Stories, News and More for September 2008 from THE PEOPLES PRESS serving Wallingford, Meriden
And all of Central Connecticut for News and Views!
Winter Concert
The Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords( a 90 member community vocal group) will resume their weekly rehearsals in preparation for their Winter Concert to be held on Sunday afternoon December 7, 2008. They will begin on Tuesday, September 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. at the Rev. Msgr. M. Davitt Fox Parish Center, St. Francis Church, Elm St., Middletown. Gina Fredericks, of Middlefield, is the musical director and Joyce Ghent, of Portland is the founder and chairperson. We are looking to add to our Bass and Tenor sections but all voices will be accepted. If you want to lift your spirits share your love of music, be part of a “family”, and contribute to the community, then we extend a warm welcome to join us. Please call 860-342-3120 for more information. No auditions are necessary, you do not have to be a hospital employee and new members from Central and Southern CT will be accepted until September 16th.
Temporary Food Service Permit Requirements
Please be advised that if your organization serves/sells food to the general public, you must obtain a Temporary Food Service Permit at least 10 days BEFORE the scheduled event as per the Code of the Town of Wallingford, Chapter 122. No home-cooked food is
The only exceptions are events held at licensed food establishments, stand alone bake sales, church pot-lucks, food provided is from a licensed caterer or events at private facilities NOT open to the general public. If you advertise your event and do not specifically state “members only” then it is deemed open to the public.
Please complete the enclosed application and return it PRIOR to your scheduled event. The Health Department must review and approve all temporary food events. Based on the type of food prepared, an inspection will be conducted. Proper food handling and cooking are essential to preventing a foodborne illness.
Please call 294-2065 if you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Eloise Hazelwood, RS, MPH
Wallingford Director of Health
Nights in the CitySpend Two Evenings With Good Friends For Good Causes
Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3, 2008
Downtown Meriden, 50 West Main Street, Meriden, CT
(Next to the Police & Courthouse Complex)
RAIN or Shine!
For the third year in a row, the City of Meriden, Valencia Liquors, Drust Family Shop-Rite, the Lions Club and Rotary Club of Meriden, and The Meriden Arts Council come together for two fabulous evenings of fun, food, wine, beer and fine art. Other participating sponsors include: Meriden Civitan, Meriden Unison, Tri-Town Golden Kiwanis, Meriden Masons and Ivers & Associates Advertising.
MAIN & VINE: Thursday, October 2 • 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Kicking off the festival on Thursday night will be a Wine Tasting sponsored by Valencia Liquors. Along with The Drust Family Shop-Rite, who caters the event with gourmet samplings, the evening helps to support multiple local charities through ticket sales sold by multiple non-profit organizations. With over 25 Imported and domestic wines to try, and a FREE complimentary wine glass to take home, you will also be entertained by a live band the will perform during the evening. What if you don’t like wine? There will be 12 beers to sample if that is your preference. This is a 21 years or older event and photo ID or Driver’s License must be on hand for age verification.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at door. Contact your favorite Meriden Charity or Non-Profit Organization or log on to
http://www.valencialiquor.com/. You can also call 203-235-4825 or purchase tickets at Valencia Liquor, 1231 E. Main St., Meriden, CT in Lowe’s Plaza. This is a great way to help the charity of your choice while having a great time sampling some great wines, good food and enjoying live music.
THE MAIN ARTERY: Thursday, October 2 • 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Meriden’s Main Street Celebration of the Arts
Sponsored by The Meriden Arts Council, this year’s Fine Art Show will take place within the gates of Main & Vine. What better way to view artwork by our local artists than to enjoy this visual gala while listening to live music and sampling good wines and gourmet food! This is a juried art show that will surely be a feast for the eyes. The arts are alive and thriving in Meriden and artists from Gallery 53 and Sandman Gallery will be participating in this year’s event. Landscapes, portraits, still-life paintings, and others will be presented in both traditional and contemporary styles. From Oils and Pastels to Watercolors and Sculptures, it will be an event not to be missed. Representatives will be on hand from The Meriden Arts Council to talk to anyone who might be interested in joining the group in order to further promote the arts in Meriden.
With the purchase of a ticket to Main & Vine, you are able to view the art exhibit free of charge. For more information about the show you can log on to info@meridenartscouncil.org or call Lynn at 203-235-6270 after 6 pm.
THE 9th ANNUAL SILVER CITY BREWFEST:
Friday, October 3 • 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
This Rotary Charitable Event is a great way to spend some an evening while helping The Meriden YMCA. You will be able to sample over 25 international and micro-brews all why enjoying FREE hamburgers, hotdogs and live music! If you don’t like beer, there will be a selection of 25 wines to sample. Again, you must be 21 years or older to attend and a driver’s license/photo ID will be required.
Included in the evening’s events will be a COOKOFF competition of some of our local restaurants and chefs. The restaurants will be making soups, chowders or chili’s to compete against other restaurants. The winner will receive a trophy and recognition in the local newspaper. The best part is that you get to sample the dishes and cast your vote for your favorite fare.
The proceeds from this year’s Silver City Brewfest will be used to enhance our aquatic department. The aquatic department provides a wide variety of programs for all ages including; water aerobics, swim lessons, lifeguard and CPR training, swim teams and adaptive aquatics. The proceeds will help to provide necessary tools and equipment to ensure the best environment to teach our children, youth, teens and adults.
The Meriden YMCA is open to all regardless of race, creed, gender, or financial status. Membership in our YMCA represents a commitment to its philosophy and mission. Founded in 1876, the emphasis of membership continues to be one of developing the whole person, mind, body, and spirit. The Meriden YMCA seeks to become a “master link” in our community, connecting needs to resources, people to programs, possibilities to potentials and to enhance the quality of life for all people who live and work here.
Tickets are $20 per person or $25 the day of the event and c
an be purchased at:
Valencia Liquor, 1231 E. Main St., Meriden, in the new Lowe’s Plaza
Zorba’s Restaurant, East Main Street, Meriden
PiesOns Restaurant, Colony Street, Downtown Meriden
Sandman Gallery, West Main Street, Meriden
Wallingford
Hybrid Passenger Car and High Mileage Vehicle Exemption
Pursuant to Ordinance 556, the Town of Wallingford has enacted a Hybrid Passenger Car and High Mileage Vehicle exemption in the amount of a $5000 assessment reduction. The ordinance shall be effective commencing with the October 1, 2008 Grand List and shall terminate on July 1, 2010.
Hybrid Passenger Car – A new passenger motor vehicle purchased on or after October 1, 2004, and prior to October 1, 2008, that has a United Stated Environmental Protection Agency estimated highway gasoline mileage rating of at least forty miles per gallon that draws acceleration energy from two onboard sources of stored energy, which are both an internal combustion or heat engine which uses combustible fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system that is certified to meet or exceed the tier II bin 5 low emission vehicle classification. OR
High Mileage Motor Vehicle – A new passenger motor vehicle purchased on or after January 1, 2008, and prior to July 1, 2010 that has a United States Environmental Protection Agency estimated city or highway gasoline mileage rating of at least 40 miles per gallon.
INSTRUCTIONS
A one-time application must be filed in the town Assessor’s Office for every hybrid or high mileage vehicle. A new application is required for every newly acquired vehicle.
2. Applicant must provide ownership and purchase date documentation for the vehicle. (motorcycles
and scooters are not eligible).
Applicant should provide documentation with the application supporting the claim that the subject
3. Vehicle qualifies for the exemption. The Environmental Protection Agency hosts a web site
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ where you may access this information.
4. For the regular motor vehicle Grand List an application must be filed on or before December 31st
Following the assessment date for which the exemption is requested.
5. For the supplemental motor vehicle Grand List an application must be filed within 30 (thirty) days
Of the purchase of the vehicle.
6. Failure to file an application within the required filing period will result in a forfeiture of the
Exemption for the applicable Grand List year.
MY YOUTHFUL DAYS FISHING
BY Francis W. Lappert
I was twelve yrs. old and my young brother was ten when our father told us to catch a can of night crawlers and he would take us bullhead fishing at Meremere Reservoir. We did so and he rigged up several tarred drop lines, as he didn’t have any fishing poles. We took off and walked to the north end of the reservoir, as this was his favorite spot to catch a mess of bullheads. We followed a path down the west side until he came to his favorite spot. Each of our lines was about sixty feet long with a two-ounce sinker on the end to help us throw it out. Our father who was an expert with the line caught the first fish, a nice one about twelve inches long. After dealing with several tangled lines my brother and I got the hang of it and managed to get several fish, added to what our father caught we quit when we had a dozen. Our mother fried them up the next day for supper. After a few more trips with him he let us go by ourselves. At that time Meremere had a great quantity of smallmouth bass. We asked our older brother who was an expert fisherman what would be the best bail to catch them. He told us small green frogs or crayfish. He said the best place to catch the frogs was in the swamp for their food. The crayfish we could get in the reservoir by lifting up flat stones along the shore. We both supplied our family with many a fish dinner. I’ve got to mention the fact that the park seemed to be a breeding ground for the copperhead snakes. We killed many of them even where the swimming pool now stands.
Quite a few years later, when fishing by myself on the west side of the reservoir among the huge rocks on the shore, I had a dozen small frogs in my bail pail. I had just landed a nice two pound bass and was reaching for the pail in back of me for another frog to bait the hook My hand froze in mid air for there in back of the pail was a large copperhead. I reached for a nearby rock but he saw me move and slithered down among the rocks. Needless to say I got away from there fast. The area between Hubbard Park and the south end of the reservoir seemed to hold most of the snakes. I have never encountered a rattle snake in all my hiking in these woods but my sister Rose killed a forty two inch rattler while walking in the woods near the half-way house we call Fair View. It had eight buttons.
I recall in later years someone introduced large mouth bass and also pickerel to Meremere reservoir. The fishing improved tremendously. I once caught a seven pound twelve ounce bass on a black jitterbug plug fishing at night.
I would like to mention also that Peregrine Falcons used to nest on the crags on the west side
of the reservoir and once saw one carrying a large snake in its talons back to its nest on the cliff. There also used to be the Red-tail hawks that were always trying to get one of our chickens in the backyard, but our father chased them away with his twelve-gauge shotgun.
A final note: Meriden has five water supply reservoirs, two of them teeming with fish, Meremere and Broad Brook. It’s tragic not one of them is available to local fishermen.
What is the Meriden Early Childhood Blueprint?
Vision
All children will come to school ready, willing and able to succeed.
Mission
The Meriden Blueprint creates a comprehensive plan to promote learning for our young children and families. The Blueprint engages our diverse community to build upon our current strengths to improve health, safety and learning from children from birth to eight years old.
