“So Many Books – So Little Time.”
I’ve always coveted former Meriden Public Library Director Marcia Trotta’s sweatshirt with that statement emblazoned across the front because that’s a sentiment that really resonates with me.
Anyone with similar feelings is in luck! Once again, the Friends of the Meriden Library will hold their seasonally anticipated half-price Super Spring Sidewalk Sale on consecutive Saturdays, May 12 and 19, in front of their bookstore on the corner of Colony Street and West Main.
Tables will be set up on the sidewalk in front of the store from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturdays and loaded with stock not yet offered to the public. Hard and soft-cover fiction and mysteries (including horror, science fiction and spy novels), cookbooks, house and garden, hobbies, sports, humor, travel, biography, religion and history will be offered as well as classics, reference books, large coffee table books…and of course, plenty of children’s books. A large assortment of CDs,audio and videotapes will also be on sale. People who don’t find what they’re looking for among the half-price sidewalk offerings are invited to come inside and browse through the store’s packed shelves for regular priced books.
Customers making sidewalk purchases may leave them at the desk in the store while they enjoy a free cup of coffee from the Friends Café and maybe a sweet or sandwich to go with it. While they’re inside, they can browse the gift shop which offers items from local artists and craftsmen as well as an assortment of Bicentennial goods.
The sale will take place rain or shine because if it rains, we’ll just move everything inside.
Many of our usual store volunteers will be on hand to help browsers find what they’re looking for and “talk books” with them. I plan to be there both days because I not only love books, I like chatting with other people who do. Every week, customers turn me on to authors I haven’t yet read…and I’ve read an awful lot!
I still can’t believe that some folks don’t even know the Friends Bookstore and Café exists. We’ve been right there on the busy corner of Colony and West Main for nearly five years now and still someone will come in, look around our big, sunny store and say, “We never knew you were here.”
And the bargains!
Where else could you find used books, most in first rate condition, for only $2 a hard cover and $1 a paperback. (Even the very newest books in our store cost only up to $5 for hard covers and $2 for paperbacks.) And during our sale, everything on the sidewalk tables will be half price! Try to find those prices anywhere else.
We have one young family who drives up from the Sub Base in Groton every month or so to load up on books. “I’m so glad we discovered you,” the wife tells us every time she comes in after making the hour-long drive. “This is my favorite bookstore.”
Thanks to the generosity of our library patrons, we have a constant supply of donated books in great shape to resell. (We don’t accept yellowed, tattered or moldy books which go right into our dumpster so we hope those booklovers who can’t bear to throw out their own reject books will do us a favor and not expect us to do it for them. We only want the best for our customers. Tough but true.)
Part of the mission for our store is to promote literacy in our city.
We try to do that by encouraging people who run local nursery and day care facilities to make an appointment and bring in their children to see us. Every child goes home with a free book.
We also include “free book cards” in the free back-to-school backpacks that are distributed each year to local youngsters in the fall. To redeem these free book cards, their parents can bring them into the store so they can see what we’re offering. More often than not, they leave with more than just their one free book…And why not? Our children’s books run from 10 cents to $1.00.
Nothing makes us happier than getting books into the hands of children. Once they start to read, we’ve got them hooked. Children who are read to regularly and those who see their parents enjoying a book are most likely to want to read themselves … even if it’s to just see what they’re missing. With all the easier ways children can find to amuse themselves nowadays with TV, computers and electronic games, we have to try even harder to get them to make the effort to pick up a book. Once they realize it opens new worlds to them, they’ll keep on reading.
Our job is to expose them to books…either through the library where they can get a library card and borrow books for free or at our store where they can buy their own books to keep for a lot less money than they’d spend for a Happy Meal.
So why not bring them down to the Friends Sidewalk Sale May 12 or 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and get them started on a life of reading..
We’ll be looking for you!
"Pure Love"
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for always being there for me.
Since the moment I was born, whenever me, Mommy & Daddy
needed you, you were there, no matter what.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for all the joy you've brought to my life.
All the smiles, laughter and silly moments
I've had because of you, have helped me to grow.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for seeing well beyond my diagnosis and special needs.
Your ability to see my Soul, encourage and develop it; I am
thankful for you!
Pure Love is who YOU are and I adore you for sharing it with me!
Happy Mommy's Day to my Godmother and 2nd Mommy!
I treasure you, Hunter Christian Pageau
To Our Active Troops and Veterans,
For more than 90 years, we at the American Red Cross have received phone calls from your families, sometimes at 3 p.m., sometimes at 3 a.m., looking to get messages across continents and oceans to you, their loved one. Sometimes the message is happy, and we have the opportunity to share in the delightful news of the birth of your new son or daughter. Other times we must deliver the painful news of a death in the family and we can only imagine how hard it must be to receive this news so far away. Sometimes we receive a simple inquiry about your well-being, and we share in a mother’s joy to have you respond to her inquiry on Mother’s Day. We see the sacrifices you make, missing major moments in your family’s lives to serve our country and people in faraway places.
This Memorial Day, the American Red Cross of Wallingford and Meriden salutes you. It is our honor to serve you, and we thank you for everything you do.
Sincerely, The American Red Cross
Wallingford-Meriden Branch of the South Central Connecticut Chapter
Its spring............isn’t it?
As I write this, the Meriden Daffodil Festival looms – and “weather” or not, here it comes; the 29th annual Meriden Daffodil Festival. The ‘big’ tent is up, delayed a couple of three days due to the incessant rainy weather we have been experiencing. And just today, the sun came out around 1:00 PM, for the first time in what seems like weeks. In the park behind my desk, there are groups playing basketball, another bunch of children spending the last couple of days of their school vacation outdoors and a couple of tennis buffs trading serves.
The weather for this weekend, there are some pre-daffodil events scheduled, right now looks very promising. Sunny, 60’s to 70’s. Hope it brings out a crowd for the DF Tag Sale and Beat the Street boxing matches and gives the young anglers luck at the AFSCME sponsored fishing derby. I know my granddaughter is looking forward to the derby – living across from the park she and her father fish whenever possible. Sunday the Rotary Club’s road race should see equally good weather – with all that cabin fever to get out of their systems. I hope folks will be out in the park to enjoy the now blooming daffodils and just to get out in the fresh air.
