Your Stories May 2009
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
The fruits of Motherhood are the Children!
By Priscilla Reynolds
Such sentimental romantic gifts are given to the lucky Mothers on that special day in May, Mothers Day. Are we all worthy of this show of affection? More than likely, we take it for granted. Babies are God's miracles and women have hormonal and nurturing qualities that draw them to their new borns. Fathers are proud; Mothers are ecstatic.
Babies grow up. The parents who once kept their children in close surveillance must let go. Children still need supervision and religious training. This is when our four parents' rules and our environmental influences challenge us. Mrs. Taylor, next door, might oppose our baseball practice in the backyard with occasional hits sending the children searching for the ball in her bushes. Mr. Pope seems to completely let go of his children and toys are taken from the neighbors' garages without permission. Birthday parties can be chaotic.
My husband, Lew, and I enjoyed the children most when the birthday parties were small. Dave, our oldest son, and Dan, our third child, were born four years apart but their birthdays were a day apart close to the Labor Day weekend. (I don't want to bore my children or my readers but I have to interject that Dan was the product of my most difficult labor and was delivered, coincidentally on Labor Day!) And so our Labor Day celebration included the grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and the two birthday boys and their siblings.
Lew and I considered the birth of each of our six children over an eleven year stretch party enough, with the births 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years apart. We invested our energy first and foremost on God and our family but also on our jobs, postal and nursing. It's not easy to remember the personal milestones for each child and this, I deeply regret. Photographs spill out of our bedroom closet anxious to be sorted, copied and distributed to each of our children.
Cathy celebrated her eighth birthday with 10 girlfriends, mostly from our neighborhood. She always wanted a sister and at this time we didn't know whater the next and last child would be Beth or Andy. (Cathy became a second Mother to Andy when he was born.) Having so many females on the same block was helpful to Cathy as she coped with her five brothers growing up.
Matthew, our fourth child, remembers vividly his seventh birthday. He tells us, "Everyone: Gram Reynolds, Gram and Grandpa Roger, Aunt Esther, Dave, Cathy, Dan, Paul, Andy, Dad, Mom and I ate supper at Howard Johnson's. When we returned home, Mom, you couldn't find your key. We hunted everywhere first for the key, then for a way to get in. You were mad, Mom, but you wouldn't call the police .Dad helped lift Dave up through a small kitchen window and the key lay on the kitchen table next to my birthday cake. That was the year Dad let me choose a kitten--our red headed Pumpkin, who lived 15 more years."
It's strange but Paul and Andy's parties took place more in their teen age when Lew and I had more problems controlling the events.
I do recall a party for Paul and Andy at six and eight, consecutively with a few of their boyfriends. Our hands were busy but our minds still watched and cared for our two sons. However, after the departure of their friends one snake cage was empty. Our children loved animals and at this time, Trixie, our dog, Pumpkin and Raquel, our cats shared our house with three garter snakes. We hunted everywhere for the snake. Great Aunt Esther was coming for supper to celebrate with the boys. Just a month ago, she screamed as she came in; the front door scrunched a small painted turtle. Less than a year ago she dropped her cane and lost her balance as she watched a chameleon climb the wall. We never found the snake and Gram and Grandpa joined us for supper and more cake.
Am I still worthy of being honored on Mothers Day? As of this moment, my aching bones and forgetfulness are part of me. Two other delinquencies are my failure in journalling the past events of my children's and grandchildren's lives and the chaotic boxes of pictures crying out to be completed.
Yet I am blessed! No other gift is necessary--the spiritual growth of our children and our grandchildren is enough!
Kids’ Press
Zachary Brown
By Zachary Boganski
Age 9 – 4th Grade Highland School
This is the story of Zachary Brown he never grows up and always grows down.
He ate lots of junk food and smoked cigarettes.
His diet was worse than you would feed to your pets.
He never worked out and he wasn’t athletic.
He shrunk every day now. He looks quiet pathetic.
This story is alarming but it’s all true.
Be careful or it might just happen to you.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Maggie’s Corner
By: Maggie Griffin
Mom, what is it like to be a Mother?
Wow, I never thought I would hear my 16 year old daughter ask me that question now. In fact, I wasn’t expecting that question for another 10-15 years from now.
For all the Moms out there, do you remember that famous question from your kids when they were at Nursery School age - “Mom, where did I come from?” That was difficult to answer back then. But these are the questions and talks that Moms really treasure the most.
Let me tell you how I recently answered this question and how the question came about from my daughter, Stephanie. You see, my husband decided to take the week off, calling it a vacation, and be home the week the kids were home from school. My Maytag Dishwasher decides to take a turn for the worse. It figures, Mr. Fix it is on vacation, leaving me and Stephanie washing and drying the dishes.
So I was telling her how many years ago, my nightly chore was drying the dishes as my Mother washed them. Now, if my Mother reads this, she will include how I always had that famous “Sony Walkman” to my ears, drying the dishes. It use to annoy my Mom, but I never understood why until I finally realized that today’s “Sony Walkman” is now the IPod that is surgically attached to your kids ears.
And then I told that story to my daughter, as I took the ear plugs off Stephanie’s ears, laughing. So she asked me what it is like to be a Mom. Well now, this is a delicate question to answer. So I was honest.
Being a Mom is constant worry. There is no age limit of when being a Mom ends as being a Mom is for life. As I told Stephanie, being a Mom also means that we want are kids to do as we say, not as we did. Being a Mom also means never ask Grand Ma what your Mom was like at your age. Being a Mom is gifts that as our kids grow; it is harder and harder to let them go spread their own wings in life. But a Mom is always there, unconditionally, no matter what, a Mom is for life.
Now my son Tommy’s definition of being a Mom (I said definition, not a question he asked to be answered) was “And a Mom is someone who likes to get into their kid’s business and know everything”. I looked over at my son and told him that is true and I still have that eye in the back of my head I told you really does exist a long time ago. He then said, “Mom, you told me you knew Santa personally a long time ago too”.
Being a Mom means telling your kids, when they are toddlers so they don’t get hurt, “NO, don’t touch that”. Let’s call a spade of spades, eventually they learn “NO” so much, that when you tell your kids as they are older to do their chores, they tell you “NO”. This leaves me to a future thought. When the day comes that I become a Grand Ma, watching my grand children when they are in the curiosity stage, when they go to the vacuum cleaner, I will simply say “NO, Mommy Said Don’t Ever Touch That”.
Being a Mom also means “stop yourself when you find yourself sounding like your Mom”. It also means “stop your kids when you see your kids act like you when you where their age”. Let’s all admit it, all Moms seem to follow that pattern where we don’t want to be like our Mothers, but we also don’t want out kids to repeat the same actions and mistakes we did either. But, the circle of life seems to be a stronger hold on us because everything, as a Mom, does turn around in full circle and history repeats itself.
Again, this conversation all started over my dishwasher, made by Maytag, breaking. Did anyone ever wonder why they don’t play those “You will never have to call Mr. Maytag Guy to fix an appliance”? That’s because Mr. Maytag doesn’t exist, worse in my house, Mr. Fix It is on vacation.
Getting back to what being a Mom is like; it’s like another day in paradise. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We want what is best for our kids; we want our kids to be better than us. We will trade the world to protect our kids too.
As our kids grow up, we hold onto the moments when they were smaller, asking ourselves where did all the years go. But we never miss a moment as they grow up. We somehow see ourselves in our kids at times too. So to all those Moms out there, ask yourself and tell your kids what being a Mom is like in your eyes and from your heart.
And if you have a Mother like mine, immediately interrupt her when she tells your kids “When Your Mother Was Your Age…..” I remember asking my Mom and Dad where I came from when I was little. They told me Aliens left me in their back yard. For years I thought I was a science project. Worse, I was always referred to as #6 or “hey you”. That’s what you get for being the youngest of 6 children, either that or name tags.
Now that I think of it, it’s no wonder my Mom still doesn’t have a dishwasher. But my Mom, she is a pistol. I will never let anyone insult my Mother in any way, shape or form. I just want to add, “Mom if you are reading this, I am wearing the head phones on my ears listening to music as I am writing”. Tradition never changes.
But Moms, treasure your kids, they truly are a gift and always remember that the best things in life is life itself. God knows my kids are the best gifts I hold, and I will hold my two children forever. A Mother is for life. A Maytag Dishwasher ends its life a month after the warranty expires.
I am turning 40 this month too. If Mr. Fix It, a.k.a. Mr. Griffin, buys me a new dishwasher for my 40th birthday, he better include an IPod and Domino’s Pizza. To me, and to add, being a Mom is also reminding the Dad the long hours of labor I went through to bring his children into this world.
But, in all honesty, in my heart, to me the greatest experience that I still have, and will always have, is being a Mom. So this Mother’s Day, the year and same month I turn 40, I want to thank my Kids for making me their Mom. If it wasn’t for them born to me, I wouldn’t be celebrating Mother’s Day with my kids.
Happy Mother’s Day to All the Moms around the World!
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Giant Tag Sale at The Willows In Wallingford
Benefits American Cancer Society
The Relay for Life Big Green Team will use proceeds to help “kick cancer one goal at a time”
On Sunday, April 26th the local Relay for Life Big Green team held a giant tag sale at The Willows single family community at 751 North Farms Road in Wallingford. All proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life.
The week before the sale, Big Green team leaders and local business owners, Sandy and Jim Comeau of Wallingford Optical and Greg Kamens of VW Homes collected donations of furniture and other household items at The Willows sales center.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer,” said Greg. “My father died of cancer, and my mother is a cancer survivor, so the Relay for Life is very personal for me. I’m thrilled that VW Homes’ partners Bob Wiedenmann and Liz and Gerald Verna offered The Willows model home for our tag sale.”
The Big Green Team will be participating in the Meriden/Wallingford Relay for Life at Platt High School in Meriden on May 29th and 30th. Go Big Green!
About Relay for Life – Relay for Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times.
About The Willows – The Willows http://www.thewillowsct.com/ is a new old-fashioned community of 65 single family homes, located on North Farms Road between the center of Wallingford and Route 68. VW Homes is building The Willows with smaller lots and sidewalks on both sides of the street to encourage walking and getting to know neighbors. The Willows is the first large single family community developed in town since 1995.
Barb’s Family
Submitted by Alan Murphy
Foster Adoptive Mission
You may have seen her on her way to work or in a grocery store and noticed her friendly and welcoming smile. She may look a lot like one of your friends or neighbors. She might even look a bit like you. What sets her apart is that this woman, Barbara, has been a foster parent since 2002.
“I always knew I wanted to work with children,” Barbara explains. “And the 30 years I spent teaching special education were tremendously gratifying. Yet I always wanted to do more. Being a foster parent has allowed me to make more of an impact. Together with my family, I have been able to change the lives of children from all different backgrounds and a variety of circumstances. There are challenges, to be sure—as every foster parent will tell you—but the rewards have been beyond what I would ever have expected.”
There are currently 513,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, and there is a dire need for committed, caring adults willing to take these children into their homes over the short or longer term. In her seven years as a foster parent, Barbara and her husband have taken in 25 children for stays ranging
from a few days to nine months. They have adopted two of these children (one a toddler and the other a teenager), who are now a permanent part of a family that also includes Barbara’s two college-age biological sons and, at present, one additional foster child.
After having done this for seven years, Barbara tells us: “Now, I wish we had made the decision to start even earlier. Each one of these children has contributed to our home and family life in a special way.”
Barbara is especially grateful for the FAST program, which sends professionals into foster homes to help address the children’s unique needs. She tells us that the first few days of a placement can be especially trying, as children act out in different ways and can be particularly needy when first separated from a parent. FAST provides the information and support Barbara and her family need to make the transition as smooth as possible. “The reward is when the child begins to trust you,” Barbara says. “The first time he comes to you for comfort or she places her head on you. Those are the moments that make everything worthwhile—just knowing that you have created a safe and loving place for this youngster. For some of these children, the time they spend in our home is their first experience of a healthy, nurturing environment. We show them the sort of home life they deserve. And I don’t mean with regard to home size or material possessions; I mean having a place to live where everyone has your best interests at heart. A place where you know from one moment to the next what to expect and don’t have to live with fear or hunger or neglect.”
Barbara’s eyes light up as she speaks of a three-year-old currently in her care: “She is so bright and says the funniest things. She has been identified as gifted by the teachers at the nursery school she attends, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve met with this little girl’s mother, and she has so much potential. We are all hoping she will be able to turn things around and be reunited with her child. Until then, she knows her child is in a loving home.”
The most difficult part of being a foster parent, according to Barbara, is seeing the children leave, especially when there is no contact afterwards. “It’s not possible to adopt every child,” Barbara says, “and of course we worry about the children after they’ve left our home. We just have to take comfort in the fact that, for as long as we had them, we loved them and gave them a stable, structured family life. Sometimes, we are able to keep track of a child when he or she leaves. One of the children was adopted by her grandparent, and we get together and talk on the phone often. It is such a joy to know this child is in a caring home and is being given a good chance for a healthy and happy life.
”
What makes an ideal foster parent? According to Barbara, there is no one formula other than enjoying children, being able to provide a loving home, and being willing to fight for what they need. Barbara considers foster parenting her calling and encourages others to join her in providing a temporary home for one or more of the thousands of local children in need.
Foster parenting is a commitment—and an opportunity to make a big difference in a child’s life. FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) has presented this vignette of Barbara’s experiences as a foster parent in hopes of encouraging other caring adults to reach out to children in difficult circumstances. If you have any interest in becoming a foster parent, please call FAM today for more information. There is no obligation. Your timing couldn’t be better: May is National Foster Care Month. Please call FAM at 860.949.4061 or 203.706.0101. There is a child out there who needs you.
Please note: To protect the privacy of children in the foster care system and their foster families, FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) prefers they remain anonymous in most instances. In the case of this article we have omitted the last name of the foster parent and have been given permission to use the foster parent’s first name.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
The 75th Anniversary Party of the Meriden Poetry Society
It was a bright day for the The Meriden Poetry Society’s 75th anniversary party at Gallery 53 on April 5th . Within walls adorned by Dick McEvoy’s colorful abstract and impressionistic art, gallery staff, poets, photographers, guests and The Humble Bees quintet set the stage for a festive occasion.
Guests, gradually flowing in from the sun-filled afternoon, soon occupied all the seats and overflowed toward the back of the gallery where a table loaded with cookies and an anniversary cake were located. Hostess Ruth Kahn greeted and directed them to Carol Christoffers to sign the guest book and consider purchasing On Wings of Verse, the society’s 75th anniversary collection of 67 poems written by 14 members.
At the same time, John Kenney was distributing an anniversary edition of the society’s monthly newsletter, Words with Wings, which features Marie LeVan’s history of the society, an article by Al Mueller on its current activities, and John’s acrostic poem, Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of History. Meanwhile, the Humble Bees, having set up to perform in the front of the gallery, waited for a signal from Mr. Kenney to begin their widely acclaimed program.
Marv Beloff, Peter Burch, Bruce Burchsted, Steve Lazarus, and Barry Spencer soon had folks foot- tapping and cameras flashing while they sang lively, humorous and original songs, sometimes as solos, other times ensemble, while accompanying themselves on ukuleles, a fluke and a mini-bass. Among the highlights were Bruce singing a song about poets and Barry amazingly playing Danny Boy on a saw with a bow.
The Humble Bees act was hard to follow as Mario Cavallo noted at the outset of the next part of the 3-hour party. After welcoming approximately 100 guests , he thanked gallery staff members for their hospitality and assistance in making the party possible; upheld Al Mueller’s work in producing On Wings of Verse as being exemplary; and introduced Marie LeVan to read her History of the Meriden Poetry Society. It was established in 1934 by Julia Lansing Warnock and Isyla Powers Lee, co-editors of the Meriden Record. At that time it was the only poetry society in Connecticut and has been meeting continuously since.
Mr. Cavallo followed the reading by announcing that Elsie Melco, longtime member of the society and well-known Meriden poet, has honored the society with a bequest. The society plans to establish an annual Elsie Melco Poetry Award beginning in 2010 for the best poem written in a competition among students at Meriden’s three high schools. His reading of a composite poem written by society members , The Meriden Poetry Society is….. set the stage for Al Mueller’s presentation of complimentary copies of On Wings of Verse to individuals whose support has been and continues to be vital to the life of the society.
Mr. Mueller prefaced the presentations by noting that “poems, like songs we heard, aren’t complete until they’ve been read or sung, their words have become imprinted in minds and hearts, have stirred responses therein.” He suggested browsing in On Wings of Verse to discover why its three reviewers praised it and, if finding a poem to one’s liking, to chat with its writer about it.
As an example of humor within the book, John Kenney read his poem, Hough’s Tavern, by delightfully playing with variant pronunciations of Hough: Hoo, How, Hoff, Hock, Hup, Hoe and Huff .
Fifteen individuals were given complimentary copies of the book by Mr. Mueller, beginning with Bruce Burchsted, President of Prentis Printing Solutions, whose professional counsel and eye for beauty helped create a memorable anniversary momento. He was followed by: Patricia Mottola, Lois Lake Church and John Surowiecki , reviewers of On Wings of Song; members of the staff at the Meriden and Wallingford public libraries and Gallery 53; Andy Reynolds, publisher of The Reader’s Press; Nancy Mueller, party photographer; and Mayor Mayor Michael Rhode who concluded the presentations by recognizing individuals and arts groups vital to Meriden’s rich cultural life and leading a “Hip, Hip, Hooray!” for the poetry society.
Following the program, guests enjoyed refreshments and conversation with the poets; some had them autograph copies of Wings of Verse; a few guests became society members or purchased copies of the book. Without question, the society was delighted to share the occasion with so many supportive friends and family members and to be reassured that poetry is alive and well in Meriden!