How did the Blueprint start in Meriden, and who is involved?
A team of Meriden parents and community leaders was convened in January 2008 by Meriden Children First and the Meriden School Readiness Council with support from a grant from the Governor’s Early Childhood Cabinet and the Graustein Memorial Fund. Meriden’s Blueprint Leadership Work Group is representative of the major institutions, parents and others who live and work in our community and share an interest to improve the lives of young children.
Why is this project important?
Did you know that more than 50 babies will be born in Meriden over the next month? They will join more than 7,000 other young Meriden children, infant to eight years of age. What does the future hold for them? And are we as a community ready for them?
How is the Blueprint work being done?
We have identified three areas of interest, including Family Involvement and Economic Success, Early Childhood Education, and Health.
The leadership Work Group and consultants have been collecting information to better understand what is affecting families in Meriden and how our early childhood system works. Some of the work performed:
Analyzed existing needs, including updating the 2007 well-being report by Children First.
Collected available information in all four areas from a variety of Federal, State and local sources.
Made an inventory of Meriden early childhood services in the three areas, including a fiscal scan to determine resources devoted to early childhood.
Interviewed hundreds of stakeholders to gain additional perspectives, including results of focus groups and surveys.
What’s Next?
With input from a May 29th community meeting attended by more than 70 people, the Leadership Work Group will work over the summer to write a plan of action.
The final Blueprint will be unveiled at an Early Childhood Summit planned for Wednesday, September 24th at 6pm at John Barry Elementary school. Local and state elected leaders will be asked to endorse the Blueprint and to work with the community to make early childhood priorities come to life. If you would like more information about this project of would like to become more involved, visit
http://www.meridenchildrenfirst.org/ or contact David at Meriden Children First, 203.630.3566 or email
dwradcliffe@juno.com.
Delayed opening of the Wallingford Public Library's back entrance
The Wallingford Public Library rear parking lot entrance and book drops will continue to be closed to allow for replacement of concrete near the rear parking lot next week. During this time, the library will be open regular hours, and library users may access the building through the front door only. The book-drop adjacent to the front of the building will remain open and available for after-hours returns. The Book Seller used book store will be closed during the construction. Patrons may renew items online at
http://www.wallingford.lioninc.org/ or by calling the library at 203-265-6754. Fines will not be charged during this period.
Summer Traditions and Transitions
By Eileen Cahill Horton
Looking back over the past 21 years of being a parent, I can’t help but reflect on the differences between past summers and the present.
Time changes so much, yet some things remain the same. Planning for summer vacation used to involve scheduling time for friends and family for bar-b-ques, going to fairs, trips to the beach or neighborhood waffle ball games in the backyard. The summer seemed like endless days of swimming, hiking, biking, basketball, camps, ice cream and yes, trips to the library to stock up on books to while away the inevitable rainy days. How wonderful it seemed.
I thought these days of togetherness would last forever, but then came the pre-teen years when I found myself driving the children to their friends’ houses for pool parties and actually dropping them off and leaving them there! After the initial fears of something terrible happening to them subsided, (yes, I was that Mom who had to meet the supervising adult and make sure they knew the kids allergies and emergency numbers), my thoughts started turning to the future and the changes in attitudes that I knew were around the corner. This “free time” wasn’t very liberating as there was always more scheduling to do since the kids were becoming more independent as the summers passed.
When they became teenagers, I loved watching their social skills develop as they became more involved with others and less with me. It was exciting and rewarding to watch them use the lessons I taught them in their dealings with others. After surviving driving lessons and the driver’s tests, my pride in their abilities was equal to the realization that another momentous change was occurring. Now I had young adults who were not real keen about staying home and baking cookies with their mom. There was a big world outside of the backyard that they needed to explore.
Although much less time was spent together as a family, it became very important to stay connected as proms and graduations too precedent. We shared some extremely exciting and happy moments through those years. The joy of watching your children develop into responsible and caring adults was a new and enlightening experience for me.
Although our time together is very limited now due to jobs and social obligations, the spirit of fun and love is still with us. Our family has grown over the years to include many of the childrens’ friends who are just like family, son instead of empty nest summers, there are more activities involving everyone. This summer has seen my youngest move to her own apartment and my son become the “man” of the house.
Yes, many things have changed, but I just received a text message from one of the children that said, “I love you Mom and I love our family”. What more can I say? Life is still great!
AT THE HEART OF IT ALL!!
What a fitting title for this article! The Augusta Curtis Cultural Center (ACCC) is in the heart of so many and is located in the heart of Meriden. We are known as the heart of the Community with so many that utilize our space and attend our events. The ACCC is here for everyone to enjoy and to share. Throughout the years many programs, exhibits, and events have attracted thousands to the Center, have you been one of them and if not, why? We want your input and suggestions for programming and events. Let us know what you would like to see and what you would like to attend. Since the ACCC began we have been able to finish our lower level by painting, tiling the floor, installing arts/crafts sink & cabinets, and installing a catering kitchen. We have also installed a wireless microphone & PA speaker system with radio/CD player. Now that the Center has three completed levels for use we would like to find uses for them all. The lower level has a community room, arts & crafts room, and catering kitchen. The main level has a glass floor, marble fireplaces, and coatroom. The beautiful Rotunda is our upstairs room that has a stage and capacity for about 80 to 90 theater style. Outside improvements include the new Rosa Ponselle Garden & performance stage. All these improvements have been made to enhance the ability to do more events and to be able to make the Center more marketable. Did you know you can have your own special event at the Center? The ACCC is available for rentals as well as the garden area. In order to be able to continue to provide artistic and cultural programming at little or no charge we rent the Center. All proceeds go back into the running of the Center and our programs and events. We have hosted many weddings, receptions, fundraisers, business meetings , holiday parties, family parties and many more over the last 8 years and are hoping to continue hosting those types of events in the future. The Center is funded primarily by rentals, memberships, fundraisers, grants, and donations. This fall we are going out to area businesses to ask for their support in sponsoring programs at the Center. If anyone has a business or knows of a business that would like to sponsor something at the Center, let us know. Partnerships are important to the success of the Cultural Center and this summer we have forged a wonderful new collaboration with the Hartt School Guitar and 20/20 departments in Hartford. The school is a part of the University of Hartford and is Conncecticut’s Julliard. There are 5 performances scheduled to take place between October and April. We are bringing the best of the best musical students to the City of Meriden and hope that you all will come and enjoy. Don’t forget that we will only be as good as our community makes us. Are you a member, would you like to be? The ACCC sponsors groups such at the Augusta Curtis Concert Band, The Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra, and The Summer Youth Musical Theater Camp just to name a few The Center is here for all, right in the Heart of Meriden. The website is a great way to keep up with what is going on “At the Augusta” so check it out at
http://www.curtisculturalcenter.org/ or give us a call at 203-639-2856. Anyone wanting to instruct classes, join a committee, use the Center give us a call we need groups or individuals with their hearts in the arts!!
CHIPPER AND CHELSEA
A whimper and one small bark came from Chipper as he looked out the window.. Cathy opened the front door as Paul stepped out of his red Taurus and Chipper ran to him and then circled the 100 feet of the front lawn with a whirling force over and over again. It was delightful to see such an exhibition of love and joy. Eight years have passed since Paul found this dog and his welcome is always the same.
It was springtime in the year 2000. Paul and Tom set up their tools in New Britain for a cellular tower survey when they heard a small bark. The sounds of a highway with heavy traffic muffled the dog’s call but Paul looked up the bank and pointed to a pile of chips. Tom joined him as he ran up the hill to pick up a scrawny young dog. Chips of wood stuck to his feet: “Chipper,” Paul spoke to the dog, “Where did you come from? How long have you been here?” Both boys were moved by the dog’s friendliness. They placed him in the truck away from the busy highway.
As Tom petted the dog he noticed Chipper’s ribs were protruding. “He must be starving.” Paul found a plastic container, poured some water from the cooler and opened a can of sardines, and that’s all it took to become Chipper’s best friend.
Neither of the boys could take the dog to their apartments. So Paul thought of his Mom who already had Chelsea, a springer spaniel, and a fenced in back yard. “We’ll find the owners soon, don’t worry . No-one would let this wonderful dog stay lost.” he exclaimed. But no-one responded to the lost and found ads and Chipper stayed.
Dr. St. Claire at Meriden Animal Hospital gave Chipper a complete physical but postponed the usual immunizations and treatments for a few months since Paul had no idea of the dog’s past medical history. “He looks like a German Shepard mixed with beagle hound and from his bone structure, I guess he’s about five months old.” Dr. Joseph St. Claire called to his son, Dr. James (St. Claire) and both of them agreed. “He’s a little shaky but appears healthy. Feed him the same dog food you give Chelsea (Natural Choice) and let me see him again in two weeks. By then those prominent ribs will be well covered.” This was true, and never again did Chipper appear under weight.
Chelsea was different. She acted out! Unlike Chipper, she was a thoroughbred Springer spaniel, papers and all, and Cathy paid $1000 for her. Cathy and Tanya kept her in their home from the time she was seven weeks old until they went on a Carnival cruise in April, 1998. Chelsea was four months old when Mom and Dad took over her care.
Chelsea had rages. She couldn’t sit still in the car when a bicyclist or a large truck went by—she would run from one window to the other barking. Dad placed a cage in the car to stop the dog’s bad habit but Chelsea never seemed at ease when riding. The TV was literally attacked when any fast moving thing went across the screen—horses, cars, runners. Whenever Mom or Dad sat in the reclining chair and pressed the lever to raise the foot stool, Chelsea jumped like a startled stallion into the air and had to be stopped from attacking them. Worst of all, she bit when excited or controlled. As a puppy some of this behavior seemed tolerable but Chelsea didn’t respond to discipline as she grew older.
Perhaps Chelsea knew that her new master was ill and she didn’t like it.. Dad became much weaker by January 1999 from melanoma; everyone who visited left in sadness. “Come on Chelsea,” he would say, “Lie next to me.” Chelsea would jump up on the couch with him and cuddle next to his feet. Perhaps, it would have been easier on such a sensitive animal if she could talk it over with someone, but instead, she witnessed Dad’s decline until he went to Hospice in July, and died one month later.
Eight months later, Chipper moved in. Chelsea and Chipper liked each other. They played in the backyard, loved their walks together with Mom, Paul or Cathy, loved to swim together and even ate off separate plates without fighting. Each dog slept independently in cages next to each other and often napped on the living room rug close together.