As one of the players in the Festival’s organization I’m very concerned about the weather and constantly watch the Weather Channel and any other weather forecasts as often as possible. I have two weather sites on my computer and check them probably 20-30 times a day. I’ve been through all types of scenarios concerning weather with the festival, the most severe several years ago when we lost 6 or so tents to a freak windstorm. Rain is usually a constant on one of the days of the festival and after the 2005 Festival I ordered a rain suit with the thought that I wouldn’t need it for the Festival in 2006 and we had two perfect days, with record crowds with our non-profit food vendors making a ton of money for their group(s).
Our committee, there are 31 in all, is as varied as a group could be, members include an electrician, phone company employee, construction supervisor, florist, photographer, nurse, aeronautical engineer, attorney, law enforcement officer, clerical specialists, an architect and a few other skills. Yet with such a diverse group the job gets done, this is the 29th year for the Festival and we’re looking for another banner year.
I’ve heard many time – ‘Oh, I want to be on the Daffodil Festival Committee’ do you guys get together a couple of weeks before the event and do all the planning? Well, not really – how about a couple of weeks after the Festival is over to hash over what we did right and wrong and then figure out what we should do next year. The summer months are usually ‘Festival free’ but many committee members who attend other festivals or fairs are always on the lookout for new ideas, foods, events and musical groups. “Real” meetings begin in September usually once or twice a month and after the first of the year it gets intense. Right now, members will be ‘in the Park’ every night, lighting the tent, decorating the tent, setting up the PA system ordering food for the Committee concession stand and doing all those behind the scenes jobs that the general public doesn’t realize are necessary to make the event run smoothly. When I mention to people how much time Committee members give to the Festival, they sort of back off on wanting to join this wild and crazy group. Anyway, we recruit our members from the ranks of our pool of dedicated volunteers. Yes, there is a prerequisite to joining or being accepted to the Meriden Daffodil Committee.
So, that’s a bit about the M.D.F. and if you feel like you may want to volunteer and make it through a few years – perhaps one day you may be asked to join the Committee.
And I’m sure the day after the Festival there will be a few Committee members who will gladly trade or offer you their Festival job out of shear exhaustion. You know the old saying, ‘you can take this job etc……’ Well, after they recover from the weekend, when they remember how much fun it really was, they’ll take back their offer before you can say Daffodil Festival 2008.
Hope you enjoyed “the show” this year – see you next April.
Ernie Larsen - 4/20/07
WALLINGFORD FAMILY YMCA CAMP ULBRICH/ CAMP GAYLORD OFFERS YOUNGSTERS AN ABUNDANCE OF NEW EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS—AND PEACE OF MIND FOR PARENTS THIS SUMMER
For both parents and kids, it’s never too early to start thinking about plans for the summer. Parents want to be sure their children are safe, supervised, and engaged in activities that keep their kids’ minds and bodies active after school lets out for the summer. Youngsters look forward to the free time, and simply want to have fun and learn something new. YMCAs have been serving communities for more than 150 years, and the Wallingford Family YMCA Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord are a perfect option for parents who are looking for a safe and fun place for their kids to build healthy mind, body and spirit this summer.
“Children are our greatest treasures and greatest responsibility,” said Danielle Bradley, Acting Executive Director. “Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord help kids grow positively meet healthy role models and learn good values—all while having fun. We not only provide memories that last a lifetime, but we also assure parents that their kids are in good hands during the summer.”
Day camp for youth—the most popular program offered by YMCAs—provides youngsters with a unique opportunity to connect with their peers and their community. At the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps, our campers enjoy a broad range of age-appropriate programs, events and activities. This year, at Camp Gaylord, on the campus of Gaylord Hospital, we will be offering children the opportunity to explore the great outdoors with hiking, orienteering, nature walks and learn about different species of birds, trees and insects. Both Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord campers also will have the opportunity to participate in weekly Friday night camp overnights at MountainRidge.
YMCA day camps provide a wealth of opportunity for kids to get active through play which helps kids learn healthy habits while having fun. “The need is as strong today as ever before,” said Tracy Flynn, Family/Teen Coordinator for the Wallingford Family YMCA. “Being more physical through play helps children better manage stress, succeed in school, build energy and, most of all, learn skills that encourage a lifetime of activity.”
Visit www.wallingfordymca.org or call Sarah Markesky at 269-4497 to learn more about the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps for youth and teens.
What Kids Really Want
Time. Fully present, undistracted, time. That’s what kids want. At least, that’s what my daughters want. At twelve and ten (and where did those years go?) my daughters still pull me away from the computer or insert themselves on my lap while I’m finishing dinner to tell me about something of the utmost importance…to them, of course. In their little narcissistic worlds their needs and opinions come first and take precedence over whatever unimportant thing I’m doing; you know, talking with a customer, writing an email or the other “boring” things that I do for my work.
At times, it’s frustrating. Don’t they get how important this work is? Don’t they see I’m BUSY? And then the reality hits me (again and again) that these precious kids want my TIME and they don’t care about my work. They want my attention and multi-tasking doesn’t count. And they deserve more of my time than the strangers and business associates on the other end of the phone.
Balancing the needs of the kids, my husband, our business affairs and…oh yeah, my needs as a woman, a friend, a sister and a daughter is a feat that most women can relate to. I always picture myself as the juggler who’s spinning multiple plates, hoping that one doesn’t crash to the ground. The most successful jugglers stay calm and focused; I try but that doesn’t always work either.
Sometimes the plates do fall and I’ve learned that I have to forgive myself. Best of all, my kids are always there to forgive me and to tell me that it’s okay. After all, we tell them that if they’ve tried their hardest and don’t succeed that they just have to learn from their mistakes and move on…
I’d write more but my daughter’s at my sleeve, asking me to go out with her to pick up her friend…it’s all about time.
Best regards, Ellen Ornato
NATURE AS A MIRROR
by Dorothy Gonick
TULIPS
Tall graceful tulips
Colorfully greeting spring,
Holland’s gift to us.
Spring is really here! The tulips are gaily greeting us with bright colorful blossoms.
Holland must be a lovely place to visit during the tulip festivals. The people dress in native costumes and wooden clogs to create a lovely picture surrounded with tulips. The unique bonnets that girls and women wear seem to be patterned after the tulip flower, each bonnet looking like a blossom. The streets are lined with carts full of tulips with many colorful varieties from which to choose.