For information about how to purchase a copy of On Wings of Verse or become a member of the Meriden Poetry Society, contact Mario Cavallo at 203-237-8252 or Alfred Mueller at 203-265-2445.
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No Joke: Matching Funds Available if State Antes Up
by Jessica Ciparelli
When does $1.5 million state-funded investment dollars equate to $3.2 million? When it is combined with $1.7 million of private funding. And this is no April Fool's joke.
At the Legislative Office Building on April 1, close to 100 people, including legislators, parents and philanthropic leaders gathered to hear the announcement of a challenge to the state: Come up with $1.5 million to invest in building community plans for early childhood, increasing parent leadership (through programs such as the Connecticut Parent Trust Fund's Parent Leadership Training Institute, or “PLTI”), and improving early literacy, then private funders and foundations, including the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund, will fund the remaining $1.7 million.
“Foundations are ready to invest,” said WCGMF Executive Director David Nee. “I really hope this offer is appropriately [accepted].”
It's not a huge sum to invest on either side, however, the testament to the product is measurable. The room was filled with parent leaders, many of whom have completed, or are in the process of completing, PLTI. Parent groups and advocates from East Hartford, West Hartford, Torrington, New Britain, Norwich, Norwalk, Manchester, Danbury, Windham,Windsor, Bridgeport, Stamford, Meriden, Middletown and Colchester were present to show their support of the matching funds and the opportunity to continue investments in early learning and parent leadership programming. Both make good economic and social sense for Connecticut's children, especially in tough times.
“We can't say enough about Graustein and other [funders] who are making these partnerships work,” said Rep. Bruce Morris (D-Norwalk). “I can't say enough about PLTI either. This certainly is a tough budget year, but this is an investment.”
Rep. Morris spoke of closing the state's achievement gap and said there is a way to do just that.
“Early childhood education is one of the first things we need to do,” he said. “We need to level the playing field with parents playing an active role.”
Marisol Estrada-Soto, a 2007 graduate of the PLTI class in Meriden, said the class has helped her become more involved. She is even now part of a work group for the “Meriden Early Learning Blueprint,” a comprehensive plan of action to promote learning for young children and their families.
“I realized I wanted to help the parents of Meriden become more engaged,” she said. Taking part in the Meriden Blueprint plan has helped her further understand what is going on in her own community.
For some, the reason for taking part in PLTI is more personal. That is the case of Kimberly Clark of New Haven, who is half-way through the 20-week program.
“The reason I am so adamant for PLTI and PEP [People Empowering People, also part of the CT Parent Trust Fund] is because I have a 7-year-old and I don't want to lose him to the streets,” Clark said. “It would be a disservice to allow these [programs] to fall by the wayside.”
“Families are so ready to be engaged – they just need the support,” said Elaine Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Children.
Melody Currey, former state representative and current East Hartford mayor said there are at least 100 graduates of PLTI in East Hartford, and many of them are now serving on boards and commissions and are speaking out for children's issues.
“We have been very fortunate to have that,” Currey said.
Susan Murphy, vice president of corporate communications and community relations for Liberty Bank, said one of the bank's priorities in its strategic plan is to invest in preventative programming for families, including early literacy, youth leadership and PLTI.
“It's one of the best investments we can make,” said Murphy. “[But] we can't obviously do it alone – the only way we can do it is to partner with state and local government.”
In terms of capacity building, George Hensinger, representing Norwalk Early Childhood Council, said the council has been involved with Graustein for at least the past 10 years and has developed a three-year action plan. Eighty school readiness slots, he said, were added in Norwalk in 2008, with a goal of another 100 planned for 2009-2010. He added that through a program called "EPIC," 29 parents have been trained to go out and further engage other parents in the community.
State Rep. Catherine Abercrombie (D-Meriden) said she was “very” confident that the state would secure the $1.5 million in matching funds, but she urged those present to contact their legislators to stress how important programs such as these are.
“As we all know, nothing is set in stone,” she said.
The press conference was sponsored by the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, CT Parent Power, Rep. Abercrombie and the Connecticut Commission on Children.
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Common Sense …. Could Save Your Life !!!!
Connecticut Outdoors
Written By: Paul Narducci
With the boating season on its way there are a few things we need to remember. Accidents are called accidents for a reason, but most could be prevented. Here is a list of a few things I recommend you follow. The first is that anytime your on the water be aware of your surroundings. If you’re the captain of the boat always be responsible and in control of what is happening. I feel alcohol and boating do not mix. I understand most of you might have just replied ,WHAT? Well it doesn’t, to many people have accidents due to alcohol related boating and it seems ridiculous to think other wise. If your running the boat drinking alcohol isn’t using common sense at all. Another thing people overlook is the importance of wearing a life jacket (PFD.. Personal Floatation Device) This always amazes me when I see children not wearing a PFD and when I talk to the parents they look at me like I’m doing something wrong. The law states that any child under 13 years old on any vessel that is underway must be wearing a life jacket unless the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying a life jacket. They must be approved by the U.S Coast Guard and will state this on the jacket itself. It should also fit the person properly and be in good condition. Most importantly people need to wear them. 90% of all boating fatalities could have been prevented if everyone was wearing a life jacket. Some of the best life jackets you will find are made by Stearns, Coleman and Sospenders. These companies make life jackets for everyone and for many different needs. If you go to http://www.sospenders.com/ this will take you to all three sites. Some people have stated to me life jackets are to bulky, it’s to hot, I can swim and once again is this using your common sense. I think if you check out this website and look at sospenders automatic inflatable Pfd you no longer can use any of these or other excuses. If you’re a fisherman these are wonderful and you won’t even realize you have one on. If you refer to the 2009 Connecticut Boaters Guide this and more info will help you have a safe and fun boating season.
There is a lot of information out there due to the internet and here is a list of some great websites that may help you http://www.ctfisherman.com/ , http://www.ctfishtalk.com/ , http://www.ctbass.com/ , http://www.sotv1.com/ .
Paul, Tony, Frank, Joe and Jonathan wish you the best of luck and good fishing!!!!!
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“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson
If love could have kept him alive, my cat Lucky would still be with me. It was not meant to be, as eventually he succumbed to liver cancer. Now the place on the couch where he slept is empty and there is a hole in my heart.
Although a common gray color, Lucky was a special cat. Originally stray or abandoned, he was a rescue one frigid January night ten years ago from our backyard deck. He made it clear what he wanted, as he wrapped his two front legs around my leg and would not let go. He never had a desire to go outside after that, as when a member of my family would open a door, he would run in the opposite direction. He had been outdoors. My wife aptly named him “Lucky”.
My prayers were that Lucky would die peacefully at home, but in the end, I needed to bring him for euthanasia. The word “euthanasia” is of Greek origin and literally means a painless, happy death. Although one of the most difficult decisions of my life, I was comforted by the words of friends and family, such as “You made all the right decisions along the way, even the final one. I’m so sorry for the pain you feel now.” One friend wrote, “Our pets are so devoted to us and faithful to the end and we owe it to them to be worthy of such devotion. All you can do is what you are doing and Lucky knows that.” Another friend shared, “My sympathies to you also about dear Lucky. But how lucky he has been and you too, with him.” Another offered, “You were and are his guardian angel and he knows it”.
Now Lucky is my guardian angel looking down over me until we see each other again. As once noted by a monk called the Venerable Bede, I believe that death is but a horizon and a horizon is but the limit of our sight. Moreover, as a gravestone inscription found in a pet cemetery proclaims, “O heaven will not ever heaven be unless my cats are there to welcome me”. So, until I see Lucky again, the last two things I said to him before he passed on were that I loved him and we would meet again at Rainbow Bridge. For those of you familiar, or not, with the description of Rainbow Bridge, I share it now – in memory of Lucky. The author is unknown.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….
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.
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“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson
Several years ago, The Denver Post reported about twelve-year-old Eric Smith who strangled a cat with a garden hose. At the time, it was dismissed as a childhood prank. One year later, Smith murdered four-year-old Derrick Robie.
The link between violence to humans and violence to animals is now well established. Psychologist Randall Lockwood, in his role as Vice-President of the Humane Society of the United States, stated, “Not all abused individuals become abusers, but virtually all animal abusers were abused.” Criminologist Jack Levin concluded that people who are violent against animals are five times as likely to be violent against humans. There are many infamous examples.
Jeffrey Dahmer impaled frogs and cats and decapitated a dog as a child, and went on to kill and dismember seventeen people. David Berkowitz killed neighborhood pets and became New York City’s “Son of Sam” killer. A study of 28 convicted sexual homicide perpetrators found that prevalence of cruelty to animals was 36% in childhood and 46% in adolescence.
Numerous U.S. cities and states now have mandatory cross-reporting laws. Connecticut should be one of them. In these places, when individuals legally mandated to report child abuse suspect animal abuse in a home, they must report it to the animal protection agency. Likewise, if animal control officers suspect child abuse in a home, they are mandated reporters of that information to child protective services.
The American Humane Association (AHA), the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals from cruelty, neglect, abuse and exploitation, has long recommended that in every state there be cross-training and cross-reporting among law enforcement officers, humane investigators, veterinarians, health professionals, domestic violence advocates, and child protection workers. In addition, AHA has recommended systematic tracking of national animal abuse data.
Animal abuse often occurs in concert with other types of family violence, including spouse and elder abuse. A New Jersey study found that when child abuse was present, animal abuse was also noted 88% of the time, sometimes by an abusive parent and sometimes by the abused child. Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
Adults model violence to children in multiple ways. Where incest or sexual abuse is involved, an offender can use actual or threatened animal torture or death to silence a child about the sexual abuse. Most common is the modeling that violent adults provide through the abuse of a spouse, the elderly, animals, or the child himself. Although violence is everywhere in our society, most child and/or animal abuse is insidious and occurs behind closed doors. In 2001, 80.9% of the perpetrators of child abuse or neglect were parents, with another 15.9% including other caregivers, babysitters, and extended family members.
To date, the reason why there is no mandatory cross reporting law in Connecticut may reflect our society’s English common law precedents related to the “ownership” of children and animals, i.e., the “how I treat my children or pets is my business” kind of attitude. The first laws related to child abuse in the U.S. actually came after the laws on the books against animal cruelty, in the Mary Ellen Wilson case of 1874. As Jacob Riis wrote at the time, “…I was where the first chapter of children’s rights was written, under warrant of that made for the dog….”
Because children and animals are frequently mistreated in the same household, police officers, social workers and animal control officers all need to learn what to look for and how to deal with abuse when encountered. There were 2.7 million referrals of child abuse or neglect nationwide in 2001, with a little less than one million confirmed cases. Over one-half (56.5%) of 2001 reports of suspected maltreatment came from mandated reporters.
For animal abuse, Connecticut has a felony anti-cruelty statute and allows court ordered psychiatric counseling or anger management training for those convicted of animal cruelty. The Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect estimates that there are almost three times as many children maltreated as the number reported to child protective services. Connecticut needs a mandatory cross reporting law to help prevent child and animal abuse. In instances where it cannot be prevented, it needs to be reported and addressed.
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.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Memories Of A Lifetime
Connecticut Outdoors
Written By: Paul Narducci
I recently had the opportunity to take my nephew Ryan Paul fishing. He is involved with the cub scouts and they had their annual fishing derby in Killingwirth at there camp. This place is completely beautiful and reminded me of my childhood. I use to go to camps very similar to this and was also a cub and boy scout years ago. Of course we wake up to a day that is not so nice regarding the weather but it isn’t raining. After speaking to Ryans mom Lori we decide to continue with our plan. They pick me up around eight o clock and we are off. You could tell the excitement in Ryans face, he was ready to fish! We get there and the place is packed with people of all ages. Its very windy and is definitely cold. After about fifteen minutes of fishing you guessed it it started to rain. So we put on our rain suits and continue to fish. Lori and I look at each other with a confused look hoping that one of us would ask Ryan if he wanted to leave. We all know I couldn’t do it because I’m Uncle Paul the guy with the fishing show. As I begun to shiver a bit and felt something dripping from my nose Lori finally asked the Question of the day. As the rain comes down harder and the wind is blowing, Ryan was ready to go. Although we didn’t catch any fish it was an honor to be asked to spend time with Ryan. I can guarantee you we will be back out again. Paul, Ryans on the phone wants to go fishing.
April 18, 2009 Opening Day. I pick Joe Dias up at 5:30 am that’s right I said am. We are headed off to Wharton Brook to catch some fish. We get there and it isn’t as packed as it has been in the past. Right away people are catching fish and the madness has begun. Are first fish is a tiger trout. We never caught one of these before. We leave Wharton Brook with four fish for my parents to enjoy. Due to the economy and possible fees for fishing to go up we were forced to ask them for ten dollars a fish. I convinced Joe that he should ask grandpa. As I was getting the fish into a bucket with fresh water Joe went over to talk to Grandpa. I told my Dad how our day went and he was eager to get the fish cleaned,so we left. I asked Joe how much did we get and he told me to forget about it. What’s with this? Forget About It, someone has been watching to many mafia movies. Well I never did get an honest answer. I decided to take Joey out for breakfeast for some pancakes and French toast. What away to end a perfect day. I love French Toast. As a reminder here are some possible lures for you and your kids to try, Yum trout pellets, buoyant and Rough Rider from Thomas spinning lures. As always Paul, Tony, Frank, Joe and Jonathan wish everyone the best of luck and good fishing!
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Memorial Day for Me
By Tia Kozar As we all impatiently waited to start our journey, my Brownie Girl Scout troop and I squirmed in our tiny brown uniforms and stared at the pavement in boredom. After we’d eagerly wait for our turn to come, wewould begin our march around the town in the annual Memorial Day parade. We would do this for many more years, grinning as people waved and clapped when we walked past. The attention was great but I doubt many of us understood the real reason why we were there. I always thought it was just another holiday, a day off from school (when EVERYTHING is on sale) but I was incredibly wrong. The tradition started when after the Civil War, General Logan declared May 30th to be a day to decorate the graves of fallen friends and families with flowers.(it was more popularly called Decoration Day) After World War 1 the day was broadened to honor and remember those who had died in all wars. The parade aspect of Memorial Day was to “kick off” the day; war veterans would walk through town to the cemeterieswith flowers to put on the graves of their fallen comrades. Others would often join in to decorate the graves of their loved ones, too.The tradition continued to evolve and now most parades end at a memorial site where a wreath or flowers are placed and a remembrance ceremony is held. Memorial Day is a day of commemoration, respect, and honor for all who have died in the wars. The day and its preceding are just as importanttoday as it was when the tradition began. Soldiers are still dying today as they protect our country and the world against terrorism. Although I may not have understood how important it was to march in the parade when I was a young Girl Scout, I am now glad that I was able to be a part of such an important tradition for so many years. _________________________________________________________________________Home
Slim Randles
Bernie came into the Mule Barn between our second and third refills that morning. I counted; there were one sigh and two groans and we all immediately stared at the coffee in our cups. You know. Like maybe the coming tsunami will spare this oaken island.
Nope.
He dragged out a spare chair and flopped down in it.
“Hey guys!” Bernie said. “Ever seen wind like this?”
Someone shook his head.
“I have,” Bernie said. “Yes. Algeria, it was. Nineteen and forty-three. Me and the old man … Patton, you know … well, there we were in this tent and the sand was blowing like a million machineguns…”
And so it went for at least half of World War II and another cup of coffee. We went through his being wounded on D-Day, the wonderful women of Sicily, and finally having to whip Nazis with his fists because he ran out of ammunition.
Herb Ellis told us once that a friend of his knew Bernie during the war and that Bernie had ridden a desk all the way to Berlin, but why bring that up now?
Dud was doing a slow burn. Some of our members had seen combat, and Dud most of all. When Bernie got to the part where he single-handedly righted an overturned Jeep to save the lives of two nurses, Dud had had enough.
“That’s amazing strength,” Dud said. “I noticed you had your grandkids carrying in armloads of firewood the other day, Bernie. Seems strange that they’d do the work when you’re so strong.”
Bernie looked slightly annoyed, but just for a second.
“That’s simple,” he told us. “You see, I never was as strong as I used to be.”
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Brought to you by Sun Dog Days, a novel by Slim Randles. Check it out at http://www.unmpress.com/.
Home Country
Slim Randles
It was Doc who first noticed Dud's strange behavior.
I was too busy trying to put an elk-hair caddis fly on a size 16 just beyond that big smooth rock on Lewis Creek. I know there's a big rainbow trout in that hole there, you see, and there is nothing more important, on a May morning like this one, than enticing that big rascal into delivering himself to my waiting hands.
But Doc noticed that Dud had laid his fly rod down in the bushes and was doing strange things with his hands. Finally, Doc got my attention, pointed to Dud, and we both stopped fishing and walked over to see what our long-time pal was up to.
Dud would look around in the air, then make a one-handed grab at the air. After several grabs, he'd take two fingers of his other hand, put them in his clenched fist, and wiggle around. Then he'd smile and open his fist and look in the air again. Doc and I looked silently at each other, wondering how long it would take from our day of fishing to get Dud delivered to the nervous ward in the city.
"Dud," said Doc, "how's the fishing?"
"Huh? Oh hi. Not fishing right now, Doc. Experimenting."
"Experimenting?" I said. Of course, I said this automatically, forgetting for a moment how time consuming it could be to start Dud explaining things of a scientific nature.
"Natural selection," Dud said, proudly. "Survival of the fittest. Yes, I decided to spend my morning in Darwinian pursuits, making the world a safer place for mankind."
Doc looked at me. "He's talking like that again," he said.
"Well, Doc," said Dud, "you, of all people, should be able to appreciate what I'm doing. After all, you're a man of science and a healer. I'm going to rid the world of dangerous diseases. Observe."