Chipper had a sweet nature but Chelsea continued to be aggressive and neurotic. Chipper followed Chelsea’s leadership but seemed to understand when the “alpha” dog, Chelsea, became too aggressive. Chelsea was spayed when she was eight months old and Chipper was neutered before his first birthday. The years went by and Chelsea continued to react to noise, such as the sound when raising the base of the lounging chair. She yelped and often lunged toward the chair and anyone in her way. Chipper interrupted these actions by prancing around Chelsea and astonished us by attempting intercourse. However, Chelsea never changed.
Cathy and Mom always searched for advice in helping their beautiful pet, Chelsea, to live with them without turmoil. In her first year of life, she attended beginner obedience classes. Her playful nips became serious bites and she could not be trusted to be left alone with the grandchildren. When Cathy or Mom attempted to stop her from adverse behavior or remove ticks, she turned on them.
In the year, 2002, three interventions were attempted. Chelsea’s first four years were chaotic and both Mom and Cathy thought this could change. A young woman from ABC Obedience Training in Guilford came to the house four times and walked both dogs, advising Mom to use a gentle leader collar on each dog that would correct the dogs’ pulling, She asked that Mom try the clicker, a tool to give the dog more confidence. Many of her suggestions changed the actions of Cathy and Mom. No longer would they allow the dogs on any of the comfortable chairs in the house. The trainer asked that Chipper join a group of dogs for an evening social but she didn’t want Chelsea there.
During this time a friend advised the family to see Dr. Harlan Gustafson who specialized in dog behavior. This veterinarian agreed with the advice of ABC Obedience Training but suggested that Chelsea might benefit from medication. Mom couldn’t get over how Chelsea reacted to this man. The dog allowed him to give her a complete physical and never showed any aggression. “Dr. Gustafson was truly a dog whisperer,” Mom said later to Paul and Cathy, However, the thought of medicating Chelsea did not appeal to the family.
Two months later Chelsea turned on Mom when she pulled a stick from her mouth. The bite on Mom’s hand became infected. Just a short time before this Cathy needed an emergency room visit for a painfully deep bite on her hand. One day Chipper and Chelsea encountered a Labrador retriever on their daily walk and it was all Cathy could do to pull Chelsea off the retriever. None of the advice they received stopped Chelsea from biting.
One last try: a trip to Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts. Chelsea hid under the chair as Leslie Anderson, assistant to Dr. Moon, tried to assess her. Leslie diagnosed Chelsea as having dominance aggression with a strong fear component. Leslie mailed her report to Mom along with a detailed list of instructions that she and Dr. Moon had collaborated on. Mom and Cathy followed through on most of the suggestions but had difficulty in declaring one word commands. They purchased a basket muzzle and used it frequently; they let pet groomers keep Chelsea clean and brushed; they avoided bones and raw hide and continued to keep both dogs off high furniture; they tried a long leash and gentle leader collar in the house to change the dog’s aggression toward visitors and noise; the easiest advice was to let Chelsea run for 30 minutes because she and Chipper ran like gazelles in the woods.
There was not enough money to build a separate pen to keep Chelsea away from children until a year later. Quentin, a teenager, witnessed his grandmother’s dog, Chelsea, dig furiously and yelp without stopping that first short time in the new pen. “That dog is crazy,” he said. When Chelsea again took a nip at Grandma, both Gram (Mom) and Cathy took Chelsea to Meriden Animal Hospital where the veterinarians all agreed that Chelsea should be put to sleep ( September 13, 2003).
Mom, Cathy and Chipper grieved over the loss of Chelsea. Even now, five years later, Chipper runs to his cage when he sees anyone in the family sit on the recliner
in the living room. Every time he walks around the block with Mom or Cathy he looks for the Labrador retriever and pulls on his leash when he sees her. There is a big difference: Chipper reacts to the commands of his masters; he seems to be at peace in this world . Chelsea never was!
____________________________________________________________________
Body Temple Fitness
Terrace Johnson is owner and operator of Body Temple Fitness in Meriden. Having been interested in physical fitness and personal health since his youth, Terry has been a certified personal trainer for eight years. Terry began as a facility trainer. He then moved on to do free lance and in-home training. Being guided by the Creator, Terry opened his own personal training studio. Body Temple Fitness is the first and only fitness and nutrition studio in Meriden. He also provides in-home training for individuals who prefer it. Due to the success of his clients and overwhelming referrals, Terry has added four certified personal trainers to the Body Temple Fitness family. Body Temple Fitness has incorporated an apprenticeship program for three of its up-and-coming trainers.
With the support of Shelly, his wife of 13 years, Terry’s vision of providing the residents of Meriden and surrounding areas with fitness and nutrition training has become a reality. Terry’s passion for assisting clients to reach their personal best health has enabled individuals to increase their quality of life: mind, body, and soul. He stresses the importance of taking care of one’s body, which is the temple of God. Being very involved in his local church, Terry often offers fitness training to members of his congregation and other churches throughout the community of Meriden. CALL US YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT WEIGHT.
Terry has trained over 100 clients with a large variety of goals ranging from losing weight, to increasing tone and flexibility, building muscle, and simply maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Clients desiring to improve their fitness ability and nutrition will find the wide range of available activities motivating. Terry’s clients have benefited from the use of treadmills, circuit machines, free weights, kick boxing, and core balance movements to achieve their personal goals. Many clients also seek assistance with their rehabilitation after surgeries or injuries. Terry provides training to clients of all ages and will be beginning a program in September for youth and their families. The goal of this program is to equip them to live a healthy and productive life. Terry strongly believes in the effectiveness of personalized exercise and nutrition programs tailored to each individual. All of his clients’ programs are modeled after this principle.
Body Temple Fitness is not a gym. It is an individualized personal training studio where clients work one on one with a trainer in a private, professional setting for all ages and budgets. Whether your goals are weight management, body sculpting or body building, Body Temple Fitness provides each client with the motivation, instruction, guidance and coaching that is required to build confidence to not only achieve your goals, but allow you to maintain them for life.
For more information about programs, pricing, hours and services, please visit our website:
http://www.bodytemplefitness.us/ or call (203) 213-6369 to receive a free fitness evaluation ($65 value).
_________________________________________________________________________________
Barbara’s Bountiful Bouquet
by Barbara Sherburne
Hi, everyone. I feel like this was kind of an odd year for the garden. We had such divergent temperatures, so cold in May, very hot the first part of June, then lots of rain and cooler temps, and August has been the most surprising of all with temperatures dropping into the 60s and sometimes the 50s overnight. I do not remember any August being like this. Tomatoes like hot weather, so although I picked my first ones on July 11th, it did kind of wind up being again mid-August before they were really flourishing. I have tons right now, and I am still ahead of many other gardeners who still have green tomatoes. It seems that my mismarked six-packs of tomatoes are almost all yellow, nonacidic tomatoes, and they are almost sweet tasting. They are very good, but I do miss my cherry tomatoes. I have been giving lots and lots of vegetables away to my friends and neighbors, who do appreciate it. I have more basil than I know what to do with, but that is basically the case every year. I decided to give a bunch of it to a young fellow who owns a pizza restaurant next door to where I work. He was so grateful that to my amazement he brought me a vegetarian pizza to the convenience store I work at with some of my basil on it. Boy, that was good!
Out of six artichoke plants, one actually produced artichokes, seven. I had no idea when to pick them, and I think I waited too long because the outer skin is pulling back, and that is not how artichokes look in the store. They just were not very big, so I kept thinking I should wait a little longer until they grew larger. Hmmm. I'll see what happens next year as they are supposed to be perennials. I have seen no artichokes at the Community Garden even though I remember one fellow saying he was going to plant them from seed when we had a garden meeting in March. Maybe the seeds didn't take. I got my artichoke six-pack at Cheshire Nursery on Route 10, and maybe that's the only place that carries them. I know I have never seen them before anywhere else
Although I did have miniature corn plants again this year, quite unbelievably they did produce corn, roughly half the size of an ear you would buy in a store. I picked quite a lot of them, ate some, gave some away, and still had a lot to go, and it was about that time that the raccoons got wind of my crop, and they had a field day. But that's okay. I believe in sharing.
My cucumbers fizzled out at the Community Garden in early August, and it was about that time that they started to grow here at home on the trellis. Go figure that one out. I just picked two today, August 26th. I got very little produce from the zucchini or the yellow squash here, but I still have lots of blossoms. I don't know if they will produce anything more at this point. Cleomes popped out from nowhere here at home too, what an odd little invasive flower, and I had to pluck many of them out too, and then three sunflowers popped up from nowhere as well. They are not giant ones, but little ones, and I did not plant cleomes or sunflowers here this year. So whoever said that they are annuals, well, not really. And one little marigold flower bloomed outside of my garden area here at home, just an few inches from the edge of the garden, about seven feet away from marigolds I planted, and I was like, "What?" You just never know.
Back to the Community Garden, my marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, lilies, and Black-Eyed Susans are doing well. What I personally get a bit discouraged with every year is how many people prepare their plot, plant things, and then realize you have to weed and water, and disappear. Many plots are all seven-foot tall weeds now, including one that abuts me. I am constantly keeping their weeds at bay because I don't want them in my garden. I am not sure what people are thinking when they first plant a garden, but if you are not prepared to do a lot of work, it is kind of useless to start a garden. And then there are the gardens that are attended to for part of the summer, and yet now I see things rotting and not being picked, particularly tomatoes and peppers, a
nd then I see zucchini and squash that get to be the size of a baseball bat and no one is there to pick them. I don't get that.
I have already started to do the haying down process for the season at the Community Garden. I feel this season is going to come to a close sooner than usual due to these rather chilly overnight lows. I doubt the basil or marigolds will last as long as they normally do. Okay, I have the blahs because I hate to see this season end. I love to garden and love the summer, and it seems to come and go so quickly. There really will not be much more to report in the next issue as I think I will just be putting the garden to rest. I'll see what happens. But for all of you who have gardens or who enjoy reading about mine, I wish you a very good September. I always call this time of year "The rush to Christmas." I kind of coined that phrase a long time ago, but time itself seems to speed up at this point in the year, and the next thing you know, Halloween has come and gone, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Maybe it's a sign of getting older. Not sure about that, but time has continued to fly more steadily as the years have been running by. Oh, my, but I don't like to see summer go.Barbara Sherburnebarndt49@yahoo.com
_____________________________________________________________________
Bobbie’s Bevy of Beauties
In less than four weeks autumn will be arriving and it can bring some very pleasant days with it. But then comes that nasty season which as much as I despise some love it. Where did spring and summer go? Seems like the kids have been out of school for only a week or two. Here in Meriden the public schools begin classes on Wednesday, August 27th. Our youngest granddaughter Izzy-Bella enters kindergarten at Ben Franklin, her sister Abby 7th grade at Lincoln and sister Emmy “MeO” begins her first year at Platt on her 14th birthday. Wishing them a successful year.