The tulip originated in Asia Minor and was brought to England in 1577. The Turks thought they looked like little turbans, so they called the flower, tulip, (their name for turban). The Dutch in the Netherlands became fond of tulips and have planted thousands throughout the country, making springtime a very colorful time of year there. Most of the bulbs we plant here are imported from the Netherlands (Holland). At one time, from 1634 to 1637 the Dutch were so infatuated with the possibility of making a quick profit by buying expensive bulbs, planting them, and selling the offsets (bulbs that form at the base of the mother bulb). The lure of profits led the common people as well as speculators to pay exorbitant prices for the bulbs, until an oversupply caused prices to suddenly drop and many became bankrupt. This became known as tulipomania, and we seem to have mirrored it with the 1990’s stock market experience.
Growers and hybridists continue to develop new variations, with new colors, fringed petals, or striped blooms. Leafing through catalogues and seeing the many new varieties is a fun pastime. Last fall when our bulbs arrived we carefully set each bulb, making sure the pointed end was up. The bulbs stayed tightly closed throughout the cold, icy winter. Finally the warming rays of the sun came and awakened our bulbs, which have sent up strong, spear shaped leaves with tall stems to support the lovely tulip blossoms. Throughout the town, blossoms of stately tulips greet our eyes on these mild, spring days. Blossoms of varied colors open like so many jewels above the fresh, green leaves. Tulips cheer us, and mingling with the daffodils and crocus, we can almost hear a symphony of springtime as they sway with soft breezes. Listen as you enjoy the view.
“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by Gregory M. Simpson
It’s a shame that some folks cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. As a social worker in child welfare and from my avocation in animal welfare, I have caught glimpses of personalities forming, personalities that will grow to love animals – or not.
I believe that children start out loving animals. I see this when soliciting donations for animal causes in front of department or grocery stores. A child in tow of a parent exiting a store, when asked, “Would you like to donate to help homeless animals?” will inevitably tug on the parent’s coat and say something like, “Mommy, mommy, we have to give….” How that parent responds gives a clear message, surely repeated many times over, that animals either deserve care – or not.
There are qualities in children which can become socialized away. Those believing in psychic abilities inform that children have extrasensory skills which are routinely squelched because of the widespread disbelief that such skills exist. Take another more common example – laughter. By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times daily. Compare this to adults who laugh on average 17 times a day. Clearly, children lose things along the way.
Unfortunately, many children experience more than the normal travails of childhood. Hundreds of thousands of children experience neglect and abuse of varying kinds and degrees. With 872,000 confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect in the U.S. for 2004, the result is over half a million children in foster care at any given time.
A survey of pet owning families with substantiated child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused (usually by the parent) in 88% of homes where child abuse was present. Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
The anthropologist, Margaret Mead, warned, “One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” As a youth, Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler” who killed 13 women, trapped cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes. The first act of violence in Carroll Edward Cole’s childhood, one of the most prolific killers in modern history, was to strangle a cat. As the humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, pointed out, “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives.”
Children’s reports of animal abuse in the home need to be taken seriously. Animal abuse, by either a parent or a child, is an indication that the child may be at risk of abuse. Early intervention may prevent the child abuse from happening, although animal abuse can also signal that child abuse is already occurring. Some children who will not talk about their own abuse will share what is happening to their pet. If a child describes animal abuse in the home, they should be interviewed further to determine if he or she is also being abused. In addition, the local animal welfare agency should be notified so that they can check on the care of the animals in the home.
There are a number of states that have mandatory cross reporting laws. In these states, when child abuse has been substantiated, an accompanying report must be made to the animal protection agency should there be animals in the home. Conversely, if animal protection authorities substantiate animal abuse in a home where there are children, then an accompanying report must be made to the child protective services agency. Although legislation of this type has been discussed in the Connecticut legislature in the past, no such law was ever passed. With studies showing the direct connection between animal and child abuse, time is overdue to revisit this type of legislation.
Yes, it is a shame that some individuals cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. There are reasons for this and they are not random. A child learns what he or she sees and the eyes of a child are always watching. A child will understand the value of animals only through what he or she is taught – and every day holds many teaching moments.
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S., he is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.
The People's Press is a newspaper serving Wallingford, Meriden and all of Central Connecticut. We are all about YOU - share your news, events, photos and more. Visit The People's Press Main Site at www.peoplespressnews.com to read the paper in image form or pdf form, Local Links and submit stories and photos.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Your Stories Part 3
This section of The People's Press - Wallingford, Meriden and Central Connecticut's Number 1 Single Copy Newspaper is sponsored by:
“So Many Books – So Little Time.”
I’ve always coveted former Meriden Public Library Director Marcia Trotta’s sweatshirt with that statement emblazoned across the front because that’s a sentiment that really resonates with me.
Anyone with similar feelings is in luck! Once again, the Friends of the Meriden Library will hold their seasonally anticipated half-price Super Spring Sidewalk Sale on consecutive Saturdays, May 12 and 19, in front of their bookstore on the corner of Colony Street and West Main.
Tables will be set up on the sidewalk in front of the store from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturdays and loaded with stock not yet offered to the public. Hard and soft-cover fiction and mysteries (including horror, science fiction and spy novels), cookbooks, house and garden, hobbies, sports, humor, travel, biography, religion and history will be offered as well as classics, reference books, large coffee table books…and of course, plenty of children’s books. A large assortment of CDs,audio and videotapes will also be on sale. People who don’t find what they’re looking for among the half-price sidewalk offerings are invited to come inside and browse through the store’s packed shelves for regular priced books.
Customers making sidewalk purchases may leave them at the desk in the store while they enjoy a free cup of coffee from the Friends Café and maybe a sweet or sandwich to go with it. While they’re inside, they can browse the gift shop which offers items from local artists and craftsmen as well as an assortment of Bicentennial goods.
The sale will take place rain or shine because if it rains, we’ll just move everything inside.
Many of our usual store volunteers will be on hand to help browsers find what they’re looking for and “talk books” with them. I plan to be there both days because I not only love books, I like chatting with other people who do. Every week, customers turn me on to authors I haven’t yet read…and I’ve read an awful lot!
I still can’t believe that some folks don’t even know the Friends Bookstore and Café exists. We’ve been right there on the busy corner of Colony and West Main for nearly five years now and still someone will come in, look around our big, sunny store and say, “We never knew you were here.”
And the bargains!
