The People's Press - Meriden, Wallingford and Central Connecticut's Newspaper

Mid-October Deadline Reminder 11th Anniversary Issue

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:59:00 +0000

The deadline for all of your news, stories, photos, events and more is October 15th for our 11th Anniversary Issue Mid-October 2011 Issue. Email your submissions to andy@peoplespressnews.com

Remember to visit www.peoplespressnews.com for even more!

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The October A 2011 Issue of The People's Press in Image Form

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Simply Click on the page to enlarge and read! Remember that you can read The People's Press in many other forms and get bonus items at http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

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The October A 2011 People's Press in Text Form

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:41:00 +0000

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to www.peoplespressnews.com

Wallingford ANNUAL CLEAN-A-ROAD DAY

Saturday, October 15, 2011

If you need bags, gloves or vests - or - if you want to volunteer to clean a "needy" road,

stop by Wallingford Town Hall, 45 South Main Street, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

For more information about this event and local efforts to fight roadside litter, please contact

the Adopt-A-Road Program: 203-294-2060.

Wallingford Emergency Notification System - Sign Up Procedure

In the wake of Hurricane Irene we would like to remind our community that having the most up-to-date emergency information is critical to making important family safety and security decisions. The State of Connecticut has implemented a state-of-the-art emergency notification system to alert residents anywhere in the state about life-threatening emergency conditions. The Town of Wallingford is an active partner in the program. At the time of a life threatening emergency, information relevant to the conditions of the emergency can be sent to residents through a variety of communication methods, including home phone, cell phone, e-mail, text messaging and certain hearing impaired receiving devices.

Many people are now choosing not to have traditional hardwired phone service in their homes and opting for portable cellular phone service. Without having a traditional home phone it is very possible that you may miss important community and or state notifications in a time of crisis. We urge members of our community to take the time to register their cellular devices so that they will be notified.

The procedure to sign up for the alerts is a five (5) minute process that residents can easily complete online. By signing onto the State of Connecticut Emergency Alerting and Notification Systems web site, a profile can be completed in three easy steps. Once the profile is completed, the system when activated will make emergency notification in the manner in which the resident has created in their profile. Changes and updates to the profile are easily done through the same web-site.

The police department reminds residents that if an emergency message is received, listen closely to what is being reported and then take the appropriate measures to ensure your safety and well-being.

Wallingford Police Lieutenant William Wright has been designated as the program administrator for the community. Questions relevant to the creation of user profiles can be directed to him at 203-294-2836.

Wallingford Parks and Recreation Department

Wallingford 15th Annual Turkey Shoot Golf Classic 2011

The 15th Annual Turkey Shoot Golf Classic, will be held at the Tradition Golf Club on Sat., Oct 22, 2011, is a co-ed 18 hole, 4 person team, scramble tournament, featuring special skills holes and and a putting contest. Fee includes greens and cart fees, dinner and prizes. The shotgun start is at 1PM. Maximum limit is 72 players. Fee: $90 – residents, $95 for non-residents. Sign up at the Wallingford Parks and Recreation, 6 Fairfield Blvd., Wlfd. , 203 294-2120. For more info call Elaine Doherty at 203 265-7349.

Wallingford Dolphins Swim Team

The Wallingford Dolphins Swim Team will begin short axis stroke clinics this week. It is not too late to sign up! Clinics run September 20th – September 30th. 10 and under swimmers clinics run Tuesday through Friday 6:30PM – 7:30PM at the YMCA, and 11 and over swimmers clinics run Tuesday through Friday 7:30PM – 8:30PM. Contact Kait Moss for more information about our team, practice and meet schedules and to set up an evaluation to see where your swimmer belongs on our team. Regular season practices begin the week of October 3rd. Check out our website www.wallingforddolphins.org for more information!

Become Certified As A Lifeguard!

The Wallingford Family YMCA is conducting the Red Cross Lifeguard Training Program.

Class dates:

Sunday, Oct. 9: 10:00-4:00PM

Monday, Oct. 10: 9:00-4:00PM

Saturday Oct. 22: 9:00-4:00PM

Saturday Oct. 29: 9:00-4:00PM

Sunday Oct. 30: 10:00-4:00PM

Pre-registration is required. Participants are required to attend all classes. For more information, please contact Lisa Hoover at lhoover@wallingfordymca.org or (203) 269-4497 x20

Red Cross Babysitter’s Training Course

This certification course is offered to those boys and girls ages 11-15. This program provides the skills and confidence to safely and responsibly care for children. Through hands on activities, Interactive video and lively discussion, this course teaches young people how to make good decisions and create age appropriate play. They will also learn CPR and basic First Aid. This class will take place on Saturday, November 5 from 1:30-5:30PM. Pre-Registration is required. The cost for this class is $30 for YMCA Members and $60 for Community Participants. For more information, please contact Lisa Hoover at lhoover@wallingfordymca.org.

Motor Coach Trips Offered By The Wallingford Family YMCA

Registration will start soon for our Fall trips! Some of the excited locations are: Bronx Zoo, Salem Haunted Happenings, Atlantic City& The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Many available pick up sites in Stratford, North Haven, Meriden & Newington. Pre-Registration is required. For more information on these trips and future trips, please contact Lisa Hoover at lhoover@wallingfordymca.org.

The Wallingford Family YMCA Corporate Child Care programs are currently accepting registration for the 2011-2012 year. Register for full time (5 days per week) enrollment until October 14 and receive a free 6 month family membership at the Wallingford YMCA! For details on availability please call: Jan Donahue, at the Learning Community at Choate 203-697-2150 or Karen Wu, at The Early Learning Center at Gaylord 203-284-5920.

News from South Meriden Fire Your Village Community Life Line

August 2011 was our busiest Month in our history. We responded to 108 calls of service WOW! During Hurricane Irene we covered our station for over 40 hrs straight with two fire engines, a rescue truck and our secondary medical vehicle. We responded to 35 calls of service from medicals, Motor Vehicle Accident to tree downs and wires down. Like over 50% of our residence in the City some of our members also had no power for days. During difficult times people stand up and do the correct things such as staying in and sheltering in place during the storm, staying away from downed power lines and trees. It was difficult to move around South Meriden and the rest of the city do to roads being closed off because of fallen trees and power lines down. But mostly everyone did stay away from hazardous conditions except for a select few who either did not know or just did not care that the streets where closed with yellow fire tape and thought that the caution fire tape meant it was OK for them to drive or walk through the tape. Well for the grace of God no one got hurt when these people ignored the obvious safety measures we had posted for everyone’s safety. It was heart warming to see neighbors helping neighbors and also checking in on the elderly to make sure they were also OK. We can do amazing things when we work together. We thank you for your help and understanding during the hurricane.

South Meriden Volunteer Fire Department is the village community life line and is celebrating 103 years of service. The department was established back in 1908. It is the only volunteer fire station today in the City of Meriden. It is manned completely by Volunteer professionals. We presently have 28 active members ranging from 18 years old to 65. Our firefighters are certified by the State of CT Fire Academies. Their certification levels depend on the amount of time that each member has spent schooling themselves in the Fire Service. We continue to push our members to continue their education in the fire service and EMS, the more they learn the more they can improve their chance to advance in life’s every day adventures.

Our active firefighters must achieve the level of Firefighter I which is approximately 140 hours within their first 12 months in our department. They also must achieve the level of Medical Response Technician (MRT) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) within their first 18 months. The certification process then continues, there is Firefighter II which is approximately 160 hours, Fire Instructor I approximately 100 hours, Fire Officer I approximately 100 hours and this list can and sometimes does continue further. Our members and their families are dedicated to serving not only South Meriden but also the whole City of Meriden when there are City wide emergencies.

We are one of the only fully volunteer fire stations in the state that has overnight duty crews. We have personnel that presently man our fire station 7 nights a week. This has been going on for 10 years now. This allows us to respond quicker to emergencies in our area. We believe in providing good customer service to our customers, you our neighbors. South Meriden Volunteer Fire Department works hand and hand with the Meriden Career Fire Department. Meriden Fire Department has 5 career stations based thought-out the City. The two main stations that also cover the South Meriden area are Station 1 which houses Engine 1 located on Chamberlain Highway and Station 2 which houses Engine 2 and Truck Company 1 (The Ladder Truck). We usually get dispatched at the same time for calls in the South Meriden area. The incident can be handled either by both of the departments or separately. When our station is manned either day or night depending on the severity of the incident we usually handle the incident ourselves, this frees the Meriden Engine company up to handle other emergency incidents that might occur. I believe that Meriden has the best career firefighters in the State. We work with them everyday and I think we all learn from each other each day.

Our call volume has been increasing each year. Our station will be doing over 800 calls this year. We are funded with approximately $71.000 a year from the City of Meriden.

We also run our own fund raiser each year to help us buy extra equipment and supplies that we can not afford to purchase with the City funds. In the past years we have been able to purchase Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) Units. AEDs, as they are known, are used during cardiac emergencies and last year we purchased our Ranger One, I six wheeled off road vehicle to answer emergencies on the linier trail. Our Chief Officers also carry AED Units along with other emergency equipment in their cars so we can also service our neighbors quicker in medical emergency incidents. We also purchased Hazardous Material Multi Gas Reading Meters for our fire apparatus with your generous donations these meters allow us to identify hazardous gas in the atmosphere while responding to Haz-Mat Incidents.

We not only recruit from within Meriden for Volunteers fire fighters but 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. Certified Fire Fighters can apply on Monday evenings at our fire station which is located at 31 Camp Street, South Meriden. Well that is all this month I will visit with you again hopefully next month God willing. Stay safe, Keith Gordon Chief of Operations

MAYORS CORNER-WALLINGFORD

Dear Friends:

The time for goblins, witches, dragons, princesses and super heroes is almost here. The annual Goblin Gathering and Mini-parade will happen at 6:45 p.m. on Friday, October 28th in front of the Town Hall. This year costumes will be judged for age groups 3-5 year olds, 6-8 year olds and 9-11 year olds. Awards will be given for the Best Costume and Most Original Costume in each age group. After the parade, bags of candy, donuts and juice will revive the “spirits”.

Wooden stakes, twine and hay will be available for those who want to create the Scarecrow Kingdom in front of Town Hall. Children under 5 can also join in the Halloween Haystack Egg Hunt. Bring a carved pumpkin and help to illuminate the parade grounds. As always, this should be a great spectacle and lots and lots of fun!!!

This event is sponsored by the Wallingford Public Celebrations Committee, Wallingford Parks and Recreation and Wallingford Center Inc. We ask that participants park in the Town Hall Parking Lot or at the Wallingford Municipal Credit Union - not along the street.

If you are looking for a very, very scary time, be sure to visit the Trail or Terror at PNA Park. Proceeds are donated to local charities. Let the Halloween excitement begin!

William W. Dickinson, Jr., Mayor

MAX E. MURAVNICK MERIDEN SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTER News and Events

Flu Shots will be offered by the Meriden Health Department on Wednesday, October 5 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in the first floor meeting room. No appointments are necessary and the cost of the Flu Shot is covered by Medicare so please remember to bring your Medicare card!

Creative Writing Classes with Susan Sandel, PhD, will be returning to the Senior Center for six weeks starting on Wednesday, October 5 from 1:00 to 2:15 pm. Learn to express yourself in writing, put your thoughts on paper and chronicle your important memories! Susan makes the classes educational and enjoyable so please sign-up in the office to participate in the next session of Creative Writing starting on October 5!

On Tuesday, October 11 at 1:00 pm we will have an organizational meeting for people interested in being part of the holiday show, “A Christmas Carol” to be performed here at the Senior Center in December. Senior Center member Liz Fast has directed plays in the past and would like to get senior volunteers to take a role in this 15 minute Charles Dickens holiday show. Please join us on October 11 at 1:00 in the first floor meeting room to start planning this touching holiday drama with Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim!

On Wednesday, October 12 at 10:30 AM Mike Savinelli from BCI Financial will speak on Reverse Mortgages. Learn how you can use the equity in your home to cover other expenses like home improvements, a new car, medical bills, traveling or other personal expenses. This no cost or obligation program will be held in the first floor meeting room and refreshments will be served.

The Meriden Hall of Fame will hold its annual Induction Ceremony on Sunday, October 16 at 2:00 pm at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center. Inductees are Matthew C. Dominello Sr., Dr. Francis Giuffrida, Rob Hyman and Rhudean Raye. The program is open to the public free of charge, refreshments will be served and you are cordially invited to attend!

There are still openings for next AARP Driver Safety Class at the Senior Center on Wednesday, October 26 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the mezzanine. The cost of the class is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members and completion of the course entitles you to a discount on your automobile insurance premiums. Sign-ups for the October class are now being accepted in the front office or by calling 203.237.0066.

The 5th Annual Senior Fair at the Wallingford Senior Center will be held on Friday, November 4 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Sponsored by the Record-Journal, the Senior Fair features workshops, seminars, screenings and refreshments as well as displays from many companies providing services to seniors. A free mini-bus will leave here at 12:15 pm returning by 3:00 pm, to sign-up see Becky or call 203.237.3338.

John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER News and Events

VISIT our website at www.wlfdseniorctr.com!

Autumn Nights Dinner Dance - Thursday, October 6, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Don’t miss our monthly dinner dance. This month we present live music from the Frank Porto Band. Get out on the dance floor, or just enjoy the sights and sounds of the evening. Purchase your Lake View Café dinner ticket ($6.00) in advance, or just come for the dance portion of the event.

Comedy Show - Wednesday, October 19, 1:30 PM

Get your ticket to what promises to be an afternoon of hilarity as professional comedian Bob Goss takes to our stage! Bob has been described as “sheer comic energy”. His show involves stand-up comedy, hilarious story-telling, audience participation, and singing! He is a veteran of the hotel and cruise ship circuit, and he kept the audiences laughing at this summer’s lobster festival trips. In addition to the comedy show, our event will feature dessert and beverages. Tickets are $5.00 per person and are available at the front desk. Invite your friends!

Harvest Dance Party - Friday, October 21, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

This free dance party is open to you and all your friends! Join us in the Great Room for two hours of dancing and listening fun. Music will be provided by The Survivors, who will play all the old favorites. Refreshments will be served.

The Orphan Trains - Tuesday, October 25, 10:00 AM

Between 1854 and 1929, more than 150,000 homeless or orphaned children from New York City and other urban areas, were sent via trains to new homes, primarily in the Midwest. Some children were received into loving homes, others became little more than indentured servants. Come watch the PBS documentary, The Orphan Trains, which features interviews with survivors and documentation from century-old letters. This presentation will serve as an introduction to the special program described below.

The Brave Story of an Orphan Train Rider - Thursday, November 3, 7:00 PM at LHHS

Tickets are on sale at the front desk for a special event to be held at Lyman Hall High School to benefit the Wallingford Education Foundation. Ann Zemke, author of They Named Me Marjorie: The Brave Story of an Orphan Train Rider, will speak about her grandmother who was indentured by a family who took her off an orphan train in 1906.

Free Ballroom Dance Lessons - Tuesdays, 9:30 AM

Do you want to add to your enjoyment at our dance parties? Come to our free ballroom dance lessons taught by Roger Blouin, and soon you’ll be out on the floor dancing like Fred or Ginger! You do not need a partner to attend the dance lessons (or our dance parties). We would love to see more men join in the fun! Don’t be shy – give it a try!

Computer Workshops with Kevin

Thursdays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Kevin Ozer will be in the Computer Learning Center every Thursday evening in October to help you with your computer questions and problems. (Bring your laptop if you have one.) The fee for each Informal question and answer workshop is $5.00. Please pre-register at the front desk.

Learn To “Skype” - Monday, October 17 - 9:30 – 11:00 AM

Do you have family and friends you would like to talk to more often? Skype is a free computer program that allows you to communicate with other Skype users over the Internet for free. You can see each other as you talk. The Computer Learning Center is offering a one lesson course that teaches you the basics of getting started with Skype on your own computer. This fun class includes hands-on instruction that will have you making and receiving Skype calls in no time. The fee is $5.00. Pre-register at the front desk. (Another class will be offered November 15.)

SOCIAL SERVICES

Memory Lane - Senior Day Program

Is your parent or loved one bored at home? Do you need some time to yourself? Well summer is over, the kids are back in school, and it’s time to get back into a routine. Come visit the Wallingford Senior Center and find out more about our memory care program and the many activities it has to offer. Memory Lane is an adult day program located within the senior center; group activities designed around the abilities and interests of the participants are offered daily. Our hours of operation are 9:15 AM.-2:15 PM, Monday through Friday. We offer handicapped-accessible transportation to all Wallingford residents at no extra charge. Eligibility is based on an interview, assessment, and medical clearance. We provide an affordable, fun, and stimulating way to keep your loved one safe and independent during the day. Join us for a free trial day*. Please contact Melinda Welch, Program Coordinator, at 203.265.7753 Ext. 205 for more information. (*Trial days are based on interview, assessment, and medical clearance.)

Social Worker

♦ Appointments: In order to serve you better, please call to schedule an appointment with the Social Worker, Eileen Flynn, at 203-265-7753.

♦ Walk-In Schedule: The Social Worker takes walk-ins on a first come basis for one-half hour sessions ONLY (30 minutes) on Tuesdays. Sessions are on the half-hour from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. No regular appointments will be scheduled on Tuesdays.

What Kind of Life Insurance Do I Have? - Wednesday, October 19 1:00 – 3:15 PM

Do you have life insurance policies and you do not know exactly what they are: Term, Whole Life or Accidental Life or are there any special clauses limiting coverage? If you have any of these questions, Laurie Shields, MetLife Financial Services, will be available for 45-minute appointments; call 203-265-7753 to schedule your 45-minute timeslot.

Want to Make a Difference? - Interfaith Volunteer Training

Tuesday, October 18 - 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Do you have some time and would like to make a difference in a person’s life? Many seniors have no family in the area and are unable to get to doctor appointments or do shopping for themselves without someone to provide transportation. Other seniors live alone, are isolated and would appreciate someone to visit and provide socialization. Still others are unable to do laundry or light housework and could use some assistance with these tasks. You could make a big difference in their lives just by offering a few hours to meet some of these needs. Training will be provided by Barbara Barlok from Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers on Tuesday, October 18, 1:30 PM. Please consider attending by registering at 203-265-7753.

Understanding Your Medicare Benefits 2012

Friday, October 7 - 10:00-11:00 AM

2012 is quickly approaching and questions about any changes in Medicare are beginning to arise. Yvonne Sourragh from Insurance Benefits Solutions, LLC will provide information and answer questions about Medicare Benefits for 2012. All are welcome to attend this program. To register to attend this informative program, please call 203-265 7753.

Important Medicare Information - Please Read Carefully

Open enrollment dates for Medicare have changed. CMS has made it clear that there will be no exceptions to the dates rule below. Dates for open enrollment are:

● Start Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011

● End Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2011

MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAM

New Income Guidelines - There have been changes in the eligibility income guidelines to help individuals pay for their Medicare B premiums. The allowable income has increased and anyone who has income between $1,943.12 to $2,260.92 INDIVIDUALS and between $2,623.64 to $3,052.74 COUPLES may be eligible to have their Medicare B premium ($96.40-$115.40) paid. If you were not eligible for this program before because of the income increases you may want to re-calculate your present monthly income. Income includes Social Security, pensions, annuities, 401K, IRA’s dividends, interest, rental income, etc. All incomes are gross, meaning before any deductions such as Medicare, taxes, etc. have been taken out. If you fall within these guidelines and would like to apply for this program, please call SW Eileen Flynn at 203-265-7753 to schedule an appointment.

Important: Please Read Re: Medicare Savings Programs

PLEASE REMEMBER: IF YOUR MEDICARE PART B PREMIUM ($96.40-$115.40) IS BEING PAID FOR UNDER ONE OF THE MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS (QMB, SLMB OR ALMB), YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE A RE-DETERMINATION in order for this premium to CONTINUE TO BE paid for you. This re-determination should be mailed to you approximately one month prior to your anniversary date by the dePT. of social services. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THIs RE-DETERMINATION WILL MEAN THAT THE PREMIUM WILL START TO BE TAKEN OUT OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK and you will need to re-apply.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans - Medicare Rx Express

Thursday, October 27 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

It is that time of year again when decisions need to be made regarding next year’s Medicare Prescription Drug plan choices. The Medicare Rx Express will be at the Senior Center to assist with evaluating and signing up individuals for Medicare Prescription Drug Programs. Please bring a list of the prescription drugs you are presently taking as well as the dosage and number of times taken each day; and bring your present Medicare Rx Insurance Card or Medicare Advantage plan card. Appointments limited and required; call 203-265-7753 to register.

Social Security - Thursday, October 27 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Social Security representatives will be available to answer any questions you may have about eligibility, benefits, etc. No appointment necessary.

CT Energy Assistance Program - 2011-2012 Season

**Important Note: Although applications are being taken at this time, New Opportunities (Meriden) may not process them until notified to do so by the government. Please keep this in mind when calling to follow up on the status of your application. The Wallingford Senior Center is an intake site for Wallingford residents, age 60 and over. The program provides financial assistance to income-eligible households to pay for a portion of their heating costs. We will begin taking applications for deliverable fuel (oil, kerosene, wood) on Wednesday, September 7. First day for fuel deliveries which can be program paid is November 1. Gas and electric customers can call beginning Monday, October 31 for an appointment. Income limits are presently $30,485 for a single person and $39,865 for a couple. Asset limits apply.

Applicants MUST bring TWO (2) COPIES of the following checklist documents (failure to bring TWO (2) COPIES of original will result in re-scheduling of appointment):

● TWO (2) COPIES of most recent bank statement showing Social Security deposit amount or of a 2011 Social Security check or Social Security “Your New Benefit Amount” letter for 2011;

● Most recent checking, savings, CD, annuity, stock, bond documents TWO (2) COPIES;

● 2011 year-to-date pension or annuity dividends and/or interest income TWO (2) COPIES;

● Four most recent pay stubs, if employed TWO (2) COPIES.

● Rental Income – rent stub or copy of check deposited into bank account TWO (2) COPIES;

● Most recent heat utility bill TWO (2) COPIES;

● And, electric bill TWO (2) COPIES.

Applications are by appointment only (clearly, we need two copies of above). Call 203-265-7753 to schedule an appointment.

Benefits Screening - Am I Eligible for Any Programs?

Tuesday, October 18 - 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Do you often wonder if you might be eligible for any State or Federal Programs? Benefits QuickLINK is a free and confidential program which can quickly screen for eligibility. Supporting documents are not required, but please bring the following information with you to your appointment: 1. Monthly income (social security, pension, dividends and interest). 2. Monthly expenses (heating, fuel, gas, electricity, water, telephone, rent or mortgage payments and medical expenses not covered by health insurance). 3. Asset information (savings, estimated value of home and car, life insurance benefits). 4. A list of all current prescriptions. Registration required, call 203-265-7753 now to schedule an appointment.

Mayor’s Corner - Meriden

The leaves are finally beginning to change as cooler fall weather approaches. Meriden has seen a flurry of outdoor events and activities including the 911 Memorial Service at the American Legion, the annual Wine Tasting and Brewfest downtown; the 2nd Annual Sgt. Jeffrey Boucher Car, Truck, and Bike Show at the Hub; the Rotary Car Show benefiting the Meriden/Wallingford United Way; and the 3rd Annual Rotary Pet Fair at Hubbard Park with proceeds benefiting the Meriden Humane Society. Many thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made these events possible.

Meriden recently received the prestigious national recognition of “Playful City USA” by Kaboom. This award named Meriden as one of the leading cities in America in promoting outdoor play for children. This award commends our commitment to children’s play resources and the many opportunities afforded for leisure time and play activity. Meriden will be eligible for grant funds from Kaboom for city parks projects.

Soon to be released – Today’s Meriden, a children’s book about Meriden’s treasures, resources, and vitality. Author, Eddie Siebert, a well known children’s book author, created this book to illuminate the many positives of Meriden through the eyes of a Meriden native growing up in our community.

Don’t forget to stop by the Farmer’s Market at the downtown Hub every Saturday morning from 8 AM to 12 Noon. Fresh, Connecticut grown produce is available through October 29.

Warm regards, Mike Rohde, Mayor of Meriden

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Wallingford Healthy Dining Guide - First Edition

The Wallingford Health Department in conjunction with the Activate Wallingford Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative is pleased to announce our First Edition, Wallingford Healthy Dining Guide.

The Wallingford Healthy Dining Guide is an effort to create a healthier community by highlighting those restaurants that provide the healthy food choices; some of these include offering whole grain alternatives, more fruit and vegetable items, and the option to order smaller portion sizes. According to consumer research from the National Restaurant Association, nearly 3 out of 4 adults are trying to eat healthier when dining out than they have in the past (January 2010).  

This exciting new effort was the work of student intern, Leah Mezick, Southern Connecticut State University, Public Health (graduated May 2011). All Wallingford restaurants were asked to voluntarily participate in a menu review and grading system. Criteria for inclusion in the Wallingford Healthy Dining Guide, was restricted to restaurants classified as 3’s and 4’s in accordance with Connecticut Public Health Code; local establishments (less than 3 locations) and had to meet at least 80% of the healthy nutritional guidelines. A survey was adapted from a dining guide designed by Darlene Flaherty, R.D., at the Carroll County Health Department in Maryland and was distributed in April 2011.

The First Edition of the Wallingford Health Dining Guide is two-year guide, 2011-2013, and will be updated using the same grading criteria. We are pleased to announce that nine (9) restaurants are included in the First Edition. Certificates of Award of Excellence will be awarded on Saturday Oct 1, 2011 as part of the Celebrate Wallingford Festivities. 

The restaurants will receive a certificate to display and a window decal indicates they are a Healthy Dining establishment. In addition, the Wallingford Healthy Dining Guide will be available on the Town web site and the Activate Wallingford website.

Wallingford Public Flu Vaccine Clinics - October 18 and 22

Wednesday, October 18 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wallingford Public Library Upper Level - Board Room

Saturday, October 22 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Wallingford Public Library Lower Level - Collins Room

No appointment is required for these clinics.

Most major health insurance plans and Medicare Part B accepted. Cash or check accepted.

For additional information, please contact Chris More at the Department of Health. 203-294-2065.

Meriden Health Department New and Events

Healthy Workplace Bulletin Boards

Does your workplace have an empty bulletin board? If so, the Meriden Health Department has your solution! We are offering free monthly bulletin board packages with themes such as “Rethink Your Drink”, “Lunchbox Tips”, and “Walking for Health”. Each package comes with handouts for employees and all the supplies you need for your board. Transforming empty bulletin boards is a great addition to any workplace wellness program. Below is Fosdick Fulfillment Center’s board for September. If you would like items for your board please call Lea Crown, Community Health Educator, at (203) 630-4238.

SEASONAL FLU VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE AT THE MERIDEN HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Meriden Health Department is now offering seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine to Meriden residents. This year’s vaccine includes protection from the H1N1 flu virus. Getting the flu vaccine is the best protection against getting sick from influenza.

Yearly flu vaccination is recommended for anyone over the age of 6 months. Any persons allergic to eggs or any part of the flu vaccine are not eligible for the vaccination.

The cost of the vaccine is $25.00 (cash only please). Medicare and Connecticare Medicare HMO are the only insurances accepted at this time. The vaccine will be given at the Health Department, 165 Miller Street, Monday – Friday from 8:30am – 4:30pm. No appointment is necessary. Please call the Meriden Health Department Clinic office at (203) 630-4234 with any questions.

Meriden Family Day – October 9, 2011

Meriden’s 4th annual Family Day will be held on Sunday, October 9, at the Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail (corner of Oregon Road and Route 70 in South Meriden). Join us from 1:00pm-2:30pm and enjoy a beautiful fall nature walk down the linear trail led by Wildlife Biologist Peter Picone. The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association will offer canoe rides down the river. Learn more about trail expansion and the environment at educational exhibits. Healthy snacks and bottled water will be available. The event is sponsored by Meriden Linear Trail Partners. For more information please call 203-235-6851. Rain cancels the event.

Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Council to hold Health and Wellness EXPO

The Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Council will hold its third annual Health and Wellness Expo at Westfield Meriden Shopping Mall on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Westfield is located at 470 Lewis Avenue, Meriden. This event will be held in conjunction with Westfield Meriden’s spooktacular trick-or-treat event for families.

Over 35 exhibitors will be on hand with health, wellness, and safety information. Fun and educational seminars and demonstrations will be held during the Expo in Center Court, Also featured in Center Court will be a public safety recognition award program from 12:00-1:00pm.

This event is free and open to the public. Vendors interested in exhibiting can call the Chamber at (203) 235-7901 or visit www.meridenchamber.com. This event is being brought to you in partnership by the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce and Westfield Meriden.

20th Annual AIDS Candlelight Vigil Scheduled for October 20, 2011

The 20thh Annual AIDS Candlelight Vigil will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2011, on the steps of Meriden City Hall. The vigil will start at 5:00pm. Mayor Michael S. Rohde will read a proclamation in honor of HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. All are welcome to attend. Following the vigil, attendees will proceed to Center Congregational Church, located at 474 Broad Street. A program including speakers, singers, and an open prayer will be held. Light refreshments will be available. The program will conclude at 7:00pm.

Since HIV was first identified in 1981, it has spread rapidly through the world. In the United States nearly 1 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS, and up to one-third do not know they are infected. Since 1981, nearly 450,000 people in the United States have died from HIV/AIDS. 40,000 people in the United States become infected every year. Know your status, get tested! For more information on the AIDS Candlelight Vigil, please contact Abigail Torres at the Meriden Health Department, 203-630-4176.

Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health

Chris More, RN

Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department

Let’s talk about . . . . Childhood Obesity. “Fatty, Tubby, Blimpy”, all hurtful names that overweight children hear every day at school, camp and other activities.

They looked so cute at 1 year old with those chunky legs and adorable pot bellies. Grandma said, “It’s only baby fat it will go away,” but when that baby turns 6 or 7 and is still “chunky” it’s no longer adorable or healthy physically or emotionally.

Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health and well being. Obesity (over-weight) in children has many adverse health issues, and is now recognized as a serious public health concern. The diagnosis of obesity is based on BMI (Body Mass Index). Obesity is recognized as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile. Emotional and psychological effects of obesity in children are overwhelming, not only is there teasing from peers, but sometimes even family. If you walk through a school cafeteria, you would observe the overweight children sitting very quietly to avoid ridicule over their sometimes large lunches. Childhood obesity also leads to many life threatening conditions. Examples are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep problems and many other disorders. Yes, parents these are not exclusively adult diseases, and if you child develops these conditions now and you don’t change their lifestyles, they will become unhealthy, overweight adults with chronic health conditions. Mortality rates sky rocket during adulthood.

Some causes of obesity are poor eating habits, meals in front of the T.V., eating out or having dinner in the car between soccer games, all these causes are linked with types of food, sugary soft drinks, pre-packaged snacks, vending machine foods and fast foods – high in fat. Last but certainly not least the lack of physical activities, being on T.V. or video game overload, certainly adds to the vicious cycle of eating and being a couch potato.

We could go on and on about over-feeding our children, what to feed them and when but the best way to help your child is for your entire family to change its life styles. Just give healthy eating a chance. The family eating together at the table, planning healthy meals with the children, snacking on popcorn, pretzels, fruits and veggies and even taking a family walk together are not so difficult. Your children will respond to your efforts and you may even establish some family bonding.

The Health Department has joined forces with Youth and Social Services, Wallingford YMCA and the BOE to “Activate Wallingford”.

Check us out on the web for more information.

There are also many websites that help with meal planning and exercise. Check with your family physician or call us at the Wallingford Health Department (203) 294-2065 to help you establish healthy safe meal plans and exercise schedules.

We’ll talk again next month in the meantime be an advocate for your child and “Get Healthy.”

Activate Wallingford Task Force Urges Healthier Habits for Kids during Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and the ACTIVATE WALLINGFORD Task Force is reminding parents about the importance of incorporating regular physical activity and healthier eating habits into their children’s lives.

Childhood obesity rates have soared over the last few decades. Nationally, one in three children is obese or overweight, while in Connecticut ages 6 to 11 are at 18.8 percent, ages 12 to 19 are at 17.4 percent and Connecticut high school students obese or overweight are at 26 percent according to the Connecticut Commission on Children. More alarming, obesity puts children at risk for chronic diseases often seen in adults, such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes. This health crisis sheds light on the need to provide children and their parents with the resources and the support they need, emphasizing that small steps can lead to big results to reverse the trend.

One key to fighting childhood obesity is prevention. Regular physical activity – 60 minutes a day for children – and nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower children’s chances of becoming obese or overweight and developing chronic diseases. It’s important to note that 60 minutes of physical activity can be achieved through a number of activities throughout the entire day – it doesn’t have to be done all at once. As a leading nonprofit strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y believes that getting kids more active and allowing them to play is an important factor in improving their health.

The ACTIVATE WALLINGFORD Task Force is made up of local town agencies, departments, non profits and businesses offering a variety of healthy living programs and opportunities. Our many parks and trails throughout Wallingford serve as a great resource for families to engage in healthy activities.

To learn more about ACTIVATE WALLINGFORD, please contact Sean Doherty, Wallingford Family YMCA Executive Director at 203-269-4497 or visit www.activatewallingford.org for more information.

MORE THAN 1,500 NEW ENGLAND RESIDENTS TO JOIN

LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION 6TH ANNUAL PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH WALK

WHAT: On Sunday, October 2, nearly 2,000 New Englanders whose lives have been impacted by pancreatic cancer join together for the 6th Annual Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk which will be held at Castle Island in south Boston.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in women and men in this country. This year, more than 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with an average survival time of six to nine months. There are no early detection methods, no adequate treatments and unless detected in its earliest stages, there is no cure. Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive and resistive to standard cancer treatments. In only the past few years, this disease took the lives of such well-known people as Patrick Swayze, Luciano Pavarotti, and Myles Brand and Randy Pausch.

WHY: Despite the grim statistics of this disease, it was not a national priority. Only ten years ago, federal funding for pancreatic cancer research stood at less than one half of one percent of the National Cancer Institute’s annual budget. The Lustgarten Foundation has provided more than $38 million to pancreatic cancer research AND 100% of every dollar raised goes to research!

WHO: The Lustgarten Foundation along with thousands of New England residents who have been affected by pancreatic cancer!

WHEN: Sunday, October 2, 2011 Check-In and Registration: 8:00 AM Event Begins: 9:30 AM

WHERE: Castle Island, South Boston

HOW: To learn more or Register online visit www.lustgarten.org or call toll free 866.789.1000

MORE: The Lustgarten Foundation is America’s largest private foundation dedicated solely to funding pancreatic cancer research. Based in Bethpage, New York, the Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events. The foundation has provided $38 million to pancreatic cancer research and has assembled the best scientific minds with the hope that one day, a cure can be found. Because Cablevision Systems underwrites all of the Lustgarten Foundation’s administrative costs, 100% of every dollar donated to the Foundation will go directly to pancreatic cancer research. For additional information, please visit www.lustgarten.org

RSVP: Media requests should be directed to: Ann Walsh / Director of Events awalsh@cablevision.com / (516) 803-2304

Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health

Chris More, RN

Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department

Let’s talk about …. Dehydration! You’re sweating profusely working out in the hot sun, you feel like a gallon of water has drained from your body, you have a headache, dry mouth, and you haven’t used the bathroom in several hours! ……. Should you be worried? YES! Sounds like you are starting to dehydrate. Time to act quickly and rehydrate. The body is made up of about 70 percent water you can survive for weeks without food (good weight loss … NO) but only days without water!

Dehydration means your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. It can be caused by losing to much fluid, by not drinking enough water, fluids, or both. Signs and symptoms can range from mild to life threatening. Mild dehydration can usually be treated by drinking more fluids such as water or drinks with electrolytes in them. Children and older adults are especially at risk, because their bodies are so much more fragile during illnesses, fevers and the summer heat.

A good indicator is the color of your urine, dark colored or amber colored urine can signal dehydration. If you feel yourself becoming mildly or moderately dehydrated “stop” your activity and rest, get out of direct sunlight, lay down in a cool spot or air-conditioned area. Prop up your feet take off extra clothes (not naked!) Most of all drink, drink, drink, water, juice, some sport drinks to replace fluids and minerals. Stay away from caffeinated drinks and continue to hydrate for the next 2 to 4 hours.

Rest and take it easy for at least 24 hours and continue to drink, you will probably start feeling better in a few hours, but it will take a full day before all your lost fluids are replaced. Drinking only water without a source of electrolytes, can dilute the electrolytes in your blood, so try to drink something non-carbonated with some sodium, sugar and other minerals.

Causes of dehydration vary, a few are: diarrhea, vomiting, fever, burns, inability to drink, and excessive sweating.

Some signs and symptoms of dehydration are: dry mouth, thirst, decreased urine output, sweating may stop, muscle cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and as your dehydration worsens symptoms become more severe sometimes leading to death.

So be alert, don’t wait – hydrate. Don’t overdue enjoy the weather keep a water bottle handy. Be careful with your children out in the sun, cover them and give them plenty to drink. Don’t cook yourself, that’s just for hot dogs and hamburgs!! Stay healthy …. Talk with you next month.

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Meriden Farmers Market

The Hub-intersection of State/East Main-Behind TD Bank

Through October 29th Saturdays-8-12

The long standing farmers market is being moved to the HUB. This new site will provide more visibility for the farmers market, improve parking and provide space for additional vendors.

Using the current farmers as a base, other vendors will be added. These will include but not be limited to: artisan bakeries, “lunch on the go” booths, and guest restaurants. We will also offer unique produce i.e. different than that offered by the current farmers. This might include items like “organic” produce and heirloom tomatoes, cheese, eggs or honey.

ALL ITEMS WILL BE CT GROWN OR PRODUCED!

Every week there will also be some local craftsmen offering their wares like jewelry, cut and silk flowers, homemade crafts and some clothing. From time to time entertainment will also be offered. Community groups will also have access to booths and some of the booths will have a decidedly ethnic flavor. Each week will be different!

Help those in Need in Vermont!

The House of Hair is still collecting items for the Vermont Food Bank and monetary donations for the Vermont Farm Fund. We are asking for your help in collecting nonperishable food items and toiletries.

Suggested items are:

Canned Fruit...Tuna…Pb&J...Canned veggies...Cereal...Chef Boyardee meals...Baby food...Condiments...Macaroni & Cheese...Macaroni/Sauce...Tooth brushes/paste...Deodorant...powder...Soap...Feminine products...first aid...baby supplies

*Be creative, donate what you would use!*

Please also check the expiration dates!!

Drop off all items at:

The House of Hair

437 Broad Street,

Meriden, CT 06450

The last day to drop off items will be Saturday, October 15th from 8am - 3pm

For more information on these organizations and on different ways you can help, visit www.vtfoodbank.org and www.hardwickagriculture.org.

YouTube has various sites that have put the devastation into perspective.

Applefest Fair

St. John the Evangelist Church

360 Church St, Yalesville, CT

Date: Saturday October 30, 2011

9AM to 3 PM

Cafe serving breakfast & Lunch

Crafts * Bake Sale * Book Sale * Tag Sale

The First Baptist Church of Wallingford will host a Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair on Saturday, November 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Church's Fellowship Hall, corner of North Main and Church Streets in Wallingford. In addition to a variety of hand crafted items, there will be a fine choice of vendors' booths. Refreshments, coffee and lunch will be available at reasonable prices throughout the day. For further information call Liz Davis at 203-265-4187.

10th Annual Mother/Daughter ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! Community Celebration!

Don’t miss this year’s exciting FREE event that will take place on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Washington Middle School, 1225 North Broad Street, Meriden.

Sponsored by Cox Communications, The Cuno Foundation, the James H. Napier Foundation and MidState Medical Center, this event is organized by the Meriden Wallingford Substance Abuse Council, Inc.

As a bilingual and public education campaign for girls ages 9-18 and their mothers and other caregivers, ¡Soy Unica! ¡Soy Latina! is designed to help girls build and enhance their own self-esteem, mental health, decision-making and assertiveness skills in order to prevent the harmful consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. The project encourages cultural pride by emphasizing strengths inherent in our various cultures!

Check out this year’s Activities!

Opening up the program this year will be Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde, Superintendent of Meriden Schools Mark Benigni and State Representative Cathy Abercrombie.

This year’s keynote speaker is Ann Hushin, Principal, Maloney High School Principal. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has worked at Maloney High School since 1991. She will be sharing her knowledge with the mothers and daughters about how to be successful in life and that it is never too late to educate yourself.

There is a workshop for the girls and mothers/caregivers.

For the second year mothers and daughters will be selected to play a game called “What do you know?” The game will have questions to see how well you know your daughter and how well you know your Mom.

Watch and be amazed by the performance of a YMCA Zumba instructor as she leads you in a dance fitness program using Latin music such as salsa, meringue, and reggaeton. The fun dance moves are easy and you will feel like you are partying instead of working out!

Drawings, prizes, breakfast and lunch will round out the day. You won’t want to miss it!

The Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council (MAWSAC) provides community-based education and information on the effects of substance abuse, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and other addictive behavior.

For more information and to register, please contact Christelle Aubé at MAWSAC at

203-294-3591 or email mawsac@aol.com.

CPR Classes

CPR Classes save lives! Be a responder, not a helpless bystander. CPR training is lifesaving at the workplace and in the home. For information, call the Visiting Nurse Association of Wallingford, Inc. at 203-269-1475 or email ginny@vnawallingford.org. Cardiac arrest occurs every two minutes – learn how to safely, simply and effectively respond. Beginners and healthcare professionals welcome.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest will be celebrated at the Turner Halle, 800 Old Colony Road, Rte, Meriden, on Saturday, October 22nd. A smoked pork chop dinner will be served at 6 PM, followed by the music of Joe Unger’s Band. Featured will be the H.S.V. Bavaria Dancers performing several German folk dances. Reservations are required by contacting Leo @ 2 03-440-0028 or by calling the Meriden Turner Clubhouse on Thursday evenings @ 203-440-9624 after 7 PM.

BARITONE/BASS SOUGHT FOR HOLIDAY CAROLING GROUP – PAID ENGAGEMENT

The Connecticut Yuletide Carolers is seeking a baritone/bass vocalist. The Carolers engage several Victorian a cappella quartets, costumed in Dickens-style costumes performing traditional holiday carols, who appear all over CT at various holiday activities, including senior residences and centers, shopping centers, private functions, and public events. Must be able to read music; choral/theatre experience preferred. Paid engagements. Major costume pieces provided by producer. Must have your own transportation, although group does carpool when possible. 6 to 7 Sunday evening rehearsals to be held in the Branford area, but we are looking for singers from any area of CT. Contact Lori Cartwright at info@ctyuletide.com or (203) 673-9485.

Reading program gets visit from Miss Connecticut USA

Who was that young woman with the sparkling sash on? What was she doing at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School?

The young woman, the newly-crowned “Miss Connecticut USA,” was Regina Turner from Old Saybrook, a 21-year-old dental hygiene student at Tunxis Community College. She took some time out of her June Miss USA pageant preparations to visit the Senior Buddy Readers program at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on May 11. While her career ambition is to become a dentist, she also wants to educate young children and she noted the importance of early literacy and instilling a love of reading early in life.

“I love working with kids and reading is definitely important,” Turner said.

How did the Senior Buddy Reader program begin? Ten years ago, when her niece was having reading difficulty and help didn’t come soon enough to avoid the youngster repeating a grade, Cathy Lewis and fellow Meriden parent Donna Mordarski came up with an idea. While attending a meeting at a local senior center, Cathy and Donna realized there was an untapped resource in their midst – the senior citizen population. Here was a wealth of information right in front of them, with so much to offer and time to share their talents and experiences, but not engaged to do so. With that, the “Senior Buddy Reader” program was born.

“We were two single moms with no budget,” said Lewis, Senior Buddy Readers program coordinator and co-founder. “Everything was donated – books, the space, volunteers.”

The program pairs older adults, usually retirees, with first- and second-graders identified by their teachers to need reading assistance. The program currently runs in four of Meriden’s elementary schools – Benjamin Franklin, Nathan Hale, Thomas Hooker and Hanover. At Benjamin Franklin and Nathan Hale, the program is for first- and second-graders; at Hooker and Hanover, it’s just for first graders. Most students in the program are considered middle readers. The children read to their senior buddies, and the buddies give the children extra support and help foster a love of reading.

“It’s a nice thing for the middle readers,” said Dan Coffey, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School’s principal. “They go to the same reader every week – they build a solid relationship.”

The co-founders worked with school principals and teachers and volunteers received training on using the strategies employed in the schools to help children improve reading skills.

“For me, it’s a treat,” said senior buddy Paul from Meriden. “They do more for us than we do for them.”

“Buddy Readers is a win-win-win situation – a win for the children; a win for the senior buddies, and a win for our schools,” said David Radcliffe, Executive Director of Meriden Children First, the program’s sponsor organization. “It’s this sort of early learning investment that helps children have successful school experiences.”

To date, more than 75 volunteers work with approximately 200 first and second grade students. For more information on the Senior Buddy Reader program, visit www.meridenchildrenfirst.org.

The Community Foundation’s Quinnipiac River Fund awards $112,000 in Grants to Protect and Research the Quinnipiac River

New Website on Horizon for All-things Quinnipiac River

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is pleased to announce that $112,000 has been awarded from the Quinnipiac River Fund to 12 organizations for programs that reduce river pollution, support the environment and educate the public about the Quinnipiac River. The River flows from west of New Britain southward to Plainville, Southington, west of Meriden, Cheshire, through Wallingford, Yalesville, North Haven and into New Haven Harbor.

Among the grant recipients is Catalyst Collaborative who has been hired to create a comprehensive Quinnipiac River website. The site will provide a consolidated source for Quinnipiac River information, resources, research, and advocacy, specifically related to the work and impact of the Quinnipiac River Fund. The website will feature high-impact design/photography, a grant project database, an interactive map, calendar, and blog – together providing a multi-faceted resource for organizations and individuals working to better the conditions of the Quinnipiac River. The site is expected to launch by the end of 2011.

Another grant recipient, Audubon Connecticut, will use its funding to raise awareness in the community about ways to reduce sources of pollution and to improve habitat for birds and other wildlife within the Quinnipiac River Watershed.

“We are honored to receive this grant award from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Quinnipiac River Fund, and look forward to strengthening our partnerships and efforts in the Quinnipiac River Watershed,” said Tom Baptist, Audubon Connecticut Executive Director. “Through legislative forums in New Haven and Wallingford, an environmental film series with local panelists at Yale Peabody Museum, and outreach about everyday actions people can take to improve wildlife habitat and water quality, we will grow the number of bird and wildlife supporters engaged in conservation and advocacy on behalf of the watershed. This program will build on the very effective outreach initiatives carried out by our partnering organizations, and add a uniquely Audubon component: Making the reciprocal connection between our personal actions, the health of the watershed, and the birds and other wildlife we all enjoy and cherish.”

The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 as a result of a court settlement between the National Resources Defense Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment and the Upjohn Corporation concerning wastewater discharges by the Upjohn Chemical Company of North Haven CT into the Quinnipiac River. A fine of $1 million was levied on Upjohn for continually exceeding its permitted industrial releases into the Quinnipiac River and used to create the Quinnipiac River Fund, administered by The Community Foundation. The Quinnipiac River Fund distributes grants each year to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor and the watersheds of those waterbodies, and otherwise benefit the environment of those resources.

The Quinnipiac River Fund is advised by a committee that meets once a year to make recommendations for funding to The Community Foundation. Members include: Nancy Alderman, President of Environment and Human Health, Gordon Geballe, the Assistant Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Margaret Miner, Director of Rivers Alliance.

The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association received $16,000 - To support the Quinnipiac Urban River Stewardship project, which will install several river stewardship signs in prominent locations to promote human links to this urban river and foster stewardship of the shared resource, as recommended in the watershed management plan for a similar urban river, the North Branch of the Park River in Hartford/Bloomfield.

Since 1928, donors to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven have built the community's endowment currently valued at over $300 million. In 2010, The Foundation’s Board of Directors distributed more than $19 million in grants from over 800 different named charitable funds supporting a wide range of programs and organizations. For more information about The Community Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org.

VASA Park Available For Rental

VASA Park is available for company outings, family reunions and private parties. The park is located at 358 Main Street South Meriden. For more information please contact Linda at gsteinmiller@cox.net

Volunteers NEEDED!

Volunteers are needed to visit elderly people, to shop with or for an elder, to drive an elder to and from their medical appointment, and to provide respite care to family members caring for a loved one who needs constant care. All that is required is a warm, loving heart and one or two hours of your time each week. A two hour training session will provide you with information and basic skills to make a difference in

someone’s life. Please call IVCG for the next training date at 203-230-8994 or email carenh@snet.net for more information and to register.

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National Grange President to visit Connecticut October 20-22

The Connecticut State Grange is pleased to announce National Grange President Ed Luttrell and his wife Celia will be the National Representatives at the 127th Annual Convention of the State Grange, October 20-22 in East Hartford. While Luttrell has visited Connecticut several times, this will be his first visit to the Connecticut State Grange Convention as National President.

Luttrell, a native of Sandy, Oregon, was elected the 22nd President of the National Grange in November, 2007. A second generation Granger, he is the immediate past Leadership/Membership Development Director for the National Grange. He is also an immediate-past Trustee on the Oregon State Grange Foundation having been the President of the board for six years.

The 127th Annual Convention of the Connecticut State Grange will be held at the Hartford Plaza Hotel, 100 East River Drive, in East Hartford. The three day convention will feature a full slate of legislative initiatives by the delegates from nearly 60 Community Granges across Connecticut, state-wide community service awards and recognitions, donations, scholarship awards, as well as music, fun and more.

Luttrell grew up on a small farm outside of Portland, OR and has worked in agriculture, automotive services, and publishing. He and Celia, his wife of 29 years, have three grown children: Ben, Jacob, and Charlotte, as well has one grandson. They are members of the Boring-Damascus Grange #260 and Clackamas Pomona Grange both in Oregon.

Luttrell has extensive Grange experience including Oregon State Grange President from 1996-2000, when he also served as a lobbyist for the Grange. His Grange accomplishments started in 1978 when he was named Oregon’s Outstanding Young Granger. He served on the Oregon State Grange Membership Committee from 1986 to 1988 and was Oregon State Gatekeeper from 1988 to 1992. He and Celia were Oregon State Grange Outstanding Young Couple in 1989. Luttrell also served as State Youth Director from 1990 to 1992 and as Editor of the Oregon Grange Bulletin from 1992 to 1996.

In the past, he has served on the boards of the Oregon Lands Coalition, Grange Mutual Insurance Company, and Timberland States Insurance Company.

Luttrell’s vision for the Grange is to strengthen the partnership between the State and National levels of the organization in order to aid the Community Granges in achieving their goals. Promoting growth through new Granges, reorganizing inactive Granges, and revitalizing existing Granges is a primary focus of his team building efforts.

About the Connecticut State Grange: The Connecticut State Grange has been an integral part of rural and non-rural communities across the state for over 125 years, with currently nearly 60 local Grange chapters in Connecticut. Local Granges are committed to bettering their communities through service projects, legislative initiatives, and family orientated activities.

For more information on the Connecticut State Grange please visit www.CTStateGrange.org.

ANNUAL FALL HARVEST FAIRE BRINGS RENAISSANCE TO CONNECTICUT

Popular festival opens Sept. 24 at Hebron Lions Fairgrounds

WHAT: King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable bring Camelot to Connecticut this autumn with the return of The Connecticut Renaissance Faire’s King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Faire.

WHO: Over 40 entertainers, competitions and craft demonstrations. Nearly 80 merchants and artisans.

The Faire attracts over 30,000 visitors annually. If requested, the Faire will arrange interviews with performers, merchants and artisans.

WHEN: Every weekend beginning Sept. 24 through Oct. 16 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Columbus Day – Oct. 10 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Halloween Knights – Saturday, Oct. 8 & Saturday, Oct. 15 6 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Connecticut Renaissance Faire King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Lions Fairgrounds 347 Gilead St.

Hebron, CT

WHY: Since first opening the gates in 1999, the Faire regularly expands in both festivities and attendance, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually to the days of Olde England with its blend of entertainment, craft demonstration, and marketplace. This year promises to bring more adventures, revelry and merriment. “We always want to give our visitors more, and the 2011 Fall Harvest is no exception,” says Eric Tetreault, marketing director of The Connecticut Renaissance Faire. “It will be a thrill for all of King Arthur’s guests.”

Fairegoers can join the Crusade Against Hunger by donating Big Y canned goods to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank and to receive a reduced admission price. Celebrate the Harvest Moon during opening weekend, Sept. 24 and 25, by being a guest of honor at the Queen’s Breakfast and get an up-close-and-personal look at the crowning of Renaissance royals—the Duke and Duchess of Caerleon. Experience the realms of chivalry and romance during Oct. 1 and 2 as you walk among nobility, cheer for a fair maiden during a Renaissance beauty pageant, and witness vow renewals and a real-life wedding. In search of vikings, pirates and barbarians, visit the Faire during Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 8, 9 and 10, and watch the strong men compete in the Faire’s annual Men in Kilts Competition. The Faire closes with special events for children and pets during the first Children’s Fantasy and Masquerade and Pet Weekend. In addition to the Fall Harvest weekend celebrations, the Faire invites guests to get in the Halloween spirit during the annual Halloween Knights on Oct. 8 and 15 from 6 to 8 p.m.

An agricultural fair, King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Faire offers comedic adventures, armored combat, breathtaking performances, craft demonstrations, and a bustling marketplace, among other entertainment. Reminiscent of an old world, village fair, the Faire was created in 1999 by those who wanted to bring the magic of an era nearly lost to time into the present. For more information about King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Faire and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.ctfaire.com.

Holiday Fair Venders Wanted

LOOKING FOR VENDORS FOR A HOLIDAY FAIR TO BENEFIT ANIMAL HAVEN, INC.

ON NOVEMBER 26, 2011 AT THE NORTH HAVEN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

COST: $30.00 TO RENT A SPACE (BRING YOUR OWN TABLE)

* WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR DONATIONS OF CRAFT, HANDMADE OR NEW

GIFTABLE ITEMS FOR US TO SELL.

ANIMAL HAVEN IS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT SHELTER IN NORTH HAVEN FOR

HOMELESS CATS AND DOGS.

FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL: CHRIS GAGNE 484-9648 EMAIL: chriskat32@aol.com

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

The monthly meeting of the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association will be held on Thursday, October 6, 7:00PM at the St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 65 North Main Street, Wallingford, CT. The HFFA is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Housatonic River as well as furthering the sport of fly fishing. Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month from September through June. Meetings include featured speakers on various fly fishing subjects, fresh- and saltwater fly tying demonstrations, as well as door prizes. The speaker for October will be Meghan Ruta, Water Protection Manager, Housatonic Valley Association. On-going and future conservation projects pertaining to the Housatonic River’s trout fishery will be discussed. Free refreshments are served and the public is invited. Submitted on behalf off the HFFA by: Sam D’Ambruoso, Middlebury, CT Tel: 203-758-9660. For Immediate Release: September 2011. Volunteers are needed to visit elderly people, to shop with or for an elder, to drive an elder to and from their medical appointment, and to provide respite care to family members caring for a loved one who needs constant care. All that is required is a warm, loving heart and one or two hours of your time each week. A two hour training session will provide you with information and basic skills to make a difference in someone’s life. The next training date sponsored by Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven is Thursday September 29, 1:00-3:00pm Orange Community Center, 525 Orange Center Rd, Orange Ct; Please call IVCG at 203-230-8994 or email carenh@snet.net for more information and to register.

Thanks, Jeff Jordan/IVCG Coordinator

The Southington Genealogical Society will be represented once again this year at the Southington Apple Harvest Festival during the annual Arts & Crafts weekend. They will be hosting a table in the American Legion Hall on Saturday, October 8th from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and again on Sunday, October 9th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. This is their second year at the festival and their second time in the American Legion Hall. Members will have some of their family history projects on display and be available to answer your questions. If you are a fellow genealogy enthusiast or member of any genealogy organization, please feel welcome to stop in and say hello. If you are researching your family history, but aren’t sure where to go next, perhaps we can help steer you in the right direction. If you haven’t a clue why any sane person would want to spend countless hours researching birth, death, and marriage records, or traipsing through cemeteries, this is your opportunity to find out! Our volunteers are looking forward to meeting you.

The Southington Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization located in central Connecticut that promotes the accurate recording, research and preservation of family history. The society regularly meets at 7:30 pm on the fourth Tuesday of every month, except December, at Southington Police Headquarters, 69 Lazy Lane, Southington, Connecticut. . You can contact them by writing to Southington Genealogical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 698, Plantsville, CT 06479-0698. You can also reach them by e-mail at southingtongenealogicalsociety@gmail.com.

SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

The Meriden Historical Society is holding an exhibit at the Andrews Homestead located at 424 West Main St. every Sunday in October from 11am to 3pm. Unlike past exhibits featuring the well known Meriden manufacturing companies, this one will pay homage to the Meriden merchants of yesteryear, their giveaways and gimmicks from yardsticks to shoehorns, thermometers and calendars. The items on display will certainly evoke memories from those who attend. We invite you and your friends to come to the Andrews Homestead and join in the conversation, the surprises and the good old hometown feeling of Meriden. Everyone will receive their choice of a vintage postcard of downtown Meriden as a souvenir. Admission is free, donations are always appreciated. The Meriden Historical Society is a not for profit organization staffed by volunteer researchers. Your financial support will be greatly appreciated. You may do so directly through our website: http://www.meridenhistoricalsociety.org/ or by mail: MHS, PO Box 3005, Meriden, CT 06450.

Thank you, The Meriden Historical Society Preserving Meriden's Past for Future Generations since 1892

Tips for Get Your Motor Running Fall, 2011 - If your car has been feeling a little sluggish lately, there are some things you can do to get your motor running right again. First change your oil and filter. Make sure to use the grade of oil that is recommended by the car. Using the wrong grade of oil can reduce the performance of your car and its gas mileage. And, do not rely on the oil light in your car. By the time that light goes on, some damage to your engine may already have been done. So, check your oil often. When you do, also check the brake fluid and transmission fluid levels. You should flush the brake fluid, transmission fluid and coolant system every 2 years or 30,000 miles. Keeping fresh, clean fluids in your car will keep your motor running smoothly. Two other things that will are replacing your air filter and fuel filter frequently. Clean filters will help keep dirt out of your fuel injectors, fuel pump and engine. If too much dirt accumulates, it will lead to expensive repairs.

You should also change your spark plugs every other year. Worn plugs will cause your engine to misfire and waste a lot of gas. Also, check all the belts and hoses in your car for signs of wear, especially the timing belt or timing chain. If that breaks, it can destroy your engine. When you do replace it, replace the water pump too since the procedure for each is the same.

You can do many of these things yourself. You do not have to be an ace mechanic or have a lot of experience. You just need the desire, a how to manual and a few tools. Then, when you get your motor running right, you can head on down the highway looking for adventure and be able to handle whatever comes your way.

If your car will no longer run on down the highway, please consider donating your car to charity. If you do, it will be picked up fast and free and you will get a tax deduction of at least $500 if you itemize on your federal tax return. The process is easy and there are many charities that can benefit from your car donation. For complete details on how to donate car, just go to http://www.cars4charities.org/.

Media contact: Karen Campese karenc@cars4charities.org Phone: 1-866-448-3487

The First Baptist Church of Wallingford needs Crafters and Vendors for Holiday Fair.

Crafters and vendors are needed for a Holiday Fair to be held at The First Baptist Church of Wallingford on Saturday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will feature the crafters and vendors and also baked goods and a luncheon. Those interested in having a booth should contact Liz Davis at 203-265-4187.

Fatima Women’s Club Seeks Crafters

WALLINGFORD - Our Lady of Fatima Women’s Club will sponsor a craft fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday November 12 in the parish hall on Hope Hill Road in Yalesville. The parish hall is handicapped accessible and the table cost is $30. For additional information or an application, call Sandy at (203) 269-6498.

UNCONN 2012 MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.

The University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System is now accepting applications for the Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program for 2012. The objective of the program is to provide horticultural training to individuals who want to share knowledge with the public through community volunteerism, and wish to expand their gardening interests.

The program is broad-based, intensive and consists of 16 class sessions (one full day per week) beginning in early January 2012. The Master Gardener program includes 60 hours of volunteer service, with a minimum of 30 hours spent in Cooperative Extension Centers during business hours. Individuals successfully completing the program will receive a University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Master Gardener certificate. The charge for the program is $415.00, which includes a training manual. Scholarships may be available, based on demonstrated financial need.

Classes will be held in North Haven, Norwich, Stamford, Torrington, and Vernon. For more information or an application, call your local Cooperative Extension Center or visit the Home and Garden Education Center website at www.ladybug.uconn.edu/mastergardener/ The postmarked deadline for applications is Friday, October 28, 2011. The University of Connecticut is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Program Provider.

Contact: Leslie Alexander, State Coordinator Master Gardener Program, Home and Garden Education Center. University of Connecticut, 1380 Storrs Road, U-4115, Storrs, CT 06269-4115

Phone 860-486-6343 Fax 860-486-6338 or email leslie.alexander@uconn.edu.

New Haven County Retired Teachers’ Association

1125 West Woods Rd #13, Hamden, CT 06518

Sam Guy, Jr. TL: 203-213-8486; e-mail: sam.guy@snet.net

NHCRTA MEETING; SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED

The New Haven County Retired Teachers Association Fall Luncheon Meeting will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, October 5 at Country House Restaurant, 990 Foxon Road, Route 80, East Haven. All retired public school teachers living in or having taught in New Haven County are welcome. Reservations are required by September 28 with a check for $27 per person , payable and mailed to NHCRTA, 1125 West Woods Road, #13, Hamden, CT 06518. For information, contact Carol Noble at 203-288-6986.

Coffee will be available at 11 AM, business meeting at 11:30, guest speaker at 12 noon and lunch at 12:45 PM. The meeting menu will feature a salad station with chicken, beef and fish entrees, penne

a la vodka, cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage, seafood risotto, cocktail meat balls, fried vegetables, assorted pizzas, Italian desert pastries and coffee, tea and iced tea.

The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision (GPO/WEP) will be discussed by Sandra Bove and Cathy D’Agostino , co-chairmen of the ARTC Legislative Committee. All retired and active teachers and their families and friends are encouraged to actively support repeal of these provisions by going to the NEA web site http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/bills/?bill=39298516&size=full and sending a message to Congress.

The group will announce its 2011 annual scholarship of $1,000 to Hillary Brown, a graduate of Wolcott High School. She will enter Southern Connecticut State University and pursue a career in education.

FinnFunn 2011

It's time to register for the 19th annual FinnFunn. FinnFunn is a cultural event celebrating Finnish heritage, though you don't need to be Finnish to attend. All are welcome. FinnFunn began as a way to connect greater Northeast Finns and the Finn-interested and started with about 75 folks gathered one weekend in No. Conway, NH. Each year FinnFunn is held at a different location with a different group hosting the event. FinnFunn has grown to become a full weekend affair at fine inns and hotels throughout the Northeast, often including area tours and attractions. Last year's event was held at the Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, NH. This year's event is hosted by the Finnish Center at Saima Park, Fitchburg, MA and will be held at The Williams Inn, Williamstown, MA, October 21-23. Visit the Saima Park web site: www.saima-park.org and click on FinnFunn 2011. You will find registration and information for both event registration and hotel accommodations. Hotel accommodations must be booked separately. The Williams Inn has kindly made this process available and easy through the Saima Park web site. Want to register but don’t have internet access? Please call Mauri Auvinen, 978-827-4387 or Maija Mard, 978-582-7717 to receive registration materials by mail.

Program planning is shaping up to include a kantele performance by featured guest Wilho Saari, Finlandia Foundation National 2011 Performer of the Year, a talk by Finnish American Reporter editor and Finlandia University Finnish American Heritage Center director, Jim Kurtti, a Cape Cod Finns cranberry presentation by Beth Muldoon and Mariann Ahola, talks by accomplished architect Arnold Aho and UMass Amherst professor Donal Carbaugh. Food demonstrations will be offered by Finnish “foodies” Anneli Johnson and Debbie Kurtti.

Visit the Berkshires, shop the tori (Scandinavian marketplace), enter the raffle, take in a Finnish film, enjoy talks and presentations, music, kahvia ja pulla (coffee and Finnish coffee bread), Finnish conversation, meet new friends, enjoy fine meals and dance to the music of Bert Stromholm. Now is the time to sign up for FinnFunn, October 21-23, The Williams Inn, Williamstown, MA. Join us for a Funn time!

Thank you for your consideration of this piece for publication.

Sincerely,

Elaine Moe

413-522-0538

Support a good cause and save a life!

Sunday October 7, 2011 marks Halfway Home Rescue’s 6th annual Furr Ball, a dinner, dance, silent auction, and raffle, hosted at Fantasia banquet facility in North Haven. Halfway Home is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of abused, abandoned, and homeless animals and providing a safe haven for these animals until a permanent home can be found. Halfway Home is a no-kill shelter staffed by volunteers that relies 100% on private donations. This year alone over 400 animals have passed through Halfway Home Rescue’s doors. The Furr Ball takes place on October 7th at Fantasia, 404 Washington Ave. North Haven Ct from 7:00-11:00pm. Tickets cost $35 pp which includes dinner, soda, coffee, and dessert. There will be a cash bar. To Purchase tickets or make a donation to our raffle: Call (203) 239-9697 or (203) 985-8338, or E-mail us at Halfwayhomeonline@Yahoo.com.

Family Style Roast Pork Supper

Meriden Grange to host Family Style Roast Pork Supper October 8th

Family Style Roast Pork Supper on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Meriden Grange

29 of 540 Broad Street, Meriden. This is open to the public with the admission price of $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. Takeouts will be available. The Grange will be serving string beans, mashed potatoes, roast pork with apple sauce, Cindy's famous coleslaw, and dessert.

For more than 125 years, Meriden Grange has been active in the local community, holding numerous programs and dinners and raising money for local organizations like the Meriden Humane Society, as well as hosting their popular annual fair each September.

For more information, please contact Meriden Grange President Robert Charbonneau at (203) 237-4617, via e-mail at info@meridengrange.org, or visit http://www.MeridenGrange.org.

HAS PHOTO

WAR & CAFFINE: Holy Joe's Café supports the Troops

First Congregational Church - Wallingford

Going for coffee these days seems as American as mom, baseball and apple pie. While it might actually involve grabbing a cup of whatever it is that gets us going, its primary purpose may be to strengthen social ties or show support for a friend in need. Nowhere is this more evident — or more appreciated — than among U.S. military personnel taking part in the initiative known as Holy Joe's Café. Thanks to the First Congregational Church troops don't have to go for coffee; it's coming to them with over 550 chaplains receiving coffee in locations in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan since beginning in 2006. Holy Joe's provides soldiers a quiet place to talk with friends, converse with chaplains or write a letter home. "Our community coffee bar has become the lifeblood of the camp," writes Air-Force Chaplain Michael J. Lovett. "Your donations have had a direct impact on our operations. Your act of kindness not only meets a physical need but also strengthens our troops emotionally." Holy Joe’s Café is a place where chaplains in the small Forward Operating Bases, hangar bays, hospitals, aid stations, and their makeshift cafes are able to bring a taste of home. They all can get gourmet coffee, a reminder that the world they willingly left behind still cares according to Navy Chaplain Andrew Sholtes located at the Role 3 NATO Hospital in Kandahar. Donations of ground coffee or monetary donations can be dropped off at the church office at 23 South Main St, Wallingford, CT 06492.

For more information, please call [203] 859-0031 or holyjoescafe@att.net,

Please visit our blog www.holyjoescafe.blogspot.com and also our Facebook Fan Page: Holy Joe’s Café.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Make a difference and have fun!

Senior Buddy Readers, an award-winning intergenerational literacy/ mentoring program for 1st and 2nd graders in the Meriden’s elementary schools is seeking volunteers for one-two hours a week during the 2011-2012 school year at Nathan Hale, Thomas Hooker, Hanover and Ben Franklin schools For more information call Cathy at 203-599-8085 or 203-808-1672

Senior Buddy Readers is sponsored by Meriden Children First Initiative www.meridenchildrenfirst.org

Wallingford Gardeners Market Thanks

Wallingford Center Inc presented Wallingford Gardener’s Market Saturday mornings during the summer at the Railroad Station Green.

We wish to thank all those who participated: vendors, businesses with demos, volunteers from WCI as well as the many customers who patronized our vendors and came by to visit.

Special thanks to those who provided food for everyone: namely Richard of Dry Dock Café, local farmers: Joe De Francesco of Farmer Joes, the Caturano boys of JC Caturano of Durham, Little Acres of Glastonbury. Flowers by Wade Elmer and Shirley Lagerstrom. Bakery items by Eliz Bakery, Goldilocks Deli, Brasczewski’s and Mary Ann Simmons and special gardening items by George Wooster and Deneen Thompson.Thanks to Lindsey Clark who entertained us.

Special thanks to Liz Landow of WCI and Cathy Knight for organizing the events and Caryl Ryan for updating information on the Gardeners Market Website at www.wallingfordgardenersmarket.com

Holiday Fair at the Wallingford Senior Center

The Wallingford Senior Center will be hosting its annual Holiday Fair on Saturday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 238 Washington Street. Open to the public, this fair will have many items for sale including Arts & Crafts, Handmade Items, Baked Goods, Jewelry, Holiday Decorations and booths with vendors selling a wide variety of items, too! Start your holiday shopping early! Lake View Café will be open, offering breakfast and lunch. Any vendors interested in reserving a table, please contact Nancy Frede at 860-529-5579

Annual Craft Fair at Highland Elementary School

The Highland/Yalesville Elementary School PTO will sponsor its annual Craft Fair on Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 9 AM to 3 PM at Highland School on 200 Highland Avenue, Wallingford. The fair will feature over 70 crafters selling florals, jewelry, quilted and sewed items, original paintings, holiday ornaments, homemade candy, doll clothes, wood paintings and carvings, ceramics, homemade jellies, jams,.gourmet mixes, items for animals, etc. For information on the fair please contact Carole Eager at careager@aol.com or (203) 235-0195.

Wallingford Historical Society Annual Meeting & Dinner

to be held on Wed. Oct.19 at the First Baptist Church in Wallingford. Come to hear The Chanteens, a group of students from The Sound School of New Haven, perform a concert of maritime music with accompaniment from concertina, bones and flutes. They will share their high energy, talent and enthusiasm along with the nautical history that they have learned as part of their education. Dinner is at 6:30 pm. Cost is $10.00pp. RSVP Ray or Pat Chappell 203-265-0313. Entertainment at 8pm. (free to all)

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To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF and interact visit www.peoplespressnews.com

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM WALLINGFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY

All Programs, Movies, and Events at the Wallingford Public Library are free and open to the public!

The Library is located at 200 N. Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492 and is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information, please call the Library at 203-265-6754.

CURTAIN CALL! Open Audition for the staged reading of select scenes from The Good Doctor* by Neil Simon. Wednesday, October 12, Thursday, October 13 6:00 p.m. Collins Room

Let your inner actor out; participate in this staged reading production! Selected scenes from The Good Doctor will be directed by Dr. Brooks Appelbaum and performed at the Library November 3 and 5. Rehearsals begin October 18. All interested adults and older teens are encouraged to audition, no experience necessary. Scripts will be available. *The Good Doctor is adapted from and suggested by the stories of Anton Chekov.

Wallingford Public Library Association’s 131st Annual Meeting

Monday, October 24 7:00 p.m. Community Room

All are welcome to attend the Wallingford Public Library Association’s 131st annual meeting. This brief business meeting will include an election of Library Board members. Immediately following the meeting, professional actor George Baker will present The Humorous John Adams, a portrayal of America’s 2nd President’s quirky side. Refreshments will be served. Come celebrate your Library!

Northeast Paranormal Investigations Society: Breaking the Barriers to the Unknown

Northeast Paranormal Investigations Society (NPIS) was founded in 2010 and is a Connecticut-based, non-profit, seasoned paranormal investigations team. They conduct research and scientific examinations of historic locations throughout the Northeast region of the United States and have successfully documented evidence of paranormal activity in many places. The team believes that with the right knowledge and informed use of technology in the field, it is possible to document paranormal data efficiently and effectively as a means to communicate with spirits at a higher percentage rate than what currently exists.

Join us for an informative and entertaining program featuring fascinating stories, first-hand experiences and examples of documented paranormal evidence in the forms of photographs, audio and video clips: Thursday, October 27, 6: 30 p.m. Community Room

COMPUTER CLASSES* Join one of our informal, individually tailored weekly classes in computer basics. Each session has a theme and you may register for as many sessions as interest you.

Intermediate Word 2007 Wednesday, October 26 7:00 p.m. Board Room - Take your word processing skills to the next level! You will learn how to insert images and tables as well as work with headers and footers. Seating is limited to 6, so please sign up early.

One-on-One Computer Tutoring Sessions Tuesday and Thursday Afternoons 3:30 p.m. and 4: 30 p.m.

Wednesday and Thursday Evenings 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Computer novices are encouraged to sign up to learn keyboard or mouse skills, word processing, Internet searching, online job applications, or e-mail. Please call the Library at (203)265-6754, or stop by the Information Desk for more details or to register for a session.

*Seating is limited for all computer classes, so please sign up early. You may register in person, online, or by phone at (203)265-6754. All classes will be held in the Board Room of the Main Library.

HEALTHY LIVING

Dessert with a Doc: Female Urinary Incontinence Thursday, October 6 6:30 p.m. Community Room

Why are you leaking and what are the solutions? Urinary incontinence is a common problem among many women, and there’s no need to be embarrassed. Urologist Jean Wong, MD will discuss the common causes of female urinary incontinence, as well as the medical and surgical options for treatment. The role of physical therapy will also be discussed. Advance registration is appreciated

Do This Not That: A Guide to Caring for your Aging Parent or an Older Adult

Thursday, October 13th 6:30 p.m. Community Room

We’ve all heard about crisis calls and rushed decisions of unplanned eldercare. Learn how to navigate the complex and emotional issues involved with eldercare at this program presented in cooperation with VNA Community Healthcare. Understanding the costs of care, finding the right resources and dealing with resistance will all be covered. Advance registration is appreciated.

BOOK DISCUSSIONS

Thursday Night Book Club: The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman

Thursday, October 20 7:00 p.m. Collins Room

Winner of the 2008 Orilon Book Award, Diane Ackerman’s The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story (W. W. Norton) “is a groundbreaking work of nonfiction, in which the human relationship to nature is explored in an absolutely original way through looking at the Holocaust.” (Kathleen Dean Moore, Orion Book Award chairperson)

This true story will be discussed in an open and informal setting; all are welcome. Copies of the book are available from the Library’s catalog and may be requested online or from the Library’s Information Desk.

NEW! Mystery Book Club

We have a new book club for all you mystery lovers out there. We kicked things off with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie in September. This series of classic mysteries continues through December according to the following schedule. Each of the discussions will take place at 3:00 p.m. in the Charlotte Collins Meeting Room; Dr. Carole Shmurak facilitating.

November 1 A Shilling for Candies by Josephine Tey

December 6 Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham

Saturday Mornings with Poetry and Wallingford Writers Community

Here are two great ways to nurture your creative spirit and express yourself through words. Each group meets independently of each other and both are open to adults and teenagers.

Saturday Mornings with Poetry is moderated by Al Mueller, and meets on Saturdays from 9:45 a.m. to Noon in the Board Room. Fall schedule is as follows: October 15, 29, November 19, and December 3.

Wallingford Writers Community is moderated by Bob Hubbard, and meets monthly in the Collins Room from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., usually on the last Saturday of the month. This month’s meeting is October 29th. Writers of poetry and prose are encouraged to participate in either or both groups and share their writing experiences.

TEEN EVENTS

Teen Advisory Board Wednesday, October 5 3:30-4:30 p.m. Board Room

The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is made up of kids in grades 6 - 12. TAB helps to plan events and choose books, music, and movies for the Library to buy. Membership looks great on resumes and job or college applications. You may register online, in person, by phone, or just show up at our next meeting!

Star2 Club: Focus on DNA Saturday, October 8 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Community Room

Science, Space, Technology, Telescopes, Astronomy, Aviation, Robotics, Rocketry! Feed your passion for learning and exploration. Sponsored by the Library and the Wallingford Department of Youth and Social Services, this free club is open to all Wallingford residents in grades K-12. Please register in advance to ensure that we have enough materials. Next meeting is November 5 and Crime Scene Investigation is the topic.

Mother Daughter Book Club: Author Event - Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

Wednesday, October 5 7:30 p.m. Board Room

Meet the author! Michaela MacColl’s first book is a novel of intrigue and romance that explores the sheltered and restricted life of Princess Victoria the year before she becomes queen. Ms. MacColl will join the group for a discussion of the book including a question/ answer session. Copies of Prisoners in the Palace are available from the Library’s Information Desk. Next meeting is Friday, November 4. Author Bianca Turetskey will join us to discuss her book The Time Traveling Fashionista.

Wii Tournament - Super Smash Brothers Brawl Wednesday, October 12 3:15-4:30 p.m. Collins Room

Duke it out with your favorite Nintendo characters!Tournament open to all teens in grades 6-12. Please register online, in person, or by phone.

Be Afraid…Be Very Afraid

Everyone loves reading spooky stories, especially around Halloween. Visit the display in the Teen Area for some good scary reading…if you dare!

Teen Read Week October 16-October 22

Teen Read Week is a week-long celebration of teens and reading. This year’s theme is Picture It @ your library®, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books, or imagine the world through literature, just for the fun of it. Look for the special display in the Teen Area. Graphic novels may be a genre you have never tried before; pick one up today!

Your Name in a Novel! - The Montooth Library Challenge

The Montooth Library Challenge is a contest where the winner’s name will appear in a book. Just read the novels Montooth and the Canfield Witch and Montooth 2: Race for Ryland Ruby by Robert Jay (both available at the Information Desk), and suggest a plot or character development concept for the 3rd book in the series. If your entry is selected, your winning idea will be included in the books and one of the characters will have your name! Ask for more details at the Information Desk. Open to all Library patrons. Deadline is December 31, 2011.

FREE MOVIE SCREENINGS - All movies are shown in the Community Room

Friday Night Flicks

Green Lantern Rated PG-13 Friday, October 14 6:30 p.m. Run time: 114 minutes

Fast Five Rated PG-13 Friday, October 28 6:30 p.m. Run time: 130 minutes

Cinema Club

Incendies Rated R - Monday, October 17 6:30 p.m. Run time: 130 minutes Discussion to follow film, refreshments will be served.

Documentary Presentation

The Orphan Trains Wednesday, October 12 7:00 p.m. - From 1853 to 1929, more than 150,000 neglected children were sent by train to 47 states. Watch and hear their remarkable stories.

Book Seller Used Bookshop - Located in the Library’s rear parking lot next to the garage.

Fall Hours Monday: 10: a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• October Special: Overstocked Author Sale, all Dean Koontz, James Patterson, JD Robb, Nora Roberts hardcover books are on sale for .50¢

• **We are always in need of good quality donations**

Get Your Flu Shot at the Library! Sponsored by Wallingford Health Department

Tuesday, October 18: 4:00 p.m. Board Room Saturday, October 22: 11:00 a.m. Collins Room

Medicare Part B and most major insurances accepted. (No Cigna or United Healthcare) Cash or Check also accepted.

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Wallingford Public Library Children’s Fun

Story Times Begin at the Wallingford Public Library

A complete range of story times for children ages birth to five will be offered at the Wallingford Public Library beginning the week of September 12. A listing of all programs is available in the Library and also on the Library’s website www.wallingford.lioninc.org

Fetch Some Fun On Fridays

Kids ages 6-10 and their grown-up guest can sign up for this special hands-on science program at the Wallingford Public Library which is based on the PBS program Fetch. Our first program will be held on Friday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. and will feature building a catapult! For more information, and to register for this program call the Children’s Library at 203-284-6436.

Free Homework Help

Ms. Gina Cabrera, a bilingual teacher, will be available in the Children’s Library of the Wallingford Public Library to help Wallingford students, grades K -8, get started on their homework and to help parents understand their child’s assignment. Help is available for English and Spanish-speaking children on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Library when school is in session. This program is made possible thanks to the Wallingford Board of Education. In accordance with Ct. State law, children under the age of 12 should have a responsible family member in the building while the child is using the Library.

Wallingford Public Library’s Children’s Library Summer Reading Wrap-up

Over 1200 kids participated in this summer’s Ancient Egypt reading program in the Children’s Library of the Wallingford Public Library. The program was managed with the help of 60 wonderful student volunteers. Books flew off the shelves and everyone logged their reading online adding comments and recommendations for others. Thanks to local sponsors many reading incentives were handed out which kept enthusiasm high.

These included:

Brunswick Colony Lanes

Mr. D’s

Wallingford’s Dairy Queen

Louie’s Pizza

Walmart

Uncle B’s Bait and Tackle

Rick’s on Five

Family Pizza

Neil’s Donuts

Elite Creations

Pralines’

Dairy Queen

The Emblem Club

We are grateful to the many participants who took the time to fill out our online survey. The results of the survey will surely help us to plan for next year’s offering!

Raising Readers Clubs are designed for parents, grandparents and caregivers. The clubs meet to learn ways to support children’s literacy through a love of stories, books and activities. Adults who attend will learn fun ways to make reading with any child both enjoyable and beneficial while providing literacy development for the child. Several clubs will begin this fall and are open to Wallingford parents, grandparents and caregivers of children ages 2-8.

For more info: contact WECARE Family Resource Center at 203-284-4019 or Veronica Casey at 203-294-4996.

Storytimes at the Wallingford Public Library

All storytimes include caregivers and are available on a drop-in basis; Wallingford residents are given priority. Please always bring your library card or proof of residency with you in the event that it is needed. Non-residents are always welcome when there is room. Nametags are available just prior to each program.

Preschool Storytimes for Kids ages 3-5

These programs, for children ages 3-5 who are not yet enrolled in kindergarten, include books, flannelboard stories, fingerplays, songs and lots more. Preschool story time is a great way to be sure your preschooler is experiencing activities that support school readiness!

The programs take place in the Children’s Program Room

Mondays @ 10:00 a.m.- October 3,17,24,31; November 7

Wednesdays @ 1:30 p.m.- October 5, 12, 19, 26; November 2, 9

Thursdays @ 6:30p.m.- October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10

Musical Mother Goose for Ages 1 and 2

Join us in the Community Room for a lively, interactive drop-in program filled with music and movement for 1’s and 2’s and their caregiver!

Tuesdays @6:30 p.m- October 4, 11, 18, 25; November 1, 8

Wednesdays @ 10:00 a.m.-Waddling Ones for Ages 12-24 months

Songs, rhymes, movement and a whole lot of fun! This special drop-in program is for Itty Bitty Baby graduates and their grown-ups and siblings.

Thursdays@ 10:00 a.m. in the Collins Room- October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10

Itty Bitty Babies for ages 12 months and under

This drop-in program introduces babies and their grown-ups to the Library and each other in a program filled with songs, rhymes and books!

Thursdays @ 1:30 in the Collins Room- October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10

Something New for Kids ages 6-10 at the Wallingford Public Library FETCH Some Fun on Friday!

Join us for a this special monthly program, just for kids ages 6 to 10 and their grown-up guest, which will start in October. We’ll have everyone thinking like scientists and having a great time in the process.

Each month will tackle a different topic and include hands-on activities like building catapults!

We hope to feature different areas of the Library’s non-fiction collection and whet your curiosity to explore the library and the world around you even more!

This program, inspired by the PBS program FETCH, will be limited to 15 elementary school-aged students and their grown-ups and requires pre-registration*

The first program will take place on Friday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Children’s Program Room and the topic will be Target Practice: Building a Catapult. Registration for this program begins on Friday, September 12.

*Wallingford residents will be given priority; non-residents may sign up for any openings the day before the program.

A Very Special Spooky Program with Andre Keitt... for Brave 3rd-5th Graders!

Friday, October 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Wallingford Public Library Community Room

Contact: Ruth Gaffey, Head of Children’s Services at 203-284-6436

Andre Keitt, storyteller extraordinaire, will be at the Wallingford Public Library on Friday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. to tell tales that will might make your hair stand on end! Well, maybe not that scary... but very cool!

This special program is just for kids in grades 3, 4, and 5 who can listen to scary stories told in a darkened room with ghastly costumes, songs and games!

Sign up for this free program in the Children’s Library or by calling 203-284-6436.

Ruth Gaffey/Head of Children's Services, Wallingford Public Library 200 North Main St, Wallingford, CT 06492

203-284-6436

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY OCTOBER PROGRAMS

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES COLUMBUS DAY CLOSING

Meriden Public Library will be closed Monday, October 10 to celebrate Columbus Day. The library will reopen for business on Tuesday, October 11 at 9:30 a.m.

The library’s hours are: Monday through Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Sunday.

BOB STEELE’S CENTURY October 1

Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Steele was well known to millions in Southern New England as the morning voice of WTIC for half a century. Join Bob’s son, Phil Steele, on Saturday, October 1 at 2:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room at Meriden Public Library, as he uses slides and commentary to present highlights from his father’s archives.

Phil Steele has recently published the library edition of Bob Steele’s Century: 1911 – 2010, a collection of Bob’s own archive, a kind of autobiography from his own files of photos, articles about him, scripts he authored for his radio programs, jokes he wrote and jokes he stole, hundreds of letters from listeners that he held onto (and, when not flattering to him, shared with his radio audience), the wonderful cartoons he loved to draw, his diaries recording details of his personal life and the epic century into which he broadcast his unique sense of humor and disarming personality.

This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org and reserve a seat through the library calendar.

COMPUTER CLASSES AT MERIDEN LIBRARY

Sign up for one of the free computer classes at Meriden Public Library. The class schedule is as follows:

Resumes on Word –Monday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. Please bring job history and education information to complete resume.

Basic Computers –Saturday, October 22 at 9:30 a.m.

Job Searching on the Internet – Saturday, October 15 at 9:30 a.m. and Saturday, October 29 at 9:30 a.m.

Email – Monday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Computer classes in Spanish are held on Tuesday, October 11, 18, and 25 at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Classes are also held on Saturday, October 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m.

Class size is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or the Information Desk at (203) 238-2346 to reserve a seat.

WRITER’S NETWORK October 5 and October 18

The Writer’s Network will meet on Wednesday, October 5 and Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Griffin Room A at the Meriden Public Library. Anyone who is serious about writing fiction or nonfiction, wants to learn the process of getting published, or needs support for writing a book proposal or query letter is welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining the Writer’s Network, contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or email us comsvc@hotmail.com.

GET YOUR GAME ON October 6

Get your game on at the Meriden Public Library on Thursday, October 6 from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. The Wii will be set up with Wii Sports and Mario Kart for friends and family to challenge each other. Board games such as Scrabble, Candyland, Apples to Apples and many others will also be available for use. All ages are welcome to attend including parents and guardians. Registration is not required. If you have any questions please contact Melissa at mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us or call (203) 630-6347.

SCRABBLE SESSIONS October 11 and October 24

Meriden Public Library hosts sessions for people who enjoy playing Scrabble. The sessions will be on Tuesday, October 11 and Monday, October 24 at 2:00 pm in Griffin Room A. All skill levels are welcome. Scrabble boards will be provided, but people are welcome to bring their own boards. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have any questions about the library programs.

PRESERVING YOUR FAMILY PAPERS AND TREASURES October 11

Christine McCarthy, Chief Conservator at the Yale University Library, will be presenting the program Preserving Your Family Papers and Treasures on Tuesday, October 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Meriden Public Library Griffin Room. This program is cosponsored by the Meriden Historical Society.

Ms. McCarthy will discuss the basics of good preservation for personal collections of papers, books, photographs and other objects of sentimental value. We will look at the best places to store important artifacts in one’s home, how to find and work with a conservator, and the best practices for individuals looking to organize, display, and protect their collections. There will be examples of file boxes, folders and plastic sleeves as well as handouts to take home for future reference and finding more information.

This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org and reserve a seat through the library calendar.

MERIDEN PAGE TURNERS October 13

The Meriden Page Turners will be meeting this month on Thursday, October 13 at 11:00 a.m. in the Seminar Room at Meriden Public Library. October’s selection is The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. November’s selection is Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. Contact Laura at the Information Desk (203) 238-2346 for more information.

ANIME CLUB October 14

The Teen Anime Club at the Meriden Public Library will meet on Friday, October 14 at 2:30 pm in the Griffin Room. Join us for our Halloween cosplay party. Come dressed up as your favorite anime or video game character Afterwards we will be watching an anime about sixth grader Hiraku Shindo. One day, he finds an old bloodstained Go board in his grandfather's attic. Trapped inside the Go board is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master who taught the strategically complex board game to the Emperor of Japan many centuries ago. Snacks and drinks will be provided. This program is for teens age 13-18. Sign up is not required. If you would like more information contact Melissa at mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us or call (203) 238-2347.

ST. ALBANS RAID October 15

Where was the most northerly military engagement during the Civil War? Most people would likely respond with Gettysburg. No, it was on October 19, 1864, in St. Albans, VT., located in the far northwestern corner of that state. Reverend Ralph Lord Roy will be at Meriden Public Library’s Griffin Room on Saturday, October 15 at 2:00 p.m. to speak on the St. Albans Raid.

Twenty-two Confederate soldiers, who had escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp into Canada, coalesced in Montreal, furtively infiltrated the small Vermont city, then robbed its banks and tried to burn it down. This surprise attack had several goals and consequences, including a controversy with the British authorities in Canada over the return of the raiders for trial in the United States.

The speaker, Reverend Ralph Lord Roy of Southington, is a native of St. Albans and a retired United Methodist minister, who served as pastor in several Connecticut communities, including Meriden (1979-1994) where he was also the police chaplain for ten years. The Rev. Roy is the author of three books, writes a regular column in the Record-Journal, and gives “minute messages” on WJMJ, the radio station of the Archdiocese of Hartford. He was jailed twice during the civil rights initiative of the 1960s and attributes his interest in that issue in part to the involvement of maternal ancestors in the Union Army.

This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org and reserve a seat through the library calendar.

WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT ‘CITIZEN KANE?’ October 17

Film critic Richard Alleva will be presenting the second of three lectures at Meriden Public Library on Monday, October 17 at 1:30 p.m. in the Griffin Room. His program, What’s so great about ‘Citizen Kane?’ is cosponsored by the Castle Craig Adult Learning Center.

More than any other American movie, Citizen Kane keeps showing up in polls and critics' lists as one of the ten greatest films of all time, and often it's at the top of the list. Why? What is it that's so special about its look, story and acting that sets it apart from other good movies? We'll look at some of its most important scenes and discuss the peculiar genius of Welles and his collaborators.

Richard Alleva has been the film critic for Commonweal magazine over the last 20 years. He has lectured widely, and his articles have been anthologized, notably by Peter Bogdanovich in The Best American Movie Writing, 1999. This program is free and all are welcome. Seating is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org and reserve a seat through the library calendar.

LEGO CLUB October 20

Meriden Public Library will have its next Lego Club event on Thursday, October 20 from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. Children ages 6 through 12 are invited to bring their imagination and build on this month’s theme – “Spooky Creations”. Completed projects will be put on display in the library. The library will provide Legos for all children who attend. Sign up is not required for this program and late arrivals are always welcome. If you have any questions or would like to be put on the Lego Club mailing list please contact Melissa at (203) 630-6347 or mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us.

GUITARIST AND COMPOSER PETER BIEDERMANN October 22

Guitarist and composer Peter Biedermann will be performing at Meriden Public Library on Saturday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room. Peter Biedermann, based in Morris County New Jersey, has been performing in a variety of musical formats for over 35 years. The music you will hear on that afternoon will consist of entirely original acoustic instrumental music performed on various 6, 8 (Baritone) and 12 string guitars in unique tunings accompanied by the subtle use of ambient electronics. While acoustic guitar pioneers such as Michael Hedges, Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke and Ralph Towner are considered to be major influences on his music, many other lesser known visionaries of finger style acoustic guitar are acknowledged and referenced during his live performances. Interactive dialogue with the audience is encouraged as Peter will try his best to demystify the mystery of his unique music.

CD's will be available for sale after the performance. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org and reserve a seat through the library calendar.

MOVIES AT THE LIBRARY

The Meriden Public Library will be showing the following movies in October: Saturday, October 22 at 10:30 a.m., we will be showing the latest Judy Moody movie. On Tuesday, October 25, come enjoy the movie about a pilot who is granted powers through a green ring. These programs are free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have questions about the library programs.

BOOKMOBILE

The Meriden Public Library Bookmobile will be visiting the following sites in October:

Wednesday, October 5 – Easter Seals 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; Bradley Home 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Thursday, October 6 – Kindercare 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; The Right Place 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.; Connecticut Baptist Home 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 11 – Lil Rascals 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Sunshine Day Care 10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday, October 12 – St. John’s Nursery School 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, October 13 – First Congregational Nursery School 9:15 a.m to 9:45 a.m.; St. John’ Nursery School 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Friday, October 14 – Meriden Center 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Tuesday, October 18 – Meriden Y Child Care Center (Crown St.) 9:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 19 – First Congregational Nursery School 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, October 20 – First Congregational Nursery School 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Carriage House Day Care Center 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Monday, October 24 – Midstate Christian Academy 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Wednesday, October 26 – Headstart (Liberty St.) 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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Barbara's Bountiful Bouquet

How was your summer and your garden? I've spoken to a lot of people over the summer at The Wallingford Community Garden and elsewhere, and this summer was apparently a tough one for gardening. The only thing that was bountiful in my garden this year were the tomatoes. I had hundreds of them.

Every year at the Community Garden, located at the Vietnam Veterans Park on East Center Street, we experience something called "volunteer" plants, things we never planted, so this is nothing new. I had quite a number of huge sunflowers I did not plant, and also five cleomes. The sunflowers are all gone, but the cleomes are still vibrant, as are the marigolds I planted.

What was very strange this year is how many volunteer tomatoes sprang up all over the place, and two different varieties, very tiny red cherry tomatoes and then a large variety of tomato I've never planted in my life. They were shaped kind of like gourds, squished looking with big ridges in them. They totally took over my cucumbers plants, some of which I started at home and some of which I bought, and I did not get one cucumber. My peppers, something happened to them too. Only a couple of plants ever had any peppers on them, they didn't grow very big, and when I cut one open, it was basically all water inside. I think there was just too much rain. My basil did well, and I did make a lot of pesto.

It was an odd season anyway, either quite cold or terribly hot, no rain, too much rain, and I actually pretty much put the garden to bed in the middle of September, and that's something I normally do in the middle of October. I picked about 30 green tomatoes from the few Jet Star plants and volunteers that were left on September 15th, when we thought we might get a frost, and put them in the "sun room" to ripen. I've been eating them ever since and still have a few small ones left on October 1st.

I always write on my calendar how many tomatoes I pick, and if my math is correct, I harvested 168 of the large tomatoes. Of course I did not eat all of those myself. I gave lots of tomatoes away to friends. I had planted five yellow cherry tomato plants at the end of May, and I stopped counting how many I picked when I reached 350, and just put "tons of cherries" on my calendar.

My experiment with the weed block material last year failed, so the first week in July I decided to buy three bags of mulch and see if that would do any good. It hardly covered any of the garden at all, and it didn't do any good. The weeds were relentless all summer. Tropical Storm Irene did very minimal damage to my garden - only uprooted one sunflower. But other gardens did not fare as well, and everyone who planted corn, well, that didn't make it, almost every sunflower was uprooted, and some fences were blown down.

As the summer progressed, I made a decision: This is my last year at the Community Garden. I know I will miss some aspects of it, but it has just become too much work for me. I suppose it is possible to have a change of heart, but for the moment, I say no. As diligent as I was with constant weeding, my garden is basically all weeds and grass right now. Not tall weeds like you can see in 90% of the gardens there, but weeds nonetheless.

I enjoyed many wonderful tomato sandwiches, my first one on August 2nd, but I feel it is time to say goodbye to the garden. I do hope all of you gardeners out there will continue to have great gardens in the future, and I wish you well. Thank you for reading my column over the last several years. It's been fun! God bless.

Barbara Sherburne - barndt49@yahoo.com

Life along the Q River…

An Update from the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association

By Wendy Ronitz-Baker, Meriden Arts Council president

Naugatuck Savings Bank Nature Art Show

The Meriden Arts Council (MAC) in conjunction with the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association (QRWA) has been awarded a joint grant by the Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation for a Nature Art Show to be exhibited in May 2012.

The two non-profits will be working with Lincoln Middle School, a HOT school or Higher Order Thinking school, to foster a shared understanding of the importance of nature as the inspiration for art and as art as a means of learning. This will be accomplished by choosing a current environmental issue as the theme for the project. The two groups will then provide educational and creative opportunities to explore this issue on a deeper level and to express what’s learned through art.

The grant will provide funding for this two-part project. Once the theme of the art show is established, the QRWA will present to the Lincoln Middle School students an educational event with subject matter experts to support the students in their understanding of the topic. This will build on the nature sciences curriculum already established at the school. Concurrently, MAC will develop the artistic guidelines and set the deadlines for submission of artwork to the juried Nature Art Show. Both agencies will then collect the artwork, organize and promote the art show, select judges for the event, and host the art show in a local venue. The artwork from the event will then be on special exhibit at a local Naugatuck Savings Bank branch after the initial show.

This Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation Nature Art Show, as a collaborative effort between Lincoln Middle School, the Meriden Arts Council and the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association, effectively portrays the characteristics of a HOT school: creativity, adaptability, and teamwork. The overall intent is to demonstrate a community-focused example of the mission of Lincoln Middle School.

The mission of Lincoln Middle School is to learn in and through the arts, making it a natural partnering school for this grant funded opportunity. Lincoln consists of 700 plus students, grades six through eight, ages 11 through 13.

For more information contact Wendy Ronitz-Baker, president of the Meriden Arts Council, at 860-621-3242 or go to www.meridenartscouncil.org.

Upcoming QRWA Events:

Wednesday, October 5th, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, 3M RBV Training. QRWA headquarters, 540 Oregon Road.

Friday, October 7th, 5:30 to 9:00, Annual Membership Meeting. Hors d'oeuves, business meeting and DEEP Wildlife Biologist Paul Rego, who will speak on the "History, Status and Research of Black Bears in Connecticut".

Sunday, October 9th, 1 to 2:30 pm, Meriden Family Day. Please check Meriden Linear Trail web site, www.meridenlineartrail.org, for details.

Saturday, October 15th, 10:00 to 2:00 pm, 3M RBV Field Training. QRWA headquarters, 540 Oregon Road.

Wednesday, October 19th, 7:00 to 9:00 pm, RBV Training. New Haven County Extension Center, 305 Skiff Street, North Haven.

To learn more about the QRWA and to confirm information, dates and times for upcoming events, please visit our website at: www.qrwa.org.

QRWA provides water activities, events in education, outreach, advocacy, scientific monitoring, conservation, restoration, recreation and public access to the watershed area. The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association (QRWA) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to restore the Quinnipiac for the health and enjoyment of all citizens and communities along its reach and to educate all students, families, individuals, businesses and governments to be informed stewards of the river. Thank you for your support and remember your donations are tax deductable.

Has Photo

Prague’s Astronomical Clock

By Dorothy Gonick

Treading carefully on the close-packed cobblestones, our family walked a few blocks from the apartment to the large Old Town Square. While admiring the Jan Hus monument we noticed the large group of people looking expectantly toward the Old Town City Hall. Curiosity drew us toward them as we heard the hour being struck. A cock crowed, followed by a festive trumpeter stationed high in the tower proclaiming the new hour.

We learned about the history of the astronomical dial, which had been installed in 1410. Later around 1490, moving statues were affixed beside it, and a calendar dial was added. We were eager to be there when it struck the next hour. With close observation, we saw Vanity’s mirror rise, Avarice’s money bags shaken, Death turning an hourglass, and a Turk with a lute, denoting wantonness. (That was before Columbus discovered America!) Along the sides of the calendar dial are four stationary statues. An Angel, a philosopher, an astronomer and a chronicler; the last three denote qualities needed in a town councilor. Above the clock, the twelve apostles circled behind two windows. The golden cock we’d heard crow, was positioned above all.

The Astronomical Calendar is a movable map of the heavens which shows current positions of the Sun, Moon, and signs of the zodiac. The intricacies and perfection of this clock boggled my mind. The lower Calendar dial rotates once a day as it progresses through the year. Paintings for each month circle the dial. An inner circle of paintings depict the constellations. Throughout the centuries these clocks have been cared for and repaired when necessary and the hand-wound mechanisms have been replaced by electrical ones.

We were intrigued with the Town Hall Tower and rode the elevator to the top to view the wide-spreading historic city. A tapestry of tiled roofs interspersed with the green of trees and lofty church spires met our wondering eyes. This beautiful, busy city evoked thoughts of its centuries of history since first settled. The stunning architecture of homes, churches and castles, the statuary, abundant artwork and treasured artifacts in museums, all were evidence of centuries of flourishing culture.

While in the tower we watched a young couple being photographed in elegant historical costumes provided by the photographer. Granddaughter Ginger and I succumbed to the invitation to do likewise. With the convenience of Velcro and fabric ties, we were quickly dressed in bouffant skirts, bodices embroidered with elegant trims enhanced with sparkling jewels. Pretty hats adorned our heads and then a photo was made. For that brief moment we felt transported into Prague history.

Often, during our visit to Prague, we passed through the Old Town Square and enjoyed greeting the Old Town Tower as our newfound friend.

One year later –

a musing by Ernie Larsen

A couple of days ago a friend invited me to a retirement party for a former colleague who is retiring on June 30th; (congratulations P.B). That brought to mind that I will have been retired for a year this coming Saturday, July 2nd which is also my birthday, I just mentioned to some family members how much I am looking forward to the long 4th of July weekend, of course this was tongue in cheek and finally someone mentioned that isn’t every day of retirement like a long weekend? Well, yes it is, at first I was having a difficult time remembering what day of the week it was. But it’s not all lollipops and rose…ah, what the heck, yes it is! Not having a set schedule is great; get up and go wherever you want any time you wish without having to fill out a request form, priceless. So for the first couple of months this is how it was – then my wife started her ‘retirement’ job, day care for our new granddaughter. But I was still on my own – and then it was time to start planning for the Daffodil Festival of which I am a volunteer. I took on the task of publicity and was doing fine, liaising with the local newspaper and making sure all the I’s were dotted and t’s crossed. And then I answered a request from Literacy Volunteers to become a tutor.

Everything was going along smoothly, the DF was developing nicely and I was scheduled for some training sessions with Literacy Volunteers.

Then in March, we planned a long weekend at a lodge in Meredith, NH – this was one of our retirement gifts and the weather was lovely – we spent two days sightseeing, dining and just relaxing at the lodge. When we arrived home the path turned downhill – I woke up a day later and had limited vision from my right eye. It was off to the optometrist who quickly determined I had suffered a detached retina, which in the ‘eye business’ is considered something that requires immediate attention by an ophthalmologist.

This started my saga with an retina specialist group based in Hamden who specializes in this type of injury. So, after a week of evaluations, I was scheduled for surgery at Yale-New Haven. Everything seemed to go well and then there was the unusual recovery period. To make sure that pressure was kept on the retina, a liquid bubble was injected into the eyeball and to keep it in contact it was required that you lie horizontally facing the floor for as many hours of the day you were awake and then sleep on your stomach – the initial period was two weeks and if you could not lie down - while sitting you were required to bend at the waist and look at your heels. Well, let me tell you – sounds easier that it is – and their was no driving, cooking, anything that deviated from the horizontal.

Long story short, the first surgery did not take and 3 or so weeks later I was once again under the knife at Yale-NH. That was about 6 weeks ago and everything seems to be going OK – I was going to the doc every week and on my last visit he gave me a 5-week reprieve and after testing my right eye, determined legally it was OK for me to drive.

First time I had driven in almost 3 months; a thrill but somewhat of a challenge, I think I mastered it but I still have the bubble in the eyeball and the vision is limited, however I do have my depth perception back and keep the driving to daylight hours and off the highway, more or less.

So here I am, I’ll have to go back to Y-NH to have the bubble removed and hopefully within a couple of months or possibly a bit longer. Whatever it is – I’ll take it – your vision is precious – this was a real learning experience.

So, as my wife decreed, I’m on light duty, did some work, more of in a consultant nature with my Daffodil Festival colleagues at a couple concerts in Hubbard Park and am attending some social engagements. Still not ready for the any other volunteer activities; I still don’t have enough vision for prolonged reading and certain other academic activities. So, as soon as I get the word I’ll be able to pick up with LV’s training program.

That in a nutshell is a synopsis of my first year of retirement. Hope others have better luck.

To paraphrase the immortal Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca “here’s looking at you kid(s)”.

I mean that literally!

Check back soon for the updates…………….

FRIGID FUTILITY

By Alfred Mueller

Their freezing to death is as quiet as breathing,

as slow as embers becoming ash in the fireplace.

They stand spiritless on frozen ground,

numbed by sub-zero temperatures for days on end

while heavy snow laminates them

from huge head to high haunches

with a ghostly white coat,

and a cutting wind whips snow

into their frosty faces.

I wonder if they shiver like I would

if standing in a frigid, unforgiving Wyoming field.

I wonder if they would like to have wings

carrying them on the wind to

a warm sanctuary beyond the high, jagged peaks.

Bison are speechless, cannot call for help.

Northern Lights and the wind's wild music

do not brighten their lives,

and neither do I when dozing

while listening to Chopin

in front of the glowing fire.

Connecticut Outdoors

By Paul Narducci

The Kids of Connecticut Outdoors

As we head into the summer time it is a great opportunity to take your kids fishing. This is a sport that is inexpensive and allows a family a chance to spend time together. I have found out more about the kids in my family as well the students in my school by taking them fishing. This is a sport the helps build character, patience, respect for the outdoors, loyalty and most importantly the chance to spend time with the people you love.

For those of you who watch our show you know how important it is to me to take Jonathan fishing. Jonny has a major role in Connecticut Outdoors. He has been President of our show for the past four years and has made some major changes in the direction of our show. As with most companies we have been forced to down size and cut pay roll by half.

Unfortunately, it has been my half that has been cut. Jonathan has decided that as President we need to focus a lot more on him and the other kids. I, Tony and Frank have been in touch with our lawyers trying to stop this madness, only time will tell? Clearly you can tell that the kids are trying to take over and have convinced Jonny to do so. The President has assured me that what ever changes he makes it is in the best interest of the show.

When I asked Jonny about being President he stated” I love being the boss and the perks are wonderful. I get some wonderful hats and shirts from our sponsors”. A little info about Jonathan is that the best part of having my own show is I get to fish with my Dad. Although Johnny doesn’t eat fish he does enjoy ice cream sundaes. He thinks we have a great message and that will continue. When I asked him who was the better fisherman he first smiled and said that’s easy. Dad you are a better fisherman on the river but on my iPad 2, I win every time. Jonathan’s main message to all parents is to take your kids fishing and enjoy what Connecticut has to offer.

The next member of his crew is Joe Dias. Joey has been a big part of the show and is becoming a wonderful fisherman. Joe’s biggest fish was a big nasty northern pike which was caught on the Ct River. A little info about Joey is he to doesn’t eat fish but loves catching them. His favorite lure is by Cabin Creek Bait Co a spider grub and a Yum dinger. His favorite fisherman besides his Dad is Charlie Moore. Joe has stated that the message of our show is what makes it the number one show on public TV. Joe will be fishing his first professional tournament this year and hopes to place in the money.

The next member of Jonny’s fishing team is Jenna Paul. Like the other kids Jenna does not eat fish. Her biggest fish was a beautiful largemouth bass caught on the river. Jenna stated” the best thing about Connecticut Outdoors is it is fun. We have a great message and we make it about the kids. She likes how we enjoy fishing, boating and enjoying time with family. When I asked her if one day she would take her own children fishing she stated YES!! How cool is that. You don’t see a lot of females fishing and I think its wonderful that she truly enjoys it.

The final member of Jonny’s fishing team is Ryan Paul. It has been rumored that Jonny and Ryan have been having secret meetings and there is talk that they may start their take over with in the next few years. Ryan like the others does not eat fish either. His biggest fish was a northern pike caught on a Stanley spinner bait. When I asked Ryan who was the better fisherman him or Jenna he stated that he was. It was then that I realized we needed to have our own special tournament. Ryan’s favorite lure to use is worms. Ryan also felt that our message and how we show how to take kids fishing is what makes this show fun. Ryan as well as Jenna both enjoy driving the boat as much as catching fish. Back to the idea of having a tournament.

This article has created a bit of a controversy between the crew and I am honestly enjoying it. JOB SECURITY?? So with this in mind we have decided to have our first tournament pairing Joe and Jenna against Jonathan, myself and Ryan. After talking to the odd makers in Las Vegas they have decided that Joe and Jenna are predicted to win with a total of 28 fish to 14. Stay tuned this is going to be a good one. We will also air this so look forward to this.