My flower beds are still pretty much in bloom. The turtle heads are just starting to open up. Almost any place that sells plants have the autumn favorite chrysanthemum in stock now. Mine probably won’t give a showy display until the end of September. The butterfly bushes are full of very fragrant blossoms. And along with the blooms are the many beautiful butterflies. The hummingbirds are also fond of this flower as well as my Echinacea, (Cone Flower), and thrive on my black and blue salvia. There are many kinds of salvia. Annual as well as perennial. This is an annual and one of my favorites. Has grown to at least three feet. Produces many small, narrow flowers on each stem. The buds are black and turn to a royal blue when fully open. There aren’t too many plants that are blue in color. Give them a try next year I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with them. The autumn joy sedum is starting to turn red. Not as many dahlias this year. Guess some of the older tubers have had their time. Will buy some new ones next spring.
Many complaints about the veggies this season. So late in ripening. And a lot of them died out before they did much producing. Out of six or seven cucumber plants Jimmy would get a picking of over four hundred cukes. This year maybe a hundred plus. He planted mostly Roma tomatoes. A few big boy and cherry. They all did very well. Any of you who read my articles know my love for the tomato. They finally turned red and I’ve been eating them like they are going out of style. But I’ve noticed I haven’t gotten any hugs from Jimmy since I’ve been consuming this particular vegetable. I asked him why and he told me he was afraid to squeeze me because I would turn into tomato juice. That might just happen with the amount I’ve devoured.
We have a great front lawn man. Carl sometimes alone or with one of his adult sons help with the mowing and trimming. But for some unbeknownst reason one of my white and purple trumpet lily plants gets hacked off along with the weeds by them. I do have many of this particular flower so they do get replaced. This is not a particular favorite of Jimmy’s so needless to say this doesn’t bother him in the least. You do have to keep them under control or you will have fields of them. Of course then you wouldn’t need to mow your lawn. After a few lessons of show and tell I think Carl and his sons have finally come to recognize the lily for what it is, a “flower” and not a weed. Other than this little quirk of the family…they are top notch.
Including a photo of one of our old wood burning stoves sitting in one of my garden beds with pots of begonias resting on top.
Will close for now.
Flowerecerely yours,
Bobbie G. Vosgien
P.S. Love always and best wishes to our oldest granddaughter Emmy “MeO” who turned 14 on August 27th. We’re so proud of all the awards you have received. During your four years at Platt we’re sure there will be more coming your way. Good Luck! Grammie Bobbie and Gump Jimmy
P.S.S Happy 26th wedding anniversary to my brother Ted and sister in-law Linda on August 28th. Love Bobbie and Jimmy
_______________________________________________________________________
Simple tips to conserve energy
Mike Gannon
Most people are trying to save a little energy these days, both for the good of the planet and for their wallets. Here are a few simple tips, though they may take a little courage in spots:
(1) Ask at your coffee shop, if you don’t brew your own, and especially if it’s locally run, if you can leave a mug there and save a paper cup a day from that. One coffee shop lets me do this.
(2) Ask yourself, or your friend or son-in-law, if it’s possible to use the drive-up as little as possible. Certainly people with small children in the car, and certainly in really inclement weather, it makes sense. On most days, and with most people, however, it could save a lot in the long run if we got out of our cars and got our coffee and/or breakfast or cashed check done inside. I see lots of one- person cars idling in the line daily at McDonald’s, and it’s painful to see, especially if there are ten or eleven cars that are waiting. In a month or year, just this one habit can effect a lot of gasoline saved.
(3) Check at home to see that lights get turned off when rooms are not being used. It didn’t used to make a big difference, but with electric bills climbing….
(4) Speaking of electric bills, Wallingford now has a way for residents to support something other than wealthy middle-easterners with their energy dollars. We can contact the Electric division and indicate a willingness to pay just a little more and encourage the development of alternative energy sources, such as wind or solar. (It doesn’t have to be a big sacrifice, but it can be important.)
(5) This one takes courage. Once in a while at the YMCA, when I am cleaning up after a workout, I see someone who is still letting the water run at full bore while shaving. When I’m up to it, I try to kiddingly jog the person into realizing that it’s pretty wasteful to do this. Almost every time the person realizes that he doesn’t need to use as much water as this to get the job done.
Good luck and thanks for reading this.
______________________________________________________________________
My Buddy, Lazan
By George Arndt
When my brother was four years old, I was an adventurous young lad of seven years. He would always be in my way…tagging along wherever I would go, and pestering me to let him do what I was doing. Dad had named him Edward Lazan, but we just called him Lazan. And then one day, just before he turned five, he was adopted by a couple from Ohio. I was able to visit with him only once, shortly after he left our home.
Silently, the years slowly tiptoed by. And then, in 1982 after 32 years, I was able to wrap my arms around my brother, hug him, shake his hand, and say,
“Boy, it’s been a long time since I last saw you.” Yeah, what else is there to say at a time like that.
Over the past 26 years he has come to my house for a visit…numerous times, indeed. We’ve done a lot of things together over the years, gone to various places, visited relatives and friends…many a good times,
for sure. When he visited me this past July, we paid a visit to our favorite seafood restaurant…aaaah, that’s the ticket.
When we got back to my house, while I was in the process of parking the car, he took hold of the sun visor and tried to re-position it the way it had been…then, SNAP. I thought I heard a wary voice say, “Ooops” He just sat there holding that sun visor in his hand looking at me, and with a sigh he said, “I’m sorry.”
For an instant, a blink of an eye, I went back through time to the day he was waving goodbye, and whispering, “I’m sorry, but I have to go away for awhile.” I just looked over at him sitting there holding that doggone old sun visor, and with a smile said,
“Hey, you’re my brother…I forgive you.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Dear Housewives – Central Connecticut’s Know It All Gals
Dear Readers,
Do you have a question regarding family life, budgeting, customer service issues, DVD or book reviews, or home organization? We will give you our candid advise from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail or phone with your confidential question and we will answer it in the next issue.
Hope you all enjoyed your summer. Back to school is here, we hope you are all ready. - June and Flora
Dear Housewives,
My husband likes to watch the news while we eat dinner but I think the violent and bad news is not something our kids should hear. What do you think? We have decided to do what you say.
No news is good news in Meriden
JUNE: Dear News, I think dinner time should be about the family talking to each other about their day and not about catching the news. Much of what is on the news is bad and scary to little kids. You didn't say the age of your kids but I think you should turn off the television and turn on the conversation. Bon appetite.
FLORA: I agree 100% with June. Table time is talking time for any age. I would avoid the news with young ones at all times. They over sensationalize stories and can and will frighten them. TV off. You can go around the table and ask what the best part of the day was.
Dear Housewives,
I hate when people wear shoes in my house. When my mother in -law comes to visit she wears them all the time. I have a baby that crawls on the floor. How can I tactfully ask her to take off the shoes?
got no soul in Meriden
FLORA: Just say to her: "I feel uncomfortable asking you this but, would you mind taking off your shoes when you come over? I can buy you a special Grandma Slippers for when you come by or we can shop for a pair together." Having the slippers will make it more special. I hope she respects your request.
JUNE: I too have little ones on the floor and do not like the shoe in the house idea. People, when you are out one day, remember to look down and see what you are standing in. I bet you wouldn't touch the floor when you are out so why bring those germs onto your carpet and floors? Studies have confirmed that we bring in much bacteria on our shoes. Kindly tell your mother in law that you don't want shoes in the house due to the danger to her grandchild. It is a preference like not allowing smoking in your home.
Also, buy some cheap slippers for people to wear around your house.
Dear Housewives,
My hairdresser opened her own shop last year. I was brought up that you do not tip the salon owner. Is that still the case. It costs a fortune for the wash, cut and color and to add 15-20% more is breaking the bank some months.
To Tip or not To Tip, that is the Question
Flora: We must have been brought up in the same family because I was told not to tip the owner too. I would probably tip though. If you feel close enough, ask her if it is customary. June? This is a tough one...
JUNE: I can't believe we got this question because I am having the same issue now. I returned to a hairdresser I went to when she worked somewhere and now she is the owner. I don't tip though. I feel funny because I am used to tipping but that is what I thought the general rule is. Of course, you can tip if you want but I feel they get the profits and make the salary they give themselves whereas the hairdressers that work for them get a low base pay and people make up the difference with tips. I would not tip unless you want to if it is the owner.
JUNE: What is the deal with the whole tipping thing anyway? Why is the consumer on the spot to "help" pay the salary of waiters/waitresses, hairdressers and so on. Why don't the restaurant owners pay the waiters a proper and not let us help them pay their workers. For a family to go out to dinner it is expensive enough and to add 20% really hurts.
Enjoy back to school kids and especially parents.
________________________________________________________________________
Fishing Lures For 2008: What’s Hot!
Written by Paul Warducci Heart of Connecticut Outdoors
The lures I am going to discuss are lures that will work in local rivers, lakes and ponds in Connecticut waters. Some of these lures have been around for years and some are new to the fishing market. The bottom line is that these lures catch fish and big ones. I started a fishing show called Connecticut Outdoors back in 1994 and had to stop due to my sons illness. We have decided to start our show again. The shows should start airing by September. The first type of lures I am going to discuss are probably the most exciting to fish and will create such an adrenaline rush you will be hooked for life. Of course I am talking about top water fishing. I enjoy this type of fishing and truly enjoy this the most. I like to find the most intense and abundant amount of weeds or lily pads. What most fishermen will shy away from I will look at and smile. The lures I will use when I fish such a place or spot would be a salad spoon, a buzz bait, a hot feet rabbit, a six inch sluggo and a compact spinner bait.
Another type of fishing most of us will do is open water fishing around docks as well as fishing around wood and rocks. I am mainly speaking of fishing from a boat but walking the shoreline the same technique applies. When I first approach a dock I love to throw a tube or gonzo grub. These lures will imitate a crawfish. I will usually fish these on a ¼ ounce jig head. I also like to throw a black/blue four inch dinger wacky style. If you don’t know what wacky style is simply put the hook in the middle. I love to throw a spinner bail usually white anywhere and every time I fish. I really like to throw a wedge plus spinner bait and this will always have to willow blades on it. I am also going to share something with you that my tournament partner Frank would want me to keep quiet. Well for those who know me well that’s not going to happen. One of my favorite lures for trout has also become one of our favorites for bass as well. I am talking about the E.P.Spinn.