Where else could you find used books, most in first rate condition, for only $2 a hard cover and $1 a paperback. (Even the very newest books in our store cost only up to $5 for hard covers and $2 for paperbacks.) And during our sale, everything on the sidewalk tables will be half price! Try to find those prices anywhere else.
We have one young family who drives up from the Sub Base in Groton every month or so to load up on books. “I’m so glad we discovered you,” the wife tells us every time she comes in after making the hour-long drive. “This is my favorite bookstore.”
Thanks to the generosity of our library patrons, we have a constant supply of donated books in great shape to resell. (We don’t accept yellowed, tattered or moldy books which go right into our dumpster so we hope those booklovers who can’t bear to throw out their own reject books will do us a favor and not expect us to do it for them. We only want the best for our customers. Tough but true.)
Part of the mission for our store is to promote literacy in our city.
We try to do that by encouraging people who run local nursery and day care facilities to make an appointment and bring in their children to see us. Every child goes home with a free book.
We also include “free book cards” in the free back-to-school backpacks that are distributed each year to local youngsters in the fall. To redeem these free book cards, their parents can bring them into the store so they can see what we’re offering. More often than not, they leave with more than just their one free book…And why not? Our children’s books run from 10 cents to $1.00.
Nothing makes us happier than getting books into the hands of children. Once they start to read, we’ve got them hooked. Children who are read to regularly and those who see their parents enjoying a book are most likely to want to read themselves … even if it’s to just see what they’re missing. With all the easier ways children can find to amuse themselves nowadays with TV, computers and electronic games, we have to try even harder to get them to make the effort to pick up a book. Once they realize it opens new worlds to them, they’ll keep on reading.
Our job is to expose them to books…either through the library where they can get a library card and borrow books for free or at our store where they can buy their own books to keep for a lot less money than they’d spend for a Happy Meal.
So why not bring them down to the Friends Sidewalk Sale May 12 or 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and get them started on a life of reading..
We’ll be looking for you!
"Pure Love"
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for always being there for me.
Since the moment I was born, whenever me, Mommy & Daddy
needed you, you were there, no matter what.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for all the joy you've brought to my life.
All the smiles, laughter and silly moments
I've had because of you, have helped me to grow.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for seeing well beyond my diagnosis and special needs.
Your ability to see my Soul, encourage and develop it; I am
thankful for you!
Pure Love is who YOU are and I adore you for sharing it with me!
Happy Mommy's Day to my Godmother and 2nd Mommy!
I treasure you, Hunter Christian Pageau
To Our Active Troops and Veterans,
For more than 90 years, we at the American Red Cross have received phone calls from your families, sometimes at 3 p.m., sometimes at 3 a.m., looking to get messages across continents and oceans to you, their loved one. Sometimes the message is happy, and we have the opportunity to share in the delightful news of the birth of your new son or daughter. Other times we must deliver the painful news of a death in the family and we can only imagine how hard it must be to receive this news so far away. Sometimes we receive a simple inquiry about your well-being, and we share in a mother’s joy to have you respond to her inquiry on Mother’s Day. We see the sacrifices you make, missing major moments in your family’s lives to serve our country and people in faraway places.
This Memorial Day, the American Red Cross of Wallingford and Meriden salutes you. It is our honor to serve you, and we thank you for everything you do.
Sincerely, The American Red Cross
Wallingford-Meriden Branch of the South Central Connecticut Chapter
Its spring............isn’t it?
As I write this, the Meriden Daffodil Festival looms – and “weather” or not, here it comes; the 29th annual Meriden Daffodil Festival. The ‘big’ tent is up, delayed a couple of three days due to the incessant rainy weather we have been experiencing. And just today, the sun came out around 1:00 PM, for the first time in what seems like weeks. In the park behind my desk, there are groups playing basketball, another bunch of children spending the last couple of days of their school vacation outdoors and a couple of tennis buffs trading serves.
The weather for this weekend, there are some pre-daffodil events scheduled, right now looks very promising. Sunny, 60’s to 70’s. Hope it brings out a crowd for the DF Tag Sale and Beat the Street boxing matches and gives the young anglers luck at the AFSCME sponsored fishing derby. I know my granddaughter is looking forward to the derby – living across from the park she and her father fish whenever possible. Sunday the Rotary Club’s road race should see equally good weather – with all that cabin fever to get out of their systems. I hope folks will be out in the park to enjoy the now blooming daffodils and just to get out in the fresh air.
As one of the players in the Festival’s organization I’m very concerned about the weather and constantly watch the Weather Channel and any other weather forecasts as often as possible. I have two weather sites on my computer and check them probably 20-30 times a day. I’ve been through all types of scenarios concerning weather with the festival, the most severe several years ago when we lost 6 or so tents to a freak windstorm. Rain is usually a constant on one of the days of the festival and after the 2005 Festival I ordered a rain suit with the thought that I wouldn’t need it for the Festival in 2006 and we had two perfect days, with record crowds with our non-profit food vendors making a ton of money for their group(s).
Our committee, there are 31 in all, is as varied as a group could be, members include an electrician, phone company employee, construction supervisor, florist, photographer, nurse, aeronautical engineer, attorney, law enforcement officer, clerical specialists, an architect and a few other skills. Yet with such a diverse group the job gets done, this is the 29th year for the Festival and we’re looking for another banner year.
I’ve heard many time – ‘Oh, I want to be on the Daffodil Festival Committee’ do you guys get together a couple of weeks before the event and do all the planning? Well, not really – how about a couple of weeks after the Festival is over to hash over what we did right and wrong and then figure out what we should do next year. The summer months are usually ‘Festival free’ but many committee members who attend other festivals or fairs are always on the lookout for new ideas, foods, events and musical groups. “Real” meetings begin in September usually once or twice a month and after the first of the year it gets intense. Right now, members will be ‘in the Park’ every night, lighting the tent, decorating the tent, setting up the PA system ordering food for the Committee concession stand and doing all those behind the scenes jobs that the general public doesn’t realize are necessary to make the event run smoothly. When I mention to people how much time Committee members give to the Festival, they sort of back off on wanting to join this wild and crazy group. Anyway, we recruit our members from the ranks of our pool of dedicated volunteers. Yes, there is a prerequisite to joining or being accepted to the Meriden Daffodil Committee.
So, that’s a bit about the M.D.F. and if you feel like you may want to volunteer and make it through a few years – perhaps one day you may be asked to join the Committee.