As always the crew of Connecticut Outdoors wishes everyone the best of luck and good fishing!!!!

Fatherhood is for the young at heart…

by Maura K. Ammenheuser

My dad’s getting younger.

Born in 1942, technically he predates the Baby Boomers, but at heart Dad is about 10.

He and Mom are so different from their own parents at the same age. When Mom’s parents were pushing 60, they wore frumpy clothes, rarely exercised and suffered gray hair and thick middles. Dad’s mother always seemed old, dainty and formal, regardless of the decade. And his father died at 67.

So my dad is way ahead of the game. He “power-walks” the steep hills of his neighborhood; he’s within 10 pounds of his college weight. He’s a better skier now than when he was in his 30s. Dad’s hair is barely graying; at his 25-year college reunion, his buddies accused him of dyeing it.

I’m not suggesting Pops looks good because he’s a health nut. Far from it. He’ll fight you for the last ice cream in the freezer, squirt whipped cream into his mouth directly from the can, and insist he’s hungry for cookies 10 minutes after leaving the driveway on a road trip, regardless of its length or the size of his most recent meal. Dad falls asleep in front of the TV, but even that doesn’t strike me as a sign of old age. It’s more like he’s so engrossed in the show that, like a toddler, he can’t tear himself away to go to bed.

Words can’t describe the effect an actual child has on my father. My 2-year-old, Ryan, has more restraint. When we visit my parents, Dad encourages Ryan to tackle him in bed each morning, something my brothers and I did as children every weekend at the crack of dawn. Maybe that’s not remarkable. But Kevin, my 30-year-old, 180-lb. brother, still pounces on him, too. You’d think it would kill our old man. But Dad loves it. He laughs like a maniac and they tumble around like bear cubs.

My father never outgrew our baby vocabularies; in his house, “woollies” are cereal and “ollybolly” is everybody. At the beach, he built sand castles taller than anyone else’s. He answered the door on Halloween in a scary mask, until the year one kid burst into tears. Dad gave him extra candy to make up for it.

We got a sailboat when I was 15, because Dad’s got a thing for the sea. He sold it a few years later, when Mom convinced him their financial survival depended on this transaction. She was right, but the family stories of maritime mishaps — running aground on a weekly basis, narrowly avoiding the ferries crossing Long Island’s Great South Bay — are priceless. A teenager in a borrowed Lexus gets into less trouble.

Dad adores “Sesame Street’s” Grover. He mimics him perfectly and discovered, when the “Star Wars” movies debuted, that Grover sounds just like Yoda. My friends gleefully begged for Yoda imitations. This went on for years.

Dad loved our friends, considered himself part of the gang. I half expected my brother’s fraternity members to invite him to live at the frat house. They called him “Captain Jim” (they’d shared our terror on the high seas) and told him dirty jokes.

My father lives for parties. Hours before my wedding, a rotten cold, laryngitis and general exhaustion left me punchy. Dad, high on the otherwise giddy atmosphere, swept me into his arms for a practice waltz, beaming, eyes twinkling. He would have danced directly to the church, four hours early, if Mom wasn’t out with the car, getting a manicure. I’m not sure how my father retained the sunny, goofy, just-happy-to-be-here disposition most of us lose by adulthood. He probably inherited it from his father, who I don’t remember because I was 2 when he died. If prompted, Dad tells loving stories about his father, but otherwise stays uncharacteristically quiet on the subject. I suspect that’s because it hurt badly to lose him so young. Dad was 26 when Grandpa died of a stroke.

Dad mentioned his father this winter, remarking on Jan. 20 that it was the old guy’s birthday.

“I miss my dear ole’ Dad,” my father e-mailed me and my brothers. “We had a lot of fun together. If he were still alive, he would be 99 years old today. God bless him.”

“I love you,” my father signed off. “Thanks for being such wonderful children.”

Thank you, Dad, for being a wonderful child yourself.

David Taylor Roger – A True Story

By Priscilla Roger Reynolds

The sweet smell of fresh cut hay and grass hung on the warm breeze. Mixed in with the sweetness was the pungent odor of rotting manure. The soft sounds of lowing cows broke the stillness of the dusk. Purple shades of evening colored the farmhouse in the yard. The smell of flowers on the outside and fresh baked bread on the inside; the cool feel of the dew on his bare feet as he ran home to supper; these thoughts returned to David after a full day.

These were the memories that helped Dave through the busy days as service manager at Cadillac and Oldsmobile, in Waterbury. Always in the back of his mind was the knowledge that there was a simpler, more earthy way of life. He realized how fortunate he was to have spent his teenage years on the Allan farm in Goshen, CT. He also was caught up in the excitement of the developing automobile and chose to leave the farm to become an auto mechanic.

It was supper time at the Roger home, March 20, 1945. All four children were still living at home but the youngest child had not arrived as yet. Marion, Dave’s wife, enforced an exact supper hour and voiced her concern about Sil’s negligence. “It was such a beautiful spring day today. I can understand how Sil could forget the time,” Dave thought aloud. Dave had a talent for voicing the positive. Very seldom did he burden his family with trivial problems. He also was blessed with a wife who was a good listener, so he spent an hour with her discussing all the events of the day—usually over supper.

Sil joined the family as they were ready for dessert. Her mother spoke in her authoritarian voice, “I don’t want this to happen again. We eat at 6 P.M. every night. Where were you?”

Dave was touched by his youngest daughter’s enthusiasm. She usually sat very quietly and had difficulty expressing herself. Her cheeks were rosey, her clothes soiled, “Oh Ma, we rode our bicycles all over Watertown and Oakville. We had a marvelous time.” Dave’s blue eyes sparkled; he wanted his daughter to overcome her shyness so he stopped the family from criticizing her. For some reason his youngest girl was often teased by her siblings and didn’t fight back.

“I think we can overlook your tardiness this one time,” said Dave. “You’ll have to plan your time better in the future. Tell us more about your ride.”

Sil spoke about the warm breezes, the budding forsythia, the horses in the farmyards, the smell of new grass, the excitement of riding up and down the hills. Dave was pleased.

“You were lucky to bike ride on such a beautiful day,” said Dave. “It brings back good memories to me about my stay on the Allan farm. “

“You know, Dad, “ said Lefty, his only son, “You often tell us about your years at the farm, but we want to know about the years before that.” Dave not only accentuated the positive; he denied the negative. He realized it was time to tell his children about his early years.

“I have told you about your grandparents. Their decision to come to the United States was like a fairy tale. My mother worked as a nurse in a hospital in Perth, Scotland, when she met my father. She told me that she even worked for the queen of Edinburg at one time. People in the U.S.A. would say that my Dad robbed the cradle, as he was 20 years older than my mother when he married her in Scotland. He persuaded her to journey by boat to the United States with him as he felt he would have no difficulty finding work as a carpenter. I believe my mother and father were happy for a few years; my brother, sister, and I were born in this country. Dad became ill with some kind of lung disease, and after his death Mom was devastated. She couldn’t work as a nurse in this country so she picked up small amounts of money as a maid or in housecleaning. She applied for Welfare and the social workers in New York told her she would have to give up the children.” Dave thought for a few seconds: “This is all vague to me. Despite the fact that I was the oldest child, I remember very little. She was allowed to keep her baby, Nelson, with her, and I remember some time later, she married a second time, perhaps out of convenience. Anne, my sister, and I were placed in the New York Catholic Home. We were lucky to have some wonderful nuns take care of us.” Dave paused,” However,. My sister accidentally fell off some cement steps and the blow to her head killed her.”

Marion realized how hard it was for Dave to tell about the sadness. Her life seemed so stable in comparison. She attempted to interrupt, but Ginny, their oldest daughter, broke in, “Dad, please tell us as much as you can remember. We want to know.” She ignored her younger sisters’ eyes as they had filled with tears.

Nancy questioned her father, “What happened then? Weren’t you lost without your sister? Did your mother take you home.”

“I went through a period when I had a lot of anxiety. I remember hiding under the bed when there were thunder and lightning storms. One nun spent a lot of time with me and helped me get over the fear. I didn’t see my mother very often, and when I did, I grew upset with her new husband. He drank too much; I stayed at the orphanage. I learned to work at an early age and when I started to earn money on a paper route my new father tried to coax me to give him some. That really made me angry, so I turned away from both my mother and her husband.”

Dave sat quietly, trying to remember how things came together. He had spent many hours when he was twelve and thirteen, being angry. That was when the Allan family had asked the orphanage for farm help. No wonder he recollected those years on the farm with such warm nostalgia. He turned to the five wide-eyed listeners: “The Allan family in Goshen asked the orphanage for a young man who was willing to work. They would give me room and board in return for my labor. Mr. and Mrs. Allan were very kind to me. Their hours of working seemed unending to me, but they gave me time off. They showed their pleasure over having me with them; after a year they started to pay me. The Allans taught me how to love! And from then on I was O.K. I mean by that, I could make decisions without being anxious or angry.”

Dave had no more to say that evening. His monologue had clarified in his own mind many of his questions over the years. And his children were grateful to him and for him.

Sleeping on the other side of the bed.

By Jake Kilroy

This is dedicated to the Dreamcatcher

Someone I once knew told me that you could never sleep on the opposite side of the bed, without eventually returning to your original side. He had a psychology degree (that he thought no one knew about), and was convinced of his theory. I believed him for some time, which was a rare event. This person was firm in his convictions and stuck to first-time impressions and ideas. I have learned over the past two years that sleeping on the other side of the bed is not only possible, but it’s imperative to your future and your way of life.

Change was what the discussion was all about. You can change your habits, but inevitably you would go back to who you were. It is change that is needed to improve our outlooks and our futures. Old ideas and ways of life don’t work anymore, because the world is now sleeping on the other side of the bed and is not going back. If the world can do it, so can we.

My habits were of the following nature: Drinking, Smoking, Negative Thinking, Not trusting others or not trusting others to do their jobs, Not understanding fun anymore, and most negative of all was the feeling that I could never make a difference in this world or my hometown. The last habit or way of thinking paralyzed me for almost all of my life. I had to prove the thought wrong and worked my hardest to do so. I would work 90 hours a week to prove my worth, not to anyone else, but to me. Of course, I was never satisfied, and always felt that I could have done better.

Then for the first time in my life I made an unpredictable, unplanned move. I left that past behind and tried the other side of the bed. I enjoyed it at first but as “Darth Vader” (that’s who I’ll call him from now on), once said to me, I soon longed for the comforts of my old habits. It was a battle that never ended in my mind, but I shrugged the pillows on my new side of the bed and made it my side. I formed new habits and behaviors and left the others behind. Well, not all of them, I still smoke unfortunately, but I plan on buying a new bed for my mind and I’m going to switch sides again as soon as possible.

Never let anyone tell you that you can’t change or make a difference. YOU CAN! It is within your power to do anything you want. I have switched from Darth’s view to my father’s view. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “As you think, so shall you become.” My father repeated that saying every day along with, “Walk with the King, and be a blessing!” A negative thought or habit is there because our minds dwell on them and they are only reinforced by our own doing and not anyone else. If you squeeze a positive thought or habit into your mind and every time that negative thought comes through, replace it with the positive thought, well, you will be amazed how quickly your outlook will change. It’s not easy but if you have faith and constantly repeat the positive thought or habit, the other side of the bed will be yours.

At times I still slip into Darth’s side of the bed, but then I force myself again to use the good side of the bed to reinforce my ever-changing attitude and belief system. I no longer will accept the seeds of bad news in my mind for long. I take the good seeds and nourish them. The Bible says if your faith is as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains. I wish to further that parable and say if Good News is like a mustard seed, then it will soon become a bush that chokes out the weeds of bad news around us. Imagine if we all had one mustard seed. The things we could do would be amazing.

I no longer have to prove myself to myself. The freedom of that one change of paradigm has freed me to dream again. I dream of a better world and then act on that dream to make it a reality. My way will not always work for you, just as Darth’s did not work for me. You may have to find your own way of getting to the other side of the bed, but no matter how you try, once you get there……you will be amazed at how firm the pillow is in your new way of life.

So, Darth wants you to go to the dark side of the bed and I want you to try the good side. It’s a much harder path, but in the end you will have the force of good news and good habits to bring your life joy and fulfillment. I wish you well on your mission and may the force be with you. The other side of the bed is just a thought away from being yours.

The Door

By People’s Press Columnist Sara E. Booker

One day we discovered a door that we never knew existed. My friends Chris, Dawn, Jack and I gathered around, curious about what a twist of the knob would reveal. Jack nudged Chris out of the way and gave the knob a turn.

“You’ve got absolutely no manners. No class,” Chris snapped at Jack, catching the door knob before the door pushed open. “It’s me and my Ma’s house. The least you could do is let me be in charge of the big reveal.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Excuse me. It’s a room full of junk in your house. You’re hyping it up like it’s Al Capone’s vault or something. And we all know what happened there.”

“I’m not hyping it. How would you feel if you lived in a house your whole life and just found out that there’s a room that hasn’t been opened since before you were born?”Chris asked. He pushed the door open and we let out a collective gasp. It was his mother’s old bedroom. Inside was furniture that appeared to be from the 1960s and 1970s, dust, and cobwebs. There were hundreds of vinyl albums. Jack and Dawn made a beeline for the record collection.

“Check this out,” said Jack blowing dust off a record album and passing Cream’s Disraeli Gears to Dawn. “This is from back when people bought record albums…just as much for the artwork on the cover as for the music inside.”

“I love it,” said Dawn staring at the colorful imagery. “My father had that album.” She then pulled the record out of its jacket and put on We’re Going Wrong. “This song’s my favorite on this album.”

“Hot track,” said Jack imitating Ginger Baker’s intricate percussion work with air drumsticks.

Chris pulled the door knob and slammed the door shut abruptly. “What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“This makes me sad,” he answered. “This is my Ma’s stuff from when she was still alive. Do you know what I mean Renee?”

I knew exactly what he meant. Chris’s mother was still alive but she hadn’t truly lived in many, many years. “Yeah, I understand,” I said, looking down at the floor.

Apparently the woman who now spent her days sitting on a recliner flipping through the channels with lack luster enthusiasm had once lived in the tangible world. Now the only world she seemed to care about was pixilated. “I can’t believe it!” Chris exclaimed. “Ma once had a life!”

The door to this room had been hidden behind a gigantic book case which contained books that only Chris ever read. Chris’s mother was paying us to clean out this old room. “My Ma’s too depressed to clean it herself,” Chris explained to Dawn, Jack and I. “The room brings back bad memories.”

I fixated on a picture of Chris’s mother which appeared to have been taken when she was either in her teens or twenties. She was stunning, and smiling with as much vitality as a girl from a magazine ad but without the contrivance. Inspired by her youthful vintage zest, I took the picture to the mirror and tried to make my hairstyle look a little more retro, like hers. These friends and I were so close that we could be idiosyncratic and indulge our artistic whims without having to feel self conscious or silly.

“French Vogue, early seventies,” said Dawn, nodding at my impromptu hairstyle.

“I wish”, I said. “Look at Chris’s mom back in the day,” I said holding up the picture.

“Wow!” said Jack. “Chris, your Ma was a heartbreaker.”

“I wish I looked like that,” said Dawn.

“Well now she’s heartbroken,” said Chris, in a broken voice. “So what difference did it make?”

I opened up the door a crack and peered at the present day version of my fashion inspiration in disbelief. This could not be the same person. It was spooky. Sure people age physically, but some remain young at heart, joyful and full of life. Chris’s mother appeared to have aged emotionally more than any other way. She had as much joie de vie as a throw pillow.

At this very moment, like almost every other moment I ever saw her, she was watching the television. The Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right to be exact. If a contestant could win a vacation or a car by bidding correctly on their showcase she could get a vicarious thrill. The old picture of her told us that there was a time when she still dreamed that things could be possible for herself, not just for her fictional television friends or for game show contestants. The expression she wore in the old photo made her appear like she was heading straight into the horizon, not straight into a commercial break.

The newly discovered room also contained games like Connect Four and Operation, a sewing machine, a closet full of decades old clothes like bell bottoms and paisley printed sundresses, clogs and sandals and a big white canopy bed.

“Why did your Mom lock all this stuff up?” I asked. “Why and when did she become so depressed? She looks like she could have had the world on a silver platter back in the day.”

“Renee, you know my Ma never talks about the past. How would I know why she’s depressed? Remember that time when I tried to get her to talk about her good old days? She just said, ‘The good old days weren’t always so good’ and walked away.”

“Well, doesn’t she ever need to vent about the things that bother her?” Dawn asked.

“Apparently she did at one time,” said Jack, picking up a diary from off of a desk.

“Give me that,” said Chris.

“You can’t read her diary,” I insisted.

“Renee…do you think it’s better that I never understand my own mother?” Chris asked. “I’m eighteen years old and I’ve been asking her about why she’s so sad my whole life and she won’t answer me. It’s time I take matters into my own hands.” He grabbed the diary from Jack. He flipped to the beginning of the book. “I want to know what happened in my mother’s life that sucked the life out of her.”

The diary was as thick as a tome. Chris sat at the desk chair and read. Dawn was sitting by the record player listening to a song from the fifties, Little Star by The Elegants, while Jack and I were lying on our stomachs on the floor like kids playing a game of Connect Four.

Jack and I talked in hushed voices so Chris could concentrate on his reading. We talked about how we definitely were not the most efficient workers in the world. We hadn’t lifted a finger since we got in the room. Partly because we were lazy and partly because we didn’t even know where to begin. This job seemed overwhelming. The objective was to find things in this room to sell. To pawn shops and consignment shops. The electricity would be shut off if we failed to sell anything. If that happened there would be no pixilated televised world to distract Chris’s mother from her misery. We couldn’t let her distraction, her only comfort be taken from her, could we? But everything was covered in dust. And how were Dawn, Jack and I supposed to know what from this era was of value? Dawn and I were both eighteen and Jack was nineteen. And of course if we didn’t sell anything we would not get paid for this job.

“We’re going to need your Ma to come in here,” said Jack to Chris as his black Connect Four checker slid down to block my column of red ones. “She’s gonna have to play foreman. We have no idea how to do this job. How are we supposed to know which of these things is worth any money? This stuff is like twice as old as we are.”

“I told you she doesn’t want anything to do with this room. Brings back bad memories,” said Chris.

“Well, I don’t mean to be Mr. Insensitive but there comes a time when people need to stop running from things and face their fears,” Jack said sternly.

“You are insensitive,” said Chris. “She’s my mother. Leave her alone.”

“Well, at least I’m not the one reading her diary without her permission,” said Jack. “You’ve got to talk to her. You’ve got to force her to face this. You’re enabling her self destruction if you don’t. I think you agree with me that a few decades is enough time for one to be living in gloom. If you really care about your Ma you’ll give her some tough love.”

“I agree,” I said. “Maybe your Ma needs an intervention. For her own good. Has she ever even been to see a counselor?”

“Stop it!” Chris yelled. “I’ve been trying to get her to snap out of this since the day I was born. She’s been depressed so long that it’s a way of life. I don’t know how to make her happy. You guys just don’t understand!” He walked across the narrow path of the room, running his hands through his hair, exasperated. He then began pacing back and forth. “And I guess I don’t understand either.” He sat back down by the diary and picked it up again. “She’s not willing to talk. But I’m determined to understand. I’m gonna read this diary, right or wrong.”

This time he flipped to the back of the diary. He told us that the last part of the diary revealed that his mother had tried to publish the very diary Chris was now reading as a memoir . It was rejected many times until she finally just gave up. “It’s my life they’re rejecting”, she wrote. “They’re saying that my life is not worthy of being published. Or maybe it’s just unprintable.”

According to the last few entries of the diary she started to feel guilty, inadequate, uninteresting and ashamed of herself. She took it as a rejection of not only her life but of her soul. And so she had decided to lock up everything from that past life away, because it was not worthy of public consumption, she thought. The furniture, the albums, the books, the curtains. Even the photographs of the “old her”. It was all seen as “the life that wasn’t worth reading about”. She had associated her entire past with the pain of rejection.

“I’m not going to read any further,” said Chris. “Not without her permission.” He put the diary down. “I’m not sure if she could handle that I read about ‘the life that wasn’t worth reading about’”.

“Well then tell us what of this junk we should sell,” said Jack. Jack was never the king of tact.

“It’s not junk,” I said.

“How am I supposed to know?” asked Chris. “I’m not an appraiser or an auctioneer guy or whatever you call it.”

“Well what are we supposed to do…guess? Or just stare at each other’s shoes all day? I’m not about to waste energy carrying junk to the pawn shop only to have it rejected. Go ask your Ma or I quit.”

“I told you she doesn’t want to come in here. Hence, the reason we four clowns are doing the job.”

“This is ridiculous. If you don’t talk to her I will,” said Jack.

“Alright fine,” Chris blurted. “I’ll go talk to her. Man, you guys are a pain. Especially you Jack.”

“We just want to do the job right,” said Jack. “No offense Chris but you don’t exactly make a great foreman. Your workers were totally slacking, sitting here playing Connect Four and you didn’t even notice. If the electricity gets turned off in this house your Ma will have no TV, we’ll have no music to listen to when we hang out, you’ll have to do your homework by candlelight and the four of us won’t be able to play with your Playstation. For who knows how long.”

“Whatever, I wasn’t even trying to be a foreman,” Chris said, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you guys try a little initiative?”

“We just want to help your mother,” Dawn said. “Maybe a visit to the past will do her good. If you don’t face your fears they grow and grow in your imagination. And your Ma probably has a great imagination judging by the contents of this room.” She nodded at the art work in the corner Chris’s mother had done which reminded me of the impressionist painters of the nineteenth century.

“I’m sure her fears have taken on a nightmarish life of their own,” I said. “It’s time for a guided tour of reality, which is not as scary as the one she’s probably created in her mind.”

“Ugg!” Chris exclaimed. “You guys drive me mad! What- do you guys think you are unlicensed psychologists or something? You are three of the nuttiest people I know. Like you guys have any right to talk about my Ma. If I wasn’t so lazy I’d send you guys home and do this project myself!” He threw his hands up in defeat and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

“It’s because we care,” I yelled behind him.

We played a game of Operation while we waited. I was trying to drown out the sound of Chris and his mother’s muffled argument by being a clumsy doctor on my cartoon patient and purposely causing the game to buzz with my graceless surgery.

“Stop losing on purpose,” said Jack. “I can’t derive any self esteem from winning if you are throwing the game.”

“I don’t want to hear Chris and his mother quarrel,” I said. “It’s none of our business. Dawn, crank up the tunes.” Dawn nodded and turned the volume up on Runaway by Del Shannon.

“Only a proud slacker like you would be able to derive self esteem from winning a game of Operation, Jack,” said Dawn. “Wasn’t the game designed for six year olds?” She and I laughed.

“Hey, I keep my standards for success and satisfaction low,” said Jack. “That way I’ll never end up like Chris’s mother.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Sounds like she dreamed too big. She believed in the impossible…that she could get a book published, and then sunk into a depression when her ship didn’t come in. I’m not expecting a ship to come in. I’ll settle for a dingy.”

“You’re the most cynical guy I know,” I said. “So what are you saying, you’re never going to try to chase a dream?”

“I’m not cynical, I’m a realist. Of course I’ll chase a dream. My dream is to chill on a hammock in the sun while drinking a brew.”

“Oh please,” said Dawn.

“Hey, why do you think so many people have midlife crises? Because our culture makes us believe that we’re all gonna grow up to be stars. That’s the exception, not the rule. This ain’t the ‘Land of Opportunity’. It’s the ‘Land of Who You Know’. You gotta have connections or money to make it big. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I don’t hobnob at country clubs. Like John Fogerty sang, I ain’t no fortunate son. But that’s okay. I’ll use my looks, charm and talent to thrill the locals.” Dawn burst out laughing.

“Gosh, Jack I think you are already a star in your own mind,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I for one don’t need to be famous,” Jack continued. “I bet famous people can’t even go to an amusement park without being stalked for autographs. And you can’t wear your shades and go incognito because they’ll fly off your face on the roller coaster when you’re dropping down the hill. And then people will recognize you and charge for you as soon as the ride dumps you off and they’ll be screaming louder than they were screaming on the roller coaster. And then you’ll have a big old head ache. And you’ll have to run away from the crowd. And then your feet will hurt. And I certainly don’t need paparazzi hanging from the trees in my front yard.”

Dawn and I laughed. “You sound like you put a lot of thought into this.” said Dawn.

“Yeah, right after the record company rejected my demo tape,” said Jack.

“Ahh…another wounded artistic ego,” I said. “How many times did you send your demo tape out?”

“Once. And then I came to my senses. A true artist is never appreciated in his own time, so why should I bother trying to be successful- in the traditional sense of the word- anymore? I’ll just keep the faith that future generations will find and enjoy my work. That’s good enough for me. Success to me is sanity. I’m not taking chances with mine by setting myself up for anymore failure. If just one person listens to my music and enjoys it then it was all worthwhile.”

“Well, what about money? You don’t want money? You want to work in that factory for the rest of your life? Don’t you hate your boss?”

“Who doesn’t hate their boss? I don’t need any more money than what I get at my job. I don’t need to be rich. Money will buy you stuff that you’ll be bored with in about twenty four hours. As soon as that new car smell is gone, you take your luxury wheels for granted. Do you ever get excited about owning a new shirt the third time you put it on? And if I had money I’d constantly have relatives and friends nagging me for loans, or big breaks or whatever they think they can get from me. Who needs that? Not me. That’s why I brag about how cheap I am. Because I’m proud that I’m not playing the game.”

“I wonder if when you are twenty years older you’ll still agree with this sentiment,” I said. “If you can get bored with a new shirt in three days then imagine how bored you’ll be at your factory in twenty years?”

“I’m not saying that I’ll never try to do anything else. I’m just setting the bar really low for myself in life…as a lovable, hapless loafer. Therefore if I ever accomplish anything good in my life it will be savored as truly good and not just something that was expected. Wanting to be successful is so cliché.” Jack was great at sucking all hope for the future out of the room while making you feel better about your present at the same time.

“Well maybe Chris’s mother didn’t care about fame or money but just wanted to create art.”

“It’s already created. It’s sitting right here in this book,” said Jack. “So there goes that theory. Who says writing has to be published to be art?”

A half an hour later Chris’s mother entered the room. She looked around and became animated for the first time since I had met her. She gave us a guided tour of her relics and thumbed through the record albums. She played the song I’m in You by Peter Frampton. “I haven’t heard this song in years! Takes me back. I think I have another stack of albums in my closet. I’ll be right back.”

She was more beautiful now than she was in the old photo. All lit up with a natural glow. “What happened?” I asked Chris. “I thought you said that this stuff would bring back bad memories?”

“I told her I wanted to read her diary, as payment for the job. She couldn’t believe that somebody actually wanted to read it. She never looked so happy. And you’ll never guess this… I hope you guys don’t mind, but Ma no longer wants to sell this stuff.”

“Thank God!” Jack exclaimed. “I was so not in the mood to do this job! Now excuse me but I’m gonna go make a dream come true and chill in my hammock. See you guys later.” He walked outside the door frame, paused and then turned around. “By the way Chris, that was some genius psychotherapy you did on your unwitting patient today.” Chris laughed.

“Jack, next time I see you, you better come with your demo tape in hand. I want to hear your music,” said Dawn.

“If I can find it,” he said trying to fight a grin.

“I got to warn you though. I might end up screaming and chasing you down the street,” Dawn laughed.

“That may prove to be interesting. I can handle one fan.” He smiled at her and left.

“I wasn’t trying to do psychotherapy on my Ma,” said Chris. “I genuinely want to read the diary.”

“Well this is an awesome turn of events. But what about the electricity?” I asked.

“Ma and I talked about that too. We’re just going to have to wait until the next check comes in. Until then we’ll just have to live like it’s the 1700s. We got a gas stove and heat. Ma doesn’t care about the television at all right now anyway.”

Chris spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading his mother’s diary. Dawn and I stayed to play records and play Connect Four. Around ten o’clock that evening the electricity went out.

Chris brought us in a flashlight and went back out. Dawn and I picked up the record albums and put them back in the album covers. We gathered the red and black checkers and put them back in the Connect Four box. We exited the room. Chris and his mother were sitting side by side at the kitchen table by candlelight. Chris was doing his homework and his mother was writing.

A Chip off the Old Block...

My father constantly tells me that I do too much, spread myself too thin, and donate too much. This is so very amusing to me. My father, at 78 years young, has dedicated and given of himself more than anyone I know. Since retiring from SNET many moons ago, he has been so involved with giving back to many causes, projects, church activities and of course to his family.

Just through observation, I have learned so much from him. After what has seemed my lifetime, he has changed churches because he no longer was willing to go along with the teachings. I have learned that it is never too late or I will never be too old to make a change in my life. I will not blindly accept things thrown my way.

My father is an inspiration to me every day of my life. He has taught me the true meaning of dedication and integrity. My parents, for as long as I can remember, have had a rocky relationship. My mom is a recovering alcoholic and her body has paying the price of that abuse. She has been crippled with Osteoporosis, heart disease and numerous other ailments for many years. My sisters and brother told my father 20 plus years ago to move on and find someone he could be happy with. He gave his word to my mom over 45 years ago and will not be out of integrity with his word.

When you give your word to someone it does not carry a “but if” attached to it. I have, over the past 38 years been blessed with the best father in my world. My daughter is just 4 1/2 now and will benefit from my father’s teachings. I am proud when I hear his words come out of my mouth, while interacting with my daughter. I have to sit back and smile and know that he will be with me for ever.

I love you dad and am so proud to be your daughter.

Submitted by Cathy (Corves) Chagnon

MY THREE DADS

By LaReine Foote

I have three Dads. My natural father was named Arthur. He was an electrician, first at International Silver, then in the 40’s, at the New London Sub Base. He laid the cable and wired the lower part of the base.

“Daddy” had a 38-foot cabin cruiser (ex. Captain’s Gig) he bought for $50 at the base. We docked at Stony Creek and had fun each summer. We named it “JoElla” for Joan my sister, Elsie (Mom) and “La” for me. Dad taught “Bunky” my brother to “man the helm” and he taught us girls to handle the anchor. Most of the time we four were the only ones aboard. Mom was happy to be aboard in name only. Dad sold JoElla after 5 years and spent the money on us three kids. He was a cool Dad in my eyes. That “JoElla” helped him to provide us with much fun!

My second Dad was my stepfather “Reggie”. Mom and Daddy Art divorced and Mom married Reg. He was personality-wise different than Arthur, being a laid back, sit and read Dad, but with understanding, always there for us. “Poppy” was as intelligent as “Daddy” (not as much fun) but we loved him also.

Daddy, Poppy and Nana are all gone for now, but all three live on in beautiful memories!

Now I come to the most loving Father of all – my “Spiritual Daddy” – our Heavenly Father God. He is the greatest! He gave me my Savior Jesus and Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

So you can see what a rich person I am – three loving fathers but each with different personalities. I thank my Heavenly Father for Daddy, Poppy and most of all for being the BEST Dad of all – my Spiritual Father.

My Husband Lew

Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; For it is to such as these the Kingdom of God belongs.” From Luke18; verse16; The Holy Bible.

My Husband, Lewis (Lew) lived by the Bible. Highly intelligent, he knew many Bible versus by heart from the time he was a young boy. Lew enlisted in the US Navy at 17 and served in World War II and the Korean conflict. He came back to civilian life much more anxiety-ridden than he was when he left. He required hospitalization and suffered from severe phobias and anxiety much of his life thereafter. He never stopped believing in God and, despite that, he stayed away from any organized religion. But he followed The Bible.

Lew and I married when he was 27 and considered the birth of each of his 6 children – 5 sons and 1 daughter – a blessing each time. But babies come with added responsibility and increase anxiety in any parent. Lew needed support from the V.A. hospital in Newington and in West Haven. After the third child, he was hospitalized at Northhampton, Mass. When he came home, he could not force himself to leave the house. He gave his time and energy to his 3 children during his leave of absence from the Post Office. One morning, Dave, our oldest child and 4 years old at the time, took him by the hand, begging him to walk to Tony’s Market about a quarter mile away. He did. After that, he took daily walks and became a spreader of good news wherever he went.

He then went back to driving, back to working, but living on soup and milkshakes and the Bible. Lew coped. He conversed with many friends and acquaintances about sports, current events, and he always spoke positively about his family. He conquered his fear of elevators, mountain climbs and occasionally sat in a crowd. Something even more wonderful happened to him: he offered help to others and often advised the lonely, the widowed, and especially children.

Lew loved his family and always stood by them. He died 6 years ago this August from Melanoma. This short story covers so little. Perhaps, the next line sums it up.

Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” From Luke 18; verse 17 in the Revised Standard Edition of The Holy Bible.

By Priscilla Reynolds

"I'M THE BABY!"

By Audrey Linke

The new mothers in the maternity ward passed around an innocent looking sewing box. When the nurses were out of the room each mother would locate the hidden make-up in the box and quickly transform their pale lips and cheeks to a healthy-looking pink. It was against hospital rules to wear make-up, but husbands and other family members would soon arrive and each mother wanted to look her best.

Gram had come up from New York to take care of Bob, Jeannette, and Alice and they all came to the hospital with Papa to visit me and Mama. Bob had planned to ask Mama to send me back and get a boy, but when he saw me he changed his mind. "Let's keep her," he said, and from then on he was my willing slave. Bob was ten years old when I arrived, a devoted big brother. Jeannette, at eight, was my second mother, loving and attentive, always. She and Bob fought over who would carry me upstairs and they fought over who would carry me upstairs and they fought over who would carry me downstairs. Alice had mixed emotions-she was five and a half and used to having things pretty much her own way. She pro-claimed that she "wasn't going to be any 'servant' to that darned little baby!" Later, when she was finally allowed to start school she conceded that it was a "good thing that Mama had the baby or she would never let me go to school." It was probably true-Mama didn't like to be left home without a child to keep her company.

Bob, Jeannette, and Alice had been born at home, but Doctor Harvey sent Mama to Griffin Hospital in Derby to await the arrival of her fourth child-me, Audrey Lucille Cable, and arrive I did, on May 20, 1923.Mama spent a whole week in the hospital waiting for me, and although she kept busy rolling bandages and helping in other ways, for her it was like a wonderful vacation, the rest Dr. Harvey knew she needed. On May 29th, Mama's 30th birthday, Dr. Harvey drove us home to the farm behind the Episcopal Church in Oxford Center. He said he wished he was taking home a baby just like me. Who could blame him?

Father's Day

By George Arndt

The woman often credited with starting Father's Day is Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash. In 1909, she sought a special day to honor her father, who became a single parent when his wife died giving birth to their sixth child. I came across that paragraph in my search for my family roots. My great grandmother, Mary had written it in her family Bible. Her father, Levi Hicks (my great great grandfather) came to Pennsylvania, with his wife Sarah. This adventurous couple came from Württemberg, Germany in 1876, and settled in the lumber-rich county of Cameron. He and his wife must have been a rough-hewn team.

I guess when Levi wasn't felling trees; he and Sarah would spend some special times together. Over the years they were blessed with twelve children. Mary was thirteen years old when the sad news of the death of her father came knocking at their door. Mary's three older brothers had left the family, and had gone out into the world seeking gainful employment. Sarah relied heavily on Mary's help to keep the rest of the family together. Mary loved her father deeply, and missed him terribly.

I found this short poem she had written, and had placed it between the pages of her Bible. Daddy, I loved you so;

Why did you have to go?

The fun times we shared together,

I’ll cling to so dearly, forever.

In Germany there is no such thing as Father's Day as celebrated throughout the western world. There are two terms and/or events of an older origin that while similar in name, have entirely different meanings. Manner tag, is always celebrated on Ascension Day (the Thursday forty days after Easter), which is a federal holiday. Regionally, it is also called men’s day, Manner tag, or gentlemen's day, Herrentag. It is tradition to do a males-only hiking tour with one or more smaller wagons, Bollerwagen, pulled by manpower. In the wagons are wine or beer (according to region) and tradition-al regional food, Hausmannskost, which could be Saumagen, Liverwurst, Blutwurst (Blood Sausage), vegetables, eggs, etc.

The Porcupine Story

By Dorothy Gonick

Recently a 2nd grade friend, Jacob, gave me his drawing of a porcupine, for which I have written this story.

The full moon was rising when Jake and Porky awoke hungry for food. Mama porcupine was brushing her quills after a day's sleep. She gazed fondly at her young ones who were growing bigger and had been begging to spend the night with her as she wandered in the forest. They were so excited when mother said, 'Tonight is the night!"

After tumbling from the hollow tree trunk that was their home, Jake and Porky followed closely behind mama. Mama cautioned them, saying "Remember what our home smells like, and you'll find it easily when we come back." As they waddled along, mama led them to patches of clover and skunk cabbage for delicious food. They tried other leaves and then Mama began gnawing on a twig, reminding them that they had sharp teeth and could gnaw small tasty twigs. She said that as they grew older, they would find that tree limbs and bark would make a good meal, especially when winter snows covered most shrubs and plants. There were many strange sounds in the night which scared them and caused their quills to rise, so they looked like walking pincushions. They kept close to Mama who explained that animals seldom bothered porcupines because they feared their spiny quills, and the noises were part of the night world.

On another outing Mama called them to follow her as she chose a nearby pine tree and began climbing. Jake and Porky looked at each other in surprise. 'Oh, come on my porcupettes, you've got sharp claws that will bring you up this tree. Jake began climbing and said, "Wow! This is great, come on Porky-we can do it." And Porky did. Mama was sitting in the crotch of the tree waiting for them to clamber onto it. She told them that this was one of her favorite perches for sleeping during the daytime, away from any danger on the ground. It was safer to search for food during the nighttime, when dogs and big creatures were usually asleep. After resting and nibbling on the spicy pine needles, Mama led the way down the tree and they slowly waddled along the path to their home, where they sleepily curled into prickly balls and slept their tiredness away.

After several excursions with Mama, Jake and Porky felt bold enough to wander outside all by themselves. Mama smiled as she watched them go. Finding tasty food to nibble was easy. Nighttime noises sounded eerier without Mama along. They came to a young tree whose bark showed it had been gnawed. Jake said, "this must be a tree that Mama’s chewed on, let's climb up and have a meal in safety." They climbed that young tree; found a sturdy branch to sit on and began to nibble its bark. From their high perch they looked below and saw an animal emerge from nearby Beaver Pond and stop below them. It was big and looked like Papa, but had no quills. To their surprise, it began gnawing on the base of their tree. Jake and Porky sat as if frozen to their branch quivering with fear. Suddenly the tree began swaying and landed into the water with a big splash! The little porcupines were thrown from their perch and dunked into the pond. Because their quills were hollow and filled with air, Jake and Porky popped to the surface like balloons, and quickly began paddling like crazy to reach the shore and clamber up the muddy bank. Shaking off the water, they hurried home to tell Mama of the frighteningly huge animal that dumped them into the pond and of how they escaped by paddling across to safety. What a tale they had to tell their mother!

LIONS and TIGERS and TEENS

No More Lazy Days of Summer

Picture this: Your teen is sprawled out on the couch with a bag of Doritos in hand and the TV channel set to MTV. What’s wrong with this picture? Do you envision yourself being frustrated by your teen’s laziness all summer long? Relaxation after a stressful and frenzied school year is probably much needed; but, after a few days of rest, your teen should start thinking about taking advantage of his free time and expanding his horizons.

Jobs are scarce these days, and many internship opportunities are filled in late winter. However, it’s not too late for your teen to plan a constructive summer.

Do “Something”

When teenagers use their free time to expand their knowledge base by volunteering, working or taking classes, college admissions officers and future employers take notice.

Carole Jabbawy, Ed.D., founder and director of Internship Connection in Newton, MA, says, “An internship or volunteer experience is the first step to building a resume. Teens gain career exposure which will be very helpful in sorting out a college major.” Teens that plan to seek employment right after high school will also reap benefits from field experience including:

Resume building

Exploration of interests

Making “connections” in a specific industry

Setting oneself apart from the crowd

Last Minute Opportunities

Teens should seek assistance from their school’s guidance office. Small businesses, hospitals, churches, and nursing homes are always looking for extra help and usually welcome teen applicants. For last minute opportunities, it’s best to canvas your neighborhood and ask about positions in person.

Jabbawy says, “While June may be too late for some internships, non-profits are still quite busy in June and July. Late spring is a busy time for fundraising events and extra hands are always welcome.”

Finding a paying job for the summer at this late date might be difficult; however, motivated teens can still find openings. Full-time employees often have summer vacation plans, so part-time positions become available. “Business owners tell me that they don’t have enough time in the day to keep up with social networking,” Jabbawy explains. “They would love a teen to work on a project promoting their business through Facebook, blogging or Twitter.”

Summer classes are great for teens who want to improve their academic resume. Jim Sirianni, Ph.D., assistant dean and director of Summer College at Stanford University, explains, “Very often universities will allow prospective students to enroll in summer courses right up until the first day of class. Students should check with multiple institutions in their area to see when summer classes begin, as some start weeks later than others. Large institutions tend to have a summer session office that oversees summer course offerings while the registrar’s office is a good starting point for inquiries at smaller colleges.”

Many colleges offer competitive scholars programs, academic camps or traditional classes that high school students can take in the summer. It’s imperative that students check to see if there is an age minimum, a required placement test, or documents their high school needs to submit before applying.

Volunteer!

Volunteers are rarely turned away especially in a down economy. Plus, teens can feel good about making a difference. Carole Jabbawy agrees. “It’s wonderfully satisfying to volunteer for an organization that you care about.”

Teens should search for positions that will help guide them toward their long-term goals. For example, aspiring veterinarians should find a position at an animal shelter rather than a restaurant. Jabbawy advises, “An internship or volunteer experience begins the process of creating a professional network and can lead to a paid position in the future.”

Encourage your teen to ask questions and learn as much as they can while volunteering. Be sure your teen understands that showing up on time and being dependable is important even though she is not getting paid.

Places to look for volunteer opportunities:

Hospitals and medical clinics

Homeless shelters

Libraries

Animal shelters

Youth centers/camps

Entrepreneurship

It’s never too late to start your own business! Possible entrepreneurial ventures include lawn mowing, house painting, caring for pets while people are on vacation, fixing neighbors’ computers, or cooking for the elderly. Teens can distribute fliers around their neighborhoods to get the word out.

Still stumped for ideas? Try these websites:

www.dosomething.org

www.volunteermatch.org

TIPS AND TALES

"Animal shelters need loving hands and warm laps." Melbra King

“Most churches run summer programs for kids. Our church has a vacation bible school and we’re always looking for teen members to help, even if it’s last minute.” Beth Ackerman

Want to share your ideas? Coming in September:

Your teen didn’t make varsity – alternatives to keep him playing? Please send your full name, address, and brief comments to: myrnahaskell@gmail.com Or visit: www.myrnahaskell.com

Author Bio: Myrna Beth Haskell is a feature writer and columnist specializing in parenting issues and child and adolescent development. She is the mother of two teenagers.

David Taylor Roger – A True Story

By Priscilla Roger Reynolds

The sweet smell of fresh cut hay and grass hung on the warm breeze. Mixed in with the sweetness was the pungent odor of rotting manure. The soft sounds of lowing cows broke the stillness of the dusk. Purple shades of evening colored the farmhouse in the yard. The smell of flowers on the outside and fresh baked bread on the inside; the cool feel of the dew on his bare feet as he ran home to supper; these thoughts returned to David after a full day.

These were the memories that helped Dave through the busy days as service manager at Cadillac and Oldsmobile, in Waterbury. Always in the back of his mind was the knowledge that there was a simpler, more earthy way of life. He realized how fortunate he was to have spent his teenage years on the Allan farm in Goshen, CT. He also was caught up in the excitement of the developing automobile and chose to leave the farm to become an auto mechanic.

It was supper time at the Roger home, March 20, 1945. All four children were still living at home but the youngest child had not arrived as yet. Marion, Dave’s wife, enforced an exact supper hour and voiced her concern about Sil’s negligence. “It was such a beautiful spring day today. I can understand how Sil could forget the time,” Dave thought aloud. Dave had a talent for voicing the positive. Very seldom did he burden his family with trivial problems. He also was blessed with a wife who was a good listener, so he spent an hour with her discussing all the events of the day—usually over supper.

Sil joined the family as they were ready for dessert. Her mother spoke in her authoritarian voice, “I don’t want this to happen again. We eat at 6 P.M. every night. Where were you?”

Dave was touched by his youngest daughter’s enthusiasm. She usually sat very quietly and had difficulty expressing herself. Her cheeks were rosey, her clothes soiled, “Oh Ma, we rode our bicycles all over Watertown and Oakville. We had a marvelous time.” Dave’s blue eyes sparkled; he wanted his daughter to overcome her shyness so he stopped the family from criticizing her. For some reason his youngest girl was often teased by her siblings and didn’t fight back.

“I think we can overlook your tardiness this one time,” said Dave. “You’ll have to plan your time better in the future. Tell us more about your ride.”

Sil spoke about the warm breezes, the budding forsythia, the horses in the farmyards, the smell of new grass, the excitement of riding up and down the hills. Dave was pleased.

“You were lucky to bike ride on such a beautiful day,” said Dave. “It brings back good memories to me about my stay on the Allan farm. “

“You know, Dad, “ said Lefty, his only son, “You often tell us about your years at the farm, but we want to know about the years before that.” Dave not only accentuated the positive; he denied the negative. He realized it was time to tell his children about his early years.

“I have told you about your grandparents. Their decision to come to the United States was like a fairy tale. My mother worked as a nurse in a hospital in Perth, Scotland, when she met my father. She told me that she even worked for the queen of Edinburg at one time. People in the U.S.A. would say that my Dad robbed the cradle, as he was 20 years older than my mother when he married her in Scotland. He persuaded her to journey by boat to the United States with him as he felt he would have no difficulty finding work as a carpenter. I believe my mother and father were happy for a few years; my brother, sister, and I were born in this country. Dad became ill with some kind of lung disease, and after his death Mom was devastated. She couldn’t work as a nurse in this country so she picked up small amounts of money as a maid or in housecleaning. She applied for Welfare and the social workers in New York told her she would have to give up the children.” Dave thought for a few seconds: “This is all vague to me. Despite the fact that I was the oldest child, I remember very little. She was allowed to keep her baby, Nelson, with her, and I remember some time later, she married a second time, perhaps out of convenience. Anne, my sister, and I were placed in the New York Catholic Home. We were lucky to have some wonderful nuns take care of us.” Dave paused,” However,. My sister accidentally fell off some cement steps and the blow to her head killed her.”

Marion realized how hard it was for Dave to tell about the sadness. Her life seemed so stable in comparison. She attempted to interrupt, but Ginny, their oldest daughter, broke in, “Dad, please tell us as much as you can remember. We want to know.” She ignored her younger sisters’ eyes as they had filled with tears.

Nancy questioned her father, “What happened then? Weren’t you lost without your sister? Did your mother take you home.”

“I went through a period when I had a lot of anxiety. I remember hiding under the bed when there were thunder and lightning storms. One nun spent a lot of time with me and helped me get over the fear. I didn’t see my mother very often, and when I did, I grew upset with her new husband. He drank too much; I stayed at the orphanage. I learned to work at an early age and when I started to earn money on a paper route my new father tried to coax me to give him some. That really made me angry, so I turned away from both my mother and her husband.”

Dave sat quietly, trying to remember how things came together. He had spent many hours when he was twelve and thirteen, being angry. That was when the Allan family had asked the orphanage for farm help. No wonder he recollected those years on the farm with such warm nostalgia. He turned to the five wide-eyed listeners: “The Allan family in Goshen asked the orphanage for a young man who was willing to work. They would give me room and board in return for my labor. Mr. and Mrs. Allan were very kind to me. Their hours of working seemed unending to me, but they gave me time off. They showed their pleasure over having me with them; after a year they started to pay me. The Allans taught me how to love! And from then on I was O.K. I mean by that, I could make decisions without being anxious or angry.”

Dave had no more to say that evening. His monologue had clarified in his own mind many of his questions over the years. And his children were grateful to him and for him.

In the Shade of the Old Oak Tree

Sweat, and lots of it was oozing from my pores. It was hot enough to fry an egg in the palm of my hand. There seems to always be things needing attention and on this day I was replacing a few rotted posts for an elderly neighbor. I had been at it for a couple of hours under the hot sun maybe pushing myself a bit too much. It was definitely time for a break. At the back of the house I found a plastic cup and headed for the water spigot. My cup now full to the rim it was time to find a shady spot to cool off for a spell. I reckon it was a hundred yards or so away that I noticed a solitary oak tree just out on the edge of the corn fields. That, I decided, would be my spot to find comfort. By the time I reached the tree I was feeling just a might woozy and glad to finally plant my butt in amongst some roots at its base. Slowly I eased my head back into the firm bark of the tree and closed my eyes.

Moments later my eyes opened, staring up into the many branches and leaves. A slight glimpse of sunlight glittering through was now welcomed as I was enjoying the magnificence of a tree that had obviously been around for many generations. It was strong but even this fine oak was showing signs of the ages. My eyes slowly drifted back down to earth as I reached for a cool sip of my water. Then I began to twittle. Twittle, a strange word I reckon that means you get just a tad busy doing nothing at all and in this case my I found my fingers rummaging through a pile of leaves. Even my mouth twittles on occasion and this held true as I placed a stick of straw into my teeth and held it there. As my hands continued I noticed a slightly larger pile of leaves and ran my fingers underneath feeling a slightly cooler temperature. My fingers then found what I thought was just a small stick but upon further twittling realized that it was a small oak, only protruding a few inches from the soil. It had been bent over and had been starving for fresh air and sunshine. Gently I pulled the leaves back and restored this little one to its natural position. The soil was dry and it had been quite some time since we had received any much needed rain. I crawled just a few feet away and grasped my cup of water. I knew this little oak could use it as much as I had only moments earlier. The soil actually made faint crackling sounds as the moisture was absorbed. As I poured what I knew would be the gift of life a warm feeling came over me. Then once again I drifted myself back into my own comfort leaning against the strength of the large oak. I would close my eyes for a moment or so.

Then, like a strong jolt of an earthquake I was startled. I had only fallen a mere two inches from a root but darned if it didn't smart a bit on my rear end. I had been jolted by the voice of a stranger. Never had I felt this much from a kind greeting such as "Howdy". He gave a slight chuckle as I tried now to wriggle my way into a sitting position amongst the roots of the tree. Upon finally gaining my composure I gave him a reply of "Howdy, back atcha". This response in these parts is kinda customary just meaning that we both recognize each other's presence in a kindly fashion.

My eyes were still getting focused from my snooze as I looked up at him. He was tall in stature and maybe just a bit on the thin side. The clothes he wore were a bit raggedy to look at but not too bad for someone who might have limited means. Besides, ain't nothing wrong with a hard working gent having a few holes ifn's they are all in appropriate places. I could tell he had some age behind him even through the thick beard of grey that he wore. What I saw next was his shoes which seemed a bit odd. The shoes were in good enough shape but they were mismatched. One shoe was showing its natural light grey coloring while the other was a solid pitch black and riding much higher up his leg. In a much softer voice now than the one that had awakened me he asked politely "Have you got a cool drink for a stranger?" Instinctively I reached for my cup of water but before I could turn completely I remembered that I had drank about half and poured the rest on the little oak tree. My hand continued towards the cup and my eyes finally caught up. To my astonishment this same cup, that I'm sure was empty moments before, was now slightly more than half full. I only paused for a second or two, figuring that the heat of the day had somehow played a trick on me, and handed the gentleman my cup of water. In a few short gulps his thirst was quenched and a response of being much obliged was given. He then asked if he could have a seat at the tree to rest his tired old feet. I let him know quickly that he was more than welcome to join me. As he sat down I looked towards the gate at the front of the yard that I was still planning on tending to. I thought to myself that I would get to it soon enough. It was still time to sit for a short spell. As I eased my way to my comfy root to sit something caught my attention. Dang if I didn't almost sit down on a beautiful green grasshopper. With cupped hands I reached out and gently gathered it into my hands. The words came out of my mouth to the little grasshopper in my own apologies of disturbing him as I placed it on a lower branch of the tree. Such a wonderful little creature and they always make me take the special time to watch and appreciate.

A moment later I turned back towards the stranger and sat down. There was a strange look on his face now as he looked me in the eyes. I had seen that look before and half expected the question that was coming. He glanced towards the little oak and then nodded with a slight rising of his brow in the direction of the grasshopper and the question came. "Are you one of them animal nature nuts?" My normal response to such a thing would be very short but something startling happened before I could begin my reply. The last ten years of my life flashed before me freezing my mouth even from twittling. I was remembering every creature, from the largest to the smallest that had entered into my life. Vivid images came to me of when I had nourished plants and relived my anger of watching some of our breathtaking surroundings destroyed for development. So many little ones have entered my life. The flashback that I was encountering was intense and very difficult to handle. It only lasted for a brief moment but left me drained.

My head once again found the comfort of the proud tree that was supporting me. In a soft voice I gave the gentleman my reply. "Yes Sir, some might would classify me as one of those animal nature nuts that you hear about." Still drained from my flashback I reached for my cup of water to cleanse a dry throat and drank. After only a sip, water embarrassingly came spitting from my mouth. I apologized to the stranger for my behavior but I knew, I just knew that this cup had been emptied moments earlier. Gotta be the heat and that weird flashback thing that just happened was all that I could figure. My eyes once again turned to the stranger and I saw those same questioning eyes. "What makes you into such a person, this animal and nature lover that you have become" he asked. My reply to this would not come easy. It's that same question that I have asked my own self for years. Some answers are so difficult to put into words and this has always been most difficult. I'm not sure why but I felt a comfort sitting with this stranger. He reminded me of my father who passed on only a few years back. It was something in his eyes that made me decide to come up with an answer to his question. I stated to him that it might take a while with my explanation of why my feelings are so strong. I asked if he had time to listen. Seemingly in the voice of a father to a son he said "Son, I have all the time in the world to spend with you". His eyes changed now and the look told me that he was ready to listen and intent on hearing the answer. With a deep exhale I searched for the words.