One of the biggest things to hit the market is the addition of fish attractants. Some scents are made of crawfish, shad and being Italian of course garlic is a big hit in my house. People will ask me all the time do the
y work? Yes!!! Some lures come with attractants in them and salt is added to most soft plastics so do you really need more? My answer is again yes. If you are a recreational fisherman or a tournament fisherman I would recommend trying Megastrike. This is a gel that you rub onto the lure you are fishing. Last year Frank and I came in second place in a tournament and we both feel this gel helped us cash a check for 2,600. So does it work, my wife thinks so.
These are some of the lures that I would recommend and are worth you giving them a shot. You can log onto these websites
http://www.fishstanley.com.www.lunkercity.com.www.lurenit.com/. and
http://www.megastrike.com/ to check out these lures as well as others. If you have any questions about these lures and how to use them you can always talk to your local tackle dealer such as the Fishing Factory or Uncle B’s Bait and Tackle. As always, Paul, Tony, Frank, Joey, and Jonathan wish you the best of luck and good fishing!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Take Your Dad Fishing
Written by Paul Warducci
Last year I had the opportunity to take my father and his friend Frank Fishing. They were busy building my son a new house but I was able to convince them to take a day off. Believe me when I tell you, that was not easy to do. I talked them into spending the day on Candlewood Lake. Candlewood is the biggest lake in Connecticut and offers some of the best fishing. The boat was loaded with live bait and we were off for what I like to call an expedition. (For all my Winnie The Pooh Fans)
On the way to the lake I explained to them what we would be doing and how we would be fishing. I can honestly say it was the first time in five months they actually listened to what I was saying. Half way there my father started to talk about what they needed to finish tomorrow and it was then that I thought I might lose them. Anyway Dad, enough of that, back to talking about fishing. When we arrived at the lake I launched the boat and we were off. It was amazing that they b
oth had a surprised look that I could actually do something by myself. You see I tried to help them with the building of our house and quickly became the drink guy. Paul the cooler needs ice and water. The first spot is one of my favorites and to any of our viewers you know the point I am talking about. We started catching fish right away and you could see the excitement in their faces. We were catching perch, smallmouth bass and large mouth ball. The spot was panning out once again. We were using shiners and alewives as bait. We were using a split shot about twelve inches above the hook and fishing on the bottom. If you would like to try lures these are some that I would recommend. I would try using a pudgie, a super spot, a wedge plus spinner bait and a dinger. When the action stopped we moved to another spot across from this one and caught fish right away. It was here that my father caught the biggest one of the day. It weighed around three pounds and put up an incredible fight. Everyone was catching fish and it was then that I realized how important this day would become and that I would remember this day the rest of my life. You see this was the first time my Dad spent the day fishing and on my boat. This was truly a special day for me.
If you have the time, take your Dad fishing. If you are unable to take him then do the next best thing and take a kid fishing. The day I spent with my Dad and Frank was very special to me. These two spent everyday for five months giving me and my wife peace of mind. For those of you who don’t know my son Jonathan is paralyzed, vent dependant and is fed through a stomach tube. He has a rare neurological disease called Transverse Myelitis. This year I plan on taking Jonathan fishing and doing a one hour show with my son and the other children in our family. To my father and Frank I say Thank You. I love you Dad.
________________________________________________________________________________
THAT WEEK!!!
The week between Christmas of 2006 and New Year’s Day, 2007, was outstanding for the problems it brought.
On Christmas Eve the oven blew up. I was only heating up some bagel slices at a low temperature, but pouf!, up it went. A busy week, we did not even have time to consider whether to replace the stove or have the oven fixed.
A few days later the hot water tank gave out, although we didn’t realize it until a few days after that. We did not remember if we owned the tank or rented it from the United Illuminating Company.
What happened in the bathroom was almost unbelievable. About a dozen tiles jumped off the shower wall into the bathtub! Some in the family thought we’d have to have a new bathroom installed at a cost of several thousand dollars.
It gets worse. The hole in the kitchen ceiling began to leak steadily. I had purchased a beautiful cut glass bowl at a church rummage sale for a dollar and we placed that on the table directly below the hole. It was a week of many visitors, so I was glad to use that lovely bowl instead of a pail.
I laughed out loud and spoke to the Lord. “It will be interesting to see how You’re going to solve all these problems,” I said. “I know I can’t fix any of them.”
A call to the UI assured us that we rented the hot water tank and a new one would be sent out and installed that very day. They were as good as their word and a few hours later we had hot water again. And that was on New Year’s Day.
Ray, God bless him tackled the tiles in the bathroom, cleaning up all the rough edges of old dried-up glue on the ceramic tiles. He was not well, getting ready to start dialysis in a few weeks, so he could only clean a few each day. But he worked at it faithfully and soon proved what my grandmother used to say: “Do a little each day and eventually the job will get done.” A neighbor provided a patch of wallboard and some glue and Ray was ale to restore the shower wall back to its original usefulness and beauty. Well, almost – it is 60 years old.
Our daughter Robin and son-in-law John, who are our next-door neighbors, went to Vermont for a New Year’s Eve celebration with friends, spending the night there. As they were leaving for home on New Year’s Day, their hosts asked, “Do you know anyone who needs a stove?” They just happened to have John’s truck with them, as a precaution for bad weather, so they loaded the stove onto the truck and headed home. By that afternoon we had a new-to-us stove that fit perfectly into the space the old stove vacated and was exactly the same cream color as the hood above it. The oven door is black glass, exactly the same as the front of our dishwasher.
There’s more. A neighbor came to the door and offered to fix the leak in the kitchen ceiling. He went home to get his ladder and then proceeded to climb up to the second floor bedroom and close the window that had not been shut tightly enough. That slight opening had created a path for rain and snow to somehow make its way to the addition to the kitchen. We no longer need the use of a pail or a crystal bowl or anything!
When God answers prayer, He does it all and He does it right!
From One Woman’s Journal By Audrey C. Linke
______________________________________________________________________
A Summer Ends
By Carol Carbutti
A chill lingers in the morning air and that same chill returns as the daylight retreats earlier than the day before
A quick glance of colored leaves on certain trees, getting a head start on the fall season
Anticipation on children’s faces as they ponder their new school experience and decide on their wardrobe
This summer rushes by, leaving flashes of moments and experiences that echo precious memories
The family picnic with children playing and laughing, friends talking and smiling, sister’s, brother’s and cousin’s catching up
The outdoor cafes, long warm walks on neighborhood streets, fairs and festivals and weekend mystery trips
The sandy beaches that capture your days, also remind you of your childlike pursuit of pure fun
Fresh harvested luscious fruits and vegetables lure you to eat well and search for the best recipes and restaurants
People outside everywhere moving in a slower rhythm, smiling more and communicating
Summer slips away so quickly but nature softens the blow by the slow unveiling of the promises and colors of fall
The knowledge that summer will return excites my sense of being and promotes my desire to plan for next years festivities
_____________________________________________________________________________
Home Country
Slim Randles
“This whole election process just doesn’t work for me,” Dud said, sipping his coffee. “There’s no way we can tell who is best for the job.”
Doc, being the senior member of the Mule Barn truck stop’s world dilemma think tank, looked kindly at Dud. “Well, haven’t you been reading what each guy stands for, Dud?”
Dud shrugged. “Sure. But I firmly believe they only tell you what you want to hear. They’re the best, and the other guy is going to take you straight to ruined aspirations.”
“Ruined aspirations?” piped up Steve, the cowboy with the owlish look of pure bowlegged intellectualism. “That’s why I’ve always thought we need a contest. A real contest. Have them put their aspirations where they’ll do the most good.”
“A contest?”
“Bull riding,” said Steve, nodding sagely. “Just put them on bulls and the first one to fall off loses.”
“But what does bull riding have to do with taxes and warfare and education and all that stuff?” asked Doc.
“Nothing at all,” said Steve, “but you can bet it will separate the serious candidates from the oh-what-the-heck guys.”
“I like what I’m hearing here,” said Dud, with a grin. “Only problem is, if they ride bulls, one of them might get killed.”
Steve grinned, “Simplifies the selection process, doesn’t it?”
-----------
Brought to you by 3Rivers Archery for your traditional bowhunting needs. Visit them at 3RiversArchery.com.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Home Country
Slim Randles
It just happened, you know? One of those serendipitous coincidences that occur when planets line up or you foolishly store oily rags together. It just … happened.
Ardis Richardson was looking through the Soup ‘R Market for an egg beater for her mom. Not the electric kind. The turn-the-handle kind. She picked one up and tried it out, causing the friendly little metallic whir that good egg beaters make. What was serendipitous, however, was Anita Campbell not six feet away in the next row thumping pumpkins. As Anita thumped and Ardis whirred, they got in time with each other and Sarah McKinley was checking out kitchen timers and gave one a friendly ding. This got the thumper and whirrer going even more enthusiastically and caused the market’s owner, Annette George, to walk over to the three percussionists, grin, and pick up a brand-new stainless steel funnel, purse her lips, and begin to blow a blues tune on it. It was okay, since she owned the store.
Annette, it turns out, played trombone back in high school.
While she was bluesing and Anita was thumping and Sarah was dinging and Ardis was whirring, a kind of blissful harmony began and filled the vegetable aisle with music.
When they finally stopped, and between gales of laughter, Annette said she could put a regular trumpet mouthpiece in the funnel and get a better tone. Anita said not to say anything to her husband, Dud, as he thought his accordion playing was the only music in the family.
They agreed to get together each Wednesday afternoon and practice until they got good enough for a concert.
But they never did.
Serendipity just … happens … in its own good time.
-----------
Brought to you by 3Rivers Archery for your traditional bowhunting needs. Visit them at 3RiversArchery.com.
NATURE AS A MIRROR
CALENDULA
Bright golden blossoms
Smile and wave us a greeting
Waiting for Autumn.
The Calendula (English Marigold) is a hardy annual whose bright orange or yellow flowers turn to follow the sun as it moves through the day. For this reason, it has been called “husbandman’s dial”. In the language of flowers, calendula means “winning grace”. Throughout the centuries it has been brewed into teas and made into lotions for skin irritations. The root was even used as a love potion. Today the flowers are sometimes used in soups and salads. The pungent scent of the plant is favored for its ability to discourage insects from the garden. For this reason, the calendula and various varieties of marigolds are often planted as borders of gardens.
In the summer and early autumn we admire the bright glowing beds of the Marigold family with their richness of color, fragrance and form. There will be the low-growing French marigolds with ruffled red-gold petals, the Scotch marigolds and large Calendulas of orange and yellow flattened petals, and the lemony-yellow puffs of the tall African marigolds. There is also the Marsh marigold that grows in the marshy soil of bog gardens and whose petals once were used for dying yarn.
