News, Events and Activities Part 4

This section of The People's Press - Wallingford, Meriden and Central Connecticut's Number 1 Single Copy Newspaper is sponsored by: Meeting of Parent Support Group in the Naugatuck Valley Region for parents who have out-of-control adolescent and adult children.Tough LoveSt. Anthony's ChurchRoutes 68 and 69Prospect, CTWedensday evenings from 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM Epilepsy Support Group The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut will hold a support group for adults living with epilepsy the third Tuesday of every month at the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticutʼs office in Middletown, CT. For more information please call 800-899-3745 or visit www.epilepsyct.net Epilepsy Parent Support Group The Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut will hold a support group for parents of children with epilepsy the monthly at the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticutʼs office in Middletown, CT. Please call for monthly meeting date. For more information please call 800-899-3745 or visit www.epilepsyct.net VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT MIDSTATE MEDICAL CENTER Submitted by Diamond Belejack The Volunteer Department at Midstate is looking to increase volunteer staffing in several key areas of the medical center. The Tremaine Resource Center is expanding and in need of additional volunteers who assist the public needing to access health information. Basic computer skills are needed. There is also high demand for volunteers in our Emergency Department reception area. These volunteers provide customer service to all visitors and patients by providing friendly visits and ensuring individuals are comfortable and kept well-informed during their stay. If you enjoy meeting and greeting the public, and have excellent customer service skills, please contact Diamond Belejack, Manager of Volunteer Services at 694-8572 or e-mail dbeleja@midstatemedical.org. These are entries to a Washington Post competition asking for a two-line rhyme with the most romantic first line, but the least romantic second line: My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife: Marrying you screwed up my life. I see your face when I am dreaming. That's why I always wake up screaming. Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;This describes everything you're not. I thought that I could love no other --that is until I met your brother. Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you. But the roses are wilting, the violets aredead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head. I want to feel your sweet embrace;But don't take that paper bag off your face. I love your smile, your face, and your eyes --Damn, I'm good at telling lies! My love, you take my breath away.What have you stepped in to smell this way? My feelings for you no words can tell, Except for maybe "Go to hxxx." Visit The Children’s Museum For Free On the First Sunday of Each Month, a Public Service Sponsored by AETNA The Children’s Museum (formerly Science Center of Connecticut) will be open free of charge to the general public on the first Sunday of every month for one year, as a result of a $25,000 grant provided to the museum by Aetna. “We feel that this program will be an educational asset to the greater Hartford community. It gives us great pleasure to provide this opportunity to families and children so they can take advantage of all the exciting things The Children’s Museum has to offer, without worrying about the cost,” said Marilda Gándara, President of the Aetna Foundation. “How wonderful it is that Aetna is enabling the museum to open it doors free of charge to the community we serve. The first Sunday of the month for free program will make it possible for more children and families than ever to experience the wonders of science and nature through our exhibits, live animals, and floor programs,” said President and CEO Edward J. Forand Jr. The next free exhibit admission day will be Sunday, April 1. The program will continue through February of next year. The Children’s Museum is committed to igniting the curiosity of young people through science and nature. In addition to the museum and the Gengras Planetarium, the organization includes the United Technologies Wildlife Sanctuary, Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, and The Children’s Museum Preschool, one of the oldest preschools in the country. The Children’s Museum serves close to 200,000 people annually, and is the fifth oldest children’s museum in the country, and Connecticut’s largest museum. Located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford, the museum is accessible from I-84 Exit 43 and offers free parking. For more information, visit the website at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org . Family Shabbat Services and The Rabbi’s Toy Box at Temple B’nai Abraham At Temple B’nai Abraham at 127 East Main Street in Meriden, families are always welcome to attend Friday night and Saturday morning Shabbat (Sabbath) services. The Rabbis Toy Box is available to help entertain little ones. On Shabbat morning, services begin at 9:30 a.m. Children can help carry the Torah silver and march with the Torah. Special Family Shabbat evening services will be held on March 16th and April 20th beginning at 6:30 p.m. On other Friday evenings services begin at 6:00 p.m. For more information, please call (203) 235-2581. About Temple B’nai Abraham Temple B'nai Abraham is a Conservative synagogue which provides religious, educational and social programming for all age groups in a warm, extended family atmosphere. Shabbat services are egalitarian, and feature congregational singing. All are welcome. Wanted: WLT Board Members The Wallingford Land Trust is looking for a Wallingford resident interested in the outdoors, walking, hiking, birding, building and maintaining trails. The WLT board meets 7:00 pm on the 3rd Thursday at the Southwest Conservation District. If interested please contact WLT President Joe Palazzi at 284-0116. For more information on the Land Trust, please check out the website at www.wallingfordlandtrust.org. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS The Stanley Budleske V.F.W. Post 9965 and the Ladies Auxiliary, Yalesville has mailed 181 care packages to our troops in Iraq, Afganistan and South Korea. The Post is running short on items for this program. We are looking for donations of hygiene products both for men and women. Tube socks (black, green, brown), popcorn, any kind of nuts, baby wipes, dry wipes, paper back books, CD’s, small games, hard candy, oatmeal, cookies, can fruit. All items can be left off at the Post Canteen everyday from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 424 Church St (Rt. 68) across from the Yalesville school. Also items may be left at the Yalesville Post Office. Thank you in advance, Rod Fulton (203) 269-9851 SUMMER IS COMING By Ralph O Cuomo The summer is coming so don’t despair Soon the chill of winters cold air Will soon cease to be So look around and you may see The crocus coming thru They seem to tell you summer is due And soon the warm breeze fill the air As blossoms start to bloom so fair And so the chill of winter will be Just a chilly memory A SUMMER MORN By Ralph Cuomo A summer morn with air so cool The yellow sun with golden hue The flower wake in morning mist To lift their blossoms in a sun drenched kiss The meadows seem to come alive With creatures teaming to survive Amidst the fields so lush and green A meadow warmed by summers gleam The birds and animals seem to thrive Like the honey bees that fly From blossom to blossom to have their drink For only in summers of days gone by We seem to ponder the reasons why Of natures wonderful reply To lead these creatures to survive So not to be forlorn Is why she brings this glorious summer morn Meriden Art Council Awards This year, the Meriden Arts Council will acknowledge three established artists for their contributions to Meriden and the artistic world by awarding them recognition as Artist of the Year. Artists will have excelled in or made other notable contributions to one or more of the arts. Candidates will be considered in four areas: literary, performing, visual and specialized, a category that can include culinary arts, education, and patronage and other support of the arts. Any member of the community may nominate a candidate for an arts award by completing a nomination form. Nomination forms are available at www.meridenartscouncil.org. Nominations must be postmarked by 04/13/07. For info call 639-2856. LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MOMS Ever wish it was just easier to get together with other moms and their kids for a little reprieve from the monotony. Well I do!! That’s why I’m looking for other moms to join my group. It’s my pleasure to establish a new group called Mothers and Children or MAC for short. It is my intention is to design this group with mothers wants and needs in mind. Where as moms we can get together to socialize and incorporate time to regenerate us as well as the kids. Although we will have playgroups, activities and outings for children. I hope to initiate things like Mom’s Night Out, Babysitting Co-Ops, Family Days, Crafts Clubs or anything else that our other mom’s might like. For information www.mothersandchildrengroup.com or Jennifer @ 203-238-7810 Meriden ArtsTrust“Bringing the Arts to the Area’s Youth, Bringing the Area’s Youth to the Arts”The Meriden ArtsTrust (MAT) is an arts ‘incubator’ program, designed to encourage the formation of community arts groups that benefit young people. Arts projects do not just ‘happen’. They must be dreamed, worked, reworked and then realized. The Meriden ArtsTrust helps arts groups stand with a clear vision of the work involved and with the joy of creating an area resource for young artists of every talent. Through administrative volunteers, the Meriden ArtsTrust provides real world, real-time assistance. MAT organizes people and material resources to assist new groups; attaining stability in their organization. The