It was ten years ago that my own story began. Although I had a fondness for some animals by no sense of the word could I have been called an animal or nature lover. Sure, I had pets in my life at times but they were easy to care for. We bonded just as any other people who would own pets would do. I gave to them at my convenience and enjoyed having them. I also grieved with any loss of a pet that I "owned". Any animal other than a pet had little purpose for me to care deeply about. I was busy, wrapped up in my own world. I enjoyed many pleasures in life, most being selfish and materialistic but I was content, or so I fooled myself into believing. I had no idea that there was another side of life or the deep emotions that could come with it. I do feel that I was a giving person but sometimes I wonder if even in those times that it was done at my own convenience. I enjoyed attention such as when showing off a new car or a new boat or anything that would draw special attention. In a way, that's what may have brought me into the wonderful world that I now live in. A new pet, something exotic, something unique would be really exciting and different. A little skunk entered my life.

This is when my eyes looked up at the stranger. The mention of having a skunk as a pet usually catches folks off guard which is continued by a crazed look on their faces. What I had said to him had no effect, only a slight lean forward to listen further so I continued. My first thoughts were how cool it was to have such a different type of animal for a pet. But, nobody told me beforehand just how different it could be. The little skunk was downright cute! His antics were totally different than anything I could have ever imagined. I showed him off every chance I got to everyone, so proud to have something so different. But through all of this I was learning about a different type of care that I must give. The little skunk was not as easy to care for as a dog or a cat. It required special diets. Preparing its meal wasn't as easy as sitting down a bowl of cat food or dog food. I quickly learned too about the attention my little skunk required. This was no animal that liked to be left alone and it would require much time to mold its personality. I too, was realizing that this was a different type of animal that what I had been accustomed to and plenty of patience was required. This would require sacrifices like I had never before given to anyone or anything else in my life. These things I gave and I noticed with each little bit I could sense a closeness forming between us. There was a training happening and not only was the skunk being trained but I was being trained as well. I look back on this now and know how love is formed. Each day I learned more about giving and learned that by doing so another can give back freely in return. We all long for that feeling of loving warmth and acceptance. It's an unconditional love that can more easily be found in animals. Animals live their lives striving for warmth and security and we as humans are the same way.

The truest feelings of love had crept up on me and this was realized a short time later. At this point a tear came to my eyes in remembering my little skunk. There was a time in my life that my tears were hidden but I had grown to be proud of them, never again feeling a need to hold them back. I was reliving the most difficult day of my life. A hand from the stranger found my shoulder which brought me great comfort. Somehow he knew the tremendous amount of sorrow that I felt and live with each day. With his hand still resting upon my shoulder I continued. My life had been changed by, of all things, a little skunk. Through this little one I had learned the value of life and how precious each breath we take can be. Love is a teaching experience that I feel every day. Through many years now, I’ve learned it from other animals, large and small, each being unique in its own special ways. I've nurtured through injury and sickness and I've felt unsurpassable joy in releasing many others back to where God intended. Each of these little ones have left an impression in my life, a warmth that is indescribable.

My head now once again leaned back and found the strength of the great oak tree that held me secure and my eyes closed only for a brief second. I had found in myself the meaning of love. The words that I speak could never describe the emotions in my heart. I opened my eyes and glanced over to the young sapling of the oak tree and thought of the wee little grasshopper. All aspects of nature have given meaning to my life. My eyes then turned towards the stranger, the one who had been so intent on listening. In complete silence he had left me. My eyes searched the yard and even out into the corn fields but he was not to be seen. I had enjoyed my chat with him, although I was the one who seemed to have done most of the talking. He had left me without so much as a simple goodbye. One last swallow of water I thought and I would head back to my task at the gate. I reached down amongst the roots to retrieve the cup and was flabbergasted. Sitting with a balance that only a little one such as this could muster, a chittery little fella rested on the brim of the cup. It was a grey squirrel taking one drink after another.

By now seeing this cup each time filled slightly over halfway with water, I was not surprised. I would think heavily about it later for sure. After a moment or so the little squirrel seemed to have his fill, turned his back to me, and after a few twitches of the tail he scurried up the oak tree. I would remember this little one throughout my entire life for he had a distinct feature about him. His front paw held a marking that brought those tiny little bumps to my skin, something unique that will always have a special place in my memories. One little black paw riding high on a leg. I lost sight of the little fella high up in the leaves but it wasn't due to a lack of trying to keep up with him.

Howdy! I danged near jumped from my skin as I heard the voice behind me. It was my neighbor and although pleased to hear his voice it was getting a bit late in the day and I knew his gate still needed attention. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" rang out in his voice. He hurriedly pulled me by the arm and we headed towards his gate. Just before I could spit out my apologies for being so lax I saw it. To my knees I went staring in disbelief. My neighbor swung the gate open and closed it back and forth, over and over again. A fresh coat of grey paint covered its exterior along with, you guessed it, one lone picket on the end painted black. "How can I ever repay you for such kindness" he asked me. Under normal circumstances my reply would have been nothing, nothing at all, but I gave thought for a quick second or two. I did have one thing that I desired.

On the mantle above my fireplace rests something of a reminder of a day that I'll never forget. To some it may look out of place, just a dirty old cup, but to me it's a symbol of all of the wonderful things in our world to appreciate. There's a love surrounding that cup, one that I can never quite find the right words in describing.

To this day, my cup is always slightly more than half full. It's been I reckon about twenty years since that day under the oak and I still stroll past from time to time especially in those hot days of summer. The mighty oak tree is still lending its shade to those who would venture underneath. A somewhat younger tree rests too, seemingly cradled in its branches, and there's an old tire hanging from a rope beneath it. I kinda reckon we've got some new neighbors with kids. And danged if I don't see an old gate needing just a wee bit of attention.

Unkie Milt

SOME TRICKS CAN BE HORRIFYING TO YOUR RECORD

By Paul Gilfillan, Social Security Manager, Meriden Ct

You’ll probably be passing out treats to costumed hobgoblins and ghosts in your neighborhood this Halloween night. But be cautious that you’re not tricked by a different kind of trickster looking for a handout, such as your personal information.

You should always safeguard your personal information such as date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and your Social Security number. Why? Because it’s that type of information identity thieves are after.

You may think you’re safe simply by not carrying your Social Security card with you and not providing your personal information over the Internet or by e-mail. But scam artists have become tricky. Never reply to an e-mail claiming to be from Social Security and asking for your Social Security number or personal information.

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America. If you think you’ve been the victim of an identity thief, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft. Or you can call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY 1-866-653-4261.

Another trick: Some people who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are victimized by misleading advertisers. Often, these companies offer Social Security services for a fee, even though the same services are available directly from Social Security free of charge. These services include getting a: Corrected Social Security card showing a bride’s married name; Social Security card to replace a lost card; and Social Security number for a child.

If you receive or see what you believe is misleading advertising for Social Security services, send the complete mailing, including the envelope, to: Office of the Inspector General, Fraud Hotline, Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235. If you see misleading advertising online, you can report this information online at www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/guidelin.htm. Also, advise your State’s attorney general or consumer affairs office and the Better Business Bureau.

Learn more about identity theft at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html. Read about misleading advertising at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10005.html.

Enjoy the treats of the season, but be cautious of tricksters trying to steal more than a sack of candy. The results of becoming the victim of identity theft can be horrifying. Protect your identifying information.

Why Use Coupons

With our crummy economy and the prices of food rising at an astonishing rate, the money most of us used to spend on food just doesn't cut it anymore. More of our weekly budget is being spent on food and toiletries as prices for these items rise. Using coupons is one of the easiest ways I've found to greatly reduce my food and toiletry budget, so I don't have to sacrifice or cut out items my family enjoys.

If you've never used them before, it may seem a daunting task to use coupons. Many people think couponing takes lots of time and energy. For busy people with jobs, kids, families, extra curricular activities and friends, this is time and energy they don't have. However, using coupons doesn't really have to take a lot of time or energy. By spending about one hour each week, you can save 50% or more on your food bill and never pay for toiletries again.

Using coupons has a lot of advantages. The most obvious advantage is paying less for your groceries. However, coupons can also be used to get many free items at the drug stores like toothpaste, deodorant, and over the counter medicines. Now that I use coupons, I rarely pay for health and beauty items. Because I'm spending less for my personal needs, I have more money to put toward other expenses or fun things for my family.

Another advantage of using coupons is how much you will be able to donate to your local food bank, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter. Before couponing, I would maybe toss a few non perishable items into a donation box a few times a year. Now that I get so many items for free or almost free, I make regular donations to a food bank twice a month. In 2010, I donated close to $3,000 in merchandise, and I'm hoping to beat that amount this year.

By using coupons I have been able to feed my family of five, keep my seven cats and one large dog in kibble, and provide all the health and beauty items my family needs for only $50 a week. What's more, my family eats well and we never sacrifice quality or quantity. We eat fillet mignon, lobster, and use brand name products. The trick is to know when these things are on sale and to use coupons whenever possible. In fact, I have found I can buy brand name products much cheaper than I can generics when I use coupons.

The most difficult part of using coupons is getting started. However, once you do, I can guarantee you'll never want to go back to not using coupons. The art of deal seeking, couponing, and seeing how little you can spend at the grocery and drug stores becomes a game most people enjoy playing again and again.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM T. BLAKESLEE (Bill)

WALLINGFORD - William T. Blakeslee (Bill), 52, of Wallingford, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011 at Yale New Haven Hospital.

He was born in Meriden, CT, on September 10, 1958, the son of Ronald Blakeslee, Sr., of Wallingford and the late Elaine Nitkowski and was predeceased by his grandmother, Irene Dittberner and his great uncle and aunt, Frank and Alma Hubert of Wallingford, who meant the world to him. He also leaves his stepmother, Rollande Blakeslee, and brother, Ken Blakeslee of Meriden; a brother, Ronald Blakeslee, Jr., of Wallingford; a sister, Linda (Blakeslee) Wilkinson and her husband, Neil; his two nephews, Evan and Garrett Wilkinson of Wallingford; and his dear companion, Fran Borden of East Haven.

Bill loved people and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with people from many backgrounds and cultures. For many years, he was a truck driver, a bartender, and enjoyed playing travel pool. During his teen age years, he spent a great deal of time playing in statewide chess tournaments for the Wallingford Boy’s Club and was a member of the swim team as well. He loved to do card tricks and to do hand stands throughout the neighborhood, he was quite the entertainer. Bill loved the beach, and he loved going to the gym to both train and to socialize. Bill was also an avid Red Sox fan and was able to make it up to Fenway Park recently to see a game. He also loved football and was an avid Green Bay Packer’s fan. Bill was politically active and enjoyed attending political events. Bill was able to share his love of sports with his nephew, Evan, by teaching him how to play chess and by playing baseball and football with him whenever he could. Bill’s enthusiasm, his love of sports, his love of people, and his sense of humor will be truly missed and those memories will be forever cherished.

I'm coming God,,,by a little skunk

My tummy is hurting and I don't know what I did to make it feel this way. As I lay here in my carrier bed I think back over the life that I've had. I can barely remember my Mommy and my baby sister. I was only with them for a few short weeks but their memories have been in my little heart for all this time. I still wonder what ever happened to them. I hope they are ok. One night I was taken away from them and put in a box and I have never seen them again. I miss them so much. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was in a place with other animals but none of them were like me. I remember being so scared when humans came close to me and I hated to be touched. I was in a cage, alone, and I can remember being so hungry and thirsty all of the time. It sure felt like I was there for a long time. Every day, humans came to my cage and looked at me so I hid in the back corner as best I could.

Then one day, a lady human picked up my cage and took me out of that place. Next, I can remember being in a big room and my cage door opening. Two big humans and a little human were staring at me. I knew I wasn't coming out of that cage but when they put some pieces of doggie food close to my nose, I just had to get me some. I didn't mean to bite the human lady but I was so hungry. She yelled at me so I ran an hid under a big long chair. They grabbed at me and kept chasing me until they had me. I was so scared and bit the other big human on his arm. They put me back in my cage and that's where I stayed for a long, long time. The little human seemed nice to me sometimes and he seemed to always keep my doggie food bowl full for me and I always had fresh water to drink. Then, one day I managed to get out of my cage. The little human finally found me under his bed and tried to grab me so I bit him hard. Then I heard lots of yelling and I remember running so fast but eventually I was thrown back into my cage. It hurt to be thrown like that. My back leg has always hurt a little when I have tried to run. Those humans never let me out of that cage again. I kinda got used to it being that way though. I began getting very fat and I couldn't walk so good anymore. It didn't matter though. It's not like I had some place to go.

Then, one day another human picked up my cage and took me out of that place. Once again, I found myself in a big room. Two humans were staring at me again. My door opened but I knew better than to leave the security of my cage. After a few minutes, I smelled food but it wasn't like any food I had ever smelled. The humans were far away from me on the other side of the room so I checked it out just outside of my cage door. The food didn't taste as good as my dog food but it was ok because I was just so hungry. While I was eating, the humans moved closer to me but moved slowly and for some peculiar reason, I wasn't as scared of them as with the other humans. I finished my food and ran back into my cage. I remember that after a while, I came back out and the humans were sitting so far away that I ran under a big shelf thingie. The humans didn't move. I then decided to explore this big room but not to get too close to the humans. Then, all of a sudden, I was grabbed up and in some big arms. I was so scared and it brought back so many bad memories. I knew this human had a good grip on me so I just tried to hide in his arms. I know I must have been shaking but after a few minutes, my body just kinda relaxed. It actually felt good to be held like this. After a little while, I fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, I was being put gently back on the floor. I ran as fast as I could back to my bed but I didn't feel so scared like I was before. My cage door was left open and I can't remember it ever being closed again, ever. Every day after that, things seemed to get better for me. Both humans would sneak up on me and hold me in their arms a whole bunch. I really liked it a lot! Soon, I began thinking of them as my Mommy and My Daddy. I still missed my own mommy but something happened that just made me want to be with these two humans all of the time. They played with me on the floor, gave me food and I even got some yummy treats too. Sometimes, I would even get to go outside in a big yard to dig holes and stomp at everything. I even caught my own crickets! Mommy and Daddy made a ramp for me so I could get up into the big bed with them too. Every night, for a long time now, I have slept in both of their arms. I have tried to let them take turns. I could easily tell that they loved me and I could feel it all of the time. Instead of running from them now, I was always begging to be picked up and held. I really liked it! After a while, I finally lost a whole bunch of my weight and my body began to feel lots better. I was just so happy!!! Every day was just so much fun and I love my Mommy and Daddy!!!

Then, just a short time back, my body started to hurt. The food they were giving me just didn't look so good or smell good either. I didn't want to eat because it made me hurt even worse. My back leg hurts too now and it hurts when I walk. My Mommy and Daddy took me to a nice man to do strange things to me but I still don't feel good. Sometimes when they hold me now, I get wet because of tears falling out of their eyes. I am scared. I can feel my body slipping away from me. I know that one day soon, I won't be here with Mommy and Daddy no more. I just hope they know how much I love them both. They have given me all that I could have ever asked for in this life. I have felt love beyond my wildest dreams. I have been cared for and fed all of the best things for me to eat. My days with them have been filled with happiness. I hope they know this and will stop getting me all wet. I feel in my little heart that I will be going to a place to one day see my real Mommy and my sister again. It's time for me to be brave. I am going to put my tail up one last time as Mommy is holding me in her arms. I'm coming God. Thank you for giving me such a good Mommy and Daddy and making my life so happy. Please open the doors for me.

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Meriden 4th of July Fireworks Pictures 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 17:34:00 +0000

Simply click on the images to enlarge and enjoy.

Photos taken by Joshua (Age 10) and Andy Reynolds.

Holiday Weekend Events and Last Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:49:00 +0000

Time certainly has flown by. I really can’t believe that school is out and the prime time of Summer 2011 has begun. There is so many things to enjoy this Summer and you can count on us to make sure you are aware of them.
You can also count on us to share your events, stories, photos, news and more.
We hope you share some of your favorite things to do too. My family enjoys hiking and the picture you see is of Dawn, Sierra, Joshua and Shaunessy just after completing the White Trail up at Sleeping Giant. That cliff was not so easy to climb down but everyone accomplished the goal with flying colors.

Wallingford and Meriden will both be celebrating the 4th of July with some incredible fireworks and celebrations. The People’s Press feels strongly that these events and more should continue as they bring the communities we live and work in together. We hope you have the opportunity to enjoy both events. The information you need is below.

On to the deadline for our Early July issue which is this Saturday at 10pm. The deadline for our Mid-July issue is July 14th.
    Dawn, Sierra, Joshua, Shaunessy, Michelle, Rupert and I wish you the very best as we celebrate America. As you celebrate please do so with care for you, your family and our communities.
    We live in a great country where freedom thrives. We face challenges now but we have faced them before and have come through stronger then ever. During this time, please make it a priority to support your locally owned business owners as they are the ones who support you.
    The Peoples’ Press is very grateful to have the ability to publish your submissions in print and on the web BUT we certainly would not be able to do so if our Democracy and the Constitution were not in place.
    Thank you again for allowing us to serve your needs. It is our mission and always has been. If you have any questions, or if we can help in any way, please don’t hesitate to call us at 203-235-9333 or email andy@peoplespressnews.com, michelle@peoplespressnews.com and Rupert@peoplespressnews.com.
    Also remember to visit www.peoplespressnews.com not just to read the paper but for updates, comments, community and business downloads and more.All my best to you and yours!
Sincerely, Andy Reynolds

Barbara Hunter Passes....

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 05:32:00 +0000

Obituary for Barbara M. Hunter

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Barbara Mary (Hancock) Hunter, 78, of 6610 Estero Boulevard 723, wife of Vern A. Hunter for over 60 years, entered into eternal life on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at Hartford Hospital, sur-rounded by her loving family.

Born in Meriden on July 18, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Stanley Hancock, Sr. and Julia (Fijol) Hancock. She had resided in Meriden prior to moving to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. and Clinton. She had attended St. Joseph School and was a graduate of Meriden High School. Mrs. Hunter was co-founder and owner of Hunter's Ambulance Service and Hunter Limousine. She was a parishioner of St. Joseph Church.

Besides her husband she is survived by her daughters, Diane Hunter-Kranich and her husband, Jim, Donna Hunter, Dana Hunter-Moyer and her husband, Rick, and Debra Robertson; her sons, Dale Hunter, David Hunt-er and his wife, Janice, Dennis Hunter and daughter-in-law, Jerianne Hunter; 15 grandchildren, Jason, Matt, David Shaun, Sister Clare, Kara, Jacob, Francis, Nathan, DJ, Chelsea, Caitlyn, Jennifer, Marisa, Brianna and Isabel; four great-grandchildren, Evan, Jordan, Lucas and Isaiah. She is also survived by her two best friends since childhood, Anne Hanson and Marie Levasseur; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son, Dan Hunter; her brother, Stanley Hancock, Jr.; her sister, Marie Hancock; and her grandson, Aaron Hunter.

Her calm, caring, and truly sincere honesty glowed from her each and every day. Barbara's main priority was unselfishly giving her love to her husband and family, whom she wholeheartedly cherished and cared for her entire life. Her smile and personality were contagious. She always found and expressed the good in every per-son she met, even total strangers. Words cannot even begin to express how much she will be so greatly missed. She was the foundation and core of her entire family. Her love of flowers was a reflection of her own beauty. We all love you and tremendously miss you. Until we meet again.

Friends may call at the John J. Ferry and Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden on Sunday, June 26 from 3 to 7 p.m. Friends and relatives are invited to attend a Mass of Christian burial to be held on Monday, June 27, at 11 a.m., at St. Joseph Church, corner of West Main Street and Lewis Avenue, Meriden. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to The Dan M. Hunter Fund or The Spirit of Giving Fund, 450 W. Main St., Meriden, CT 06451. www.jferryfh.com

The Early June 2011 Issue of The People's Press in Digital, Searchable and Downloadable

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:56:00 +0000

Open publication

A Wonderful Father's Day Story!

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:56:00 +0000

My Father: a Hardworking Man with a Sense of Humor

By Alyssa Pallotti - Marist College

A lot of people say that I take after my father in a lot of ways. I am well-versed in sarcasm, hardworking, and have his dark hair color, though I am fortunate enough to not have the balding gene. Even though many twenty-somethings like myself cringe at the thought of being likened to their parents, I am proud to know that I take after someone who has earned his place in the professional world completely on his own and has given all he can to his family.

My father grew up in Windsor, CT in a modest home among his three brothers. He didn’t have much, but he paid his own way through a two year business school in hopes of building a better life for himself and future family. He used that bit of education to propel himself into a successful life in sales. He has continued to work diligently his entire life to support my mother, myself, and my two brothers. Though he comes home to find all of us bickering most of the time after a long day at work, he is still able to be optimistic about life. He is sure to use his sarcastic sense of humor to get us through dinner together without too much arguing on a nightly basis, even after the toughest of days. Though our family struggled during some difficult times due to the recent recession, he pushed forward and made sure we had everything we needed. With two kids in college and one just learning to drive, money can be tight, but he has always been prepared and selfless when it comes to making sure we are all well-fed, well-educated, and, most importantly, happy.

I have always felt very lucky to have a father who is supportive, strong, and generous who can also dish some serious sarcasm right back at me. No matter what my family has gone through, he has held his head up and kept his sense of humor. On Father’s Day, he doesn’t expect material items. Instead, he just hopes the family holds off on getting on each other’s nerves for once and just relaxes for the day (and maybe cooks him a delicious, home-cooked meal). Even though that does sound like a rather difficult task, I think we can manage it. He deserves every bit of appreciation we can give.

Meriden CT Connecticut, Wallingford CT Connecticut, Official Meriden CT website, Official Wallingford CT website, Meriden CT News, Wallingford CT News, daily, Meriden and Meriden Wallingford newspaper ct, Meriden Wallingford newspaper, Meriden Wallingford CT daily newspaper news, Meriden Wallingford newspaper news Connecticut, the peoples press local business, local news, Wallingford Meriden Mayor senior center library health department, Meriden Wallingford ct news, Meriden Wallingford news newspaper ct, The People's Press, Meriden CT News, OFFICIAL SITE, Happy, Happy, Happy, Positive News, Wallingford CT news, Wallingford CT newspaper, Meriden CT newspaper, Meriden CT Wallingford CT GARDEN PATCH OF YOUR NEWS! Top News stories photos events, best Connecticut newspaper, record - journal, happy face images, newspaper, Wallingford Meriden CT MAYOR, Wallingford Meriden CT Senior Center, Wallingford Meriden CT Library, Wallingford Meriden CT Health Department, Wallingford Meriden CT peoples press, news advisor, Wallingford Meriden CT photos images pictures, Happy Face Pictures, Andrew Reynolds Owner and Publisher of The People's Press Best News Stories Videos Events Daily Newspaper Meriden Wallingford CT, the peoples press, people press, superintendent of schools Meriden ct Mark Benigni, Wallingford William Bill Dickinson, Meriden Mike Rhode, MidState Medical Center, Lyon and Billard Lumber Company, Meriden Feed and Grain, Quassy Amusement Park, Events Wallingford Meriden CT, Parks History Wallingford Meriden CT, Wallingford Meriden CT Park and Recreation Department, CT events stories photos, CT Entertainment Family Fun, Children Writers Artists Photographers, CT Magazine

Deadline Reminder for our Mid-June 2011 Issue

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:02:00 +0000

A father carries pictures where

his money used to be. ~Author Unknown

Ferris Bueller 25th Anniversary Celebration!

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 13:26:00 +0000

It's "Official Un-Official Ferris Bueller Day!"

Stop by and say hello or ask or comment on our NEW MESSAGE BOARD!

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Official Meriden CT website, Official Wallingford CT website, Meriden CT News, Wallingford CT News, daily, Meriden and Meriden Wallingford newspaper ct, Meriden Wallingford newspaper, Meriden Wallingford newspaper news, Meriden Wallingford newspaper news Connecticut, the peoples press local business, local news, Wallingford Meriden Mayor senior center library health department, Meriden Wallingford ct news, Meriden Wallingford news newspaper ct, The People's Press, Meriden CT News, OFFICIAL SITE, Happy, Happy, Happy, Positive News, Wallingford CT news, Wallingford CT newspaper, Meriden CT newspaper, Meriden CT Wallingford CT GARDEN PATCH OF YOUR NEWS! Top News stories photos events, best Connecticut newspaper, record, daily journal, happy face images, newspaper, Wallingford Meriden CT MAYOR, Wallingford Meriden CT Senior Center, Wallingford Meriden CT Library, Wallingford Meriden CT Health Department, Wallingford Meriden CT peoples press, news advisor, Wallingford Meriden CT photos images pictures, Happy Face Pictures, Andrew Reynolds Owner and Publisher of The People's Press Best News Stories Videos Events Daily Newspaper Meriden Wallingford CT, the peoples press, people press, superintendent of schools Meriden ct Mark Benigni, Wallingford Bill Dickinson, Meriden Mike Rhode, MidState Medical Center, Lyon and Billard Lumber Company, Meriden Feed and Grain, Quassy Amusement Park, Events Wallingford Meriden CT, Parks History Wallingford Meriden CT, Wallingford Meriden CT Park and Recreation Department, CT events stories photos, CT Entertainment Family Fun, Children Writers Artists Photographers, CT Magazine

Your Stories from The People's Press Early June 2011 Issue

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The Early June 2011 issue of The People’s Press in searchable text format.

Your Stories Early June 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to www.peoplespressnews.com

The deadline for our Mid-June 2011 issue of The People’s Press is June 15th. Email your stories, photos, news and events to andy@peoplespressnews.com. Don’t forget Father’s Day Photo Wishes & Stories!

Our Wings

A poem for Bria, missing you always Sister!

By Kayley Vitale

I hear you say You wish

That I was there With you

What you just may not realize though

Is that I wish that too.

Just because you do Not see me

Does not mean That I am gone

For I Am just above you, dear

Your faith must Remain strong.

Every time you cry,

I am up here Crying too

And all the times You want to hug me

I want to just grab you.

You are not in pain alone

Nor have I been freed from mine,

But until we meet again, my dear

You will have to Wait in line.

So when all those Ill emotions

Come to bother you

Just remember That I said

There is only one thing We can do,

We lift our heads, And fight the war

For, giving up Won’t solve things

And tell ourselves That one day, soon

We both will have our wings.

Dear Housewives – 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 advice from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail at andy@peoplespressnews.com or call 203-235-9333 with your confidential question and we will answer it in the next issue.

Sincerely, June and Flora

Dear Housewives,

I have a dilemma. I was out with my friend and our children. They are both five years old

and sit in booster seats. My friend had to leave and asked if I would take her daughter home with

me. I agreed. After she left, I realized that I had only one booster seat. My husband was furious when I told him that I put our guest in the seat and buckled our daughter with the lap belt. Was I in the wrong? He said to write to Dear Housewives to get a straight answer.

Signed, Whom do you boost?

JUNE: I really don't see why your husband was furious. Tell him to calm down. Everyone was seat belted which is the most important thing. I have had guests in my car and although my child usually stays in his booster, I do always offer mine up. Only once did someone take me up on it but her girl was smaller than my boy so it was fine. It really is a decision between the two parents. You should always ask and be prepared to give yours up. Chances are all will be fine, drive carefully.

FLORA: Well mom, I would have boosted the guest as well. I assume you could not contact the other mom to have her return with a booster seat. This is a tricky situation and thankfully you all arrived at your destination safely. Just to think, kids would be piled in a station-wagon, unbuckled and I was in a cardboard box on the floor of my parent’s car...

Flooding Of Lake Champlain

Over 500 homes & camps are lost among other important places in VT. Dairy farmers are selling their herds because they can’t plant corn for the cows & can’t afford the expensive feed. Do you realize what this means? Milk cheese & all dairy will be affected. Many dairy farmers left New England & traveled up North to raise cattle & dairy. Now again they have been hit with a far worse problem. We don’t hear about this here, why? This is as tragic as the Mississippi & yet no news. Go on the Burlington Free Press for pictures.

Sincerely, Carole Golitko

I Am My Own Inspiration

By Alyssa Pallotti

Marist College

As a college student, when someone tells you to write from the heart, there is no denying that the initial reaction is typically shock and confusion. We have become so used to writing in a specific formula and catering to specific professors’ requests over the past two years that we cannot even begin to remember when we were last told to just say how we feel in whatever manner we see fit. It is both liberating and shackling. On one hand, I am ready to spout off every thought I have ever had. On the other, I am panicking and unable to just write freely because I am so tied down by collegiate conventions. As corny as this may be, I may as well give it the old college try. There are so many things and people that I care deeply about, but there are three specific things that I can say matter most.

First off, though many may argue that hobbies are things just to pass the time, when you have devoted approximately sixteen years to one thing, there is no denying its influence. This hobby, for me, is dancing. I have grown up dancing my entire life in studios, competitively, and now in my college dance ensemble as both a performer and choreographer. I don’t need to run to my friends, sulk in my room, or explode all over my Twitter and Facebook when I am upset. Instead, I dance. The second my feet touch that wooden floor and the music comes on, I am struck with a unique calm that allows me to forget about my troubles and simply move to the beat. It brings me joy but is an outlet that diminishes my negative emotions, keeping me balanced. I would not be myself without the freeing feeling dancing brings. It is a part of me.

Establishing myself in the academic world, and hopefully, one day, the professional world also matters to me deeply. I have always been committed to schoolwork and excelling to the best of my ability. This has become a part of my identity. Though academics may not be for everyone, I believe every single person should embrace their talents and abilities and not be afraid to excel in whatever field they please. I devote time to my studies as often as possible and hope to utilize this dedication in my future field of Public Relations and Journalism once I graduate. Never be afraid to look like a nerd. Trust me. It will benefit you in the future.

Trying to find oneself as a twenty year old female is never easy on one’s confidence. However, to me, a high self esteem is one of the most attractive qualities a woman can have, especially at this age. There is no reason to ever feel ugly, overweight, too tall, too short, or pick apart one’s flaws in general. Waking up in the morning, putting on an outfit I love, wearing makeup simply because I feel like it, and smiling honestly is all I need to do to feel special. I don’t need anyone’s approval on my appearance or my personality. If I am doing what I enjoy, that is all that matters. I’m not denying I have flaws. Everyone does, and though I am fully aware of mine, what’s more important is getting up every day, forgetting about what I can’t change about myself, and emphasizing what I love. I wish every female, and every male for that matter, could feel the same. Dancing, commitment to a better future and confidence are three things that will always be of monumental importance to me.

It is interesting to think about who has influenced my beliefs and writing. Many teachers and professors throughout the years have guided me to find my true inner voice, and my parents have always been supportive, but when I dig deep down, a lot of my passions and ideas come from within myself. I do defy many stereotypes of the twenty-something female college student, and I have done it all for myself. I do not party, drink, or smoke. I find myself staying in on weekends because I just do not fit into that lifestyle, and I am perfectly okay with that. My independence started at a young age. My mom told me that on my first day of preschool, while the other kids were crying and clinging to their parents, I walked away without even a goodbye to her and started playing by myself. I have always just had faith in myself and wish to hold onto that philosophy for the rest of my life.

It may sound selfish, but I commit myself to what I love, such as dancing, building up my confidence, and putting my all into my schoolwork, to benefit myself in the future. I do not dance for anyone. I disregard negative remarks from others. I do not study hard because my parents pressure me to. I do it because I want to. Yes, I write according to the conventions that my college requests when in an academic setting, but when I write on my own time, I am doing it because I want to get my thoughts on paper. I could credit person after person for how I have come to be, or mention everyone who has even just helped me along the way. Ultimately, however I have become who I am today and developed my inner self and voice through soaking in what I find to be positive and utilizing those ideas on a day to day basis. People can be inspiring, but truly, what will lead you to your greatest realizations is you.

WATSON’S FRIENDS HELP YOU AND SOCIAL SECURITY

By Paul Gilfillan

Social Security Manager, Meriden CT

In February 2011, Jeopardy broadcast its first competition that pit man against machine. Watson, an artificial intelligence computer system developed by IBM, competed against the show’s two most successful champions: Ken Jennings (longest winning streak) and Brad Rutter (biggest money winner). Watson won, with the help of a four-terabyte memory that included 200 million pages of encyclopedias — including the full text of Wikipedia.

We at Social Security have known for some time that computers can help people. As a result, we developed and now have some of the best online services in the world. Time and time again, Social Security’s online services are at the top of customer satisfaction surveys.

So here’s a Jeopardy answer of our own: “You can conduct these online services at www.socialsecurity.gov.” What is the question?

What is “get an instant, personalized estimate of future benefits with the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator”?

What is “apply for Social Security retirement, spouse’s, Medicare, or disability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline”?

What is “apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp”?

What is “request a replacement Medicare card at www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/links_medicare.htm”?

All of the above are acceptable answers.

Computers are capable of making our lives much easier. In fact, you might say that using our online services makes doing business with Social Security … elementary, dear Watson.

See for yourself at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Freedom Isn’t Free

You Hear It

You Believe It

What Does It Mean?

Newscasts

Grainy videos and photos

Lands so foreign to our everyday

That’s what most of us live

Foxholes & “enemies”

Bullets, IEDs, & and bomb strapped children

This is what they see

Battle Plans

Loneliness among thousands

Missed Loved Ones

The destruction

Fallen ones next to them

This is what they live – For Us

Flag covered

Grieving family

Taps & 21 gun salutes

This is what they leave – For Us

All for you and I

Freedom isn’t free, my friends

It’s awash in confusion and sacrifices

In lost lives and long absences

In secrecy and brave faces

In blood and in heroism

No, freedom isn’t free……

~Kristen Ellis

Noah’s Wife’s Story

by Dorothy Gonick

Let me tell you my story of long ago and far away. Of how it was to live with Noah as he readied the Ark and of our days while living in it.

We were many years old when God spoke to my husband, Noah, of a flood that was coming which would cleanse the world of its evil people. He told Noah to build an ark and fill it with a pair of each animal and He would save our family to begin the world afresh. This was an awesome responsibility. The people in the village thought we were crazy and laughed at us, but didn’t listen to Noah as he tried to tell them of God’s displeasure with them. It was sad that no others joined us.

Noah and our three sons began following the plans God had given him. Our son’s wives and I became busy planning for the long time we would be sheltered in the ark. The three of us made large pottery jugs to store foodstuffs and we wove baskets of reeds for storing the nuts and fruits we gathered, and the seeds from the melons we ate. We dried ripened fruits; especially dates and figs from our palm and fig trees, and gathered cereal grains from the fields. Our sons were gathered lots of hay and stored it in the lower level of the ark as well as in each stall. Leafy branches and grains for the animals were gathered. and stored safely. The middle floor was fashioned with stalls for the animals and a comfortable living space for each family was made on the upper floor. We looked forward to this unusual adventure, wondering how difficult it would be living above all those animals.

Finally, animal sounds replaced the hammering and sawing noises as many kinds of animals began coming into the ark and were led to their stalls. I was surprised at how easily they settled in and became quiet. My fears of living with wild animal left me as God’s presence hovered over all and we felt secure and at peace.

Suddenly, loud thundering startled us and heard heavy pounding on the ark’s roof as water poured from the sky. We rushed inside and secured the doorway from the drenching deluge of water. Darkness enveloped us. The animals thought it was nighttime and with a few murmurings quieted in their stalls; some entered their hibernative state. Heavy rain set in and we sorely missed the daylight as we moved around in the murky grayness for forty long days until the rains finally lessened, allowing more light to enter the ark. It became easier to feed and care for the animals.

We had planned our watches and our routine began easily. I realized that I didn’t know much about animals and had to be careful sometimes. I tried petting some of the small timid ones and found that rabbit’s fur is fine, but not the porcupines! It hurts! The birds would fly near and greet us with their songs. Soon we were imitating them and formed a chorus—have you ever whistled with a bird? It certainly added a cheery note to the ark and gave us a happy feeling.

Always, each day with Noah, we praised and thanked God for our many blessings. Each evening when all was settled for the night, we gathered to listen as Noah told stories of bygone days. These were stories of the generations since Adam and Eve, because we knew it was important for us to remember our ancestry and God’s word. Then we listened to stories of our day with the animals. Once Shem told the story of the camel nipping at his robe and ripping it, so I was glad I’d brought my sewing box on the ark for all the mending needed. Ham told of how the giraffes would sneak extra hay from the storage bins above their pen which was a constant temptation. As an unexpected treat, Japheth would bring the rabbits and other small creatures to the dung heap for them to munch on newly sprouted grass that had taken root there. Each animal endeared itself to us for its special characteristics and we marveled at the wide variety of creatures God created. We were thankful that we’d stored plenty of food for all the animals and for us, for according to the daily marks we made, it took 377 days for the water to subside from the mountains and the land.

We danced and sang for joy as we saw the dove return that Noah had released. It returned with an olive branch, so we knew the land was dry and productive and we could finally leave the ark. What an amazing sight to watch all the animals run, jump and hop as they went down the ramp and felt solid ground beneath their feet. We were awed by the beautiful arc of colors God placed in the sky with His promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood.

We continued living in the ark as we looked for home sites and rejoiced when each couple prepared their home and hearth. Noah and I began to anticipate the pleasure of babies to embrace and the joy of watching God’s new family grow and worship as He desired with peace and love over all.

Each time I see a rainbow, I smile as I remember those months we spent floating in our ark, now grateful to be worshipping God on this fresh-washed Earth.

JONAH ANDREW LOEB OF WALLINGFORD AMONG HAVERFORD COLLEGE'S 2011 Haverford College is pleased to announce the graduation of Jonah Andrew Loeb, son of Lisa and David Loeb of Wallingford, Conn., and a graduate of The Kingswood-Oxford School. One of 299 members of Haverford’s Class of 2011, Loeb received a bachelor’s degree in English during commencement ceremonies in Haverford, Pa., on Sunday, May 15.

The title of Loeb’s Senior Thesis, which is the capstone of the Haverford academic experience, is “The Last Pages Are for You”: Language, Literacy, and Layers of Textuality in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

While studying at Haverford, Loeb was involved in a variety of campus activities. As a senior, Loeb captained the Men’s Club soccer team. He also was a member of the Haverford College Humtones, an A cappella group on campus, and the drummer for the Haverford band the Original Mavericks.

For a recap of Haverford’s 2011 Commencement ceremony go to: http://news.haverford.edu/blogs/haverblog/2011/05/15/commencement-2011-2/

ABOUT Haverford College: http://www.haverford.edu/abouthaverford/

Connecticut Outdoors

Written By: Paul Narducci

I started my show in 1994 and continue to grow each and every year. Through out the many years of filming are biggest complaint is we do not do any saltwater fishing. Although this is going to change for this year we have done a little in the past.

This year we will make every one happy as we plan on doing some filming show casing the wonderful fishing we have in the Long Island Sound. We plan on fishing for stripers and bluefish. This year I was able to add a new sponsor to our show which is Canyon Reels. These reels are fantastic and are made of true strength and quality. I really can’t wait to match them up with a St Croix Rod and let the madness begin. Did somebody say Stripers!

When I first met the owner of Canyon Reels I was impressed right away and new that this was going to be a good fit for our show. We spent time talking about his reels, fishing, life and the importance of fishing and getting kids involved in a sport we both love. If you get a chance log onto www.canyonreels.com and check out their line of reels as well as their newest reel the HS - 18.

Did somebody say Stripers! Another company we added this year is Cabin Creek Bait Co. This company in the tournament scene is probably the biggest little secret among tournament fisherman. They have a lure that we have used for years and have never been able to show until this year. Frank loves these lures and has won us a lot of money using them.

Certain lures we call confidence baits and this is truly one of these for Frank. This is a great little company that has produced one of the biggest secrets in Connecticut. If you promise to tell everyone I will tell you the lure and the color we use.

As you know by watching our show we like to tell you where to go and what to use so why change things now. We use a soft plastic lure that comes in two pieces and is called a salty spider grub. We use there jig heads in a1/8 oz size that match these lures perfectly. Our favorite color is number 59. All though we use several colors our go to is the one mentioned. Franks biggest fish on this color was a smallmouth bass on the CT River weighing over 5lbs.

We also recommend using Megastrike Gel on these as well. If you have a chance checkout their great website at www.cabincreekco.com . You may also want to check out their 4 inch grubs as well as their tubes. Just remember don’t tell anyone I told you the tournament guys will be upset. SSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!! When on the website you can find these under small cabin creek salty spider parts. Another company we added this year is called Waveaway. This product is unbelievable and really makes a difference on my Hummingbird screens. This is a new product to the market and is a small company on its way up. Some depth finders can cost in the thousands and this product makes you screens spot free and brand new. When you invest this type of money you want the very best .

I would highly recommend this product and for the price you can’t go wrong. If you would like more info go to www.waveaway.com for more information.

This month’s fishing report is filled with a lot of action coming from the Ct River. There are incredible stripers being caught on the river and largemouth are spawning as I write this article. In our marina Joe has caught some huge largemouth ranging from 2 to 4 pounds. We have been catching them on spider grubs as well as baby spinner baits. It’s time to get out and enjoy the fishing and be sure to take your family with you and make memories of a lifetime.

As always the team from Connecticut Outdoors wishes everyone the best of luck and good fishing!!!

We Love you Dad.

Life along the Q River… An Update from the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association

Butterfly and Bee Garden Celebrates First Anniversary

By JoAnne Grabinski

What a difference a year makes. The QRWA’s Butterfly & Bee Garden celebrated its first birthday on May 22. This time last year we had a small collection of donated and purchased plants and eagerly planted them, waiting to see what would happen.

And what a year it was. Several Certified Master Gardeners who worked on the project commented that the garden looked like it had been established for three years instead of its very first season. They gave several reasons: we planted in compost, plants were already established and not from seed, and probably the most important factor was we had excellent weather for growing. If you recall, this time last year was quite warm and it stayed that way for most of the summer. Many of us were busy watering the plants day and night to ensure that they got established and stayed well hydrated.

We had tremendous support from the community and throughout the growing season and beyond we kept adding to the garden experience. This year continues that wonderful support with several new additions in place and in the works.

For example, the YMCA Cub Scouts Pack 22 donated three bat houses to the garden area. They houses are in place and we hope to encourage these mammals to set up residence by Hanover Pond to minimize the mosquitoes in the area. Bats have and continue to have their share of difficulties lately with the advent of ‘White Nose Syndrome” http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?Q=459000&A=3847

Justin Pelletier of St. Mary’s Boy Scout Troop 28 of Meriden is making the Butterfly & Bee Garden the recipient of his Eagle Scout project. He is raising funds for not one, but two benches to add to the garden so more people can sit and enjoy the beautiful views. We already have a spot picked out and are anxiously awaiting the delivery to add them to our garden.

Many thanks to the Meriden Intermediate Club and the Meriden Rotary Club for generous financial donations toward an all-purpose shed. With the advent of the building renovations, all the garden equipment needed to be relocated, so a shed was planned for the equipment as well as winter storage of the benches, birdbaths and rain barrels. After talking with other QRWA board members we decided to make the shed larger to include river cleanup supplies and equipment. The result is a 12 foot x12 foot shed to accommodate all our needs. We look to start construction as soon as possible.

The planting of annuals in the garden will take place in early June. After waiting to see the perennials return and many annuals that left seeds to germinate, we now know where the empty spaces are. They will be filled with a variety of annuals that are both host and larva plants for butterflies and bees.

We are honored to include Four O’clock flowers in the Butterfly & Bee Garden as a participant in Michaela’s Garden Project, a fundraiser for the Petit Family Foundation. We purchase the seeds, grow the plants, harvest the seeds and return them back to the foundation for future sales. http://petitfamilyfoundation.org

We will be planting sunflowers as a participant of the Great American Sunflower project. Lemon Queen sunflower seeds will be planted and nurtured in the garden. In July we will actively count the number of bees we see on the sunflowers during a specified timeframe. The information will be sent to the scientists who can track the status of bees and their current conditions relating to their health and pollination of plants. http://www.greatsunflower.org/

And finally we plan to participate in the Great American Butterfly Count around the Fourth of July. http://www.naba.org/butter_counts.html Volunteers will be needed to keep track of the various butterflies they’ve seen in a specific period of time.

Plans are in the works to host a “Midsummer Celebration on Sunday, July 24 from 12 noon to five pm. We have a variety of events planned for the day including presenting Yankee Gas Services with a special plaque, speakers talking about butterflies, bees and insects, garden tours by certified master gardeners and so much more. Please visit the QRWA website, www.qrwa.org for updated details.

It goes without saying that this has been a labor of love form the beginning. The communities have been wonderful in providing many of the needed items for the garden as well as their generous financial support. We hope you will stop by the QRWA Butterfly & Bee Garden to enjoy what you have created.

Upcoming QRWA Events:

Sunday, July 24, from 12 – 5 pm. Join us for a day of celebration and learning.

To learn more about the QRWA and to confirm information, dates and times for upcoming events, please visit our website at: www.qrwa.org.

QRWA provides water activities, events in education, outreach, advocacy, scientific monitoring, conservation, restoration, recreation and public access to the watershed area. The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association (QRWA) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to restore the Quinnipiac for the health and enjoyment of all citizens and communities along its reach and to educate all students, families, individuals, businesses and governments to be informed stewards of the river.

Thank you for your support and remember your donations are tax deductible.

Home Country

By Slim Randles

Delbert McLain dropped in at the Mule Barn truck stop yesterday for a quick cup. He was wearing his usual suit and tie, despite the heat. Usually Delbert does his coffee drinking and socializing out at the country club where the business guys go. We’ve been there, and the chairs don’t fit as well.

For the past 10 years now, Delbert has run the local Chamber of Commerce. We all have to admit he was a good choice. His job is to promote our town and the surrounding area, which he does by prowling through the town – his ample belly flying under a full spinnaker - looking for out-of-state plates on the cars during tourist season, and then convincing the visitors they should 1. live here forever, 2. hire locals to build them a huge house, and 3. to start a business that will hire as many of us as they can stand.

According to Delbert, several things are certain about our little valley here: it is the only place in the world that will grow, our water is so good we don’t need dentists except during our tourist season, the deer in the surrounding hills are easy to hunt and are the size of horses, the fish in Lewis Creek are so big children are afraid to swim there and our average life expectancy is right around 104.

“Boys,” Delbert said with his constant grin, “it’s looking like a good summer. I can’t tell all the details now, but it looks like we may be getting three factories and you know how many houses they’ll have to build out on the flats to hold all the employees.”

“Delbert,” said Doc, “you know they shouldn’t build out on the flats. That thing floods out about every six years.”

Delbert saddened there for just a minute as he stirred his coffee, then the sales gleam relit the surface of his face.

“That’s it!” he yelled. “We can call it ‘seasonal waterfront!’”

Brought to you by Slim’s new book “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Learn more at http://www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html.

LIONS and TIGERS and TEENS

No More Lazy Days of Summer

Picture this: Your teen is sprawled out on the couch with a bag of Doritos in hand and the TV channel set to MTV. What’s wrong with this picture? Do you envision yourself being frustrated by your teen’s laziness all summer long? Relaxation after a stressful and frenzied school year is probably much needed; but, after a few days of rest, your teen should start thinking about taking advantage of his free time and expanding his horizons.

Jobs are scarce these days, and many internship opportunities are filled in late winter. However, it’s not too late for your teen to plan a constructive summer.

Do “Something”

When teenagers use their free time to expand their knowledge base by volunteering, working or taking classes, college admissions officers and future employers take notice.

Carole Jabbawy, Ed.D., founder and director of Internship Connection in Newton, MA, says, “An internship or volunteer experience is the first step to building a resume. Teens gain career exposure which will be very helpful in sorting out a college major.” Teens that plan to seek employment right after high school will also reap benefits from field experience including:

Resume building

Exploration of interests

Making “connections” in a specific industry

Setting oneself apart from the crowd

Last Minute Opportunities

Teens should seek assistance from their school’s guidance office. Small businesses, hospitals, churches, and nursing homes are always looking for extra help and usually welcome teen applicants. For last minute opportunities, it’s best to canvas your neighborhood and ask about positions in person.

Jabbawy says, “While June may be too late for some internships, non-profits are still quite busy in June and July. Late spring is a busy time for fundraising events and extra hands are always welcome.”

Finding a paying job for the summer at this late date might be difficult; however, motivated teens can still find openings. Full-time employees often have summer vacation plans, so part-time positions become available. “Business owners tell me that they don’t have enough time in the day to keep up with social networking,” Jabbawy explains. “They would love a teen to work on a project promoting their business through Facebook, blogging or Twitter.”

Summer classes are great for teens who want to improve their academic resume. Jim Sirianni, Ph.D., assistant dean and director of Summer College at Stanford University, explains, “Very often universities will allow prospective students to enroll in summer courses right up until the first day of class. Students should check with multiple institutions in their area to see when summer classes begin, as some start weeks later than others. Large institutions tend to have a summer session office that oversees summer course offerings while the registrar’s office is a good starting point for inquiries at smaller colleges.”

Many colleges offer competitive scholars programs, academic camps or traditional classes that high school students can take in the summer. It’s imperative that students check to see if there is an age minimum, a required placement test, or documents their high school needs to submit before applying.

Volunteer!

Volunteers are rarely turned away especially in a down economy. Plus, teens can feel good about making a difference. Carole Jabbawy agrees. “It’s wonderfully satisfying to volunteer for an organization that you care about.”

Teens should search for positions that will help guide them toward their long-term goals. For example, aspiring veterinarians should find a position at an animal shelter rather than a restaurant. Jabbawy advises, “An internship or volunteer experience begins the process of creating a professional network and can lead to a paid position in the future.”

Encourage your teen to ask questions and learn as much as they can while volunteering. Be sure your teen understands that showing up on time and being dependable is important even though she is not getting paid.

Places to look for volunteer opportunities:

Hospitals and medical clinics

Homeless shelters

Libraries

Animal shelters

Youth centers/camps

Entrepreneurship

It’s never too late to start your own business! Possible entrepreneurial ventures include lawn mowing, house painting, caring for pets while people are on vacation, fixing neighbors’ computers, or cooking for the elderly. Teens can distribute fliers around their neighborhoods to get the word out.

Still stumped for ideas? Try these websites:

www.dosomething.org

www.volunteermatch.org

TIPS AND TALES

"Animal shelters need loving hands and warm laps." Melbra King

“Most churches run summer programs for kids. Our church has a vacation bible school and we’re always looking for teen members to help, even if it’s last minute.” Beth Ackerman

Want to share your ideas? Coming in September:

Your teen didn’t make varsity – alternatives to keep him playing? Please send your full name, address, and brief comments to: myrnahaskell@gmail.com Or visit: www.myrnahaskell.com

Author Bio: Myrna Beth Haskell is a feature writer and columnist specializing in parenting issues and child and adolescent development. She is the mother of two teenagers.

Dorothy Gonick – A Special Get Well Wish

By Priscilla Reynolds

Dorothy Gonick is a loyal contributor to the PEOPLE' S PRESS. Her stories and illustrations are published in every issue. She lived in Wallingford for many years, taught in grammar school (Highland School) and attended Yalesville United Methodist Church. She used her talents in sewing and writing to support the church. About four years ago after her husband died she moved to Massachusetts to live with her daughter, Diane and family. She continues to support the PEOPLE' S PRESS and the YUMC. Recently she sent several Lenten Booklets entitled THOUGHTFUL REFLECTIONS FROM THE WORLD AROUND US to the church, in which she has written uplifting thoiughts, verses from the Bible and has sketched illustrations on 24 pages.

Dot never sent her monthly article to THE PEOPLE' S PRESS for this last issue; (the editor used one from a past issue). She was hospitalized with pneumonia and spent several days in ICU in Massachusetts General Hospital. Her friends in Hinsdale, MA and in CT are very happy to hear that she's home now recovering. She has given permission for publishing any of her THOUGHTFUL REFLECTIONS. Here are two of them without her lovely illustrations:

SPRING BULBS

Lord, the leaves of spring bulbs break through the cold, hard earth that has held them through the long winter of dormancy.

May we have the courage to break through any hardness of heart, any discouragement, or any cause for discomfort of soul? With your help may we rise to new life and growth to bloom with fragrance and beauty as the spring bulbs do?

He restores my soul. Psalm 32:3

SUNFLOWER

As the sunflower turns its face to follow the sun, may we keep our eyes on Your Son as our source of life.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

THANK YOU, DOROTHY! RECOVER QUICKLY! RISE TO NEW LIFE!

To My Dad - Joseph P. Gabriele

It's been 30 years since we've been together,

-Since I've hugged you and told you how much I love you

-Since I've told you how blessed I am to have you for my DAD

It's been 30 years since we've laughed together,

-Since we've spoken on the telephone

-Since we've watched a baseball game together

It's been 30 years since you've seen your children and grandchildren

-And you have never met your youngest grandson

-And you have never met your nine great-grandchildren

It's been 30 years since we've spent a Father's Day together

-Since you have passed away...and I still love you

-Still feel blessed, still miss the laughter and the wonderful times we spent together

I miss you so much DAD, on this Father's Day and Always...

Linda Gabriele Aguiar

Bathroom Ordeal

I would like to share the story of my very first raccoon rescue. Many times we had taken in babies in assisting our shelter but this was my first call to actually capture one. All I had was a phone number to call. I finally got a hold of the people and was told that the coon was at a county park about an hour away. It was a park ranger that I was speaking with and he was telling of a vicious coon that was in a bathroom. I really had no idea what I was going to do but was determined to help. Ohhh, the thoughts that raced through my mind as I got into my SUV and headed for the park. I had a pair of welder's gloves, a pet carrier, and a towel (marshmallows and dog food too, lol).

Yep, I felt ready,,,but as I drew nearer to the park the realization occurred to me that my simple tools for caging this so called wild animal might not be enough. I finally pulled up to the front gate where I was met by about twenty people. Over half of the park was shut down because of this monster that was being a holy terror and holding the bathrooms hostage. I was led to the bathroom and by now there had to be forty people gathered to watch as this crazy animal person dared to go where no man had gone before,,,yep, the ladies’ room.

By now I was just a tad worried about my next steps. Do women have the same things in their bathrooms as us men I wondered? What had I gotten myself into with the stories I was hearing behind me about this raccoon? No matter what, in seconds I would find out. The park ranger wished me luck (last rights) and I cautiously eased my way through the doorway. The door closed behind me with an echo that I'll never forget.

I could hear the little fella around the corner snarling. I was determined and had decided that if there was bloodshed, then so be it. I was telling myself that I could take a bite and the claws would not deter me from getting this critter to a safer location.

A deep breath and I moved around the corner to finally meet eyes with the animal that had all but closed an entire park down. Then something came over me that was uncontrollable. I burst out laughing and I'm sure that the masses outside of the bathrooms could hear me. I took my gloves off and sat on the floor next to this holy terror. I pulled a small blankie from my carrier and replaced it with my gloves and towel and shut the carrier door. Then,,,,I reached out and picked up the snarling little bundle of fur and held him in my arms. He was just a baby,,,,,,, not even old enough to be eating solid foods yet,,, lol.

