Your Stories September 2009

To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine! Dear Housewives – Central Connecticut’s Know It All Gals Dear Readers,Do you have a question regarding family life, budgeting, customer service issues, DVD or book reviews, or home organization? We will give you our candid advise from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail or phone with your confidential question and we will answer it in the next issue. - June and Flora Dear Housewives, I was at a kindergarten orientation the other day. The room was filed with parents and their kids. One soon-to-be kindergartener was tapping his pen on the table. I wasn't close enough to say anything. It annoyed the heck out of me. The mother twice told him to stop. He kept it up. What is wrong with parents? - Writers Cramp in Meriden FLORA: Since you weren't close enough to ask him nicely to quiet down, what were you to do? But your question is about the parent. That is exactly the problem. Kids like tapping pens, making noise, maybe he'll be a future drummer. But....there is a time and a place for everything. Parents: if you need your child to stop an action, and you tell them, FOLLOW THROUGH. Nothing is more confusing for a child, aggravating for the parents and those around then the parent that says "Johnny stop. Johnny stop " over and over.... JUNE: Are we talking about a tapping pencil or was he building a bomb? I think the parents had to assess the situation. They could make a big taboo about a tapping pencil and create a scene or let it go and assume he/she will get bored and stop. If it was really loud and distracting to many I am sure they would have removed him from the room. Sometimes, less is better. And by the way, even if you are sitting close enough, mind your business, don't tell someone else's kid what to do while the parents are right there. MOVIE/BOOK REVIEW FLORA: I viewed a 2007 (yes June, a current movie -even though I saw and enjoyed "The Great Outdoors" with John Candy and Dan Aykroid 1988 last night...) film directed by Sean Penn called. "Into the Wild". This film adaptation of the book by Jon Krakauer was based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a 1990 graduate of Emory University who gave away all his life savings (over $25,000) to travel to the Alaskan wilderness with no material goods or money. This film is wonderful on so many different levels. Relationships are the key to who we are and it all starts out with our parents. This rated R film is highly recommended by Flora. Rent it, see it, it may make you think. And thinking is good... JUNE: Geez Flora, where do you find movies from 1988 to rent? Sounds like you have a real snooze fest going on at your house on movie night. We have caught up on the Criminal Minds series. Great show! We just saw "Valkarie"_ with Tom Cruise and many other good actors. It was a very good story about a soldier for the Nazi army who led a team of soldiers trying to assassinate Hitler. This was a true story and very entertaining. My only complaint is that Tom Cruise didn't even attempt to pull off a German accent. I just read, "Send Yourself Roses" by Kathleen Turner. She was a well known actress in the 80's, you know Flora, you probably just saw one of her movies. Anyway, the book was alright and somewhat interesting. She seems very full of herself but a quick and decent read. ______________________________________________________________________________ Bobbie’s Bevy of Beauties In less than a month autumn will be here. Five months ago I was changing my calendars to April 1st. So happy the cold weather was on its way out. Even though spring and summer is almost gone with chilly, many rainy days and now this hot humid weather I can’t help but think of winter. How I despise it. November and December should be the extended fall. January and February should be the beginning of spring. The month of March I’ll accept as is. It could be bad or good. Or half and half. One nasty month out of twelve wouldn’t be too hard to cope with. Finally that long awaited tomato sandwich. Plus the smaller and beauties I gobble up as is. And didn’t have to wait for Labor Day as I thought. With the blight and other lousy conditions I’m surprised Jimmy got as many as he did. Plus ugly looking leafless plants. Letting his garden bed rest for this year where he planted six to eight cuke plants instead put two in huge pots. Usually had a crop of 250 plus. This year all of four. He and most of the gardeners I spoke with had bad luck with this veggie as well as their other plants. Cold, rain and especially the humidity were the culprits. Also forgot the various bugs. They did a wonderful “HOLE” eating job. The black-eyed-Susan did weather the storm. An abundance of them everywhere. Such a pretty and long lasting perennial. Didn’t think the hibiscus was going to make it. But I put up a good fight and won. A huge bed of white, pink, orchid and one lone red survivor. Some of the blooms are the size of dinner plates. Each blossom lasts about a day. But with so many buds I’ll have these beauties around for awhile. Extremely tall, yellow and orange Minnie clustered blooms of the Helena plants were planted in front of a section of our stockade fence. They make a great backdrop for the hibiscus. The pink turtle-heads have begun their showy display. Started with about twelve plants. Now I have a huge bed of them too. Hip-hip-hooray for my sunflowers. They made it this year. Maybe the peanuts and acorns I fed the squirrels satisfied them. The autumn joy sedum has begun its change of color from green to red. Other than my chrysanthemums coming into flower, which probably won’t be for another four to six weeks, these will be the last of “B-B-of B’s.” Flowercerely yours, Bobbie G. Vosgien P.S. School again? What a fast summer vacation - Izzy-Bella 1st grade at Benjamin Franklin, Abby 8th grade at Lincoln and Emmy “MeO” 10th grade at Platt. The two geckos Helen and Keller will also be returning to Mr. Emple’s science class. Adoption was an option but Mom and Dad said no. Have included a photo of the little darlings. They are rather cute. Believe it or not I will miss them. Just a reminder to the Meriden graduating class of 1954. Our 55th class reunion on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at Jacoby’s Restaurant. The high school is gone but the memories still remain. Love always and best wishes to our granddaughter Emmy “MeO” who became 15 on August 27, 2009. Love Grammie Bobbie and Gump Jimmy Happy 20th Anniversary to DeAnne and Tom on August 25, 2009. Love, Uncle Bobbie and Aunt Jimmy – Remember? _____________________________________________________________________________________ To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine! The Woeful Garden, circa 2009 By Ernie Larsen This could be the summer of MY discontent in regards to my annual ritual of planting a garden. I start out in the spring, highly enthused and motivated hoping for a good return after all of my hard work. I buy my tomato plants from a fellow on the Chamberlain Highway and some at the garden center at Lowe’s. This year was no exception and I ran into the same problem as many of my budding garden enthusiasts – late blight. This affliction causes dark spots and eventual rot of tomato fruit on the vine. Combined with an abnormally wet growing season – my harvest, of tomatoes, is going to be pitiful. It also affected my cucumber, squash and green bean plantings. And as mentioned I have a bumper crop of basil, which I share with colleagues at work and have been enjoying some fabulous Mozzarella Caprese. I did, however do some experimenting with a different gardening technique. This was initiated by a TV commercial exhorting the virtues of growing tomatoes and other vegetables upside down. Yep, upside down in this device they would send me for the low price of $19.95 or so, plus shipping and handling. Did you ever wonder what ‘handling’ meant? I figure if you were shipping something, you would have to handle it, correct? Anyway, being of the frugal bent, I GOOGLED upside down tomato growing and was given a few ideas; one using a 2 liter soda bottle, cutting off the spout and bottom of the bottle and rigging it with some twine, filling it with potting soil along with the tomato plant. I did make one; the only expense was about .75 cents (that’s what I figure the plant cost) it was a bit ugly, but the plant is still growing, however it has yet to produce any fruit. And one day at lunch while perusing the garden section of the Job Lot store I spotted a planter, a half circle made of heavy metal wire lined with cocoa matting; looks like the stuff they make doormats from. These came in white and green, very decorative, on the garage hang-worthy. They cost around $4.00 each so I bought a couple. I cut a hole in the center of the mat lining, then filled the lining with a mixture of potting soil and a small bit of compost and stuck in the plant. I used a tomato in one and a bell pepper plant in the other. So far the tomato plant has sprouted one fruit and there are two peppers on the other as shown in the accompanying photo. If you do try this – remember to water them EVERY day. Seeing they’re not in the ground they dry out very quickly. Even they aren’t heavy producers, they do look good hanging on either side of the garage. The total cost for each was around $4.75. A far cry from $20.00 plus TV offers, eh? And my gardening piece d’ resistance is what I’ve dubbed ‘The Mysterious Orb”. Every year I sow some herb seeds in a 24” x 6” planter on the deck, I filled the planter with a 60/40% combination of compost and regular garden soil. I left it on the deck railing for a week or so, it had rained almost every day it was out there and when I went out to plant some green onion seeds I noticed something growing already. Thinking it was a weed I was ready to pull it, then I noticed it had a similar resemblance to cucumber leaves so I gave it a reprieve. Gotta tell you, this plant started growing like gangbusters, healthy foliage and plenty of yellow flowers, I’m thinking either a lot of cucumbers or maybe squash, both leaf patterns are alike. And a month later my wife tells me to check out what has sprouted. An unusual looking round fruit with all the characteristics of a melon. Check out the photo, I reckon it grew from a dormant seed that had survived the composting process. I’ve read about this happening so it is not that unusual, but it was pretty weird, to say the least. We’re letting grow a bit larger before it is picked and determined if it is in fact edible. And that my children is the saga of the mysterious orb; Sleep tight! _______________________________________________________________________ Acts Of Kindness by Sil Reynolds August 21, 2009 was one of those unbearable, hot, humid days (at least for me it was). Paul, my 4th son, 5th child, has committed himself to mowing my lawn the past 1 1/2 months. Before he left for work that morning he quoted the nursery rhyme of my childhood, "Pick up sticks." This activity can be child-like but I put it off until later in the afternoon, and even then, I found it taxing to my back, my legs and my metabolism. The only "plus" was the intrusion of a lilting, happy sound from next door, "Priscilla, what are you doing?" A pretty five year old ran across her driveway and up our bank to confront me with: "How are you, today? How long will you be outside? Will you come out later?" And then she told me about her day. Her chatting gave me a chance to rest but I listened to her carefully (sometimes, I don't hear well) as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. From the distance, her mother called her home and I forged onward to complete "picking up sticks". Paul arrived home, declaring that he would mow after resting. "No," he didn't want me to get the gas. He would do it. "No," he didn't want to eat. That would make him too tired. I looked at his grimy hands and face and his grass stained clothes and regretted deeply that I was not twenty years younger and able to do yard work. He rinsed off the dirt and changed into lighter clothing and then sprawled his body across the flannel coverlet on his bed. The TV station blurted out the scores of his beloved METS. I returned to the backyard and attempted to clean out the blades of the lawn mower from the collection of grass the last four mowings. My #3 son, Matt, had mowed several times in the beginning of the summer and insisted that the mower would be more efficient if the blades were kept clean. These conflicting opinions were erased from my mind by the sweet melody of familiar words from the child next door, "Priscilla, what are you doing?" As quick as a rabbit she arrived at my side. She pointed to her driveway where her grandfather was climbing up on his rider mower, "That's my Grandpa. He works a lot." He waved, and this time I heard her Grandma calling her, and so we parted. I returned to a cool living room to rest before finishing supper preparations. Both Paul and I fell asleep. I dreamt that my yard was beautiful and I was able to apply all the mulch to the gardens and kept them cleared of weeds; I even clipped the trees that were sprouting up on the bank and trimmed the grass along side of the railings. I awoke to the sound of heavy machinery in the front yard. Then I laughed! Even 20 years ago I couldn't accomplish all that my dream gifted me with. I woke Paul and both of us were amazed when we looked out on a young and vibrant grandpa from next door mowing our hilly front lawn. By the way, Paul finished the lawn that night and I think the Mets won. (I'll hear about it if they didn't). To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! _______________________________________________________________________ WRAPPING UP SUMMER CHORES AS KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL By Phyllis S. Donovan When we were young, our mother said that she always felt lonely when we went back to school in the fall. I know how she felt. The end of summer heralds a complete change in habits from the slow pace of vacation days to the faster routine of fall. Many youngsters these days don’t even get to Labor Day before they have to set summer behind them and start thinking about school. Like most people, I’ve been bemoaning the fact that the season now winding down could hardly be counted as a typical summer. In fact, I think we all feel a bit gypped that between two months of nearly daily rain and, more recently, over a week of stifling temperatures and soaring humidity, we simply can’t remember a decent string of purely lovely summer days. In fact, just today, a mere 24 hours before our first grandchild goes back to school, I finally finished staining our back deck. We started that job back in late May, worked at it sporadically whenever we got two sunny days in a row and postponed it through the recent heat wave. At last, it is looking pristinely fresh, just when the summer is drawing to a close and we probably won’t be sitting out there that often. Let me tell you, this was the project from hell. If anyone had told me I’d be spending my whole summer on that one simple job, I would have laughed in their face. When we put out the deck furniture this spring, we both decided that the deck was looking pretty shabby. Paint was peeling and mold coated most of the floor and railings. My husband spent a couple of days sanding and scraping the loose paint which made it look shabbier than ever. I spent two days washing the whole thing down with bleach to get rid of the mold and, finally, just before June arrived, we were ready to paint, or actually, stain it, as the case may be. We both thought we knew exactly the attractive blue-grey shade we wanted to stain the deck rails and floor (the uprights have always been white). Sherwin-Williams was having a sale so down we went to get a gallon of each to do the job. Starting at the top, the very next day we stained the top railing and found that it dried to such a gaudy