And I’m sure the day after the Festival there will be a few Committee members who will gladly trade or offer you their Festival job out of shear exhaustion. You know the old saying, ‘you can take this job etc……’ Well, after they recover from the weekend, when they remember how much fun it really was, they’ll take back their offer before you can say Daffodil Festival 2008.
Hope you enjoyed “the show” this year – see you next April.
Ernie Larsen - 4/20/07
WALLINGFORD FAMILY YMCA CAMP ULBRICH/ CAMP GAYLORD OFFERS YOUNGSTERS AN ABUNDANCE OF NEW EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS—AND PEACE OF MIND FOR PARENTS THIS SUMMER
For both parents and kids, it’s never too early to start thinking about plans for the summer. Parents want to be sure their children are safe, supervised, and engaged in activities that keep their kids’ minds and bodies active after school lets out for the summer. Youngsters look forward to the free time, and simply want to have fun and learn something new. YMCAs have been serving communities for more than 150 years, and the Wallingford Family YMCA Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord are a perfect option for parents who are looking for a safe and fun place for their kids to build healthy mind, body and spirit this summer.
“Children are our greatest treasures and greatest responsibility,” said Danielle Bradley, Acting Executive Director. “Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord help kids grow positively meet healthy role models and learn good values—all while having fun. We not only provide memories that last a lifetime, but we also assure parents that their kids are in good hands during the summer.”
Day camp for youth—the most popular program offered by YMCAs—provides youngsters with a unique opportunity to connect with their peers and their community. At the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps, our campers enjoy a broad range of age-appropriate programs, events and activities. This year, at Camp Gaylord, on the campus of Gaylord Hospital, we will be offering children the opportunity to explore the great outdoors with hiking, orienteering, nature walks and learn about different species of birds, trees and insects. Both Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord campers also will have the opportunity to participate in weekly Friday night camp overnights at MountainRidge.
YMCA day camps provide a wealth of opportunity for kids to get active through play which helps kids learn healthy habits while having fun. “The need is as strong today as ever before,” said Tracy Flynn, Family/Teen Coordinator for the Wallingford Family YMCA. “Being more physical through play helps children better manage stress, succeed in school, build energy and, most of all, learn skills that encourage a lifetime of activity.”
Visit www.wallingfordymca.org or call Sarah Markesky at 269-4497 to learn more about the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps for youth and teens.
What Kids Really Want
Time. Fully present, undistracted, time. That’s what kids want. At least, that’s what my daughters want. At twelve and ten (and where did those years go?) my daughters still pull me away from the computer or insert themselves on my lap while I’m finishing dinner to tell me about something of the utmost importance…to them, of course. In their little narcissistic worlds their needs and opinions come first and take precedence over whatever unimportant thing I’m doing; you know, talking with a customer, writing an email or the other “boring” things that I do for my work.
At times, it’s frustrating. Don’t they get how important this work is? Don’t they see I’m BUSY? And then the reality hits me (again and again) that these precious kids want my TIME and they don’t care about my work. They want my attention and multi-tasking doesn’t count. And they deserve more of my time than the strangers and business associates on the other end of the phone.
Balancing the needs of the kids, my husband, our business affairs and…oh yeah, my needs as a woman, a friend, a sister and a daughter is a feat that most women can relate to. I always picture myself as the juggler who’s spinning multiple plates, hoping that one doesn’t crash to the ground. The most successful jugglers stay calm and focused; I try but that doesn’t always work either.
Sometimes the plates do fall and I’ve learned that I have to forgive myself. Best of all, my kids are always there to forgive me and to tell me that it’s okay. After all, we tell them that if they’ve tried their hardest and don’t succeed that they just have to learn from their mistakes and move on…
I’d write more but my daughter’s at my sleeve, asking me to go out with her to pick up her friend…it’s all about time.
Best regards, Ellen Ornato
NATURE AS A MIRROR
by Dorothy Gonick
TULIPS
Tall graceful tulips
Colorfully greeting spring,
Holland’s gift to us.
Spring is really here! The tulips are gaily greeting us with bright colorful blossoms.
Holland must be a lovely place to visit during the tulip festivals. The people dress in native costumes and wooden clogs to create a lovely picture surrounded with tulips. The unique bonnets that girls and women wear seem to be patterned after the tulip flower, each bonnet looking like a blossom. The streets are lined with carts full of tulips with many colorful varieties from which to choose.
The tulip originated in Asia Minor and was brought to England in 1577. The Turks thought they looked like little turbans, so they called the flower, tulip, (their name for turban). The Dutch in the Netherlands became fond of tulips and have planted thousands throughout the country, making springtime a very colorful time of year there. Most of the bulbs we plant here are imported from the Netherlands (Holland). At one time, from 1634 to 1637 the Dutch were so infatuated with the possibility of making a quick profit by buying expensive bulbs, planting them, and selling the offsets (bulbs that form at the base of the mother bulb). The lure of profits led the common people as well as speculators to pay exorbitant prices for the bulbs, until an oversupply caused prices to suddenly drop and many became bankrupt. This became known as tulipomania, and we seem to have mirrored it with the 1990’s stock market experience.
Growers and hybridists continue to develop new variations, with new colors, fringed petals, or striped blooms. Leafing through catalogues and seeing the many new varieties is a fun pastime. Last fall when our bulbs arrived we carefully set each bulb, making sure the pointed end was up. The bulbs stayed tightly closed throughout the cold, icy winter. Finally the warming rays of the sun came and awakened our bulbs, which have sent up strong, spear shaped leaves with tall stems to support the lovely tulip blossoms. Throughout the town, blossoms of stately tulips greet our eyes on these mild, spring days. Blossoms of varied colors open like so many jewels above the fresh, green leaves. Tulips cheer us, and mingling with the daffodils and crocus, we can almost hear a symphony of springtime as they sway with soft breezes. Listen as you enjoy the view.
“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by Gregory M. Simpson
It’s a shame that some folks cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. As a social worker in child welfare and from my avocation in animal welfare, I have caught glimpses of personalities forming, personalities that will grow to love animals – or not.
I believe that children start out loving animals. I see this when soliciting donations for animal causes in front of department or grocery stores. A child in tow of a parent exiting a store, when asked, “Would you like to donate to help homeless animals?” will inevitably tug on the parent’s coat and say something like, “Mommy, mommy, we have to give….” How that parent responds gives a clear message, surely repeated many times over, that animals either deserve care – or not.