first large-scale project of the MAT is celebrating its first birthday! The Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra (CCCYO), under the seasoned Musical Directorship of Meriden-native Mrs. Veronica Germain, provides 20 young musicians, grades six-12, with an orchestra for the towns and cities of Berlin, Cheshire, Durham, Madison, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Southington and Wallingford. Young people growing into and loving the Arts by doing them. Background:Last April, three music teachers came to the Meriden ArtsTrust and spoke of the problem of elementary schoolers deciding to stop playing their musical instruments because their schools no longer have any programming for them in the middle schools. Middle and high school violinists and other string players who started in elementary school have nowhere to play in some school systems. The systems can’t afford it! Often as not, this leads to the student giving up his or her music entirely. “Without a civic orchestra, these students currently have no orchestral musical experience, nothing practice for!” “But”, the teachers said, “ a civic youth orchestra for this region would be a unique resource filling a great need”. A year later, the CCCYO, 20 members strong, is currently rehearsing for its concert on May 17th, the afternoon opening of the All-Meriden School Art Exhibit at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, and for their own Open House and Concert on Sunday, May 20th at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, from 2-4 pm. The 2-3 hour is the Open House and the 3-4 hour is the concert. Two Community Leaders Our thanks go to Ms. Jennifer Cosenza of Jennifer’s House of Hair, 437 Broad Street, in Meriden and Mr. Jim Moran of Moran’s Television Sales and Service 664 West Main Street in Meriden, who each donated an entire year of Scholarship for Civic Orchestra students. Their gifts of $125 will help the MAT and CCCYO keep the promise of never turning away a successfully-auditioning student. And, as our tuition is per family (not per student) Jennifer and Jim’s gifts may very well help two families of musicians. What MAT does today: We work cooperatively with teachers and all Arts organizations and love to work on joint programming. We are members of and work with the Meriden Arts Council, The Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, and The Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce. We heartily encourage you to join and support these wonderful agencies. We do something different from all of them. While they are running programs, we help the people running the programs. Just like those three teachers did, call or write an e-mail to us for strategies, networking, links to web sites for teachers and those interested in more in-depth arts and cultural information. Our e-mail is meridenartstrust@yahoo.com Q: Why Bother Supporting Programs for Young People?A: Because it is on their (sometime tiny) shoulders that rests the future of the arts in our country. Young people need the Arts in their lives. Modern American society has taught the Arts a terrible lesson in budgetary priorities, but, luckily, many projects don’t cost that much money. The Meriden ArtsTrust runs on a shoestring; it has to. So can many groups, if they are savvy, committed and willing to do a lot of the homework it will take to be in the arts business year after year. Arts Projects must support themselves. This means learning how to make and manage a budget, how to work with the art form wisely, to learn to make data bases, keep records, get an 501-(c)-(3) tax-exemption or locate other people who will help do those things. Here we have our answer to the question “Why Bother? A: Because you really ‘have to’ in order to have a solid on-going program. Come on, Bottom line this for me– Does the Meriden Arts Trust Want Money? Oh, sure. But what we really need are people who give us money with the love of the arts and the feeling that money well-spent on the arts goes a long way to supplementing educations, filling young lives with beauty and opening up whole new worlds of writing/journalism/literature/poetry, dance, music, movies, and all of the shared experiences that culture brings to all of us. Please join the Meriden ArtsTrust as a member. Memberships start at $35 a year for the newsletter; “Tomorrow’s Arts”, with news and commentary, student-artist profiles and the humor section with award-winning Justin “PIC” Piccirillo. “Tomorrow’s Arts” will be mailed to you two times a year as our ‘thank you’. You will also receive a copy of "So Noted" the CCCYO's newsletter, so you will see ‘the good’ your assistance has done for our young artists. Should you wish to volunteer your time to our programming network, we would be delighted to speak with and welcome you. These are just the first steps of this worthwhile project; what an exciting road we will travel together! We work cooperatively with all arts organizations and welcome their participation. MAT advocates for the arts, for young people’s participation in the arts