After a minute or so he finally settled into my arms and his brave capturer (yeah right) opened the door once again to the outside world. I never showed his body from under the blankie for others to see as I made my way to my vehicle. At the last moment when the forest ranger offered his thanks for me coming out I did give a glimpse of the little fella resting in my arms as I was about to pull away. I think I may have left him with a story to tell, lol.

Yes, this little one made its way back to where God intended,,,and left me with an experience I'll never forget,,,but not before I got lots of snuggies!!!

Unkie Milt

Why I got Jazz in my Life

By Irene Cowern

I was trained in Classical piano for 10 years. That gave me an appreciation for music — all kinds of music. Growing up my friends and I used to love going to dances and dancing the polka music and jitter bug. On bus trips we would sing the old time songs.

After I married, I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans, a laid back city with music coming out of every pore, and I was smitten. We stayed on Bourbon Street and when we stepped out onto the balcony we could hear music coming from the streets, the restaurants and bars, all hours of the day. New Orleans eats, thinks and dreams jazz. We checked out the Preservation Hall Jazz and you could feel the spirit of the music just as they were playing it. Some of the classics gave me the same feeling, but this was different — it was fun, toe tapping music, or you would sway in rhythm to the blues.

Then back in Connecticut about 25 years ago our good friends, Charlie and Darlene Gunn asked us to join them to go to a Traditional Jazz Festival at the Essex Railroad station. This was 3 days of New Orleans style jazz, Our Kind of Music, loved it, and even though we had to walk over planks from one venue to another because of the heavy rains all afternoon, it was great. The spirit of the music was catching and you couldn’t help enjoying it all.

A few years later Charlie had asked my husband if he’d volunteer to help out setting up the stages, dance floors and chairs for the Festival, then taking it all down afterward. By this time The Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival had moved to the Sunrise Resort in Moodus. It’s a lot of work to be on the “Dirt Team”, especially on those hot, humid days in July, setting up even in the rain. Later they had help from Paulette Griffin and her Department of Corrections volunteer groups. But the comradery of the volunteers and experiencing a good time that was had by all who attended — and in those days there were as many as 8,000 attendees — was worth it.

Now we were staying right on the grounds all 3 days, “camping” in Sunrise Resort’s cabins and old style motel. The friendship and good times continued throughout even as we helped take down the chairs and staging at the end of the Festival. I remember when Louis Mazetier, the pianist from the Parish Washboard (a trad jazz band that came to America from France), continued playing all the while the stage was being taken down and the piano moved to the ground, where he continued playing. That was the kind of spirit that infused the audiences too. These musicians absolutely LOVED their music. Then there were the barbecues with Igor Glenn and his Jazz Cowboys from Arizona who had played with the New Christy Minstrels and had us singing along. There were bands from Australia, Germany as well as New Orleans, dance lessons for the 2-step, charleston and swing dance exhibitions, and there were parasol ladies parading New Orleans style through the tents. It was all good, clean fun!

As I became an “official Volunteer” at the Festival I became more intrigued with the creativity of the musicians who play jazz. Classical music is beautiful, but it is usually played just as it was written. These jazz musicians play from the soul, whatever inspires them to play “around” a tune. This is what I was hearing in New Orleans — jazz played from the soul. It always amazes me how they can improvise as they go and how they blend in when they jam with another group. What talent!

Why do I love this jazz? It’s creative, toe-tapping music, a lot of fun and easy to “get into the spirit” of it. Kids love it, there’s dancing, and with a Festival, there’s a variety of bands to listen to — a bargain when you think of paying all outdoors for a 2 hour concert, compared with hearing 8 to 15 bands playing simultaneously in several venues for many more than 2 hours.

Finally, it’s America’s original music — jazz — and it all started in New Orleans, moved up the river to St. Louis and Chicago and spread out all over the nation. We need to keep it alive.

With that in mind, there’s a Jazz and Blues Extravaganza coming up on Saturday, July 30 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Meriden. This year it’s a one day event rather than 3 days because of difficulty in getting sponsors and less than expected income from attendance at the Festival last year. With success this year for the one day event, the all-volunteer committee hopes to bring back a 3-day festival with 15 bands from throughout the USA for 2012 and years to follow. For a slight change this year there will be 4 traditional jazz bands and 4 blues bands. Blues have always been a part of the Trad Jazz repertoire but this year blues bands popular in the Hartford blues clubs will be joining the Festival.

I’m looking forward to parading with The Galvanized Jazz Band with Jane Campedelli, The Heartbeat Jazz Band with Skip Hughes, the Midiri brothers from New Jersey with their vibraphone and their on-stage antics, and the talented musicians of the Festival All Stars with Scott Philbrick starting at 3pm until 9pm in the tent. The Blues bands will start playing in the main ballroom of the hotel from 5pm to 11pm and they include Basically Blues, Bluzberry Pi, Pete Scheips Band, and Eran Troy Danner Band.

The tickets are only $30 before July 25 for 8 hours of music and $35 at the door, $6 for kids 7 to 17 and less than 7 years old are free. There’s a swimming pool in the hotel, plenty of seating and food and drinks available from the hotel. And for those wanting to stay overnight the hotel is offering a special “Jazz Rate”. There’s dancing, parading, free parking, golf carts to transport those needing it, and wheelchair accessibility — but most of all, plenty of good music and fun. For tickets and details call 1-800-HOT-EVENt or 1-800-368-3836. You can also check the website at www.greatctjazz.org as well as Facebook and videos on YouTube.

I hope to see many old friends and meet many Blues enthusiasts from the Connecticut Blues Society. This is the 25th year of The Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival and many of the originators are expected to be there, including David Greenberg, the Founder of this Festival as well as Joel Schiavone of Your Father’s Mustache, celebrating their 50th reunion this year (at Carnegie Hall no less) and Banjo Hall of Fame fame.

The Door

By People’s Press Columnist Sara E. Booker

One day we discovered a door that we never knew existed. My friends Chris, Dawn, Jack and I gathered around, curious about what a twist of the knob would reveal. Jack nudged Chris out of the way and gave the knob a turn.

“You’ve got absolutely no manners. No class,” Chris snapped at Jack, catching the door knob before the door pushed open. “It’s me and my Ma’s house. The least you could do is let me be in charge of the big reveal.”

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Excuse me. It’s a room full of junk in your house. You’re hyping it up like it’s Al Capone’s vault or something. And we all know what happened there.”

“I’m not hyping it. How would you feel if you lived in a house your whole life and just found out that there’s a room that hasn’t been opened since before you were born?”Chris asked. He pushed the door open and we let out a collective gasp. It was his mother’s old bedroom. Inside was furniture that appeared to be from the 1960s and 1970s, dust, and cobwebs. There were hundreds of vinyl albums. Jack and Dawn made a beeline for the record collection.

“Check this out,” said Jack blowing dust off a record album and passing Cream’s Disraeli Gears to Dawn. “This is from back when people bought record albums…just as much for the artwork on the cover as for the music inside.”

“I love it,” said Dawn staring at the colorful imagery. “My father had that album.” She then pulled the record out of its jacket and put on We’re Going Wrong. “This song’s my favorite on this album.”

“Hot track,” said Jack imitating Ginger Baker’s intricate percussion work with air drumsticks.

Chris pulled the door knob and slammed the door shut abruptly. “What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“This makes me sad,” he answered. “This is my Ma’s stuff from when she was still alive. Do you know what I mean Renee?”

I knew exactly what he meant. Chris’s mother was still alive but she hadn’t truly lived in many, many years. “Yeah, I understand,” I said, looking down at the floor.

Apparently the woman who now spent her days sitting on a recliner flipping through the channels with lack luster enthusiasm had once lived in the tangible world. Now the only world she seemed to care about was pixilated. “I can’t believe it!” Chris exclaimed. “Ma once had a life!”

The door to this room had been hidden behind a gigantic book case which contained books that only Chris ever read. Chris’s mother was paying us to clean out this old room. “My Ma’s too depressed to clean it herself,” Chris explained to Dawn, Jack and I. “The room brings back bad memories.”

I fixated on a picture of Chris’s mother which appeared to have been taken when she was either in her teens or twenties. She was stunning, and smiling with as much vitality as a girl from a magazine ad but without the contrivance. Inspired by her youthful vintage zest, I took the picture to the mirror and tried to make my hairstyle look a little more retro, like hers. These friends and I were so close that we could be idiosyncratic and indulge our artistic whims without having to feel self conscious or silly.

“French Vogue, early seventies,” said Dawn, nodding at my impromptu hairstyle.

“I wish”, I said. “Look at Chris’s mom back in the day,” I said holding up the picture.

“Wow!” said Jack. “Chris, your Ma was a heartbreaker.”

“I wish I looked like that,” said Dawn.

“Well now she’s heartbroken,” said Chris, in a broken voice. “So what difference did it make?”

I opened up the door a crack and peered at the present day version of my fashion inspiration in disbelief. This could not be the same person. It was spooky. Sure people age physically, but some remain young at heart, joyful and full of life. Chris’s mother appeared to have aged emotionally more than any other way. She had as much joie de vie as a throw pillow.

At this very moment, like almost every other moment I ever saw her, she was watching the television. The Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right to be exact. If a contestant could win a vacation or a car by bidding correctly on their showcase she could get a vicarious thrill. The old picture of her told us that there was a time when she still dreamed that things could be possible for herself, not just for her fictional television friends or for game show contestants. The expression she wore in the old photo made her appear like she was heading straight into the horizon, not straight into a commercial break.

The newly discovered room also contained games like Connect Four and Operation, a sewing machine, a closet full of decades old clothes like bell bottoms and paisley printed sundresses, clogs and sandals and a big white canopy bed.

“Why did your Mom lock all this stuff up?” I asked. “Why and when did she become so depressed? She looks like she could have had the world on a silver platter back in the day.”

“Renee, you know my Ma never talks about the past. How would I know why she’s depressed? Remember that time when I tried to get her to talk about her good old days? She just said, ‘The good old days weren’t always so good’ and walked away.”

“Well, doesn’t she ever need to vent about the things that bother her?” Dawn asked.

“Apparently she did at one time,” said Jack, picking up a diary from off of a desk.

“Give me that,” said Chris.

“You can’t read her diary,” I insisted.

“Renee…do you think it’s better that I never understand my own mother?” Chris asked. “I’m eighteen years old and I’ve been asking her about why she’s so sad my whole life and she won’t answer me. It’s time I take matters into my own hands.” He grabbed the diary from Jack. He flipped to the beginning of the book. “I want to know what happened in my mother’s life that sucked the life out of her.”

The diary was as thick as a tome. Chris sat at the desk chair and read. Dawn was sitting by the record player listening to a song from the fifties, Little Star by The Elegants, while Jack and I were lying on our stomachs on the floor like kids playing a game of Connect Four.

Jack and I talked in hushed voices so Chris could concentrate on his reading. We talked about how we definitely were not the most efficient workers in the world. We hadn’t lifted a finger since we got in the room. Partly because we were lazy and partly because we didn’t even know where to begin. This job seemed overwhelming. The objective was to find things in this room to sell. To pawn shops and consignment shops. The electricity would be shut off if we failed to sell anything. If that happened there would be no pixilated televised world to distract Chris’s mother from her misery. We couldn’t let her distraction, her only comfort be taken from her, could we? But everything was covered in dust. And how were Dawn, Jack and I supposed to know what from this era was of value? Dawn and I were both eighteen and Jack was nineteen. And of course if we didn’t sell anything we would not get paid for this job.

“We’re going to need your Ma to come in here,” said Jack to Chris as his black Connect Four checker slid down to block my column of red ones. “She’s gonna have to play foreman. We have no idea how to do this job. How are we supposed to know which of these things is worth any money? This stuff is like twice as old as we are.”

“I told you she doesn’t want anything to do with this room. Brings back bad memories,” said Chris.

“Well, I don’t mean to be Mr. Insensitive but there comes a time when people need to stop running from things and face their fears,” Jack said sternly.

“You are insensitive,” said Chris. “She’s my mother. Leave her alone.”

“Well, at least I’m not the one reading her diary without her permission,” said Jack. “You’ve got to talk to her. You’ve got to force her to face this. You’re enabling her self destruction if you don’t. I think you agree with me that a few decades is enough time for one to be living in gloom. If you really care about your Ma you’ll give her some tough love.”

“I agree,” I said. “Maybe your Ma needs an intervention. For her own good. Has she ever even been to see a counselor?”

“Stop it!” Chris yelled. “I’ve been trying to get her to snap out of this since the day I was born. She’s been depressed so long that it’s a way of life. I don’t know how to make her happy. You guys just don’t understand!” He walked across the narrow path of the room, running his hands through his hair, exasperated. He then began pacing back and forth. “And I guess I don’t understand either.” He sat back down by the diary and picked it up again. “She’s not willing to talk. But I’m determined to understand. I’m gonna read this diary, right or wrong.”

This time he flipped to the back of the diary. He told us that the last part of the diary revealed that his mother had tried to publish the very diary Chris was now reading as a memoir . It was rejected many times until she finally just gave up. “It’s my life they’re rejecting”, she wrote. “They’re saying that my life is not worthy of being published. Or maybe it’s just unprintable.”

According to the last few entries of the diary she started to feel guilty, inadequate, uninteresting and ashamed of herself. She took it as a rejection of not only her life but of her soul. And so she had decided to lock up everything from that past life away, because it was not worthy of public consumption, she thought. The furniture, the albums, the books, the curtains. Even the photographs of the “old her”. It was all seen as “the life that wasn’t worth reading about”. She had associated her entire past with the pain of rejection.

“I’m not going to read any further,” said Chris. “Not without her permission.” He put the diary down. “I’m not sure if she could handle that I read about ‘the life that wasn’t worth reading about’”.

“Well then tell us what of this junk we should sell,” said Jack. Jack was never the king of tact.

“It’s not junk,” I said.

“How am I supposed to know?” asked Chris. “I’m not an appraiser or an auctioneer guy or whatever you call it.”

“Well what are we supposed to do…guess? Or just stare at each other’s shoes all day? I’m not about to waste energy carrying junk to the pawn shop only to have it rejected. Go ask your Ma or I quit.”

“I told you she doesn’t want to come in here. Hence, the reason we four clowns are doing the job.”

“This is ridiculous. If you don’t talk to her I will,” said Jack.

“Alright fine,” Chris blurted. “I’ll go talk to her. Man, you guys are a pain. Especially you Jack.”

“We just want to do the job right,” said Jack. “No offense Chris but you don’t exactly make a great foreman. Your workers were totally slacking, sitting here playing Connect Four and you didn’t even notice. If the electricity gets turned off in this house your Ma will have no TV, we’ll have no music to listen to when we hang out, you’ll have to do your homework by candlelight and the four of us won’t be able to play with your Playstation. For who knows how long.”

“Whatever, I wasn’t even trying to be a foreman,” Chris said, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you guys try a little initiative?”

“We just want to help your mother,” Dawn said. “Maybe a visit to the past will do her good. If you don’t face your fears they grow and grow in your imagination. And your Ma probably has a great imagination judging by the contents of this room.” She nodded at the art work in the corner Chris’s mother had done which reminded me of the impressionist painters of the nineteenth century.

“I’m sure her fears have taken on a nightmarish life of their own,” I said. “It’s time for a guided tour of reality, which is not as scary as the one she’s probably created in her mind.”

“Ugg!” Chris exclaimed. “You guys drive me mad! What- do you guys think you are unlicensed psychologists or something? You are three of the nuttiest people I know. Like you guys have any right to talk about my Ma. If I wasn’t so lazy I’d send you guys home and do this project myself!” He threw his hands up in defeat and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

“It’s because we care,” I yelled behind him.

We played a game of Operation while we waited. I was trying to drown out the sound of Chris and his mother’s muffled argument by being a clumsy doctor on my cartoon patient and purposely causing the game to buzz with my graceless surgery.

“Stop losing on purpose,” said Jack. “I can’t derive any self esteem from winning if you are throwing the game.”

“I don’t want to hear Chris and his mother quarrel,” I said. “It’s none of our business. Dawn, crank up the tunes.” Dawn nodded and turned the volume up on Runaway by Del Shannon.

“Only a proud slacker like you would be able to derive self esteem from winning a game of Operation, Jack,” said Dawn. “Wasn’t the game designed for six year olds?” She and I laughed.

“Hey, I keep my standards for success and satisfaction low,” said Jack. “That way I’ll never end up like Chris’s mother.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Sounds like she dreamed too big. She believed in the impossible…that she could get a book published, and then sunk into a depression when her ship didn’t come in. I’m not expecting a ship to come in. I’ll settle for a dingy.”

“You’re the most cynical guy I know,” I said. “So what are you saying, you’re never going to try to chase a dream?”

“I’m not cynical, I’m a realist. Of course I’ll chase a dream. My dream is to chill on a hammock in the sun while drinking a brew.”

“Oh please,” said Dawn.

“Hey, why do you think so many people have midlife crises? Because our culture makes us believe that we’re all gonna grow up to be stars. That’s the exception, not the rule. This ain’t the ‘Land of Opportunity’. It’s the ‘Land of Who You Know’. You gotta have connections or money to make it big. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I don’t hobnob at country clubs. Like John Fogerty sang, I ain’t no fortunate son. But that’s okay. I’ll use my looks, charm and talent to thrill the locals.” Dawn burst out laughing.

“Gosh, Jack I think you are already a star in your own mind,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I for one don’t need to be famous,” Jack continued. “I bet famous people can’t even go to an amusement park without being stalked for autographs. And you can’t wear your shades and go incognito because they’ll fly off your face on the roller coaster when you’re dropping down the hill. And then people will recognize you and charge for you as soon as the ride dumps you off and they’ll be screaming louder than they were screaming on the roller coaster. And then you’ll have a big old head ache. And you’ll have to run away from the crowd. And then your feet will hurt. And I certainly don’t need paparazzi hanging from the trees in my front yard.”

Dawn and I laughed. “You sound like you put a lot of thought into this.” said Dawn.

“Yeah, right after the record company rejected my demo tape,” said Jack.

“Ahh…another wounded artistic ego,” I said. “How many times did you send your demo tape out?”

“Once. And then I came to my senses. A true artist is never appreciated in his own time, so why should I bother trying to be successful- in the traditional sense of the word- anymore? I’ll just keep the faith that future generations will find and enjoy my work. That’s good enough for me. Success to me is sanity. I’m not taking chances with mine by setting myself up for anymore failure. If just one person listens to my music and enjoys it then it was all worthwhile.”

“Well, what about money? You don’t want money? You want to work in that factory for the rest of your life? Don’t you hate your boss?”

“Who doesn’t hate their boss? I don’t need any more money than what I get at my job. I don’t need to be rich. Money will buy you stuff that you’ll be bored with in about twenty four hours. As soon as that new car smell is gone, you take your luxury wheels for granted. Do you ever get excited about owning a new shirt the third time you put it on? And if I had money I’d constantly have relatives and friends nagging me for loans, or big breaks or whatever they think they can get from me. Who needs that? Not me. That’s why I brag about how cheap I am. Because I’m proud that I’m not playing the game.”

“I wonder if when you are twenty years older you’ll still agree with this sentiment,” I said. “If you can get bored with a new shirt in three days then imagine how bored you’ll be at your factory in twenty years?”

“I’m not saying that I’ll never try to do anything else. I’m just setting the bar really low for myself in life…as a lovable, hapless loafer. Therefore if I ever accomplish anything good in my life it will be savored as truly good and not just something that was expected. Wanting to be successful is so cliché.” Jack was great at sucking all hope for the future out of the room while making you feel better about your present at the same time.

“Well maybe Chris’s mother didn’t care about fame or money but just wanted to create art.”

“It’s already created. It’s sitting right here in this book,” said Jack. “So there goes that theory. Who says writing has to be published to be art?”

A half an hour later Chris’s mother entered the room. She looked around and became animated for the first time since I had met her. She gave us a guided tour of her relics and thumbed through the record albums. She played the song I’m in You by Peter Frampton. “I haven’t heard this song in years! Takes me back. I think I have another stack of albums in my closet. I’ll be right back.”

She was more beautiful now than she was in the old photo. All lit up with a natural glow. “What happened?” I asked Chris. “I thought you said that this stuff would bring back bad memories?”

“I told her I wanted to read her diary, as payment for the job. She couldn’t believe that somebody actually wanted to read it. She never looked so happy. And you’ll never guess this… I hope you guys don’t mind, but Ma no longer wants to sell this stuff.”

“Thank God!” Jack exclaimed. “I was so not in the mood to do this job! Now excuse me but I’m gonna go make a dream come true and chill in my hammock. See you guys later.” He walked outside the door frame, paused and then turned around. “By the way Chris, that was some genius psychotherapy you did on your unwitting patient today.” Chris laughed.

“Jack, next time I see you, you better come with your demo tape in hand. I want to hear your music,” said Dawn.

“If I can find it,” he said trying to fight a grin.

“I got to warn you though. I might end up screaming and chasing you down the street,” Dawn laughed.

“That may prove to be interesting. I can handle one fan.” He smiled at her and left.

“I wasn’t trying to do psychotherapy on my Ma,” said Chris. “I genuinely want to read the diary.”

“Well this is an awesome turn of events. But what about the electricity?” I asked.

“Ma and I talked about that too. We’re just going to have to wait until the next check comes in. Until then we’ll just have to live like it’s the 1700s. We got a gas stove and heat. Ma doesn’t care about the television at all right now anyway.”

Chris spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading his mother’s diary. Dawn and I stayed to play records and play Connect Four. Around ten o’clock that evening the electricity went out.

Chris brought us in a flashlight and went back out. Dawn and I picked up the record albums and put them back in the album covers. We gathered the red and black checkers and put them back in the Connect Four box. We exited the room. Chris and his mother were sitting side by side at the kitchen table by candlelight. Chris was doing his homework and his mother was writing.

In the Shade of the Old Oak Tree

Sweat, and lots of it was oozing from my pores. It was hot enough to fry an egg in the palm of my hand. There seems to always be things needing attention and on this day I was replacing a few rotted posts for an elderly neighbor. I had been at it for a couple of hours under the hot sun maybe pushing myself a bit too much. It was definitely time for a break. At the back of the house I found a plastic cup and headed for the water spigot. My cup now full to the rim it was time to find a shady spot to cool off for a spell. I reckon it was a hundred yards or so away that I noticed a solitary oak tree just out on the edge of the corn fields. That, I decided, would be my spot to find comfort. By the time I reached the tree I was feeling just a might woozy and glad to finally plant my butt in amongst some roots at its base. Slowly I eased my head back into the firm bark of the tree and closed my eyes.

Moments later my eyes opened, staring up into the many branches and leaves. A slight glimpse of sunlight glittering through was now welcomed as I was enjoying the magnificence of a tree that had obviously been around for many generations. It was strong but even this fine oak was showing signs of the ages. My eyes slowly drifted back down to earth as I reached for a cool sip of my water. Then I began to twittle. Twittle, a strange word I reckon that means you get just a tad busy doing nothing at all and in this case my I found my fingers rummaging through a pile of leaves. Even my mouth twittles on occasion and this held true as I placed a stick of straw into my teeth and held it there. As my hands continued I noticed a slightly larger pile of leaves and ran my fingers underneath feeling a slightly cooler temperature. My fingers then found what I thought was just a small stick but upon further twittling realized that it was a small oak, only protruding a few inches from the soil. It had been bent over and had been starving for fresh air and sunshine. Gently I pulled the leaves back and restored this little one to its natural position. The soil was dry and it had been quite some time since we had received any much needed rain. I crawled just a few feet away and grasped my cup of water. I knew this little oak could use it as much as I had only moments earlier. The soil actually made faint crackling sounds as the moisture was absorbed. As I poured what I knew would be the gift of life a warm feeling came over me. Then once again I drifted myself back into my own comfort leaning against the strength of the large oak. I would close my eyes for a moment or so.

Then, like a strong jolt of an earthquake I was startled. I had only fallen a mere two inches from a root but darned if it didn't smart a bit on my rear end. I had been jolted by the voice of a stranger. Never had I felt this much from a kind greeting such as "Howdy". He gave a slight chuckle as I tried now to wriggle my way into a sitting position amongst the roots of the tree. Upon finally gaining my composure I gave him a reply of "Howdy, back atcha". This response in these parts is kinda customary just meaning that we both recognize each other's presence in a kindly fashion.

My eyes were still getting focused from my snooze as I looked up at him. He was tall in stature and maybe just a bit on the thin side. The clothes he wore were a bit raggedy to look at but not too bad for someone who might have limited means. Besides, ain't nothing wrong with a hard working gent having a few holes ifn's they are all in appropriate places. I could tell he had some age behind him even through the thick beard of grey that he wore. What I saw next was his shoes which seemed a bit odd. The shoes were in good enough shape but they were mismatched. One shoe was showing its natural light grey coloring while the other was a solid pitch black and riding much higher up his leg. In a much softer voice now than the one that had awakened me he asked politely "Have you got a cool drink for a stranger?" Instinctively I reached for my cup of water but before I could turn completely I remembered that I had drank about half and poured the rest on the little oak tree. My hand continued towards the cup and my eyes finally caught up. To my astonishment this same cup, that I'm sure was empty moments before, was now slightly more than half full. I only paused for a second or two, figuring that the heat of the day had somehow played a trick on me, and handed the gentleman my cup of water. In a few short gulps his thirst was quenched and a response of being much obliged was given. He then asked if he could have a seat at the tree to rest his tired old feet. I let him know quickly that he was more than welcome to join me. As he sat down I looked towards the gate at the front of the yard that I was still planning on tending to. I thought to myself that I would get to it soon enough. It was still time to sit for a short spell. As I eased my way to my comfy root to sit something caught my attention. Dang if I didn't almost sit down on a beautiful green grasshopper. With cupped hands I reached out and gently gathered it into my hands. The words came out of my mouth to the little grasshopper in my own apologies of disturbing him as I placed it on a lower branch of the tree. Such a wonderful little creature and they always make me take the special time to watch and appreciate.

A moment later I turned back towards the stranger and sat down. There was a strange look on his face now as he looked me in the eyes. I had seen that look before and half expected the question that was coming. He glanced towards the little oak and then nodded with a slight rising of his brow in the direction of the grasshopper and the question came. "Are you one of them animal nature nuts?" My normal response to such a thing would be very short but something startling happened before I could begin my reply. The last ten years of my life flashed before me freezing my mouth even from twittling. I was remembering every creature, from the largest to the smallest that had entered into my life. Vivid images came to me of when I had nourished plants and relived my anger of watching some of our breathtaking surroundings destroyed for development. So many little ones have entered my life. The flashback that I was encountering was intense and very difficult to handle. It only lasted for a brief moment but left me drained.

My head once again found the comfort of the proud tree that was supporting me. In a soft voice I gave the gentleman my reply. "Yes Sir, some might would classify me as one of those animal nature nuts that you hear about." Still drained from my flashback I reached for my cup of water to cleanse a dry throat and drank. After only a sip, water embarrassingly came spitting from my mouth. I apologized to the stranger for my behavior but I knew, I just knew that this cup had been emptied moments earlier. Gotta be the heat and that weird flashback thing that just happened was all that I could figure. My eyes once again turned to the stranger and I saw those same questioning eyes. "What makes you into such a person, this animal and nature lover that you have become" he asked. My reply to this would not come easy. It's that same question that I have asked my own self for years. Some answers are so difficult to put into words and this has always been most difficult. I'm not sure why but I felt a comfort sitting with this stranger. He reminded me of my father who passed on only a few years back. It was something in his eyes that made me decide to come up with an answer to his question. I stated to him that it might take a while with my explanation of why my feelings are so strong. I asked if he had time to listen. Seemingly in the voice of a father to a son he said "Son, I have all the time in the world to spend with you". His eyes changed now and the look told me that he was ready to listen and intent on hearing the answer. With a deep exhale I searched for the words.

It was ten years ago that my own story began. Although I had a fondness for some animals by no sense of the word could I have been called an animal or nature lover. Sure, I had pets in my life at times but they were easy to care for. We bonded just as any other people who would own pets would do. I gave to them at my convenience and enjoyed having them. I also grieved with any loss of a pet that I "owned". Any animal other than a pet had little purpose for me to care deeply about. I was busy, wrapped up in my own world. I enjoyed many pleasures in life, most being selfish and materialistic but I was content, or so I fooled myself into believing. I had no idea that there was another side of life or the deep emotions that could come with it. I do feel that I was a giving person but sometimes I wonder if even in those times that it was done at my own convenience. I enjoyed attention such as when showing off a new car or a new boat or anything that would draw special attention. In a way, that's what may have brought me into the wonderful world that I now live in. A new pet, something exotic, something unique would be really exciting and different. A little skunk entered my life.

This is when my eyes looked up at the stranger. The mention of having a skunk as a pet usually catches folks off guard which is continued by a crazed look on their faces. What I had said to him had no effect, only a slight lean forward to listen further so I continued. My first thoughts were how cool it was to have such a different type of animal for a pet. But, nobody told me beforehand just how different it could be. The little skunk was downright cute! His antics were totally different than anything I could have ever imagined. I showed him off every chance I got to everyone, so proud to have something so different. But through all of this I was learning about a different type of care that I must give. The little skunk was not as easy to care for as a dog or a cat. It required special diets. Preparing its meal wasn't as easy as sitting down a bowl of cat food or dog food. I quickly learned too about the attention my little skunk required. This was no animal that liked to be left alone and it would require much time to mold its personality. I too, was realizing that this was a different type of animal that what I had been accustomed to and plenty of patience was required. This would require sacrifices like I had never before given to anyone or anything else in my life. These things I gave and I noticed with each little bit I could sense a closeness forming between us. There was a training happening and not only was the skunk being trained but I was being trained as well. I look back on this now and know how love is formed. Each day I learned more about giving and learned that by doing so another can give back freely in return. We all long for that feeling of loving warmth and acceptance. It's an unconditional love that can more easily be found in animals. Animals live their lives striving for warmth and security and we as humans are the same way.

The truest feelings of love had crept up on me and this was realized a short time later. At this point a tear came to my eyes in remembering my little skunk. There was a time in my life that my tears were hidden but I had grown to be proud of them, never again feeling a need to hold them back. I was reliving the most difficult day of my life. A hand from the stranger found my shoulder which brought me great comfort. Somehow he knew the tremendous amount of sorrow that I felt and live with each day. With his hand still resting upon my shoulder I continued. My life had been changed by, of all things, a little skunk. Through this little one I had learned the value of life and how precious each breath we take can be. Love is a teaching experience that I feel every day. Through many years now, I’ve learned it from other animals, large and small, each being unique in its own special ways. I've nurtured through injury and sickness and I've felt unsurpassable joy in releasing many others back to where God intended. Each of these little ones have left an impression in my life, a warmth that is indescribable.

My head now once again leaned back and found the strength of the great oak tree that held me secure and my eyes closed only for a brief second. I had found in myself the meaning of love. The words that I speak could never describe the emotions in my heart. I opened my eyes and glanced over to the young sapling of the oak tree and thought of the wee little grasshopper. All aspects of nature have given meaning to my life. My eyes then turned towards the stranger, the one who had been so intent on listening. In complete silence he had left me. My eyes searched the yard and even out into the corn fields but he was not to be seen. I had enjoyed my chat with him, although I was the one who seemed to have done most of the talking. He had left me without so much as a simple goodbye. One last swallow of water I thought and I would head back to my task at the gate. I reached down amongst the roots to retrieve the cup and was flabbergasted. Sitting with a balance that only a little one such as this could muster, a chittery little fella rested on the brim of the cup. It was a grey squirrel taking one drink after another.

By now seeing this cup each time filled slightly over halfway with water, I was not surprised. I would think heavily about it later for sure. After a moment or so the little squirrel seemed to have his fill, turned his back to me, and after a few twitches of the tail he scurried up the oak tree. I would remember this little one throughout my entire life for he had a distinct feature about him. His front paw held a marking that brought those tiny little bumps to my skin, something unique that will always have a special place in my memories. One little black paw riding high on a leg. I lost sight of the little fella high up in the leaves but it wasn't due to a lack of trying to keep up with him.

Howdy! I danged near jumped from my skin as I heard the voice behind me. It was my neighbor and although pleased to hear his voice it was getting a bit late in the day and I knew his gate still needed attention. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" rang out in his voice. He hurriedly pulled me by the arm and we headed towards his gate. Just before I could spit out my apologies for being so lax I saw it. To my knees I went staring in disbelief. My neighbor swung the gate open and closed it back and forth, over and over again. A fresh coat of grey paint covered its exterior along with, you guessed it, one lone picket on the end painted black. "How can I ever repay you for such kindness" he asked me. Under normal circumstances my reply would have been nothing, nothing at all, but I gave thought for a quick second or two. I did have one thing that I desired.

On the mantle above my fireplace rests something of a reminder of a day that I'll never forget. To some it may look out of place, just a dirty old cup, but to me it's a symbol of all of the wonderful things in our world to appreciate. There's a love surrounding that cup, one that I can never quite find the right words in describing.

To this day, my cup is always slightly more than half full. It's been I reckon about twenty years since that day under the oak and I still stroll past from time to time especially in those hot days of summer. The mighty oak tree is still lending its shade to those who would venture underneath. A somewhat younger tree rests too, seemingly cradled in its branches, and there's an old tire hanging from a rope beneath it. I kinda reckon we've got some new neighbors with kids. And danged if I don't see an old gate needing just a wee bit of attention.

Unkie Milt

2011 is the Year of the Turtle

Life along the Q River… An Update from the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association

By JoAnne Grabinski

Turtles are in trouble. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes that 47% of all living turtle species as threatened. That’s why the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is working in conjunction with Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) who has proclaimed 2011 as the “Year of the Turtle”.

Humans cause the largest harm to turtle populations, but we have the power to make positive changes toward turtle survival. The largest threats to turtle populations include: habitat loss and degradation; overharvest of wild turtles for food, traditional medicines, and pets; mortality from roads, agricultural machinery, fishing bycatch, and predators; exotic invasive species and diseases; loss of unique genetic make-up due to hybridization; and climate change.

Currently, 328 species of turtles are known worldwide -- 57 (20% of the world's turtle species) are found in the United States and Canada. The United States has more native turtle species than any other country; and it is a turtle biodiversity hotspot. Connecticut is host to twelve turtle species including 4 sea turtles. Seven of these turtles are currently on the state's List of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species.

Careful stewardship and conservation action can successfully slow or reduce the declining trend of turtles. Because turtles can respond well to population management and conservation, it is not too late to preserve our turtle heritage. Three basic approaches for species conservation include: 1) protecting rare species and their habitats; 2) managing common turtle species and their habitats so that they remain common; and 3) managing crisis situations, such as species in peril from acute hazards, such as oil spills.

Turtles (which include tortoises) occur in fresh water, salt water, and on land. Their shells make them some of the most distinctive animals on Earth. Turtles are typically slow creatures. This isn’t limited to their speed; they also grow slowly. It may take 10-15 years before individuals of some species can reproduce. A thriving turtle population relies on turtles surviving many years, if not decades. But if a population loses adults and begins to decline, a slow recovery can be expected. Because of these “slow” characteristics, the primary threats to turtles are intensified.

The QRWA has an ongoing Turtle Crossing Project spearheaded by board member Deb Mason. She and her volunteers actively assist turtles in crossing the road during their mating season of May and June, which can be a time of high mortality for these one-of-a-kind creatures. Deb also works with local authorities and experts in the rehabilitation of turtles and releases them in their native habitats. If you want to help Deb in the 19 towns of the watershed with Eastern Box and Wood turtles, please contact her at 203-494-7610 or 203-237-2237 or turtlecrossingproject@yahoo.com. Deb is actively investigating how the QRWA can partner with local agencies to aid in the efforts of these turtles.

To learn more about turtles during the “Year of the Turtle” is to subscribe to the DEP’s Connecticut Wildlife magazine (www.ct.gov/dep/wildlifemagazine). You also can visit PARC’s web site at www.yearoftheturtle.org, as well as the Year of the Turtle page on the DEP’s web site (www.ct.gov/dep/yearofturtle). And don’t forget to check out your most local resource, www.qrwa.org.

QRWA provides water activities, events in education, outreach, advocacy, scientific monitoring, conservation, restoration, recreation and public access to the watershed area. To learn more about the QRWA and to confirm information, dates and times for upcoming events, please visit our website at: www.qrwa.org.

The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association (QRWA) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to restore the Quinnipiac for the health and enjoyment of all citizens and communities along its reach and to educate all students, families, individuals, businesses and governments to be informed stewards of the river. Thank you for your support and remember your donations are tax deductable.

Meriden and Wallingford CT Local News & Events Early June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Local News and Events Early June 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF and interact visit http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

The deadline for our Mid-June 2011 issue of The People’s Press is June 15th. Email your stories, photos, news and events to andy@peoplespressnews.com . Don’t forget Father’s Day Photo Wishes & Stories!

MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL

The public is invited to attend a MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL on June 26, 2011 from 12 - 6 P.M. at VASA PARK 358 Main Street, South Meriden. A Swedish meatball dinner will be served. For more information please contact gsteinmiller@cox.net

22nd Annual Meriden Black Expo Celebration

Pageantry, arts, crafts, choir competitions, academic scholarships, ethnic foods, carnival amusements and business vendors represent a sampling of activities that will be available at the 22nd Annual Meriden Black Expo Celebration, slated June 24-25.

Facilitated by New Opportunities Inc., the Waterbury-based, parent-organization of New Opportunities of Greater Meriden, the Expo begins June 24th with the 9th Annual Meriden Black Expo Teen Ambassador Banquet, at Il Monticello Restaurant, 577 South Broad Street at 6 p.m.

New Opportunities Community Services Director, Larry Elliott, said the banquet “is a scholarship-based event that will feature some of Meriden’s best, 13 to 18 year old students.”

“Young men and women compete in categories ranging from essay-writing to personal talent,” he said. “Winners receive scholarships, awards and a busy schedule of civic duties for the coming year.”

New Opportunities’ Assistant Neighborhood Services Director, Ola Brown said the Expo will be held June 25th at City Park from Noon to 8 p.m.

“We’re encouraging anyone with a talent to sign up and participate, she said. “We’ll have everything from church choirs, live bands and vocal contests, all the way to health information booths, historic presentations and a nice menu of foods.”

Elliott said a number of new activities have also been planned that include “a small, Expo parade-walk and free shuttle service from the Hub and Westfield Mall. ‘

“People can receive Expo information, or purchase Teen Ambassador tickets by calling 203-235-0278, extension 25,” he said. “The Expo affords Meriden a fine opportunity to celebrate itself and commemorate part of its’ rich cultural heritage.”

The Meriden Turner Society 145th Anniversary Celebration
The Meriden Turner Society will celebrate its 145th Anniversary on Saturday, June 11th, at the Turner Hall, 800 Old Colony Road, Route 71 in Meriden. Homemade Hors d’oeuvres will be available beginning at 6 pm, followed by a prime rib of beef dinner served at 7 pm.
Music will be provided by the Turner Liedertafel Chorus singing several choral selections and the dancing and listening music of the Alpenblumen Musikanten until 12 midnight. Reservations are required by contacting Leo @ 203 –440-0028 or by calling The Clubhouse on Thursday evenings @ 203=440-9624. The public is welcome to join in the celebration.

The Fourteenth Annual Town of Wallingford Golf Championship
This year's Town of Wallingford Golf Championship will be held on Tues., July 5 at the Wallingford Country Club. The charity tournament, benefiting the David J. Doherty Scholarship Fund and the Wallingford Family YMCA, includes golf, lunch and dinner. The Wallingford Country Club has the reputation as one of the best courses in the state with quality service and consistently delicious food. The tournament includes remarkable attractions including a hole in one car, a tastefully chosen commemorative gift, and golf and raffle prizes amounting to over $6,000. The tournament offers two different tournaments, either the individual medal play event, or a four person team Scramble event. Residents and non-residents are eligible for prizes, but the winners of the three championship trophies, presented by Wallingford Mayor, William W. Dickinson, Jr., must be Wallingford residents. Brochures are available at the Wallingford Parks and Recreation Dept., The Wallingford Country Club, Tee It Up, and Ives Road Wines and Spirits. For more information call Elaine and John Doherty at 203/265-7349.

40th North Branford High School Class of 1971 Reunion

North Branford High School Class of 1971 will hold its 40th Reunion, on July 23, 2011, at the Country House, East Haven.

Buffet dinner and an open bar for 4 hours will be included in ticket price.

Advanced purchase for tickets only, $60.00 per person.

Contact Mike Caprio (203) 481-9841, or Email NBHSclassOf1971@gmail.com for more information. We are listed on FaceBook -- “North Branford High School Class of 1971”

Youth Rugby Program
This wonderful program is offered to boys & girls entering grades 1-8. Learn how to play this fun, fast-moving sport. Flag rugby is a non-contact sport (similar to flag football, with no tackling) that provides kids with a safe, fun, opportunity to learn the newest Olympic sport. It’s perfect for kids of all sizes & abilities. The emphasis is on learning skills, teamwork, and having fun. No experience or equipment is needed. $50 fee ($60 for non-Cheshire residents) includes t-shirt. Mouth guards and cleats required, no other equipment needed. Thursdays & Saturdays starting June 23 (6 weeks) at Quinnipiac Recreation Area, 1325 Cheshire Street, Cheshire.

If you would like to register or get more information please visit www.CheshireRugby.com.

Feral Cat Organization Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Matching Donations Challenge!

Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats have received a very special offer to mark the organization's 5th anniversary! An anonymous donor has put forth a challenge to match donations made to Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats (FFCC)! All donations received by FFCC from now through July 4th 2011 will be matched up to $5,000!

FFCC asks all supporters, residents, businesses and animal lovers in Cheshire and surrounding towns to act immediately to help meet this challenge. FFCC understands the economic challenges facing everyone - the organization has faced these challenges too. This opportunity to allow any donation large or small to be matched is essential to carrying on the program that has reduced feral cat over-population and placed friendly cats and kittens into homes over the last 5 years.

A friend of Feral Cheshire Cats is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that administers a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for feral cats in the Cheshire, CT area. TNR is the humane trapping, sterilization/vaccination, and management plan for feral (wild or un-socialized cats). The program, staffed entirely by volunteers offers assistance to manage feral cat populations. In most circumstances, FFCC does not have the resources to do the trapping themselves, but can review requests for trapping on a case by case basis especially for those who are elderly or physically incapable of trapping.

FFCC:

• Arranges vet appointments

• Assesses feral cat situations and provides guidance

• Provides trapping services if people are not physical able to trap

• Provides access to humane traps through a trap bank

• Provides step-by-step instructions for the humane trapping of feral cats

• Provides transportation to vet appointments if resources allow

• Provides financial resources for spaying/neutering, etc.

• Mentors and supports feral cat groups in surrounding towns including Wallingford, Southington, Meriden and Bristol

• Operates a foster program for friendly cats and kittens

Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats does not operate a shelter. They have a limited foster care network for homeless kittens and abandoned cats in the area, but cannot take in most cats. They can provide assistance in placing a cat or kitten you have found by providing financial assistance for spay/neutering, vaccinations and other medical treatment that will make the cat or kitten a better candidate for adoption. FCC also provides a courtesy posting on their web site and assists with the adoption process. Please contact FFCC for details.

Since its inception, FFCC has spayed/neutered over 2,500 cats and found homes for hundreds of cats and kittens. The cost for each cat is approximately $45 for spaying/neutering and vaccinations, but the group also incurs additional expenses for kitten care, flea treatments, ear mite medications, wormer medication and emergency medical care.

FFCC is grateful for the generosity of the donor and hopes it will inspire the community to meet the challenge and continue the momentum needed to aid in fundraising efforts. No amount is too small! It is a great way to make a donation and watch it multiply!

Tax-deductible donations may be made payable to Friends of Feral Cheshire Cats, and sent to P.O. Box 946, Cheshire, CT 06410. Please visit www.friendsofferalcheshirecats.org for more information about the program.

Mid-Week in Meriden Summer Music Series featuring 'Just Friends'

With special guests Ben and Noah Radcliffe!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 12:00 PM–2:00 PM at the MxCC Meriden Center Courtyard, 55 West Main Street, Meriden, CT

Come spend your lunch time in downtown Meriden listening to fabulous music. Enjoy music

by 'Just Friends', Maloney High School Grad's Jazz Band with Opening Performance by 11-year-old twins Ben & Noah Radcliffe.

This summertime concert series is the best way to spend your mid-day. Enjoy picnic lunch specials at sponsored eateries like Café Dolce and Cassidy's...or you may bring your own.

Validated 2 hour parking is available in the parking garage & Butler St. Parking area. Free parking at the Colony & Church St. parking lots. This event is FREE OF CHARGE!

For more info contact Steve Ribichaud at the Sandman Gallery at 203.686.0000.

Has Photo

Reading program gets visit from Miss Connecticut USA

Who was that young woman with the sparkling sash on? What was she doing at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School?

The young woman, the newly-crowned “Miss Connecticut USA,” was Regina Turner from Old Saybrook, a 21-year-old dental hygiene student at Tunxis Community College. She took some time out of her June Miss USA pageant preparations to visit the Senior Buddy Readers program at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on May 11. While her career ambition is to become a dentist, she also wants to educate young children and she noted the importance of early literacy and instilling a love of reading early in life.

“I love working with kids and reading is definitely important,” Turner said.

How did the Senior Buddy Reader program begin? Ten years ago, when her niece was having reading difficulty and help didn’t come soon enough to avoid the youngster repeating a grade, Cathy Lewis and fellow Meriden parent Donna Mordarski came up with an idea. While attending a meeting at a local senior center, Cathy and Donna realized there was an untapped resource in their midst – the senior citizen population. Here was a wealth of information right in front of them, with so much to offer and time to share their talents and experiences, but not engaged to do so. With that, the “Senior Buddy Reader” program was born.

“We were two single moms with no budget,” said Lewis, Senior Buddy Readers program coordinator and co-founder. “Everything was donated – books, the space, volunteers.”

The program pairs older adults, usually retirees, with first- and second-graders identified by their teachers to need reading assistance. The program currently runs in four of Meriden’s elementary schools – Benjamin Franklin, Nathan Hale, Thomas Hooker and Hanover. At Benjamin Franklin and Nathan Hale, the program is for first- and second-graders; at Hooker and Hanover, it’s just for first graders. Most students in the program are considered middle readers. The children read to their senior buddies, and the buddies give the children extra support and help foster a love of reading.

“It’s a nice thing for the middle readers,” said Dan Coffey, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School’s principal. “They go to the same reader every week – they build a solid relationship.”

The co-founders worked with school principals and teachers and volunteers received training on using the strategies employed in the schools to help children improve reading skills.

“For me, it’s a treat,” said senior buddy Paul from Meriden. “They do more for us than we do for them.”

“Buddy Readers is a win-win-win situation – a win for the children; a win for the senior buddies, and a win for our schools,” said David Radcliffe, Executive Director of Meriden Children First, the program’s sponsor organization. “It’s this sort of early learning investment that helps children have successful school experiences.”

To date, more than 75 volunteers work with approximately 200 first and second grade students. For more information on the Senior Buddy Reader program, visit www.meridenchildrenfirst.org.

Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament

The biggest “community” tennis tournament in New England is right here in CT! The 7th annual Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament is scheduled for June 11-19. The 2011 venue is the beautiful and recently renovated Hunt Tennis Center on the Choate-Rosemary Campus, Wallingford.

This is a charity event and all proceeds from the tournament benefit Wallingford YMCA youth programs and the Winton S. Filipek Sr. scholarship fund.

Each player receives a tournament t-shirt, player handbook, player gift bag, ticket to “Breakfast at the Championships” and tennis balls & water for every match. Prizes are awarded to 1st & 2nd place in every division.

The 9-day event will feature: 21 divisions for all levels, 5 high school divisions, a junior boys & girls round-robin and a Free Kids & HS Clinic & Fun Day (at capacity 2010).

In 2010, the event drew 594 entries.

THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY TENNIS TOURNAMENT!

Please direct any questions to:

Wint Filipek Jr. wrfilipek@hotmail.com 860-621-5655

Apply on line NOW @ www.ymcafilipektennis.com

THE YOUNG BUSINESS LEADERS OF CT ARE HOSTING THEIR

3rd ANNUAL MINI GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Young Business Leaders of CT of the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce, Inc. is hosting their 3rd Annual Mini Golf Tournament on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at Golf Quest, 125 Jude Ln., Southington from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The cost is $20 per player or $75 per foursome. Hole Sponsorships are available for $50 each. Team Registration starts at 5:30 with a Shotgun start at 6:00pm followed by awards ceremony and refreshments at 8:00pm. Proceeds help support the Young Business Leaders Dan M. Hunter Education Award. (Rain date will be Thursday, June 16, 2011)

For more information, call the Chamber at (203) 235-7901, fax us at (203) 686-0172, email us at info@meridenchamber.com or visit www.meridenchamber.com.

My City Kitchen Needs You!

Do you have skills and time to dedicate to a growing non-profit? Are you interested in contributing to the MCK mission and have financial skills, fundraising knowledge, community organizing skills or non-profit board experience?

MCK is accepting applications for the 2011-2012 Board members. The MCK annual meeting will be held on Thursday, June 23, 2011, 6-8 p.m. at 384 Pratt Street, Meriden and new Board members will be voted in at this meeting. If you’re interested in serving on the Board, please obtain a Board member application: by emailing a request to kashia@mycitykichen.org. All applications must be received no later than May 31, 2011.

About My City Kitchen, Inc.

My City Kitchen, Inc. (MCK) is a 501(c) (3) tax deductible Public Charity Organization. Our mission at MCK is to instill healthy eating habits, build self-esteem, foster a sense of belonging, establish basic life skills in our children so that they may grow into healthy adults. To teach kids about food, and food products. We hope to encourage kids to take a keen interest in what they eat, where the food comes from, and especially how to prepare it.

Kashia Cave is the President / Executive Director. Her email is kashia@mycitykitchen.org and phone number is 1-203-630-2870. My City Kitchen, Inc. is located at 384 Pratt Street in Meriden. To find out more about this wonderful organization visit www.mycitykitchen.org.

The Wallingford Gardeners Market Celebrates Our 12th Year!

held on Saturday mornings from 9 AM – Noon from July 16- September 17, 2011 on the Railroad Station Green - intersection of Routes 5 and150 (Colony Street and Hall Avenue)- in the heart of downtown Wallingford, CT at the Gazebo!

When you shop at the market, you support our local economy. Your dollars go toward good fresh food, grown and harvested with care by local farmers and boutique gardeners. You buy direct from the producer; no middlemen; no long distance trucking costs. The produce you select is as fresh as if you grew it yourself!

Our Market features: fresh produce - veggies and fruit, fresh picked flowers, potted flowers, herbs, and shrubs, fresh breads, freshly brewed coffee, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, candy, handmade soaps and balms

quilts and aprons, paintings and prints, gift baskets, inscribed garden stones, garden ornaments, T-shirts, aprons, and bags with Wallingford logos.

To find out more about us visit www.wallingfordgardenersmarket.com and don’t forget to follow us on FaceBook!

The Community Foundation’s Quinnipiac River Fund awards $112,000 in Grants to Protect and Research the Quinnipiac River

New Website on Horizon for All-things Quinnipiac River

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is pleased to announce that $112,000 has been awarded from the Quinnipiac River Fund to 12 organizations for programs that reduce river pollution, support the environment and educate the public about the Quinnipiac River. The River flows from west of New Britain southward to Plainville, Southington, west of Meriden, Cheshire, through Wallingford, Yalesville, North Haven and into New Haven Harbor.

Among the grant recipients is Catalyst Collaborative who has been hired to create a comprehensive Quinnipiac River website. The site will provide a consolidated source for Quinnipiac River information, resources, research, and advocacy, specifically related to the work and impact of the Quinnipiac River Fund. The website will feature high-impact design/photography, a grant project database, an interactive map, calendar, and blog – together providing a multi-faceted resource for organizations and individuals working to better the conditions of the Quinnipiac River. The site is expected to launch by the end of 2011.

Another grant recipient, Audubon Connecticut, will use its funding to raise awareness in the community about ways to reduce sources of pollution and to improve habitat for birds and other wildlife within the Quinnipiac River Watershed.

“We are honored to receive this grant award from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Quinnipiac River Fund, and look forward to strengthening our partnerships and efforts in the Quinnipiac River Watershed,” said Tom Baptist, Audubon Connecticut Executive Director. “Through legislative forums in New Haven and Wallingford, an environmental film series with local panelists at Yale Peabody Museum, and outreach about everyday actions people can take to improve wildlife habitat and water quality, we will grow the number of bird and wildlife supporters engaged in conservation and advocacy on behalf of the watershed. This program will build on the very effective outreach initiatives carried out by our partnering organizations, and add a uniquely Audubon component: Making the reciprocal connection between our personal actions, the health of the watershed, and the birds and other wildlife we all enjoy and cherish.”

The Quinnipiac River Fund was established in 1990 as a result of a court settlement between the National Resources Defense Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment and the Upjohn Corporation concerning wastewater discharges by the Upjohn Chemical Company of North Haven CT into the Quinnipiac River. A fine of $1 million was levied on Upjohn for continually exceeding its permitted industrial releases into the Quinnipiac River and used to create the Quinnipiac River Fund, administered by The Community Foundation. The Quinnipiac River Fund distributes grants each year to improve the environmental quality of the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor and the watersheds of those waterbodies, and otherwise benefit the environment of those resources.

The Quinnipiac River Fund is advised by a committee that meets once a year to make recommendations for funding to The Community Foundation. Members include: Nancy Alderman, President of Environment and Human Health, Gordon Geballe, the Assistant Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and Margaret Miner, Director of Rivers Alliance.

The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association received $16,000 - To support the Quinnipiac Urban River Stewardship project, which will install several river stewardship signs in prominent locations to promote human links to this urban river and foster stewardship of the shared resource, as recommended in the watershed management plan for a similar urban river, the North Branch of the Park River in Hartford/Bloomfield.

Since 1928, donors to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven have built the community's endowment currently valued at over $300 million. In 2010, The Foundation’s Board of Directors distributed more than $19 million in grants from over 800 different named charitable funds supporting a wide range of programs and organizations. For more information about The Community Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org.

Help Stretch Your Food Dollar with Angel Food

Angel Food Ministries will be accepting orders until Thursday, June 16. The pick-up date is Saturday, June 25th at Meriden Hills Baptist Church on Charles Street.