There are qualities in children which can become socialized away. Those believing in psychic abilities inform that children have extrasensory skills which are routinely squelched because of the widespread disbelief that such skills exist. Take another more common example – laughter. By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times daily. Compare this to adults who laugh on average 17 times a day. Clearly, children lose things along the way.
Unfortunately, many children experience more than the normal travails of childhood. Hundreds of thousands of children experience neglect and abuse of varying kinds and degrees. With 872,000 confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect in the U.S. for 2004, the result is over half a million children in foster care at any given time.
A survey of pet owning families with substantiated child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused (usually by the parent) in 88% of homes where child abuse was present. Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
The anthropologist, Margaret Mead, warned, “One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” As a youth, Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler” who killed 13 women, trapped cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes. The first act of violence in Carroll Edward Cole’s childhood, one of the most prolific killers in modern history, was to strangle a cat. As the humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, pointed out, “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives.”
Children’s reports of animal abuse in the home need to be taken seriously. Animal abuse, by either a parent or a child, is an indication that the child may be at risk of abuse. Early intervention may prevent the child abuse from happening, although animal abuse can also signal that child abuse is already occurring. Some children who will not talk about their own abuse will share what is happening to their pet. If a child describes animal abuse in the home, they should be interviewed further to determine if he or she is also being abused. In addition, the local animal welfare agency should be notified so that they can check on the care of the animals in the home.
There are a number of states that have mandatory cross reporting laws. In these states, when child abuse has been substantiated, an accompanying report must be made to the animal protection agency should there be animals in the home. Conversely, if animal protection authorities substantiate animal abuse in a home where there are children, then an accompanying report must be made to the child protective services agency. Although legislation of this type has been discussed in the Connecticut legislature in the past, no such law was ever passed. With studies showing the direct connection between animal and child abuse, time is overdue to revisit this type of legislation.
Yes, it is a shame that some individuals cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. There are reasons for this and they are not random. A child learns what he or she sees and the eyes of a child are always watching. A child will understand the value of animals only through what he or she is taught – and every day holds many teaching moments.
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S., he is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.
“So Many Books – So Little Time.”
I’ve always coveted former Meriden Public Library Director Marcia Trotta’s sweatshirt with that statement emblazoned across the front because that’s a sentiment that really resonates with me.
Anyone with similar feelings is in luck! Once again, the Friends of the Meriden Library will hold their seasonally anticipated half-price Super Spring Sidewalk Sale on consecutive Saturdays, May 12 and 19, in front of their bookstore on the corner of Colony Street and West Main.
Tables will be set up on the sidewalk in front of the store from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturdays and loaded with stock not yet offered to the public. Hard and soft-cover fiction and mysteries (including horror, science fiction and spy novels), cookbooks, house and garden, hobbies, sports, humor, travel, biography, religion and history will be offered as well as classics, reference books, large coffee table books…and of course, plenty of children’s books. A large assortment of CDs,audio and videotapes will also be on sale. People who don’t find what they’re looking for among the half-price sidewalk offerings are invited to come inside and browse through the store’s packed shelves for regular priced books.
Customers making sidewalk purchases may leave them at the desk in the store while they enjoy a free cup of coffee from the Friends Café and maybe a sweet or sandwich to go with it. While they’re inside, they can browse the gift shop which offers items from local artists and craftsmen as well as an assortment of Bicentennial goods.
The sale will take place rain or shine because if it rains, we’ll just move everything inside.
Many of our usual store volunteers will be on hand to help browsers find what they’re looking for and “talk books” with them. I plan to be there both days because I not only love books, I like chatting with other people who do. Every week, customers turn me on to authors I haven’t yet read…and I’ve read an awful lot!
I still can’t believe that some folks don’t even know the Friends Bookstore and Café exists. We’ve been right there on the busy corner of Colony and West Main for nearly five years now and still someone will come in, look around our big, sunny store and say, “We never knew you were here.”
And the bargains!
Where else could you find used books, most in first rate condition, for only $2 a hard cover and $1 a paperback. (Even the very newest books in our store cost only up to $5 for hard covers and $2 for paperbacks.) And during our sale, everything on the sidewalk tables will be half price! Try to find those prices anywhere else.
We have one young family who drives up from the Sub Base in Groton every month or so to load up on books. “I’m so glad we discovered you,” the wife tells us every time she comes in after making the hour-long drive. “This is my favorite bookstore.”
Thanks to the generosity of our library patrons, we have a constant supply of donated books in great shape to resell. (We don’t accept yellowed, tattered or moldy books which go right into our dumpster so we hope those booklovers who can’t bear to throw out their own reject books will do us a favor and not expect us to do it for them. We only want the best for our customers. Tough but true.)
Part of the mission for our store is to promote literacy in our city.
We try to do that by encouraging people who run local nursery and day care facilities to make an appointment and bring in their children to see us. Every child goes home with a free book.
We also include “free book cards” in the free back-to-school backpacks that are distributed each year to local youngsters in the fall. To redeem these free book cards, their parents can bring them into the store so they can see what we’re offering. More often than not, they leave with more than just their one free book…And why not? Our children’s books run from 10 cents to $1.00.
Nothing makes us happier than getting books into the hands of children. Once they start to read, we’ve got them hooked. Children who are read to regularly and those who see their parents enjoying a book are most likely to want to read themselves … even if it’s to just see what they’re missing. With all the easier ways children can find to amuse themselves nowadays with TV, computers and electronic games, we have to try even harder to get them to make the effort to pick up a book. Once they realize it opens new worlds to them, they’ll keep on reading.
Our job is to expose them to books…either through the library where they can get a library card and borrow books for free or at our store where they can buy their own books to keep for a lot less money than they’d spend for a Happy Meal.
So why not bring them down to the Friends Sidewalk Sale May 12 or 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and get them started on a life of reading..
We’ll be looking for you!
"Pure Love"
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for always being there for me.
Since the moment I was born, whenever me, Mommy & Daddy
needed you, you were there, no matter what.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for all the joy you've brought to my life.
All the smiles, laughter and silly moments
I've had because of you, have helped me to grow.
Pure Love is YOU, Auntie Karen,
for seeing well beyond my diagnosis and special needs.
Your ability to see my Soul, encourage and develop it; I am
thankful for you!