and believes in the revitalizing power that arts organizations and their services bring to communities. The Meriden ArtsTrust believes that just as children have a right to education; to literacy and numeracy, they have a right to creativity. Sponsorship is available for both the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra and the Meriden ArtsTrust. Newsletters, mailings, event sponsorship, our web site, as well other opportunities are available to companies and individuals who wish to have another corporate presence in our nine-town service area. What a positive way for you and your company to engage the public. For further information, please visit meridenartstrust@yahoo.com or call during office hours Monday-Friday between 10:00am and 3:00pm (203 235-7445). Thanks for your help! Katrina S. Axelrod, Administrator. St. Stanislaus Announces June Festival Dates The 33rd Annual St. Stanislaus June Festival will be held on the parish grounds at 82 Akron Street in Meriden starting on Thursday, May 31st from 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM, Friday, June 1st from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM and culminating on Saturday, June 2nd Noon – 10:00 PM. A parish tradition since 1974, the June Festival features, polka music, Polish & American cuisine, bouncers and games of chance. This years June Festival Raffle features a 2007 Hyundai Sonata, a 42” Panasonic Plasma Screen TV as well as four other great prizes. Tickets are $3.00 each and are on sale now, call the church rectory at 203-235-6341 for ticket information. Bird Watchers Set A New Record Great Backyard Bird Count participants tally millions of birds In just four days in February, participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) tallied more than 11 million birds across the United States and Canada. Together, they recorded 616 species and submitted more than 80,000 checklists­33 percent more than the previous high of 61,000 checklists in 2000. The GBBC, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, engages people of all ages and levels of experience in learning about birds and reporting their sightings for conservation. “There has never been a more detailed snapshot of continental bird distribution in history,” said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It used to take scientists years to gather large-scale information about bird population and distribution­and the GBBC does it in just four days each year, thanks to a continentwide community of birders reporting their counts online.” Along with collecting valuable data, the count also gathers new and vital support for the environment. “This record breaking turnout is proof of a powerful formula­birds plus fun equals a lifelong connection to nature,” said Audubon president John Flicker. “It turns kids, parents and grandparents into more than citizen scientists; it helps make them citizen stewards for the health of our planet.” American Robins topped the list as the most numerous species counted, with more than two million robins reported from 60 states and provinces. Participant Lorraine Margeson counted a flock of 750,000 robins roosting in a mangrove forest in St. Petersburg, Florida. “In the morning, the robins just pour out of there,” she observed. “It’s spectacular with the sunrise on their red bellies. When you see it, you think this is what makes life worth living.” This year’s rare birds included five Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Oklahoma and two Pink-footed Geese in Rhode Island, first records for the GBBC. Participants also submitted more than 4,000 bird photos. The GBBC online photo gallery shows images from across the continent, including a Rock Pigeon perched high above New York City, and a pink Roseate Spoonbill taking flight in Houston, Texas. Full results of the count are available online at www.birdcount.org. Visitors can see what birds were reported in their own town or across the continent, and explore dynamic maps showing how bird distribution and abundance have changed during 10 years of the Great Backyard Bird Count. MERIDEN LANDFILL EVANSVILLE AVE. SOUTH MERIDEN, CT. 06451 203-630-4254 Items Accepted: Brush – Brush no longer than 2’ long, 6” in diameter Leaves (in bio-degradable bags) – Leaves in plastic bags must be emptied Bulky Waste: Furniture, bedding, bureaus, tables, chairs, sofas, and carpeting White Metals: Appliances, bicycles, propane tanks – with valves removed Tires Lawnmowers – with fluids removed Items not accepted: Household garbage Commercial vehicles Explosives, ammunition Hazardous waste, paints Clothing Construction debris, roofing materials Wood Tree stumps, bush stumps, roots, root balls Grass clippings Gasses, oils, anti-freeze Excavation materials (asphalt, stone, etc.) Oil tanks Items for recycling, fill, auto and truck parts Cardboard Car oil may be brought to United Oil Recovery, Gracey Ave. , Meriden, 238-6745 Construction Debris – C.W.P.M., 475 Christian Lane, Berlin, Ct. 860-828-1162 - $20.00 minimum or $85.00 per ton. Landfill hours: Monday – 7:30am – 11:30am