Then Dud made another grab at the air, and this time we could see he was snatching a mosquito out of the air. Again he used his other hand to do something to the mosquito, and then he released it.
"I'm pulling out their drillers," Dud said. "I figgered if I pull out enough drillers, then sooner or later two drillerless mosquitoes will get married and have pups and then we'll have a family of drillerless mosquitoes here on Lewis Creek. Without drillers, they won't be able to pass along yellow fever or malaria to fishermen."
Doc looked at him in a strange way. "Dud, there's never been anyone get malaria from these Lewis Creek mosquitoes."
"See?" Dud said, brightly. "It's already working."
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Brought to you by Sun Dog Days, a novel by Slim Randles. Check it out at http://www.unmpress.com/.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Heart Opening
By
Jennifer Jenkins
These days we tend to be surrounded by a media blitz of negativity and fear. It’s as if we are immersed in a culture of fear. You turn on the television and you hear of the latest unemployment figures and the rising number of foreclosures. You may wonder if you will be the next person to lose a job, and you may even start to panic. This is a normal reaction as a result of living in a society that is virtually conditioned to live in a state of fear.
As a result of this fear-based conditioning, most people live their lives in survival mode. As you may know, everyone’s body consists of energy. We all have and give off energy, which is largely due to our body’s core energetic system, otherwise known as the chakra system. Those existing in survival mode rarely walk around with a balanced chakra system. Most people’s chakras, including the heart chakra (the chakra of love and compassion), are blocked. So, when one lives in a state of fear and anxiety you can imagine that their heart chakra is blocked. A wise spiritual teacher once taught me that you can not feel fear and love at the same time; it’s impossible. Where there is love; there is no fear.
Can you imagine if we worked on eliminating fearful thoughts from our minds and chose to open our hearts to live, instead, within a state of LOVE. Think of the positive energy that would emanate from our souls and how that positive energy would influence others, by mere ripple effect. Think of the clarity we would feel. This change would enable us to work proactively on finding viable solutions to our problems. When you’re panic stricken it’s hard to think rationally and easy to become reactive to stimuli around you. However, when you exist in a loving state you feel calm, think more clearly, and are able to problem solve. These are the people you hear about who make lemonade out of lemons.
When the heart chakra is truly opened one also feels an immense freedom to love and be who they are, to love unconditionally, as well as demonstrate compassion and forgiveness toward others. This in turn benefits others. And, people who interact with those who live their lives, open heartedly, feel comfortable being around them, as they tend to be calm, congenial, cooperative, and concerned about others.
So, as you can see, opening your heart can be beneficial and can lead to a positive shift of consciousness within your own world and the world at large. So, accentuate a loving heart and work on eliminating fear from your life today. You may be surprised how much your life changes for the better as well as the lives of those around you.
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________________________________________________________________________Patriots of Peace
By Dorothy Gonick
Wars of ages past
fought for gain of land;
for power over people,
to make their nation grand.
Colonists hoped for fairness,
voted for freedom.
Revolutionary patriots
fought hard and won.
Then came a time of shame
when pushing ever westward-
the Indians deserved respect.
Their griefs still being heard.
The Civil War which
threatened to divide,
brought freedom to the slaves,
Unity: now nationwide.
Two World Wars
clouded the skies,
yet Allied patriots
kept freedom alive.
Overseas we have gone
helping the weak
their freedom to gain,
their dignity to keep.
Today we have
new wars to fight.
The evils are many
and not pleasant sights.
There’s hunger, corruption, hate,
oppression, ignorance, fear
we’ve been sad to discover.
And prejudice, poverty, greed,
pollution, loneliness, stress
are more to uncover.
Are there many more
for us to deplore?
Let’s put down our guns,
choose a cause to defend.
Win freedom from these;
bring strife to an end.
Let’s be Patriots of Peace
and justice, release.
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NATURE AS A MIRROR
by Dorothy Gonick
GRASS ROOTS
Potatoes to plant-
Preparing garden soil-
Springtime has arrived.
Last fall large clumps of sod were tossed by a backhoe and left to rest under heavy snows ‘til spring. Spring has arrived and I’ve been loosening the fertile soil from those clumps to prepare a garden. Grasping the sod, shaking the soil loose, and holding the matted roots to reveal the tight interlocking of last years plants, impresses me with the web of life that must flourish unseen below the surface. The occasional earthworms that interlace the soil speak of their part in enriching its productivity.
The grass and weeds that have been uprooted have done an admirable job of holding soil in place and allowing storm water to glide by without washing away the precious soil. There are seeds left from last years plants that are just waiting for the warmth of spring to sprout, but I plan to thwart them. Weeds are fine in pastureland, but not welcome in the garden that I am planning.
The seed potatoes are waiting to be cut into sections; I’ll leave ‘eyes’ in each piece to sprout and absorb the moisture and nutrients from the soil. Sprouting will be followed by growth as green leaves rise above the soil. Under the surface, nodules will form on the roots and grow; each nodule to become a new potato.
How does this ‘mirror’ life? All living things have an indwelt urge to grow, including us.
Thoughtfully we let the day-by-day joys blossom and we reject the weeds of annoyance that darken our thoughts. Throughout life, there are changes and sometimes it seems that we’ve been uprooted; much as this garden plot was. Changes such as parting from family for college or marriage; welcoming the birth of a child, or adjusting to the loss of loved ones all call for new roots to form. Changes become part of us, even while we cling to the roots of the past (our grass roots). Shaking out the harmful, unneeded roots (weeds) and holding to the nourishing changes of life is a never-ending growth process.
Springtime is most welcome, so let’s anticipate the growth it holds for us.
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LOST AND FOUND-GOLF BALLS
By Francis W. Lappert
Shortly after I retired in 1978 after working 41 ½ years in a local silver factory in Meriden, my brother Ernie talked me into taking up the game of golf. We started out playing at the “Hunters Golf Course” in Meriden. We made up a foursome of my brother, Fred Crovo, Robert Westfort and I. I knew very little about the game but Ernie coached me, pointing out the mistakes I was making. I had started out with a cheap set of clubs I bought on sale at Caldor’s. I didn’t want to invest too much until I knew how much I like to play golf. I liked the challenge so the following year I bought a much better set.
We were then playing five mornings a week and I was making good scores for a beginner but I managed to slice the ball several times into the woods bordering the fairway. As I searched for my ball I found several others. I got the notion that I would go to the course early in the morning to search different fairways that were fairly narrow with thick woods and bushes along the sides. This was the start of a new hobby hawking golf balls.
On Sunday mornings I began golfing on several different courses not too far from Meriden. Among a few were Timberland in Kensington, Farmingbury in Wolcott, and Indian Springs in Middlefield. Every time I played these courses I paid attention to where most balls were hit out of bounds. I found Indian Springs was the most productive for finding lost balls as I would beat the bushes with a long thin sapling about six feet long also to chase any snakes lurking in the tall grass. One morning while searching along the eighth fairway which had a small pond just in front of the tee I saw a good number of balls in the pond. I saw I would need boots and my ball retriever with the telescope handle to reach some of them. The following week I arrived early before any golfers were out and began to hunt. I started out on the small pond and gathered twenty four from there. That was my best gathering as I would come up with eighty two balls that morning. I would put the balls in my set tub in the cellar with hot water and wash detergent and let them soak for about an hour. I would then take each one out and scrub with a wire brush until they were very clean. I would separate them by mark of the ball such as Top Flite, Titlelist, Wilson, Max-Fli, Pinnacle, and many other brands. At that time I had about fifty dozen in egg boxes set aside, all in number one condition. I sold many of them to my friends at a reasonable price.
I had a good many I couldn’t sell to any golfer as they had small cuts on them or were off color or scraped, I had a large carton full. One day I was playing with my friends at Pine Valley course in Southington and when on the way home I stopped at the driving range on West Street and asked the owner if he could use these marked balls. He asked how many I had and I said several hundred. He told me to bring them over. I counted five hundred out in a large box and took them. He gave me ten cents for each of them and gave me a check for fifty dollars. Now my hobby was on the road to success. I had one bad experience at Indian Springs one visit when I disturbed a yellow jacket bee nest in the ground and wound up with stings on my right hand and arm. I went to the small pond nearby and plastered mud on them.
When I got home I bathed my hand and arm with a solution that was good for bee stings. By noon time my hand and arm were very swollen. I became very alarmed and went to the emergency room at the hospital. I asked the doctor if I was allergic to bee stings and was told if I was and didn’t get help immediately I would not be alive. From that day on I was very alert for bee or wasp nests. I encountered many snakes while searching the brush but I always beat the grass or brush with my long stick.
Several years ago I stopped the search for lost balls but as I look back it was one of my most enjoyable hobbies I had. I still enjoy a round of golf when I can find a partner to play with.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
FLOWERS I HAVE KNOWN
It was the time of year that wasn’t winter, it wasn’t spring and you weren’t quite sure spring would ever come. My six-year-old son and I had moved into a nice apartment on Route 80 in North Branford. My father had moved on with his life and that was the way things were going to be from now on. Our apartment building was brand new and we were the first tenants. On one side of the property was a small clump of trees with a lovely, old colonial home on the other side of the trees. This home was white with black shutters and a national historic homes register plaque on the corner stating that it had been built in circa 17 something. Mr. & Mrs. Arnold lived there and they must have been well over 80 years old at that time.
My son came bouncing into the kitchen one morning with a look of satisfaction on his face. When you are six years old, many daily events prompt that look.
“Here Mom, I picked these JUST FOR YOU”. In his fist was what used to be a lovely bunch of tulips. With their mashed stems they looked like casualties of a beating, but they were beautiful to me. Mothers are like that.
“Thank you honey, they’re wonderful. Where did you get them?” The question was asked partly to show interest in his activities and partly because I hadn’t seen any flowers around the apartment building.
“Well Mom, you know those woods over there?” The broad sweep of his arm indicated the few trees separating our yard from the Arnold homestead. I nodded my head in agreement that I did indeed know where he meant.
“I went through the woods and on the other side was this lawn”. I nodded again, mentally following the path he had taken. “And in the middle of the lawn was this circle of brick”. By now I was too horrified to move, as I began to realize where he had been.
“And RIGHT in the Middle of that circle of brick were these flowers and I picked them ALL!” Thrusting out his little hand, I took the bouquet.
Oh, Lord, give me strength. Mrs. Arnold’s prize tulips. Probably planted by the same nurserymen who took such loving care of the rest of the yard. I contemplated apologizing to Mrs. Arnold. Perhaps I could tape the flowers on back on the stems but what good would it do? Moving seemed a bit drastic, so I thanked him and told him not to take any more of Mrs. Arnold’s flowers. She might want to pick them herself, I added. I must say they were the second most beautiful flowers my son ever gave me.
Mark was 26 years old when I received the very most precious flowers of all. Most of those years between the ages of 6 and 26 had been spent raising him without the benefit of a father. It was early in June when he presented me with a lovely potted chrysanthemum.
“Sorry I missed Mother’s Day”. I turned to put the plant on the table when he continued, “I bought you one more gift.”
There in his hand was a second plant. His comment summed up all the years of being both mother and father to him. He had noticed after all.
“Happy Father’s Day, Mom”.
Submitted by:
Veronica Hamel Kivela
My Mother's Voice and The Piano - A Mother's Day Story
My mother had an average singing voice and was quite good at playing the piano. About five years after she was married, which was in 1945, my parents, Philip and Bernice, purchased a Steinway & Sons console piano, which was made in New York City in 1950. From the time Nancy and I could sit on either side of our mom on the piano bench, we would listen to her sing children's songs to us in her soft and soothing voice.
Our favorite collection of songs was a book called Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne and H. Fraser-Simson. I loved all of the songs, but I had my favorites, such as "Halfway Down" and "Vespers." All of the pieces had marvelous lyrics, and we soon learned to sing all of them with our mom. The book had been inscribed by my aunt on behalf of her two children at that time: "To Aunt Bernice on her birthday - with the hope that Barbara and Nancy will enjoy these songs as much as we do! With love from Kirk and Kathy. September 16, 1951."
I started taking piano lessons when I was in the third grade at age eight, and so did Nancy, but I stuck with the lessons for years to come, unlike Nancy, and became a pretty good pianist. I don't know exactly how old I was when I was able to sit down and play through every piece in that favorite children's music book of ours. Over the years I have recorded some of them for children of relatives and friends or for others who have requested that I do so, but I have not touched that book in many, many years.
I still have the Steinway piano, but I have not been able to use it as it is housed in my landlady's part of a 100-year-old-plus house. (I would not risk injury to the movers or to the piano when they attempted to carry it up a very narrow and winding staircase 13 years ago.)
I recently was told of a Catholic church in Wallingford in need of a piano (and my mother was Catholic). I contacted the priest, and he will soon be coming to see the piano and hear the accompanist for the choir play it.
I decided to sit down a few days ago to find out how the old piano sounded. It took me a few minutes to get my eyes focused on the music and get my fingers to cooperate, but I was able to play through some simple pieces, such as John Denver's "Annie's Song," and my, oh, my, what a beautiful tone that piano has.
I opened the piano bench to get some more music out to play, and I noticed the book Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young in the stack of music. I started with "Halfway Down," which has delightful lyrics, and it begins with, "Halfway down the stairs is a stair where I sit: There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top: So this is the stair where I always stop." I did not sing; I only played the piano. I went through almost all of the songs, including "Happiness," "Buckingham Palace," "Politeness," "Market Square," and my favorite, "Vespers," the last song in the book.
This may not sound plausible to you, but what was extremely special about the time I spent going through those songs was every now and then I could actually hear my mother's voice singing the words. She was in the room with me. Did she realize I had not played the piano in years? Did she know I was about to make a difficult decision about the future home of her piano? I do not know. But it is comforting to know that, although my mom has been gone from this earth for 25 years, she is still watching over me and that I can still hear my mother's voice!
I wish everyone's mom a very happy Mother's Day!
(I wrote this story in 2003. The priest and the accompanist did come to the house, and when she sat down to play, tones rang out from that old Steinway piano I had never heard before. It was glorious! She played a number of pieces by heart, but when she began to play Mendelssohn's "He Watching Over Israel," I broke down in tears. I was unable to make the sacrifice and did not give the piano to the church. When I moved to South Whittlesey Avenue on November 28, 2004, a date I shall never forget, the piano came with me, and that's another story for another day.)
By Barbara Sherburne
barndt49@yahoo.com
To travel with the unawakened makes the journey long and hard and is as painful as traveling with an enemy. But the company of the wise is as pleasant as meeting with friends.
Follow the wise, the intelligent, and the awakened. Follow them as the moon follows the path of the stars.
-Dhammapada
We’re Getting Older…
Is Our Country Ready For It ???
Submitted by Carol Carbutti, Owner of Comfort Keepers of Wallingford
Today in the US, 6,000 people turn 65 everyday! In 10 years, the number will rise to 10,000 people per day! By year 2030 older Americans will double in number from 35 million to 70 million. The Alliance for Aging Research has written a report entitled, “Ten Reasons Why America is Not Ready for the Coming Age Boom”, in which they call out 10 fundamental cultural challenges and deficiencies in our health care and educational system:
Age Denial – The US is a youth oriented culture; and Baby Boomers continue to fight aging !! We need to adapt cultural age perceptions and care options.
Prevention Disparities – Prevention programs tend to be youth oriented and offer few preventative treatments for older patients.
Geriatric Gap – Health care providers are not well-trained but developing in the care of the elderly.
Few Academic Leaders – Academia has been slow to take a leadership role in training students in the care of the aged, nor have they proactively promoted the need for training.
Lack of Geriatric Curriculum – Over half of all medical schools are not teaching geriatric medicine
Lack of Geriatricians – There is a distinct lack of investment in geriatrics education. Less than one half of 1% of Medicare education funds are aimed at treating older Americans.
Inadequate Reimbursement – Medicare and other health care insurers provide higher reimbursement for care that is NOT core to geriatric care.
Lack of Coordination within Medicine – Older patients often have multiple chronic conditions requiring more than one doctor. Coordinating the information flow between health care providers is under-managed.
Clinical Trials Often Do Not Include the Aged – The lack of inclusion in research complicates the creation of safe standards for the aged.
Lack of Research on Aging – Less than 1% of the budget at the National Institutes for Aging is dedicated to studying aging.
The perceptions around aging and the resources dedicated to understanding aging MUST change…. because we are all getting older . See the Alliance for Aging Research website www.allianceforaging.org/ for more information about aging and the cultural, political and financial effects it will have.
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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 advice 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 are all enjoying this spring.-June and Flora
Dear Housewives, I have so many papers from each of my two kids classes. I don't know what to keep and what to throw out, they are all over the place. Help. No more papers in Meriden
JUNE: Dear paper, our kids bring home an amazing amount of notices, work, projects and tests. The best thing to do is to keep all graded work until the term ends in case you have any issue with the grade; teachers do make mistakes. I would buy a binder or file box to keep them organized in. After report cards come you can toss whatever you don't want to keep. I like to keep some things to look at in the future. It will be fun for the kids to see their old work.
FLORA: Open and read all back pack notices the day they arrive. If there is an event you need to attend, put it on your calender right then and there. Write down the event, time and place. Cross out the flyer and use the clean side for scrap paper at home.We too have a box for each child that we fill with school work. I collect the 'keepers' (cute things they write or draw or graded papers for memories) and at the end of the school year, I go through the 'keepers', filter out any and fill the box. This way at the end of college, they can go through their school memory box to see their work from years past.