Pure Love is who YOU are and I adore you for sharing it with me!
Happy Mommy's Day to my Godmother and 2nd Mommy!
I treasure you, Hunter Christian Pageau
To Our Active Troops and Veterans,
For more than 90 years, we at the American Red Cross have received phone calls from your families, sometimes at 3 p.m., sometimes at 3 a.m., looking to get messages across continents and oceans to you, their loved one. Sometimes the message is happy, and we have the opportunity to share in the delightful news of the birth of your new son or daughter. Other times we must deliver the painful news of a death in the family and we can only imagine how hard it must be to receive this news so far away. Sometimes we receive a simple inquiry about your well-being, and we share in a mother’s joy to have you respond to her inquiry on Mother’s Day. We see the sacrifices you make, missing major moments in your family’s lives to serve our country and people in faraway places.
This Memorial Day, the American Red Cross of Wallingford and Meriden salutes you. It is our honor to serve you, and we thank you for everything you do.
Sincerely, The American Red Cross
Wallingford-Meriden Branch of the South Central Connecticut Chapter
Its spring............isn’t it?
As I write this, the Meriden Daffodil Festival looms – and “weather” or not, here it comes; the 29th annual Meriden Daffodil Festival. The ‘big’ tent is up, delayed a couple of three days due to the incessant rainy weather we have been experiencing. And just today, the sun came out around 1:00 PM, for the first time in what seems like weeks. In the park behind my desk, there are groups playing basketball, another bunch of children spending the last couple of days of their school vacation outdoors and a couple of tennis buffs trading serves.
The weather for this weekend, there are some pre-daffodil events scheduled, right now looks very promising. Sunny, 60’s to 70’s. Hope it brings out a crowd for the DF Tag Sale and Beat the Street boxing matches and gives the young anglers luck at the AFSCME sponsored fishing derby. I know my granddaughter is looking forward to the derby – living across from the park she and her father fish whenever possible. Sunday the Rotary Club’s road race should see equally good weather – with all that cabin fever to get out of their systems. I hope folks will be out in the park to enjoy the now blooming daffodils and just to get out in the fresh air.
As one of the players in the Festival’s organization I’m very concerned about the weather and constantly watch the Weather Channel and any other weather forecasts as often as possible. I have two weather sites on my computer and check them probably 20-30 times a day. I’ve been through all types of scenarios concerning weather with the festival, the most severe several years ago when we lost 6 or so tents to a freak windstorm. Rain is usually a constant on one of the days of the festival and after the 2005 Festival I ordered a rain suit with the thought that I wouldn’t need it for the Festival in 2006 and we had two perfect days, with record crowds with our non-profit food vendors making a ton of money for their group(s).
Our committee, there are 31 in all, is as varied as a group could be, members include an electrician, phone company employee, construction supervisor, florist, photographer, nurse, aeronautical engineer, attorney, law enforcement officer, clerical specialists, an architect and a few other skills. Yet with such a diverse group the job gets done, this is the 29th year for the Festival and we’re looking for another banner year.
I’ve heard many time – ‘Oh, I want to be on the Daffodil Festival Committee’ do you guys get together a couple of weeks before the event and do all the planning? Well, not really – how about a couple of weeks after the Festival is over to hash over what we did right and wrong and then figure out what we should do next year. The summer months are usually ‘Festival free’ but many committee members who attend other festivals or fairs are always on the lookout for new ideas, foods, events and musical groups. “Real” meetings begin in September usually once or twice a month and after the first of the year it gets intense. Right now, members will be ‘in the Park’ every night, lighting the tent, decorating the tent, setting up the PA system ordering food for the Committee concession stand and doing all those behind the scenes jobs that the general public doesn’t realize are necessary to make the event run smoothly. When I mention to people how much time Committee members give to the Festival, they sort of back off on wanting to join this wild and crazy group. Anyway, we recruit our members from the ranks of our pool of dedicated volunteers. Yes, there is a prerequisite to joining or being accepted to the Meriden Daffodil Committee.
So, that’s a bit about the M.D.F. and if you feel like you may want to volunteer and make it through a few years – perhaps one day you may be asked to join the Committee.
And I’m sure the day after the Festival there will be a few Committee members who will gladly trade or offer you their Festival job out of shear exhaustion. You know the old saying, ‘you can take this job etc……’ Well, after they recover from the weekend, when they remember how much fun it really was, they’ll take back their offer before you can say Daffodil Festival 2008.
Hope you enjoyed “the show” this year – see you next April.
Ernie Larsen - 4/20/07
WALLINGFORD FAMILY YMCA CAMP ULBRICH/ CAMP GAYLORD OFFERS YOUNGSTERS AN ABUNDANCE OF NEW EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS—AND PEACE OF MIND FOR PARENTS THIS SUMMER
For both parents and kids, it’s never too early to start thinking about plans for the summer. Parents want to be sure their children are safe, supervised, and engaged in activities that keep their kids’ minds and bodies active after school lets out for the summer. Youngsters look forward to the free time, and simply want to have fun and learn something new. YMCAs have been serving communities for more than 150 years, and the Wallingford Family YMCA Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord are a perfect option for parents who are looking for a safe and fun place for their kids to build healthy mind, body and spirit this summer.
“Children are our greatest treasures and greatest responsibility,” said Danielle Bradley, Acting Executive Director. “Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord help kids grow positively meet healthy role models and learn good values—all while having fun. We not only provide memories that last a lifetime, but we also assure parents that their kids are in good hands during the summer.”
Day camp for youth—the most popular program offered by YMCAs—provides youngsters with a unique opportunity to connect with their peers and their community. At the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps, our campers enjoy a broad range of age-appropriate programs, events and activities. This year, at Camp Gaylord, on the campus of Gaylord Hospital, we will be offering children the opportunity to explore the great outdoors with hiking, orienteering, nature walks and learn about different species of birds, trees and insects. Both Camp Ulbrich and Camp Gaylord campers also will have the opportunity to participate in weekly Friday night camp overnights at MountainRidge.
YMCA day camps provide a wealth of opportunity for kids to get active through play which helps kids learn healthy habits while having fun. “The need is as strong today as ever before,” said Tracy Flynn, Family/Teen Coordinator for the Wallingford Family YMCA. “Being more physical through play helps children better manage stress, succeed in school, build energy and, most of all, learn skills that encourage a lifetime of activity.”