Wednesday – 10:30a. – 2:30pm 1st and 3rd Saturday – 7:30am – 12:00pm MEMORIAL DAY Treasure the day of the great parade Be ready to stamp your feet Stand in the shade, clap your hands Keep staring down the street. MEMORIAL DAY, what does it mean? A son in the army, a son at sea The mailman, a New Found Friend Surely, a Life of Memory I’m going to leave early, I must choose a good spot Where I can see and be seen Hope it’s not too hot. I’ll choose a good corner, Wish I had a chair But if I sit too low He won’t know I’m there I have chosen my corner I’ll have the best view I’ll keep looking down the road The parade is overdue. I’m still on the corner It’s early in the day I’m sure I hear music Yes! The parade is on the way. I hear the nation’s music Semper Fi, caissons rolling, anchors aweigh What’s the Great Occasion? Hey, it’s MEMORIAL DAY. Here comes the marchers, sore feet Flags fly to salute the day Fife and drums, bugles and horns Everyone marching to the beat. Old soldiers ride, fire trucks blast Batons twirl, balloons escape Everyone chaps, the parade at last It was worth the wait! But I’m still on the corner, peering hard To see the group that means a lot Oh, yes! I see the red hair shine Cause that Cub Scout, in the middle is mine! By Doris M. Kilzlett Delicious Spiced Pecans 1 egg white 1 tablespoon water 1 pound pecans (halved) 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping) 1 teaspoon salt In med. Bowl mix egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl mix salt, sugar & cinnamon. Add pecans to egg white & water and stir to coat pecans. Next add these to dry mix and evenly coat. Lightly butter a foil cookie sheet, (Pam works great). Spread pecan mix evenly on pan. Bake for 45-50 min. at 275. Remove nuts from foil pan immediately after removing from oven, or they will stick to pan as they cool. Place in bowl to cool or containers. Meriden YMCA News and Events JOIN THE MERIDEN YMCA CO-ED SOFTBALL LEAGUE! Get a team together of friends, co-workers or family. League Play will begin the week of May 7th. Games will take place on Monday and Tuesday evenings. All games will be umpired by certified umpires. Games will be played at the Meriden YMCA Mountain Mist Outdoor Center. Registration is now taking place with the Front Desk Staff at the Meriden YMCA. For more information; please contact Lisa Hoover; 235-6386; ext. 12 or lhoover@meridenymca.com COME JOIN A FUN SWIM TEAM THIS SUMMER! Under the leadership of Jamie Tennyson; The Meriden YMCA Seals Swim Team is getting ready for its summer season. 4 levels of participation are available ranging from the Beginner Swimmer (Bronze) to the Intermediate Swimmer (Silver) to Advanced Swimmer (Gold); Most Advanced Swimmer (Sr. Gold). Participants can choose the days they attend their practice sessions. Bronze swimmers practice from 6-7p.m. Silver swimmers practice from 5:30-7:00p.m. and the Sr. Gold/Gold swimmers practice from 4-6p.m. Certified Coaches are available 5 days a week. 2 Certified Lifeguards are also on duty. A USS swimming division is also available for those swimmers who wish to compete on a more often bases with other organizations in addition to the YMCA League. Pro-rated fees apply for those athletes who wish to start later on in the season due to outside conflicts. For further information; please contact Lisa Hoover: (203) 235-6386; ext. 12 or lhoover@meridenymca.com MERIDEN YMCA BEGINS REGISTRATION FOR LIFEGUARD COURSE The Meriden YMCA is conducting registration for the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course. Participants are required to attend Tuesday and Wednesday Evening Classes from 6:15-9:15pm starting May 15th thru June 12th. This course will include the following certifications: CPR/FPR, First Aid and Safety and AED. Telephone registrations are being taken with a major credit card or one can register in person at the Meriden YMCA 110 West Main Street. Pre-registration is required for this class. Ellen Dubuc will be the Instructor. For further information or to register; Please call (203) 235-6386 ext 12 or lhoover@meridenymca.com MERIDEN YMCA OFFERS AMERICAN RED CROSS BABYSITTING CERTIFICATION COURSE This certification program is designed for today’s 11-15 year olds. This training course gives participants the knowledge, skills and confidence to care for infants through school aged children. This program addresses safety issues, preventing injuries and illnesses, basic child care, first aid, decision making skills and age appropriate behavior and play. Participants learn by doing and are required to demonstrate several first aid skills including rescue breathing and dealing with a choking victim. Class will take place on Sat, May 10th from 9:00-3:00p.m. Pre registration is required. Please contact the Meriden YMCA at 235-6386 to register today! Mountain Mist Family Swim Club Nestled at the foot of Mount Besek in Meriden, CT. Set on sixty-six private acres surrounded by nature views. Enjoy a lifeguarded swimming pool, two basketball courts, one tennis court, two soccer fields, one softball field, one sand