The family of marigolds in their diversity is like our family and community who have a wide diversity of gifts and talents. When we each use our God-given talents for the benefit and growth of our community and the world, it will bloom, and God’s grace will be found in abundance. We, like the Calendula, may be known as ‘wining grace’; hardy, long blooming and of benefit to mankind.
Dorothy Gonick
August 22, 2008
_______________________________________________________________________
Memories of Summer Fun
By: Maggie Griffin - your famous Realtor - before she was a Realtor
When Andy of People’s Press asked me to write an article about my Summer Fun, I thought to myself this is a sign, he asked me to write an article on 3rd year anniversary of my Father’s Passing. So I feel in my heart to write about events of Summer Memories growing up dedicated to My Father in his memory. Therefore, what would the best way to describe Summer Fun this year is incorporate it into Summer Memories.
Sometimes Summer Fun doesn't always mean that you have to take a vacation to have fun. What it means is being together and simply doing what families and friends love to do best. In my case, joking laughing and being with family.
I have to honestly admit, having teenagers now, I came to realize the apple does not fall far from my family tree when it comes to “fun”. And in the family of which I was raised, being the youngest of 6 children “more fun” always happened in the summer.
So I am going to take my Summer Memories that does reflect my two apples from my family tree because what I am about to write happened in the summers of the past. So many things are fond memories, but I am going to give a picture of a few.
Growing up as the 6th child in the DellaRocco Family:
My Oldest Brother – he learned to drive in the summer time back in the 70’s. But he just could not determine when to hit the brakes. One day, my Father bought my mother a new car. So he asked my brother to get in the car, drive it up the driveway behind his car. Then suddenly it happened – boom! My Father picks up the phone, calls my mother and tells my mother he has good news and bad news. The good news is her new car is in the driveway. The bad news is her son just totaled it.
Back in the 80’s, my brother started to lose his hair. Again, it started falling out in the summer. So he decided to buy a hair piece. Now, this I thought was strange, but I had to do it. Every night he would take his hair piece off his head and put in on a Styrofoam head. And every night I went in his room and took his hair piece and put it on the Dog’s head. How he would get so mad. So then I stopped because I got yelled at. Until one day, while in the car with my Mother, sitting in the front, my brother in the back and the dog in the way back of this buick station wagon, the dog started to take his nose and lift my brother’s hair piece. My brother accused me of telling the dog to do that, but what he didn’t realize is the dog wore it so much, he thought it was his.
Back to the the 70’s - My Sister, the oldest one - My Mother was sick one day, so this sister of mine made lasagna for dinner. Before I continue, she was the type that was never hungry, she would just pick and it always had to be off of my plate. Anyway, she made this dinner to help my mom. But something suddenly was wrong. As she served it to everyone, we all suddenly became full. Then my Dad said how the lasagna was really good, so good it was the first time he ate so little and felt so full. Not understanding, I blurted out “I didn’t do it!”. But later that night, that McDonald’s Happy Meal was the best meal I ever ate and I was happy.
Brother # 2 – he is very special for many reasons. We always got along. He was the one that would race me in swimming in the pool, taught me how to dance to the song Grease Lightning from the movie Grease, really protected me. He calls me “babe” because I am the baby of the family, and he gave out the rules.
Older sister #2 – Everything to her was her hair. God forbid if we touched her hair. She was so vein. Until one day she took a walk on a warm day and a bird messed on her hair. She ran home so fast, I had to take a picture, it was worth being framed!
Sister # 3 – She decided to take a class to learn life saving in a pool. I still cannot figure out how she passed that class because when she practiced saving a life in the water, she nearly choked me. Then she would tell me there was a wasp on my head when in the pool. Of course I would panic, but there was never a wasp, she just wanted to hit my head. This is where what comes around goes around. One day there really was a wasp, but it was on her head. She said to me “yeah right”. So I said “ok, don’t believe me”. She got stung and itched for weeks.
But I have to admit, we did things together as a family and playing jokes. The jokes was all a part of the fun, no matter where we were, home or on vacation, the jokes and pranks just was a natural thing in my family.
Then we all grew up, had kids of our own and as I said before, the apples don’t fall far from the trees. I think it is nature’s way of saying “this is what you get for not behaving when you were a kid”.
To my two teenagers – I am going to tell you the same thing my Dad told me. I was once your age and I am the master of the pranks. But remember one thing, FAMILY stands for “Father And Mother I Love You”. You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.
My Mom is the Best Cook in the World. Thank God I made copies of her famous recipes (that she kept in the untouchable draw of the dining room hutch and had to make copies without her knowing before I moved out over 20 years ago.)
From youngest (me) to oldest. - I am the youngest and I will leave it at that.
Annie – I am sorry I use to cut the hair off your Barbie dolls. I wanted to be a hair dresser back then.
Jo Jo – I still will never forgive you for what you did to my wild life treasury kit.
Mary Lou – Some day you will make the best lasagna in the world. I wish you all the best when you
marry your third husband as well.
Sal – You know I love you. I love you so much, you were the best body guard a sister can have, and the best brother in the world. I always will be proud of you when you were in the spot light of the Special Olympics. That’s My Brother!!
Dom – I like you hair now, it’s shiny, round and the color of your skin. And I didn’t convince the dog to take your hair piece. But I did train the bird to land on your head. I wanted you to have scalp therapy and trained Tweety to do this for you out of love.
Mom – I love you. 78 years old and has more energy then an energizer battery, and she drives a sports car. Mom is dedicated to people in general. She always knew when to tell us “Don't tell your father what you did, you’ll give him a heart attack.” So she is a life saver because her advise saved our lives on many occasions and even my Dad’s.
Dad – I miss you always, You were the master of all. When you said you hope my kids do to me what I did to you, that was NO JOKE!
I have a bunch of nieces and nephews and I am a great-aunt too. My family roots are that of the DellaRocco , DeLucia , Valentino, Longabardi, Pappa, Fusco families and More - the list goes on.
I learned as a child The Italian after dinner Mint is a piece of garlic. I can't believe I actually believed that for years. And I am full blooded Italian. And those pool parties with the extended family members, the family was so large, there was never a dull moment and there didn't have to be a reason to have a summer fun party. I guess that is why I like to have gatherings once and a while, even without reason, togetherness is a gift and laughter relieves the soul. That’s just how it was and still is today.
My Dad, Dom DellaRocco, loved throwing a party. He was a Police and Fire Commissioner and Political Figure in his day when raising us kids. I have to admit, a man of his statue kept my driving record clean. Especially when my Dad let me drive home the day I got my driver’s license on my 16th birthday many years ago, and I turned right, right onto the sidewalk (again in a summer month). He took it upon himself to revoke my license for 4 months and he drove the rest of the way home.
Memories begin every second that passes in every season, everyday. Summer Memories were and still at the best.
My Children are passing on my legacy, we always have fun. With a daughter going into her Junior year of High School, I see myself in her, I call her Paris Hilton because she wears those big white sun glasses laying on her solar raft in the pool until my son flips the raft over.
With my son going in his last year of Middle School, let’s just say I am on a first name basis with the principles of his school and I honestly feel they have my number on speed dial. He is a real live Yankee Doodle Dandy, born on the 4th of July and he certainly earned the title “fire cracker”.
I am a Proud Parent no matter what they do, unconditionally. They are my life bringing me the gift of every fun memory in all four seasons of every year.
Enjoy the rest of the warm weather. Remember School is Now in Session. Please drive safe and go the speed limit.
Andy of People's Press - you are the best!
Regards to all ad to all enjoy the rest of the summer.
Maggie Griffin
_____________________________________________________
MUSINGS……..
by Ernie Larsen
Think about it……………..
I subscribe to a weekly news magazine aptly named The Week; if you are familiar with Time, Newsweek, it is that type of publication. However it is vastly different in its content as it accepts very limited advertising; it takes its content from worldwide news and wire services, newspapers and offers sections written by staff.
It always has stories, snippets and facts that you will not see elsewhere. An issue, dated June 27, 2008 had a sidebar on the main stories page which I’m going to quote verbatim:
When 18-year old Lukasz Zbylut arrived in New York 5 years ago, he barely spoke English. But he’s obviously a quick learner: He finished high school this year with an A+ average, served as editor of his school newspaper and founded the debate team. This spring, Zbylut was accepted by 18 colleges, including seven in the Ivy League. He’s decided to attend Harvard. “I applied to all these great colleges thinking, Why not? “he said. “I took a shot in the dark and apparently, I hit the jackpot”
Why is it that eastern Europeans, Asians and children of Asian or children of middle-eastern and other foreign born ethnic groups do so well in our educational system? In this case, with no available details, we don’t know if his parents pushed or should I say encouraged him, or does he just have a natural ability to learn.
Stories of this type surface at this time of year, the end of the school year with all those HS seniors heading off for the ivy covered halls of university. Remembering just a couple of months ago, the Scripps-Howard spelling bee was being televised and here was visual proof of who were the best spellers. Out of the 12 finalists, 8 were non-Caucasian; not being sure if these 8 were born in the US to parents from other lands or came here at an early age, no one can make any accurate prediction why they excel in spelling and I’m sure other academics in which they participate.
People say that happens in other places, well not really, on a personal note, friends of mine have two adopted Korean children, both of whom were in the top ten of their HS graduating class and accepted at prestigious universities with generous scholarships. They are not biological siblings, yet they just seemed to ‘get it’. Their parents were involved in their education, not to any degree that would be called excessive or hovering, the children knew they had to study, were encouraged to become involved in extracurricular activities and that they did. One has graduated and is very gainfully employed, the other doing very well and will also be entering the work force in a couple of years and will surely become an asset to society.
Every time I see a story like this or think about these two children whom I know personally, it gets me wondering; and this time enough to share my thoughts with readers of this publication. Someone who is in the ‘States for a mere 5 years, starting out knowing limited English, excelling academically and now has to reject college acceptances which others would welcome with open arms.
Look at the reality show ‘Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader’, where normal folks (mostly working class adults) fail miserably in the academic arena against 10 and 11 year old students, quite embarrassing, I’d say.
Is our academic system to blame? Hard to say, yet I bet that these smart children have a lot of parental support, giving them certain goals to achieve, or possibly these whiz kids take it on themselves to make their own mark, as I mentioned, you never know. As for being smarter than Miss Jones favorite 5th grade student who early on in the show had to convince a 30 year old sheriff’s deputy that Hawaii was not on the east coast of the United States; this is the point I stopped watching the show – come on, this was pathetic, embarrassing. Yet it is commonplace, I just heard some statistics about a college geography course, these students did not have a clue as to where places were in their own state, much less the United States or, heaven forbid, the World.
