A day never passes without my feeling grateful to live in Ridgefield. A job with Schlumberger brought me here in 1979 and I moved here permanently a few years later. Although that doesn’t make me a townie, it does make me an old-timer, having lived here more than half of my life. Many people who were born and raised here miss the old Ridgefield – say, 1960 when the population was just 8,000, and I understand that sentiment. It had increased to 20,000 by the time I arrived and has grown by another 25% since then. Yes, I regret the loss of open space and the increased traffic, but we have gained so much in the past four decades – The Ridgefield Playhouse, Prospector Theater, ACT of CT, Founders Hall, the Rec Center, Ridgefield Historical Society, ROAR, and Weir Farm National Park didn’t exist in 1979!
I’m also grateful that our community supports its local businesses. In my 40+ years here, I’ve seen the ups and downs of our beautiful Main Street. My friend, Pam Fitzpatrick, long-time owner of the Candlelight Shoppe, recently remarked to me that she has never seen Main Street looking as good as it does today.
Finally, as the co-owner, with my husband, Darwin Ellis, of Books on the Common, I’m truly grateful to be able to share with our community my love of books and reading. We’re celebrating 40 years in business (20 years under our ownership) and I’m grateful to our customers for their support, and more importantly, for their friendship.
All the best~
Ellen