blue, we knew we wouldn’t be able to live with it. Back we went to see if they could tone it down a bit. “Too blue” we said, “Make it a more neutral grey.” So the man added squirts of other colors, shook it up and we came back to redo the railing. This time it came out a lovely soft green-y grey that looked like olive trees on an Italian hillside. Very attractive, but it didn’t match the old grey, and we didn’t want to have to repaint the underpinnings of this second-story deck which can be seen from anywhere in the back of the house. So my husband went down under the deck and retrieved some of the paint scrapings that had fallen there. We glued them to a sheet of paper, took them back to the store and this time had to buy a brand new gallon of stain (now no longer on sale) to be mixed to match. Even this third version didn’t match exactly but it was close enough. For the third time, we restained the railing …and that’s as far as we got. From then on, it rained and rained and rained. Once in awhile, we’d get just an overcast day without rain but by then the wood was so saturated we didn’t dare try to stain it. So through June and July we sat and waited for the weather to clear. You remember how it was…the rain just didn’t stop. Toward the end of July, we hit a nice spell and I tackled the uprights and freshened up all the white paint around the big windows that open onto the deck. So far. so good. But then, my husband’s back was paining him badly so he had to go into the hospital for a serious spinal operation followed by a week of rehab. I had to set aside my painting aspirations because all my time was taken up running back and forth to hospital, rehab and finally tending to a homebound patient. Meanwhile every time we looked out on the deck, we cringed at a job left undone. That was before the heat wave hit. Unlike mad dogs and Englishmen, we couldn’t bring ourselves to go out and paint in the mid-day sun…or any other time of day. Until today! “It’s one of God’s 10 best days of the year,” crowed my husband fairly hauling me, grumbling, out of bed. “You can finish the staining job today,” he said enthusiastically (probably because he’s still not well enough to do it). So out I went with my long handled paint squeegee and was done before noon. “There,” I said to myself, “I’ve finally finished the job!” But when the sun moved around to the back of the house, I could see all the “holidays,” spots I’d missed in my haste. I suppose I should go right out now and touch up all those spots and be done with it once and for all. But then, I’d have to move on to the other jobs I thought I’d tackle before fall. I had planned to clean out the clutter in my husband’s office and put down the new rug I bought for that room two years ago. I’ve also wanted to neat up the attic. I haven’t been able to find anything up there since we changed cable service and the tech guy tossed everything around when he installed the new cable. During any other summer, I could have done it all. This year, I’ll just be satisfied if I make it through this one job before the snow flies. __________________________________________________________________________________ One Hot Day In July My wife and I have a mobile trailer parked at a campground near Sandy Lake in Pennsylvania. This summer I decided to build a new storage shed to replace the one that had worn out its welcome of 20 years of service. I drew up the plans and purchased all the material. I then measured, cut, hammered nails, drove screws, climbed up and down my ladder nailing up rafters, plywood sheeting and shingles. So, after a month and a half of working weekends, I had just about gotten the job completed. I didn’t have much left to finish, so on the last weekend in July, I got out to the campground early, and started right in on where I had left off the weekend before. I hung the door, and then began to put the siding on the back wall. All I wanted to do was to finish the siding, and move along with a couple of odds and ends, such as nailing on some trim and the siding. That was all -- no big request, nor too big a wish. But, just as I put a nail in the second piece of siding, my wishes were dampened. I knew there were some bees behind the shed, but I thought nothing of them ... I would leave them alone and they would return the favor. Humph. Well, at one point in my efforts, I heard the buzzing, but didn't see the source of it. I just waved my hand to shoo it away. Well, that had no effect on the creature, so I decided I'd better get the heck out of there ... but the buzzing stayed with me. I flailed, swatted, cursed, and ran hollering for my wife Mary to come help me. That single miserable bee wanted to kill me. (I could tell by the mean sound of the buzzzzzing.). I was now up on the deck of the trailer yelling to Mary to get this doggone beast away from me. Mary had been busy inside the trailer washing dishes. She came out yelling something about not wanting to get stung herself. "Help !!!-- Help !!!," were my words of distress. "I got stung under my arm, and this monster bee is out to get me ... do something !" "It's in your hair !" she cried out. "Well, knock it out of there," I begged. "But it will sting me," she repeated, uncaringly. Bravely, though, she swung at it, knocking it out of my hair and onto the floor of the deck. Then, with the speed of a thundering lightning bolt, I stomped on my determined antagonist. I have to admit that I was scared, really scared. I have never in my life had a bee chasing me and buzzing around my body like that deranged bumblebee did on that hot day in July. Eventually, with caution, I did get the shed completed. And, in a way, I felt obligated to dedicate it to that ferocious stinging machine. It gave its life in trying its darnedest to keep me from finishing my project. May it rest in peace. By George Arndt ________________________________________________________________________________ Maggie’s Corner Faith’s Review and Expectations By: Maggie Griffin “Faith's Review and Expectations”, a song we know as "Amazing Grace". This is not in the History Books. But for Students who took an elective class in High School called Music Theory, learned this song is a part of American History. A song that set an example, a song that made history, a song still sung today and will be for generations to come. This is learned in Music Theory, in all places of worship and in many journeys of one’s life. But think about this subject, learned in an elective course in a school called Music Theory. If a student didn't take that elective course, they wouldn't have learned the importance of why this song was written as it is not only a part of History, but embarks our future as well. This song’s hymns and lyrics were written by John Newton, a man mentioned in the History Books. You see, John Newton was a slave trader back in the 1700’s. He brought thousands of men, woman and children from Africa to what was called Auction Blocks. It wasn't until 1748, during a violent storm that almost sunk his ship, he then realized in the power of prayer. He fell to his knees and begged for mercy to save the people on his ship, himself and to save the ship from sinking. It was that night in 1748 he realized there is a higher power that heard prayers of all people, bad or good. Since that experience, Newton repented. Here was a man who was a slave driver who then became a man that fought to free the slaves, all based on his plea to God to save the people on his ship, including himself, and his ship. Following his experience, and plea to God, he then became a preacher who wrote a song in 1772 called "Faith's Review and Expectations", a song we know as "Amazing Grace". It is obvious John Newton saw the light. He wasn't afraid to put back right where he went wrong. He changed history simply by conveying a message in a song he wrote along with speaking up, without fear, in his fight to free the slaves after his experience in 1748 from a violent storm. From that experience he changed; and he made sure the world knew about it. This is an example of what change is. What we can do and say based on experience, will be a change to help others, simply by living any experience. Never be afraid to speak up. It takes experience that affects one person that will make a difference to help millions for the goodness of all. There will always be those people who will continue to miss-judge, make fun of and lie about a person who speaks up; reason is because they are afraid of change. If any experience that affected one person can be the experience to make a change that will help others, speak up and show no fear. That is the message behind "Amazing Grace". “Amazing Grace” is a song that was sung by both sides of the Civil War, a song played and sung during freedom marches, a song heard by millions when Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of His Dream. This same song is also the song that was sung and played during the crumbling down of the Berlin Wall and the tragedy that took the lives of thousands of people on September 11th, 2001. This song was sung, played and heard when The Saints marched back into the Super-dome after the rebuilding from the fallen city that caused terrible damages to people, animals, homes, businesses and land caused by Hurricane Katrina. I can name many more examples behind the meaning of "Amazing Grace". But the one example I will emphasize is, “Amazing Grace” is the song that has been, and continues to be, the song sung and heard by all people from all walks of life, for many reasons. Just look at John Newton, a man who did wrong and repented the rest of his life to put right where he went wrong. Through his writing of this song, he has conveyed a message to millions since he wrote this song in 1772, a song that still sends a message today. He changed his ways because of an experience. Through this song, it is obvious that Grace is the Power that will put right where it went wrong. This song is not only a part of History, places of Worship and Music Theory classes; it is a song we hear in many places, even in the privacy of one’s home. It is still sung in today's society for several reasons that comfort millions around the world. It proves that all humans only have one chance in life to put right where it went wrong, no matter what the circumstance is. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Connecticut Outdoors Written BY: Paul Narducci 　　 The season isn’t even over yet but I’m excited for the 2010 season as companies start to show case some of their new lures, rods, reels and fishing stuff in general. I love this time of year something new to try. I really enjoy fishing new lures because fish haven’t seen them yet. This has already helped some fisherman win a lot of money. Take an old lure and add a twist to it, simple but yet so affective. Heddon has taken the Zara spook and added BB’s to a chamber inside.. Simply brilliant! Alone the zara spook is with out a doubt a fantastic lure, add a twist to it and hold on. They have also added to the Yum line the Yum Money Frog as well as the Yum Money Hound. Top water action with frogs got to love this as well. For those who haven’t tried frog fishing your missing out on some of the most explosive fishing you will ever have. My wife Bonnie was really thrilled to hear that Xcalibur is coming out with an XR25 a smaller rattle bait that she loves throwing in a quarter ounce size. Her favorite color as you may know is red. Fishing reels have come along way and that is true with what Ardent has been able to do with their line of bait casters. Not only did these reels help Alton Jones win the 2008 Bassmaster Classic they continue to help fisherman across the country benefit from such great reels. I am really excited about their spinning reel the S2500. I love using spinning reels and this is truly keeping with the Ardent reputation of making a fisherman friendly reel. Ardent has come out with a Denny Brauer Flip n Pitch reel that looks fantastic and will make flipping easy for all of us. If your looking for a culling system their Smartcull system makes culling easy and quicker for any tournament fisherman looking for an advantage above the competition. Although this rod (triumph) by St Croix isn’t new this rod has become quickly my favorite to use. It is light, affordable and can handle big fish as you will see in our shows airing in September. I have had severe back problems this summer and this rod has helped in so may ways. I will have more about this but had to give you a sneak peek, much more for next year. The Connecticut River has been on fire lately and I recommend if you have a boat get out and enjoy some fantastic fishing. When your fishing the river you’ll want to find a weed line and fish it. They are everywhere and at low tide easy to find. Try using a frog, buzz bait and a spinner bait in and around these weeds. You will also want to look for rocks on your humminbird unit or look at the shoreline and that will make it easy. Find rocks and current and you will find fish. Try using tubes, gonzo grubs, pudgies , ozmos and the always go to bait, the craw papi. The river is my favorite place to fish but it is also the hardest. A reminder to everyone who owns a boat take time to check everything. You need to tighten everything on your boat, motor and trailer. Things will come loose and the time you take today will save you a lot of aggravation tomorrow. You will also want to check your batteries. Battery maintenance is very important. Next month look for our article about a week we spent at the Victory Junction Camp in North Carolina. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Local Music Store Evolves into JCMusicWorld.com By Jeff “JC” Caillouette JC Music in Meriden has recently made a huge addition to its business. The store itself provides sales as a full-line music store, does hundreds of rentals to schools and parents throughout the state, offers a complete repair service for guitars, amps, pianos, violins and band instruments along with providing almost three hundred private music lessons each week. The latest addition to our website has a section promoting bands from all over Connecticut. Anyone can quickly find all the bands located in their hometown. This is all found on our well-known informational site (http://www.jc-music.com/). Despite all that JC Music has to offer, I finally came to realize that for us to continue our success we would need to embrace new technologies and join the 21st Century. I decided to focus on smart marketing, hiring a tech friendly staff composed of talented musicians and accepting the fact that we needed a strong web presence for on-line sales. I hired Mike Longo as my on-site staff IT manager to maintain our retail store website (http://www.jc-music.com/, our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/jcmusicstore ), and our facebook page along with working side by side with me to develop a new site solely for e-commerce. Mike was the perfect choice for me because he and I share the same vision. Most e-commerce sites opened by local businesses are seeking a larger share of their local market. This makes sense since several studies have shown that at least 70% of customers are searching for local businesses on the Internet before opening a phone book. So, we knew by keeping our informational site updated with fresh content, we could accomplish that. But, we didn’t simply want a larger Connecticut presence; we wanted to develop an e-commerce site to run with the big dogs. We knew this would be very costly but we were planning for the long term. The investment in the new e-commerce site (http://www.jcmusicworld.com/) has been well worth it. For us to remain a viable company in this world, we knew we would need to go after the global market. Our informational site is already very popular and has a student of the month gallery, a JC Music YouTube section, a Student Showcase Recital section and much more including lesson, repair and instrument rental