Visit www.wallingfordymca.org or call Sarah Markesky at 269-4497 to learn more about the Wallingford Family YMCA day camps for youth and teens.
What Kids Really Want
Time. Fully present, undistracted, time. That’s what kids want. At least, that’s what my daughters want. At twelve and ten (and where did those years go?) my daughters still pull me away from the computer or insert themselves on my lap while I’m finishing dinner to tell me about something of the utmost importance…to them, of course. In their little narcissistic worlds their needs and opinions come first and take precedence over whatever unimportant thing I’m doing; you know, talking with a customer, writing an email or the other “boring” things that I do for my work.
At times, it’s frustrating. Don’t they get how important this work is? Don’t they see I’m BUSY? And then the reality hits me (again and again) that these precious kids want my TIME and they don’t care about my work. They want my attention and multi-tasking doesn’t count. And they deserve more of my time than the strangers and business associates on the other end of the phone.
Balancing the needs of the kids, my husband, our business affairs and…oh yeah, my needs as a woman, a friend, a sister and a daughter is a feat that most women can relate to. I always picture myself as the juggler who’s spinning multiple plates, hoping that one doesn’t crash to the ground. The most successful jugglers stay calm and focused; I try but that doesn’t always work either.
Sometimes the plates do fall and I’ve learned that I have to forgive myself. Best of all, my kids are always there to forgive me and to tell me that it’s okay. After all, we tell them that if they’ve tried their hardest and don’t succeed that they just have to learn from their mistakes and move on…
I’d write more but my daughter’s at my sleeve, asking me to go out with her to pick up her friend…it’s all about time.
Best regards, Ellen Ornato
NATURE AS A MIRROR
by Dorothy Gonick
TULIPS
Tall graceful tulips
Colorfully greeting spring,
Holland’s gift to us.
Spring is really here! The tulips are gaily greeting us with bright colorful blossoms.
Holland must be a lovely place to visit during the tulip festivals. The people dress in native costumes and wooden clogs to create a lovely picture surrounded with tulips. The unique bonnets that girls and women wear seem to be patterned after the tulip flower, each bonnet looking like a blossom. The streets are lined with carts full of tulips with many colorful varieties from which to choose.
The tulip originated in Asia Minor and was brought to England in 1577. The Turks thought they looked like little turbans, so they called the flower, tulip, (their name for turban). The Dutch in the Netherlands became fond of tulips and have planted thousands throughout the country, making springtime a very colorful time of year there. Most of the bulbs we plant here are imported from the Netherlands (Holland). At one time, from 1634 to 1637 the Dutch were so infatuated with the possibility of making a quick profit by buying expensive bulbs, planting them, and selling the offsets (bulbs that form at the base of the mother bulb). The lure of profits led the common people as well as speculators to pay exorbitant prices for the bulbs, until an oversupply caused prices to suddenly drop and many became bankrupt. This became known as tulipomania, and we seem to have mirrored it with the 1990’s stock market experience.
Growers and hybridists continue to develop new variations, with new colors, fringed petals, or striped blooms. Leafing through catalogues and seeing the many new varieties is a fun pastime. Last fall when our bulbs arrived we carefully set each bulb, making sure the pointed end was up. The bulbs stayed tightly closed throughout the cold, icy winter. Finally the warming rays of the sun came and awakened our bulbs, which have sent up strong, spear shaped leaves with tall stems to support the lovely tulip blossoms. Throughout the town, blossoms of stately tulips greet our eyes on these mild, spring days. Blossoms of varied colors open like so many jewels above the fresh, green leaves. Tulips cheer us, and mingling with the daffodils and crocus, we can almost hear a symphony of springtime as they sway with soft breezes. Listen as you enjoy the view.
“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by Gregory M. Simpson
It’s a shame that some folks cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. As a social worker in child welfare and from my avocation in animal welfare, I have caught glimpses of personalities forming, personalities that will grow to love animals – or not.
I believe that children start out loving animals. I see this when soliciting donations for animal causes in front of department or grocery stores. A child in tow of a parent exiting a store, when asked, “Would you like to donate to help homeless animals?” will inevitably tug on the parent’s coat and say something like, “Mommy, mommy, we have to give….” How that parent responds gives a clear message, surely repeated many times over, that animals either deserve care – or not.
There are qualities in children which can become socialized away. Those believing in psychic abilities inform that children have extrasensory skills which are routinely squelched because of the widespread disbelief that such skills exist. Take another more common example – laughter. By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times daily. Compare this to adults who laugh on average 17 times a day. Clearly, children lose things along the way.
Unfortunately, many children experience more than the normal travails of childhood. Hundreds of thousands of children experience neglect and abuse of varying kinds and degrees. With 872,000 confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect in the U.S. for 2004, the result is over half a million children in foster care at any given time.
A survey of pet owning families with substantiated child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused (usually by the parent) in 88% of homes where child abuse was present. Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
The anthropologist, Margaret Mead, warned, “One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” As a youth, Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler” who killed 13 women, trapped cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes. The first act of violence in Carroll Edward Cole’s childhood, one of the most prolific killers in modern history, was to strangle a cat. As the humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, pointed out, “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives.”
Children’s reports of animal abuse in the home need to be taken seriously. Animal abuse, by either a parent or a child, is an indication that the child may be at risk of abuse. Early intervention may prevent the child abuse from happening, although animal abuse can also signal that child abuse is already occurring. Some children who will not talk about their own abuse will share what is happening to their pet. If a child describes animal abuse in the home, they should be interviewed further to determine if he or she is also being abused. In addition, the local animal welfare agency should be notified so that they can check on the care of the animals in the home.
There are a number of states that have mandatory cross reporting laws. In these states, when child abuse has been substantiated, an accompanying report must be made to the animal protection agency should there be animals in the home. Conversely, if animal protection authorities substantiate animal abuse in a home where there are children, then an accompanying report must be made to the child protective services agency. Although legislation of this type has been discussed in the Connecticut legislature in the past, no such law was ever passed. With studies showing the direct connection between animal and child abuse, time is overdue to revisit this type of legislation.
Yes, it is a shame that some individuals cannot appreciate the joy that animals bring to the world. There are reasons for this and they are not random. A child learns what he or she sees and the eyes of a child are always watching. A child will understand the value of animals only through what he or she is taught – and every day holds many teaching moments.
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S., he is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.
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