Our June Bountiful Blessing Box is filled with even more items than ever. We also have a special line of items called "Just 4 Me" filled with healthy snacks for children; snacks that are great for after school or anytime.

Be sure to check out our Golden Cuisine Convenience Meals, great for seniors and people on the go, and add the finishing touch with fresh produce items from the Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box.

There is no purchase limit for boxes of Angel Food. There are no applications or qualifications necessary to purchase. Food Stamps are accepted. Food Stamp orders can be placed at the host site (Meriden Hills Baptist Church, 139 Charles St.) but no later than June 13th.

To view this month’s menu, in English or Spanish, and to place your order, go to www.angelfoodministries.com or www.meridenhillsbaptist.org websites. Call 203-237-0302 for more information.

Students Enjoy the Meriden Elementary Public Schools Annual Art Exhibit

Students and their families enjoyed viewing the student artwork displayed at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, 175 East Main Street, Meriden from May 5 – May 19, 2011. The opening reception was held on Thursday, May 5, 2011.

Photo 1 – Group Photo

Photo 2 - Erin – Grade 5 – Nathan Hale, Meriden

Photo 3 - Erika – Grade 4 – Nathan Hale, Meriden

Photo 4 - Kianna – Grade 1, Nathan Hale, Meriden

Food, fun, fashion and fabulous shopping at fundraiser for cancer research at St. John Lutheran Church in Meriden

When Kelly Fuerstenberg looks at her three children, she counts her blessings. “I have three healthy, beautiful children, and that is exactly why I walk in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk,” she says. “It’s so hard when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. I can’t imagine the added heartbreak when the loved one is a child.”

Fuerstenberg, of Meriden, is co-captain of the Sole Supporters, a walk team in the upcoming 23rd annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. This will be her fifth time participating in the event. The walk, held every September, raises money to support cancer care and research for adults and children at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

To boost the team’s fundraising efforts, Fuerstenberg is helping organize a special fundraiser with the help of Women in Networking (WIN). Fuerstenberg, along with team captain Heidi Arnott, are members of WIN, a small, informal networking group for women involved in direct sales. Both Fuerstenberg and Arnott have lost family and friends to cancer and walk in their memory.

The fundraiser is Body, Mind & Spirit: A Fundraiser for the Sole. It will be held on Wed., June 22 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, 520 Paddock Ave., Meriden. If you have questions about the event, contact Kelly Fuerstenberg at 203-886-8838 or kfuerst@cox.net.

Event organizers are creating a fun, relaxing evening perfect for a ladies night out and also suitable for moms and daughters of all ages as well. There will be plenty of activities, including chair massages by two licensed massage therapists, hula lessons and demonstrations by Mekeke Ohana of New Britain, reiki, intuitive readings and hand treatments. Sammi-Gene Salon & Spa of Southbury will be on hand to crimp or add tinsel or feathers to your hair. Cheri Meisel, Mon Cheri Amour Makeup Artist of Naugatuck, will offer airbrush makeup. Like to scrapbook? Be sure to visit the scrapbooking boutique. Shop for supplies, bring along a page that needs work, or stop by for the “make and take” project.

The fundraiser will feature a fashion show at 7:30 p.m. Karen Malotta, owner of Gluttony Fashions of Beacon Falls, is creating several of the outfits that the models will be wearing.

Of course, no ladies night out would be complete without food, music and, of course, shopping! Nearly 50 vendors will be at the event; it is sure to be an amazing shopping experience. In addition, all visitors will be given a passport upon arrival. If you visit every booth, you will be entered into a special, free Grand Prize Drawing for a fabulous tote full of goodies.

Children are invited to play in our adult-supervised Kids’ Corner while mom relaxes with a massage or gets her hair or makeup done or simply shops in peace.

To see a complete list of vendors and activities, search for the event on Facebook.

The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk gives participants the opportunity to follow the course of the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon® route as they walk in honor or memory of friends, family, co-workers, and many other patients facing all forms of cancer. The Jimmy Fund supports the world-renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which treats adult and child oncology patients and is the home base for some of the most innovative cancer researchers in the field today.

To register to walk or to support the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk, visit JimmyFundWalk.org or call 866- JF-1-WALK.

24th Annual Wallingford Rotary Awards

Wednesday, June l the Wallingford Rotary held its 24th Annual High School Citizen of the Year Awards, and Citizen of the Year Award.

This year's recipients were Alyssa Mansfield and Alec Lynde, Lyman Hall High School, Jordan Brint and Turner Stowik, Mark T. Sheehan High School and Kellie Mantie and Alexander Bolinsky, Choate Rosemary Hall

Citizen of the Year was awarded to Mayor Dickinson.

Students were recognized for their service to their community and humanity.

Mayor Dickinson was recognized, with a standing ovation, for his "service above self" and dedication to Wallingford.

Submitted by: Patricia Coppola - Rotary Club of Wallingford

June 2011 Events at the Augusta

Join us in celebrating our 10th Anniversary this year!

Tuesdays, June7th through July 12th

Yoga with John Pavel at the Augusta 6pm

Call John for more information or to join the Yoga Class at the Augusta. John can be reached at 203-479-2146.

Monday, June 13th

The Augusta Curtis Concert Band will be performing a free outdoor concert in the Rosa Ponselle Memorial Garden adjacent to the ACCC.

Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets and enjoy and evening of tunes for all to enjoy. Concert begins at 6:30pm. The ACCB has over 40 members and players range in age from 13 to 80.

The Augusta Curtis Cultural Center is located at 175 East Main Street in Meriden. Phone number is 203-639-2856. Email is accc@ci.meriden.ct.us

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE AUGUSTA, TO DONATE TO THE CENTER, OR TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ACCC VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CURTISCULTURALCENTER.ORG

Come to the Cabaret!

Please join us for a Family Fundraiser supporting the Meriden Youth Theater

The event features a Buffet Dinner, Dancing and Performances by members of the Youth Theater with a special guest appearance by the Maloney High School Allegrettos.

It will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 7:00 PM – Midnight at the Four Points by Sheraton Meriden

This fundraiser will help off-set the costs of licensing, sets, props, lighting, sound and the continued upkeep of our new space at 14-16 West Main Street

Reserve an Adult Table of 10 to the Cabaret and receive premium reserved seating for the show

To Purchase individual tickets:

Please select the choices you would like, and e-mail to Yvonne DeAngeli at zaccessa@aol.com

Please feel free to call Yvonne at 203-238-4535 if you have any questions or would like to know how you can help support the Meriden Youth Theater.

Sponsorships also available – please contact Yvonne at the phone number and email above for further information.

Thank you in advance for supporting the Meriden Youth Theater and the children who gain so much from it.

Maloney Band

Are you looking for some ways to help out The Maloney Band? There are several events that the Band Boosters and the Music Department sponsor.

Past events and ongoing events are our can/bottle drives, clothing drives, car washes, Pasta & Pops, CMEA, concerts, Marching Band competitions, The Daffodil Fest and Music in the Park.

Many events are free or at a minimal cost. Last year we had Half-Time All the Time a marching band competition at Falcon Field with area marching bands from high schools from Connecticut and Massachusetts. We will be hosting this event again on September 17th.It is a great way to see some talented students and have a fun-filled day and evening with plenty of food and fun for all ages.

On June 10th The Cadets are coming to Meriden for a FREE performance at Falcon Field. There will be plenty of food before the event. Starts around 6pm with the performance at 8pm.We will be sponsoring a car wash at Cloverleaf Building on East Main St. on June 11 from 9-1 and only $5 to get your vehicle washed by some energetic band students. Check out our website at www.maloneyband.net for upcoming events. Proceeds go towards student events and activities.

We have a talented group of students that enjoy performing in our community. So if you are looking to help out our music program check out our website and come out to see our students show off their talents.

Submitted by Jo-Anne.Barrett of the Maloney Band Boosters

“Music for a Summer’s Eve”

Scholarship Fundraiser with the Q. Walter Peabody Foundation

Saturday, June 11 from 7-9 pm at the Center Congregational Church in Meriden, CT

An Evening of Music and Musical fun with Host: Ms. Chion Wolf from WNPR’s “Colin McEnroe Show.” Ms. Anne Rhodes, Soprano. The Black Friday Brass Band and other special guest musicians.

Come support the Scholarship build for a $1,000 annual arts-based college scholarship AND help replenish the Scholarship Fund of the CCCYO. Your support makes Classical music education happen all year! Thank you! Suggested Donation is $10.00 per person

For ticket information call Mrs. Katrina Axelrod at (203) 235-7445 or send e-mail to meridenartstrust@yahoo.com These concerts are programs of the Meriden Arts Trust, Inc..

Mid-Week in Meriden Summer Music Series

12:00 PM–2:00 PM at the MxCC Meriden Center Courtyard, 55 West Main Street, Meriden, CT

Come spend your lunch time in downtown Meriden listening to fabulous music.

15-Jun The Omnibus Band

Sean and Kelley Moore

22-Jun Just Friends Ben & Noah Radcliffe

Maloney HS Grad Jazz Band

29-Jun Jackson Hill Lucifer's Happy Hour

Zach and Kara and Band Griffin Moore, Evan James &

Contemporary Country Dan Corey

This summertime concert series is the best way to spend your mid-day. Enjoy picnic lunch specials at sponsored eateries like Café Dolce and Cassidy's...or you may bring your own.

Validated 2 hour parking is available in the parking garage & Butler St. Parking area. Free parking at the Colony & Church St. parking lots. This event is FREE OF CHARGE!

For more info contact Steve Ribichaud at the Sandman Gallery at 203.686.0000.

LOCAL YOUTH THEATER GROUP AND GALLERIES PARTICIPATE IN CONNECTICUT “OPEN HOUSE DAY” ON JUNE 11TH

The Meriden Youth Theater (MYT) headed by Carolyn Daniels along with The Sandman Gallery at 14 W. Main St. run by Steve Robichaud and CaRo Art Studio and Gallery at 290 Pratt St. run by Nora Rodriquez are glad to be a part of this year’s OPEN HOUSE DAY on Saturday June 11th

The CaRo Gallery will be open from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with gallery talk, building and history tour, complimentary refreshments and exhibit of artist Jasleni Brito.

The Sandman Gallery will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., the gallery will be offering complimentary refreshments and give-aways. Artwork by some of Meriden’s Finest will be on display.

Along with the open Gallery on the first floor, visitors will be entertained by the Meriden Youth Theater located on the second floor just steps away.

You are invited to discover – and rediscover – the state’s exciting arts, history and tourism offerings with a variety of special incentives, such as discounted or free admission, free gifts or special exhibits and activities during the 7th Annual Open House Day on June 11, 2011

Open House Day is a great way for you to experience what Meriden and the rest of the state has to offer and to encourage you to become Connecticut Ambassadors who take pride in sharing your new discoveries with visiting family and friends. The annual event is coordinated by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism.

Toy Show

The Matchbox USA toy club is sponsoring its 30th and final anniversary toy show event on Sunday June 12th at the North Haven Holiday Inn at 201 Washington Street (exit 12 off I-91). Over the last 30 years this event has been held in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania as well as Connecticut. Diecast toy collectors, mainly those who love Matchbox toys gather for an annual event that includes in-room trading at the hotel on June 10 & 11 as well as the Sunday toy show which runs from 9AM to 2PM with a $5.00 entry fee. Children under 12 are always free. Toys available for sale include Matchbox, Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning, Corgi as well as other assorted miniature toy cars and trucks. Join us for this great family event. Call 860-349-1655 or email MATCHBXUSA@aol.com for questions. If you clip this article and bring to the show you will get $1.00 off your admission fee!

2011 Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival -- One Day Jazz and Blues Extravaganza

The Great CT Traditional Jazz Festival is pleased to be joined this year by the Hartford Blues Society to present this 25th year’s One Day Jazz and Blues Extravaganza on Saturday, July 30th at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Meriden. With success this year a 3-day Festival with 15 or more bands from all over the US will be in the plans again for 2012, including the Blues.

This year there are be four top Blues bands from CT featured along with four Traditional Jazz Bands at the Jazz and Blues Event. Traditional jazz bands coming include the well received band from previous CT Festivals, the twin brothers and a vibraphone, The Midiri Brothers from NJ, the band well known by CT trad jazz fans, The Galvanized Jazz Band with Fred Vigorito , as well as the well loved Heartbeat Jazz Band led by Bill Logozzo. The superb trad jazz musicians who come together specifically for this annual event from Massachusetts and New England, The Festival All Stars with Scott Philbrick will be the fourth trad jazz band performing from 3pm to 9pm in the tent.

The popular bands playing in the Blues Clubs in Hartford and all over CT include Basically Blues, Bluzberry Pi, Chris D’Amato, and Eran Troy Danner Band. Blues have always been a part of the Trad jazz repertoire and it’s appropriate that the two should be sharing the stages in two venues, one a tent outdoors and the other the ballroom of the Sheraton. The Blues will start at 5pm in the ballroom and play until 11pm.

Excellent food and drinks will be available, abundant seating and wheelchair accessibility, dancing, free parking and 8 hours of continuous music. Tickets are $30 before July 25 and $35 at the door and kids 7 to 17 only $6 (children under 7 years old come in free). Call 1-800-HOT-EVENt (or 1-800-468-3836) for tickets or mail check payable to TGCTJF, P.O. Box 296, Cromwell, CT 06416-0296.

Summertime and the Living is Easy – but not for Everyone!

Summer is a time for being outdoors, barbequing, vacationing; just enjoying the nice weather. Unfortunately, it is not an enjoyable time for everyone, For those dealing with disease, illness, injury or poverty, those who have no home or no food, those who are abuse or alone, summer is a time of pain and misery.

You can help by donating a car you no longer need to charity. Cars4Charities will proudly handle your car donation for you, promptly and professionally. They have a very extensive list of charities you can donate car to; including International, National, Regional and local charities. Cars4Charities will sell your donated car for the highest amount possible and send the proceeds to the charity you choose from their list.

Cars4Charities is recognized by the IRS as a charity themselves, so you can be confident your car donation will be handled properly. You can even donate car that will not start or is in poor shape. Cars4Charities will pick your car up fast and free too! When you donate your car, you will receive a tax deduction.

When you're ready to donate car, please contact Cars4Charities at http://www.cars4charities.org/ or call them toll free at 1-866-448-3487. They will gladly explain the entire car donation process to you.

VASA Park Available For Rental

VASA Park is available for company outings, family reunions and private parties. The park is located at 358 Main Street South Meriden. For more information please contact Linda at gsteinmiller@cox.net

Volunteers NEEDED!

Volunteers are needed to visit elderly people, to shop with or for an elder, to drive an elder to and from their medical appointment, and to provide respite care to family members caring for a loved one who needs constant care. All that is required is a warm, loving heart and one or two hours of your time each week. A two hour training session will provide you with information and basic skills to make a difference in someone’s life. Please call IVCG for the next training date at 203-230-8994 or email carenh@snet.net for more information and to register.

Upcoming Craft Fair at VASA Park

A Craft Fair will be held on Saturday July 30, 2011 from 10 to 4 P.M. For more information please contact Linda at gsteinmiller@cox.net

“2011 EVENING MERIDEN PUBLIC SOCIALS”

In an effort to BETTER SERVE YOU; Community Police Office Fred Rivera, City Councilor Bob Williams and City Councilor Keith Gordon will be hosting Twelve Social Gatherings, throughout the year between 6:00pm and 8:00pm at the NEW Police Sub Station located at; 113 Main St, in South Meriden, Area 4.

Upcoming Schedule – Please Call To Confirm! June 23 and July 28

What’s on your mind? Your suggestions? Any concerns? What’s working? Or just drop in for a coffee!

“ALL ARE WELCOME”

Contact Information Community Police Office Fred Rivera 203 815-2506 – wrivera@ci.meriden.ct.us

City Councilor Bob Williams 203 639-0770 – bobwilliamsjr@ci.meriden.ct.us

City Councilor Keith Gordon 203 686-1108 - kgordon@ci.meriden.ct.us

SUMMER-LONG TAG SALE

To help raise money for the upkeep of our research center, the Society will be holding a monthly community-wide tag sale at the parking lot of the Research Center: 1090 Hanover Ave S. Meriden, CT on the Second Saturday of each month: June 11, July 9, Aug 13, September 10 & October 8 (Weather permitting) 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Prices per each set-up are: $10.00 to members of the Society and $15.00 for non-members. Dealers are welcome.

The Society plans on having its own booth at the sale. We need both donations for the sale and volunteers to man the booth. Your much-needed donations can be dropped off at Fair Weather Antiques (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), at the Research Center (on Wednesday afternoons). To arrange for a pick-up, or to volunteer call Neda Weathers 203-237-4636 or Bill Siegel 203-235-2217. No appliances please – collectibles and smalls only.

The Meriden Historical Society is a not for profit organization staffed by volunteer researchers. Your financial support will be greatly appreciated.

You may do so directly through our website: http://www.meridenhistoricalsociety.org/

or by mail: MHS, PO Box 3005, Meriden, CT 06450.

Martin I. Trueheart Memorial Golf Tournament

The 11th Annual Martin I. Trueheart Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held at Hunter Golf Course, Meriden, CT on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. The format will be shotgun beginning at 11 AM, followed by dinner at Violi's Restaurant at Hunter Golf Club. The tournament has raised over $25,000 in 10 years. All proceeds go into the scholarship fund that was established as a thank you to Marty Trueheart for 37 years as a teacher in the Wallingford School System and 19 years as President of the Wallingford Education Association. Mr. Trueheart died in 2000 Anyone interested in playing in this year's tournament, which includes a banquet after the tournament or interested in attending the banquet only is asked to contact Steve Baker, SBaker@wallingford.k12.ct.us or (203) 294-3700 for further information and details.

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to www.peoplespressnews.com

Meriden and Wallingford CT Town News & Events Early June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:51:00 +0000

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

The deadline for our Mid-June 2011 issue of The People’s Press is June 15th. Email your stories, photos, news and events to andy@peoplespressnews.com.

Don’t forget Father’s Day Photo Wishes & Stories!

Town News and Events Early June 2011

Meriden Spring Clean Up Reminder
The Department of Public Works does not collect leaves in the Spring. Residents are required to deliver their leaves and brush to the Transfer Station, which is located on Evansville Avenue. The Transfer Station is open Mondays from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM, Wednesdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and the first and third Saturday from 7:30 AM to Noon. There is no charge for the disposal of leaves and brush. For complete information on the Transfer Station, please visit the City’s website at www.cityofmeriden.org. Select municipal services followed by Public Works and Transfer Station.

Wallingford Renter's Rebate Program - Application Period Underway

From the Office of the Assessor

Filing Period: May 16, 2011, through September 15, 2011.

Basic Requirements - To qualify for the program, a person must be 65 years of age or over, or totally disabled if under the age of 65 and renting an apartment or land on which their residence is situated (mobile home).

Applicants must meet income limits to qualify for this program. Income limits are based on the 2010 calendar year.

Annual income, including Social Security, cannot exceed: $32,300 Single; $39,500 Married Couples.

These amounts are subject to change from year to year.

Applicants must provide proof of all income for the 2010 calendar year. Proof of income would be a copy of their 2010 income tax return along with their 2010 Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099). If no income tax return was filed, proof of income such as pensions, interest, dividends, etc., including Social Security Benefit Statement (SSA-1099), must be provided.

Applicants must provide rent receipts for the entire year along with related expenses such as utility bills, including electric, gas, fuel and water payments, if applicable.

Filing Period

Applications will be accepted May 16, 2010, through September 15, 2010, at the Assessor's Office, Room 101, Wallingford Town Hall, 45 South Main Street. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.

To apply or learn if you qualify for this program, you may call the Assessor's Office at 203-294-2001.

For additional information about the Renter's Rebate or other Tax Relief Programs, you may visit the Assessor's Main Page.

Summer Solstice Concert

The City of Meriden Parks & Recreation Department Presents a Summer Solstice Concert at the Hubbard Park Bandshell from 7:00pm – 8:30pm on Tuesday June 21st featuring “Changes In Latitude” playing Summer Inspired Music!

THURSDAY EVENING PROGRAMS

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER CLASSES

Belly Dance This class is rooted in classic belly dance technique and meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 5:15 p.m. No experience needed to participate in this fun and low-impact class. Instructor: Aleenah - Please sign up.

Scrapbooking Class - Learn to create beautiful keepsake albums that will be treasured for generations from your personal photos and memories. Meets weekly from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Creative Arts Rm. Instructor: Diane Soares Please sign up.

Zumba Gold - Zumba infuses Latin rhythms and simple dance moves to create a fun and exciting total body workout designed for the active older adult. Meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 6:00 p.m. Instructor: Kayt Keirn, Please sign up.

Evening Tai Chi - Promote improved health with relaxed physical movement with a peaceful but focused mind. Meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 7:15 p.m. Instructor: Kathy Brenner. Please sign up.

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker - A competitive yet friendly card game. Must be a WSC member to play, men and women are welcome. Weekly games held in the Game Room from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Leader: Tom Burill, Cost: $2.00 per player.

SAVE THE DATE

10th Anniversary Variety Show This month, we celebrate ten years in our building. Come enjoy as we showcase local talent and share our memories from 238 Washington St. June 9, 6:30p.m.

Cruise Night - Weather permitting, classic cars will gather in our parking lot for a vintage car show, cosponsored by WSC and BCI Financial. Hotdogs and cold beverages will be available for purchase. 5:00 p.m. until dark Thursday, June 16. Open to the public!

Juke Box Dance Party - There will be a Juke Box loaded with over 500 songs. Enjoy the party with the music that YOU select! June 16, Great Room.

AARP Driver Safety Program - Learn defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws, rules of the road, how to adjust for changes in vision and hearing and qualify for an insurance discount. Pre-registration is required, see front desk for details. June 16, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Activity Room.

Twilight Concert - NEW to the Senior Center, pianist and vocalist Paul Shlien will be here to perform on June 23, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

New Release Movie - We will be showing “The Fighter” starring Academy Award winners Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. This film is rated “R”. It will be shown in the Activity Room on June 23, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Newcomers Dinner - Sign up at the front desk for this get-together for New Members on June 30 at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by the Lake View Cafe, meet new people, get a tour of our beautiful building, and find out what the Wallingford Senior Center has to offer! Limited to 10 participants.

Senior Art Show and Reception - We have some talented and creative people within our membership. Come to an art show, featuring the work of WSC artists, with a dessert bar reception to follow.

Meriden Park and Recreation Tennis Lessons

July 11th – July 15th

4-6 year olds – 9:00a – 9:30a 7–10 year olds 9:30a – 10:30a 11-13 year olds 10:30a – 11:30a

High School students 11:30a – 12:30p

$35.00 per child - Limit 6 to a class. Checks made payable to Karen Whiting

Sign up in person only on June 7, 2011 7:30a – 4:00p Washington Park Tennis Courts

Lessons by Karen Whiting

Wallingford Dog Licensing Program

Office of the Town Clerk

All dogs must be licensed during the month of June at the Town Clerk's Office, Room 108, Town Hall. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. PLEASE bring your postcard mailer with you to expedite the process!

You must present to the Town Clerk's Office:

Certificate of current rabies vaccination or the license cannot be issued.

A certificate of neuter/spay to obtain the lower license rate.

Fees

$19.00 for a Non-neutered/Spayed Dog

$ 8.00 for a Neutered/Spayed Dog

Licenses purchased after June 30, 3011 will have a late penalty imposed. The late penalty is $1.00 per month or any part thereof.

For additional information, please call 203-294-2145.

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER JUNE 2011 NEWS & EVENTS

VISIT our website at www.wlfdseniorctr.com!

Wallingford Goes Green - Tuesday, June 14, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

Are you interested in learning more about the things you can do to help the environment? RSVP of South Central CT has partnered with the National Conservation Corps “Gray is Green” program to help seniors learn what they can do to enhance and protect our environment. Learn about decreasing water and electric usage; increasing recycling; adopting green practices in gardening and lawn care and even how our nutrition impacts the environment. Please pre-register for this program.

Healthy Feet Are Happy Feet - Tuesday, June 21, 10:30 A.M.

When feet are in tip top shape, a person feels good! Healthy Feet are Happy Feet topics will include: the care of skin and nails; the importance of wearing safe shoes for comfort and fall prevention; ways to reduce summer swelling; how to deal with plantar fasciitis; bunion problems; fallen arch relief; and more! This program, offered in time for sandal season, will be provided by the VNA of Wallingford. Please sign up if you plan to attend.

Attack from the Sky with Art Horn - Wednesday, June 22, 10:00 A.M.

Over the last year we have seen a great deal of extreme weather. From stifling heat waves, deadly floods, massive hurricanes, and record-breaking cold and snow, it has been a wild ride. This program, presented by meteorologist Art Horn, will highlight the amazing variety of weather seen around the world in the last year. We need storms to bring water and life; we just have to find a way to survive them when Extreme Weather Attacks! Please sign up if you plan to attend the program.

Art Exhibit & Sale - June 29, 30, July 1, 2011 - 10th Annual Art Show

We invite you to display your artwork and original creations at our 10th Annual Showcase of Art & Talent scheduled for Wednesday through Friday, June 29, 30, and July 1. A dessert reception honoring the artists will be held Thursday, June 30, at 6:30 P.M. We want this to be our largest event yet! Even if you have exhibited in past shows and do not have any new artwork, we still want you to participate! This year interested artists will have an opportunity to sell selected works. (Details available at registration.) Also new this year, we will be able to hang a limited number of framed artwork from each artist. Please register by June 15, if you would like to display your art.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Memory Lane - Senior Day Program

What is an Adult Day Center? *Adult day centers offer programs designed to promote well-being through social and health related services. Adult day centers operate during daytime hours, Monday through Friday, in a safe, supportive, cheerful environment. The intent of an adult day center is primarily two-fold: 1. To provide older adults an opportunity to get out of the house and receive both mental and social stimulation. 2. To give caregivers a much-needed break in which to attend to personal needs or simply to rest and relax. Memory Lane is an adult day program located within the Wallingford Senior Center. Hours of operation are 9:15 AM to 2:15 PM, Monday through Friday. Handicapped-accessible transportation is provided for residents of Wallingford at no extra charge. Eligibility is based on an assessment, interview, and medical clearance. If you are interested in an affordable, fun, and stimulating way to keep your loved one safe and independent, stop by the Reception Desk for a brochure and tour of the center, or contact Melinda Welch, Program Coordinator, at 203.265.7753 for more information.

*source: http://www.helpguide.org/elder/adult_day_care_centers.html

♦ Appointments: In order to serve you better, please call to schedule an appointment with the Social Worker, Eileen Flynn, at 203-265-7753.

♦ Walk-In Schedule: The Social Worker takes walk-ins on a first come basis for one-half hour sessions ONLY (30 minutes) on Tuesdays. Sessions are on the half-hour from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. No regular appointments will be scheduled on Tuesdays.

What Kind of Life Insurance Do I Have? Wednesday, June 15 1:30 – 3:00 PM

Do you have life insurance policies and you do not know exactly what they are? You may question if they are Term, Whole Life or Accidental Life. You may be paying for what you believe to be life Insurance but have special clauses limiting coverage. If you have any of these questions, Laurie Shields, Financial Services Representative, MetLife Financial Group, will be available for 30 minute appointments. To schedule a thirty (30) minute appointment, please call 203-265-7753.

Questions about Financial Decisions? Monday, June 13 1:30 – 3:00 PM

Brendan Toomey, Certified Financial Planner of Toomey Investment Management, Inc. will be available to answer financial questions about investments, IRA’s and annuities. To schedule a fifteen (15) minute appointment, please call 203-265-7753.

Low Vision Support Group - No meetings scheduled for June, July, and August. Enjoy your summer!

Veterans Services Tuesday, June 28 1:30-3:00 PM

George Messier, Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Wallingford will be available to answer questions and assist with benefit information. An appointment is required. Please call 203-265-7753.

Benefits Screening

Am I Eligible for Any Programs? Tuesday, June 21 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Do you often wonder if you might be eligible for any State or Federal Programs? Benefits QuickLINK is a free and confidential program which can quickly screen for eligibility. Supporting documents are not required, but please bring the following information with you to your appointment: 1. Monthly income (social security, pension, dividends and interest). 2. Monthly expenses (heating, fuel, gas, electricity, water, telephone, rent or mortgage payments and medical expenses not covered by health insurance). 3. Asset information (savings, estimated value of home and car, life insurance benefits). 4. A list of all current prescriptions. Registration required. Call 203-265-7753 now to schedule an appointment.

Food Pantries in Wallingford

Need a little help with your food bill? Listed below are the names, addresses, and times you can visit.

•Angel Food Ministries: Get $75.00 worth of food for $30.00. See member interest table at the center, or call 203-284-8975 for additional information.

•Master’s Manna: 46 North Plains Road (in back). ID required (Photo ID, Birth Certificate or medical card). Distribution times: Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00-1:00 PM; Fridays, 4-8 PM

•Good News Food Pantry: 46 John Street (Good News Church). Distribution time: Wednesday, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM

•Local churches: Call your church to find out if there is a food pantry available.

MAX E. MURAVNICK MERIDEN SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTER

The 41st annual Special Day for Special People, now called Meriden Senior Pride Day, will be held in Hubbard Park on Saturday, June 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The free picnic in the park for Meriden senior citizens features hot dogs, chips, popcorn, soda, watermelon and ice cream served by student volunteers and funded by contributions from Meriden businesses, clubs, civic organizations and the Meriden City Council. More than 300 people attend the picnic each year and all Meriden seniors are invited to attend Meriden Senior Pride Day!

The Meriden Antique Veterans will open the program with a flag raising ceremony followed by a welcome by Mayor Mike Rohde. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day by Vinnie Carr, popular keyboard player and vocalist who knows all of your favorite songs! Free bingo with prizes will start at 12:30 pm under the pavilion. For information on transportation to Hubbard Park call the Senior Center Mini-Bus Office at (203) 237-3338. Be sure not to miss this year’s Meriden Senior Pride Day on Saturday, June 11!

The next AARP Driver Safety Program at the Senior Center will be on Wednesday, July 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The one day course fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. People can sign-up in the front office or by calling us at (203) 237-0066. The program will be limited to the first 30 people who register so sign-up today!

Congratulations to the Senior Center Volunteers of the Year, the AARP Income Tax Team! Lead by local Tax Aide Coordinator Frank Spinelli, the volunteers are Joseph Borriello, Jane Callan, William Collett, William Glick, Dorothy Iwanicki, Robert Jankavich, William Kroll, Joann Rogers, William Schultz and Art Uylaky. During the 2011 tax season the group completed more than 270 income tax returns at the Senior Center. Congratulations to the AARP Tax Team and thank you for all you do for the Senior Center and seniors in Meriden!

The 2011 Meriden Senior Citizens’ Award Scholarship of $500 will be awarded to a graduating senior from Platt High School on Wednesday, June 1 at 11:15 a.m. in Willene’s Place. Since 1989 the Senior Center has awarded $12,200 in scholarships to graduating high school students in Meriden!

Special thanks to Victoria Jaras and Meriden Center for sponsoring our Senior Expo and Health Fair on May 11 and providing lunch from Panera Bread for everyone in attendance, we appreciate your generous support!

John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director

Mayor’s Corner – Meriden

A congratulation to all of Meriden’s graduating seniors from Maloney, Platt, and Wilcox Technical High Schools! You have closed a chapter in your life and you are now on to new opportunities and experiences. I hope you plan to attend Project Graduation on June 20 at Wilcox Technical High School from 10:30 PM to 5:30 AM. The Project Graduation Committee has planned an awesome event for you and it promises to be the best party ever! Don’t miss it – great entertainment, games, food, food, food, cash giveaways, prizes, gifts for all attendees, and the chance to meet and socialize with your friends from all the high schools. I hope to see you there!

Plans for the renovated Maloney and Platt High School are coming to completion. After much planning, deliberation, and debate, the final look and shape of the schools are coming into focus. This promises to be an outstanding improvement for our high schools for years to come. We can all be proud to finally bring our high schools into the modern era.

Now that summer-like weather has arrived, make sure to mark your calendars for some fun, outdoor events: Italian Night at Hubbard Park, Wednesday, June 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 PM; Meriden Black Expo Cultural Festival, Saturday, June 25 at City Park, 12 noon to 8 PM, starting with a parade from the Hub at 11 AM; The Cole Brothers Circus at the Hub, Monday June 27, Tuesday June 28, and Wednesday June 29, two shows each day. Also, the Westfield Fireworks Display and Party, Westfield Mall, upper Sears parking deck, 6 PM to 10 PM.

Finally, a big thank you to our City of Meriden employees who earned top honors for the biggest increase in the history of the Meriden Wallingford United Way campaign with a 64% increase over last year. What a great way to support the children and families of our community!

Best regards, Mike Rohde - Mayor

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to www.peoplespressnews.com

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Meriden and Wallingford CT Public Library News & Events Early June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:46:00 +0000

Library News and Events Early June 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF and interact visit http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

The deadline for our Mid-June 2011 issue of The People’s Press is June 15th. Email your stories, photos, news and events to andy@peoplespressnews.com .

Don’t forget Father’s Day Photo Wishes & Stories!

Wallingford Public Children's Library Summer Fun

Dig Deep Into the Wonders of Ancient Egypt This Summer

Registration begins June 1. You can log on starting June 24.

Read to Your Mummy is the Summer Family Read Together Program for families with children who have not started school

Families register online at home or at the Library

List the books you read online or at the Library

For every 6 books your child can pick up an Ancient Egypt sticker and sign a “building block” to add to the Pyramid in the Children’s Room.

When you reach 30 books you will also be placed in the raffle for the Family Fun Basket and your child will get an Egyptian Headband to color and wear.

The Peer-Amid Reading Program is offered to kids who have finished grades K-5

Keep in mind that studies show the number of books a student reads during the summer is Important.

Reading 4-6 books over the summer helps readers keep the skills they learned during the school year.

Reading 10 – 20 books over the summer helps readers IMPROVE their skills!

We do ask that kids read books that are appropriate to their reading level and we are always here to help kids find their perfect book.

This year students can register online for summer reading at home or at the Library beginning June 1st. Books read will be logged online and students will win prizes and be asked to stop by to pick up raffle tickets as they read. All raffle prizes are on display in the Children’s Library.

As part of this program, there is an optional giant game at the Library where kids can explore the wonders of Ancient Egypt each Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., from June 27 – August 5. Kids can begin to play the game after they have completed one book.

Although the Game will end on August 5th kids can continue to read and log their books online until August 19th.

REMEMBER TO PRINT OUT YOUR LIST OF BOOKS WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED AND

BRING IT TO SCHOOL FOR THE GOVERNOR’S READING CHALLENGE!

Sign up is easy.

Your USERNAME is your Library Card Number.

Your PASSWORD is the last 4 digits of your phone number.

Ready? Sign up Now at www.wallingford.lioninc.org

Beginning June 24th, you can update your online reading log on our summer reading site

Blast Off with the Meriden Public Library staff this summer.

Meriden Public Library will be featuring a special program for children going into Grade 4 & up. Come to this FREE program & built a rocket & watch it blast off.

This program will be held July 25th-29th at 12:00 pm. at the library. Bring your parents to sign you up on July 1st. For more information call us at (203) 630-6347.

B-L-A-S-T O-F-F AT THE LIBRARY!

HAVE A ROARING TIME AT THE MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY

JUNE 27 DRAGON DREAMS AND MAGIC 6:30 PM

Puppet show

JUNE 30 TAKE TWO PERFORMANCE STORY TELLING 10:30 AM

JULY 7 WORM PROGRAM 10:30 AM

Learn about the world of worms.

JULY 11 MR. GYM ROCKS 6:30 PM

Sing and dance with Mr. Gym

JULY 14 NEWBERRY FARMS ANIMAL PROGRAM 10:30 AM

Live Animals program.

JULY 18 MAGIC WITH CHRISTINA 6:30 PM

Magic show for all ages.

JULY 21 BIRDS ON THE RUN 10:30 AM

Live bird show.

JULY 25 WOODLAND CINDERELLA PUPPET SHOW 6:30 PM

JULY 28 GEEPERS CREEPERS 10:30 AM

Crazy about bugs! Live insect demonstration.

AUGUST 1 JUGGLING WORKSHOP 6:30 PM

Learn how to juggle- child must be accompanied by an adult.

There is Limited seating – call today to save your spot.

AUGUST 4 SHARON FAMILY TRAVELING PETTING FARM 10:30 AM

Sign up for a time slot to see and pet the farm animals,

AUGUST 8 NAPPY PUPPETS 6:30 PM

AUGUST 11 PAPILLION PIRATE SHOW 10:30 AM

Have a rollicking pirate time!

Programs may be subject to change. Free tickets for the first week of programs will be available beginning June 13. Subsequently, tickets will be available the week before each performance.

Meriden Public Library Children’s Library located at 105 Miller Street in Meriden. Call 203 630-6347 for more information.

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY JUNE PROGRAMS

FATHER’S DAY COOKING PROGRAM JUNE 11 - Join Chef Kashia Cave in the Meriden Public Library Griffin Room on Saturday, June 11 at 2:30 pm for some great cooking ideas for Dad on Father’s Day. Chef Cave will be preparing pan seared chicken with mango kiwi salsa, Calypso rice with organic salad and for dessert: red velvet cupcakes just for dad.

This program is free and all are welcome. Seating is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or sign up on the adult calendar at www.meridenlibrary.org to reserve a seat.

LOCAL AUTHOR JAMES SMITH TO DISCUSS LATEST BOOK JUNE 14 - Former Record-Journal executive editor James H. Smith will speak about his historical novel, “Wah-say-lan, A Tale of the Iroquois in the American Revolution,” at the Meriden Public Library Tuesday evening June 14 at 7 p.m. in the Griffin Room. Smith wrote most of the book in Meriden. He was at the Record-Journal from 1992 to 2005.

One of the two main characters is based on Chatham Freeman, a slave living on Yale Avenue who joined the Continental Army to gain his freedom. Smith places him in the army George Washington sent against the Iroquois Confederacy of Six Nations, most of them allies of the British. The other main character is Wah-say-lan, a young Seneca Indian woman. The two enemies meet and fall in love. “Smith skillfully weaves ... a panoramic tale,” said the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, “Though love is a key element in this tale, it is not a love story. It’s much more complicated than that.”

The Waterbury Republican called it “A richly detailed novel,” and the Erie (Pa) Times-News said “Wah-say-lan” is “an adventurous story, yet an insightful critique.”

Smith tells the story from the Native American point of view. The book was published by Plaidswede Publishing of Concord, NH in 2009. Copies will be available for sale and signed by the author. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org if you would like to reserve a seat.

2012 – END TIMES OR JUST ANOTHER CHALLENGE? JUNE 18 - Meriden Public Library will host the program “2012 – End Times or Just Another Challenge” on Saturday, June 18 at 2:30 pm in the Griffin Room. Are humans the new dinosaurs? Will life continue as we know it in 2013, or do the 2012 stars predict a cataclysm?

Dian Bustillo, an astrologer and extremely optimistic pessimist presents Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in all their gory glory. Yes, regretfully, Pluto is still a planet. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com, or visit the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org if you would like to reserve a seat.

COMPUTER CLASSES AT MERIDEN LIBRARY - Sign up for one of the free computer classes at Meriden Public Library and learn how to use a computer, Word, email, and search the internet. The class schedule is as follows:

Introduction to Word – Saturday, June 11 at 9:30 am; Monday, June 27 at 6:30 pm;

Email – Monday, June 13 at 6:30 pm; Saturday, June 25 at 9:30 am;

Computer classes in Spanish on Tuesday, June 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm and 6:30 to 7:30 pm and on Saturday, June 11, and June 18 at 10:00 to 11:00 am and 11:00 am to 12:00 noon.

Class size is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or the Information Desk at (203) 238-2346 to reserve a seat.

SCRABBLE SESSIONS JUNE 13 - Meriden Public Library hosts sessions for people who enjoy playing Scrabble. The sessions will be on Monday, June 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room. All skill levels are welcome. Scrabble boards will be provided, but people are welcome to bring their own boards. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have any questions about the library programs

SCRAPBOOKING ON A SHOESTRING JUNE 13 - Want to scrapbook but think you can’t afford to? Come to our scrapbooking session on Monday, June 13 at 5:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room of Meriden Public Library. Bring your pictures, pages, and adhesive and join Kitt Dunk to learn how to shape up your scrapbook using our decorative scissors, stencils, punches, and sticker maker machine.

There will be free handouts and free demonstrations along with hands-on one-to-one help. Come join us at this monthly program where you can learn how to quickly and easily turn boxes of photos and your memories into a keepsake photo album. Please contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com or log onto the library’s website at www.meridenlibrary.org to view the adult events calendar to reserve a table.

LUNCHTIME BOOK CLUB JUNE 16 - The Meriden Public Library’s lunchtime book club will meet on Thursday, June 16 at noon in the Seminar Room. Bring your lunch and enjoy the discussion. This month’s selection is Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

All are welcome. The books are available in a display across from the Information Desk. Contact Laura at (203) 238-2346 to sign up.

SUMMER HOURS AT THE MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY - The Meriden Public Library will begin their new summer hours after July 4th. This summer, the library will be open late on Thursday evenings and will be closed on Saturdays in July and August.

The summer schedule will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9:30 am to 8:30 pm; Friday, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm; closed Saturday and Sunday. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 for more information.

WRITER’S NETWORK JUNE 22 - The Writer’s Network will meet on Wednesday, June 22 at 7:00 pm in Griffin Room A. Anyone who is serious about writing fiction or nonfiction, wants to learn the process of getting published, or needs support for writing a book proposal or query letter is welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining the Writer’s Network, contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or email us comsvc@hotmail.com.

SCRABBLE SESSIONS - JUNE 27 Meriden Public Library hosts sessions for people who enjoy playing Scrabble. The sessions will be on Monday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room. All skill levels are welcome. Scrabble boards will be provided, but people are welcome to bring their own boards. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have any questions about the library programs

HOME CONSERVATION PROGRAM JUNE 21 - New England Conservation Services will be presenting a program on home conservation at the Meriden Public Library on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00 pm in the Griffin Room. New England Conservation Services is a company located in Woodbridge, C T with the goal of informing the residents of Connecticut on how to save money and energy in their homes and businesses. They are partnered with the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund and can speak about all their programs, rebates, and incentives that are available. You can visit their website at http://neconserves.com. This program is free and all are welcome.

LEGO CLUB JUNE 23 - Meriden Public Library will have its next Lego Club event on Thursday, June 23rd from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. Children ages 6 through 12 are invited to bring their imagination and build on this month’s theme – “Underwater Life”. Completed projects will be put on display in the library. The library will provide Legos for all children who attend. Sign up is not required for this program and late arrivals are always welcome. If you have any questions or would like to be put on the Lego Club mailing list please contact Melissa at (203) 630-6347 or mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us.

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOKMOBILE

The Meriden Public Library bookmobile will be visiting the following facilities in June:

Friday, June 10 – Meriden Center 10:00 – 11:00 am;

Tuesday, June 14 – Lil Rascals 9:30 -10:15 am; Sunshine Day Care 10:30 – 11:00 am;

Tuesday, June 21 – Catholic Charities 9:00 – 10:00 am; Kinder Garden Learning Center 10:30 – 11:30 am;

Wednesday, June 22 - Easter Seals 9:00 – 10:00 am; Bradley Home 10:30 – 11:15 am;

Thursday, June 23 – Kindercare 9:30 – 10:30 am; The Right Place 10:45 – 11:15 am;

Friday, June 24 – Stork Club 9:30 – 10:30 am; Miller Memorial 10:45 – 11:45 am;

Monday, June 27 – Center Congregational Nursery School 9:30 – 10:00 am; Women & Families Center 10:15 – 11:30 am; Village at Kensington Place 1:30 – 2:15 pm;

Tuesday, June 28 – Stork Club 10:00 – 11:00 am; Valentin Karate 11:15 am – 12:15 pm.

Watch for the Bookmobile in the parks this summer. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 for more information about the bookmobile.

Have a Roaring Time at the Meriden Public Children’s Library!

Wonderful Summer Programs

Reading programs start July 11th. Registration begins on June 13. Children must be of age by January 1.

Tuesday

10:15 a.m. 2 year olds (independent)

11:15 a.m. 3 – 4 year olds

2:00 p.m. Kindergarten – grade 2: Weekly crafts to make and take home.

6:30 p.m. 3 – 4 year olds

Wednesday

10:30 a.m. 2 – 3 year olds with parent/guardians

11:15 a.m. 3 – 4 year olds with parents

2:00 p.m. 3 – 4th grades: Learn to cook easy recipes for the whole family.

6:30 p.m. 2 year olds with parents/guardians.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

June 27 – 6:30 pm Dragon Dreams and Magic puppet show

June 30 – 10:30 am Take Two Performance Storytelling

July 7 – 6:30 pm Worm Program – Learn about the world of worms

July 11 – 10:30 am Mr. Gym Rocks – Sing & dance with Mr. Gym

July 14 – 6:30 pm Newberry Farms Animal Program

July 18 – 10:30 am Magic with Christina – for all ages

July 21 – 6:30 pm Birds on the Run – live bird show

July 25 – 10:30 am Woodland Cinderella Puppet Show

August 1 – 6:30 pm Juggling Workshop-learn how to juggle. Child MUST be accompanied by an adult. Limited seating available so please reserve your space as soon as possible.

August 4 – 10:30 am Sharon Family Traveling Petting Farm. Sign up for a time slot to see and pet the farm animals.

August 8 – 6:30 pm Nappy Puppets

August 11 – 10:30 am Papillion Pirate Show – Have a rollicking pirate time!

Programs may be subject to change. FREE tickets for the first week of programs will be available beginning June 13. Subsequently, tickets will be available the week before each performance. FREE tickets are available in the Children’s Library. If you have any questions please contact the Children’s Library at (203) 630-6347

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM WALLINGFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY

All Programs, Movies, and Events at the Wallingford Public Library are free and open to the public! The Library is located at 200 N. Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492

The Book Seller Rummage Sale!

Saturday, June 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Community Room

Great Bargains, lost treasures! No early birds please!

Come ready to sort through the boxes! A variety of books: fiction and nonfiction for adults, including some text books, will be sold for 25¢ each. A limited number of children’s books and videos will be sold 2 for 25¢. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Library Development Fund.

Saturday Mornings with Poetry

June 11th from 10:00 a.m. – 12: 00 p.m. in the Board Room

For our last meeting at the Library before our summer hiatus, please share a poem you have read since the May 28th meeting. Attendees may also read their own poems, and receive comments and suggestions for further development toward “best effort” and inclusion in the spring issue of Perennial Awakenings.

SMWP will resume its regular schedule in September. Meetings are moderated by Al Mueller.

Healthy: A Holistic Approach to Living Long and Living Well

Monday, June 13th from 2:00 p.m. in the Community Room

Embark on a journey that focuses the mind, body and soul, with an emphasis on brain fitness, healthy aging and personal growth. This thought-provoking presentation will help you make small but effective changes in your life to live longer, stay healthier and prevent age-related illness. This lecture is cosponsored by the Whitney Center and is part of their Healthy, Wealthy & Wise lecture series. Advance registration is encouraged.

Thursday Night Book Club

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

On Thursday, June 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Collins Room

This book is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa or Beryl Markham’s West with the Night. (From the publisher.) Please join us for conversation and reader fellowship. All are welcome.

Dessert with a Doc: Reading Food Labels

On Tuesday, June 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room

Join Lisa Pranger, Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator, to learn the basics of reading food labels and be aware of what you are eating and how much you are consuming. Refreshments will be served; please register in advance.

Connecticut Money School Series

“Family Love Letter” will be featured on Thursday, June 23rd at 6:00 p.m. in the Collins Room

The Family Love Letter should be used to help provide “information in a time of confusion,” and to help minimize the types of inadvertent mistakes that often occur in times of turmoil. It is one part of estate planning that should not be overlooked! Please register in advance.

Understanding a Reverse Mortgage

On Thursday, June 30th at 6:00 p.m. in the Collins Room

Your home is usually your largest single investment. This lecture covers the basics, important terminology, and the advantages and disadvantages of the reverse mortgage, so you can decide if one is right for you. Please register in advance.

Adult Summer Reading Program: Read ‘em & Eat!

Friday Night Flicks: All films are shown in the Library’s Community Room

Another Year - Rated PG 13 June 17 6:30 p.m. Run time 129 minutes

The Adjustment- Rated PG 13 June 24 6:30 p.m. Run time 99 minutes

Cinema Club

Blue Valentine Rated R Monday, June 20 6:30 p.m. Run time 112 minutes

A Discussion will follow the movie.

Wii DJ Hero

Wednesday, June 29 3:00 p.m. Collins Room

Let your inner DJ out! Sign up in advance and join the fun when we pull out our @ii and play DJ Hero. All teens in grades 6 through 12 are welcome to play. Prizes will be awarded. Good luck and have fun!

Summer Reading: June 27 through August 26

Use the library and be green this summer! Check out some great books from the library, bring them home and read them, then return them and do it again! Each book you read gives you the chance to win a prize of your choice. Entry forms will be available beginning Monday, June 27.

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

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Health News & Events Early June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:36:00 +0000

Health News and Events Early June 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

The deadline for our Mid-June 2011 issue of The People’s Press is June 15th. Email your stories, photos, news and events to andy@peoplespressnews.com. Don’t forget Father’s Day Photo Wishes & Stories!

Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health

Chris More, RN

Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department

Let’s talk about . . . . . . going beyond the “Bottle” for pain relief. (I mean the pill bottle of course)! There are many ways to attack all kinds of pain with many different drugs, from the little aspirin to the powerful narcotic. But let’s zero in on one specific “pain” (no not your mother-in-law) one disease that 95% of the population (young and old) experience is arthritis specifically osteoarthritis.

The past few years have not been easy for people with chronic osteoarthritis pain, because certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that seem to work so well on arthritis pain had serious risks associated with them and were taken off the market. (Other NSAIDS, prescription, and over the counter) are still available, but again carry some risks of heart disease and GI bleeding. The “big guns”, like morphine are often reluctantly given by doctors due to the risk of dependence and other serious side effects.

Millions of people suffer with chronic pain and more than half of them have an arthritic condition. Isn’t there some way to deal with this particular pain besides drugs? The answer is “yes”, but what could possibly help? Let’s see (a hammock, and a tropical drink, on the beach in Jamaica!) That could work, but how about a reality check, starting with Topical medication. There are gels, creams and patches. Some pain physicians are choosing to use these in conjunction with less “pill taking”, so the side effects are less. Topical medication side effects are localized (meaning you may have an allergy to the drugs in the creams, get a slight rash or an irritation, but they usually don’t “mess” with your head or stomach). Topical medications in general are less risky. Another choice for relieving osteoarthritis pain especially knee pain are flat, flexible shoes or sneakers (so get out those $1.99 flip flops). A study done with these types of shoes showed that the flexibility and flatness of these shoes put less stress on knee and hip joints, but as with all new thoughts and ideas come the risks, and the risks of flip flops stand out like a sore thumb. Number one risk, FALLS, also inflammation of the bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis.) If you choose to buy these shoes, please go with sneakers first or a flat, flexible closed shoe with arch support. (I am way too clumsy for flip-flops).

My personal choice (prior to knee replacement) was the steroid injection. This treatment reduces the inflammation in the joint and very quickly relieves the pain. This injection (ouch!) can make you feel better for days or months. Again, the risks stand out, you can only do this 2-3 times a year and it does weaken ligaments and tendons, also there is a slight chance of infection as with any injection. Make sure you discuss this option in detail with an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Let me mention several other ways to try and reduce osteoarthritis pain, which does not involve medication. Exercise/Physical Therapy both can improve strength, posture function and range of motion. ALWAYS check with your physician first as to what is best for you and your particular degree of arthritis. Don’t ever over-do (you can’t relieve pain if you are causing yourself pain). Heat/Cold (heating pad, warm compresses, heat patches, warm baths OR cold packs, ice packs, “frozen vegetables”). Check with your physician or therapist as to which is better for you. Heat can sometimes cause more swelling to an acute injury, and overdoing either heat or cold can cause severe burns. NEVER apply heat or cold directly to your bare skin.

Meditation (guess what – no risks) can work for any kind of pain and regular practice reduces the brains’ response to pain. Assume the crossed leg Yoga position and chill out. (I would have to pass on the crossed legs, but chilling out sounds great) You don’t really have to get into a Yoga stance to meditate!!

I have touched on several ways to help you cope with chronic pain focusing on osteoarthritis. Talk with your caregiver about your daily battle with pain. Keep a log; let him/her know when you feel the worse, morning, night time? Are your activities limited, how much? (If you can’t shop that’s bad?) Over the counter or prescription medication you are taking for relief, have a pain number. 1= (little) 10= (emergency). Remember your caregiver is not a mind reader he/she cannot help you if you are vague or disorganized with your complaints. Last but not least, please don’t listen to the horror stories and remedies of friends and most importantly DON’T take Uncle Al’s medication. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s pain level is unique to them.

Well that’s all for this month, I do hope you have found some new ways to relieve pain. Stay flexible and keep moving! Until next month . . .

Meriden Health Department News and Events

West Nile Virus: A Reminder To “Fight the Bite” this Summer

Summer is right around the corner, but with this warm weather it sure feels like it has already arrived! We are all going to be spending more time outside, whether at softball games, digging in the garden, or just relaxing on the deck. The Meriden Health Department would like to remind residents to take protective measures against West Nile virus, an illness caused by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on birds that carry the virus. Although anyone can be infected with the virus, people over 50 years of age have the highest risk of serious illness.

No one likes getting bitten by bugs, especially mosquito bites. Here are some tips to avoid mosquito bites:

1. Minimize time outdoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

2. Be sure door and window screens are tight fitting and in good repair.

3. Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors during dusk and dawn, or when in mosquito-infested areas such as wetlands or woods.

4. Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors.

5. Consider using mosquito repellent when it is necessary to be outdoors and always use them according to label instructions. The most effective repellents contain DEET or Picaridin.

6. When using DEET, use the lowest concentration effective for the time spent outdoors (for example, 6% lasts approximately 2 hours and 20% for 4 hours) and wash treated skin when returning indoors. Do not apply under clothing, to wounds or irritated skin, the hands of children, or to infants less than 2 months of age.

One way to prevent mosquito bites is to reduce the amount of the bugs around your home. Here are some tips:

1. Dump water-holding containers, such as ceramic pots, used tires, tire swings often, or get rid of them all together.

2. Drill holes in the bottom of containers, such as those used for recycling.

3. Clean clogged roof gutters.

4. Change water in bird baths on a weekly basis.

5. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, and when not in use, pool covers. Drain any collected water from pool covers on a weekly basis.