information. However, we never attempted to try selling products on this site since it is so packed with local information that even includes clips of our old T.V. commercials. Now that http://www.jcmusicworld.com/ has been developed and is up and running, Mike and I are adding new products and improving the site on a weekly basis. We now have major manufacturers contacting us and asking to have their products added on a regular basis. We can only stock a limited amount of products in our 3,500 square foot store, so JC Music World is shipping online orders from several warehouses across the country. We now have well over 100,000 products for sale and are adding new products every week. Our site is one of a kind. Our focus is clearly based on music sales with over 30,000 music books and sheets, over 20,000 karaoke supplies, plus DJ equipment, guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, music gifts, world & folk instruments, band & orchestra instruments and much, much more. But, if you look closely, you’ll find that we also carry car audio products, iPod accessories, radar and laser detectors, GPS systems, pepper spray, metal detectors, knives, bluetooth headsets, and our highly popular stun guns with up to 950,000 volts. We also ship home electronics such as televisions, stereo systems, electronic clocks, calculators, MP3 players, jeweler’s supplies, sporting goods, and power tools all at amazing prices! For the holidays we even have music apparel, holiday decorations and most any gift you can think of for a musician. JC Music World was not created to take the place of our local store in Connecticut but is clearly designed to take on the big guys as we join the world of on-line sales with an e-commerce store that carries some very unique products! Good luck finding another online music store where you can add a musical t-shirt, a guitar, handcuffs, a drum set, a car stereo, a machete sword, a French horn, and a flashlight along with classic Nintendo into one shopping cart! Have fun shopping at JCMusicWorld.com! __________________________________________________________________________________ To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine! Peoples Press South Meriden Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating it’s 101 years of service to the Village of South Meriden and the City of Meriden. Fund Raising Information We also want to thank all of our financial supporters who have already donated to our annual fund raiser. We use these funds each year to help off set our small budget. We purchase additional fire fighting gear, Emergency Service supplies and use some for training. We are also looking to purchase an Emergency 4 wheel ATV (i.e. a Gator) to be used on the new Liner Trail and for the next phase of the trail proceeding from Dawson Beach parking lot & behind Wilcox and Platt High Schools to Coe Ave. With the over whelming popularity of the trail, and the trail not being readily accessible to fire apparatus and ambulances do to the safety/security barriers, having an equipped Emergency response 4 wheel ATV will allow us to reach people that might get injured or become ill in a timely fashion. This vehicle will be equipped with a stationary stretcher pad and a seat for an attendant. The price of the unit equipped with a trailer is approximately $15,000, and we are half way to our goal for this emergency response vehicle.. Donations can be sent to SMVFD, at PO Box 3030, Meriden, CT 06450 Fire Education & Home Safety Check 17 years ago we introduced our annual Home Safety Check for the residents of our fire district. We are still providing this Free service to all our neighbors. Please call us to set up an appointment. We will come to your home and make suggestions on safety items that could protect your family and your home. We will suggest the proper locations for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and types of fire extinguishers to have in the home and other emergency equipment that can be used in case of a fire or medical emergency. Our fire education services are dedicated to developing fire prevention and education projects in the South Meriden community. Some programs involve pre-school and elementary school children while others involve adults and the elderly. Our department also helps businesses with fire extinguishing classes to educate employees in the event of a fire Now its time for a several safety tips for our neighbors. We hope you all have working smoke detectors in your home. Working Smoke detectors save lives. Please make sure that you changed your batteries in the detectors. The best time to remember to change the batteries is when day light saving time comes. When you change your clocks back or forth change the batteries for safety. But if you did not have the opportunity to change the battery yet the today would be a good time also. Also if you do not have carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in your home please purchase them. CO Emergencies just do not happen in the winter months. CO is a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas that is produced by inefficient burning and incomplete combustion of fuel products in heating appliances, furnace, hot water heaters, and stoves. If you do not have efficient burning appliances in the home, over a period of time CO could be building up in the home which if unchecked could lead to medical conditions and even Death. Having your furnace cleaned and serviced each year will help keep the units running more efficiently. CO is the silent killer, please protect your family and yourself and purchase CO detectors for your home. CO is also produced by normal operation of your vehicles and comes out of the vehicles exhaust systems. Running your vehicle in the garage could cause CO to seep directly into the home. Another health Tip. If you can and have the time and the energy may be you can help a neighbor who is a little older or might be ill, give them a hand by mowing the lawn or cleaning their gutters. Please take caution when on ladders when cleaning gutters or cleaning windows. Make sure you are clear of all electrical lines when raising a ladder or lowing a ladder. It feels real good to be able to help others out during the year if you can help some one today. Also with this rash of storms we have been having please be careful to take shelter inside a building during lighting storms. If you see wires down do not go near them call 911 for assistance and the fire department and or police department will come out to secure the area until CL&P can get to the scene. We also want to thank all of our friends that have helping clean snow and ice a way from fire hydrants during the winter months, now we are also asking you to help by clearing weeds and grass away from the hydrants during the summer months. This allows the fire department during fire emergencies to hook up to fire hydrants quicker to gain access to a water supply if the fire is one of a substantial size; your help is really appreciated. And one more health tip. If you are under a doctor’s care and take certain medications keep a list of these medications handy just in case you have the need to call 911 for during a medical emergency. Also with this list you might want to give a little history of any medical conditions that you also might have. These are important things for emergency responders to have just in case you are unable to respond to our questions when we arrive at your home. A good place to keep this information is in an envelope on you refrigerator and note that it is Medical Info. Information about our application process: Membership Information After September 11, 2001 (911) we had a surge of memberships in Volunteer Fire Departments not only in CT but a cross the Nation. The numbers of volunteers has dropped in the last several years and we all need help to continue to serve our communities. We are looking for some eager, hard working and committed volunteer recruits to join our department. South Meriden Vol. Fire Dept now is accepting applications. We are recruiting citizens from Meriden over the age of 18 who are High School Graduates in good physical health and have a clean police record. No fire fighting experience is necessary; we will train you and send you for training. We also do recruitment for certified firefighters that live outside of Meriden as long as they can meet our bylaw requirements to do minimum one duty overnight crew a week plus meet our drill, meeting and squad duty requirements. We are still one of the only Volunteer fire stations in the State that have sleep-in crews at our fire station we presently cover 6 out of 7 nights. Our nightly in-house status allows us to service our customers you our neighbors quicker. Being a volunteer fire fighter takes a lot of commitment and time. Our members make a lot of personal sacrifices to belong to our department, but they get great satisfaction of being part of terrific tradition of saving lives and property. We train and work hard but we love serving and protecting our friends and visitors. Applications can be picked up at our station at 31 Camp Street, South Meriden in the evenings. We are a DRUG FREE Department and we TEST all applicants. Good-bye for now, talk to you soon Keep Safe & Stay Healthy during the summer! Keith Gordon, Chief of Operations South Meriden Fire Rescue ____________________________________________________________________ Barbara's Bountiful Bouquet Perhaps "bountiful" is not the operative word this summer, and what a challenge gardening has been this year. In my August submission I had mentioned hearing from one gardener about the tomato blight, whose garden is way far away from my end of the Wallingford Community Garden. I had said I hoped he was wrong. Well, everything was going along okay, and then sometime between the evening of August 3rd and the afternoon of August 4th, my garden was hit, along with three gardens immediately surrounding mine, and we were the last gardens to succumb to this tomato blight. It ruined other plants as well, not just tomatoes. Almost all of the gardeners pulled their tomatoes out of the ground and disposed of the blighted branches in the garbage. If they had green tomatoes that were unscathed, they took them home. I had a lot of green tomatoes, and had only picked 10 cherry tomatoes in the two days beforehand, so I took a different approach. One plant at a time, and I have 18 tomato plants, I pulled off all the affected branches and threw out the bad tomatoes. It was time-consuming, but it did the trick. Oh, sure, I found more blighted tomatoes in the days to come and more dead branches, but the disease never progressed any further. My production is way down from previous years, and some of the plants only had like four tomatoes on them, but in the ensuing weeks I have picked 125 cherry tomatoes, 18 Jet Stars, and just 2 Better Boys. What this has taught me, I believe, is that cherry tomatoes are hardy and Jet Stars seem to be hardier than Better Boys by a long shot. I'll keep that in mind for next year. I am writing this on August 23rd, and I still have quite a lot of green tomatoes and many pink ones almost ready to pick. The cucumbers had a rough time, even after a second and third planting. I picked my last one a couple of days ago, and only got 18 cucumbers in all, which is not very impressive. The black-eyed susans are winding down as well as my other perennials, none of which did very well this summer. I think I planted the new ones at the wrong time of the year. Someone lopped off one of my lily plants, and so I dug a hole for a heliopsis summer sun, and then that died. Jeez. The good news is that all of the sunflowers I planted from seed are still growing and have yet to bloom, so I will get some late flowers along with several cleomes that popped up on their own in the midst of the sunflowers. The marigolds that seemed to grow at a snail's pace are finally filling out and looking very colorful and happy. I've picked 10 peppers to date, and some more are still maturing. I might get another six or so. In past years I have had so many vegetables that I was able to put them in a basket on the front porch for passersby to take. Not this year. I have shared my bounty with only two of my friends. I had my first yummy tomato sandwich two weeks ago on August 9th and have had several since then. Boy, those were tasty. What a summer this has been with weeks of rain and hardly any sun. I truly enjoyed those nights with temperatures in the low or mid 60s, but it really had an effect on the growing season. All in all, this summer has been somewhat discouraging, and many gardeners more or less gave up. It is not in my nature to give up. I will still be going to the garden to water, as rain is now not in the forecast, and I will continue to harvest some tomatoes, peppers, and garlic, and will still be pulling out weeds, and then it will be time to put the garden to bed, all too soon. I enjoy gardening. I do admit to yelling out my window a few times, "Stop, rain, stop! My poor garden! Please stop." That was some weeks ago and I was frustrated. However, all in all, I love being outside, preferably in the sun, and gardening, my hands in the soil and connecting with Mother Earth, listening to and watching the birds, aware of butterflies and bees, breathing in the fresh air, and just enjoying the moments away from computers and other electronic devices, oftentimes the only one there at the community garden, and on particularly hot days holding the hose with the spray nozzle above my head and letting the water come down in a fine mist over me. So refreshing. Being in the garden is like having a door opening to a world away from reality, and yet being in a place that is truly real, basic, simple, calm, peaceful, and accepting. Ah, summer, I love you. Barbara Sherburne barndt49@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________________________________ What would I do if I "No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury?" Many years ago (it was 1950 and I was in Fairbanks, Alaska) the only form of communication was the telephone, radio, or the typewritten word. I spent many an hour typing reports that could have been done in minutes with a computer. We listened to short wave radio to hear what is now standard TV weather reports. We read more books and magazines than today. The most important component of my communication equipment was my typewriter (non electric. If I had the free time of that era and the electronic equipment of today, I would have written many a story and perhaps finished a book or two. What happened to all the time I once had? I guess the more modern we became, the more time disappeared. Ron Bushman ____________________________________________________________________ _ What would I do if I "No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury?" Submitted by Kimberley Linstruth-Beckom What would I do if I "No phone, no light, no motor car, not a single luxury?" Well, I certainly could not be watching any Gilligan's Island reruns-- that's for sure. All kidding aside, it's a good question to ponder, really, and I have on many occasions. I know I'd have a lot less stress in life if I didn't have this convenient technology.Stress? How could you have stress with today's conveniences, Kim? They are supposed to make your life easy, you know. Easy? Um, has any writer out there ever tried to send out an article without rereading after spell check? Any? Didn't think so. You see, I find that the more "easy" something becomes, the harder it is to deal with.Let's take automated operators, for instance. These computers were supposed to be put in place so that companies could save you time while they save money. I get annoyed with this technology because when I speak to the automated call center teller, I expect that computer generated voice will understand a New Yorker. Unfortunately, I wind up getting some computer voice from Maine or the Mid West and they don't