Perhaps there should be a “reality show” with a bit more substance than the lot that is currently out there, hosted by people like Lukasz or maybe a group of spelling bee winners; or the top students in high school graduating classes; let them share some of their secrets of mastering our language, their study habits, their ‘secret’ to learning; something along the lines of “How to be as smart as Me”
Think about it!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Stress Relievers
Stress is something that we as human beings all have to deal with in life. Some stress in life can be good to get us motivated into completing tasks or meeting our deadlines. However, it can also cause us physical, mental, or even emotional tension in our day to day lives, and may sometimes paralyze us to the point that our normal routines become disrupted.
I was always a very stressful person. For many years, I would allow it to rule my body, mind, and spirit because I didn’t know how or when to release it. My stress had become so bad that I was in pain all over my body. It radiated through every joint. I decided to see a doctor when I couldn’t ignore the pain anymore. His diagnoses was Fibromyalgia. This condition can be brought on by many things like trauma due to whiplash, pregnancy, and even stress. The symptoms are vast, but the most common is wide-spread muscle pain. Most doctors, including mine, start a patient on pain relieving medication and suggest some form of a pain management program. Many of these programs suggest to reduce stress through meditation and exercise from the books and research I had come across.
My determination grew the more I read. I wanted my body and life back so I started to write down how I felt each time I started to feel stress. This helped me to decide what method of stress reduction to use given how I was feeling at the time.
A big factor of stress for me is a big factor for most of us, it was my job. I managed about thirty people while working in a customer service atmosphere. It was hard to even have time to breath at times, but I knew I had to make a conscious effort because my health was in jeopardy now. Deep breathing, I found, was a great stress reducer. It calmed me because I was able to focus on my breath to free my head enough to think clearer and relax in the given situation until I could get home to unwind in a deeper state.
Once I was home, I became plagued with the wandering mind that wouldn’t let me sleep. I used to lay in bed going over my grocery list because I just couldn’t sleep. Meditation, I thought, might be the way to go once my insomnia became habitual for three nights. Now, since I was a very stressful person, focusing on one thing, like a flower for instance, was unnerving when my mind began to race. It was too difficult to use my brain at that point since it was over active, so I decided to use my other senses instead. I would light a candle or burn incense on some nights and look at the flame or smoke to relax. On other nights, I’d go to my violet plants and smell them to relax. Sometimes I’d just pet my cat if I was too tired to do anything else. These simple activities became part of my routine before bed and gave me enough down time to be able to fall asleep and forget my stresses of the day.
I also tried to find some forms of exercise to help me relieve tension and stress in my body. I found that yoga and basic stretching allowed my muscles and joints to relax and release pain from the day. Five to fifteen minutes a day was all I needed to feel renewed and relieved once I learned the practice of yoga, and maintained it in my day to day life. Walking is also another great form of exercise to relieve stress because it serves two purposes. One, it is a physical activity to help your muscles, and two, it can be a mental activity since you are removing yourself from the stressful situation.
Lastly, I believe that friends and family can help relieve stress. I’ve always loved good food and conversation, and my family and friends can provide both in a visit.
These are the stress relievers I chose to use in my life because they don’t require much time, which is scarce nowadays.
Kimberley Linstruth-BeckomFounder of Writers With Chronic DiseaseWriterswithchronicdisease-owner@yahoogroups.comAuthor and Publisher Kimberley Linstruth-Beckomwww.kimberleylinstruth-beckom.com
______________________________________________________________________________________
FROM CAR, TO BIKE, TO SCOOTER, TO WRITING BOOKS?
One man’s journey to freedom, leads to a road of happiness
Wallingford, Connecticut, August 18, 2008 With gas prices on the slow decline, Wallingford resident Michael J. Citak, who once gave up his car in exchange for a bicycle, is back on the road. "It was cost effective and Earth friendly," Michael said in regards to his bicycle, "but practical it was not," taking as long as twenty minutes to ride a mere six miles up hill.
So like other Americans making the switch to greener driving, Michael too saw the advantages of owning a Moped. "I’m loving it" Michael commented after his maiden voyage of motorized freedom, "with a 1.5 gallon tank, and at close to one hundred miles to a gallon, filling up at the pump now a days is as painless on the wallet as a fast food sandwich." When asked about long distance travel plans, Michael didn’t seem to worry. "You’d be surprised where back roads will take you, I’ve taken it as far as Bristol, twenty miles away. Granted it took over an hour to get there, but I left in plenty of time, the ride was enjoyable, and I got to see places I haven’t seen before." While maybe not for the long distance commuters, the 49cc engine packs a punch around town, and although it reaches top speeds of 45 miles an hour, the bike is still not allowed on limited access roads or highways. "I don’t mind being restricted to back roads" said Michael, "It’s the rain that bothers me, besides I’m free from having to carry insurance, and I no longer have a car payment, so as far as I’m concerned, every day I’m without a car, I’m able to take my extra money that I would be spending and make better use of it."
And, Michael is doing just that. Taking his love of writing and illustrating, Michael has used his free time while looking for a job in town to create Children’s books, and is self publishing them with the help from Lulu.com. Lulu eliminates traditional entry barriers to publishing, and enables content creators and owners – authors and educators, videographers and musicians, businesses and nonprofits, professionals and amateurs – to bring their work directly to their audience.
Michael’s new book entitled The Adventures of Leo- And the Curse of the Dreaded Doors is a fictional story about his kitten Leo, and his quest to escape the house. Filled with colorful pictures featuring real pictures of Leo himself, The Adventures of Leo series is primed to be a hit with girls and especially boys in grades kindergarten to sixth grade. Each new book will be a continuation of the next and will introduce new words and ideas, while encouraging the child’s imagination and moral understanding of key ideas and concepts. "I’ve never been happier" said Michael. "I’ve always had an active imagination, now I’m just using it to create happiness for kids, and giving them the tools to excel!"
For more information on Michael J. Citak or if you would like to arrange an interview with Michael, please call 203.824-0558, or email mikecitak@yahoo.com
______________________________________________________________
CONSUMER CONSIDERATIONS
Paving Your Way -- Driveway Basics for Homeowners
By Jerry Farrell, Jr.
It’s summertime, and for many homeowners, contractors, and scammers, that means driveway time. Your driveway protects your vehicles, shoes and clothing from wet weather, provides a “first impression” to visitors as they approach your home, and enhances curb appeal, adding value to your investment -- so it’s worth planning your driveway carefully.
If your driveway needs a complete reconstruction or resurfacing, consult your neighbors, friends and family members for names of reliable firms they’re familiar with. Call the Department of Consumer Protection at 1-800-842-2649 to ensure that the firms are registered as Home Improvement Contractors and ask about any complaints that we may have on file. Interview several companies; pay special attention to what they recommend and what they can provide. Be sure that you discuss the methods of installation or repair the contractor plans to use. Get at least three bids on the project. Monitor the project and plan to be on hand for the construction.
Avoid the common trap of pavers who knock on your front door with “a load of asphalt that was left over from another job,” offering you a bargain. At best, asphalt that is “left over” from another job will be too cool to make a good driveway pavement. More likely, you’ll fall prey to traveling pavers out to scam you.
Groups of traveling or transient pavers often appear unannounced at your door, ready to offer you a bargain. They also pitch low-cost paving services with flyers or door to door, mostly on weekends. They approach people out in their yards, especially senior citizens. Often, they offer a “neighborhood deal,” a low-cost pitch designed to scam as many victims as possible. Many transient pavers are members of widespread fly-by night operations out to grab the most of your money for little, if any, work. The quality of their work and materials is often inferior, requiring extensive repairs. Every year we get calls about these scams, so don’t become their next victim!
Plan your project carefully, learn something about the subject, hire a reputable contractor, and oversee the work. This is the best way to approach any work on your home.
Two different types of asphalt driveways, hot mix asphalt and chip seal, both lie on a gravel base. Before workers proceed to pave the driveway, check that the gravel base is between 2 and 8 inches thick. A base that is too thin or too thick will not produce a satisfactory driveway. There is a proper amount of process stone and grading needed for adequate water run off, and each driveway is unique.
Hot mix asphalt is a mix of aggregate, containing stones and sand; asphalt also contains liquid asphalt cement. This cement, a petroleum product, is heated to about 300 degrees, the point where it liquefies. The liquid cement and aggregate mix is poured on top of the gravel base, where very soon it cools and hardens into a thick black driveway that absorbs heat in the winter, and therefore helps to melt any snow on its surface. This driveway gets a minimum of cracks, except in locations where the ground freezes well below the surface.
Some hot asphalt mixtures are smoother on top than others; some have a higher content of asphalt cement than others. Consult with your contractor to assure that your mixture will provide the surface and performance characteristics you want.
Some pavers offer full-depth hot asphalt driveways that are built entirely of asphalt mixture from the soil subgrade up. These driveways keep water out of the pavement, preventing ice damage, and overall are considered more durable. Before full-depth paving, topsoil containing clay should be removed or modified. A solid, thoroughly compacted subgrade should be prepared before paving with 5 to 6 inches of full-depth hot mix. As an option, some contractors use 6 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate, or gravel, as a base under 3 inches of hot mix.
A chip seal driveway contains asphalt that has 30% of the liquid cement replaced with water. During paving, the water within the hot asphalt evaporates, and a layer of crushed gravel is sprayed over the asphalt with a special spreader, then a drum roller packs it all down. The warm asphalt “holds” the sprayed gravel pieces, which adds texture to the driveway.
Asphalt must be placed and compacted while it is hot. Air and surface temperatures play significant roles in how fast the mix cools, and therefore determine the amount of time a contractor has to complete the work. The amount of time that a contractor needs will depend on the size of the job, amount of handwork and available equipment. It is also important to ensure that the soil or rock on which the pavement is being placed is firm and dry. If this is not the case, you should ask that the paving be delayed until it is.
How to hire a paving contractor All reputable contractors will be registered with the Department of Consumer Protection and will include their HIC registration number in their ads, on their vehicles and on their contracts, as required by law. They will also be able to provide references and phone numbers of satisfied customers. Ask references about the contractors’ quality of work, attention to details, on-time performance, and ability to finish work completely. Your contractor’s registration with the Department of Consumer Protection is vitally important to you – it can provide you with a measure of protection in case something goes wrong.
Here are some other points to remember:
• Once you have selected the contractor you want, get all the details in a signed contract. The contract should detail such items as the responsibility for grading work and accuracy, for compacting the subgrade and base, for measuring compacted pavement thicknesses, for pavement slopes and smoothness, payment schedule, and guarantee of the finished product. It’s important to make sure your contractor has adequate liability insurance. Ask for written proof, and contact their insurance provider to be sure their policy is in place.