Dear Housewives,How do I handle people who have all the answers on children and they do not have any children? I work with two people who have all the answers but no experience. Remember, I work with them so I want to handle this well and nicely.Walking a Fine Line in Wallingford
FLORA: I have encountered that a few times and have handled it by saying for my children or the children I encounter daily, I see this... or that.... and give concrete examples. I have never reminded them that they may not know because they are not parents; doing that is too confrontational. June?
JUNE: You are probably better off just ignoring them. I have an Aunt who does the same thing and she always starts by saying, "Kids tend to be...". I always want to as he how she knows. It isn't worth it if you have to see the people all the time. Maybe you can just tell them things about your kids and let it go. You could ask them when they are going to have some of their own but do it nicely.
Dear Housewives,What do you ladies think about Facebook? More and more of my adult friends are doing this.Faceless in Meriden
JUNE: I don't really get it. People have tons of friends but they aren't really friends, it is like a collection of people you know. And even if you don't hang out with them you can see all their information and pictures. I think people should stick to emailing. It is a good tool to find people you lost touch with but they have to have an account or it is useless for that too. I am a fan of good old fashioned calling people and even emailing. I am not impressed with the computer age.
FLORA: I think we need to pick up the phone and meet our friends face to face. If they live far away, there is the telephone and email. I thought it was more a college age trend but I too have been invited to be a friend on Facebook. Way too much time is spent on Facebook and the internet. And not for nothing, many of these adults on Facebook are doing it on company time and I personally think that is stealing. This is partly why our economy is in shambles. People, if you are getting paid to work, work. Get off the Facebook and surfing the internet and be productive.Nothing replaces truly getting to know and be known by people. Too many of us are loosing the art of friendship. Go for a walk, go our for coffee or tea, go over and play cards or just talk. Let's get back to face to face friendships.
JUNE: I couldn't agree with you more Flora, but I can't make the stretch to say that the economy tanked because of Facebook. C'mon, think about that./
JUNE: Flora, I hope you are enjoying your spring. I took my middle "little june" to see the "Thomas and Friends" show at the XL center in Hartford. It was a great show and we had a great time. I hope more people take advantage of the events that come to Hartford's XL center. I got in and out easily and the show itself was top notch. The movie "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler is now on DVD. This may be a little early for Flora to get it but the rest of you should rent it. It was a very cute movie for the family. Look into it.
FLORA: I read a short novel by Wm. Paul Young titled "The Shack" and found it captivating. Without giving away any more than the back of the book would, it is a story of a man whose young daughter was abducted while on a family vacation. The father receives a note from God and is asked to meet him at a shack where evidence of his daughter is. This is brilliantly woven story of God's love and redemption and a loving but peculiar description of God, His Son and the Holy Spirit. You can read this quickly. I know many who have read it in a day. I plan on reading it again. 4 Pineapples.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/
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Bobbie’s Bevy of Beauties
Congratulations to Geno and the UConn Lady Huskies for winning a 6th collegiate national woman’s basketball championship. Besides becoming “The Top Dog” they collected many other awards either as a team or individually. I think some of the records they established may not be broken but if they are it won’t be for quite awhile. Wish them much success when November comes around again.
Definitely spring is here. Pam along with her very helpful husband Ed, and he has become quite a gardener, but I don’t know if he will agree with me, planted her beautiful bed of pansies a few days before the heat wave. They are in her front lawn planted in a circle with a huge pot of them in the middle. I admire them every time I walk by there house alone or with LitlBit. And if I’m not outside I have a great view of them from the upstairs bedroom window. In July when they are on their way out the garden is planted with mini begonias. As I have mentioned before they are another one of my favorite annuals – white, pink, red with green or brown leaves. I prefer the brown. Once the plant produces a bloom it continues to flower until the cold weather.
There is one other sign of spring. We have a great mailman. His name is Bob. Anyone who is on his route is very fortunate. When the temp reaches a certain degree off comes his postal trousers in exchange for his postal Bermudas. Once I see his legs are covered up again I know we’re headed for the cooler weather. What an ugly thought.
Still haven’t made that first trip to the nursery. And I know it will be more than one. Probably within a week or so. Don’t want to take the chance of planting my selection of annuals then have a few cool nights do their damage.
Most of the trees and shrubs are in full bloom. Any pruning to be done wait until they have finished their flowering. Then cut back but no more than twenty five percent.
That’s about it for this issue. If the weather is agreeable will try to finish getting my perennials squared away this weekend. It’s also time to bring my calla lilies and dahlia’s up from the cellar. Hope I have time to grab a bite. Oh, how I wish it could be a tomato sandwich.
Flowercerly Yours,
Bobbie G. Vosgien
My P.S. List
May 5 – Happy 53rd Anniversary Jimmy – Love, Bob
May 8 – Happy Birthday Jodie – Love Mom “Greta” and Dad
May 10 – Happy Mother’s Day Jaime and Jodie – Love, Mom and Dad
Mother's Day Origins
Mothers are the unsung heroes of the world. Every day they sacrifice their time and devote their love to the children they brought into the world.
What mother doesn't hope to be celebrated and pampered, if just for a bit, by her children in recognition for all that she had done for them? That is why every year on the second Sunday of May children pay hommage to their moms on Mother's Day.
Mother's Day hasn't always been a standard spring holiday. In fact, mothers went officially uncelebrated for years and years. It wasn't until the 20th century that an official holiday was established to honor mothers, grandmothers and the other special women in people's lives.
Anna Jarvis was a woman who made great strides toward establishing a national holiday for mothers. Jarvis held annual gatherings called "Mother's Friendship Day" with an objective to heal the pain of the victims and those affected by the Civil War. After her own mother died in 1905, Jarvis decided a national celebration of mothers was in order, and began to campaign for such a holiday.
Jarvis began by soliciting the pastor at the church where her mother had taught Sunday School classes for a special commemorative mass. The church obliged, and the first Mother's Day celebration took place on May 10, 1908 at Andrew's Methodist Church. Later that day, Jarvis celebrated Mother's Day again with her brother at her home in Philadelphia.
The Mother's Day idea eventually caught on, and President Woodrow Wilson made it official in 1914 that the second Sunday in May would be celebrated as Mother's Day annually.
Since then families have gathered annually together to give thanks to the special women who have helped shape their lives.
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Exercise Tips for Seniors Starting Anew
Babies today have it better than those that came before them. That's because, according to a 2007 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, a baby born today has a lot more life to look forward to than one born 50 years ago. A child born today can expect to be around for the next 78 years, whereas one born half a century ago had a projected life span of nine fewer years.
While some might suggest this longer life expectancy is a product of people taking better care of themselves, others might say it's due in large part to advances in medicine.
Whatever the reason, it's obvious more and more seniors are living longer lives, and many are hoping to add even more miles to their odometers. One way to do just that is through exercise. But for seniors who haven't hit the gym in a while, starting an exercise regimen can be an intimidating, if not confusing, experience. Seniors looking to make exercise a regular part of their lives should consider the following tips along the way.
* Seek medical advice: The first thing you should do, even before lacing up your first sneaker, is visit a doctor. Each individual is different, and a doctor will let you know what you, personally, should and should not be doing as you begin a new exercise regimen. In addition, a checkup could reveal problems you might not be aware of.
* Recognize limitations: If you have not lifted a weight or run a step in 20 years, you're not going to be able to simply pick up where you left off. Recognizing your physical limitations is paramount to the success of your new program. For seniors, the point of exercise is not to become a pinup guy or girl, but to get healthy or maintain existing health. Set realistic goals and acknowledge what you can and cannot do.
* Choose an enjoyable program: Choose an exercise program you know you will enjoy. An enjoyable program will encourage participation and increase the likelihood that you'll stick with it. Whether it's a daily walk with friends or a structured workout at the local gym with a trainer, the program you choose should be one you look forward to, and not one you see as a necessary evil.
* Take it easy: Whenever a new program is started, be it by a teenager, professional athlete or senior citizen, the temptation to overdo it is omnipresent. However, flying out of the gates is a great way to get hurt, particularly if you do not yet know your physical limitations. Take it slow as you begin a workout, and make a daily journal of what you do at the beginning. That way, should you encounter any aches or pains, you can always look at the journal or share it with your physician or trainer to determine what might be the root of the problem. As you grow accustomed to physical activity, you can then make adjustments to your routine accordingly.
* Do your homework on facilities: You may, especially if you are retired, prefer to workout during the mid-morning hours when kids are in school and working professionals are at the office. That can make choosing a gym easier for you than it is for students or professionals.
However, when looking for the right facility, do your homework and find a gym that has all that you want. Some gyms, for example, heavily emphasize weight training, and don't offer other amenities such as racquetball courts or a swimming pool. Find a gym that best fits your needs. Many gyms offer free passes for up to a week so prospective customers can get a better grasp of what the gym has to offer. Take advantage of this common practice when choosing a facility.
* Make stretching a regular part of your regimen: Young or old, stretching is an integral part of any successful workout routine. For seniors, however, stretching becomes especially important, as you are more susceptible to injury than you were in your more youthful days. Stretching helps prevent muscle pulls and other injuries, and should be done both before and after a workout.
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Home Country
Slim Randles
It’s Tuesday afternoon at two, which means Clarice Devon is on her way to the Curl Up ‘N Dye beauty salon. It’s like the sun coming up or the price of bread increasing. Tuesday. Two. Clarice.
“Clarice!” yells Fran. “Ready to be beautiful?”
“Sure,” she said. “I like attempting the impossible.”
Clarice Devon is one of our angels. She’s one of the few people in town who will tolerate old people and shut ins, and she not only takes care of them, but seems to relish it as well.
During the rinse, Fran asks her if she’s the one taking care of Mr. Gavin since his stroke. Clarice nods.
“So what’s he like to work with these days?”
“It’s a now-and-then situation,” Clarice says. “You know … now and then?”
“I don’t understand. You mean it’s part time?”
“Nope. Full time. But it’s now and then.”
Fran looked puzzled.
Clarice laughed. “It’s like this,” she said, imitating old Mr. Gavin’s voice. “Now, when you finish getting me my tea, I’d like a custard, but I’d like it in a glass bowl. A small glass bowl. Then I want you to call and see if my pills are ready. Now if they are, could you pick them up? Then, while you’re there, I want to try that toothpaste they talk about on television.”
Fran laughed. “Now and then, huh?”
“Now and then,” Clarice said, smiling as she was attacked by curlers.
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Home Country
Slim Randles
The garden catalogs start coming when the snow is too deep to even find dirt. But we don’t care.
This is a catalog time of year, a time for making plans and figuring out how to do something even better than we did last year.
There in the fishing catalog is that new fly-tying vise. I know I’ll be able to tie flies faster and better with that, which will give me more time to cruise up and down Lewis Creek with the fly rod. Well … at least that’s the plan.
And the housewares catalog has all kinds of things in it to help us peel potatoes, boil things, slice things, and clean things. A few well-spent dollars on their 800 phone line and before you know it, our lives will be easier and our food tastier.
With the truck catalogs, we can get a little coffee maker that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter. Or we can get a little oven that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter, or a fan that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter. Let’s hope the car makers continue to make cigarette lighters even after cigarettes themselves disappear. We’d miss out on a lot of fun without that plug-in.
The mule needs his catalog, too. I’ll do the reading for him, and the ordering. But I think he’d appreciate one of those nice white fleece cinches. They seem so soft on an old mule’s belly. And a matching saddle pad would be good, too. He’s too old to rope on any more, but a guy can still appreciate comfort in semi-retirement.
The land catalogs are the most fun. In these, there are always lakes with wooded margins, begging for a little cabin. A small place where a guy can hole up and think literary thoughts and type quietly. Well, it’s a thought, anyway. And that’s what catalogs do, stimulate our thinking.
Spring catalogs are the novels of optimistic lives.
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Live Like You Were Dying
by Barbara Sherburne and Jeff Johnson
I had the good fortune in November of 2008 to become acquainted with a new cashier at Krauszer's named Kara Johnson. I think almost the minute we met she told me about her brother Jeff who has ALS. I had no idea what ALS was. I was about to learn. Jeff is 43 years old, and before I get to his story, I just want to explain briefly, for those who do not know about this disease, what ALS is.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: It is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a motor neuron disease that was first described in 1869 by the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, and it was called Charcot Disease at that time. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. Lou Gehrig brought attention to this disease when he retired from the New York Yankees back on July 4, 1939. He was diagnosed with ALS on his 36th birthday on June 19, 1939. There are approximately 5,600 people diagnosed every year. 60% are men, and 93% are Caucasian, generally between the ages of 40 and 70.
Jeff's motto is: "I won't let a little thing like ALS stop me from enjoying life." And from everything I am hearing, he is living life to the fullest.
I met with Jeff Johnson on April 25th in his Wallingford apartment to interview him. I had a bunch of questions prepared, but actually the interview took off on its own path, which didn't surprise me. He handed me a couple of pieces of paper he and his mother, Pat, had typed up, and I am going to use that in his own words, and then I will add some other comments at the end.
This is Jeff's story. My family and friends play an important role in my fight with ALS. My symptoms began in July of 2004. For the first two years it affected only my left shoulder, arm, and hand. I went through months of testing and was told in 2006 that I might have ALS. I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in March of 2007. I continued to work and make deliveries for Brescome/Barton until it became too difficult to lift cases, and I retired on a disability on July 1, 2007. After 22 years with Teamsters Local 443, I was able to draw an early pension.
As the disease spread to my right arm and legs, I had to give up all the activities I have always enjoyed, like running, canoe racing, softball, and bowling. At this point, I have a lot of time on my hands trying to adjust and finding things to do. I found it difficult to talk to anyone about the disease. By the summer of 2008, ALS was really putting a strain on my marriage. I have three daughters, Kelli, who is 16, Colleen, who is 14, and Cassidy, who is 8 years old. [In my interview with Jeff, I asked him what his greatest achievement had been in his life, and he pointed to a photo on the wall of his three daughters.]
By now my speech was starting to be affected, and I needed more help with eating and other daily tasks. Due to stress and various factors, I needed to find another place to live. My sister, Kara, was kind enough to break her lease where she was living, and we found a three-bedroom apartment. I moved in on November 22, 2008, and Kara came to live with me shortly after that. She does all the chores and shopping.
ALS patients cannot live alone. The Connecticut VNA comes for an hour and a half in the morning and at night. I don't know what I would do without them. During the day, my mom is here to assist with bill paying, phone calls, sending emails, and running errands, et cetera. At night, either Kara is here or my friends Tony Leonardi or Mike Becker stop by to help. I have a Lifeline in the event I am alone and should fall or need assistance.
My brother, Mike Mezerewski, keeps me busy by taking me to various sporting events. He also monitors my weight and muscle loss, which was 35 pounds in a year. He was also helping me work out in the gym to strengthen my legs, but I have recently stopped the work at the gym.
My father, Pete, who lives in Florida, will fly up for holidays, doctors' appointments, and events such as a recent walk-a-thon in Fairfield. [Jeff completed the one-mile walk with his family members rooting him on, and it was every bit as difficult as the 26-mile marathons he ran so many times, takes the same mind-set, and the last marathon he ran was in April 2006, the Boston Marathon, and he already had ALS.] My father also flew my friend Tony and me to Florida for the Daytona 500 back in February. We went to an ALS demonstration in Washington, D.C., and he flew me to California to consult with a specific doctor.
Recently there have been a lot of wonderful experiences. My good friend Tony Leonardi surprised me with Opening Day Yankee tickets nine rows behind the dugout! Another friend, Mike Becker, set up a luncheon for me and the granddaughter of Babe Ruth, and she gave us Babe memorabilia. On the weekends I am constantly being visited by old friends and former coworkers. I joined Facebook, and reconnected with many people.
ALS is a very difficult and depressing disease, but I find that I don't get depressed as long as I have wonderful people around me. Setting goals and having things to look forward to keeps me going.
On May 2nd I will have gone to a Yankees game in New York, which my dad flew in from Florida to attend, and the tickets were given to me by my high school friend, Michele Candelora Pollack. Thanks, Michele.
In June I will be going to a Yankees game, which is due to the generous donation of four tickets by Kara's boss, Bill Meany, VP Metro of the Lindenmeyr Munroe Paper Company.
On June 27th, I will be walking in a walk-a-thon at the Connecticut Irish Festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds. We are still looking at prices for shirts we need for over 100 people. It will say "JJ's Pit Crew" on the shirts. People from the ALS Foundation will be there.
On August 16th we are having a fund-raiser, which Kara and my sister-in-law Kathy Mezerewski are organizing. It will take place at Amato's in Northford. There will be lots of food, maybe a comedian, raffles, horseshoes, volleyball, and a guaranteed good time for all.
I am currently awaiting a drug called IPLEX, which was distributed in the USA previously and was pulled by the FDA in 2007. Since that time, it was only available in Italy. In October of 2008, the FDA announced they were going to release IPLEX again in the USA, and I was looking forward to starting it in December. Then many roadblocks occurred. A small group of people (18-20) are now using IPLEX and are being closely tracked. I am hoping that their success will open up the door to all ALS patients. In the meantime, I am taking injections of Increlex twice a day. It is a growth hormone.
That is where Jeff's notes stopped. Jeff made it clear to me that he wants his story to be inspirational and not negative. He basically refuses to think about the inevitable, and says he is
"Too busy doing making the most of each day now." He mentioned "Live Like You Were Dying," a country song, and did I know it. I had to admit, I did not. So he clicked a few things on his computer and printed out the lyrics. I don't think Tim McGraw would mind that I borrowed his title for this story. I thought it really captured the feeling Jeff has about life right now. You might want to look up the lyrics if you are not familiar with them, but some of the words go like this:
"'And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.' And he said, 'Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying... And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I watched an eagle as it was flying.' And he said, 'Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.'"