understand New York accents. So, I wait and wait to be directed to someone with a pulse. The phone keeps ringing and then, suddenly, I hear a dial tone. Yep, the computer gave up and hung up on me. That wouldn't be so bad if I had the answer to the question I wanted to ask. But since I don't, I must call back and pray that the automated voice understands me. I spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour just to get an answer to my questions this way. Not for nothing, but the last time I spent that long on a phone call was when I was a teenager. And at least back then I was having fun talking, not listening to rejected elevator music.Another thing that annoys me is the internet. There are a lot of people that like it, find it easy, and can spend hours on it having fun. But when I need to really work with it for research on an article, it is not easy or fun. I don't know about any of you, but when I'm trying to look up factual information on a health issue, fibromyalgia as an example, and I type the actual disease into a search engine, I don't get the facts. I usually get someone who wants to sell me a magical cure. So for something that should only take a minute or two, it winds up taking hours because I have to sift through advertisements. I might as well go to the library because at least there I will be able to smell the books from stack to stack.A cell phone is another very annoying piece of technology and it ranks up there with the pager from the 90's. You see, sometimes I might really be indisposed and I can't get to that very important and pressing phone call about something that needs to be done at work that only I, the one who has a day off from work, can solve. Sometimes I might be getting an x-ray done, having dental work done, or maybe I actually might be in the bathroom taking a shower. Water and x-rays are big no-nos for cell phone usage and really, unless the sky is falling, that important phone call probably can wait.Text messaging and instant messaging are two other really annoying things to me too. I can't tell you how many times people have misunderstood my messages because I use actual English when writing them. I don't abbreviated anything and I use punctuation too. I know, how could I, right? I mean why would I, the writer, want to get my point across clearly? The other reason why I hate it is because people expect an instant message back right away and that's just not possible at times. Hence, it ranks up there with cell phones.Computers themselves can be a pain too. Viruses can run rampant and reak havock on your system. It usually happens to me when I have an important deadline for an article that might make or break my career. But of course, I'll never know since I can't use my computer until the gosh darn virus is out. I also never remember being stressed out hearing thunder when I was typing away on my typewriter. I'd just light a candle through the power outage and write on. Sure, I have a battery, but do I really want to waste it on work in an outage? I may need the juice for something else, like checking a weather report. Speaking of power outages, cordless phones are also another fun form of technology. Ever try using one in a power outage? Yeah, they don't work too well, do they?So, in answer to the question, what would I do if I had no technology to use? I'd probably go on a vacation with all of my free time. I'd pack my backpack up with some clothing and get on my hiking shoes and I'd go for a hike with a few close friends and family. Perhaps I'd even light a fire and pitch a tent. And when it comes to figuring out what to eat at the campfire, I won't need a search engine for a recipe because I'll rely on my cooking talents and those around me...Should be some good stress free times. To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! ___________ What Planet are you From? How I Learned to Live Low-Tech in a High-Tech World By Bill Mercuri The pre-dawn summer morning was cool. Silent. The first sliver of orange sun peaked up above the horizon. This crazy world had managed to rotate one more time on its axis. As half the Earth slumbered in darkness, I quietly meditated and observed and thought about what an amazing planet we live on. So removed from the chaos that can accompany each day was I when the phone rang. The black one on the wall. The one with the rotary dial and the hand held receiver made of lead or some material so dense it could fell a burglar with one clunk to the head. “Hello mister Mersury?” a young female voice greeted me, with less confidence than that of a clumsy middle school boy at the sixth grade dance. “Mer-CURE- e,” I gently corrected. “Sorry.” “Well mister McClurry, this is Crystal from AT&T and I’m calling this morning to thank you for your business as one of our telephone customers.” “You’re welcome, Crystal,” I said, refraining from reminding her that it was barely morning and wondering when telemarketers replaced roosters as official greeters of the new day. “We’re offering a specially priced bundle for current AT&T customers like you.” “Would you be interested in having your cell phone as part of the AT&T network?” she asked. “I’d love to, Crystal, but I don’t own a cell phone,” teasing her with the possibility of an easy sale before I confessed. There was a pause. More of a gasp, I’d say, as twenty-first century girl met prehistoric man. You would have thought that I had told her that I didn’t require air in order to breath. “What do you mean you don’t own a cell phone?” she asked, almost sounding offended. “What do you do in case of an emergency, like your car breaks down or you need to call for Chinese take out on your way home from work?” “I suppose I’d do what I did before there were cell phones,” I explained and proceeded to tell her about the time my Cutlass Supreme died somewhere around Lizard Lick, North Carolina. It was a typical blazing summer day. After my car sputtered to a gradual stop, I walked about a half a mile in the mid-day Carolina sun to downtown Lizard Lick. I’m guessing it was downtown because there was a stop light, a church, a diner and a gas station, the four cornerstones of a downtown in the rural south. I cautiously approached the open garage door at the gas station, a Yankee on Rebel turf. There, four older gentlemen with bib overalls, sipping on Coke’s that they got from the machine outside, were sitting on wooden crates and leaning on can racks, shooting the breeze. One of them, a stocky man in his sixties, with grease on his hands and a smile on his face, greeted me. When I told him of my plight, he treated me like a long lost friend, offered me a cold drink and had me join the others in the garage. It was a slow day in Lizard Lick, imagine that, and he’d be able to help me “right quick.” Right quick. He had the blue Cutlass rolled into the garage and up and running again in no time. While I waited, I joined the other three fellows in some light-hearted talk about nothing, really. Fishing. Racing. State or Carolina? Things I knew little or nothing about. I didn’t mind; it was fun to just sit back and listen to them. The hours flew by. I left the garage, my car running like new and a story to tell. The story of a small town mechanic and his friends who not only fixed cars but spent summer days fixing all that ails the country, from Lizard Lick to Las Vegas, and making a hot and hard luck stranger feel at home. “You get that with your cell phone bundle?” I asked Crystal. “Do you get stuff like ‘right quick’ and bib overalls when you call triple A and sit there and wait for two hours before someone finds you?” “Um, no mister McCreary but…” “It’s Mer-CURE e”, I corrected her again. “God bless you mister McCreary!” she said, mistaking the correct pronunciation of my name for a sneeze. “If you don’t have a cell phone, can we talk about bundling your television service?” “We could if I only had a television,” I replied, waiting to hear her body hit the floor of the telemarketing call center. Apparently resuscitated by one of her early morning co-workers, Crystal’s level of disbelieve escalated. “You’re kidding, right?” “No TV since 2004. The Red Sox won the World Series that October and I determined at that moment that there could never be anything better than that on TV. Ever. So I tossed the 36 inch set out the second floor window.” Silence. “You there, Crystal? Crystal?” I said, a bit afraid that now I might really be freaking her out. “Uh yes, mister McSorley,” she replied, obviously stunned. “You can just call me mister M, OK?” I said, in resignation. “Mister M, without a TV how do you keep up with all of the stuff going on in the world? You know, like who’s on American Idol and watching guys play poker. There are 25 shopping networks, Oprah Winfrey, college badminton, infomercials, music stations and C-Span. Mr. M - how do you live without C-SPAN??” Crystal cried out, with a crescendo. “Crystal, throwing that TV out the window was the best thing I ever did. Now, at times when I used to be sitting on my rear end, lost in the vast wasteland, I’m out walking around the block. I’m getting exercise and meeting my neighbors. I go for a bike ride or work in the yard. Sometimes I’ll visit an old friend and we’ll sit and talk. Other times I just like to go out to the reservoir and perch myself on a rock and watch the geese come in for a soft landing on the still water. Do I need the nature channel for that? I’ve become the nature channel. I read. Books, not TV guide. Dancing with the stars? I dance UNDER the stars. I’m alive! Sitting and snacking has been replaced by exploring the world around me and getting involved with local organizations that are making a difference. Do you have those channels in your bundle?” Apparently unphased at this point, the young, determined saleswoman forged ahead. “Who is your internet service provider, mister M?” “My what?” “You know. On your computer. How do you connect to the internet?” I was afraid that I would put her into complete cardiac arrest if I told her that ever since Bill Gates made my last computer obsolete only six months after I bought it, I no longer own one. So I made up a story that might make her more sympathetic to my condition of being “web free.” “Crystal,” I said, “Surfing the web was my life at one time. Finding funny videos, getting e-mail jokes from my friends, out-bidding senior citizens on e-bay. I had it all. And then it happened. Identity theft.” “Oh, mister M, I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said, seeming genuinely concerned. “Unfortunately yes,” I replied, in a somber tone. “This wasn’t a case of your usual identity theft where some hot shot computer hacker gets hold of your social security number and credit card accounts then goes and lives the good life on your dime until he gets caught.” “This was a case of me losing my identity as a human being. A living, breathing body that no longer knew how to interact with other living breathing bodies but instead was skilled at downloading, uploading, and overloading information, much of it useless, on a screen no bigger than a child’s lunch box. “ “I needed to become human again,” I continued. “I needed to talk to people face to face. See their eyes, read their body language, hear their life stories. I’ve started a collection. A collection of people. People from all walks of life. We sit and we talk. Veterans, waitresses, business owners. Rich, poor, black and white. We talk. Talk about life and what life has done to all of us. People of faith, people in need of faith, young and old. We talk. Talk about their families, dreams they have and dreams had and have long since died. We talk. And we laugh. We cry. And we spend time thinking. We’re human and we’re there for each other. My computer stole that from me.” “Wow, that’s quite a story, mister M,” Crystal said. “Where do you find the time to collect all these people?” “With no TV or computer to tie me down at home and no cell phone to stalk me while I’m away from home, it’s easy. As a matter of fact, I also have time to volunteer at a center for recovering textaholics. Sad. Many are only in their teens but they have these grotesquely formed hands, claws almost, from spending countless hours gripping their little blackberrys and pounding out cryptic messages to their friends using only their thumbs. In severe cases, the person they’re messaging is there in the flesh less than five feet away. At the textaholic rehab classes, usually held at old, mostly abandon buildings called libraries, I tutor them on spelling and correct usage of the English language, two things that are unimportant in the text and e-mail worlds in which they’ve been brought up. I like working with them, Crystal, because they’re young and there’s still hope. It’s their parents I worry about.” “You’re very unique, mister M. I don’t know how you get along in this world without your cell, TV and computer. Thanks for your time today. Is there anything I might be able to do for you?” she asked, with a bit of a smile in her voice. “Yes, there is, Crystal. The sun is rising. Watch it. This amazing planet is taking another spin. Get out and enjoy the ride.” ________________________________ WITHOUT Technology!!!!! Remember, way back when....... picking up a phone book to look up someone’s phone number, dialing, then going thru all that party line stuff! As a younger man, I recollect visiting my grandparents in the deep south. It was a house with a pump for well water, oil lamps and an outhouse. I remember it today with great fondness. Recently on a getaway to the beach, I asked if the house we were visiting had wireless. I was told no and no internet and no tv. I sighed and thought that would be wonderful. We spent a week not checking email, surfing websites or texting. It was like stepping back into the past and of course, being at the beach just made it so much better. I was raised as an artist and today do all my art stuff on my computer. I am a real techie when it comes to business or things personal. My whole life is on my laptop! I am certain that is true of many of us today. We should set aside one day each week when we agree not to use technology. We just might find ourselves more relaxed and better able to deal with "stuff" in general! Good Luck....... Thanks, Paul Ott ______________________________________________________________________________________ Living Without Technology I moved to a new home two months ago. At that time I decided to throw my T.V. in the dumpster. I did this because I wanted to force myself to play guitar more often instead of becoming a couch potato. So, this was an easy question since I somewhat practice this anyway. People did just fine before the cell phone and ipod, and there are many people in the world who lack any of these technologies and without those things they are probably living healthier lives. Most teenagers spend all day sitting inside while listening to their ipods, texting their friends, watching T.V., or staring at their myspace and facebook pages for hours on end. I prefer to use my time wisely to better myself by practicing guitar every day, rehearsing with my band “Mellow Red”, and working as many hours as possible at JC Music.So, the answer is simple. Commit yourself to something your good at and don’t waste your life. --- Jimmy McEnroe 16 Years Old _____________________________________________________________________________________ By Maggie Griffin: As these following questions were asked for me to answer by the readers of The People’s Press in regards to my feelings about the below topics, the answers are as follows: Q - “How do you feel about the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy”? A - Senator Ted Kennedy was the center of the Kennedy Family for generations. His inspiration of his faith and optimism will live on in generations to come. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed and he always quoted, “Our best days are still ahead”. We need to remember the meaning behind his famous quote for many reasons, a quote he believed in and repeated for decades when he served his country and being a man who his family loves. As with any loss, it is heartbroken to learn that Senator Ted Kennedy as died. He served a large role in our legislation for 5 decades. His main goals were focused to advance civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people. He was a great leader in our country who survived the loss of his siblings, holding their legacy as well. Family, people and dedication is what made him one of the greatest Legislators of the United States. He not only made history, but made a difference. He will be remembered and I am happy to have lived in a generation where I saw the work and passion for American People the Late Senator Ted Kennedy devoted his life to. Q - "What would you do if you had no computer, TV, radio or cell phone/IPod?" A - Although technology has improved the way we do business and communicate with friends and family, technology also can work against us in many ways as well. To be honest, without these things, it is Heavenly, peaceful and a huge money saver. But without the use of technology, today, communication will be difficult. Take flying an air plane for example. Technology allows a pilot to navigate better and communicate with air traffic controllers. TVs existed for decades now, but there are TV shows I prefer not to watch and I do monitor what my children watch as well. Radios came before TVs. They were used as a source of listening to the news, shows, and also communication in our most important military. Cell phones are an expense, but I feel at a comfort level knowing I can keep track of where my children are at all times by use of cell phones and knowing I have an alternate phone where I can be reached in the business industry or an emergency situation. I don’t have an IPod, my kids do. But back in the 80’s where the Sony walkman was most popular, I will admit, I constantly had that Sony walkman clipped to my jeans and then head phones in my ears. Therefore, I have to repeat what my Dad use to say to me about that back in the 80’s in regards to IPods used today since my kids seem to have developed the same habit. That is; IPods is a hearing aid to listen to music so there is an excuse to not hear what anyone is saying. To conclude, I do not like it when I see someone driving with a cell phone in their ear and/or the plug ear phones of an IPod. But the day when I do not have to use any means of technology, I know, is the day the organ will be playing in the Church while I am walking toward the bright light. That is why I will admit if I had no computer, TV, radio or cell phone/IPod, I will be singing in Heaven. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Kennedy - Rest in Peace This is a feeling from one person that says it all: Queens resident Hector Algarroba was first in line of the roughly 2,000 people who waited for hours outside the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum for the public viewing, which began yesterday evening after a private gathering by the Kennedy clan inside. "I could have been the first or the last one [in line] but I would have waited all the same," Algarroba, a 55-year-old engineer from Astoria, said of his four-hour bus ride to Boston and six-hour wait on the line. "He was a person who worked tirelessly for those who didn't have a voice. "He was a champion for humankind, for those in need. He was against human suffering of any kind . . . He is a true lion, not of the Senate, not of politics, but of life." -Rina Bakalar Small Business Institute Director Community Economic Development Fund _____________________________________________________________________________________ What would I do without all the modern conveniences? Submitted by Carole Golitko I admit I’d miss the Internet and my satellite radio the most. Not TV -not much on. I enjoy a good story. What I continue to do is enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer. I love every season (that’s why I live here) I look up everyday watch the clouds (I still see images) enjoy the colors of the skies, the singing of the birds. I have a song sparrow that follows my voice when ever he hears me talk. What can be better than that. I teach my grandchildren not to abuse this land. I hear their laughter & their ideas. I walk my dog, play with my cats, and Talk to my husband share our thoughts. I could go on & on. I grew up in a time & place when these items were not existent, I could do it again. __________________________________________________ What would I do if I had no computer, TV, radio, or cell phone? By Donna Mahon Well let's see. I would probably be doing counted cross stitch or making dolls, sewing for my great grandchildren, knitting, or crocheting. We survived when we were kids. We played outside, played board games or cards. We did have a radio and listened to all those good programs---like "The Shadow", "Perry Mason", "Roy Rogers", "Let's Pretend" on Saturday mornings. But if we didn't have the radio we would have been playing with our toys, games, etc. We took long rides in the car with Dad and Mom and played games--like "Iron Horse" or the Alphabet game. Our parents used to have card parties--usually Pinochle (which my Grandmother taught me when I was very young). Of course we had telephones, but most everybody had a party line with two to four other families and a lot of the time it was very hard to use the phone because of it. So this is my story. Hope you can use it. Donna To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! __________________________________________________________________________________ "What would you do if you had no computer, TV, radio, cell phone or iPod (Internet portable open database)?" And I would add to that GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) device, BlackBerry, and remote controls that start the car (not to mention all the devices I know nothing about). As a little background, I have been a member of the Internet community since late January 2000, and I got my first cell phone in July 2005. However, I was raised having only one TV in the house and a radio. I do not own an iPod, a BlackBerry, a GPS or a laptop or notepad. I think that's what it's called. Might be notebook. My life changed quite a bit when I bought a computer, and most of it is good, but some things have taken a backseat or generally disappeared. If I did not have a computer, a TV or cell phone, I would be spending a lot more time reading books, and I have a pile of them here that I keep meaning to read but never find the time to do so. I would also be writing letters by hand to my family and friends, which is something I used to do frequently. I very rarely write a letter to anyone now. I used to spend many Sundays in November and December sitting at my friends' dining room table in Westport writing out long notes in Christmas cards to some 75 people. I don't send out Christmas cards anymore. I used to put jigsaw puzzles together at their home also. Nope, don't do that now. I miss the long, handwritten letters I used to get from various friends and my brother and sister. I think in the future, we will also miss letters from this time in our history. Where will our letter writing be archived? I save very few emails, and most of them wind up in the trash. I sometimes hear people saying things such as newspapers will be a thing of the past. Newspapers will be online, and no one will need to get a hard copy somewhere down the road. I think of Star Trek and that paperless era. Yet Captain Kirk had a library in his cabin with ancient books he still enjoyed reading. I have a hard time envisioning a future with no public libraries, and we grew up using libraries for all of our research for school projects and also to take out lots of book for our enjoyment. How did we manage without computers? One of the things I think we are already missing is socializing one-on-one. Growing up we spent a lot of time outside, always finding plenty to do, getting plenty of exercise, and we never had to call anyone, and we went home for dinner when we heard the bell being rung out on the back porch. And we all ate together, and it was a home-cooked meal our mother prepared. And we actually had conversations at the table to catch up on what everyone had done that day. The TV was not on when we ate dinner; that was for later. We were not interrupted with cell phones or text messaging. Oh, and when we would travel somewhere, we used maps. You know, the kind that were made of paper and folded funny so you could never get them back the way they were originally. Well, sometimes we could. You would not believe how many times someone stops at the convenience store where I work holding a printout of a Mapquest or Google or Yahoo! map, and they have no idea where they are or where they are going. So I walk out to my car and take out a real map, and help them on their way. I think we are getting a little too much electronically dependent. Yeah, I do use a microwave, and it is convenient. However, that's the point to most of our electronic advances - convenience. This often equates to laziness, and our country is getting fatter by the day. Just take a look around. I would be doing myself a healthy favor if I went for a walk at the Linear Trail or, gasp, walked to work, walked to the post office, the bank or the library. But a car is more convenient. "I don't have time to walk." That's always a good excuse, right? I have a good friend, Kathy, whom most people would think is living in the Dark Ages. She walks everywhere, including to her place of work. She has no computer or cell phone, and she loves it that way. Without a computer, her time is freed up to spend with her grandchildren and have fun working on numerous arts and crafts projects. And she reads! One of her favorite pieces of reading material is The People's Press, incidentally. She very much enjoys the stories and says many of them bring back memories of her childhood, and she just loves, loves, loves the paper. Remember the poem by Robert Frost entitled "Birches"? It's on page 152 of my Complete Poems of Robert Frost. If you haven't read it, you might consider doing so. He is talking about the fact that ice storms are really responsible for bending birch trees, but also talks about the possibility of a boy causing them to bend. "I would prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows - Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone." My, how times have changed. "One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."Barbara Sherburnebarndt49@yahoo.com ________________________________________________ Can a $1 dollar donation really fund a feature film? By Richard Neilberg. "That's the idea," said Michael J Citak, the writer, director and future star of his horror script, Love's A Killer. "I'm asking people to donate $1 towards the funding of my film, and I return will give them a producer credit and the opportunity to vote on my cast. If I can get a million people to do it, then I'll have my budget, and will have the money to get my film into festivals and theaters." For years, big Hollywood has reigned supreme when it came to horror movies. Slashing out title after title of the best special effects money can buy into some the cheesiest scripts imaginable, "I want to bring together big Hollywood professionalism, with independent thinking." Said Michael. "Giving local actors, regular people and businesses an inexpensive way to be a part of the magic." Unhappy with the majority of horror films out there, after watching The Strangers, last April, Michael J. Citak set out to pen the next blockbuster, but ran into a road block after finishing the script, money. "I'm the typical starving artist, living paycheck to paycheck", said Michael in a recent phone interview. "I'll never be able to save enough money to produce a film the right way, professionally. I need help!" Michael started a facebook group to spread the word about his venture into filmmaking, asking people to donate at least $1 to the Producer's fund. 'So far, I've gotten $40," said Michael, "but it's going to take a long time to raise a million dollars at this rate." As the word is spreading and Michael's efforts are creating buzz, the money is slowly trickling in. To help with his fundraising efforts, this October, Michael, will be unveiling a new website, based on the famous Million Dollar Homepage formula. "I plan to sell 10,000 blocks of advertising, at $100," said Michael, looking to use the site to help raise the million dollars. Does it really only cost $1 to be a producer? "With donations to be a producer starting at $1 and with everybody telling their friends to join the Producer's Club, being an accredited producer on my film has never been easier, or cheaper." Said Michael, "I made the minimum donation a dollar because, everybody has a dollar to spare, and what's better to do with it, then to help fund the next blockbuster, and have a say in the cast. I plan on using all relatively unknown actors, so my producers and myself will be in essence, also hand picking the winning tickets to celebrity and movie stardom, so it's really exciting" To become a producer, and join Michael's Producer's Club, please visit http://tinyurl.com/lovesakillerfund and make a donation. For more info on Michael, and updates on the unveiling of the Love's A Killer website, add him on facebook. www.facebook.com/michaeljcitak ____________________________________________________________________________________ Wallingford Resident Experienced Earthquake while Serving at Orphanage in Honduras Siena College student, Indira Dhandapani ’10 of Wallingford, Conn. is spending a portion of her summer serving children at an orphanage in Hondura as part of the Siena College/Albany Medical College summer of service program. During her second week she experienced an earthquake (7.2 on Richter scale) with tsunami warnings and was evacuated the next day. Dhandapani returned to complete her service.The Siena College/ Albany Medical College program is an early assurance program, the first of its kind in the country that places emphasis on humanities, ethics and social service. Students accepted into this program earn a B.A. degree from Siena after four years and an M.D. degree from Albany Medical College upon completion of the medical curriculum.The summer of service component occurs between the junior and senior years at Siena College. Students typically engage in nonmedical work with the disadvantaged in urban ghettos or developing nations. For more information on the Siena College/ Albany Medical College program visit-www.siena.edu/amc To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! _____________________________________________________________________________________ The summer of 2009…a musing… By Ernie Larsen The publisher sends out reminders to regular contributors soliciting articles and often suggests certain subjects that may fit the general theme of the upcoming issue. For instance this issue he mentioned that it might be interesting if writers tell readers what they did this summer. Thinking about it – in relation to my own personal situation – I thought this might be one of my shorter offerings. First of all, with all the rain and unseasonable weather, it really was not conducive to normal summer activities. Not that we had planned any ‘special’ vacations in the first place. Also, after much procrastination, and a bit of a leak, we had to have a new roof and gutters installed on the house – good thing, with all the rain it certainly would have affected us negatively. This expense somewhat depleted any disposable vacation cash. We could have done something, but that was a convenient excuse if someone asked why we weren’t traveling. In June, we did visit our son and daughter-in-law at their rental cottage in Old Saybrook – unfortunately the weather did not cooperate with their time there, yet they made the best of the