volleyball court, one bocce and one horseshoe pit, a playscape, hiking trails and a picnic grove area to have your family cookouts. Ideal for family picnics, company outings, etc… Private Pavilions available upon request. Full Meriden YMCA members receive usage of the Family Swim Club as an added attraction to their membership for FREE. Separate Summer Mountain Mist Memberships also available. For more information; please contact Lisa Hoover, Aquatics/Outdoor Center Director: (203) 235-6386; ext. 12 or lhoover@meridenymca.com St. Francis Strawberry Festival 2007 The 2007 Strawberry Festival will take place in the St. Francis Church hall on Friday May 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday May 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 397 Ferry Street. There will be good food, children’s games and entertainment throughout the festival. A Children’s Concert will take place Friday at 6 p.m. in St. Francis Church 397 Ferry Street, New haven, CT. WATERBIRD REHABILITATION CENTRE, INC. April 21st marks the beginning of fishing season and the start of Water N’Webs summer long Project Pond Watch. Project Pond Watch is a volunteer public effort to monitor local waterways for birds in distress as well as to clean up lakeside litter to ensure that our waterways are safe. Every year countless water birds as well as other wildlife and also pets get tangled in fishing line and lose limbs or are strangled to death in it. Animals are cut by broken bottles, swallow bottle caps and suffocate. The list goes on and on. The simple act of cleaning up after ourselves when we’ve visited any public area (especially beaches and lakesides) can save many innocent lives and give us the instant gratification of knowing that we are having a positive and immediate effect on the environment around us and the animals who live in it. Anyone interested in volunteering their time are urged to contact Water N’Webs Waterbird Rehab Centre with the pond they will be monitoring. For a donation of $15.00 you will receive a waterways clean up kit which consists of instructions on how to safely clean up litter, and how to recognize birds in need of assistance and capturing techniques and a pair of gloves. To volunteer or order a kit write to: Water N’Webs Waterbird Rehab Centre, Inc., Project Pond Watch, P.O. Box 514, Northford, CT 06472 Water N’ Webs is seeking documentation of wildlife (particularly Water birds) caught in fishing line or lakeside litter. Please send any photos you have to the above address. Giant Monthly Flea Market Notre Dame Church, 272 Main Street (Route 17), Durham, CT will have a Giant Monthly Flea Market and Tag Sate on the first Saturday of the month from June to October (June 2md, July 7th, August 4th, September 1st, and October 6th) from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This is a huge Tag Sale and Flea Market covering a wide area in the church hall, church garage, parking lot and on the lawn. Household goods, pots and pans, dishes craft supplies, sewing supplies, furniture, clothing ($2.50 a bag), antiques, collectibles, thousands and thousands of books and anything and everything you might need or want. Our kitchen is open all day serving breakfast and lunch in the church hall. New items coming in continuously. 40 vendors in the parking lot. Vendor Space Available: $20.00 – Call Bob Smith (860) 349-0356. This is a well attended Tag Sale and has a following of both vendors and buyers. TRINITY LADIES CLUB Most Holy Trinity Church Wallingford, CT On March 15, 2007 The Trinity Ladies Club of Most Holy Trinity Church, 68 North Colony Street held their March meeting in the church hall. The agenda consisted of the monthly meeting, “A Garden Party” by Deneen (a unique home demonstration) whereby 30% of the garden items sold went to TLC, an Easter Bonnet Contest, and Make and Take a Craft-a Rose Floral Pen and Social with a huge assortment of homemade cakes and cookies by TLC members. There were over 30 members and guests in attendance. Upcoming events sponsored by TLC to be held in the Church Hall are: May 17 Annual Dinner & Installation of Officers-TLC Members Only! Restaurant: Brother’s. Please join us for one or more of our events. I All proceeds help TLC to continue their charitable works. It takes many volunteers who contribute their time and talent to make each meeting and event successful. The more assistance we have, the better the outcome to help our brothers and sisters in need. TLC has given assistance to the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut, St. Agnes Home for Unwed Mothers and Babies, Birthright of Meriden-Wallingford, Chrysalis, The Wallingford Wishing Well, Charlies’ Angels Relay for Life, the Wallingford Emergency Shelter, Father Flanagan’s Girls and Boys Town, the Parish Bazaar, and the Parish Holiday Fair. TLC members ask God to bless the many they have “cared and shared” for and pray that they will be able to continue to do so! Won’t you help by joining us at one or more of our events/functions and/or become a member? The rewards and blessings are endless!