Thanks, Jeff. You are an inspiration not only to other people with ALS, but to me and to all of your family and to all of your friends who have stayed by your side and love you for everything you are and for everything you dream and hope to yet accomplish. And accomplish those dreams and hopes, you will.
Note: For information on ALS, visit the Connecticut site at http://webct.alsa.org and the worldwide site at www.alsworldwide.com. To read about Ben Byer, a young filmmaker, who documented his journey with ALS on camera spanning three years in a movie called Indestructible or to order his amazing film on DVD, visit www.indestructiblefilm.com. I ordered the DVD and watched it, and it is very informative and inspirational. Barb
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Hunting for the Perfect Fit
By Katrina S. AxelrodPresident, Meriden ArtsTrust, Inc.
I have been hunting for funders for the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra and it has taken me on some wild and wonderful side trips. There have been several dead ends, too. I thought maybe I could assist other people in the same search, so I share it here. Some people go to the Internet first. When you go to the Internet, you find all manner of people ready to sell you things. There are Professional Fund Raising Companies. Some are helpful, some aren’t. Everybody wants to make a buck. Be careful.Then there are the Foundations. Allow me to save you some time about foundation searches. Each foundation has funding priorities. Each foundation will fund some things and not others. I look for Music, Arts, Young People, Children, After School programs and Instruments. For the most part, to look elsewhere is a waste of time. There are always exceptions, but just be disciplined.Obtain your Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 501-c-3 or equivalent documentation before going to any foundation. This document, with its rather lengthy application document, may take you some time to complete and it will take some doing on your part to put together a good team (Board of Directors, etc.). The effort is worth it. You get to know your program better, you find more like-minded people in the process and it proves that you can do some simple bookkeeping to keep donations straight; all good things. Now, it takes about seven or so months to be processed in most cases, so start with a positive attitude and see it through. It is worth all of the time and effort (and occasional sweat) you put into it and when the thing comes in the mailbox you will feel accomplished! Have a party! You HAVE accomplished!The government requires a DUNS number in order to fund a program. I have yet to do this for the Meriden ArtsTrust, Inc., but I’m going to do it in the future. Who knows? It may come in handy and it won’t cost anything to do. Look it up on the Internet if you are interested in obtaining government funds. Do your homework. There are books in the library, ask the nice Reference Librarian for assistance. Bring a big pad of paper and a few pencils; you can’t check out a reference book. Look for words that are familiar to your work. Write everything that is related down- everything. Make a copy if the entrance is a big one. When asking a foundation for a grant, you are asking the foundation to believe in you and your program as much as you do. You need to make a strong case why your group is more worthy than others, the foundation has limits on its money. Read the guidelines very carefully. If it says telephone, then telephone for the first contact. If it says letter, get your stamps ready. If you can do it with an e-mail, then e-mail a nice, informative letter that shows your program in a good light. Go with what the foundation asks. Be memorable, but don’t get cutesy. This is a business and is run as a business. Facts, facts, facts. Show them why you put all of your love and work into your very worthy project.Letters of Inquiry (LOI): some foundations want to get to know you by having you send in a LOI before you send in a full proposal. You write down what the foundation asks of you, and you send it off with a little pat on the po-po. If it is within the foundation’s priorities, they will contact you. Or, you may never hear from them again. Use your best manners, too. You may follow up, but don’t be surprised if they already said somewhere back in that library reference book that they don’t accept unsolicited letters of inquiry. Watch out for that. Just let it go, your mistake! You’ll only do it once to learn not to do it again! That was a lot of work for nothing.Make a new proposal for each foundation, tailor it to what they want, how they present themselves and how you present yourself. Do not copy a proposal and just fill in the name. It is tacky, and it won’t get funded. You must do your homework. Remember, you want to be working with these people during the grant time and after, be cordial informative and patient. Really patient. There are family foundations that meet once a year, there are big foundations whose Distributions Board meets quarterly, with very complicated and fancy rules for how you go about determining how well your program succeeded-called the evaluation. Read up on the different kinds.There are corporate foundations that serve the cities in which their companies have a footprint; an office or a manufacturing plant or historical roots. They have rules and regulations that need to be considered, too. Everybody has very specific rules, so that they don’t get swamped with requests for everything.Finding the perfect fit may be finding the good fit. If you think that the foundation has the priorities of your program, then ask. Don’t waste people’s time. Be businesslike and state your case. They will tell you if they wish to learn more about your cause. When they tell you they can’t help you, BE POLITE. Number one, it is the thing to do, and, number 2, you may see these people again and they may remember you for the gracious way you understood their limitations when it came to your program. Think of it as ‘brownie points” towards professionalism.So, for people who think that “Foundations” are the end-all and be-all of fund raising, nuh-uh. You must put in many hours of fund raising without foundations help, in order to prove that you are worthy and will be around. Fund raising is only partly foundation-centered. Fundraisers, raffles, car washes, walks, whatever it takes, that is what it takes. Then approach foundations, with a proven track record of success. Speaking of fundraising- the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra is having two benefit concerts in June, June 7th at the Lincoln Middle School Auditorium at 3:00, when the CCCYO themselves will play and then a different benefit on Saturday, June 13th from 6-9, when professional musicians will perform many kinds of music including Jazz, Broadway and Classical for the scholarship programs of the CCCYO and the Q. Walter Peabody Foundation. This one will be at the Immanuel Lutheran Church on Hanover Street, at the corner of Cooke in Meriden. Please come to one or both, these are wonderful programs of music for young people.I’ve barely scratched the surface of fundraising, but this will get you started. Do your library work. There is nothing magic about foundation fundraising, on the contrary, it can be some pretty hard work, but you know that it is worth it. I’ll write again about other ways to help your group. I hope this helps and that you are successful in your fundraising. For more information, feel free to contact me at meridenartstrust@yahoo.com. I’ll do what I can to help. KSA
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Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup
Wallingford’s Congregation Beth Israel will be hosting The Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup Golf Outing on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at The Tradition at Wallingford.
Celebrating its 10th year, the Kiddush Cup was renamed 4 years ago after 19 year old Ryan Gordon, a young congregant who passed away after a 3 month, courageous battle with cancer. A week before he died, Ryan requested that his unused college funds be donated to charities that he felt had benefited him throughout his lifetime. His explicit hope was that his gifts would inspire others to give.
Beth Israel, in honoring Ryan’s legacy, will be donating one half of all Kiddush Cup proceeds to Ryan’s Circle of Giving (RCG), a 501(c)(3) charitable fund that will annually donate 100% of all contributions to those charities that Ryan championed. Last year, Beth Israel’s Kiddush Cup contribution to RCG enabled this fund to donate over $19,000 to:
-The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -The Ryan Gordon Endowment Fund at the Kingswood-Oxford School, a financially-driven scholarship that enables deserving students to attend the school’s Team-Tobati yearly trip to Paraguay. Team Tobati is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to working with and assisting the poor of Tobati, Paraguay-The Yale Cancer Center’s Thoracic Oncology Program. Donations godirectly towards thoracic oncology research.
-The Ryan Gordon/Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation Scholars Fund at Trinity College. This Fund was established to provide deserving Hartford youths with the opportunity to learn to play the game of hockey.
The Shotgun/Scramble format will begin with a 7:45 – 8:45 a.m. registration and continental breakfast, an 8:00 putting contest and a 9:00 tee-off. A kosher meal, award ceremony and silent and live auction, MC’d by Fox61 Sports Broadcaster Rich Coppola will follow.
The tournament will offer men and mixed team prizes, raffles, a 50/50 pot, 2 Hole-in-One opportunities and much more! Registration Fee is $155. Dinner only is $45 and will begin between 2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
To learn more about the tournament and sponsorship opportunities or to download a brochure, go to http://www.bethisraelwallingford.org/ and follow Kiddush Cup link. You can also call Phyllis Gordon at 203-269-5094 or Todd Schwartz at 203-235-4314 or email pgordon@snet.net. To learn more about RCG, go to http://www.ryanscircleofgiving.com/.
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Your Future is Now©
I hear people saying it’s a very bad time
And some complain that they don’t have a dime
But in reality this is a period of gold
A time to be active, a time to be bold
It’s a time to work hard some don’t know what that means
It’s now peanut butter, hotdogs and beans
It’s a time of transition, a time to invent
A time for connecting to the glories God sent
There are three things we all have that are the same
It’s time, money and creativity - so let’s start the game
If you have time, use it wisely each and every day
Help someone else in a spiritual way
Give of your money to those whose fortune is less
But still pay some bills and clean up your mess
It costs nothing to walk and enjoy the outdoors
Or use a row boat… with those great big oars
Remember without valleys, there are no mountains to climb
So enjoy the river, the scenery and every church chime
Know that in history this has happened before
In every town and city and in every war
Watch what comes out of your mouth - keep it positive talk
Spend time watching others, watch them like a hawk
For negatives will not help you but hustling will
And soon things will change and you’ll pay every bill
So pull the plug on the computer the TV and all
And spend time with your children, breathe fresh air and play ball
Many jobs that will be available in fifteen years
Have not yet been created, so wipe away your tears
We have all been a part of the change we now see
Forget about saying “oh goodness, poor me”
Get going right now, and do your part
Do what you know is your passion, it’s straight from your heart
Have we been mindless and is “worry” your theme?
Forget it for now for it’s time to daydream
We must clean up the environment and regain our health
Think of each other and not just our wealth
It’s time to sparkle and laugh every day
And enjoy one another and what loved ones say
So walk in the rain and enjoy the sunshine too
Love and have faith in all that you do
You’re starting to climb, this you believe and know
For your future is now - you are starting to grow
Carolyn Finch
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
ORPHAN LANDS
Prescription drug remedies without a substantial market are often ignored by major drug companies leaving a gap of neglect for those with rare diseases. Likewise, in many cases, big environmental groups tend to ignore focusing on the positive but less popular end of environment and land use work: fighting to preserve existing industrial and commercial land for these designated purposes. This is particularly true when the land has natural or legal characteristics that support such uses.
“Keeping land available for coastal and other industrial uses, including rail yards, rail rights-of-way, ports, shipyards, and other suitable activities is in everyone’s interest and deserves the focused attention of environmental groups,” said Bill Urban, Executive Director of the Connecticut Conservation Association (“CCA”).
CCA is best known as the Great Meadows. This stretch of land is now part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and is about to get a major addition of protected land when Stratford and Bridgeport complete the sale and transfer of Pleasure Beach properties to the Federal Government.
Less known is CCA’s battle to preserve the former Carpenter Technology site from real estate developers that somehow thought this deep water site on the East End of Bridgeport Harbor is best suited for a retail development; in this case, a Price Club. The developers claimed that a public walkway along the waterfront was sufficient to satisfy the Coastal Area Management Act’s requirement that such sites must be used for appropriate water related activities. CCA disagreed emphatically and filed suit in Bridgeport’s Superior Court.
CCA argued that a natural deep water area with a water related industrial history should be preserved only for such activities; and not be used as scenic viewing stands for condo dwellers or shoppers. CCA’s case claimed that such land is very limited, serves an industrial economic purpose, customarily provides jobs with wages well above retail and can support national security in times of war. Further, CCA offered evidence of toxic pollutants on the site that were highly likely to disqualify it for any use other than industrial.
T
he Developers, The Bridgeport Regional Business Council, the City of Bridgeport and other interested parties joined the fray showing up in court as a line of 1,500 dollar suits touting big name firms. CCA fielded just one underpaid attorney with a tweed jacket, a professorial looking sweater, and enough paper to block-out any sign of a table top on the Plaintiff’s side of the court.
Urban said, “We had hoped to save the site for a deepwater related use and establish case law that differentiated deep water areas with industrial histories from properties that simply have a water view and are unlikely to provide deepwater uses. However, although we failed to make any case law, the suit ended with a hardy “CCA Mission Accomplished” when we introduced evidence of the site’s industrial contamination and the Price Club promptly abandoned the project.”
Today the site is occupied by the Connecticut Derector Shipyard. It employs over 200 well paid (As opposed to low wage retail jobs) workers, builds ferries, tug boats, yachts and other commercial vessels and sells them to the world at large bringing millions of dollars into Connecticut economy and the families of Bridgeport area workers. The Derector Shipyard is now building what is believed to be the world’s largest yacht, two 130 foot tug boats for Boston Harbor operations, and recently completed construction of a major ferry for the Alaska Ferry system.
Urban concluded, “I call that a win-win for all. The more we see of this kind of conservation the more we will see reductions in the pressures for sprawl and unnecessary road traffic.”
Eds Note: The Connecticut Conservation Association is a non profit, tax exempt, membership group with an office in Bridgeport. CCA can be reached at 203-384-2000. Memberships and donations greatly appreciated. CCA is a founding member of Earthshare New England.
FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS): Read Carefully1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.2. A will is a dead giveaway. 3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.4. A backward poet writes inverse.5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion. 7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds. 11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.15. He would often have to break into song because he couldn't find the key.16. A calendar's days are numbered.17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.18. A boiled egg is hard to beat. 19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.21. A short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye !!!26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
One Woman's Journal
By Audrey C. Linke
Mike was a relative of a relative, maybe still a teen-ager when the tragedy occurred. I knew him slightly and I knew his mother from conversations shared at family gatherings. Mike was a boy to be proud of, and his family was, of course.
As he drove along in the town where he lived, a little girl suddenly stepped off the sidewalk in front of his car. With not so much as a split second to react, Mike had no choice but to hit her.
When we heard about the terrible untimely death of a small child, we were, like everyone else, horrified. The bereaved family of the little girl would be comforted by an entire community, but what of the other family?
I don't remember how much time went by before I decided to write to Mike. I don't even know if it was my decision, but the thought kept nagging at me until I knew I had to do something. I found a note card and with pen in hand sat down at my kitchen table with the thought that I must write something sympathetic to this fine young man whose life had been interrupted as surely as was the life of the little girl who died. Mike was young, would have a long time to live with the inevitable guilt.
I didn't know what to write, but out of nowhere the Serenity Prayer came to me and I began with that. Then I remembered that I had a small key chain with the Serenity Prayer on it. I tucked it in with the note and sent it on its way.
I didn't know what I expected to accomplish with that simple prayer: "God grant me the courage to change the things I can, accept the things I can't change, and the wisdom to know the difference." But this is what I learned later from Jean, Mike's mom.
When the note came, Mike immediately put his car keys on the key chain. Up until then, he had been unable to get behind the wheel of his car and did not plan to ever drive again. Jean took the note and drove over to her church and showed it to her priest. She, too, was lifted from her sadness.
"You'd be surprised," she said, "At how few people expressed concern for us, the family that had to live with the tragedy from the other side of the accident."
I don't know what triggered this memory, but it is a reminder that when we are led to do something in the name of Love, we should do it, for Love heals. Love is a valuable gift, a blessing to both the giver and the receiver.
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MOTHERS Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it. Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox. Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids. Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets. Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up. Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.' Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother... The Images of Mother 4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything! 8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot! 12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything. 14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either. 16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned. 18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date! 25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it! 35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion. 45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it? 65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows! Please send this to 5 Mom's today. If you don't, nothing bad will happen, but if you do, something good will: You will boost a Mother spirits.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
The fruits of Motherhood are the Children!
By Priscilla Reynolds
Such sentimental romantic gifts are given to the lucky Mothers on that special day in May, Mothers Day. Are we all worthy of this show of affection? More than likely, we take it for granted. Babies are God's miracles and women have hormonal and nurturing qualities that draw them to their new borns. Fathers are proud; Mothers are ecstatic.
Babies grow up. The parents who once kept their children in close surveillance must let go. Children still need supervision and religious training. This is when our four parents' rules and our environmental influences challenge us. Mrs. Taylor, next door, might oppose our baseball practice in the backyard with occasional hits sending the children searching for the ball in her bushes. Mr. Pope seems to completely let go of his children and toys are taken from the neighbors' garages without permission. Birthday parties can be chaotic.My husband, Lew, and I enjoyed the children most when the birthday parties were small. Dave, our oldest son, and Dan, our third child, were born four years apart but their birthdays were a day apart close to the Labor Day weekend. (I don't want to bore my children or my readers but I have to interject that Dan was the product of my most difficult labor and was delivered, coincidentally on Labor Day!) And so our Labor Day celebration included the grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and the two birthday boys and their siblings.
Lew and I considered the birth of each of our six children over an eleven year stretch party enough, with the births 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years apart. We invested our energy first and foremost on God and our family but also on our jobs, postal and nursing. It's not easy to remember the personal milestones for each child and this, I deeply regret. Photographs spill out of our bedroom closet anxious to be sorted, copied and distributed to each of our children.
Cathy celebrated her eighth birthday with 10 girlfriends, mostly from our neighborhood. She always wanted a sister and at this time we didn't know whater the next and last child would be Beth or Andy. (Cathy became a second Mother to Andy when he was born.) Having so many females on the same block was helpful to Cathy as she coped with her five brothers growing up.
Matthew, our fourth child, remembers vividly his seventh birthday. He tells us, "Everyone: Gram Reynolds, Gram and Grandpa Roger, Aunt Esther, Dave, Cathy, Dan, Paul, Andy, Dad, Mom and I ate supper at Howard Johnson's. When we returned home, Mom, you couldn't find your key. We hunted everywhere first for the key, then for a way to get in. You were mad, Mom, but you wouldn't call the police .Dad helped lift Dave up through a small kitchen window and the key lay on the kitchen table next to my birthday cake. That was the year Dad let me choose a kitten--our red headed Pumpkin, who lived 15 more years."
It's strange but Paul and Andy's parties took place more in their teen age when Lew and I had more problems controlling the events.