situation and it was a good break for them just prior to the purchase of their new digs in Meriden with all that entails, moving, setting up and such. We made a trip down to visit them and they were in good spirits – a few days later I took a few hours on a Friday near the end of their week to spend with them, we sat around and enjoyed some sun, rain, fog. Later in the day we made our way to the ‘fire’ restaurant, as my granddaughter has nicknamed the Japanese hibachi place just adjacent to Chalker Beach Road; keeping with weather trends when we finished dinner the heavens opened and we walked out into a major thunderstorm. And so it went…. We did go away, sort of; an invitation to a wedding in Fitchburg, MA a couple of hours away – and it being an evening ceremony and reception we decided to stay overnight. Had a lovely drive through the center of the state and stayed at a nice hotel in the middle of nowhere, literally. The wedding itself was at a site that had won an award as one of the best sites for ceremonies and receptions by The Knot, a website specializing in wedding planning. And talk about being isolated, this place met that criteria, ho holds barred. I remarked to our friends, the parents of the groom whose daughters wedding was held years ago at another remote location in Massachusetts, that it was a good thing that they didn’t have any other children – because if they did – the next wedding would have to be on some secluded island accessible only by boat, if you get my drift. All in all, we had a lovely time: there was some anxiety about having to drive to the ceremony/reception and back; being on unfamiliar back roads and driving at night, our anxiety was assuaged by the fact the b&g had arranged r/t coach transport for the convenience of their guests; we truly appreciated the foresight of whomever came up with this very sensible idea. That was one of our mini-getaways; we also attended another wedding, no overnight, and a very lovely event. With all the unsettled weather this summer we were worried that Naomi and Dave’s outdoor ceremony might be in jeopardy – Mike and Jess moved their ceremony indoors just as a precaution, a wise decision, it showered a bit but not until after everyone was comfortably inside. The odds were certainly against any outdoor events this season; Naomi and Dave’s day dawned brightly; it was one of the most pleasant days of the season – everything went off without a hitch, as far as we knew – and if you know the bride – it better have, because I’m sure she would have been on the ‘heavenly hotline’ making sure that the powers above knew of her disappointment if the weather had not cooperated. We had a very nice time; actually our wedding season still has two more events on the schedule and I hope that the weather will oblige for those upcoming nuptials. This was a notable year for both my wife and I, celebrating our 65th birthdays – now I reckon we are truly ‘seniors’. Well, AARP sets their parameters a bit lower, you can join when you’re 50 – and many businesses offer discounts to those 55 and older. Although some retail outlets whose staff is barely out of puberty, will give individuals a ‘senior’ discount even if they have not reached the golden pinnacle of this mysterious distinction. Well, that not being here nor there I certainly appreciate saving a few pennies whenever I can; can’t say the same for my spouse who certainly doesn’t look her age and eschews my penchant for frugality – well that is neither here nor there, but rest assured I do make up for both of us. The beginning of August my daughter and son-in-law rented the same cottage as our son had in June; this was their 3rd or 4th year doing so. As is the past, my daughter gave me a night’s stay in the motel up the street from the place and I booked another night; this was my mini vacation. On Thursday night my son-in-law and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Mohegan Sun Casino. I’m somewhat of a conservative gambler, dabbling in slots and tried the electronic roulette and as usual made my contribution to the Mohegan tribe college fund or whatever they do with all that money that doesn’t go home with the throngs that regularly visit this eastern Connecticut landmark. Yet talking about conservatism, Nick, my son-in-law, is a champion of that cause. During the couple of hours that we roamed the gaming halls, he did not place one bet, feed one slot machine, just followed me around thinking who knows what. Curiosity finally got the better of me so I asked him if he was going to make a bet. He said that my daughter had given him $20.00 and he decided to bet it all on just one game. He chose roulette; put the bill on the table and received 4 ‘nickels’, ($5.00 chips). He looked at his watch and noted it was 9:47, an odd number and so he put all 4 chips on the ODD marking on the table. The dealer spun the wheel, started the ball, around and around it rolled, finally dropping into the 17 ODD slot. This bet pays one to one so he received 4 more chips which he quickly retrieved and that ended his evening of gaming. He was $20.00 richer and off we went – maybe there’s a message here – think about it – I certainly will. The rest of the weekend, enjoying Chamber of Commerce weather we had a wonderful time with our family and other family members visiting for the day. It was especially enjoyable watching our granddaughter having so much fun on the beach – just like her uncle and mother did years ago. Well maybe not her uncle so much, him not being that much of a water lover. I did get some fishing in, yet all the rain made it difficult keeping the water high at the places I enjoy wetting a line. Not much in the way of any trophy fish, my largest catch was a 15 inch rainbow taken on a Prince Nymph in the Salmon River in Colchester. As is my practice I released this beauty and hope to get out a few more times – and as I write this it’s raining again – the final hurrah of Hurricane Danny – here’s hoping. Summing it all up, this summer, while not the best weather wise was definitely family oriented and we did have some good times with them. Just yesterday, we welcomed our granddaughter and her father back from their trip to Italy; they spent a week with his family. Just prior to their leaving, my wife mentioned to Riley that she would miss her; Riley promptly replied, “Gramma, why? I’m just going to Italy” – the six year old concept of distances not yet refined, but certainly noteworthy. The weather also contributed to a less than bountiful harvest from my garden. Combined with ‘late blight’ there will be less to pick than years previous. Right now my bumper crop is basil, go figure. That was my summer – really not that bad, we had fun and that’s what counts. Hope you enjoyed yours. _______________________________________________________________________________ _ Naugatuck Savings Bank Family Grows Castle Bank and Trust Company will become Naugatuck Savings Bank on August 10, 2009. In the spring of 2006 Castle Bank and Trust Company joined together with Naugatuck Savings Bank as its sister company under Nutmeg Financial, MHC. The Board of Trustees at Nutmeg Financial, MHC decided that to properly serve the community and our customer base, a formal merger of Castle Bank and Trust Company into Naugatuck Savings Bank needed to take place. There are two Castle Bank and Trust Company offices located at 1295 East Main Street and 100 Hanover Street in Meriden, CT that will open as Naugatuck Savings Bank branch offices on Monday, August 10. The branch locations, hours of operation and the friendly, helpful staff members will remain the same. With Naugatuck Savings Bank branch offices in Meriden, the service offerings to the Meriden community will be enhanced with a wide variety of residential mortgage products such as residential construction, bridge loan financing and first time homebuyer mortgage programs as well as Bank-by-Phone. “For the community, we intend to continue in the tradition of Castle Bank and Trust Company as a community leader in the sense of volunteerism and charitable giving” said Mark C. Yanarella, President and CEO. “The Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation believes it is our responsibility as a corporate citizen to do all we can to strengthen the communities in which we operate”. Since 1999, the Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation has awarded more than $2.8 million in grants to area nonprofit agencies to support a broad range of programs and services which contribute to the betterment of our communities. People have counted on Naugatuck Savings Bank since 1870 and have helped us to be one of the most financially sound banks in Connecticut. As an $890 million bank, we are confident this union provides strong financial stability, sound lending practices and superior customer service that our customers expect and deserve. Naugatuck Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nutmeg Financial, MHC, has been serving customers throughout Connecticut’s Greater Naugatuck Valley since 1870. The Bank is committed to helping individual customers as well as the community at large. Naugatuck Savings Bank offers personal banking, business banking and financial services at its 14 branch locations. __________________________________________________________ ________ A Summer Lad by George Arndt Wake up, sleepy head…get outta bed, Our cherished Summer is fading fast We’ve games yet to play -- so don’t delay. There’s that mossy cave we’ve yet to seek Hidden from our wondering, wandering, adventurous feet. See -- there it rises, o’er the Douglas fir. We know all too well, the summer sun waits for no one to rise from slumber, nor cares if there be fun, yet undone. I know we’ve swum the ocean swift, climbed that yonder mountain nigh, and touched the unmelted, snowy drifts. Yes, we flew our ragged-tailed kites high, watching them wavering, sailing up to the edges of an unclouded sky. A rough time we had with that hemlock tall, but we climbed it with abandonment. Hey … came close, but never did we fall. Now, come on, I’ll race you to the table. Where Mom has bacon browning there. Then we’ll set out to face one more dare before Autumn writes another fable. Home Country Slim Randles Dud was in a quandary. It was all about Randy Jones and Katie Burchell. There was something so … exquisite about them finding each other and walking around town holdings hands. Exquisite, that was the word. Dud Campbell pulled the tiny notebook out of his back pocket and wrote down: “Randy and Katie, exquisite.” He’d read this story about writing where it said you should keep a notebook and jot down an idea when it hit you. That way, you won’t have to wonder, “What was that word I had that described Randy and Katie walking around town holding hands.” And, the story said, you don’t worry about a plot, but you just keep making notes. Make notes and when you fill one book, put it in a drawer and start on another. Before you know it, a plot will come along, and you’ll be ready to write it. Dud loved reading these stories, because he knew if he just followed their suggestions, his murder mystery about the duchess and the truck driver will eventually take care of itself. If he just had some insight on what happened between Randy and Katie, he’d be able to do a flashback thingie to let his readers know how a duchess and a truck driver found happiness in each other’s arms. On the surface, a truck driver and a duchess don’t seem to have a lot in common, but he’d been working on that, too. He had several ideas jotted down in the notebook: books they enjoyed reading, watching old movies on television, polka dancing. He wasn’t sure that duchesses liked polka dancing, but he was pretty sure truck drivers didn’t like waltzes, and that’s all you saw duchesses doing. Dud had some time, so he followed the young couple from a block away, hoping his keen senses would discern the hidden secret to this relationship. He saw them smile on small children and butterflies, their smiles beaming a benediction and blessing on all they met, as though they were pilgrims on a quest for eternal secrets. Hey, that was pretty good. He whipped out the notebook again and leaned against a mailbox to write it down. -------- Brought to you by “Sun Dog Days,” by Slim Randles, now available at www.unmpress.com. “Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective” by Gregory M. Simpson Connecticut’s animal shelters need your help. Volunteer and save a life. According to 2003 data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 1.7% of individuals choose animal welfare or environmental organizations for which to volunteer, as compared with 34.6% for religious organizations and 27.4% for educational or youth service groups. Volunteers enable animal shelters, which often have no paid staff, to do more in the community. This increases donor support and demand for services, which in turn can lead to the shelter’s ability to create paid positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 35-44 year olds were the most likely to volunteer (34.7%), followed by 45-54 year olds (32.7%). They noted that the most common way volunteers become involved is to be asked by that organization. Therefore, my advice to the state’s animal shelters is to ask for help, which greatly increases the chance to enlist volunteers, rather than waiting for them to approach the shelter. Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”. The wisdom of this statement is recognized by many. According to 2001 data provided by Independent Sector, two-thirds of adults started volunteering at a young age and it has been found that adults who volunteer in their youth are twice as likely to volunteer compared to those who did not volunteer when young. Across every income and age group, those who volunteered as youth, give and volunteer more than those who did not. Youth who volunteered and had parents who also did, were found to be the most generous adults in giving of their time. Independent Sector found that teen volunteers get involved most often through schools and/or religious institutions. Teenagers who are asked are almost four times more likely to volunteer than those who are not asked. Consequently, schools and faith based groups are the two best places to recruit teen volunteers. According to the Urban Institute (2004), only one in eight charities have a paid volunteer manager who devotes 100% of his or her time to volunteer management. With animal shelters, is it safe to say that it is a lower percentage than that. As Volunteers Coordinator for Protectors of Animals, I speak to hundreds of people yearly who are interested in volunteering. People are often surprised to learn that the animal shelter is operated entirely by volunteers, as is true for most of Connecticut’s animal shelters. At Protectors of Animals, team leaders are in charge of service areas, such as cat or dog placement, medication, clean & feed, socialization, or dog walking, and these team leaders train and supervise the volunteers on their teams. This protocol has proven to be very successful for the shelter. A 2002 study by Lindberg and Dooley found that volunteers were motivated by an organization’s mission or the population helped by an organization. Volunteers wanted to give back to the community and some had been previously touched by the organization. For example, many of Protectors of Animals’ volunteers previously adopted a cat or dog from the shelter. Just as importantly, they felt that they were needed and made a difference. From personal experience I have found all these reasons to be applicable. As the tennis champion, Arthur Ashe, recognized, “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” Please consider offering your time and talents to an animal shelter. Volunteer and save a life. At some animal shelter, there are tails wagging to meet you. For the animals, Gregory M. Simpson 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. Currently a Board member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was 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. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Picnicking in the Southeast corner A favorite memory of childhood is several memories all rolled up in the Southeast Corner of our Iowa farm. This corner was left as nature intended. The horse and plow didn’t enter it for farming purposes. Perhaps Dad left is unmolested as a special place for Mom’s enjoyment. Actually it was a bit wet or swampy. Pussy willows flourished as did many of the wild flowers that were native to our area. Birds nested and raised their young. Early each spring Mom would pack lunches and we would wander down to the Corner, skirting the cornfield on our way... Our simple lunch spread out on a flat rock was soon enjoyed; the quiet of our special place broken only by songbirds. We searched for the early wildflowers of violet and Dutchman’s Britches, asking Mom to tell us about any flowers that we didn’t recognize. We thought she knew everything and seldom disappointed us. We learned fun facts about the lovely, smelly Trilliums, the May apples, and Solomon’s Seal before wending our way home. On other visits throughout the summer we gathered Queen Anne’s Lace, Chicory and Asters in big bouquets for all to enjoy. Butterflies delighted us, crickets and grasshoppers jumped around out feet. When the gooseberries were ripened, we braved the thorny bushes to gather pails of the tart green berries for jam and pies. It was fun rolling those berries over a screen to remove the stem and blossom ends, anticipating one of Mom’s gooseberry pies. Each season held its own special attraction, but the first foray in the spring was my favorite time for picnicking in the southeast corner of our farm. Dorothy Gonick July 18, 2009 ____________________________________________________________________________________ To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! The Gift of Encouragement By Audrey C. Linke “Why Audrey,” she said, “you can do long division as well as any one in this room.” I looked around me. I was the youngest pupil in the room. Some of the eighth grade boys were as big as my father. I couldn’t believe she meant to include them. “Do you mean I can do arithmetic as good as the eighth graders?” I asked. “Of course,” came the unexpected reply. She said it with such conviction that I had to consider the possibility that she was sincere. One thing I understood, she was trying to give me some confidence in myself, and I was confused. Could this be the same Miss Monahan that made it so difficult for me to enter the fifth grad a few days earlier? The problem was I had skipped fourth grade, so in September I reported to the “big” room on the first day of school. However, the upper-grad teacher told me that I belonged in the “little” room. (The rooms were the same size: “big” and “little” referred to the size of the children.) Heading toward the “little” room I crossed through the big, dark hall where the water jug sat by the sink. I was half hoping I could stay in the fourth grade where I would feel comfortable. Still, if I were a “big” kid I would get a turn at fetching the water from Sarah Sears’ yard, next door to the school. The teacher of the lower grades spotted me. “You don’t belong here now, Audrey; you belong in the fifth grade.” “I know,” I explained, “but Miss Monahan sent me back to your room. She said I didn’t belong there.” “We’ll see about that,” Miss Roland snapped, and off we went to confront the teacher of the upper grades. “I don’t have room for Audrey; I don’t have a desk for Audrey,” was all the satisfaction we got from Miss Monahan on that trip. She might as well have said, “I don’t want Audrey,” for by now I was beginning to take this rejection quite personally. Each teacher seemed more determined than the other not to have me in her room. Miss Roland was persistent. “I’ll get a desk for Audrey,” she declared firmly, and she did. She dug deep into a great storage closet in the back of the room and pulled out a desk. Dragging it across the hall she placed it at the very front of the fifth grade row. Thus it was that I reluctantly started fifth grade with an even more reluctant teacher. Now she was telling me that I should stop crying, that I really could do fifth grade work. I wanted to believe her; I was eager to respond to this surprising outreach of assurance. I took a deep breath, dried my tears, and made up my mind to try harder. Gratefully, with Miss Monahan’s help, I learned those difficult skills of mathematics, but the real lesson Miss Monahan imparted that day was the gift of encouragement. That day in the fifth grade has flashed through my mind many times in the ensuing years. It is a tribute to that fifth grade teacher as her gift of encouragement has been multiplied many times over as I have shared it with others. ___________________________________________________________________________________ BOO CREW REVIEW~ TRAIL OF TERROR Well, here we are approaching another season at the Trail of Terror. We put in an aggressive plan for 2009 and have been working very hard to complete these upgrades and changes. It’s going to be an amazing year. We are trying to make the Trail scarier and more enjoyable for our fans. Last years online Speed Pass was a hit and we will be enhancing those options for a smoother wait time. I have had the privilege of sitting on the interim board for the new Haunted House Association (HHA), representing charity-haunted attractions, which main goals are to promote and protect the haunted industry. Some of the top haunters in the country are serving on this board and it has been an honor to work with them. Now for some bragging: for the 2nd year in a row the Trail of Terror has won Connecticut Magazine’s Best in CT award in the Haunted Event category. In 2008 we won 2nd place on a National level for Hauntworld Magazine’s Best Charity Haunts. Some of you may have heard about the sudden closing of the Wallingford branch of the Red Cross and were wondering what is going to happen to the proceeds generated from the Trail of Terror. Well, after much thought we are leaning towards creating our own foundation where we can have our board members decide where the money is needed the most. Each year would be different and on a case-by-case basis. I want to assure everyone that the proceeds will stay in the immediate area and will hopefully help those who need it the most. We may also be setting up a day camp for kids to teach them how the fundraising process works. During that week they would design and build their own haunted house and at the end of the week open that haunted house to others for a donation and decide, as a group, where to donate the money. It should be a great opportunity for them to work with other kids, learn the value of fundraising and at the same time help their community. Well off to work at the Trail again. Scare ya soon!! Wayne “Spookologist” Barneschi ___________________________________________________________________________________ A Missionary’s Prayer Break the stronghold of doubt around me, long enough that I will not drop my last finger on my shield. Your shield, that I have carried so long and so far; to protect my family and obey my Father's plans to go out past my abilities, to the far corners of the world where You would have serve. Build me up and I will be strengthened so that I will yield two shields in such a way a circle of Your perfect protection emanates Your great love from my heart. Provide the ways, the means to Your perfect plan, and let the dream You have laid upon my heart be carried out in Your will. BBT A prayer from retuning missionary BBT To stop the negativity around her and let the dream laid on her heart; a dream much bigger than herself, a dream that won't go away; let this dream live! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Living within the Light in this Modern World By Jennifer Jenkins In these modern times, many individuals live day-to-day in a fast-paced and materially-focused mode. The time when people lived their lives in connection with Spirit appears to be a distant memory. Yet, as some will attest, as we return our attention to our connection with the Divine, our lives transform for the better. They become more peaceful and more balanced. The sacred key to this transformation is simply our awareness of our spiritual selves, eternal and loving and cosmically connected to all that life encompasses. Whatever bodies we inhabit in this lifetime, we do so with a purpose, to fulfill our spiritual destiny. And, when our lives conclude, we know that all that we really lose is our “outer shell”. We possess a soul, eternal in nature, with thoughts and feelings, with which we return to our heavenly home. Awareness of our spiritual selves begins with a simple step. By quieting our minds with relaxation practices, such as prayer and meditation, we change our level of consciousness and open ourselves up -- spiritually. We become in tune with our inner essence, the beautiful soul with which we have all been divinely gifted, and recognize who we truly are – spiritual beings full of light and love. The heartfelt stresses of daily life disappear, or, at least become less burdensome. And, an inner peace takes over. With this change in our consciousness, we are also able to connect with Divine Angels and Spiritual Guides, who are here to help us to commit to our missions in life and to help us perfect our souls. They often show us signs that they are listening to us and want to help us; we just need to pay attention. There was a day, not too long ago, when I was talking to Jesus, who I consider to be one of my spiritual guides. I was talking to him as I was driving down the highway. Suddenly I noticed a white bird to my left. It wasn’t a seagull. It was more like a dove, a beautiful white dove. He was letting me know in a dramatic way that he heard me. If I hadn’t kept myself open, I would have missed this miraculous event. The more we open up and veer away from our tendency to live in a tunnel vision state of being, the more we notice miraculous events in our lives and those moments which appear to be serendipitous. For instance, you pray for guidance about an important decision you need to make, and the next day you’re driving down the road and see a license plate on a car with the “answer” you’ve been waiting for. You instantly know that it is the answer to your prayer, as an inner knowingness resonates. Sometimes the vehicle of communication may even appear angelic. Oftentimes, as I’m driving, I will notice that the rear of the car in front of me has what appear to be metallic wings. There are other times when the “right book” or “right song” just pops up at the most opportune time. These instances are reminders of the loving angelic support that the Divine offers us and which we all have available and so often neglect to use for our positive soul development. Our change of consciousness, from ego-based to divine-based, also helps us to attract good into our life. There is a spiritual law, the law of attraction, which simply states that you attract what your thoughts focus on. As we focus on more loving thoughts and emotions, we attract from a higher place. Have you ever noticed, the more negative you are in your thoughts and actions, the worst your day becomes, and the exact opposite happens when you concentrate on the positive, and live in the Light. On this new journey of higher consciousness, we also realize that our egos have only entrapped us. And, the reason is simply fear. As we become more acquainted with our true spiritual selves, we learn that we are whole, complete, and full of love. We realize we know longer need to react from fear, as fear is simply an ego-based emotion stemming from a notion that we are separate from one another. As this fear subsides, our lives improve. We feel lighter, more peaceful. We start to live in the Light. Our relationships improve. We stop projecting illusions upon others and start to co-exist peacefully. Our harsh judgments of others also subside, and we cease taking others’ behavior personally in our day-to-day encounters. We learn that someone’s behavior toward us stems from themselves and not us. With a higher consciousness, it is also easier to see the Light within others, as well as ourselves. I hope that I have inspired you to consider how your life and the lives of those around you can truly change for the better by “living in the light” in this modern world of ours. To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/ . We are your NewsMagazine! _____________________________ Change Your Life with Regular Exercise Bill Mercuri One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to get off the couch and get back into shape. Gym memberships soar as do the sales of running shoes and brand name athletic clothing. But there’s nothing like a few weeks of sub-freezing, grey and gloomy weather to put those resolutions into hibernation. With the promise of warmer weather comes the sudden realization that the pounds that you resolved to discard in January are still very much with you as you shed your comfy sweats and pull out shorts, tank tops and yes, last year’s bathing suit. You think, “Oh, the horror!” But getting fit doesn’t have to be a nightmare. As a matter of fact it should be fun and, ultimately, it should be a way of life rather than something that you treat like a visit to the in-laws; once or twice a year and only because you’ll feel guilty if you don’t. Here are a few tips to get started. Start Slow Let’s face it, you didn’t one day wake up one morning and look in the mirror to find that, oh my goodness, I gained 20 pound while I slept. It happened over time and it will take time to lose. That’s a difficult concept for the instant gratification society that we live in but it’s true. Find an activity that you enjoy such as dancing, walking, bicycling, gardening, golfing, kayaking - anything that will get you moving. Ease yourself into it and make sure you have the proper equipment to begin safely. If you like to bicycle but haven’t been on a bike in ages, start on a smooth, flat trail and only go for a short ride. As you get used to the demands of the activity, you can gradually increase the length and intensity of your ride. This approach will help prevent injuries and also keep you from getting discouraged and ending your commitment to a fitness routine because you went out too hard on your first attempt and had a less than enjoyable experience. Find a Partner Increase the level of enjoyment that you get out of your exercise, whatever it is, by doing it with a friend, spouse or small group. Engaging others in your activity will increase the likelihood that you will follow through with your exercise commitment. It will also give you someone to exercise with who can positively motivate and encourage you to meet your goals. Set regular times to meet and stick to them. Chart your Progress When you were a child, perhaps you marked the wall in pencil to chart your growth. Remember how excited you got as you saw that you grew another inch or two? Get excited about achieving your fitness goals, too. Set up a visual progress chart somewhere where you’ll see it every day. Write down all of your physical activities for the day. Maybe you walked three flights of stairs at work four times instead of taking the elevator. Or did you take a nice, brisk 45 minute walk at lunch time? Write it down and post it on the refrigerator door, perhaps, as a gentle reminder of what you are trying to accomplish before you reach for that late night snack. Let’s say you walked three miles in 55 minutes today. Write it down. Which route did you walk? Was it hilly or flat or did you walk at the high school track? How did you feel when you finished? Document it. Maybe after three weeks of walking, you can walk that same route in 50 minutes, feeling not as winded. Write it down. How about that - five minutes faster