Just before our brainstorming session on etiquette, Guest Editor Joanne Kahan sent me an email that read “Pretty sure etiquette is dying a slow death. Perhaps, we should do a Memorial”. That’s when I realized we were in for an interesting afternoon!
Joining Joanne at The Winchester, a great new spot in Woodbridge, were our “Memorial” participants: architect (and featured writer for the Guide) Duo Dickinson, author Anne Witkavich, radio personality Randye Kaye, and beer maker Rob Leonard.
Joanne Kahan describes herself as a “sometimes bored suburban housewife, volunteer, and soon-to-be-retired mother”. (I describe her as “hilarious”!)
Randye Kaye is an American voice over artist, radio host, actress, singer, and author based in Connecticut. Kaye has voiced commercials for dozens of major companies, and has narrated a number of children’s books for authors such as Gail Gibbons, David A. Adler, Jan Brett, and Sarah Stewart.
She also narrated the audio version of Past Perfect, the 2007 novel by Susan Isaacs. Kaye announced the release of her first book, Ben Behind His Voices: One Family’s Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope, by Rowman and Littlefield on August 16, 2011.
Duo Dickinson has written seven books on architecture. His latest, “Staying Put: Remodel Your House to Get the Home You Want”, was published by The Taunton Press in November 2011.
He has been the contributing writer for home design for Money Magazine, is the architecture critic for the New Haven Register, and a contributing writer in home design for New Haven magazine. He has written articles for more than a dozen national publications including House Beautiful, Home, Fine Homebuilding and was the “At Home” editor for This Old House.
Duo also sits on seven not-for-profit boards, including the New Haven Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, New Haven Preservation Trust, Connecticut Episcopal Diocesan Properties Committee, Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, and Madison Cultural Arts.
After getting her MFA, Anne Witkavich left Corporate America and started her own communications & change management consulting business. She also compiled and edited the award winning book, Press Pause Moments, and began teaching writing at WCSU.
Anne is a health and wellness enthusiast and stays active with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her philosophy is that if you have a vision and a plan, you’ll get where you’re going no matter what life throws at you.
Rob Leonard was asked to help out on a bottling run at New Haven Brewing Company, a local micro brewery, in 1992. Not giving up hopes of the “real job” he had in mind, he gladly walked through the brewery doors and put empty bottles on a conveyer belt for 8 hours. That was 20 years ago and Rob is still in the industry. He has worked at breweries around New England, and acquired New England Brewing Co. in Norwalk, CT in 2001.
Today Rob owns and operates his successful craft brewery in Woodbridge, CT and is proud to produce New Haven’s local beer. Rob is the father of four children, ages 15 to 1 and enjoys playing live music out and about town – especially the bars that serve his beers.
The Winchester is a great new restaurant and bar in Woodbridge, Connecticut. Their specialty is an amazing selection of locally brewed craft beers (including Rob’s!), and coowner/Chef Conley Taylor’s creative cuisine.
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