I do recall a party for Paul and Andy at six and eight, consecutively with a few of their boyfriends. Our hands were busy but our minds still watched and cared for our two sons. However, after the departure of their friends one snake cage was empty. Our children loved animals and at this time, Trixie, our dog, Pumpkin and Raquel, our cats shared our house with three garter snakes. We hunted everywhere for the snake. Great Aunt Esther was coming for supper to celebrate with the boys. Just a month ago, she screamed as she came in; the front door scrunched a small painted turtle. Less than a year ago she dropped her cane and lost her balance as she watched a chameleon climb the wall. We never found the snake and Gram and Grandpa joined us for supper and more cake.
Am I still worthy of being honored on Mothers Day? As of this moment, my aching bones and forgetfulness are part of me. Two other delinquencies are my failure in journalling the past events of my children's and grandchildren's lives and the chaotic boxes of pictures crying out to be completed.
Yet I am blessed! No other gift is necessary--the spiritual growth of our children and our grandchildren is enough!
Kids’ Press
Zachary Brown
By Zachary Boganski
Age 9 – 4th Grade Highland School
This is the story of Zachary Brown he never grows up and always grows down.
He ate lots of junk food and smoked cigarettes.
His diet was worse than you would feed to your pets.
He never worked out and he wasn’t athletic.
He shrunk every day now. He looks quiet pathetic.
This story is alarming but it’s all true.
Be careful or it might just happen to you.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Maggie’s Corner
By: Maggie Griffin
Mom, what is it like to be a Mother?
Wow, I never thought I would hear my 16 year old daughter ask me that question now. In fact, I wasn’t expecting that question for another 10-15 years from now.
For all the Moms out there, do you remember that famous question from your kids when they were at Nursery School age - “Mom, where did I come from?” That was difficult to answer back then. But these are the questions and talks that Moms really treasure the most.
Let me tell you how I recently answered this question and how the question came about from my daughter, Stephanie. You see, my husband decided to take the week off, calling it a vacation, and be home the week the kids were home from school. My Maytag Dishwasher decides to take a turn for the worse. It figures, Mr. Fix it is on vacation, leaving me and Stephanie washing and drying the dishes.
So I was telling her how many years ago, my nightly chore was drying the dishes as my Mother washed them. Now, if my Mother reads this, she will include how I always had that famous “Sony Walkman” to my ears, drying the dishes. It use to annoy my Mom, but I never understood why until I finally realized that today’s “Sony Walkman” is now the IPod that is surgically attached to your kids ears.
And then I told that story to my daughter, as I took the ear plugs off Stephanie’s ears, laughing. So she asked me what it is like to be a Mom. Well now, this is a delicate question to answer. So I was honest.
Being a Mom is constant worry. There is no age limit of when being a Mom ends as being a Mom is for life. As I told Stephanie, being a Mom also means that we want are kids to do as we say, not as we did. Being a Mom also means never ask Grand Ma what your Mom was like at your age. Being a Mom is gifts that as our kids grow; it is harder and harder to let them go spread their own wings in life. But a Mom is always there, unconditionally, no matter what, a Mom is for life.
Now my son Tommy’s definition of being a Mom (I said definition, not a question he asked to be answered) was “And a Mom is someone who likes to get into their kid’s business and know everything”. I looked over at my son and told him that is true and I still have that eye in the back of my head I told you really does exist a long time ago. He then said, “Mom, you told me you knew Santa personally a long time ago too”.
Being a Mom means telling your kids, when they are toddlers so they don’t get hurt, “NO, don’t touch that”. Let’s call a spade of spades, eventually they learn “NO” so much, that when you tell your kids as they are older to do their chores, they tell you “NO”. This leaves me to a future thought. When the day comes that I become a Grand Ma, watching my grand children when they are in the curiosity stage, when they go to the vacuum cleaner, I will simply say “NO, Mommy Said Don’t Ever Touch That”.
Being a Mom also means “stop yourself when you find yourself sounding like your Mom”. It also means “stop your kids when you see your kids act like you when you where their age”. Let’s all admit it, all Moms seem to follow that pattern where we don’t want to be like our Mothers, but we also don’t want out kids to repeat the same actions and mistakes we did either. But, the circle of life seems to be a stronger hold on us because everything, as a Mom, does turn around in full circle and history repeats itself.
Again, this conversation all started over my dishwasher, made by Maytag, breaking. Did anyone ever wonder why they don’t play those “You will never have to call Mr. Maytag Guy to fix an appliance”? That’s because Mr. Maytag doesn’t exist, worse in my house, Mr. Fix It is on vacation.
Getting back to what being a Mom is like; it’s like another day in paradise. I wouldn’t have it any other way. We want what is best for our kids; we want our kids to be better than us. We will trade the world to protect our kids too.
As our kids grow up, we hold onto the moments when they were smaller, asking ourselves where did all the years go. But we never miss a moment as they grow up. We somehow see ourselves in our kids at times too. So to all those Moms out there, ask yourself and tell your kids what being a Mom is like in your eyes and from your heart.
And if you have a Mother like mine, immediately interrupt her when she tells your kids “When Your Mother Was Your Age…..” I remember asking my Mom and Dad where I came from when I was little. They told me Aliens left me in their back yard. For years I thought I was a science project. Worse, I was always referred to as #6 or “hey you”. That’s what you get for being the youngest of 6 children, either that or name tags.
Now that I think of it, it’s no wonder my Mom still doesn’t have a dishwasher. But my Mom, she is a pistol. I will never let anyone insult my Mother in any way, shape or form. I just want to add, “Mom if you are reading this, I am wearing the head phones on my ears listening to music as I am writing”. Tradition never changes.
But Moms, treasure your kids, they truly are a gift and always remember that the best things in life is life itself. God knows my kids are the best gifts I hold, and I will hold my two children forever. A Mother is for life. A Maytag Dishwasher ends its life a month after the warranty expires.
I am turning 40 this month too. If Mr. Fix It, a.k.a. Mr. Griffin, buys me a new dishwasher for my 40th birthday, he better include an IPod and Domino’s Pizza. To me, and to add, being a Mom is also reminding the Dad the long hours of labor I went through to bring his children into this world.
But, in all honesty, in my heart, to me the greatest experience that I still have, and will always have, is being a Mom. So this Mother’s Day, the year and same month I turn 40, I want to thank my Kids for making me their Mom. If it wasn’t for them born to me, I wouldn’t be celebrating Mother’s Day with my kids.
Happy Mother’s Day to All the Moms around the World!
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Giant Tag Sale at The Willows In Wallingford
Benefits American Cancer Society
The Relay for Life Big Green Team will use proceeds to help “kick cancer one goal at a time”
On Sunday, April 26th the local Relay for Life Big Green team held a giant tag sale at The Willows single family community at 751 North Farms Road in Wallingford. All proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life.
The week before the sale, Big Green team leaders and local business owners, Sandy and Jim Comeau of Wallingford Optical and Greg Kamens of VW Homes collected donations of furniture and other household items at The Willows sales center.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer,” said Greg. “My father died of cancer, and my mother is a cancer survivor, so the Relay for Life is very personal for me. I’m thrilled that VW Homes’ partners Bob Wiedenmann and Liz and Gerald Verna offered The Willows model home for our tag sale.”
The Big Green Team will be participating in the Meriden/Wallingford Relay for Life at Platt High School in Meriden on May 29th and 30th. Go Big Green!
About Relay for Life – Relay for Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times.
About The Willows – The Willows http://www.thewillowsct.com/ is a new old-fashioned community of 65 single family homes, located on North Farms Road between the center of Wallingford and Route 68. VW Homes is building The Willows with smaller lots and sidewalks on both sides of the street to encourage walking and getting to know neighbors. The Willows is the first large single family community developed in town since 1995.
Barb’s Family
Submitted by Alan Murphy
Foster Adoptive Mission
You may have seen her on her way to work or in a grocery store and noticed her friendly and welcoming smile. She may look a lot like one of your friends or neighbors. She might even look a bit like you. What sets her apart is that this woman, Barbara, has been a foster parent since 2002.
“I always knew I wanted to work with children,” Barbara explains. “And the 30 years I spent teaching special education were tremendously gratifying. Yet I always wanted to do more. Being a foster parent has allowed me to make more of an impact. Together with my family, I have been able to change the lives of children from all different backgrounds and a variety of circumstances. There are challenges, to be sure—as every foster parent will tell you—but the rewards have been beyond what I would ever have expected.”
There are currently 513,000 children in the foster care system in the United States, and there is a dire need for committed, caring adults willing to take these children into their homes over the short or longer term. In her seven years as a foster parent, Barbara and her husband have taken in 25 children for stays ranging
from a few days to nine months. They have adopted two of these children (one a toddler and the other a teenager), who are now a permanent part of a family that also includes Barbara’s two college-age biological sons and, at present, one additional foster child.
After having done this for seven years, Barbara tells us: “Now, I wish we had made the decision to start even earlier. Each one of these children has contributed to our home and family life in a special way.”
Barbara is especially grateful for the FAST program, which sends professionals into foster homes to help address the children’s unique needs. She tells us that the first few days of a placement can be especially trying, as children act out in different ways and can be particularly needy when first separated from a parent. FAST provides the information and support Barbara and her family need to make the transition as smooth as possible. “The reward is when the child begins to trust you,” Barbara says. “The first time he comes to you for comfort or she places her head on you. Those are the moments that make everything worthwhile—just knowing that you have created a safe and loving place for this youngster. For some of these children, the time they spend in our home is their first experience of a healthy, nurturing environment. We show them the sort of home life they deserve. And I don’t mean with regard to home size or material possessions; I mean having a place to live where everyone has your best interests at heart. A place where you know from one moment to the next what to expect and don’t have to live with fear or hunger or neglect.”
Barbara’s eyes light up as she speaks of a three-year-old currently in her care: “She is so bright and says the funniest things. She has been identified as gifted by the teachers at the nursery school she attends, which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve met with this little girl’s mother, and she has so much potential. We are all hoping she will be able to turn things around and be reunited with her child. Until then, she knows her child is in a loving home.”
The most difficult part of being a foster parent, according to Barbara, is seeing the children leave, especially when there is no contact afterwards. “It’s not possible to adopt every child,” Barbara says, “and of course we worry about the children after they’ve left our home. We just have to take comfort in the fact that, for as long as we had them, we loved them and gave them a stable, structured family life. Sometimes, we are able to keep track of a child when he or she leaves. One of the children was adopted by her grandparent, and we get together and talk on the phone often. It is such a joy to know this child is in a caring home and is being given a good chance for a healthy and happy life.
”
What makes an ideal foster parent? According to Barbara, there is no one formula other than enjoying children, being able to provide a loving home, and being willing to fight for what they need. Barbara considers foster parenting her calling and encourages others to join her in providing a temporary home for one or more of the thousands of local children in need.
Foster parenting is a commitment—and an opportunity to make a big difference in a child’s life. FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) has presented this vignette of Barbara’s experiences as a foster parent in hopes of encouraging other caring adults to reach out to children in difficult circumstances. If you have any interest in becoming a foster parent, please call FAM today for more information. There is no obligation. Your timing couldn’t be better: May is National Foster Care Month. Please call FAM at 860.949.4061 or 203.706.0101. There is a child out there who needs you.
Please note: To protect the privacy of children in the foster care system and their foster families, FAM (Foster Adoptive Mission) prefers they remain anonymous in most instances. In the case of this article we have omitted the last name of the foster parent and have been given permission to use the foster parent’s first name.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
The 75th Anniversary Party of the Meriden Poetry Society
It was a bright day for the The Meriden Poetry Society’s 75th anniversary party at Gallery 53 on April 5th . Within walls adorned by Dick McEvoy’s colorful abstract and impressionistic art, gallery staff, poets, photographers, guests and The Humble Bees quintet set the stage for a festive occasion.
Guests, gradually flowing in from the sun-filled afternoon, soon occupied all the seats and overflowed toward the back of the gallery where a table loaded with cookies and an anniversary cake were located. Hostess Ruth Kahn greeted and directed them to Carol Christoffers to sign the guest book and consider purchasing On Wings of Verse, the society’s 75th anniversary collection of 67 poems written by 14 members.
At the same time, John Kenney was distributing an anniversary edition of the society’s monthly newsletter, Words with Wings, which features Marie LeVan’s history of the society, an article by Al Mueller on its current activities, and John’s acrostic poem, Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of History. Meanwhile, the Humble Bees, having set up to perform in the front of the gallery, waited for a signal from Mr. Kenney to begin their widely acclaimed program.
Marv Beloff, Peter Burch, Bruce Burchsted, Steve Lazarus, and Barry Spencer soon had folks foot- tapping and cameras flashing while they sang lively, humorous and original songs, sometimes as solos, other times ensemble, while accompanying themselves on ukuleles, a fluke and a mini-bass. Among the highlights were Bruce singing a song about poets and Barry amazingly playing Danny Boy on a saw with a bow.
The Humble Bees act was hard to follow as Mario Cavallo noted at the outset of the next part of the 3-hour party. After welcoming approximately 100 guests , he thanked gallery staff members for their hospitality and assistance in making the party possible; upheld Al Mueller’s work in producing On Wings of Verse as being exemplary; and introduced Marie LeVan to read her History of the Meriden Poetry Society. It was established in 1934 by Julia Lansing Warnock and Isyla Powers Lee, co-editors of the Meriden Record. At that time it was the only poetry society in Connecticut and has been meeting continuously since.
Mr. Cavallo followed the reading by announcing that Elsie Melco, longtime member of the society and well-known Meriden poet, has honored the society with a bequest. The society plans to establish an annual Elsie Melco Poetry Award beginning in 2010 for the best poem written in a competition among students at Meriden’s three high schools. His reading of a composite poem written by society members , The Meriden Poetry Society is….. set the stage for Al Mueller’s presentation of complimentary copies of On Wings of Verse to individuals whose support has been and continues to be vital to the life of the society.
Mr. Mueller prefaced the presentations by noting that “poems, like songs we heard, aren’t complete until they’ve been read or sung, their words have become imprinted in minds and hearts, have stirred responses therein.” He suggested browsing in On Wings of Verse to discover why its three reviewers praised it and, if finding a poem to one’s liking, to chat with its writer about it.
As an example of humor within the book, John Kenney read his poem, Hough’s Tavern, by delightfully playing with variant pronunciations of Hough: Hoo, How, Hoff, Hock, Hup, Hoe and Huff .
Fifteen individuals were given complimentary copies of the book by Mr. Mueller, beginning with Bruce Burchsted, President of Prentis Printing Solutions, whose professional counsel and eye for beauty helped create a memorable anniversary momento. He was followed by: Patricia Mottola, Lois Lake Church and John Surowiecki , reviewers of On Wings of Song; members of the staff at the Meriden and Wallingford public libraries and Gallery 53; Andy Reynolds, publisher of The Reader’s Press; Nancy Mueller, party photographer; and Mayor Mayor Michael Rhode who concluded the presentations by recognizing individuals and arts groups vital to Meriden’s rich cultural life and leading a “Hip, Hip, Hooray!” for the poetry society.
Following the program, guests enjoyed refreshments and conversation with the poets; some had them autograph copies of Wings of Verse; a few guests became society members or purchased copies of the book. Without question, the society was delighted to share the occasion with so many supportive friends and family members and to be reassured that poetry is alive and well in Meriden!
For information about how to purchase a copy of On Wings of Verse or become a member of the Meriden Poetry Society, contact Mario Cavallo at 203-237-8252 or Alfred Mueller at 203-265-2445.
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No Joke: Matching Funds Available if State Antes Up
by Jessica Ciparelli
When does $1.5 million state-funded investment dollars equate to $3.2 million? When it is combined with $1.7 million of private funding. And this is no April Fool's joke.
At the Legislative Office Building on April 1, close to 100 people, including legislators, parents and philanthropic leaders gathered to hear the announcement of a challenge to the state: Come up with $1.5 million to invest in building community plans for early childhood, increasing parent leadership (through programs such as the Connecticut Parent Trust Fund's Parent Leadership Training Institute, or “PLTI”), and improving early literacy, then private funders and foundations, including the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund, will fund the remaining $1.7 million.
“Foundations are ready to invest,” said WCGMF Executive Director David Nee. “I really hope this offer is appropriately [accepted].”
It's not a huge sum to invest on either side, however, the testament to the product is measurable. The room was filled with parent leaders, many of whom have completed, or are in the process of completing, PLTI. Parent groups and advocates from East Hartford, West Hartford, Torrington, New Britain, Norwich, Norwalk, Manchester, Danbury, Windham,Windsor, Bridgeport, Stamford, Meriden, Middletown and Colchester were present to show their support of the matching funds and the opportunity to continue investments in early learning and parent leadership programming. Both make good economic and social sense for Connecticut's children, especially in tough times.
“We can't say enough about Graustein and other [funders] who are making these partnerships work,” said Rep. Bruce Morris (D-Norwalk). “I can't say enough about PLTI either. This certainly is a tough budget year, but this is an investment.”
Rep. Morris spoke of closing the state's achievement gap and said there is a way to do just that.
“Early childhood education is one of the first things we need to do,” he said. “We need to level the playing field with parents playing an active role.”
Marisol Estrada-Soto, a 2007 graduate of the PLTI class in Meriden, said the class has helped her become more involved. She is even now part of a work group for the “Meriden Early Learning Blueprint,” a comprehensive plan of action to promote learning for young children and their families.
“I realized I wanted to help the parents of Meriden become more engaged,” she said. Taking part in the Meriden Blueprint plan has helped her further understand what is going on in her own community.
For some, the reason for taking part in PLTI is more personal. That is the case of Kimberly Clark of New Haven, who is half-way through the 20-week program.
“The reason I am so adamant for PLTI and PEP [People Empowering People, also part of the CT Parent Trust Fund] is because I have a 7-year-old and I don't want to lose him to the streets,” Clark said. “It would be a disservice to allow these [programs] to fall by the wayside.”
“Families are so ready to be engaged – they just need the support,” said Elaine Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Children.
Melody Currey, former state representative and current East Hartford mayor said there are at least 100 graduates of PLTI in East Hartford, and many of them are now serving on boards and commissions and are speaking out for children's issues.
“We have been very fortunate to have that,” Currey said.
Susan Murphy, vice president of corporate communications and community relations for Liberty Bank, said one of the bank's priorities in its strategic plan is to invest in preventative programming for families, including early literacy, youth leadership and PLTI.
“It's one of the best investments we can make,” said Murphy. “[But] we can't obviously do it alone – the only way we can do it is to partner with state and local government.”
In terms of capacity building, George Hensinger, representing Norwalk Early Childhood Council, said the council has been involved with Graustein for at least the past 10 years and has developed a three-year action plan. Eighty school readiness slots, he said, were added in Norwalk in 2008, with a goal of another 100 planned for 2009-2010. He added that through a program called "EPIC," 29 parents have been trained to go out and further engage other parents in the community.
State Rep. Catherine Abercrombie (D-Meriden) said she was “very” confident that the state would secure the $1.5 million in matching funds, but she urged those present to contact their legislators to stress how important programs such as these are.
“As we all know, nothing is set in stone,” she said.
The press conference was sponsored by the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, CT Parent Power, Rep. Abercrombie and the Connecticut Commission on Children.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Common Sense …. Could Save Your Life !!!!
Connecticut Outdoors
Written By: Paul Narducci
With the boating season on its way there are a few things we need to remember. Accidents are called accidents for a reason, but most could be prevented. Here is a list of a few things I recommend you follow. The first is that anytime your on the water be aware of your surroundings. If you’re the captain of the boat always be responsible and in control of what is happening. I feel alcohol and boating do not mix. I understand most of you might have just replied ,WHAT? Well it doesn’t, to many people have accidents due to alcohol related boating and it seems ridiculous to think other wise. If your running the boat drinking alcohol isn’t using common sense at all. Another thing people overlook is the importance of wearing a life jacket (PFD.. Personal Floatation Device) This always amazes me when I see children not wearing a PFD and when I talk to the parents they look at me like I’m doing something wrong. The law states that any child under 13 years old on any vessel that is underway must be wearing a life jacket unless the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying a life jacket. They must be approved by the U.S Coast Guard and will state this on the jacket itself. It should also fit the person properly and be in good condition. Most importantly people need to wear them. 90% of all boating fatalities could have been prevented if everyone was wearing a life jacket. Some of the best life jackets you will find are made by Stearns, Coleman and Sospenders. These companies make life jackets for everyone and for many different needs. If you go to http://www.sospenders.com/ this will take you to all three sites. Some people have stated to me life jackets are to bulky, it’s to hot, I can swim and once again is this using your common sense. I think if you check out this website and look at sospenders automatic inflatable Pfd you no longer can use any of these or other excuses. If you’re a fisherman these are wonderful and you won’t even realize you have one on. If you refer to the 2009 Connecticut Boaters Guide this and more info will help you have a safe and fun boating season.
There is a lot of information out there due to the internet and here is a list of some great websites that may help you http://www.ctfisherman.com/ , http://www.ctfishtalk.com/ , http://www.ctbass.com/ , http://www.sotv1.com/ .
Paul, Tony, Frank, Joe and Jonathan wish you the best of luck and good fishing!!!!!
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“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson
If love could have kept him alive, my cat Lucky would still be with me. It was not meant to be, as eventually he succumbed to liver cancer. Now the place on the couch where he slept is empty and there is a hole in my heart.
Although a common gray color, Lucky was a special cat. Originally stray or abandoned, he was a rescue one frigid January night ten years ago from our backyard deck. He made it clear what he wanted, as he wrapped his two front legs around my leg and would not let go. He never had a desire to go outside after that, as when a member of my family would open a door, he would run in the opposite direction. He had been outdoors. My wife aptly named him “Lucky”.
My prayers were that Lucky would die peacefully at home, but in the end, I needed to bring him for euthanasia. The word “euthanasia” is of Greek origin and literally means a painless, happy death. Although one of the most difficult decisions of my life, I was comforted by the words of friends and family, such as “You made all the right decisions along the way, even the final one. I’m so sorry for the pain you feel now.” One friend wrote, “Our pets are so devoted to us and faithful to the end and we owe it to them to be worthy of such devotion. All you can do is what you are doing and Lucky knows that.” Another friend shared, “My sympathies to you also about dear Lucky. But how lucky he has been and you too, with him.” Another offered, “You were and are his guardian angel and he knows it”.
Now Lucky is my guardian angel looking down over me until we see each other again. As once noted by a monk called the Venerable Bede, I believe that death is but a horizon and a horizon is but the limit of our sight. Moreover, as a gravestone inscription found in a pet cemetery proclaims, “O heaven will not ever heaven be unless my cats are there to welcome me”. So, until I see Lucky again, the last two things I said to him before he passed on were that I loved him and we would meet again at Rainbow Bridge. For those of you familiar, or not, with the description of Rainbow Bridge, I share it now – in memory of Lucky. The author is unknown.
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….
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.
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“Sheltering an Animal’s Perspective”
by
Gregory M. Simpson
Several years ago, The Denver Post reported about twelve-year-old Eric Smith who strangled a cat with a garden hose. At the time, it was dismissed as a childhood prank. One year later, Smith murdered four-year-old Derrick Robie.
The link between violence to humans and violence to animals is now well established. Psychologist Randall Lockwood, in his role as Vice-President of the Humane Society of the United States, stated, “Not all abused individuals become abusers, but virtually all animal abusers were abused.” Criminologist Jack Levin concluded that people who are violent against animals are five times as likely to be violent against humans. There are many infamous examples.
Jeffrey Dahmer impaled frogs and cats and decapitated a dog as a child, and went on to kill and dismember seventeen people. David Berkowitz killed neighborhood pets and became New York City’s “Son of Sam” killer. A study of 28 convicted sexual homicide perpetrators found that prevalence of cruelty to animals was 36% in childhood and 46% in adolescence.
Numerous U.S. cities and states now have mandatory cross-reporting laws. Connecticut should be one of them. In these places, when individuals legally mandated to report child abuse suspect animal abuse in a home, they must report it to the animal protection agency. Likewise, if animal control officers suspect child abuse in a home, they are mandated reporters of that information to child protective services.
The American Humane Association (AHA), the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals from cruelty, neglect, abuse and exploitation, has long recommended that in every state there be cross-training and cross-reporting among law enforcement officers, humane investigators, veterinarians, health professionals, domestic violence advocates, and child protection workers. In addition, AHA has recommended systematic tracking of national animal abuse data.
Animal abuse often occurs in concert with other types of family violence, including spouse and elder abuse. A New Jersey study found that when child abuse was present, animal abuse was also noted 88% of the time, sometimes by an abusive parent and sometimes by the abused child. Another study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets indicated that their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion animals and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets.
Adults model violence to children in multiple ways. Where incest or sexual abuse is involved, an offender can use actual or threatened animal torture or death to silence a child about the sexual abuse. Most common is the modeling that violent adults provide through the abuse of a spouse, the elderly, animals, or the child himself. Although violence is everywhere in our society, most child and/or animal abuse is insidious and occurs behind closed doors. In 2001, 80.9% of the perpetrators of child abuse or neglect were parents, with another 15.9% including other caregivers, babysitters, and extended family members.
To date, the reason why there is no mandatory cross reporting law in Connecticut may reflect our society’s English common law precedents related to the “ownership” of children and animals, i.e., the “how I treat my children or pets is my business” kind of attitude. The first laws related to child abuse in the U.S. actually came after the laws on the books against animal cruelty, in the Mary Ellen Wilson case of 1874. As Jacob Riis wrote at the time, “…I was where the first chapter of children’s rights was written, under warrant of that made for the dog….”
Because children and animals are frequently mistreated in the same household, police officers, social workers and animal control officers all need to learn what to look for and how to deal with abuse when encountered. There were 2.7 million referrals of child abuse or neglect nationwide in 2001, with a little less than one million confirmed cases. Over one-half (56.5%) of 2001 reports of suspected maltreatment came from mandated reporters.
For animal abuse, Connecticut has a felony anti-cruelty statute and allows court ordered psychiatric counseling or anger management training for those convicted of animal cruelty. The Third National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect estimates that there are almost three times as many children maltreated as the number reported to child protective services. Connecticut needs a mandatory cross reporting law to help prevent child and animal abuse. In instances where it cannot be prevented, it needs to be reported and addressed.
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.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Memories Of A Lifetime
Connecticut Outdoors
Written By: Paul Narducci
I recently had the opportunity to take my nephew Ryan Paul fishing. He is involved with the cub scouts and they had their annual fishing derby in Killingwirth at there camp. This place is completely beautiful and reminded me of my childhood. I use to go to camps very similar to this and was also a cub and boy scout years ago. Of course we wake up to a day that is not so nice regarding the weather but it isn’t raining. After speaking to Ryans mom Lori we decide to continue with our plan. They pick me up around eight o clock and we are off. You could tell the excitement in Ryans face, he was ready to fish! We get there and the place is packed with people of all ages. Its very windy and is definitely cold. After about fifteen minutes of fishing you guessed it it started to rain. So we put on our rain suits and continue to fish. Lori and I look at each other with a confused look hoping that one of us would ask Ryan if he wanted to leave. We all know I couldn’t do it because I’m Uncle Paul the guy with the fishing show. As I begun to shiver a bit and felt something dripping from my nose Lori finally asked the Question of the day. As the rain comes down harder and the wind is blowing, Ryan was ready to go. Although we didn’t catch any fish it was an honor to be asked to spend time with Ryan. I can guarantee you we will be back out again. Paul, Ryans on the phone wants to go fishing.
April 18, 2009 Opening Day. I pick Joe Dias up at 5:30 am that’s right I said am. We are headed off to Wharton Brook to catch some fish. We get there and it isn’t as packed as it has been in the past. Right away people are catching fish and the madness has begun. Are first fish is a tiger trout. We never caught one of these before. We leave Wharton Brook with four fish for my parents to enjoy. Due to the economy and possible fees for fishing to go up we were forced to ask them for ten dollars a fish. I convinced Joe that he should ask grandpa. As I was getting the fish into a bucket with fresh water Joe went over to talk to Grandpa. I told my Dad how our day went and he was eager to get the fish cleaned,so we left. I asked Joe how much did we get and he told me to forget about it. What’s with this? Forget About It, someone has been watching to many mafia movies. Well I never did get an honest answer. I decided to take Joey out for breakfeast for some pancakes and French toast. What away to end a perfect day. I love French Toast. As a reminder here are some possible lures for you and your kids to try, Yum trout pellets, buoyant and Rough Rider from Thomas spinning lures. As always Paul, Tony, Frank, Joe and Jonathan wish everyone the best of luck and good fishing!
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Memorial Day for Me
By Tia Kozar As we all impatiently waited to start our journey, my Brownie Girl Scout troop and I squirmed in our tiny brown uniforms and stared at the pavement in boredom. After we’d eagerly wait for our turn to come, wewould begin our march around the town in the annual Memorial Day parade. We would do this for many more years, grinning as people waved and clapped when we walked past. The attention was great but I doubt many of us understood the real reason why we were there. I always thought it was just another holiday, a day off from school (when EVERYTHING is on sale) but I was incredibly wrong. The tradition started when after the Civil War, General Logan declared May 30th to be a day to decorate the graves of fallen friends and families with flowers.(it was more popularly called Decoration Day) After World War 1 the day was broadened to honor and remember those who had died in all wars. The parade aspect of Memorial Day was to “kick off” the day; war veterans would walk through town to the cemeterieswith flowers to put on the graves of their fallen comrades. Others would often join in to decorate the graves of their loved ones, too.The tradition continued to evolve and now most parades end at a memorial site where a wreath or flowers are placed and a remembrance ceremony is held. Memorial Day is a day of commemoration, respect, and honor for all who have died in the wars. The day and its preceding are just as importanttoday as it was when the tradition began. Soldiers are still dying today as they protect our country and the world against terrorism. Although I may not have understood how important it was to march in the parade when I was a young Girl Scout, I am now glad that I was able to be a part of such an important tradition for so many years. _________________________________________________________________________Home
Slim Randles
Bernie came into the Mule Barn between our second and third refills that morning. I counted; there were one sigh and two groans and we all immediately stared at the coffee in our cups. You know. Like maybe the coming tsunami will spare this oaken island.
Nope.
He dragged out a spare chair and flopped down in it.
“Hey guys!” Bernie said. “Ever seen wind like this?”
Someone shook his head.
“I have,” Bernie said. “Yes. Algeria, it was. Nineteen and forty-three. Me and the old man … Patton, you know … well, there we were in this tent and the sand was blowing like a million machineguns…”
And so it went for at least half of World War II and another cup of coffee. We went through his being wounded on D-Day, the wonderful women of Sicily, and finally having to whip Nazis with his fists because he ran out of ammunition.
Herb Ellis told us once that a friend of his knew Bernie during the war and that Bernie had ridden a desk all the way to Berlin, but why bring that up now?
Dud was doing a slow burn. Some of our members had seen combat, and Dud most of all. When Bernie got to the part where he single-handedly righted an overturned Jeep to save the lives of two nurses, Dud had had enough.
“That’s amazing strength,” Dud said. “I noticed you had your grandkids carrying in armloads of firewood the other day, Bernie. Seems strange that they’d do the work when you’re so strong.”
Bernie looked slightly annoyed, but just for a second.
“That’s simple,” he told us. “You see, I never was as strong as I used to be.”
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Brought to you by Sun Dog Days, a novel by Slim Randles. Check it out at http://www.unmpress.com/.
Home Country
Slim Randles
It was Doc who first noticed Dud's strange behavior.
I was too busy trying to put an elk-hair caddis fly on a size 16 just beyond that big smooth rock on Lewis Creek. I know there's a big rainbow trout in that hole there, you see, and there is nothing more important, on a May morning like this one, than enticing that big rascal into delivering himself to my waiting hands.
But Doc noticed that Dud had laid his fly rod down in the bushes and was doing strange things with his hands. Finally, Doc got my attention, pointed to Dud, and we both stopped fishing and walked over to see what our long-time pal was up to.
Dud would look around in the air, then make a one-handed grab at the air. After several grabs, he'd take two fingers of his other hand, put them in his clenched fist, and wiggle around. Then he'd smile and open his fist and look in the air again. Doc and I looked silently at each other, wondering how long it would take from our day of fishing to get Dud delivered to the nervous ward in the city.
"Dud," said Doc, "how's the fishing?"
"Huh? Oh hi. Not fishing right now, Doc. Experimenting."
"Experimenting?" I said. Of course, I said this automatically, forgetting for a moment how time consuming it could be to start Dud explaining things of a scientific nature.
"Natural selection," Dud said, proudly. "Survival of the fittest. Yes, I decided to spend my morning in Darwinian pursuits, making the world a safer place for mankind."
Doc looked at me. "He's talking like that again," he said.
"Well, Doc," said Dud, "you, of all people, should be able to appreciate what I'm doing. After all, you're a man of science and a healer. I'm going to rid the world of dangerous diseases. Observe."
Then Dud made another grab at the air, and this time we could see he was snatching a mosquito out of the air. Again he used his other hand to do something to the mosquito, and then he released it.
"I'm pulling out their drillers," Dud said. "I figgered if I pull out enough drillers, then sooner or later two drillerless mosquitoes will get married and have pups and then we'll have a family of drillerless mosquitoes here on Lewis Creek. Without drillers, they won't be able to pass along yellow fever or malaria to fishermen."
Doc looked at him in a strange way. "Dud, there's never been anyone get malaria from these Lewis Creek mosquitoes."
"See?" Dud said, brightly. "It's already working."
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Brought to you by Sun Dog Days, a novel by Slim Randles. Check it out at http://www.unmpress.com/.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Heart Opening
By
Jennifer Jenkins
These days we tend to be surrounded by a media blitz of negativity and fear. It’s as if we are immersed in a culture of fear. You turn on the television and you hear of the latest unemployment figures and the rising number of foreclosures. You may wonder if you will be the next person to lose a job, and you may even start to panic. This is a normal reaction as a result of living in a society that is virtually conditioned to live in a state of fear.
As a result of this fear-based conditioning, most people live their lives in survival mode. As you may know, everyone’s body consists of energy. We all have and give off energy, which is largely due to our body’s core energetic system, otherwise known as the chakra system. Those existing in survival mode rarely walk around with a balanced chakra system. Most people’s chakras, including the heart chakra (the chakra of love and compassion), are blocked. So, when one lives in a state of fear and anxiety you can imagine that their heart chakra is blocked. A wise spiritual teacher once taught me that you can not feel fear and love at the same time; it’s impossible. Where there is love; there is no fear.
Can you imagine if we worked on eliminating fearful thoughts from our minds and chose to open our hearts to live, instead, within a state of LOVE. Think of the positive energy that would emanate from our souls and how that positive energy would influence others, by mere ripple effect. Think of the clarity we would feel. This change would enable us to work proactively on finding viable solutions to our problems. When you’re panic stricken it’s hard to think rationally and easy to become reactive to stimuli around you. However, when you exist in a loving state you feel calm, think more clearly, and are able to problem solve. These are the people you hear about who make lemonade out of lemons.
When the heart chakra is truly opened one also feels an immense freedom to love and be who they are, to love unconditionally, as well as demonstrate compassion and forgiveness toward others. This in turn benefits others. And, people who interact with those who live their lives, open heartedly, feel comfortable being around them, as they tend to be calm, congenial, cooperative, and concerned about others.