in just a few weeks. Lost a few pounds too? Way to go! You’ll see the progress, know that you’re getting results and want to continue with your new lifestyle. Watch what you eat There are two parts to the fitness equation. Exercise is important. Watching what is going into your mouth is just as important. Losing weight is not, as they say, rocket science. You need to burn more calories than you take in. Creating a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day, that is, burning 500 more calories than you take in will result in the loss of one pound per week. This is a safe method for losing weight. Stick to a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins and good fats and avoid fad diets which tend to either totally eliminate or greatly restrict one or more of those food groups. You might want to keep a food journal and write down everything, and I mean everything that you eat during the course of the day. A handful of jelly beans here and a “few” French fries there will add up before you know it. Review your journal and you may be surprised at what you find but it will allow you to see exactly where you can improve your eating habits. Rest There is an old saying that I truly believe in and that is listen to your body. Pain and soreness are your body’s way of telling you to slow down and rest. There is a difference between a sharp pain, which is an indication of muscular or skeletal injury that should be looked at by a doctor, and muscular soreness which may result from long dormant muscles being challenged in ways in which that haven’t been challenged in quite some time. In the case of the latter, that soreness will subside in time as your muscles get used to the new demands being placed on them. But the point is, rest is just as important to your body as exercise. Try to get out and move for at least 45 minutes to an hour each day. But every day doesn’t have to be, nor should it be, at full tilt. Muscles need time to recover. Failure to allow that recovery will result in an increased risk of injury and the potential that you get frustrated and burned out over exercising. Get the Green Light Most people read the first and last paragraph of a story. That’s why I put the two most important elements of a fitness program in those two spots. This paragraph really should be first. If you’ve been inactive for a long time and want to feel better physically and mentally through a lifestyle consisting of healthy diet and regular exercise, there is no better time than the present to get started. However, it is highly recommended that you visit your doctor before you jump in. This is especially important if you are on any regular medications such as those for high blood pressure or if you have experienced chest pains even when not doing physical activity or have bone or joint problems that could be made worse by a sudden change in physical activity levels. Let the doctor examine you for anything that may restrict you from engaging in certain activities. A doctor won’t tell you that exercise is a bad idea but will want to make sure that you are well informed about what you should and should not do so as to have a safe and positive experience. Bill Mercuri is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barb’s Family Submitted by Alan Murphy Foster Adoptive Mission You may have seen her on her way to work or in a grocery store and noticed her friendly and welcoming smile. She may look a lot like one of your friends or neighbors. She might even look a bit like you. What sets her apart is that this woman, Barbara, has been a foster parent since 2002. “I always knew I wanted to work with children,” Barbara explains. “And the 30 years I spent teaching special education were tremendously gratifying. Yet I always wanted to do more. Being a foster parent has allowed me to make more of an impact. Together with my family, I have been able to change the lives of children from all different backgrounds and a variety of circumstances. There are challenges, to be sure—as every foster parent will tell you—but the rewards have been beyond what I would ever have expected.” There are currently 513,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, and there is a dire need for committed, caring adults willing to take these children into their homes over the short or longer term. In her seven years as a foster parent, Barbara and her husband have taken in 25 children for stays ranging from a few days to nine months. They have adopted two of these children (one a toddler and the other a teenager), who are now a permanent part of a family that also includes Barbara’s two college-age biological sons and, at present, one additional foster child. After having done this for seven years, Barbara tells us: “Now, I wish we had made the decision to start even earlier. Each one of these children has contributed to our home and family life in a special way.” Barbara is especially grateful for the FAST program, which sends professionals into foster homes to help address the children’s unique needs. She tells us that the first few days of a placement can be especially trying, as children act out in different ways and can be particularly needy when first separated from a parent. FAST provides the information and support Barbara and her family need to make the transition as smooth as possible. “The reward is when the child begins to trust you,” Barbara says. “The first time he comes to you for comfort or she places her head on you. Those are the moments that make everything worthwhile—just knowing that you have created a safe and loving place for this youngster. For some of these children, the time they spend in our home is their first experience of a healthy, nurturing environment. We show them the sort of home life they deserve. And I don’t mean with regard to home size or material possessions; I mean having a place to live where everyone has your best interests at heart. A place where you know from one moment to the next what to expect and don’t have to live with fear or hunger or neglect.” Barbara’s eyes light up as she speaks of a three-year-old currently in her care: “She is so bright and says the funniest things. She has been identified as gifted by the teachers at the nursery school she attends, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve met with this little girl’s mother, and she has so much potential. We are all hoping she will be able to turn things around and be reunited with her child. Until then, she knows her child is in a loving home.” The most difficult part of being a foster parent, according to Barbara, is seeing the children leave, especially when there is no contact afterwards. “It’s not possible to adopt every child,” Barbara says, “and of course we worry about the children after they’ve left our home. We just have to take comfort in the fact that, for as long as we had them, we loved them and gave them a stable, structured family life. Sometimes, we are able to keep track of a child when he or she leaves. One of the children was adopted by her grandparent, and we get together and talk on the phone often. It is such a joy to know this child is in a caring home and is being given a good chance for a healthy and happy life. ” What makes an ideal foster parent? According to Barbara, there is no one formula other than enjoying children, being able to provide a loving home, and being willing to fight for what they need. Barbara considers foster parenting her calling and encourages others to join her in providing a temporary home for one or more of the thousands of local children in need. Foster parenting is a commitment—and an opportunity to make a big difference in a child’s life. FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) has presented this vignette of Barbara’s experiences as a foster parent in hopes of encouraging other caring adults to reach out to children in difficult circumstances. If you have any interest in becoming a foster parent, please call FAM today for more information. There is no obligation. Your timing couldn’t be better: May is National Foster Care Month. Please call FAM at 860.949.4061 or 203.706.0101. There is a child out there who needs you. Please note: To protect the privacy of children in the foster care system and their foster families, FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) prefers they remain anonymous in most instances. In the case of this article we have omitted the last name of the foster parent and have been given permission to use the foster parent’s first name. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Before you call I will answer -Janet Althouse At the age of 52, I became a widow. I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. It seemed it was easier to be away from home than it was to be at home. I could pretend that my husband was just waiting for my return. So, I decided to travel. I had never done a lot of long distance driving, especially by my self, but from the beginning, I knew God was with me. I never had a mishap, never hit a deer or any other animal. Never got a ticket. I always felt safe. I would play my Christian tapes and the miles would fly by. I had a friend who lived in South Carolina and it was about a 12 hour drive. Being summer it stayed day light till around 9:00 in the evening, so I left home one Sunday morning about 9:00 a.m. headed for my friend's house. I was about an hour from her place and my car started to lose speed. I was low on gas and decided to get off and get the tank filled up. I stopped at the end of the off ramp and my car would not start. Of course, when the car started to act up, I started to pray. I asked God to help me and to ask my friends at home to pray for me. As I sat there not having any idea what to do, cars started going around me and some stopped and asked me if I needed help. One was a woman in her mid thirties, I would guess, and she was alone. She pulled off the road and asked if she could help me. Then this guy stopped and he said he would take a look under the hood. He pushed me off to the side of the road and checked under the hood. He said he was a mechanic and that I would need a tow. He pushed me across the street into a gas station and called a few tow trucks to see if someone could come get me. It was Sunday night and he had to call a couple before someone agreed. In the meantime, this lady stayed with me. The mechanic said he would have the tow truck tow my car to the garage where he worked. I said okay and the lady asked where I would stay. I said probably a motel. She helped me get my luggage out of my car and put it in hers. Then we followed the tow truck in her car. When we reached the garage, the tow truck driver wanted his money. I tried to give him a credit card, but he wanted cash. Fortunately, I had enough to pay him, but was left with about $5 in cash. The lady then decided I should go home with her and spend the night with her and her daughter. She took me to her apartment and fixed me a sandwich. I was going to sleep on her couch, but she decided that since her young daughter was out and would be coming home later, that I should sleep in her bed so her daughter would not be frightened to see a strange woman sleeping on the couch. She put clean linens on her bed and I slept in her bed. In the morning she had to leave early to go to work, but first took me to the garage where my car had been towed. I thanked her so much and got her name and address. Before she left, she gave me $5 to get myself some breakfast. Like the title of this story states, "Before you call, I will answer." God knew I would need an angel and he had a couple of them all primed to help me. The lady had been on her way home from church and felt God's nudge to give me a helping hand. The guy, too, was definitely an angel to give me all that help. I sat in that garage all day while they tried to find out what was wrong with my car. They did not want it to be the fuel pump because they would have to take off the gas tank to get at it, but eventually that's what they had to do. I enjoyed telling everyone there waiting for their cars, about my angels. One older man was a little upset because they broke down on the highway, too, and his son had to walk quite a distance to get them some help. I just smiled and kept on giving God all the credit. The MidState Medical Center Auxiliary Hosts the “Swing and Sway Gala” Proceeds Benefit Hospital Programs and Services MidState Medical Center together with the MidState Auxiliary is pleased to announce its upcoming biannual fundraising event, the 2009 “Swing and Sway Gala.” This year’s event has a 50’s theme and is set for Saturday, October 10, 2009, 7 PM to midnight at the Aqua Turf. The gala is one of the hospital’s premier fundraising events and typically draws over 500 guests in support of MidState. The “Swing and Sway Gala” promises to be a rock n’ roll of a time. This fun filled evening will feature: Cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres Contemporary reception Silent auction Musical entertainment Retro-chic attire DJ Rico from Rico’s Entertainment and the Nifty Fifties Band will provide toe-tapping 50s rock-n-roll tunes as well as today’s hits for your enjoyment. Tickets are $150 per person and $300 a couple. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact Tina Fabiani in the hospital’s Development office at 203-694-8744 or email at tfabian@midstatemedical.org. Come swing to the tunes of the 50s and support your community hospital—MidState Medical Center. 18th Annual Oktoberfest Slated For Sept. 26 & 27 At Quassy MIDDLEBURY, Conn. – The 18th Annual Oktoberfest Celebration Sept. 26 & 27 at Quassy Amusement Park, Route 64 here, will feature entertainment and great ethnic food as the lakeside facility starts to wind down its 101st season. Oktoberfest will be held noon to 6 p.m. at the Fieldside Pavilion with German music, food and dancing both days. Admission to the park and Oktoberfest are free. Parking is $5 per vehicle (buses $35). Quassy’s rides operate both days from noon to 6 p.m. There are fees for the rides, food, beverages, games and attractions. The Connecticut Volkswagen Association will also host a two-day car show in the Great Lawn area of the park adjacent to the Fieldside Pavilion. Park guests may enjoy viewing the show cars during the afternoons. In addition, “Wild Thing” from Harper Collins Publishers will have meet and greet appearances with youngsters both days at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. The complete 18th Annual Oktoberfest Celebration schedule is as follows: Saturday, Sept. 26 Amusement rides operate noon to 6 p.m. “The Fire House Polka Band” performing Oktoberfest music in the pavilion starting at 12:30 p.m. “Harugari Junior Schuhplatters” youth dancers of Hamden, Conn., performing in the pavilion starting at 1 p.m. “Wild Thing” meet and greets at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Connecticut Volkswagen Association car show all afternoon Sunday, Sept. 27 Amusement rides operate noon to 6 p.m. “The Fire House Polka Band” performing Oktoberfest music in the pavilion starting at 12:30 p.m. “Alpenland Tanzer Dancers” of West Haven, Conn., performing in the pavilion starting at 1 p.m. “Wild Thing” meet and greets at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Connecticut Volkswagen Association car show all afternoon Fun At Quassy Quassy Amusement Park features more than two-dozen rides and attractions as well as food, a redemption arcade, games, and numerous special events. For a complete special and community service events calendar and more information on historic Quassy Amusement Park visit http://www.quassy.com/ or call the park office at (203) 758-2913 or 1-800-FOR-PARK. School educational and group outings are currently being booked through the park office for 2010. Season passes for next year, which include the remainder of the 2009 season, are also being offered at the park office. To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!