the long term,” she said in the release. “We are excited and grateful to CMS for this opportunity to make sure that our investments are coordinated, impactful, and built to last.”
The program aims to bring health care closer to rural residents while supporting the workforce that provides care, said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health.
“Every person in rural Connecticut deserves good health care close to home, and the people who provide that care deserve real support too,” Juthani said. “This funding helps us bring care to where people are and build the healthcare workforce our communities need. When we invest in both, we give everyone a better chance at staying healthy.”
Additional information about the Rural Health Transformation Program, including opportunities for public engagement, will be made available as implementation proceeds.
For more information, visit the Connecticut Department of Social Services website at ct.gov/dss.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
When a house has been loved for generations, its walls tend to hold stories. In the case of one family residence in Darien, Connecticut, that sentiment was taken quite literally. On the casement between the living room and kitchen are ticks that denote decades of growth, a quiet record of childhoods unfolding in real time. Several of those measurements belong to the home’s newest steward—the original owners’ daughter—who was ready to put her own mark on the property.
Eager to see what she could make of the 1930s structure, she and her husband tapped British-born designer Becca Casey of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors to breathe new life—and old soul—into the interior. For Casey, being entrusted with that kind of emotional patina was a privilege she didn’t take lightly. “The greatest challenge was ensuring that the new extension had synergy with the original house while bringing together the couple’s different tastes and honoring the home’s history,” Casey says of the 2,400-square-foot space.
That delicate balance shows up everywhere, from tailored silhouettes and clean lines for him to pattern and color for her. Nowhere is that nuance more evident than in the property’s oldest room, a long, beam-lined living space that once sat largely unused. Casey swathed it in an atmospheric mural, transforming it into a multi-zone haven centered on the fireplace, with moments of repose throughout where the family can gather to play a game or enjoy a book.
Around the home, Casey’s eye for nuance is unmistakable. She wields color, pattern, and shape with equal aplomb, expertly marrying form with function in a way that’s both timeless and fresh. A hidden television disappears behind drapery-lined cabinetry, the inner skeleton of an armchair is displayed like a work of art, a vintage dining table reveals a plaque from the husband’s hometown (a serendipitous discovery that made the piece instantly meaningful). In the end, reviving the dwelling wasn’t about reinvention for Casey—it was about the possibility that a new chapter can bring. The result is a space that, according to Casey, feels “quietly refined and effortlessly lived-in”—an elegant meeting point between memory and modern family life.
FAST FACTS:
Designer: Becca Casey, Becca Interiors
Location: Darien, Connecticut
The Space: A 1930s colonial with six bedrooms, across 2,400 square feet.
LIVING ROOM
Bare windows and a transportive wallpaper nod to the pastoral landscape.
The living room is the oldest space in the house, so Casey wanted to honor its bones while streamlining the layout for modern functionality. Custom Dmitriy & Co. sofas—linen on the top, patterned French mattress tufting at the base—typify the union between “his” and “her” tastes.
Sconce: Woven Shop. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Chair: custom.
Table: custom, Becca Interiors. Chairs: Pottery Barn.
A traditional English roll armchair was tucked into a corner at the request of the husband, whose wish list included a spot to read. Aiming for a “layered floor plan,” with distinct areas for the family’s many needs, Casey added a game table as a visual anchor with a direct sight line to the main entryway of the home.
DEN
An original stone fireplace anchors the family-ready space.
Pendant: Woka. Coffee table: LF Collection. Sconce: Hector Finch.
Coffee table: LF Collection. Rug: Woodard Weave. Chik blinds: Joss Graham.
Drenched in French Gray paint by Farrow & Ball and grounded by the original stone fireplace, the den is carefully choreographed to support togetherness, with a custom sectional and hidden TV.
DINING ROOM
The sun-drenched space looks out to the backyard pond.
Paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: Maison Louis Drucker. Table: antique. Tablecloths: Zara Home, Cabana Home. Pedants: Lightology.
Part of the new addition, the serene dining room is flooded with light, thanks to expansive floor to (almost) ceiling windows. Layered textiles keep the antique table—a happy find, originally made in the husband’s hometown—geared toward casual meals.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Salvaged beams mimic the look of the originals in the living room.
Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Bedding: The Company Store. Dresser: English Farmhouse Furniture.
Inspired by Belgian interiors, the elevated placement of the fireplace isn’t just a design flex—it’s an experiential choice that puts the flames right at eye level when lounging in bed. Beside it, two vintage English armchairs stun with their exposed interior, a Becca Interiors signature touch.
PRIMARY BATH
Natural materials were chosen for their ability to patina over time.
Mirror: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Arto. Wall paint: Slipper Statin, Farrow & Ball. Sconces: O’lampia.
In the primary bathroom, wellness comes through atmosphere rather than gadgets. A Drummonds soaking tub is positioned for prime pond views, with a gray-green base (Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball) that reinforces the room’s soothing palette.
WORKSTATION
Smart features make family management a cinch.
Roman shade: Hunter Douglas. Desk paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Chair: Soho Home. Rug: Merribrook Collection. Flushmount: RW Guild.
To make the most of a hall nook, Casey crafted a compact desk where the wife, a teacher, can grade papers. Labeled drawers store art supplies, while a floor-to-ceiling cabinet (at side) acts as a hub for deliveries.
About the Designer
Becca Casey is the Principal Director and founder of Becca Interiors. Raised in the countryside of Southwest England, her earliest influences were rooted in history, nature, and the quiet beauty of rural life. These foundations continue to shape her design philosophy today, one that blends heritage with modern sensibility while honoring craftsmanship and the beauty of daily life at home.
The Hartford community is grappling with two police shootings that happened within eight days of each other. Both started off as mental health calls about someone in distress.
People came together to remember one of the men killed at a vigil on Wednesday evening.
With hands joined, a prayer for peace and comfort was spoken for the family of Everard Walker. He was having a mental health crisis when a family member called 211 on Feb.19.
Two mental health professionals from the state-operated Capitol Regional Mental Health Center requested Hartford police come with them to Walker’s apartment on Capitol Avenue.
A scuffle ensued, and police said it looked like Walker was going to stab an officer. The brief fight ended with an officer shooting and killing Walker.
The family is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
“All I will have now is a tombstone and the voicemails he left on my phone that I listen over and over again at night just so I can fall asleep,” Menan Walker, one of Walker’s daughters, said.
City councilman Josh Michtom (WF) is asking whether police could have acted differently.
“To me, the really concerning thing is why the police were there at all, why they went into that apartment in the way that they did, in the numbers that they did,” he said.
The president of Hartford’s police union, James Rutkauski, asked the community to hold their judgment and wait for a full investigation by the Inspector General’s office to be completed.
A different tone was taken in a statement released about another police shooting on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.
Rutkauski said the union fully supports the officer who fired at 55-year-old Steven Jones, who was holding a knife during a mental health crisis.
In part, the union’s statement says that Jones “deliberately advanced on the officer in a manner that created an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. This was a 100% justified use of deadly force.”
The Inspector General’s office will determine if the officer was justified following an investigation.
The officer who shot Jones was the fourth to arrive on the scene. Three others tried to get him to drop the knife, even using a taser, before the shooting.
“It just feels like beyond the conduct of any one officer, we have this problem, which is that we send cops for every problem,” Michtom said. “I don’t know how you can de-escalate at the point of a gun.”
Jones died from his injuries on Tuesday.
The union’s statement went on to say that officers should not be society’s default for mental health professionals. The statement said in part, “We ask for renewed commitment from our legislators to remove police from being the vanguard of what should be a mental health professional response.”
The officers involved in both shootings are on administrative leave.
Poor Clares’ monastery a case study in why Boston is short on housing – The Boston Globe
Five takeaways from Denver’s restaurant report
Seattle’s Real Time Crime Center triples arrest odds, according to police review – MyNorthwest.com
How to watch San Diego State vs. UNLV basketball game
Milwaukee oversight body asks for more police pursuit policy changes
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DOJ continues Biden autopen probe despite former president unlikely to face charges
Fact check: Did French border guards mock influencers returning from Dubai amid Iran war?
Iran’s fight for survival / The widening war / Trump’s nebulous goals : Sources & Methods
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon7 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling