Cheshire Today and All About Cheshire CT

The Tale of Two Cheshire's: 

Scrapbook Charm vs. The Digital Powerhouse

If you live in the 06410 zip code, you are incredibly spoiled. While the rest of the world watches their local newspapers dry up and turn into generic corporate husks, Cheshire, Connecticut, has somehow lucked into two vibrant, homegrown digital platforms.

But if you click around Cheshire Today and All About Cheshire CT, you’ll quickly realize that while they both bleed Cheshire red, they are wired completely differently. It’s like comparing a cozy, fire-lit living room where your uncle is spinning yarns to a high-tech community center buzzing with activity.

Let’s pull up a chair and break down the differences between our town's two favorite digital hangouts.

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1. The Vibe: A Homespun Front Porch vs. A High-Speed Main Street

Cheshire Today: The Digital Scrapbook

Step onto Cheshire Today and you’re instantly transported to a virtual front porch. Created by local mainstays Ron Gagliardi and Ron Kochman, this online magazine functions as a beautifully eccentric digital scrapbook. It doesn't care about corporate polish; it cares about soul. It’s the kind of place where a reminder to VOTE, VOTE, VOTE sits comfortably next to a deep-dive review of Connecticut's best hot dogs.

All About Cheshire CT: The 06410 Command Center

On the flip side, All About Cheshire CT is a sleek, dynamic powerhouse. It describes itself as a "hyper-fast, algorithmic news platform and living archive." It’s designed to be the ultimate community bulletin board—clean, modern, highly organized, and built to serve both the lifelong resident who needs a local sports score and the newcomer looking for a hiking trail.

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2. Content Showdown: Ansel Adams vs. 5,000 Sports Videos

The difference in what these sites choose to spotlight tells you everything you need to know about their unique personalities.

Feature	Cheshire Today	All About Cheshire CT
Primary Style	Personal essays, memoirs, and historic quirks.	Categorized resource pillars and real-time media.
Historical Focus	Unexpected personal connections (e.g., getting a typewritten letter from photography legend Ansel Adams; academic thesis templates on Angelfire).	Deeply researched regional archives (e.g., The History of the Quinnipiac People or Revolutionary War Captain Lucius Tuttle).
The Star Attraction	"Santa Gourd" — A $20 painted vegetable from a tag sale that became a legendary Gagliardi family Christmas tradition.	CtSportsTv — A massive video empire managed by Rick "Reggie" Smith, boasting over 5,000 clips of local high school sports heritage.
Community Pulse	Reader opinions, humor contests, and local political calendars.	Timely coverage of the Ion Bank Half Marathon, CHS concerts, and reviews of the Cheshire Symphony Orchestra.

                                 

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3. Civic Duty: Global Celebrations vs. Infrastructure Realities

Both sites take their love for Cheshire seriously, but they show it in very different ways.

• Cheshire Today looks at civic pride through a historical and celebratory lens. It’s currently waving the banner for America's upcoming 250th Semiquincentennial, ensuring Cheshire's role in the grand tapestry of American history isn't forgotten.

• All About Cheshire CT keeps its boots firmly on the ground. Through its "Civic Awareness" pillar, it tackles the unglamorous but vital realities of a growing town—sounding the alarm on aging infrastructure, analyzing the municipal hydrant network, and explaining engineering headaches like water infiltration.

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4. The Creative Corner: Attics vs. Public Domains

If you are looking for local flavor, both sites have it in spades, just packaged differently:

• Cheshire Today feels like exploring a town attic filled with random treasures. You’ll find things like the "More Mirth for the Irth" humor contest, binder clip creativity competitions, and casual trip reviews to Ripley’s Aquarium.

• All About Cheshire CT sets up structured spaces for local talent. It hosts a dedicated "Blogger Space," highlights the Cheshire Town Players and Cheshire Comic Chronicles, and offers a  Public Domain Gallery of free-to-use town photos courtesy of Richard "Reggie" Smith.

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The Verdict: Why We Need Both

If you want to laugh about a forgotten Christmas gourd, read a poem about snowy rocks, or find out what the Mayor means when he says he's "shocked and amazed," you head over to Cheshire Today. It reminds us that a town is built on shared jokes and personal memories—or as Ron Gagliardi would say, "OPIAO Only Positive In And Out."

But if you need to find the best local eats, look up a trail map for the 80-foot drop at Roaring Brook Falls, stream a "Lady Rams" soccer game from the Tony Crane era, or check the status of the town's water pipes, you book it to All About Cheshire CT.

Ultimately, these two sites don't compete—they complement. Together, they ensure that Cheshire’s past is beautifully preserved, its present is fully documented, and its stories are never lost.

The Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans concludes his twelve-year tenure in Cheshire.

 

The Pastoral Career and Administrative Legacy of the

Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans

By Local News Staff

Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0

All About Cheshire

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CHESHIRE, CT — The Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans, pastor of Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish since 2014, concludes his twelve-year tenure in Cheshire as one of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s prominent administrative and educational leaders. Recognized for his strategic parish management, advocacy for Catholic education, and extensive diocesan service, Father Romans has been a central figure in the modern structural alignment of local Catholic institutions.

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Early Biography, Education, and Early Ministry (2003–2008)

Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans completed his theological training at Saint John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, where he earned a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. Upon his ordination to the priesthood in 2003 by Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, he held the distinction of being the youngest ordained in his archdiocesan class.

Following ordination, his early pastoral assignments as an assistant pastor spanned several structurally diverse regional communities:

• Glastonbury: St. Paul Church and St. Augustine Church

• Torrington: The four-parish cluster comprising St. Francis of Assisi, St. Peter, Sacred Heart, and St. Mary

• Union City/Naugatuck: St. Mary and St. Hedwig churches

Chancery and Executive Leadership (2008–2014)

In 2008, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans was appointed to executive administration within the Archdiocese of Hartford Chancery Office. For six years, he served as Assistant Chancellor and Secretary to successive leaders Archbishop Henry J. Mansell and Archbishop Leonard P. Blair. This tenure provided deep insight into archdiocesan finance, parish data infrastructure, and strategic planning—skills that would define his subsequent pastoral assignments.

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Pastorship at Saint Bridget of Sweden (2014–2026)

In May 2014, Archbishop Blair appointed Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans pastor of Saint Bridget Parish and School in Cheshire. His twelve-year administration was marked by significant structural consolidations and operational changes:

• Parish Consolidation and Closures: Father Romans managed the formal 2017 merger of Cheshire’s St. Bridget, St. Thomas Becket, and Church of the Epiphany parishes, consolidating the three distinct local communities into the singular, structurally unified parish of Saint Bridget of Sweden. As part of this long-term archdiocesan restructuring plan, he oversaw the subsequent decommissioning and closure of both the Church of the Epiphany and the Saint Thomas Becket church buildings for sacred use.

• Educational Revitalization: Under his leadership, Saint Bridget School underwent significant facility and technology upgrades, including the integration of classroom iPads and targeted initiatives to stabilize student enrollment. In recognition of these operational improvements, the Archdiocese named him the 2021–2022 Distinguished Catholic Elementary School Pastor.

• Philanthropic Mobilization: He directed localized humanitarian fundraising, notably organizing a parish-wide weekend drive that generated over $32,000 for the Knights of Columbus Ukraine Solidarity Fund.

Alongside his local duties, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans maintains broader institutional roles, serving as State Chaplain for the Connecticut Knights of Columbus, a board member for the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Schools (FACS), and a member of both the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Committee and the Presbyteral Council.

During his tenure at Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish in Cheshire, Connecticut, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans established a reputation for integrating the parish deeply into local charitable networks, expanding digital communication, and rolling out modern educational initiatives. 

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🍎 Food Bank and Local Charity Governance

Rather than simply hosting food drives, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans directly integrated parish operations with the local community infrastructure to combat food insecurity:

• Board of Directors Membership: Immediately after arriving in Cheshire in 2014, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans joined the Board of Directors for the Cheshire Community Food Pantry. He served on the executive, finance, personnel, and building committees, directly guiding the pantry’s expansion. 
• Ecumenical Holiday Campaigns: He pioneered highly successful, collaborative town-wide Thanksgiving and holiday food package distribution campaigns, partnering with other local religious institutions and secular groups. 
• The Harvest Garden: Under his leadership, the parish established and maintained the parish Harvest Garden. Volunteers grew fresh, seasonal vegetables exclusively to stock the Cheshire Community Food Pantry with healthy produce options. 

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🎥 Live Broadcasting and Digital Media Initiatives

Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans aggressively upgraded the parish's communication infrastructure, transforming it into a highly visible digital platform—especially during and after the pandemic:

• "Beyond the Bulletin" Series: Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans launched a highly popular, recurring live-streaming series titled #BeyondTheBulletin on Facebook Live. These interactive webcasts directly engaged the community on practical faith questions, current events, and parishioner feedback.
• "The Word and Us" Video Broadcasts: He authorized and co-hosted the creation of high-production video series, such as "The Word and Us: Where Scripture Speaks to Our Lives". These distributed digital Bible studies and scriptural analysis to parishioners' homes. 
• Comprehensive Mass Streaming: He updated the Cheshire Catholic Livestream Portal to stream daily Masses, Holy Days, and school liturgical functions, providing crisp audio-visual access for homebound residents.

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📚 Faith Seminars and Religious Education 

Within both the parochial school and the wider parish community, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans shifted the focus of religious education toward interactive, small-group models:

• "Intentional Disciples" Small Groups: He championed the development of the Intentional Disciples (ID) ministry. This program brought adults in their 20s through 50s together for monthly "Disciple's Nights," combining localized prayer, theological debate seminars, and community dinners. 
• Distinguished School Leadership: His hands-on catechism initiatives at St. Bridget School—including upgrading the library's multimedia resources and funding tech integration—directly earned him the Archdiocesan Distinguished Catholic Elementary School Pastor title.
• Adult Multimedia Seminars: He structured popular multi-week adult formation seminars using video-assisted curriculum (such as Dr. Brant Pitre's The Case for Jesus) coupled with guided, small-group debate formats.

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Transition to Wethersfield: Structural Comparatives

As Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans prepares to transition to his new assignment at Christ the King Parish in Wethersfield, local observers have analyzed how his pastorship style will apply to the new community. Archdiocesan frameworks dictate that church structural mergers and closures are legally and logistically determined by the Archbishop and pastoral planning committees, rather than individual pastors. Consequently, the operational environment awaiting Father Romans in Wethersfield differs significantly from the conditions he encountered in Cheshire:

Prior Consolidation Completed: Unlike the multi-church consolidation and subsequent building closures Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans oversaw in Cheshire—where three separate parishes were unified under Saint Bridget of Sweden—Wethersfield’s Catholic network has already finalized its primary structural shift. The former Corpus Christi and Church of the Incarnation parishes were previously dissolved and merged into Christ the King Parish. Both physical church buildings remain active and integrated under the unified system.

Corpus Christi School: Academic and Faith-Based Education in Wethersfield

    ( Editors Correction noted, and thank you to Father Roman for bringing it to our attention.)

Corpus Christi School is a private Catholic school located at 581 Silas Deane Highway in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Operating under the Archdiocese of Hartford and in partnership with Christ the King Parish, the school serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade.

The school combines a standards-based academic curriculum with religious instruction and character development. Enrollment is estimated between 265 and 325 students, with student-teacher ratios ranging from approximately 11:1 to 15:1.

Campus facilities include a renovated preschool building, science and computer labs, and dedicated art and music spaces. In addition to academics, students participate in extracurricular programs, after-school activities, and a peer mentorship initiative that connects older students with younger classmates to encourage leadership and community involvement.

Operational Horizon at Christ the King Parish

Based on his institutional background in finance and strategic planning, Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans' administration in Wethersfield is projected to center on long-term operational stewardship, budgetary optimization, and community-wide outreach.

He will interface with the Christ the King Parish Pastoral Council, which functions as a consultative leadership team designed to align resources across the town's consolidated campuses. Current institutional focus areas within the Wethersfield parish include:

• Social Action Networks: Sustaining regional outreach projects, such as the assembly and distribution of over 250 care packages to the McKinney Shelter in Hartford, the Catholic Worker, and the Brian O'Connell Homeless Project.

• Humanitarian Fundraising: Managing matching donation challenges, including a recent $10,000 parish matching initiative directed to the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti to fund medical supplies, alongside localized campaigns like the Deacon's Diaper Drive.

• Parish Integration and Youth Programs: Maintaining annual post-merger parish picnics to unify the former Corpus Christi and Incarnation congregations, alongside established youth recognition programs such as the Rev. Thomas Campion Award for high school liturgy volunteers.

Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans Announcement at the end of Mass:

      Sunday Mass - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord- May 17th, 2026

YouTube Video

"After 12 years as your pastor, Archbishop Coyne has given me a new assignment. As you can imagine, this is not easy news for me to share. St. Bridget of Sweden Parish and the town of Cheshire have become my home. Together, we've celebrated baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings. We've prayed together in joyful moments and stood together in times of grief and great loss. These years have been among the greatest blessings in my priesthood and my life.

At the same time, I share that Father Ajeesh will be receiving a new assignment as well, even after his short few months here. We will be going together to Christ the King Parish in Wethersfield on June 30th. So we have six weeks to bug you still.

Coming to serve you will be your new pastor, Father Aidan Donahue, from Precious Blood Parish in Milford, and to assist him, Father Jorge Castro, currently in Hamden. I know you will welcome them and support them as you have me and the many parochial vicars who have served here these past 12 years.

There'll be time in the weeks ahead, I'm sure, to reflect, to thank each other, and to celebrate all that God has done in our parish family. And indeed, he has. For now, I simply thank you for your faith, your love, your support, and for allowing me the privilege of being your pastor these past 12 years. Please pray for Father Ajeesh and me during this transition, and know that we keep you all in our prayers."

And we keep you all in our prayers Reverend Jeffrey V. Romans, Father Ajeesh and Fenway.

Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish

YouTube

Comments:

While I was never quite as close to Father Jeffrey Romans as I was to Father Gene Charmin—my memory belongs to Father Frisbee and Father Gene—it breaks my heart a bit that so much of St. Thomas Becket’s rich history seems to have been filed away under "forgotten."

Some moments imprint themselves on your soul forever. I will never forget the surreal sight at two in the morning when Father Frisbee stood at my parents’ front door. Father Frisbee was flanked by Detective Frank Bradley and an emergency crew, all of them there to deliver the devastating news of my brother’s passing. That is the kind of profound pastoral presence you don't forget. On a much brighter note, Father Gene was the man of the hour for my family's major milestones—he married my wife and me, baptized our children, and kept a watchful eye over their confirmations.

The old parish scrapbooks that used to sit proudly on the shelves at St. Thomas Becket were practically time machines. They held the faces, smiles, and stories of the very people I grew up alongside—the generations who built this community from the ground up and carried one another through life’s highest joys and deepest sorrows. It is a genuine shame that those tangible pieces of our shared history don't seem to hold the same sacred real estate they once did.

Still, God bless Father Jeffrey Romans and every single priest—past and present—who has stepped up to comfort, guide, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our families throughout the decades. Even if time and changing eras have allowed some of those stories to fade, the impact they made remains rock solid. Richard "Reggie" Smith.

The Truth About Gardening in Cheshire

 

My Annual Negotiations With the Rabbits of Cheshire

Richard Reggie Smith Research/Editor Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0

Every year around this time, I become a gardener again. Or at least I try to convince myself I am.

This year, however, Mother Nature and fate teamed up against me. Over the winter, I lost my little greenhouse — a sad casualty of snow, wind, and what I suspect was one particularly judgmental February ice storm. Since then, the endless cycle of cold mornings, warm afternoons, surprise frosts, and sideways rain has left me staring out the window thinking: “Why exactly am I volunteering to grow expensive rabbit food again?”

Because that’s what gardening in Cheshire sometimes feels like.

You plant a beautiful row of lettuce. The rabbits host a banquet.

You nurture tomatoes for three months. Some mysterious woodland creature takes one bite out of every single one — apparently just to make a point.

You spend a small fortune on mulch, fencing, fertilizer, and cages, while the chipmunks sit nearby looking smug and well-fed.

Still, like generations of Connecticut gardeners before me, I can’t quite quit.

So this week I did what every modern gardener does when motivation disappears: I went online looking for reassurance that I wasn’t already hopelessly behind.

Good news for the procrastinators of Cheshire — apparently mid-to-late May is actually prime planting time in Connecticut.

Who knew?

According to the experts, the soil is finally warming up properly, the danger of frost is mostly behind us, and there is still plenty of time to grow a productive garden. That information alone may have saved several seed packets from remaining forgotten in my garage until 2027.

The key, they say, is knowing what still works from seed and what you’re better off buying as established plants.

What Still Has Hope in My Garden

The optimistic side of me was pleased to learn I can still direct sow quite a few vegetables right into the ground.

Beans? Apparently eager to grow.

Cucumbers and squash? Happy now that the soil has warmed up.

Carrots, radishes, beets, and lettuce? Still perfectly reasonable choices.

Even corn can still go in if planted soon — though judging from past experience, local raccoons may already be reviewing my plans.

Tomatoes and peppers, however, are another story. The experts politely suggested that if I haven’t already started those indoors months ago, I should simply head to Cheshire Nursery and buy healthy transplants like a responsible adult.

Honestly, that sounds easier anyway.

There’s something comforting about walking through a nursery in May. Every plant looks optimistic. Every hanging basket whispers false promises like:
“This year will be different.”
“You absolutely know what you’re doing.”
“The rabbits won’t find us.”

By the time you leave, you’ve somehow spent enough money to qualify for agricultural tax status.

The Annual Flower Delusion

Naturally, once I started reading about vegetables, I drifted into flowers too.

This is where gardeners become dangerously overconfident.

You start by planning “a few marigolds,” and suddenly you’re researching pollinator habitats, perennial borders, native Connecticut ecosystems, and whether Russian Sage would complement your mailbox.

Apparently, this is also the perfect time to plant flowers directly from seed. Zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums, and sunflowers all thrive when planted now.

I especially enjoy sunflowers because they create the illusion that I own a rural farm instead of a suburban yard where my neighbors can hear me arguing with squirrels.

Perennials are where the real gardening optimism begins. Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susan's, hostas, peonies, and phlox all return year after year, which means future-you gets rewarded for current-you’s spending habits.

That seems fair.

Privacy Shrubs: The Connecticut Arms Race

Of course, gardening in modern Connecticut neighborhoods isn’t only about flowers and vegetables
anymore. Sometimes it’s about strategic visual diplomacy.

Many of us now live close enough to our neighbors that we can identify what they’re grilling simply by standing near the mailbox.

That’s where privacy shrubs enter the conversation.

The internet helpfully informed me that Arborvitae can grow up to three feet per year. Three feet! At that rate, by 2030 I may finally reclaim the illusion that my backyard belongs to me.

Forsythia, Skip Laurel, Eastern Red Cedar, and Holly are also popular choices for screening neighboring developments while still looking attractive year-round.

Personally, I like the idea of using native Connecticut plants whenever possible. At least the birds appreciate them — even if the deer view them as appetizers.

The Truth About Gardening in Cheshire

The truth is, gardening here has never really been about perfection.

Connecticut weather is unpredictable. Wildlife considers itself part owner of the property. Every gardener has failures they don’t talk about publicly.

Yet every spring we try again anyway.

Maybe that’s why gardening feels so connected to New England life. It’s hopeful. Slightly stubborn. Occasionally irrational.

You lose a greenhouse.
You complain about rabbits.
You swear you’re skipping the garden this year.

Then one warm May afternoon arrives, the sun finally comes out, and suddenly you’re standing in the yard holding tomato plants and making ambitious plans again.

And honestly?

That’s probably how the season is supposed to begin.