• Be sure your copy of the signed contract includes the contractor’s Home Improvement registration number, three day right of cancellation, a start and end date and a list of all aspects of work to be done.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited offers of home improvement. Contractors who show up, often in unmarked trucks, offering high-pressure, low-priced service, sometimes urging you to hire them the same day, should be sent packing. If a solicitor refuses to leave your premises when asked, contact the police immediately.
• Check gates for clearance; know who’s responsible for re-hanging them, if needed.
• Decide whether you, a plumber, or someone else will raise any water valves or sewer inlets to meet the asphalt around them. Assign specific responsibilities and make notes.
• Surface drainage is very important. Make sure your contractor plans and builds adequate surface slopes to produce good drainage. “Ponding,” or standing water, on or near the driveway, is undesirable.
• Don’t ever pay for your whole project up front. Use a payment schedule that is fair to you and to the contractor, such as 1/3 up front, 1/3 when work is half done, and 1/3 when the project is completed to your satisfaction. Beware of pavers who strongly request cash payments or ask you to make your check payable to cash, rather than to a business name. These are tactics commonly used by transient pavers who are getting ready to take the money and run.
Maintaining your driveway If designed and built correctly, an asphalt driveway will give you years of effective service. A high-grade asphalt emulsion sealer (sometimes called bituminous emulsified sealer) should be applied every two to five years, depending on your climate, wear patterns, and the like. Driveways that are sealed regularly look better and last longer. Emulsion sealers consist of asphalt cement treated to mix with water. Once applied, the water evaporates, the material hardens, and the surface is waterproof. For driveways on slopes, some sealers contain sharp sand that will provide added traction.
Jerry Farrell, Jr., appointed in 2006 by Governor Rell as Connecticut’s Commissioner of Consumer Protection, is an attorney with fifteen years experience. Important information about consumer affairs can be found on the Department’s website: www.ct.gov/dcp.
___________________________________________________________________
“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson
The number one reason why someone donates to a charity is simple. It’s because he or she is asked. So, I’m asking.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 48 municipal shelters, 15 private shelters, and another 145 non-sheltered animal welfare groups in Connecticut. They all have one thing in common. They all could use your support.
Americans love their companion animals. For 2007, Americans were expected to spend 48.7 billion dollars on them, according to Packaged Facts, a consumer research company. This exceeds the gross national product of about 120 nations. Yet there are thousands more animals awaiting homes in Connecticut’s animal shelters.
A donation to a shelter of unrestricted funds is always appreciated as it allows an animal welfare group to spend as needs arise. Restricted funds, such as for spay/neuter, are also gratefully accepted, as an estimated 80% of the kittens born annually come from feral and stray cats. Another way to contribute is to remember a shelter in one’s will and estate planning.
The greatest gift of all is to give of oneself. Volunteers see their efforts as labors of love and the opportunities to volunteer are as varied as one’s talents, interests, and available time. Animal welfare groups need adoption counselors and volunteers for animal care, rescue, dog walking, cat socialization, transportation, and grooming. Volunteers are also needed for fund raising, such as grant writing, soliciting at stores, and organizing events. Also helpful are office tasks such as phone work, keyboarding, filing, web-site maintenance and correspondence. Animal shelters will train on these responsibilities. Or organize your own tag sale or bake sale to benefit a shelter. Foster homes are always needed and invaluable, especially for non-sheltered animal welfare groups. Regardless of what you choose, become a dedicated volunteer who commits to consistently and competently fulfill a responsibility.
Public education is another vital role. Perhaps your contribution can be to educate through the media. Write a letter to the editor, an Op. Ed. piece, or a magazine or newspaper article. Place your name on an e-mail list to be alerted for legislative or other advocacy. Appear on radio or television, organize a petition drive, or help publish a shelter’s newsletter.
Set a good example for youth. Research has shown that young Americans will volunteer if they have a parent who does. Seeing respected peers volunteer is also motivating for teenagers.
If you would like to donate something tangible to an animal shelter, consider the following: dog and cat food or treats, cat litter, blankets, towels, cat and dog toys or bedding, dog collars and leashes, latex gloves, kitten milk replacement (KMR), and heating pads. For a shelter’s laundry and cleaning needs, consider giving laundry detergent, bleach, fabric softener, paper towels, garbage bags, tissues, laundry baskets, hampers, disinfectant spray, and dryer sheets. A shelter’s office could use postage stamps, envelopes, copy paper, and other stationery supplies.
True concern for animals needs to be demonstrated through commitments of time and donations. Volunteer work and contributions are at the core of charity work for animals. Shelters could not survive without both.
In the 1700s, Connecticut’s Noah Webster defined a volunteer as a person who enters any service of his own free will. So, I’m asking. The animals in shelters all want the same things that each of us wants – to love and be loved, have a home, and live a life without pain and misery. They do not ask for much, but give unconditional love in return. Will you please help a Connecticut animal shelter through volunteering or making a contribution today? Homeless animals are waiting. To find a shelter or rescue organization near you, visit petfinder.com or pets911.com. Thank you in advance for whatever support you can provide.
For the animals,
Gregory M. Simpson
Gregory Simpson’s animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for several Connecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Currently a Board member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate cat lovers in the U.S. He is also a member of the Cat Writers’ Association.
True Treasures
By Diana Lewis
Chapter 3
Jake did bang on the wagon at 5:00 the next morning. Jonathan moaned when he heard it. He woke up still holding Elizabeth. He kissed her and she woke up.
"Time to get up, Sweetheart. Time’s a wasting." he said gently. Elizabeth moaned.
"I’d rather sleep," she answered turning over. Jonathan grabbed his clothes and started getting dressed.
"I don’t think you could sleep in a jostling wagon, because that’s the way it would be when we get started." he laughed. She just looked at him and started to sit up.
"I’ll start the fire and go feed the horses then we’ll be back for breakfast." he left the wagon. She watched him. She sat there for a minute or two and then sighed. Then she reached for the dress she had put out the night before to wear that day.
Elizabeth has the coffee made when Jonathan came back.
"Don’t cook breakfast for us yet. We won’t be moving today. The Carters lost one of their horses and we going out to help find it. I hope to be back before dinner." he took the cup of coffee she handed him.
"Can’t you eat first?" she asked.
"We want to get out and find it and get back. We’ll see you soon.." He reached over and kissed her and turned and left. She watched him until she couldn’t see him no more. Then she turned back to the fire and made her own breakfast.
Jonathan and the men did not return until almost dinner time. They did find the horses but one of them they had to shoot because it had a broken leg. The Carters had to consolidate their wagons and only take one wagon. Mrs. Carter cried because she had to leave her grandmother’s dresser behind. There was no way they could fit it with everything else they did need to take. Elizabeth felt bad for her and wished they had room to take it for her but they didn’t. Both their wagons were full too.
Elizabeth tried to keep herself busy so she wouldn’t think about their son. She went to help some of the other mothers who had young ones. It gave her something to do. She even had small talk with Rebecca Chambers and met her husband, Henry. They invited her over to their wagon that evening but Elizabeth politely refused making some excuse that Jonathan had to work on harnesses that were fraying. They invited them to come anytime. Elizabeth said she would talk to her husband and let them know. But deep down she wasn’t sure she wanted to meet with them.
The next day they were on the trail again. The wagon master wanted to put in a few more miles in that day to make up for some that they lost yesterday so they would be traveling until dust that day. It was a long dusty day for all. They were ready to stop when they finally did. Elizabeth quickly fixed supper and cleaned everything up and they retired for the night. She did not dream that night, she was so tired.
The next morning she woke up but she felt like she hadn’t slept at all, even though she knew she had. She fixed a hurried breakfast so they could get an earlier start. They traveled about an hour and one of the wagons lost a wheel and they had to stop. The wagon master wasn’t too happy about the delay and told Mr. Fontaine to hurry up and fix it so they could get on the trail again. But the wheel wasn’t fixable and the family had to double with other families and they had to leave the wagon behind. They took the necessities like food and what clothing that they could but everything else had to be left behind. The Fontaines had six children ranging from six to sixteen. Some were sent with some of the other families and Elizabeth took two of the smaller children and Mrs. Fontaine in her wagon and Jake took a couple of the older boys with him in their other wagon. Jonathan and Mr. Fontaine slept in blankets outside of the wagon, while the other children slept with other families.
Elizabeth and Emily Fontaine kept busy with the children during the day. Elizabeth enjoyed Emily’s company and they became close friends.
Each evening after supper, Emily gathered all her children and some of the other children on the train and told them Bible Stories or read Scripture to them. One evening while I was finishing up the dishes, Emily was gathering the children together and her young daughter, Sarah asked, "Mama, can Miss Elizabeth join us for the stories tonight?" Emily looked at Elizabeth and she shyly looked away.
"Well, Sarah, you could ask her if you want to?" she said.
"Miss Elizabeth, could you join us for our stories tonight?" she asked sweetly. Elizabeth just stood there. She really didn’t want to be involved in this. She liked Emily but she felt cornered. She quickly thought of an answer that wouldn’t hurt the child. Finally she answered the child.
"Maybe another night, Sarah. I’m kind of busy tonight." She hoped she didn’t hurt the child by saying that,” You promise, Miss Elizabeth?" she asked. Emily touched the child’s arm as if to say not to pursuit it.
"I promise some night I will, okay?" Elizabeth answered. Sarah smiled. Elizabeth went back to finished the dishes from supper. She poured the hot water into this dish pan that she had boiling on the fire, and adding some cold into it to cool it down. She had let the water on the fire a little longer than she intended. Emily was reading from Romans that night.
"For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life," she read.
"Mommy," asked Martha, Emily’s oldest daughter of 11, "What does wages mean?"
"Well, here "wages’ means punishment for our sins." she answered..
"So we could die because of our sins?" she asked.
"Yes, but listen to the rest of the verse, ‘but the gift of God is eternal life.’"
"So how do we get eternal life and what is eternal life?" she asked. The other children were very attentive.
"Eternal life is spending eternity with Jesus and in His glory, and we get this eternal life by accepting Jesus as our personal Savior and receiving His forgiveness for our sins." She turned to another verse in the Bible and read the verse.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous."
"What does confess mean, Mommy?" asked Sadie, Emily’s 9 year old..
"It means that if we tell Jesus that we are sinners He will forgive us and cleanse us anything that is wrong that we do." answered Emily.
"What is sin, Miss Emily?" asked one of the other children that joined them that night. It was one of the Colby girls. Elizabeth and Emily had met Martha Colby when they were walking.
"Sin is anything we do wrong," answered Emily
"Like what?" asked her 6 year old son, John.
"Well, it could be disobeying your parents, lying, stealing, anything like tha