For more information on West Nile virus call the Meriden Health Department at 203-630-4226 or visit our website at www.meridenhealth.com. A brochure on West Nile virus will be available at City Hall and the Health Department all summer long.
Celebration of Spring

On May 23 Meriden Mayor Michael Rhode visited the children at Catholic Charities Child Development Center. To celebrate spring and the return of birds and nature, he read them a story called Seven Hungry Babies, a book by Candace Fleming about a mother bird’s quest to feed seven hungry baby birds. The Mayor then helped the children make pine cone bird feeders to hang on the trees outside their classroom windows. The children covered the pine cones with different types of colorful bird seed, which they learned are some of bird’s favorite things to eat.

Catholic Charities Child Development Center is a City of Meriden School Readiness site serving 30 children ages 3 and 4. To learn more about School Readiness please call Jessica at (203) 630-4236.

Save the Date! Community Wednesday Block Party and National Day of Play

This event is back for a second year! Over 1,000 residents enjoyed a day of sunshine, play, and community last year – will you be part of the crowd in 2011?

When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 (rain date is Thursday, July 21), 10:00am-4:00pm

Where: Meriden HUB

What: A day of fun for everyone! Activities, games, food, health fair, info booths, petting zoo, hay rides, dunk tank, live broadcast by HOT 93.7. Sponsored by the Meriden Housing Authority, Meriden/Wallingford NAACP, and the City of Meriden.

Want to get involved in the health fair portion of this event? Contact Angela Simpson at 203-630-4237 or asimpson@ci.meriden.ct.us. Want to be a food vendor? Contact Teri Ramos at 203-235-0157 or teri.ramos@meriden-ha.com.

Early June 2011 Issue in Readable Image Form

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:27:00 +0000

Simply click on the page to enlarge and enjoy!

Remember the entire paper with many ways to read and with bonus items is online at www.peoplespressnews.com !

Photo of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:19:00 +0000

Wild Shot by Andrea White - no alterations done. She just snapped and sent. Email your photos to andy@peoplespressnews.com

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Photo of the Day

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:28:00 +0000

Beautiful Photo taken by one of our submitters - Janet Kilroy. Thanks for sharing Janet!

Email your photo to andy@peoplespressnews.com today to be a part of our next issue in print and on the web @ www.peoplespressnews.com

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June WOW!

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:13:00 +0000

JUNE WOW!

This only happens once every 823 years.
This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays.

This happens once every 823 years.

Also - this year we're going to experience four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11! I feel some good news coming in June!

Deadline Reminder for our Early June 2011 Issue

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Tue, 31 May 2011 07:04:00 +0000

The deadline to share your news, stories, photo, events and more for our Early June 2011 issue is June 2nd!

Email your submissions to andy@peoplespressnews.com TODAY to be a part of the LocalMotion!

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The May 2011 Issue of The People's Press in Searchable Text

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:12:00 +0000

Your Stories Mid-May 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

Your Stories Mid-May 2011

2nd Annual “Burgers for a Cause” Event

Last year, the “We are Family” Relay for Life team held the first “Burgers for a Cause Event”. The 2nd annual event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburgers will again be hosting this fundraiser.

Relay for Life is an important event to the Underwood and Moynihan family members, the organizers of the event. Fran Moynihan, the matriarch of the family, is a breast cancer survivor and is actively involved in Relay for Life. Carleen Underwood battled cancer for 8 years. She underwent numerous surgeries and treatments. However, she lost her battle in 2008 at the age of 43. The “We are Family” relay team was formed in honor of Fran and in memory of Carleen, two remarkable women.

The Burgers for a Cause Event is a fundraiser held at Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburger’s 2 locations (Meriden and Cromwell). It is as simple as coming in to Ted’s on June 21st and enjoying lunch, dinner, a quick snack, or just a beverage. A portion of all sales for the day will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Last year the event raised $1500.00 thanks to the generosity of Ted’s in addition to donations collected.

For more information visit the “2nd Annual Burgers for a Cause Event” on Facebook.

Wallingford Memorial Day Parade and Events

The Wallingford Veterans Memorial Committee, under the direction of Chairman Jerome J. Kennedy, has announced the schedule for ceremonies on Memorial Day weekend.

Festivities begin with the placement of American flags on all the graves of the deceased veterans on Saturday, May 28th at 9:30 a.m. at each of the town’s cemeteries.

An important part of the Wallingford Memorial Day Program is the Sunday evening Church Service, at which time we honor the memory of those who gave their lives in service to this country. Open to the general public, this service will be held at the First Baptist Church at 114 North Main St. in Wallingford on Sunday evening, May 29th, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. In order to make this Service as inspirational as possible, all Veterans Posts with their Auxiliaries and all other groups are asked to attend with their colors and standards. During this service, the names of all deceased servicemen from Wallingford will be read. There will also be the presentation of the ceremonial American flag to the Parade Marshal, James Dunn.

The annual Memorial Day Parade is set for Monday, May 30th. The parade participants will meet at Dutton Park at 9 a.m. Ceremonies start at 9:20 a.m. before the parade. The Gold Star Sisters will lay wreaths, with a prayer ceremony and Taps to be played by Lyman Hall High School.

The parade begins at 9:30 a.m. and will proceed south on North Main Street to Center Street; they will then turn left and proceed to South Elm Street, turn right and proceed to Doolittle Park, where the parade formation will gather in front of the reviewing stand and ceremonies will commence.

IT'S IN THE BAG

There is currently much to do about plastic shopping bags--and paper ones, too. We take free grocery bags for granted now, debating the pros and cons of the various types of bags available at our super-markets.

I appreciate the plastic bags for reuse at home to line my waste paper baskets and kitchen trash basket, and I don't know what I'd do without the large paper bags in which I recycle magazines and newspapers. I value both these products and never just throw them away, always using them to fill a household need. My friend, Maria, crochets plastic bags into pocketbooks. Amazing.

My daily newspaper is thrown to my driveway in a narrow plastic bag and these, too, are pressed into use. I save other plastic items, store them in one of the newspaper bags, and bring them to the collection box in the foyer of the super market where I shop.

One store I patronize occasionally sells large plastic bags for ten cents each. I bring my own cloth bags but appreciate that I could buy bags if I needed them.

When was the last time you bought a loaf of bread without a bag or at least some kind of wrapping?

Let me tell you about a loaf of bread we bought in Turkey that was wrapped in newspaper.

Forty years ago my husband and I traveled to Turkey to visit our daughter and son-in-law. John was in the United States Air Force. He had completed a tour of duty in Viet Nam, come home for his grandfather's funeral, married our daughter, and then assigned to Incirlik, the American Air Force Base in Turkey.

They lived in Adana, a town not far from Incirlik, in a fourth floor walk-up apartment.

Their daughter was born in Ankara. The new parents wanted us to see that baby and oh, how we wanted to see that baby! So we saved our money and by the time our granddaughter was four months old we were on a flight to Turkey by way of Madrid, Spain, arriving at Adana Air Port on April first, 1970.

John and Robin had a station wagon and drove us everywhere, always filling the car with andy off-duty friends and their 14 year old neighbor, Bezme, who served as our interpreter. We saw Roman aqua ducts, camel trains and castles, put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea, bought oranges in Tarsus where Paul and Cleopatra maybe did the same, though probably not together.

But I digress.

One day we visited the open-air market in Adana and several regular stores. We bought towels in a store where we were served chai, a delicious tea. A runner was sent out to buy the tea and brought it back on a tray. We sat up to the counter on stools and/or chairs with no backs. We were highly valued customers and the owners of the store took the time to speak with us as best they could.

Our last stop was to buy bread--still warm, though not baked on the premises of the store where we bought it. The bread was wrapped in newspaper. There was no bag.

Robin put the bread in a hot oven for a few minutes to kill the germs and then we sat and enjoyed this very special, delicious, loaf of bread.

John explained that the loaves of bread are delivered to the bakery in a truck, not in baskets, boxes, or bags, but just thrown together in the back of a truck. The truck that was used to deliver bread that day was used to deliver something else on other days. No one knows what it delivered on the other days.

That thought was a little intimidating, but I claimed that my loaf was in the middle of all the other loaves and did not touch anything other than another loaf of bread. One needs strong beliefs to live in a country like Turkey. Still, I would have gladly paid a nickel for a bag to carry that loaf of bread in.

I bet some of you would have paid a great deal more for a bag to keep that loaf of bread clean. I bet some of you would not have eaten that loaf of bread that was delivered in that truck that day.

I'm glad we did. It was Wonderful!

One Woman's Journal Audrey C. Linke

Broadway Bound!

The Parker Farms Drama Club is an after school program that was 2 years ago under the guidance of Patricia Crowley, the former administrator of the school. The Drama club was started because of a parent’s passion, Linda Wilkinson, (who trust me has the energy of a 9 cup pot of coffee), for the musical theater and a strong desire to bring performing arts to the children at Parker Farms.

The Drama Club performed “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.” on March 19th.

The students had the opportunity to work very hard creating a finished product from nothing. Work was completed in sections, a month to do the chorus music, a month on solos and a month on reading fluency to help with script writing.

The students also explored some independent projects including posters, written papers to compliment and reinforce what they had learned.

Some of the educational topics they chose were: The Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Preamble and the Constitution, Immigrants and the Melting Pot, Numbers, Manifest Destiny, the Planets and the Circulation of the heart & blood vessels.

The students worked very hard all year and grew tremendously, both socially and educationally. Linda was glad to have the opportunity as a parent to be so instrumental in introducing the performing arts to Parker Farms Elementary School.

Congratulations go to all of the students and also Mrs. Wilkinson for making an art not only of “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.” but also making education a work of art in progress!

For My Mom

Mom, you've grown so wise

and learn'd o'er the years;

I see it in your knowing eyes,

the love you hold for me so dear.

Let me take your hand so gently,

tell you of all the happy times

that I've cherished all a plenty,

and felt the kindred love that binds.

Smile with your dreams a glowing.

Comfort me in pain and sorrow

wherever I be a going;

Today, and all the 'morrows.

You are my mother, my haven;

I turn to you for visions

of what new things I be a cravin'

For I know you'll guide my missions.

For this I give you blessed glory,

And thank you from my heart -

For all the things in my life's story.

Close we'll be, and never far apart.

George Arndt / gogant

Wallingford YMCA as a LIVESTRONG YMCA??? It’s up to you!

Make a difference for our community by Voting for the Wallingford YMCA

VOTE TODAY & Make a great IMPACT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY!

A collaboration of YMCAs in Central CT and MA has qualified to compete for the chance to become LIVESTRONG YMCAs, as determined by an online voting process between May 11 – May 31. Only one of eight final YMCAs will win in 2011. Please help us bring this unique opportunity to Central CT by voting today and encouraging others to do so as well.

Please go to http://livestrong.secondreading.com/regions/8/204-wallingford-family-ymca/vote/?back=/regions/8/204-wallingford-family-ymca/ or find the link at our website www.wallingfordymca.org or at www.peoplespressnews.com

What is LIVESTRONG at the YMCA?

LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a twelve week small group program designed for adult cancer survivors who have become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment and/or disease. The program is offered without cost to the participants.

Our goal is to help patients build muscle mass and muscle strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability. Additional goals include reducing the severity of therapy side effects, preventing unwanted weight changes, and improving energy levels and self esteem. A final goal of the program is to assist participants in developing their own physical fitness program so they can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life.

Research is now showing that physical activity can decrease recurrence and increase survivorship for cancer patients.

Certified YMCA fitness instructors give personal individualized instruction to the participants. The instructors are trained in the elements of cancer, post rehab exercise, nutrition, and supportive cancer care.

Why is LIVESTRONG at the YMCA Important?

This program fulfills the important need of the increasing number of cancer survivors who find themselves in the transitional period between completing their cancer treatment and the shift to feeling physically and emotionally strong enough to attempt to return to their normal life. The fact that the program in outside a medical facility and integrated into the community serves to emphasize that LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is about health, not about disease. The positive and enthusiastic feedback that we receive from individuals who have gone through the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA convinces us that this is a significant community program that fills an important, and previously unaddressed, need of cancer patients and survivors.

Thank you for your support!

ONE MORE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

By Paul Gilfillan

Social Security Manager, Meriden Ct

If you’re one of the many teenagers or young adults planning to get a summer job or start a career this summer, you may be surprised to see what’s deducted from your paystub. If you don’t know already, it’s time to learn what your Social Security taxes are all about.

By law, employers must withhold from a worker’s paycheck Social Security taxes. While usually referred to on an employee’s pay statement as “Social Security taxes,” sometimes the deduction is labeled as “FICA taxes” which stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act, a reference to the original Social Security Act.

The taxes you pay now translate to a lifetime of protection, for retirement in old age or in the event of disability. And when you die, your family (or future family) may be able to receive survivors benefits based on your work as well.

Right now you probably have family members — grandparents, for example — who already are enjoying Social Security benefits which your Social Security taxes help provide.

Because you’re a long way from retirement, you may have a tough time seeing the value of benefit payments that could be many decades in the future. But keep in mind that the Social Security taxes you’re paying can provide valuable disability or survivors benefits in the event the unexpected happens. Studies do show that of today’s 20-year-olds, about one in four will become disabled and about one in eight will die before reaching retirement.

Warning: if an employer offers to bend the rules and pay you “under the table,” you should refuse. They may try to sell it as a benefit to you since you get a few extra dollars in your pay. But you’re really only allowing the employer to cheat you out of your Social Security credits. It’s also illegal.

Another tip: don’t carry your Social Security card around with you. It’s an important document that should be safeguarded and protected. And it can be a valuable tool for an identity thief, if it’s lost or stolen.

If you’d like to learn a little more about Social Security and exactly what you’re building up for yourself by paying Social Security taxes, take a look at our online booklet, How You Earn Credits, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10072.html.

Do you prefer videos to reading? Check out our webinar, "Social Security 101: What's in it for me?" The webinar explains what you need to know about Social Security. You can find it, along with other informative webinars, at www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars.

You can also learn more by surfing the web at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Masters Manna Resource Center News and Reviews

Masters Manna Resource Center would like to thank all those who donated time, talent and/or resources this past winter to ensure families were well cared for. This was the winter that reminded us to check in on one another, to shovel the neighbor’s walkway, pick up an extra gallon of milk for the family down the street and to rejoice at the first sign of spring! Master’s Manna remained open around the clock for 17 days at the height of the back to back storms. A warm place to sleep and hot meal were available to all in need. We could have not gotten through the winter without your help.

Many of you have heard or read that Master’s Manna is moving to Johnsonville. This is incorrect. Johnsonville is a 74 acre piece of property for sale in East Haddam. This may become the future home of Master’s Mansions. “Master’ Mansions” will become an entirely separate entity from Master’s Manna and will not utilize or reduce resources given to Master’s Manna.

Master’s Manna will remain at 46 No. Plains Industrial Rd. where we hope to one day utilize the entire building. Expansion of programming at Master’s Manna is planned with Labor Ready of Middletown beginning on-site ”job fairs” to assist with matching those seeking employment with local employers. The first “job fair” is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2011 and every three weeks thereafter.

Master’s Manna Resource Center is here to stay until hunger, homelessness and near homelessness is no longer an issue in the greater Wallingford/Meriden area.

In other news Masters Manna was voted $20,000 by the Wallingford Town Council at the April 27, 2011 budget workshop. The Mayor’s budget proposed $10,000. Many “Thanks” to the Wallingford Town Council for your belief in the work we do and your support! “Thank You” Mr. Parisi and Mr. Sullivan, you have made a huge impact.

Another important note: those in Washington are talking about cutting Community Action programs in our community .These include elderly programs, job training, energy assistance, weatherization, Head Start and community service block grant's. You can email or write your local representative to let them know how you feel about this.

Finally- if you wish to become a volunteer at Masters Manna Resource Center please call 203-678-3042, visit our website- www.mastersmanna.org or stop down between 9 am till 4 pm Monday -Thursday, Friday 9 am -8 pm or Saturday 9am - noon.

Masters Manna Resource Center is located at 46 North Plains Industrial Rd. Wallingford, CT right off of route 68.

My Mom…

Her beautiful face, her wonderful smile,

Those sparkling blue eyes, how they could take me a mile.

Her warm gentle hugs, her soft spoken voice,

How could you not think, she'd be my first choice.

The way that she cares, the way that she listens,

The wonderful way, she makes my heart glisten.

I can tell her anything, for she's always true,

Honest, Dependable, and Reliable too!!!

She's wonderful, pretty, funny and smart,

And she will always have a special place in my heart!

Can't you see how, to me, there could be no other,

For you see, she's my idol, my hero, my best friend, my MOTHER!!!!

I LOVE YOU MORE MOM!!!

Carrie

May is busy at the QRWA

Life along the Q River… An Update from the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association

By JoAnne Grabinski

It seems that spring has sprung within this past week. Buds were preparing to burst forth, waiting for that perfect moment of time and temperature and then, BAM! Leaves and flowers shot out all in the space of a week. The QRWA is much like that, quiet and bidding its time and then, BAM! They present a plethora of events in May for members and the public to enjoy.

Sunday, May 15 is our 31st Annual Canoe and Kayak Race. The five mile race starts at the Southington DOT parking lot on Route 322, winding through Southington, Cheshire, down the Quinnipiac River Gorge and finishing at Red Bridge, into Hanover Pond. The event starts with registration and 9 am and usually finishes around 4 pm. There are numerous classes for the serious and not-so-serious racers; lunch is provided for all the participants, along with fun and fellowship. This is the longest running canoe race in CT, attracting racers from all over New England and beyond.

New this year is the First Annual Environmental Fair taking place also on Sunday, May 15 from noon to 4 pm. Environmental groups from all over CT have been invited to come and share information, resources contacts and ideas on the shore of Hanover Pond. The public is invited to visit among the participants, gathering information and being educated on the current environment issues.

And the Butterfly and Bee Garden planting rounds out the May events. The date has yet to be determined based on the current conditions of the garden, plants to be planted and the weather, of course. It should be noted that the Meriden Kiwanis Club, Key and Builders Clubs helped with the spring clean up in April. The garden has been cleared of winter debris and a fresh coat of compost has been added to the beds. During the month of May, we will see what perennial plants have returned, possibly what annuals too, and then assess what is needed for the upcoming planting season. New and different plants may be added based on what worked last year and what butterflies bees and other creatures can be attracted into the garden. Please visit the website for updated information.

Upcoming QRWA Events: To learn more about the QRWA and to confirm information, dates and times for upcoming events, please visit our website at: www.qrwa.org.

QRWA provides water activities, events in education, outreach, advocacy, scientific monitoring, conservation, restoration, recreation and public access to the watershed area. The Quinnipiac River Watershed Association (QRWA) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization whose mission is to restore the Quinnipiac for the health and enjoyment of all citizens and communities along its reach and to educate all students, families, individuals, businesses and governments to be informed stewards of the river.

What's going on at 540 Oregon Road...

Thanks to the generosity and support of the Cuno Foundation who has provided over $27,000 in grant funds for materials allowing us to complete the exterior portions of our restoration project, past presidents of the Meriden Lions Club, Art Forcier and Ed Haberli have combined their president projects and have provided $20,000 in materials to begin work on the interior of the building. They have already replaced all the plumbing and heating portions including the installation of the new furnace. But that's not all...construction of the science lab/class room and lobby is also underway. Wiring, lighting, framing you name it; it is all going on at 540 Oregon Road! Everyday there is another miracle.

Thank you for your support and remember your donations are tax deductible.

Downtown Wallingford

While driving through Wallingford yesterday I happened to notice how beautiful it looks. The trees are in bloom the pansies are in the baskets & in the barrels; the lighting is perfect for our New England town.

Take a walk, Simpson Court looks absolutely beautiful. Stand at the top of Center Street & look south toward The Masonic Home it will take your breath away, it did mine. I felt such a sense of pride in the town & the people who make this beauty possible.

Good Job!

Sincerely, Carole Golitko

Frugal Living in America

By Gina Juliano

Using coupons has become more and more popular lately because of our crummy economy. Although I personally feel coupons are an excellent resource for stretching my money, many people don’t really want to bother with coupons for one reason or another. In light of this, I have nine easy tips that will help save you money at the grocery store, even without using coupons.

● Only buy what is on sale. Just sticking to this one simple rule will save you hundreds on your groceries every year.

● Plan meals around what is on sale and what you have in your freezer or pantry, not what you want to eat. Although this concept seems like a “no brainer”, many people create their shopping lists around what they would like to eat for the week and then go shopping. Often, this practice leads to spending more money because what is being bought isn’t on sale.

● Take time to plan your meals each week. Meal planning is an excellent way to reduce your grocery costs. Take the time to assess what you have in stock at home and then plan meals in advance. Even if you plan out just half of your weekly meals, you’ll save time and money because you won’t be running to the grocery store for last minute items, which often swells your monthly food budget.

● Buy extra when you shop. If you are a family who eats pasta once a week, for example, buy more than one box of pasta when it’s on sale. This way, you won’t have pay full price the next time. Recently, Swiss cheese was on sale at my grocery store for only $2.99/lb. Because my family eats lots of Swiss cheese, I bought three pounds, which was the maximum amount I could buy. To make it easy on myself, I had the deli person package the cheese into half pound units. I then froze all but one of the packages. For the next few weeks, I won’t have to pay full price for the cheese because I have 5 more packages in my freezer.

● Make extra when you cook. If you have to cook anyway, there’s very little additional effort needed to double the amount you cook. Making extra food can be a frugal endeavor in two ways. First, you can take the leftovers for lunch and cut down on the more expensive lunch items such as deli meat. Second, you can make enough extra to freeze for another meal at a later date. Then, on the days you don’t feel like cooking or are short on time, you have a complete meal that only needs to be defrosted.

● Shop like a man, not like a woman. For the most part, women like to browse and look at everything when they go grocery shopping, whereas men get what they need and get the heck out of Dodge. Grocery stores, just like any retail store, want you to buy as much as possible. There are pretty displays and end caps enticing you with products you really don’t need. How many times have you walked into a grocery store for bread and milk, and brought home three or four bags of groceries? It’s best to put your blinders on and get only what is on your shopping list.

● Make a shopping list and stick to it! Going to the grocery store without a list is like fighting a war without a battle plan. Without a shopping list, you are susceptible to overbuying. Having a list keeps you on track and focused.

● Buy bread at bakery outlet stores. Bread is a relatively expensive item at the grocery store. Some of the heartier whole grain varieties can be more than $4 per loaf. Take trip to your local bread outlet store such as Freihoffer's or Wonder to purchase bakery products for as little as $1 per item.

● Buy staple items such as flour, sugar, butter, milk, and eggs at a warehouse store. For the most part, staple items tend to be much less expensive at warehouse stores such as Costco and BJ's. Because the warehouse stores buy in such huge quantities, they get products for less and pass that savings on to the consumer.

Gina is the creator of Gina’s Kokopelli, a blog dedicated to all things coupon, free and cheap. You can get more frugal tips, freebies, coupons, and great deals by visiting her blog at http://ginaskokopelli.com. Gina also teaches couponing classes and would love to be invited to your organization or business to teach a class. For more information or to inquire about a couponing class, please email her at ginaskokopelli@yahoo.com. She’s also happy to answer any couponing question you may have!

Barbara's Bountiful Bouquet

Thank God, it's time to start working on the garden. I'm so thankful for this time of year. It is still light out at 8 p.m., and I am loving that. Beginning on March 16th, we were able to sign up for our plots at the Parks and Rec for the Wallingford Community Garden, which is located at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park on East Center Street. This is my 13th year, I think. I've kind of lost track.

For a change, I actually started shoveling up weeds, grass, and sunflower roots in April to try and not have to face weeds and grass that are four-feet high in May. Every year the weeding is a daunting project, so I was determined to try to hold those weeds at bay. I put down a lot of hay, too. I decided to shovel out all of the strawberry plants because they began to take up way too much space in such a tiny plot, and it just wasn't worth it.

Oh, and my weed block experiment last summer was not very successful. I had weeds growing through it and on top of it in April. I think if you are going to use weed block, you really have to lay newspapers down first and then put the material over it, which of course I did not do. Live and learn. So now I have all kinds of holes in the weed block from pulling weeds out of it. Nuts. So much for the 10-year guarantee. Humph.

I did a little experiment with seeds in my "sun room" beginning in February. You probably know this, but if you don't have special lights for helping plants grow, this process takes FOREVER. I started with lettuce. Approximately two months later the lettuce was large enough to actually eat. I got two servings of salad out of it. I next planted cucumbers, peppers, basil, and tomatoes in March. They are still so small on May 7th; they would never survive if I transplanted them now. Maybe by the end of May they could possibly be transplanted in the garden, but I have a feeling I'll be buying my usual plants at Vinny's and elsewhere. I just thought I would give it a shot. I just planted some sunflowers yesterday in my "sun room." I'll see how that goes.

So this was like one of the worst winters in my memory, and we came through it, thankfully. Some people were joking that the snow would not melt until July. It almost seemed that way, didn't it? I am thankful it is over with, as I am sure everyone else is. I am also acutely aware that Connecticut is very blessed. We had no tornadoes, hurricanes, mudslides, fires, earthquakes, or nuclear reactor meltdowns. Oh, sure, we had some caved in roofs, but those can be fixed. So many people have faced terrible devastation in our country, and in other countries too, and I am very thankful to be living in Connecticut. Yeah, we might have high prices, a high cost of living, but that's okay. I can deal with that. I feel fairly safe here. I am proud to be an American, but I am also very grateful to be living in Connecticut, honest, high prices or otherwise.

I hope all of the mothers in our readership had a great Mother's Day! And Memorial Day is fast approaching. Happy Spring to everyone! Summer is a'coming, and I'm ready! Yippee!

Barbara Sherburne

barndt49@yahoo.com

Just Outside the Doorway

There are many evenings that my wife and I venture out into our front yard just to relax on our glider. It's the time to take in the deep breaths and reflect on the day. The sound of crickets chirping and the sight of an occasional firefly can ease any tensions from a long day. We've gazed at the heavens and witnessed many shooting stars together.

We've also tried to reenter our home only to find a toad scratching at the front door. Ya know,,,some toads just don't listen. He can't come inside. My first contact with this little fella came just as I described, scratching at the front screen door. I picked him up and he wriggled just a bit and of course promptly peed in my hands. A quick wipe on the pants leg and my hands were once again clean (what? I'm a guy remember?)

My next instinct was to take him over to the bushes and let him go on his merry way. But did I do this? No. Instead I decided to pet him. It was awkward at first; not really knowing which parts would be suitable for petting. Petting on the back didn't seem to be to his liking much and rolling him over for a belly rub just didn't work out so, I treated him like a dog, well kinda. With my index finger I began to gently caress the spot behind the ears (I reckon those things are ears).

Can you believe he settled in the palm of my hand and enjoyed it? After a couple of minutes I switched to behind the other ear thing. His head turned slightly to accept this newfound pleasure maker that was protruding from the end of my hand. Then I heard a sound that amazed me. I had no idea that toads are capable of purring. Ummm, that's about the time when my wife reopened the door and asked what I was doing. Ummm, "Petting a toad" was my reply.

Only to this woman could such a reply sound normal coming from my mouth. After all, only an hour earlier I had been feeding my friendly lizard some flies on the back patio. Yep, supper was almost ready and about time for me to come back inside and get washed up (but my hands are already clean like I've told her sooo many times). Very gently I placed this little toad in some bushes next to our front door and went inside.

Well, the next night can you guess who was back once again scratching at the front door? Yep, my little buddy. This was the last night that he peed on my hands. By the third night we were best friends, him expecting to get petted and I listening for those happy sounds that I loved to hear.

Ummm, this was about a thousand nights ago. He doesn't come out much now because it's rather cold outside but I know as soon as spring arrives my little buddy will once again be scratching at the front door.

This little toad still expects me to turn into a Prince Charming with a simple kiss and I just pray that I don't get warts.

Is there a message here? I reckon there is. To get out and enjoy nature doesn't necessarily mean taking a long journey. Sometimes it can be as close as our own front door.

Unkie Milt

Providing Comfort and Coffee to the Troops

HOLY JOE’S CAFÉ - First Congregational Church - Wallingford

Going for coffee these days seems as American as mom, baseball and apple pie. While it might actually involve grabbing a cup of whatever it is that gets us going, its primary purpose may be to strengthen social ties or show support for a friend in need.

Nowhere is this more evident — or more appreciated — than among U.S. military personnel taking part in the initiative known as Holy Joe's Café. Thanks to the First Congregational Church troops don't have to go for coffee; it's coming to them with over 550 chaplains receiving coffee in locations in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan since beginning in 2006.

Holy Joe's provides soldiers a quiet place to talk with friends, converse with chaplains or write a letter home. "Our community coffee bar has become the lifeblood of the camp," writes Chaplain Michael J. Lovett. "Your donations have had a direct impact on our operations. Your act of kindness not only meets a physical need but also strengthens our troops emotionally."

Donations of ground coffee or monetary donations can be dropped off at the church office at 23 South Main St, Wallingford, CT 06492.

For more information, please call [203] 859-0031, www.holyjoescafe.blogspot.com or holyjoescafe@att.net.

Losing Tony

Margie Brown Ferreira

Losing Tony the way I did was so hard. We found out February 27, 2009 that he had small cell lung cancer and it was very aggressive. Stage 4...he went into the VA hospital on March 3rd to start having his chemo treatments starting the next morning. We talked every night on the phone and every night he said I Love you. Tina my daughter brought us there and his brother John his wife Regina and I went to pick him up that Saturday March 7th. When we arrived home first thing he did was get out of the car and go across the street to put the garbage cans on the sidewalk that the neighbors left out. He was like that. We gave him hell for it but he wouldn't listen he always did what he wanted to. My sisters Penny and Kelli came over to visit...he seemed really good. The next day was Sunday and I was picking up my granddaughter Cassie to take her shopping for the things she needed for school as she was going to Wilcox for electrical. He was so dam proud that his oldest granddaughter was going to be doing something of her life. He was very proud of all 3 granddaughters. He would call Cassie his "Fat Rat.” Janessa was his "Little Perogie" and Alexia was his "Peanut". That Sunday afternoon when I did get home he was breathing heavy but the paperwork he brought home from the hospital said he would. We didn't think anything of it. We talked for hours and it was him doing all the talking. He talked about his Mom and Dad and his great friend Walt. Why didn't I listen and understand everything? He needed to talk to his grandkids and Tina before he went to bed. Before he went upstairs he looked at me and said we really need to talk as I have to talk to you about things and I looked at him and said we could do it another day as he was so tired. He looked at me held my hand and said I Love You and I will see you in the morning. Not knowing that would be the last time I would ever see my husband of 38 years. We did have ups and downs in our marriage but everyone has. We stuck to it to make ours work. I just wish that I would have let him talk more so that I could have heard what he wanted to say. That Monday morning was the worst day of my life. I have lost 2 children full term and got over their deaths as I have my daughter but finding your husband is the worst thing that can happen to anyone and to this day I will never forget that moment in time. It has been a long 2 years since March 9, 2009 but I did it. Yes my daughter and I had problems but that was her Dad that was gone and my husband too. The hardest thing to see was the sadness in my granddaughter’s eyes when they came to the house and their "Papa" wasn't there anymore. They still are in pain but now they smile because of all the wonderful memories that they do have of him. He wasn't only their grandfather he was a special Dad to all 3 of them and they surely miss him a lot. We all miss him and always will. Thank you so much Tony for being my husband for 38 years. It was a journey for the both of us

Lions and Tigers and Teens

Teen Esteem

A pimple used to put a wrench in my entire day. That one little red spot would cause all kinds of insecurities. I would head out to school feeling ugly, even if, just hours earlier, I was feeling like a movie star. It’s funny how your perspective is drastically different during the teen years. Today, I just slap on concealer and call it a day.

However, insecurity regarding physical appearance is not the only esteem downer for teens. There are other issues that can cause your teen to feel less than valuable, and some may have long-term effects. Being cut from the team, a break-up with a significant other or rejection from the college he’s hoped to attend since the second grade can be catalysts to self-loathing.

Your teen’s mood is all over the place to begin with, so what’s a parent to do when her teen’s esteem seemingly plunges into a black hole?

Reflection in the Mirror

Many teens believe that “fitting in” is synonymous with “looking like.” This is why many adolescents try to conform to a desired crowd by physically dressing and acting like those in the group. Others might try to emulate fashion models or movie stars. Both of these scenarios can be destructive if taken too far.

“Wanting to fit in and look like other kids is part of adolescence. However, this desire can lead to stress and to unhealthy behaviors,” warns Wendy Grolnick, Ph.D, author of, Pressured Parents, Stressed- Out Kids (Prometheus Books, 2007) and director of the Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology and Education at Clark University. Parents need to help their teens put appearance in perspective. Grolnick suggests, “Parents can help their teens by stressing and modeling the importance of a healthy lifestyle - healthy eating and exercise.”

Be a good role model. Mothers who constantly complain about their looks or their weight are setting a bad example for their young daughters. Parents with positive self images help their teens learn by example. This is much more powerful than merely telling your teen to feel good about herself.

Building Up

All parents want their children to be the best they can be. However, parental expectations and criticism can be damaging to a teen who is already unsure of himself. Parents should remember to build up, not break down, by focusing on their teen’s accomplishments, not their failures.

Grolnick says, “Given our very competitive environment, teens are under immense pressure to live up to their own and others’ standards. This pressure can lead teens to ultimately question themselves and their adequacy.”

Parents shouldn’t add to the pressure their teen is under by pushing too hard. Instead, Grolnick suggests the following for encouraging a positive self image:

Help your teen formulate realistic expectations – an important life skill

Focus on the process of your teen’s endeavors, rather than the outcome

Teach your teen multiple ways to be successful

Limit activities if overload is causing stress

Facing Failures

It’s inevitable that your teen will experience disappointments and failures. It is how she learns to deal with failure that’s important. Teach her how to put failure in perspective and that learning from failure is a path to becoming a better person.

Constructive criticism is effective if you focus on the action, not the person. You might say, “I know you could have done better on that exam if you had studied more,” instead of, “You have no work ethic.”

Encourage “reachable” goals. An average, varsity baseball player who has hopes to make the major leagues will have a difficult time when reality strikes. Be sure your teen understands that there is no such thing as perfection. Instead, communicate that putting in your best effort is a goal worth attaining.

Grolnick says that decreased engagement in pleasurable activities, increased time alone, frequent stomachaches or headaches, and persistent negative self-statements could be signs that your teen’s negative self image has spiraled out of control. Parents who believe this to be the case should seek professional help.

TIPS AND TALES

“This is what I tell my girls: Instead of putting yourself down, think of five things that you like about yourself." - Joan Larkin Bullock

“I give my teenage sons choices and ask for their input so that they are involved in decision-making. The more they are invested, the more they are likely to make a good choice for themselves. I firmly believe that giving them the freedom to make choices gives them confidence in their decision-making ability - a life skill!” - Sherry Hallenbeck

Want to share your ideas? Upcoming topic:

Summertime equals “freedom” for teens. Any special rules for your teen during summer months when things are more lax? Please send your full name, address, and brief comments to:

myrnahaskell@gmail.com Or visit: www.myrnahaskell.com

Myrna Beth Haskell is a feature writer and columnist for The People’s Press specializing in parenting issues and child and adolescent development. She is the mother of two teenagers.

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Local News and Events Mid-May 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF and interact visit http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

Reading program gets visit from Miss Connecticut USA

Who was that young woman with the sparkling sash on? What was she doing at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School?

The young woman, the newly-crowned “Miss Connecticut USA,” was Regina Turner from Old Saybrook, a 21-year-old dental hygiene student at Tunxis Community College. She took some time out of her June Miss USA pageant preparations to visit the Senior Buddy Readers program at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School on May 11. While her career ambition is to become a dentist, she also wants to educate young children and she noted the importance of early literacy and instilling a love of reading early in life.

“I love working with kids and reading is definitely important,” Turner said.

How did the Senior Buddy Reader program begin? Ten years ago, when her niece was having reading difficulty and help didn’t come soon enough to avoid the youngster repeating a grade, Cathy Lewis and fellow Meriden parent Donna Mordarski came up with an idea. While attending a meeting at a local senior center, Cathy and Donna realized there was an untapped resource in their midst – the senior citizen population. Here was a wealth of information right in front of them, with so much to offer and time to share their talents and experiences, but not engaged to do so. With that, the “Senior Buddy Reader” program was born.

“We were two single moms with no budget,” said Lewis, Senior Buddy Readers program coordinator and co-founder. “Everything was donated – books, the space, volunteers.”

The program pairs older adults, usually retirees, with first- and second-graders identified by their teachers to need reading assistance. The program currently runs in four of Meriden’s elementary schools – Benjamin Franklin, Nathan Hale, Thomas Hooker and Hanover. At Benjamin Franklin and Nathan Hale, the program is for first- and second-graders; at Hooker and Hanover, it’s just for first graders. Most students in the program are considered middle readers. The children read to their senior buddies, and the buddies give the children extra support and help foster a love of reading.

“It’s a nice thing for the middle readers,” said Dan Coffey, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School’s principal. “They go to the same reader every week – they build a solid relationship.”

The co-founders worked with school principals and teachers and volunteers received training on using the strategies employed in the schools to help children improve reading skills.

“For me, it’s a treat,” said senior buddy Paul from Meriden. “They do more for us than we do for them.”

“Buddy Readers is a win-win-win situation – a win for the children; a win for the senior buddies, and a win for our schools,” said David Radcliffe, Executive Director of Meriden Children First, the program’s sponsor organization. “It’s this sort of early learning investment that helps children have successful school experiences.”

To date, more than 75 volunteers work with approximately 200 first and second grade students. For more information on the Senior Buddy Reader program, visit www.meridenchildrenfirst.org.

Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament

The biggest “community” tennis tournament in New England is right here in CT! The 7th annual Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament is scheduled for June 11-19. The 2011 venue is the beautiful and recently renovated Hunt Tennis Center on the Choate-Rosemary Campus, Wallingford.

This is a charity event and all proceeds from the tournament benefit Wallingford YMCA youth programs and the Winton S. Filipek Sr. scholarship fund.

Each player receives a tournament t-shirt, player handbook, player gift bag, ticket to “Breakfast at the Championships” and tennis balls & water for every match. Prizes are awarded to 1st & 2nd place in every division.

The 9-day event will feature: 21 divisions for all levels, 5 high school divisions, a junior boys & girls round-robin and a Free Kids & HS Clinic & Fun Day (at capacity 2010).

In 2010, the event drew 594 entries.

THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY TENNIS TOURNAMENT!

Please direct any questions to:

Wint Filipek Jr. wrfilipek@hotmail.com 860-621-5655

Apply on line NOW @ www.ymcafilipektennis.com

THE YOUNG BUSINESS LEADERS OF CT ARE HOSTING THEIR

3rd ANNUAL MINI GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Young Business Leaders of CT of the Greater Meriden Chamber of Commerce, Inc. is hosting their 3rd Annual Mini Golf Tournament on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at Golf Quest, 125 Jude Ln., Southington from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The cost is $20 per player or $75 per foursome. Hole Sponsorships are available for $50 each. Team Registration starts at 5:30 with a Shotgun start at 6:00pm followed by awards ceremony and refreshments at 8:00pm. Proceeds help support the Young Business Leaders Dan M. Hunter Education Award. (Rain date will be Thursday, June 16, 2011)

For more information, call the Chamber at (203) 235-7901, fax us at (203) 686-0172, email us at info@meridenchamber.com or visit www.meridenchamber.com.

My City Kitchen Needs You!

Do you have skills and time to dedicate to a growing non-profit? Are you interested in contributing to the MCK mission and have financial skills, fundraising knowledge, community organizing skills or non-profit board experience?

MCK is accepting applications for the 2011-2012 Board members. The MCK annual meeting will be held on Thursday, June 23, 2011, 6-8 p.m. at 384 Pratt Street, Meriden and new Board members will be voted in at this meeting. If you’re interested in serving on the Board, please obtain a Board member application: by emailing a request to kashia@mycitykichen.org. All applications must be received no later than May 31, 2011.

About My City Kitchen, Inc.

My City Kitchen, Inc. (MCK) is a 501(c) (3) tax deductible Public Charity Organization. Our mission at MCK is to instill healthy eating habits, build self-esteem, foster a sense of belonging, establish basic life skills in our children so that they may grow into healthy adults. To teach kids about food, and food products. We hope to encourage kids to take a keen interest in what they eat, where the food comes from, and especially how to prepare it.

Kashia Cave is the President / Executive Director. Her email is kashia@mycitykitchen.org and phone number is 1-203-630-2870. My City Kitchen, Inc. is located at 384 Pratt Street in Meriden. To find out more about this wonderful organization visit www.mycitykitchen.org.

The Wallingford Gardeners Market Celebrates Our 12th Year!

held on Saturday mornings from 9 AM – Noon from July 16- September 17, 2011 on the Railroad Station Green - intersection of Routes 5 and150 (Colony Street and Hall Avenue)- in the heart of downtown Wallingford, CT at the Gazebo!

When you shop at the market, you support our local economy. Your dollars go toward good fresh food, grown and harvested with care by local farmers and boutique gardeners. You buy direct from the producer; no middlemen; no long distance trucking costs. The produce you select is as fresh as if you grew it yourself!

Our Market features: fresh produce - veggies and fruit, fresh picked flowers, potted flowers, herbs, and shrubs, fresh breads, freshly brewed coffee, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, candy, handmade soaps and balms

quilts and aprons, paintings and prints, gift baskets, inscribed garden stones, garden ornaments, T-shirts, aprons, and bags with Wallingford logos.

To find out more about us visit www.wallingfordgardenersmarket.com and don’t forget to follow us on FaceBook!

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC. HEALTHCORPS MEMBERS TO BIKE ACROSS CONNECTICUT AND LEAD WEEK OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

Meriden youth invited to prepare Beat the Street community garden with AmeriCorps members on May 18

As part of AmeriCorps Week (May 14-21), a national service week for all AmeriCorps members and alumni nationwide, 12 Community HealthCorps members from Community Health Center, Inc. are cycling and walking across the state of Connecticut to lead service projects alongside community members. On Wednesday, May 18, Beat the Street Community Center youth are invited to join the AmeriCorps members from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., to prepare the vegetable garden.

Beat the Street Community Center in Meriden is a youth center that offers after school and educational programming including amateur boxing, hip hop dancing, music fitness and community service programs. Among the activities offered is a vegetable garden, started as collaboration with My City Kitchen three years ago to instill sustainability and nutritional values in the local youth. “The AmeriCorps members will learn about planting vegetables from our youth who have been working on the garden in past years,” said Larry Pelletier, executive director of Beat the Street. “Leading the AmeirCorps members in the garden preparation will empower our youth.”

My City Kitchen, founded by Kashia Cave, President and Executive Director, is a Public Charity Organization and recreational culinary program targeted towards children that are obese or overweight, as well as children who have an interest in culinary arts. The mission is to instill healthy eating habits, build self-esteem, foster a sense of belonging, and establish basic life skills in our children so that they may grow into healthy adults.

During the Going the Distance to Build Healthy Communities event, AmeriCorps members will also stop in Enfield, New Britain, Meriden and Clinton to engage community members in local service projects.

For more information about the project, contact Julie Halpin at (203) 237- ext. 2227 or halpinj@chc1.com.

WHAT: Garden preparation joined by youth at Beat the Street in Meriden with AmeriCorps members from Community Health Center, Inc., who are cycling and walking across the state to lead service projects alongside community members during AmeriCorps Week.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 18 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Beat the Street, 121 South Colony Street, Meriden, CT

COST: Free

For more information about the event contact Julie Halpin, AmeriCorps HealthCorps member, at halpinj@chc1.com or (203) 237-2229 ext. 6439.

About Community Health Center, Inc.

Since 1972, Community Health Center, Inc. has been one of the leading healthcare providers in the state of Connecticut, building a world-class primary health care system committed to caring for uninsured and underinsured populations. CHC is focused on improving health outcomes for its more than 130,000 patients as well as building healthy communities. Currently, CHC delivers service in 173 locations statewide, offering primary care in medical, dental and behavioral health services. For more information, visit chc1.com.

WALLINGFORD STUDENT NAMED TO MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY DEAN’S LIST

Christopher Bates, Wallingford, Conn., was recently named to the Dean’s List at Maine Maritime Academy for outstanding academic achievement in the first semester of the 2010-2011 academic year. Students named to the Dean’s List earn a grade point average of 3.3 or above on a 4.0 scale.

Bates, a member of the class of 2012, is majoring in Small Vessel Operations. He is a graduate of Sound School, New Haven, Conn.

Maine Maritime Academy, a public, co-educational college specializing in ocean and marine-oriented programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, was founded in 1941. MMA enrolls more than 900 students from 35 states and several foreign countries. The college awards A.S., B.S., an M.S. degrees in 14 fields of study.

Come to the Cabaret!

Please join us for a Family Fundraiser supporting the Meriden Youth Theater

The event features a Buffet Dinner, Dancing and Performances by members of the Youth Theater with a special guest appearance by the Maloney High School Allegrettos.

It will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 7:00 PM – Midnight at the Four Points by Sheraton Meriden

This fundraiser will help off-set the costs of licensing, sets, props, lighting, sound and the continued upkeep of our new space at 14-16 West Main Street

Reserve an Adult Table of 10 to the Cabaret and receive premium reserved seating for the show

To Purchase individual tickets:

___Adult Ticket $25 ___Child (under 12) Ticket $10 ___Performers Tickets $8

Tickets are limited so get yours today!!!

___ I would like to make a donation for the raffles (Please describe)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please select the choices you would like, and e-mail to Yvonne DeAngeli at zaccessa@aol.com

Please feel free to call Yvonne at 203-238-4535 if you have any questions or would like to know how you can help support the Meriden Youth Theater.

Sponsorships also available – please contact Yvonne at the phone number and email above for further information.

Thank you in advance for supporting the Meriden Youth Theater and the children who gain so much from it.

Travelers Chorale 87th Annual Spring Concert

From Broadway to the Emerald City

Travelers employees, family and friends are warmly invited to the Travelers Chorale (TC) 87th Annual Spring Concert entitled From Broadway to the Emerald City. The curtain will rise at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13. The Chorale will perform a popular musical program featuring Danny Boy, Summertime, Nella Fantasia (In My Fantasy), a medley of Beatles love songs and selections from award-winning Broadway musicals including A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast and Wicked. Noted Director Kenneth Ferris will conduct and gifted pianist Stacy Cahoon (celebrating her 15th year with the TC) will accompany the 80-voice choir. The ensemble will also be joined by a group of accomplished instrumentalists. At spring and holiday concerts each year the TC teams with our generous Bushnell audiences to collect thousands of pounds of non-perishable food in support local food banks. Travelers employees and their families are once again invited to support this long-standing Chorale tradition in lieu of paid admittance. TC concerts are inspirational performing arts events perfectly suited to become a semi-annual family tradition. For more information, visit us at www.travelerschorale.org.

Scholarships to be Awarded

The Silver City Marine Corps League with the John R. Shoneck Scholarship Fund Committee would like to announce that we will be awarding three (3) one thousand ($1,000) Scholarships this year. These Scholarships will be given out to deserving students from Meriden and from surrounding area towns.

Scholarship applications will be at the school’s guidance counselor office. Those attending the following schools are welcome to apply:

Platt, Maloney, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, Cheshire, Xavier and Mercy

The Heveder Band Comes To Town!

The Wallingford Hungarian Community Club is excited to present the HEVEDER BAND, an award winning Hungarian Transylvanian Folk band, on Sunday June 5th at 4 pm. The band will be accompanied by two of Hungary’s most respected folkdance performers: Irén Deffend and Flórián Hajdú. Heveder Band’s incredible repertoire covers authentic folk music of many regions of Transylvania and Hungary. Expect a breath taking concert & dance show!

Admission is $25 for members (membership card must be presented) and $30 for all others. Light snacks will be served. Contributions to the dessert table will be gratefully accepted (and enjoyed!)

To RSVP, please call Lajos at 203-530-3557 or Linda at 203-634-0602. You can also contact us at HCCofWallingford@gmail.com.

VASA Park Available For Rental

VASA Park is available for company outings, family reunions and private parties. The park is located at 358 Main Street South Meriden. For more information please contact Linda at gsteinmiller@cox.net

Volunteers NEEDED!

Volunteers are needed to visit elderly people, to shop with or for an elder, to drive an elder to and from their medical appointment, and to provide respite care to family members caring for a loved one who needs constant care. All that is required is a warm, loving heart and one or two hours of your time each week. A two hour training session will provide you with information and basic skills to make a difference in someone’s life. Please call IVCG for the next training date at 203-230-8994 or email carenh@snet.net for more information and to register.

Upcoming Craft Fair at VASA Park

A Craft Fair will be held on Saturday July 30, 2011 from 10 to 4 P.M. For more information please contact Linda at gsteinmiller@cox.net

WalkCT Family Ramble: Flat Stanley’s CT Outdoor Adventure

Saturday, May 28, 2011 10:00a.m.– 2:30 p.m.

Mattabesett Trail, Middletown

Help find Flat Stanley! Flat Stanley has gone missing on the Connecticut portion of the New England Trail (NET) and we need your help to find him. Join us for a fun adventure as we embark on a scavenger hunt and search for clues to find the hidden CT Flat Stanley letterbox. Find Flat Stanley as we hike the NET and have your picture taken with him to be entered into a random drawing for a CT Walk Book. Fun for all ages. Bring your own letterbox stamp and journal if you have one or borrow one of ours. Wear waterproof/ comfortable shoes; bring your camera (optional). Stay tuned for Flat Stanley's CT Outdoor Adventure # 4 during the last weekend of June.

RSVP: Advanced registration recommended due to limited parking; contact

info@ctwoodlands.org or (860) 346-2372. Rain postpones event until May 29, 2011, same time.

Directions: To the Aircraft Road trailhead: Route 9 to Exit 10, Aircraft Rd; Straight through traffic light for 0.8 miles, look for blue oval Mattabesett Trail sign

The Meriden Arts Council News and Events

MAC Arts and Education Awards

Education Awards

The Meriden Arts Council's Education Awards grant money to encourage high school students to pursue the arts or an arts career beyond graduation from high school. This year's recipients are: Emma E Czaplinksi, studying musical theatre at Plymouth State University, Lauren G Klein studying art education at Ohio Northern University, and Steven R Duchesne studying graphic design at Paier College of Art. We will honor them, along with our Artist of the Year recipients at an awards ceremony to be held at the Art of Collaborative Giving, 128 Center St, Wallingford Ct on Sunday 05/22 from 2-4. Anyone interested in contributing to our award fund for next year can mail donations to The Meriden Arts Council, PO Box 2334, Meriden, CT 06451, or can make a donation via our website, www.meridenartscouncil.org.

Artist of the Year Awards

The Meriden Arts Council Artist of the Year Awards acknowledge one or more adults for their contribution to our community and the world of the arts. The artists to be honored have excelled in or made other notable contributions to one or more of the arts. This year's recipients are Ellie Bender, Christine Ivers and John O Kenney. We will honor them, along with our Education Award recipients, at an awards ceremony to be held at the Art of Collaborative Giving, 128 Center St, Wallingford Ct on Sunday 05/22 from 2-4.

American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course

When: 6/1, 6/8, 6/9, 6/13, 6/15, 6/16 = 6pm-9:30pm and 6/5, 6/12 = 9am-1pm

Where: Platt High School, 220 Coe Ave. Meriden, CT 06451

Instructor: Coach Eric Lopez Cost: $200.00

*$100 non-refundable deposit due by 5/18/11 to reserve a spot*

*$100.00 balance due by 5/25/2011*

*Must be 15 years of age by the last class*

*Contact Coach Eric Lopez for more details* 203-886-6425 gilbert.lopez@meriden.k12.ct.us

“2011 EVENING MERIDEN PUBLIC SOCIALS”

In an effort to BETTER SERVE YOU; Community Police Office Fred Rivera, City Councilor Bob Williams and City Councilor Keith Gordon will be hosting Twelve Social Gatherings, throughout the year between 6:00pm and 8:00pm at the NEW Police Sub Station located at; 113 Main St, in South Meriden, Area 4.

Upcoming Schedule – Please Call To Confirm!

June 23 and July 28

A mail drop box will also be placed outside the Substation for your comments if you can’t make it. However- PLEASE Stop in and let us know - What’s on your mind? Your suggestions? Any concerns? What’s working? Or just drop in for a coffee!

“ALL ARE WELCOME”

Contact Information

Community Police Office Fred Rivera

203 815-2506 – wrivera@ci.meriden.ct.us

City Councilor Bob Williams

203 639-0770 – bobwilliamsjr@ci.meriden.ct.us

City Councilor Keith Gordon

203 686-1108 - kgordon@ci.meriden.ct.us

THE NAPIER COMPANY: SUNDAYS IN MAY AT THE ANDREWS HOMESTEAD

424 W. Main St, Meriden, CT (next to Ben Franklin School) EACH SUNDAY IN MAY 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Although the city is in the process of refurbishing the Andrews Homestead, we will be holding our bi-annual open house as planned. Jones New York and the Victoria & Co. in Rhode Island, the company that bought out Napier, have donated a substantial amount of large, glamorous photos used for marketing their jewelry. Also in the collection are catalogs dating back to the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, as well as a large scrapbook, compiled in 1948, with interior and exterior photos of the factory and office, along with a presentation binder from June 1953. To reflect the company's contribution to American costume jewelry, we have assembled a collection of Napier Jewelry representing the many years of the company’s operation. All will be on display in the main room at the Andrews Homestead. Come visit the Homestead, share your stories, and help celebrate Meriden’s past. Free admission though donations are always appreciated.

SUMMER-LONG TAG SALE

To help raise money for the upkeep of our research center, the Society will be holding a monthly community-wide tag sale at the parking lot of the Research Center: 1090 Hanover Ave S. Meriden, CT on the Second Saturday of each month: May 14, June 11, July 9, Aug 13, September 10 & October 8 (Weather permitting) 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Prices per each set-up are: $10.00 to members of the Society and $15.00 for non-members. Dealers are welcome.

The Society plans on having its own booth at the sale. We need both donations for the sale and volunteers to man the booth. Your much-needed donations can be dropped off at Fair Weather Antiques (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), at the Research Center (on Wednesday afternoons). To arrange for a pick-up, or to volunteer call Neda Weathers 203-237-4636 or Bill Siegel 203-235-2217. No appliances please – collectibles and smalls only.

The Meriden Historical Society is a not for profit organization staffed by volunteer researchers.

Your financial support will be greatly appreciated.

You may do so directly through our website: http://www.meridenhistoricalsociety.org/

or by mail: MHS, PO Box 3005, Meriden, CT 06450.

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC. AWARDED HIGHEST LEVEL OF

NATIONAL PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOME RECOGNITION

CHC has largest number of sites in Connecticut recognized by the program

Community Health Center, Inc. has received the highest level of recognition by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for Physician Practice Connections® Patient-Centered Medical Home Program™. This recognition acknowledges CHC’s adoption and implementation of the patient-centered medical home model across its 11 centers offering primary care in Connecticut. CHC has the largest number of sites in the state recognized by the program.

The patient-centered medical home model emphasizes ongoing partnerships between patients, doctors, dentists and/or behavioral health providers and their families. Each patient works with their own provider, who leads a team that takes collective responsibility for that patient’s care. The team is responsible for providing for all the patient’s health care needs, arranging care with specialists as necessary and coordinating care across the health care system. The latest in technology is used to ensure patients get the care they need when they want it, how they want it and in a language and manner they understand.

“The primary care community has realized that we’ve gone far from the exam room to a lot of bureaucracy and fragmented, expensive, duplicative care,” said Dr. J. Nwando Olayiwola, chief medical officer of Community Health Center, Inc. “The patient-centered medical home model gets primary care providers back to the exam room, where the focus is on the patient.”

“The patient-centered medical home promises to improve health and health care,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “The active, ongoing relationship between a patient and a physician in medical homes fosters an all-too-rare goal in care: staying healthy and preventing illness in the first place. PPC-PCMH recognition shows that Community Health Center, Inc. has tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care at the right time.”

PPC-PCMH recognition, which is valid for three years, is awarded in three levels. To receive Level 3 recognition, CHC had to demonstrate the ability to meet the program’s key criteria for a medical home: written standards and measurement for patient access and communication; electronic charting tools to organize clinical information; electronic prescription management; evidence-based care management for chronic conditions; patient self-management support; systematic tracking of test results and referrals; measurement and reporting of clinical and service performance; and the availability of an interactive website (MyCHC.com) that allows for electronic care management support.

“This recognition reflects our ongoing efforts to deliver an advanced level of coordinated care,” said Mark Masselli, president and CEO of Community Health Center, Inc. “We have always provided team-based care and built strong relationships with patients. But through improvements and innovations like electronic medical records; a new website where patients can access their records, communicate with doctors and more; and Language Line—which provides medical translation in more than 170 languages—we have built a medical home that empowers patients and improves health outcomes.”

“This new model of care benefits everyone,” said Dr. Daren Anderson, vice president and chief quality officer with CHC. “Patients are more satisfied with their experiences, the patient-provider relationship is strengthened, and providers see their patients taking an active role in managing their health.”

The PCMH program standards are aligned with the joint principles of the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association. For a full list of primary care medical practices and clinicians affiliated with practice sites in Connecticut that have been recognized by the program, visit recognition.ncqa.org.

About NCQA

Celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2011, NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

About Community Health Center, Inc.

Since 1972, Community Health Center, Inc. has been one of the leading healthcare providers in the state of Connecticut, building a world-class primary health care system committed to caring for uninsured and underserved populations. CHC is focused on improving health outcomes for its more than 130,000 patients, as well as building healthy communities. Currently, CHC delivers service in 173 locations statewide, offering primary care in medical, dental and behavioral health services. For more information, visit chc1.com.

Martin I. Trueheart Memorial Golf Tournament

The 11th Annual Martin I. Trueheart Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held at Hunter Golf Course, Meriden, CT on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. The format will be shotgun beginning at 11 AM, followed by dinner at Violi's Restaurant at Hunter Golf Club. The tournament has raised over $25,000 in 10 years. All proceeds go into the scholarship fund that was established as a thank you to Marty Trueheart for 37 years as a teacher in the Wallingford School System and 19 years as President of the Wallingford Education Association. Mr. Trueheart died in 2000 Anyone interested in playing in this year's tournament, which includes a banquet after the tournament or interested in attending the banquet only is asked to contact Steve Baker, SBaker@wallingford.k12.ct.us or (203) 294-3700 for further information and details.

FAMILY ACTIVITY

The Visiting Nurse Association of Wallingford, Inc., located at 135 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford, invites adults and children to “WATCH ME GROW!,” a nutrition workshop which will be held on Tuesday, April 19 from 10:00 am until 12 o’clock noon. Grandparents, parents, guardians or any family adult and children who are between the ages of five and twelve years old are invited to attend the workshop which will be held during the Wallingford school vacation week.

The “WATCH ME GROW!” workshop will provide healthy snacks for adults and children which will be followed by activities for both age groups. Adults will attend a presentation featuring a wide variety of nutrition topics. There will be a focus on making healthy food choices for growing children. Learn about the latest government food guidelines including the importance of increasing fruits and vegetables in daily diets. Recognize proper portion sizes and receive grocery store shopping tips and how to make better choices when dining out. The new food pyramid will be on display and also the very popular fat vial collection which compares the amount of fat ingested when eating common foods. People are amazed when they see the difference in comparisons of fat consumed when choosing whole milk versus skim or see the differences when choosing regular salad dressing or the lite variety. Children will decorate a planter and plant seeds which they will take home. Coloring activities related to healthy eating and a film will be available. There will also be a door prize drawing.

Please call The Visiting Nurse Association of Wallingford, Inc., at 203-269-1475 for additional information and to reserve your spot. Space is limited and reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis.

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Town News and Events Mid-May 2011

Mayor’s Corner – Meriden

We just concluded the Annual Mayor’s Spring Clean-up Campaign. This year we counted more than 100 attendees spread all over the city cleaning sidewalks, city owned vacant lots, sidewalks, and the entire Hub area. Nice to see such a positive effort for our city. All the helpers were invited to a cookout at the Hub following the cleanup.

The Mayor’s Office is busy planning the 2nd Annual Italian Night at Hubbard Park on Wednesday June 15 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Lots of Italian food, music, dancers, and good fun. Bring a table, chairs, and an appetite!

We are still looking for volunteers for Project Graduation, the all night alcohol and drug free party for graduating Meriden Seniors on Monday, June 20 at Wilcox Technical High School. Make sure our seniors have a safe graduation night and a memorable evening by giving a helping hand. Contact Karen Sambor at 203-235-8566 to sign up for a few hours. Also, monetary donations and in-kind donations are welcome.

The Annual Black Expo cultural festival will take place at City Park on Saturday, June 25. A parade will start the event at the Hub and march to City Park at 11 AM. Don’t miss this day of music, food, amusements, vendors, and fun for the entire family.

Also, put the circus on your calendar for June 27, 28, 29 at the Hub. There will be two exciting shows each day. And, the Westfield Deck Party with Fireworks will take place on Friday, July 1 on the Sears upper deck parking garage. Best view of the fireworks and lots of music, food, and entertainment for the whole family.

Now that the good weather has finally arrived, take advantage of all the outdoor activities and events Meriden offers!

Regards,

Mike Rohde - Mayor of Meriden

Mayor’s Corner - Wallingford

Dear Residents:

The Town of Wallingford regularly encourages recycling as a very important activity of good citizenship and participates in a regional Household Hazwaste Central which works with communities for the safe and free disposal of household chemicals. Hazwaste is open to participating communities on Saturdays from 9:00a.m. to Noon from mid-May to the end of October and is located at the Regional Water Authority, 90 Sargent Drive, New Haven.

On Saturday, May 21st, Wallingford hosted a Hometown Day at Hazwaste Central and was grateful to have so many volunteers to help out at the event. Volunteers assist in greeting and gathering information from users delivering their household hazardous waste. If you were not able to volunteer on the 21st, perhaps you can volunteer your services on September 24th, Wallingford’s fall Hometown Day. Anyone interested in volunteering should call the Program Planning Office at 203-294-2060.

Don’t forget, Wallingford now hosts an Electronics Recycling Program, for Wallingford households only, the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Recycling Center, 175 John Street, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each household will be limited to seven items per visit and the program is FREE. Electronics recycling is a great way to help protect the environment by reusing products rather than disposing by burning or burying.

It’s a wonderful month to celebrate and maintain our environment.

Sincerely,

William W. Dickinson, Jr. - Mayor

NOTICE TO WALLINGFORD RESIDENTS

The COMPOST CENTER will be open the following hours during April and May:

Monday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Electronics Recycling Program - New for Wallingford Residents

Wallingford Electronics Recycling Program

For: Wallingford Households ONLY

Where: Recycling Center, 157 John Street

When: 2nd Saturday of every month, starting April 9, 2011

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

What is Accepted: Computers; computer monitors; laptops, printers; keyboards and mice; TVs; fax machines; VCR, DVD and CD players; iPods; Walkmen; PDAs; stereos; modems; routers; cables and wiring; and telephones.

Is there a Limit?: Each household will be limited to seven (7) items per visit.

Is there a Charge?: No, this program is FREE.

Other ways to recycle electronics:

Goodwill – each Goodwill store in the area participates in the ReconnectPartnership recycling program with Dell. Computers and computer equipment of any make and in any condition will be accepted at Goodwill stores at no charge.

Best Buy – All stores will accept any make computer and TVs (up to 32 inches) for recycling. There may be a charge of $10/item, but you will then receive a Best Buy gift card valued at $10.

Wallingford Park and Recreation News and Events

9091.200 Gloucester & Rockport Lobster Bake, Cape Ann, MA

Saturday June 18th Bus Departs Rec. Dept. 8:15am Returns: 7:30pm Fee: $83

This adventurous day along the rocky coastline of Cape Ann in Massachusetts features a delicious lobster bake at the Gloucester House Restaurant on historic Seven Seas Wharf.

Menu: New England Clam Chowder, homemade corn bread, corn on the cob, 1 lb lobster, red bliss potato, dessert, lemonade, coffee (1/2 BBQ Chicken for non-lobster eaters). These lobsters are trapped by lobstermen who tie their vessels right up to the 350 yr. old wharf. Gloucester House Staff will give a demonstration on how to eat lobster and delight you with tales of local history. Afternoon at the seaside village of Rockport where a myriad of shops abound with crafts, jewelry, clothing, art, and great ice cream stores for that late afternoon treat……See Bearskin Neck famous Motif #1.

4205.300 Summer Adult Midnight Run Basketball League 2011

League begins in early June, date T.B.A. The league will consist of the first twelve teams to register. Games will be played on Monday and Thursday nights. TEA M ROSTERS MUST BE COMPLETELY FILLED OUT AND SIGNE D BY ALL PLAYER S ON ROSTERS. ROSTERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PAYMEN T AND SIGNATURES. Team entry fee is $450 per resident team and $500 per non-resident team. Shirts will be provided. For more info regarding the league please call the Rec Dept. and ask for Bill Farm, League Supervisor. Registration for Returning Resident Teams is until 4:30pm. May 20th New Resident Teams may register 4:35pm. May 20th New Corporate Teams may register 4:40pm May 20th Registration for Returning Non-Resident Teams may register 4:45pm. May 20th New Non Resident Teams may register 4:50pm May 20th

4101.200 Tennis Ladder for Ages 18+

Looking for a good, spirited, fun tennis match on a weekly basis then join Steve Pepe and the gang at the Doolittle Park Tennis Courts and the new courts at Choate Rosemary Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays starting at 6:30pm to get your rung on the ladder so to speak. Each week compete with someone of equal skill or better luck. Check out your standing online at www.ropeyladder.com.

When: Starts May 23 Mondays and Wednesdays 6:30-10:30pm thru Sept. for 22 weeks. Participants must call in to register or fill out registration form at Parks and Recreation Department or first night of play. No Fee to register

8272.200 Parent & Child Father’s Day Workshop

Let’s celebrate dad by making 2 great crafts for him! We will make him a grilling apron, stamped and painted just for him! We’ll decorate a serving tray with DADS stamps, sports stamps and more. It’s the perfect tray to serve him his favorites on Father’s Day! A $17 per team material fee made payable to instructor night of class.

When: Friday June 3rd One Night 6:30-9:00pm Location: Exit 7A Fee: $25 per team

Instructor: Kim Larkin, Visual Arts Supervisor

8276.200 Summer Mosaic Frame & Sea Glass Display Ball for Adults

Come learn how to use tiles, glass beads, cabochons, and sea glass to add a touch of summer to your home. We will use grout (with gloves!), embellishments and paint to create our works of art! **Participants must bring an apron and box to take art work home in.** A $9 material fee made payable to instructor night of class.

When: Friday June 10th One Night 6:30-9:00pm Location: Exit 7A Fee: $25 per team

Instructor: Kim Larkin, Visual Arts Supervisor

For more information and to register for any of the above – stop by the Wallingford Park and Recreation Department at 6 Fairfield Blvd # 6 or call (203) 294-2120.

South Meriden Events

Third annual Pet Food & Supply Drive, Saturday May 14, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, South Meriden Police Substation, 113 Main Street, Come join us to stuff a police cruiser and fire vehicle with your donations to benefit the Meriden Humane Society. Pet food, pet supplies and general cleaning supplies are welcome!

Please remember to recycle cans, bottles, cardboard and paper. Visit www.tunxisrecycling.com for more information.

THURSDAY EVENING PROGRAMS

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER CLASSES

Belly Dance This class is rooted in classic belly dance technique and meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 5:15 p.m. No experience needed to participate in this fun and low-impact class. Instructor: Aleenah Please sign up.

Scrapbooking Class: Learn to create beautiful keepsake albums that will be treasured for generations from your personal photos and memories. Meets weekly from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Creative Arts Rm. Start Date: May 5, Instructor: Diane Soares, Cost: $25 plus materials. Please sign up.

Zumba Gold Zumba infuses Latin rhythms and simple dance moves to create a fun and exciting total body workout designed for the active older adult. Meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 6:00 p.m. Instructor: Kayt Keirn, Cost: $25. Please sign up.

Evening Tai Chi Promote improved health with relaxed physical movement with a peaceful but focused mind. Meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 7:15 p.m. Instructor: Kathy Brenner. Please sign up.

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker A competitive yet friendly card game. Must be a WSC member to play, men and women are welcome. Weekly games held in the Game Room from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Leader: Tom Burill, Cost: $2.00 per player.

SAVE THE DATES

The Hi-Liters Variety Show Richard Fontanella and his host of friends from the Meriden Kiwanis Club will be returning to the Wallingford Senior Center to present their annual talent show. Watch the children as they sing, dance and bring joy to all who see them. May 12, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Great Room.

Elm City Banjo Society will be here to perform jazz, vaudeville, riverboat, Broadway and Big Band music. Their music is delightful, danceable, up-beat and All American. May 19, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Great Room.

Twilight Concert NEW to W.S.C. - Robert Lupi is a vocalist and keyboardist, he will be singing music originally performed by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and others, while you enjoy dinner. May 26 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Great Room.

Newcomers Dinner - Sign up at the front desk for this get-together for New Members on May 26 at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by the Lake View Cafe, meet new people, get a tour of our beautiful building, and find out what the Wallingford Senior Center has to offer! Limited to 10 participants.

Wallingford Community Day Care Hosts Mayor, Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 & Thing 2 and Viola Swamp!

Dressed in a shirt, tie and overcoat, Mayor William Dickinson walked into a preschool classroom at Wallingford Community Day Care and put on a hat. But it wasn’t just any hat – it was a red- and white-striped Dr. Seuss hat. And this was no ordinary day – this was “Read Across America Day.”

On March 2, with “Green Eggs and Ham” in hand, the mayor began reading the beloved story to the delight of the many children who soon circled around him to listen to his animated version of the story – complete with sound effects and acting out some scenes.

“I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am,” said the mayor.

Jessica Ivan, who is an assistant with the four-year-old children at Wallingford Community Day Care, along with kindergarten teacher Tammy Smith, spearheaded the “Raising Readers Club.” The club typically meets on Wednesday nights, but instead of a club meeting, Ivan read “Yurtle the Turtle” and built a tower of blocks that alternated with paper Yurtles. The tower grew taller and taller…until Yurtle sneezed and the tower fell to the ground, causing the children to squeal with delight.

In other classrooms, children listened to Dale Sheehan, who is part of the infant/toddler program at Wallingford Community Daycare and dressed as both “Thing 1 AND Thing 2” read “Hop on Pop; kindergarten teacher Tammy Smith read “Miss Nelson is Missing” (dressed as Viola Swamp); and families – be it moms, dads, siblings, grandparents, stepparents, aunts, uncles or friends – watch skits performed by the school-age children and show their clay-figure interpretations of Dr. Seuss’s works.

“They studied Dr. Seuss all week [during school vacation],” said Director Kathy Queen.

And it wasn’t just the school-age children that were working hard during vacation week. The three-year-olds worked on phonemic awareness – learning how important one’s mouth is to speaking and worked it into Dr. Seuss and the importance rhyming has on language development.

The first three years of life is the most effective time to teach pre-literacy skills. The development of oral language is the foundation of reading and writing. Without a strong foundation, children can fall behind as academic material becomes more complex. Early literacy is not about 3- and 4-year-olds reading proficiently. That's not developmentally-appropriate It's learning to enjoy listening to someone read, establishing a love of reading and gaining knowledge, understanding how words work on a page, that letters make up words, how to look through a book, how to hold a book. They see that it's fun to read.

Queen saw March 2 as an important way to include families into the overall life success of the children at her center.

“If we’re looking to close the achievement gap and we want kids to be ready and be the best, most literate kids out there, then it’s not just about school readiness,” said Queen. “It’s about the family, nutrition and fun, because kids aren’t islands. They live in a family and family is key – no matter what that family is.”

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER MID-LATE MAY 2011

May Is National Older Americans Month

The theme of National Older Americans Month 2011 is “Older Americans: Connecting the Community”. The theme pays homage to the many ways older adults bring inspiration and continuity to our communities. Come celebrate all the wonderful aspects of being an “older American” by participating in the educational, social and recreational activities scheduled this month just for you!

Celebrate 40 Years!

Wednesday, May 11, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

The Wallingford Senior Center is 40 years old this year and we have planned a fun party to celebrate the occasion. Musical entertainment, dancing, a game show, special refreshments and Senior Center memories are all part of the festivities. Tickets, which are available at the front desk, are free to members and $3.00 for non-members.

CT Alert Emergency Notification System

Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 AM

The Connecticut Alert Emergency Notification System (CT Alert ENS) allows state and local officials to help protect lives and property by sending critical information alerts to residents during emergencies. The Wallingford Police Department will present an informational program on the CT Alert ENS at 10:00 A.M., on May 17, and then will assist interested members with registering with the state their phone numbers (including cell phones, pda’s, text messaging and email). Please sign up to attend.

40th Anniversary Dinner Dance

Featuring Michael Dutra & the Strictly Sinatra Band

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wallingford Senior Center in grand style with a delicious dinner and a fabulous Sinatra tribute band. The Chicken Marsala dinner will include salad, ziti, dessert and more. The Strictly Sinatra Band, starring Michael Dutra, performs more than 300 nights per year stunning audiences with its dead-on rendition of Frank Sinatra classics. Tickets to this gala evening are on sale to members only during the month of April. If space allows, tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning May 1. Tickets are $30.00 for members and $40.00 for non-members.

Memorial Day Observance

Tuesday, May 31, 11:00 AM

Our program of remembrance will feature readings and music in memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Please join us in the Great Room.

Forty Years of Fashion

Vintage Fashion Show & Display

We are looking for vintage clothing from the 50’s, 60’s 70’s and 80’s for an event on June 8. We are collecting clothes that can either be modeled or displayed; sportswear, outerwear and formal wear are all welcome. We are also searching for volunteers who would enjoy modeling the clothes on the runway during the fashion show. If you have clothing to loan or are interested in participating as a model or escort, please contact Patty Watts at 203-265-7753.

COMING IN JUNE! MARK YOUR CALENDAR1

♦ Summer Sizzle Dance Party w/ Stan Scott Band

June 2, 2011

♦ Vintage Fashion Show & Display

June 8, 2011

♦ 10th Anniversary Celebration of our Building

June 9, 2011

♦ Senior Center Art Show

June 29 to July 1, 2011

MEMORY LANE

What is Memory Lane and where is it located? Memory Lane is an adult day program located within the Wallingford Senior Center, designed to promote and maintain independence for seniors with mild memory loss, cognitive, and/or physical impairments. This program offers a variety of pet-therapy, music, and baking activities as well as monthly day-trips, and physical activities. Hours of operation are 9:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. Handicapped-accessible transportation is provided for residents of Wallingford at no extra charge. Eligibility is based on an assessment, interview, and medical clearance. If you are interested in an affordable, fun, and stimulating way to keep your loved one safe and independent during the day, stop by the reception desk for a brochure and tour of the center, or contact Melinda Welch, Program Coordinator, at 203.265.7753 for more information. *There are many benefits to adult day programs: caregiver respite, daily socialization with peers, integration into the community, and avoiding premature institutionalization. * Source: http://www.caring.com/articles/benefits-of-adult-day-care-programs.

SOCIAL SERVICES

IN ORDER TO SERVE YOU BETTER, PLEASE CALL TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER, EILEEN FLYNN, AT 265 7753. Walk-In Schedule: The Social Worker will take walk-ins on a first come basis for one-half hour sessions ONLY (30 minutes). Sessions are on the half-hour from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM. No regular appointments will be scheduled on Tuesdays.

Estate Planning and Medicaid

Thursday, May 12, 1:00 – 2:30 PM

Brad Davis, WDRC talk show host, will join Attorney Daniel O. Tully and Attorney Dean Kilbourne, of Kilbourne & Tully, P.C., to provide education on Estate Planning and Medicaid. To register for this program, please call 203-265-7753.

Exploring Senior Housing Options

Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

SHOULD I STAY IN MY HOME OR SHOULD I GO? Many are faced with this choice. SRES Maureen Sperrazza and SRES Marie Borner of Coldwell Banker Real Estate will provide an educational seminar on senior choices in housing. If you are having mixed emotions about what you should do, you are not alone. Where do I begin? What questions must I answer before I make such an important lifestyle decision? What is Universal Design and how does it allow for someone to age in their home? Join us on Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 AM as these and other questions and housing options are discussed. Refreshments will be provided. To register, please call 203-265-7753.

What Kind of Life Insurance Do I Have?

Wednesday, May 18, 1:30 – 3:00 PM

Do you have life insurance policies and you do not know exactly what they are? You may question if they are Term, Whole Life or Accidental Life. You may be paying for what you believe to be life Insurance but have special clauses limiting coverage. If you have any of these questions, Laurie Shields, Financial Services Representative, MetLife Financial Group, will be available for 30 minute appointments starting May 18. To schedule a thirty (30) minute appointment, please call 203-265-7753.

Low Vision Support Group

Friday, May 20, 10:15 AM-12:00 PM

A trip to Vision Dynamics in Cheshire is scheduled for this month. Vision Dynamics is a provider for many devices available to individuals with low vision. Everyone is welcome. Registration is required. Please call 203-265-7753.

6th Annual New Haven Expo

Friday, May 20, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

You are invited to attend the annual expo sponsored by the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut and the City of New Haven which will be held at the New Haven Athletic Center, 480 Sherman Parkway, New Haven, CT. Approximately 150 vendors are expected to provide information on a wide variety of topics related to seniors. Vinnie Carr, will provide entertainment. There will be free health screenings and a Wii bowling tournament. Transportation will be provided. To sign up for this event, please call 203-265-7753.

Veterans Services

Tuesday, May 24, 1:00-3:00 PM

George Messier, Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Wallingford will be available to answer questions and assist with benefit information. An appointment is required. Please call 203-265-7753.

Benefits Screening

Am I Eligible for Any Programs?

Tuesday, May 17, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Do you often wonder if you might be eligible for any State or Federal Programs? Benefits QuickLINK is a free and confidential program which can quickly screen for eligibility. Supporting documents are not required, but please bring the following information with you to your appointment: 1. Monthly income (social security, pension, dividends and interest). 2. Monthly expenses (heating, fuel, gas, electricity, water, telephone, rent or mortgage payments and medical expenses not covered by health insurance). 3. Asset information (savings, estimated value of home and car, life insurance benefits). 4. A list of all current prescriptions. Registration required. Call 203-265-7753 now to schedule an appointment.

VISIT our website at www.wlfdseniorctr.com!

MAX E. MURAVNICK MERIDEN SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTER

Mid-Late May 2011

Our annual Senior Expo and Health Fair will be Wednesday, May 11 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon on the lower level of the Senior Center. The event features information displays from agencies serving Meriden seniors, a free box lunch for the first 300 people, handouts and giveaways, health screenings and much more! The speaker at 11:45 upstairs in Willene’s Place will be Cindy Russo, Senior Vice President of Operations at MidState Medical Center, who will provide an update on all the improvements made at the hospital. The 2011 Senior Expo is sponsored by Meriden Center and Skyview Center, divisions of Genesis HealthCare, and I encourage you to attend to learn about all that is offered for seniors in our community!

Starting Monday, May 16 Senior Center staff will begin taking applications for the Rent Relief Program sponsored by the State of Connecticut. The program provides eligible renters with money back on their rent and utilities based on their income and expenses. To be eligible you must have been 65 or over as of December 31, 2010 or be enrolled in Social Security Disability. Proof of 2010 income must be presented, including a copy of your 2010 income tax return, if filed, Social Security 1099, and all other income. Income limits are $32,300 for a single person and $39,500 for a married couple. Proof of rent and utilities must also be presented. Applications are taken Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 4:00 PM on a first come, first served basis.

A “Salute to Veterans” musical program with vocalist Karen Wagner and her husband Robert Iovanna will be held in Willene’s Place on Thursday, May 26 at 10:30 AM in honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. Karen and Rob have performed here before and I know you will enjoy hearing them again. Members of the Antique Veterans and their wives are invited to attend and also join us for lunch that day compliments of the Senior Center!

On Wednesday, May 25 at 10:30 the Alzheimer’s Association will present a “Maintain Your Brain” program. The interactive program focuses on ways to keep your brain and memory healthy. You will learn some memory tips and remembering strategies. The program will be held in the first floor meeting room and refreshments will be served.

You’re invited to a Garden Card Party at the Bradley Home on Thursday, May 19 from 2:00 to 4:30 pm. Enjoy cards and refreshments, sign-up today in the Mini-Bus Office for transportation.

The next Mini-Bus trip to the DMV to get a Non-Drivers License Photo ID will be Friday, June 3 at 10:00 am, sign-up with Transportation Coordinator Becky Racine or call her at 203.237.3338.

John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

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Library News and Events Mid-May 2011

NEWS AND EVENTS FROM WALLINGFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY – Mid-Late May

All Programs, Movies, and Events at the Wallingford Public Library are free and open to the public! The Library is located at 200 N. Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS!

Cooking with Chef Silvio: Stories and Authentic Recipes of Campania by Anthony Riccio

Wednesday, May 11 7:00 p.m. Community Room

Author, historian and photographer Anthony Riccio and award-winning Chef Silvio Suppa traveled to the farmlands of Campania, Italy, where they researched the origins of true Mediterranean cuisine. Join co-author Anthony Riccio and learn about life on Chef Silvio’s family farm in Sant'Agata de' Goti, and how Chef Silvio learned "l'arte della cucina," the art of cooking, from his grandmother. With its original recipes and first-hand research, the book presents the fascinating history of Campanian gastronomy, beginning with the ancient Samnites to the present-day dishes offered at Chef Silvio's Cafe Allegre in Madison, Connecticut. Join us for an author presentation and book signing.

The Gettysburg Chronicle: A Dramatic Change in Command by Matthew Bartlett

Thursday, May 12 7:00 p.m. Collins Room

Personifying the horrors of the Civil War, this volume of the Gettysburg Chronicle deals with the opening shots and early hours of the battle. Ranging from Willoughby Run to McPherson’s Ridge and the death of Major General John Reynolds, it is action-packed. From Doubleday, to General Archer, to John Buford and others you may not have heard about, this volume offers a great insight to the first parts of the battle of Gettysburg. Join us for an author presentation and book signing.

ROOTS MUSIC!

Alex Caton & Peter Winne In Concert

Wednesday, May 25 7:00 p.m. Community Room

The Virginia-based roots music duo Alex Caton and Peter Winne will perform a dynamic mix of energetic Appalachian fiddle tunes, classic country, gospel, and original songs. In the year-and-a-half they’ve been playing together, Alex and Pete have quickly established themselves as the newest link in central Virginia’s unusually rich acoustic music lineage.

Individually, the two have no shortage of kudos. Winne is a 2010 Berea College Appalachian music fellow and a former winner on A Prairie Home Companion’s “People in their Twenties” competition on NPR. Caton is an Orange County, VA Champion fiddler and was nominated for a 2009 Virginia Commission for the Arts Heritage Award. Together, the duo plays music that feels as much at home in a modern big-city venue as it would have at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s. Alex plays fiddle and guitar and Pete plays guitar and banjo. Both musicians sing, delivering harmonies that recall the singing of fellow girl-guy roots music duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Although based in Virginia, Pete grew up in Wethersfield, CT.

E-Books At Your Library!

Monday, May 23 7:00 p.m. Collins Room

If you have an e-reader or are interested in e-book options, you won’t want to miss this informative program. Various types of compatible e-readers for library books will be discussed. How to checkout and download e-books from the Library web site will be demonstrated. Advance registration is appreciated; please contact the Library to reserve your seat.

Read and Discuss!

Mystery Alla Italiana

3:30 p.m. Collins Room Tuesday, May 10

Back to Bologna by Michael Dibdin

Tuesday, May 24

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon

In each mystery, Italy is not just the backdrop of the story but in some ways, a participant in it. Discussion is led by Dr. Carole Shmurak. Books are available from the Information Desk. This program is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council.

Thursday Night Book Club:

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

Thursday, May 19 7:00 p.m. Collins Room

The Thursday Night Book Club is an informal gathering open to all who love to read and discuss fiction and popular nonfiction. Ask at the Information Desk for a copy of this book and join us for the discussion. Discussions are held the third Thursday of each month excluding August.

Healthy Living

Lunch and Learn: Chiropractic 101 Tuesday, May 17 12:00 p.m. Community Room

Please join us for a complimentary lunch as Dr. Kurt Marschner, of Advanced Spine & Sports Medicine in Wallingford, provides an introduction to chiropractic care and its health benefits. He will be available for a question and answer period at the conclusion of the program. Please register prior to May 11.

Women’s and Girls’ Self-Defense Workshop

Tuesday, May 24 6:00 p.m. Community Room

Women and girls twelve years and older are welcome to this introductory course on self-defense. Learn how to defend yourself using simple and easy techniques. Wear comfortable clothing and call ahead to register. This program is co-sponsored by Soroptimist International of Meriden, a non-profit women’s service organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in our local communities and around the world.

Saturday Mornings with Poetry

10:00 a.m. – 12: 30 p.m. Board Room May 14

In addition to sharing poems written since the April 30th meeting, a poetry walk through downtown Wallingford is planned, weather permitting.

May 28

The poetry of Frank O’Hara and the New York School of Poets will be featured. As always, everyone is invited to share their poems with option to receive comments and suggestions for further development. SMWP meets semi-monthly with the exception of July and August, is open to teenagers and adults, and is moderated by Al Mueller.

Wallingford Writers Community

Saturday, May 28 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Collins Room

This month’s topic is “Attending Writer’s Conferences: Members Discuss Personal Experience.” In addition, we’ll also have time for Open Mic at which time members may read up to 500 words of a current work. Open to all adults and teens interested in creative writing.

Friday Night Flicks: All films are shown in the Library’s Community Room

The Illusionist Rated PG May 13 6:30 p.m. Run time 80 minutes

Gnomeo & Juliet Rated G May 27 6:30 p.m. Run time 102 minutes

Cinema Club

The King’s Speech Rated R Monday, May 16 6:30 p.m .Run time 118 minutes Discussion to follow movie.

Solo Finding Peace: a documentary film Wednesday, May 18 6:30 p.m.

Teen Zone

Movie: Breakin’ Wednesday, May 11th 3:15 p.m. Community Room

Catch a glimpse of the break-dancing culture in this classic 80’s flick. Jump back in time and see the fashion and fast paced moves of 1984! This film is rated PG.

Break-dancing!! Thursday, May 12th

6:00-7:00 p.m. Community Room

Come and watch a break-dancing exhibition and try it yourself. Gain confidence and empowerment while having fun. Presented by Green Street Arts Center through the generosity of the Middlesex County Community Foundation and the George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation

Open to all teens in grades 6-12. Please register for this event.

STAR2 - Saturday, May 7 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Collins Room

The Wallingford STAR2 Club is the perfect way to share your love for robotics, rocketry and science with others. Open to all Wallingford students in grades K-12. This month’s theme is kites and hot air balloons. The STAR2 Club is run by Wayne Aguiar and is co-sponsored by the Wallingford Department of Youth and Social Services.

Drawing Workshop

Wednesday, May 20 3:30-4:30 p.m. Collins Room

Presented by Green Street Arts Center through the generosity of the Middlesex County Community Foundation and the George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation. Open to all teens in grades 6-12. Please sign up in advance; spaces are limited.

Wii Sports Resort Tournament

Wednesday, May 18 3:15-4:30 p.m. Community Room

Come to Wuhu Island where you can compete in island themed adventures. Open to all Teens in grades 6-12. Registration is required.

Anime Night:

Thursday, May 26 6:00-8:00 p.m. Community Room

Rozen Maiden and sushi - perfect combination. All teens in grades 6-12 are welcome to come watch and discuss anime, manga, artwork and cosplay. Open to beginner and expert manga fans.

New Schedule for Computer Tutoring Sessions at Wallingford Public Library

The Wallingford Public Library is offering free, one-on-one computer tutoring sessions through May 24 according to the following schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; and Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Each hour-long appointment gives individuals the opportunity to work on a computer with a volunteer and learn about email, on-line job applications, internet searching, word processing and various software programs. Appointments are free and open to the public. To schedule an appointment, please call the library at 203-265-6754 and specify your topic of interest.

Wallingford Children’s Library

Children’s Library Summer Volunteer Applications Available

If you are a Wallingford student going into grades 5, 6, or 7 in the fall of 2011, you are eligible to volunteer to help us run our summer reading program in the Children’s Library. This summer kids will be exploring the wonders of Ancient Egypt and we will have a fantastic new game setup as well as an online program. We are expecting many enthusiastic players and we need our volunteers to help us run the game.

Volunteers commit to working two hours each day for one week. If you have the time to commit, please pick up an application at the library or print one out from our website. Read the application carefully with your parent or guardian, fill it out and return to us by June 8.

Itty Bitty Babies for ages 12 months and under

This drop-in program for babies ages 12 months and under introduces babies and their grown-ups to the Library and each other in a program filled with songs, rhymes and books. The program will take place on Thursday, 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the Collins Room.

Preschool Storytime for ages 3-5

Join us at Preschool Storytime in the Children’s Room of the Wallingford Public Library for books, rhymes, songs, flannelboard stories, movement and more for children ages 3-5 and their grownups. Younger interested siblings are welcome to attend. The programs will take place on Wednesdays, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. and Thursdays, May 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Free Homework Help Available

Students who need a little help with their homework are welcome to stop by the Library on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Mrs. Cabrera is available in the Children’s Library to help children to understand their assignments and get them started when they are having difficulty.

This program is free and funded by the Wallingford Board of Education.

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY EVENTS Mid-Late May

Get Your Game On

Get your game on at the Meriden Public Library on Thursday, May 12 from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. The Wii will be set up with Wii Sports and Mario Kart for friends and family to challenge each other. Board games such as Scrabble, Candyland, Apples to Apples and many others will also be available for use.

All ages are welcome to attend including parents and guardians. Registration is not required. If you have any questions please contact Melissa at mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us or call (203) 630-6347.

FREE COMPUTER CLASSES IN MAY AT MERIDEN LIBRARY Sign up for one of the free computer classes at Meriden Public Library and learn how to use a computer, Word, email, and search the internet. The class schedule is as follows:

Introduction to Word –Saturday, May 14 at 9:30 a.m.;

Email – Monday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m.;

Basic Computers – Monday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m.;

Internet Searching –Saturday, May 28 at 9:30 a.m.

Computer classes in Spanish on Saturday, May 14, May 21, and May 28 at 10:00 am to 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to noon.

Class size is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or the Information Desk at (203) 238-2346 to reserve a seat.

SCRABBLE SESSIONS AT MERIDEN LIBRARY

Meriden Public Library hosts sessions for people who enjoy playing Scrabble. The sessions will be on Monday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room. All skill levels are welcome. Scrabble boards will be provided, but people are welcome to bring their own boards. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have any questions about the library programs

Lego Club

Meriden Public Library will have its next Lego Club event on Thursday, May 26th from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. Children ages 6 through 12 are invited to bring their imagination and build on this month’s theme Robots. Completed projects will be put on display in the library. The library will provide Legos for all children who attend.

Sign up is not required for this program and late arrivals are always welcome. If you have any questions or would like to be put on the Lego Club mailing list please contact Melissa at (203) 630-6347 or mmurphy@ci.meriden.ct.us

E-Reader Explosion

Trying to figure out which e-reader is best for you? Come to the Meriden Public Library Griffin Room on Tuesday, May 17 at 6:30 pm.

Local businesses will bring their latest e-readers. There will be time for you to touch and explore the different features on the models available.

Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have questions about this program.

Writer’s Network

The Writer’s Network will meet on Wednesday, May 11 and May 25 at 7:00 pm in the Griffin Room. Anyone who is serious about writing fiction or nonfiction, wants to learn the process of getting published, or needs support for writing a book proposal or query letter is welcome to attend.

If you are interested in joining the Writer’s Network, contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or email us comsvc@hotmail.com.

Lunchtime Book Club

The Meriden Public Library’s lunchtime book club meets on Thursdays at noon in the Seminar Room. Bring your lunch and enjoy the discussion.

May 19 –Swamplandia by Karen Russell

June 16 - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

All are welcome.

Chess Club

The Meriden Public Library Chess Club is looking for more players. The Chess Club meets the first Wednesday of the month. The next date is Wednesday, June 1st at 6:30 pm in the Seminar Room. Bring your chess boards. All ages and playing levels are welcome.

Hip Hop Program

Join instructor Leah Beth Maille for an hour of great hip hop moves to great music at Meriden Public Library on Thursday, May 19 at 3:00 p.m. in the Griffin Room. Class will move through basic steps, working towards a short choreography by the end of the hour.

This program is presented by Green Street Arts Center through the generosity of the Middlesex County Community Foundation and the George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email comsvc@hotmail.com or visit the library calendar at our web site www.meridenlibrary.org to reserve a place.

Movies in May

Justin Bieber “Never Say Never” Wednesday, May 18 Griffin Room 3:30 p.m.

“Gnomeo and Juliet” Saturday, May 28 Griffin Room 10:30 a.m.

BOOKMOBILE

The Meriden Public Library Bookmobile will be visiting the following facilities:

Wednesday, May 11 – Easter Seals 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; Bradley Home 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.;

Thursday, May 12 – Kindercare 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; The Right Place 10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.;

Friday, May 13 – St. Stan’s 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; St. John’s Nursery School pickup 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.;

Tuesday, May 17 – Headstart (Liberty St.) pickup 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.;

Wednesday, May 18 – First Congregational Nursery School pickup 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 pm. to 1:30 p.m.;

Thursday, May 19 - First Congregational Nursery School pickup 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.;

Friday, May 20 – Carriage House Day Care Center 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; Meriden Center 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.;

Monday, May 23 – Meriden Child Care Center 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Midstate Christian Academy 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.;

Thursday, May 26 – Lil Rascals 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Sunshine Day Care 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.;

Friday, May 27 – Stork Club 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; Miller Memorial 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.;

Tuesday, May 31 – Catholic Charities 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Kinder Garden Learning Center 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Have a Roaring Time at the Meriden Public Children’s Library!

Mid-Late May & Upcoming Wonderful Summer Programs

Reading programs start July 11th. Registration begins on June 13. Children must be of age by January 1.

Tuesday

10:15 a.m. 2 year olds (independent)

11:15 a.m. 3 – 4 year olds

2:00 p.m. Kindergarten – grade 2: Weekly crafts to make and take home.

6:30 p.m. 3 – 4 year olds

Wednesday

10:30 a.m. 2 – 3 year olds with parent/guardians

11:15 a.m. 3 – 4 year olds with parents

2:00 p.m. 3 – 4th grades: Learn to cook easy recipes for the whole family.

6:30 p.m. 2 year olds with parents/guardians.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

June 27 – 6:30 pm Dragon Dreams and Magic puppet show

June 30 – 10:30 am Take Two Performance Storytelling

July 7 – 6:30 pm Worm Program – Learn about the world of worms

July 11 – 10:30 am Mr. Gym Rocks – Sing & dance with Mr. Gym

July 14 – 6:30 pm Newberry Farms Animal Program

July 18 – 10:30 am Magic with Christina – for all ages

July 21 – 6:30 pm Birds on the Run – live bird show

July 25 – 10:30 am Woodland Cinderella Puppet Show

August 1 – 6:30 pm Juggling Workshop-learn how to juggle. Child MUST be accompanied by an adult. Limited seating available so please reserve your space as soon as possible.

August 4 – 10:30 am Sharon Family Traveling Petting Farm. Sign up for a time slot to see and pet the farm animals.

August 8 – 6:30 pm Nappy Puppets

August 11 – 10:30 am Papillion Pirate Show – Have a rollicking pirate time!

Programs may be subject to change. FREE tickets for the first week of programs will be available beginning June 13. Subsequently, tickets will be available the week before each performance. FREE tickets are available in the Children’s Library. If you have any questions please contact the Children’s Library at (203) 630-6347

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Health News and Events Mid-May 2011

To read The People’s Press in Image Form, Downloadable PDF form and interact go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health

Chris More, RN

Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department

Let’s talk about . . . . . . going beyond the “Bottle” for pain relief. (I mean the pill bottle of course)! There are many ways to attack all kinds of pain with many different drugs, from the little aspirin to the powerful narcotic. But let’s zero in on one specific “pain” (no not your mother-in-law) one disease that 95% of the population (young and old) experience is arthritis specifically osteoarthritis.

The past few years have not been easy for people with chronic osteoarthritis pain, because certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that seem to work so well on arthritis pain had serious risks associated with them and were taken off the market. (Other NSAIDS, prescription, and over the counter) are still available, but again carry some risks of heart disease and GI bleeding. The “big guns”, like morphine are often reluctantly given by doctors due to the risk of dependence and other serious side effects.

Millions of people suffer with chronic pain and more than half of them have an arthritic condition. Isn’t there some way to deal with this particular pain besides drugs? The answer is “yes”, but what could possibly help? Let’s see (a hammock, and a tropical drink, on the beach in Jamaica!) That could work, but how about a reality check, starting with Topical medication. There are gels, creams and patches. Some pain physicians are choosing to use these in conjunction with less “pill taking”, so the side effects are less. Topical medication side effects are localized (meaning you may have an allergy to the drugs in the creams, get a slight rash or an irritation, but they usually don’t “mess” with your head or stomach). Topical medications in general are less risky. Another choice for relieving osteoarthritis pain especially knee pain are flat, flexible shoes or sneakers (so get out those $1.99 flip flops). A study done with these types of shoes showed that the flexibility and flatness of these shoes put less stress on knee and hip joints, but as with all new thoughts and ideas come the risks, and the risks of flip flops stand out like a sore thumb. Number one risk, FALLS, also inflammation of the bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis.) If you choose to buy these shoes, please go with sneakers first or a flat, flexible closed shoe with arch support. (I am way too clumsy for flip-flops).

My personal choice (prior to knee replacement) was the steroid injection. This treatment reduces the inflammation in the joint and very quickly relieves the pain. This injection (ouch!) can make you feel better for days or months. Again, the risks stand out, you can only do this 2-3 times a year and it does weaken ligaments and tendons, also there is a slight chance of infection as with any injection. Make sure you discuss this option in detail with an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Let me mention several other ways to try and reduce osteoarthritis pain, which does not involve medication. Exercise/Physical Therapy both can improve strength, posture function and range of motion. ALWAYS check with your physician first as to what is best for you and your particular degree of arthritis. Don’t ever over-do (you can’t relieve pain if you are causing yourself pain). Heat/Cold (heating pad, warm compresses, heat patches, warm baths OR cold packs, ice packs, “frozen vegetables”). Check with your physician or therapist as to which is better for you. Heat can sometimes cause more swelling to an acute injury, and overdoing either heat or cold can cause severe burns. NEVER apply heat or cold directly to your bare skin.

Meditation (guess what – no risks) can work for any kind of pain and regular practice reduces the brains’ response to pain. Assume the crossed leg Yoga position and chill out. (I would have to pass on the crossed legs, but chilling out sounds great) You don’t really have to get into a Yoga stance to meditate!!

I have touched on several ways to help you cope with chronic pain focusing on osteoarthritis. Talk with your caregiver about your daily battle with pain. Keep a log; let him/her know when you feel the worse, morning, night time? Are your activities limited, how much? (If you can’t shop that’s bad?) Over the counter or prescription medication you are taking for relief, have a pain number. 1= (little) 10= (emergency). Remember your caregiver is not a mind reader he/she cannot help you if you are vague or disorganized with your complaints. Last but not least, please don’t listen to the horror stories and remedies of friends and most importantly DON’T take Uncle Al’s medication. Everyone’s body is different and everyone’s pain level is unique to them.

Well that’s all for this month, I do hope you have found some new ways to relieve pain. Stay flexible and keep moving! Until next month . . .

“Let’s Talk”…..About Your Health

Chris More, RN

Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department

Let’s talk about . . . Childhood Obesity. “Fatty, Tubby, Blimpy”, all hurtful names that overweight children hear every day at school, camp and other activities.

They looked so cute at 1 year old with those chunky legs and adorable pot bellies. Grandma said, “It’s only baby fat it will go away,” but when that baby turns 6 or 7 and is still “chunky” it’s no longer adorable or healthy physically or emotionally.

Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health and well being. Obesity (over-weight) in children has many adverse health issues, and is now recognized as a serious public health concern. The diagnosis of obesity is based on BMI (Body Mass Index). Obesity is recognized as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile. Emotional and psychological effects of obesity in children are overwhelming, not only is there teasing from peers, but sometimes even family. If you walk through a school cafeteria, you would observe the overweight children sitting very quietly to avoid ridicule over their sometimes large lunches. Childhood obesity also leads to many life threatening conditions. Examples are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep problems and many other disorders. Yes, parents these are not exclusively adult diseases, and if you child develops these conditions now and you don’t change their lifestyles, they will become unhealthy, overweight adults with chronic health conditions. Mortality rates sky rocket during adulthood.

Some causes of obesity are poor eating habits, meals in front of the T.V., eating out or having dinner in the car between soccer games, all these causes are linked with types of food, sugary soft drinks, pre-packaged snacks, vending machine foods and fast foods – high in fat. Last but certainly not least the lack of physical activities, being on T.V. or video game overload, certainly adds to the vicious cycle of eating and being a couch potato.

We could go on and on about over-feeding our children, what to feed them and when but the best way to help your child is for your entire family to change its life styles. Just give healthy eating a chance. The family eating together at the table, planning healthy meals with the children, snacking on popcorn, pretzels, fruits and veggies and even taking a family walk together are not so difficult. Your children will respond to your efforts and you may even establish some family bonding.

The Health Department has joined forces with Youth and Social Services, Wallingford YMCA and the BOE to “Activate Wallingford”. Check us out on the web for more information.

There are also many websites that help with meal planning and exercise. Check with your family physician or call us at the Wallingford Health Department (203) 294-2065 to help you establish healthy safe meal plans and exercise schedules.

We’ll talk again next month in the meantime be an advocate for your child and “Get Healthy.”

Meriden Health Department News

Riding a Bike? Wear Your Helmet!

Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and fresh air and share time as a family. The Meriden Health Department wants everyone to be safe - we are selling Bell brand bicycle helmets for $7.50 each. Both adult and child sizes are available, and there are many different styles and colors to choose from. The helmets are available for purchase Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Be safe - always wear a helmet when riding a bike, no matter where you are or how short the ride!

CPR & AED Awareness Week Event

If a friend, family member, or co-worker went into cardiac arrest, would you know what to do? National CPR & AED Awareness Week is June 1-7. To raise awareness on what you can do to help save a life, the Meriden Health Department will host an event on Tuesday, June 7, from 6-7pm, at the Meriden Public Library (105 Miller Street). During this hour you will learn how to recognize a heart attack, try CPR on a manikin, and see how an AED (automated external defibrillator) can help save a life. The program is free and open to the public. This is not a certification course; no cards will be given. For more information please call the Community Health Education office at 203-630-4238.

Save the Date! Community Wednesday Block Party and National Day of Play

This event is back for a second year! Over 1,000 residents enjoyed a day of sunshine, play, and community last year – will you be part of the crowd in 2011?

When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 (rain date is Thursday, July 21), 10:00am-4:00pm

Where: Meriden HUB

What: A day of fun for everyone! Activities, games, food, health fair, info booths, petting zoo, hay rides, dunk tank, live broadcast by HOT 93.7. Sponsored by the Meriden Housing Authority, Meriden/Wallingford NAACP, and the City of Meriden.

Want to get involved in the health fair portion of this event? Contact Angela Simpson at 203-630-4237 or asimpson@ci.meriden.ct.us. Want to be a food vendor? Contact Teri Ramos at 203-235-0157 or teri.ramos@meriden-ha.com.

Save the Date – National Trails Day is June 4!

Come celebrate National Trails Day on Saturday, June 4 from 10:00-11:30am at Dossin Beach Park, directly across the street from the Quinnipiac River Linear Walking Trail (Red Bridge) in Meriden. Meriden’s National Trail Partners will showcase educational exhibits and be on hand to answer your questions on Meriden’s natural resources, environmental issues, and trail expansion.

Meriden’s National Trail Partners include the Meriden Conservation Commission, Meriden Land Trust, Quinnipiac River Watershed Association, and the Meriden Linear Trails Committee.

The Meriden Health Department will be giving out free pedometers and walking logs to attendees (first come, first serve). Light refreshments will be served. If it rains the event will be cancelled (will be posted on the Health Department website – www.meridenhealth.com, as well as on their Facebook page). Bring the family and enjoy a great day outside! For more information call 203-630-4238.

MidState Announces the Blooming Pink Celebration Garden

MidState Medical Center is proud to announce the creation of the Blooming Pink Celebration Garden. This special garden, in the shape of an awareness ribbon, has been filled with thousands of pink tulips planted to honor, celebrate or memorialize those touched by cancer. Located on MidState’s campus, this garden is not only an inspiration but a symbol representing survivorship. The first annual “Blooming Celebration” is scheduled to take place in early May.

Bulbs are being sold for $25 and benefit The Cancer Center at MidState. For more information, please contact Tina Fabiani at 203-694-8744 or tfabian@midstatemedical.org. Your gift will not only bring awareness to breast cancer but will also help MidState continue to meet the needs of patients and families coping with the diagnosis of cancer.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of cancer patients… one bulb at a time.

About MidState Medical Center

In quarterly patient satisfaction surveys, MidState consistently rates among the top hospitals in Connecticut and the nation. Conveniently located just minutes off Rte. 691 in Meriden, CT, MidState offers free and safe parking, as well as private inpatient rooms. Services include general surgery, emergency medicine, MidState Medical Group Walk-in Centers for urgent care needs, and state-of-the-art care in centers dedicated to Cancer Care, Family Birthing, Balance & Hearing, Digestive Health, Pain Management, and Cardiac Care. Outpatient services conveniently offered at 61 Pomeroy Avenue include the Diabetes Center & Outpatient Nutrition Counseling, Sleep Care Center, Infectious Disease & Travel Clinic, Advanced Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine and Weight Management Program. MidState Medical Center is a member of Hartford Healthcare, a large, diversified health care system throughout Connecticut. For information, call 203-694-8200, or visit www.midstatemedical.org.

CPR CLASSES – SAVE A LIFE!

CPR classes are being offered by The Visiting Nurse Association of Wallingford, Inc., located at 135 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford. Please call 203-269-1475 for details and sign up today! CPR instruction will help you to save the life of a friend, co-worker or loved one. American Heart Association classes, following the newly updated 2010 guidelines, will be offered by a certified American Heart Association Instructor, Ginny Stewart, RN.

There are two types of courses being offered. Healthcare Provider CPR, specifically for health care workers is available on May 27 and throughout the summer. The other CPR course, Heartsaver CPR, available on June 6, has been designed to train any interested person in the community how to perform CPR. You will learn how to respond to cardiac arrest in adults, children or infants, how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator) and how to correctly respond when someone is choking. The earlier CPR is started, the higher the risk of survival. Knowing how to perform CPR can save a life! Please call 203-269-1475 for more information.

The Healthcare Provider CPR course is for healthcare professionals who will be able to perform CPR as a team, and have access to various medical equipment. This course is five hours in length followed by a written test and skills evaluation. The Healthcare Provider card, often required through state regulations or OSHA for nurses and various people working in dental or physician offices, is valid for two full years.

The Heartsaver CPR course is specifically for anyone in the community who would like to learn CPR for Adult, Child and Infant. Heartsaver is a two hour course with no written test. There is much hands-on practice during the interactive course and after skills are evaluated, you receive a two year certification. Heartsaver CPR is for people who would be putting these skills to use while alone and waiting for healthcare professionals to arrive on the scene. The course will show the differences when providing CPR for adults, children and infants, how to use an AED, and how to best respond to choking. The list of persons who are welcome to take this training is extensive, including parents, friends, family members, coaches, sports groups, security guards, restaurant employees, store personnel, swimming pool users and owners, teachers, daycare providers, and many others. Some colleges offer PE credits upon completion of this course. Please call 203-269-1475 to register.

Workplace Travel CPR Courses are available for local businesses. Oftentimes someone from each department or floor is provided with CPR training. Please call 203-269-1475 for details.

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May 2011 Issue in Readable Image Form

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:24:00 +0000

Simply click on the page to enlarge and read!
To read the People's Press in 5 different ways and lots

more stuff - visit http://www.peoplespressnews.com/

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Cover of the Paper from long ago with pic I took on unimprove... on Twitpic

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:14:00 +0000

Cover of the Paper from long ago with pic I took on unimprove... on Twitpic

Happy 10th Birthday Joshua!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:02:00 +0000

Happy 10th Birthday to our WONDERFUL Son Joshua!