So, as you can see, opening your heart can be beneficial and can lead to a positive shift of consciousness within your own world and the world at large. So, accentuate a loving heart and work on eliminating fear from your life today. You may be surprised how much your life changes for the better as well as the lives of those around you.
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________________________________________________________________________Patriots of Peace
By Dorothy Gonick
Wars of ages past
fought for gain of land;
for power over people,
to make their nation grand.
Colonists hoped for fairness,
voted for freedom.
Revolutionary patriots
fought hard and won.
Then came a time of shame
when pushing ever westward-
the Indians deserved respect.
Their griefs still being heard.
The Civil War which
threatened to divide,
brought freedom to the slaves,
Unity: now nationwide.
Two World Wars
clouded the skies,
yet Allied patriots
kept freedom alive.
Overseas we have gone
helping the weak
their freedom to gain,
their dignity to keep.
Today we have
new wars to fight.
The evils are many
and not pleasant sights.
There’s hunger, corruption, hate,
oppression, ignorance, fear
we’ve been sad to discover.
And prejudice, poverty, greed,
pollution, loneliness, stress
are more to uncover.
Are there many more
for us to deplore?
Let’s put down our guns,
choose a cause to defend.
Win freedom from these;
bring strife to an end.
Let’s be Patriots of Peace
and justice, release.
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NATURE AS A MIRROR
by Dorothy Gonick
GRASS ROOTS
Potatoes to plant-
Preparing garden soil-
Springtime has arrived.
Last fall large clumps of sod were tossed by a backhoe and left to rest under heavy snows ‘til spring. Spring has arrived and I’ve been loosening the fertile soil from those clumps to prepare a garden. Grasping the sod, shaking the soil loose, and holding the matted roots to reveal the tight interlocking of last years plants, impresses me with the web of life that must flourish unseen below the surface. The occasional earthworms that interlace the soil speak of their part in enriching its productivity.
The grass and weeds that have been uprooted have done an admirable job of holding soil in place and allowing storm water to glide by without washing away the precious soil. There are seeds left from last years plants that are just waiting for the warmth of spring to sprout, but I plan to thwart them. Weeds are fine in pastureland, but not welcome in the garden that I am planning.
The seed potatoes are waiting to be cut into sections; I’ll leave ‘eyes’ in each piece to sprout and absorb the moisture and nutrients from the soil. Sprouting will be followed by growth as green leaves rise above the soil. Under the surface, nodules will form on the roots and grow; each nodule to become a new potato.
How does this ‘mirror’ life? All living things have an indwelt urge to grow, including us.
Thoughtfully we let the day-by-day joys blossom and we reject the weeds of annoyance that darken our thoughts. Throughout life, there are changes and sometimes it seems that we’ve been uprooted; much as this garden plot was. Changes such as parting from family for college or marriage; welcoming the birth of a child, or adjusting to the loss of loved ones all call for new roots to form. Changes become part of us, even while we cling to the roots of the past (our grass roots). Shaking out the harmful, unneeded roots (weeds) and holding to the nourishing changes of life is a never-ending growth process.
Springtime is most welcome, so let’s anticipate the growth it holds for us.
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LOST AND FOUND-GOLF BALLS
By Francis W. Lappert
Shortly after I retired in 1978 after working 41 ½ years in a local silver factory in Meriden, my brother Ernie talked me into taking up the game of golf. We started out playing at the “Hunters Golf Course” in Meriden. We made up a foursome of my brother, Fred Crovo, Robert Westfort and I. I knew very little about the game but Ernie coached me, pointing out the mistakes I was making. I had started out with a cheap set of clubs I bought on sale at Caldor’s. I didn’t want to invest too much until I knew how much I like to play golf. I liked the challenge so the following year I bought a much better set.
We were then playing five mornings a week and I was making good scores for a beginner but I managed to slice the ball several times into the woods bordering the fairway. As I searched for my ball I found several others. I got the notion that I would go to the course early in the morning to search different fairways that were fairly narrow with thick woods and bushes along the sides. This was the start of a new hobby hawking golf balls.
On Sunday mornings I began golfing on several different courses not too far from Meriden. Among a few were Timberland in Kensington, Farmingbury in Wolcott, and Indian Springs in Middlefield. Every time I played these courses I paid attention to where most balls were hit out of bounds. I found Indian Springs was the most productive for finding lost balls as I would beat the bushes with a long thin sapling about six feet long also to chase any snakes lurking in the tall grass. One morning while searching along the eighth fairway which had a small pond just in front of the tee I saw a good number of balls in the pond. I saw I would need boots and my ball retriever with the telescope handle to reach some of them. The following week I arrived early before any golfers were out and began to hunt. I started out on the small pond and gathered twenty four from there. That was my best gathering as I would come up with eighty two balls that morning. I would put the balls in my set tub in the cellar with hot water and wash detergent and let them soak for about an hour. I would then take each one out and scrub with a wire brush until they were very clean. I would separate them by mark of the ball such as Top Flite, Titlelist, Wilson, Max-Fli, Pinnacle, and many other brands. At that time I had about fifty dozen in egg boxes set aside, all in number one condition. I sold many of them to my friends at a reasonable price.
I had a good many I couldn’t sell to any golfer as they had small cuts on them or were off color or scraped, I had a large carton full. One day I was playing with my friends at Pine Valley course in Southington and when on the way home I stopped at the driving range on West Street and asked the owner if he could use these marked balls. He asked how many I had and I said several hundred. He told me to bring them over. I counted five hundred out in a large box and took them. He gave me ten cents for each of them and gave me a check for fifty dollars. Now my hobby was on the road to success. I had one bad experience at Indian Springs one visit when I disturbed a yellow jacket bee nest in the ground and wound up with stings on my right hand and arm. I went to the small pond nearby and plastered mud on them.
When I got home I bathed my hand and arm with a solution that was good for bee stings. By noon time my hand and arm were very swollen. I became very alarmed and went to the emergency room at the hospital. I asked the doctor if I was allergic to bee stings and was told if I was and didn’t get help immediately I would not be alive. From that day on I was very alert for bee or wasp nests. I encountered many snakes while searching the brush but I always beat the grass or brush with my long stick.
Several years ago I stopped the search for lost balls but as I look back it was one of my most enjoyable hobbies I had. I still enjoy a round of golf when I can find a partner to play with.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
FLOWERS I HAVE KNOWN
It was the time of year that wasn’t winter, it wasn’t spring and you weren’t quite sure spring would ever come. My six-year-old son and I had moved into a nice apartment on Route 80 in North Branford. My father had moved on with his life and that was the way things were going to be from now on. Our apartment building was brand new and we were the first tenants. On one side of the property was a small clump of trees with a lovely, old colonial home on the other side of the trees. This home was white with black shutters and a national historic homes register plaque on the corner stating that it had been built in circa 17 something. Mr. & Mrs. Arnold lived there and they must have been well over 80 years old at that time.
My son came bouncing into the kitchen one morning with a look of satisfaction on his face. When you are six years old, many daily events prompt that look.
“Here Mom, I picked these JUST FOR YOU”. In his fist was what used to be a lovely bunch of tulips. With their mashed stems they looked like casualties of a beating, but they were beautiful to me. Mothers are like that.
“Thank you honey, they’re wonderful. Where did you get them?” The question was asked partly to show interest in his activities and partly because I hadn’t seen any flowers around the apartment building.
“Well Mom, you know those woods over there?” The broad sweep of his arm indicated the few trees separating our yard from the Arnold homestead. I nodded my head in agreement that I did indeed know where he meant.
“I went through the woods and on the other side was this lawn”. I nodded again, mentally following the path he had taken. “And in the middle of the lawn was this circle of brick”. By now I was too horrified to move, as I began to realize where he had been.
“And RIGHT in the Middle of that circle of brick were these flowers and I picked them ALL!” Thrusting out his little hand, I took the bouquet.
Oh, Lord, give me strength. Mrs. Arnold’s prize tulips. Probably planted by the same nurserymen who took such loving care of the rest of the yard. I contemplated apologizing to Mrs. Arnold. Perhaps I could tape the flowers on back on the stems but what good would it do? Moving seemed a bit drastic, so I thanked him and told him not to take any more of Mrs. Arnold’s flowers. She might want to pick them herself, I added. I must say they were the second most beautiful flowers my son ever gave me.
Mark was 26 years old when I received the very most precious flowers of all. Most of those years between the ages of 6 and 26 had been spent raising him without the benefit of a father. It was early in June when he presented me with a lovely potted chrysanthemum.
“Sorry I missed Mother’s Day”. I turned to put the plant on the table when he continued, “I bought you one more gift.”
There in his hand was a second plant. His comment summed up all the years of being both mother and father to him. He had noticed after all.
“Happy Father’s Day, Mom”.
Submitted by:
Veronica Hamel Kivela
My Mother's Voice and The Piano - A Mother's Day Story
My mother had an average singing voice and was quite good at playing the piano. About five years after she was married, which was in 1945, my parents, Philip and Bernice, purchased a Steinway & Sons console piano, which was made in New York City in 1950. From the time Nancy and I could sit on either side of our mom on the piano bench, we would listen to her sing children's songs to us in her soft and soothing voice.
Our favorite collection of songs was a book called Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne and H. Fraser-Simson. I loved all of the songs, but I had my favorites, such as "Halfway Down" and "Vespers." All of the pieces had marvelous lyrics, and we soon learned to sing all of them with our mom. The book had been inscribed by my aunt on behalf of her two children at that time: "To Aunt Bernice on her birthday - with the hope that Barbara and Nancy will enjoy these songs as much as we do! With love from Kirk and Kathy. September 16, 1951."
I started taking piano lessons when I was in the third grade at age eight, and so did Nancy, but I stuck with the lessons for years to come, unlike Nancy, and became a pretty good pianist. I don't know exactly how old I was when I was able to sit down and play through every piece in that favorite children's music book of ours. Over the years I have recorded some of them for children of relatives and friends or for others who have requested that I do so, but I have not touched that book in many, many years.
I still have the Steinway piano, but I have not been able to use it as it is housed in my landlady's part of a 100-year-old-plus house. (I would not risk injury to the movers or to the piano when they attempted to carry it up a very narrow and winding staircase 13 years ago.)
I recently was told of a Catholic church in Wallingford in need of a piano (and my mother was Catholic). I contacted the priest, and he will soon be coming to see the piano and hear the accompanist for the choir play it.
I decided to sit down a few days ago to find out how the old piano sounded. It took me a few minutes to get my eyes focused on the music and get my fingers to cooperate, but I was able to play through some simple pieces, such as John Denver's "Annie's Song," and my, oh, my, what a beautiful tone that piano has.
I opened the piano bench to get some more music out to play, and I noticed the book Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young in the stack of music. I started with "Halfway Down," which has delightful lyrics, and it begins with, "Halfway down the stairs is a stair where I sit: There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top: So this is the stair where I always stop." I did not sing; I only played the piano. I went through almost all of the songs, including "Happiness," "Buckingham Palace," "Politeness," "Market Square," and my favorite, "Vespers," the last song in the book.
This may not sound plausible to you, but what was extremely special about the time I spent going through those songs was every now and then I could actually hear my mother's voice singing the words. She was in the room with me. Did she realize I had not played the piano in years? Did she know I was about to make a difficult decision about the future home of her piano? I do not know. But it is comforting to know that, although my mom has been gone from this earth for 25 years, she is still watching over me and that I can still hear my mother's voice!
I wish everyone's mom a very happy Mother's Day!
(I wrote this story in 2003. The priest and the accompanist did come to the house, and when she sat down to play, tones rang out from that old Steinway piano I had never heard before. It was glorious! She played a number of pieces by heart, but when she began to play Mendelssohn's "He Watching Over Israel," I broke down in tears. I was unable to make the sacrifice and did not give the piano to the church. When I moved to South Whittlesey Avenue on November 28, 2004, a date I shall never forget, the piano came with me, and that's another story for another day.)
By Barbara Sherburne
barndt49@yahoo.com
To travel with the unawakened makes the journey long and hard and is as painful as traveling with an enemy. But the company of the wise is as pleasant as meeting with friends.
Follow the wise, the intelligent, and the awakened. Follow them as the moon follows the path of the stars.
-Dhammapada
We’re Getting Older…
Is Our Country Ready For It ???
Submitted by Carol Carbutti, Owner of Comfort Keepers of Wallingford
Today in the US, 6,000 people turn 65 everyday! In 10 years, the number will rise to 10,000 people per day! By year 2030 older Americans will double in number from 35 million to 70 million. The Alliance for Aging Research has written a report entitled, “Ten Reasons Why America is Not Ready for the Coming Age Boom”, in which they call out 10 fundamental cultural challenges and deficiencies in our health care and educational system:
Age Denial – The US is a youth oriented culture; and Baby Boomers continue to fight aging !! We need to adapt cultural age perceptions and care options.
Prevention Disparities – Prevention programs tend to be youth oriented and offer few preventative treatments for older patients.
Geriatric Gap – Health care providers are not well-trained but developing in the care of the elderly.
Few Academic Leaders – Academia has been slow to take a leadership role in training students in the care of the aged, nor have they proactively promoted the need for training.
Lack of Geriatric Curriculum – Over half of all medical schools are not teaching geriatric medicine
Lack of Geriatricians – There is a distinct lack of investment in geriatrics education. Less than one half of 1% of Medicare education funds are aimed at treating older Americans.
Inadequate Reimbursement – Medicare and other health care insurers provide higher reimbursement for care that is NOT core to geriatric care.
Lack of Coordination within Medicine – Older patients often have multiple chronic conditions requiring more than one doctor. Coordinating the information flow between health care providers is under-managed.
Clinical Trials Often Do Not Include the Aged – The lack of inclusion in research complicates the creation of safe standards for the aged.
Lack of Research on Aging – Less than 1% of the budget at the National Institutes for Aging is dedicated to studying aging.
The perceptions around aging and the resources dedicated to understanding aging MUST change…. because we are all getting older . See the Alliance for Aging Research website www.allianceforaging.org/ for more information about aging and the cultural, political and financial effects it will have.
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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 advice 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 are all enjoying this spring.-June and Flora
Dear Housewives, I have so many papers from each of my two kids classes. I don't know what to keep and what to throw out, they are all over the place. Help. No more papers in Meriden
JUNE: Dear paper, our kids bring home an amazing amount of notices, work, projects and tests. The best thing to do is to keep all graded work until the term ends in case you have any issue with the grade; teachers do make mistakes. I would buy a binder or file box to keep them organized in. After report cards come you can toss whatever you don't want to keep. I like to keep some things to look at in the future. It will be fun for the kids to see their old work.
FLORA: Open and read all back pack notices the day they arrive. If there is an event you need to attend, put it on your calender right then and there. Write down the event, time and place. Cross out the flyer and use the clean side for scrap paper at home.We too have a box for each child that we fill with school work. I collect the 'keepers' (cute things they write or draw or graded papers for memories) and at the end of the school year, I go through the 'keepers', filter out any and fill the box. This way at the end of college, they can go through their school memory box to see their work from years past.
Dear Housewives,How do I handle people who have all the answers on children and they do not have any children? I work with two people who have all the answers but no experience. Remember, I work with them so I want to handle this well and nicely.Walking a Fine Line in Wallingford
FLORA: I have encountered that a few times and have handled it by saying for my children or the children I encounter daily, I see this... or that.... and give concrete examples. I have never reminded them that they may not know because they are not parents; doing that is too confrontational. June?
JUNE: You are probably better off just ignoring them. I have an Aunt who does the same thing and she always starts by saying, "Kids tend to be...". I always want to as he how she knows. It isn't worth it if you have to see the people all the time. Maybe you can just tell them things about your kids and let it go. You could ask them when they are going to have some of their own but do it nicely.
Dear Housewives,What do you ladies think about Facebook? More and more of my adult friends are doing this.Faceless in Meriden
JUNE: I don't really get it. People have tons of friends but they aren't really friends, it is like a collection of people you know. And even if you don't hang out with them you can see all their information and pictures. I think people should stick to emailing. It is a good tool to find people you lost touch with but they have to have an account or it is useless for that too. I am a fan of good old fashioned calling people and even emailing. I am not impressed with the computer age.
FLORA: I think we need to pick up the phone and meet our friends face to face. If they live far away, there is the telephone and email. I thought it was more a college age trend but I too have been invited to be a friend on Facebook. Way too much time is spent on Facebook and the internet. And not for nothing, many of these adults on Facebook are doing it on company time and I personally think that is stealing. This is partly why our economy is in shambles. People, if you are getting paid to work, work. Get off the Facebook and surfing the internet and be productive.Nothing replaces truly getting to know and be known by people. Too many of us are loosing the art of friendship. Go for a walk, go our for coffee or tea, go over and play cards or just talk. Let's get back to face to face friendships.
JUNE: I couldn't agree with you more Flora, but I can't make the stretch to say that the economy tanked because of Facebook. C'mon, think about that./
JUNE: Flora, I hope you are enjoying your spring. I took my middle "little june" to see the "Thomas and Friends" show at the XL center in Hartford. It was a great show and we had a great time. I hope more people take advantage of the events that come to Hartford's XL center. I got in and out easily and the show itself was top notch. The movie "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler is now on DVD. This may be a little early for Flora to get it but the rest of you should rent it. It was a very cute movie for the family. Look into it.
FLORA: I read a short novel by Wm. Paul Young titled "The Shack" and found it captivating. Without giving away any more than the back of the book would, it is a story of a man whose young daughter was abducted while on a family vacation. The father receives a note from God and is asked to meet him at a shack where evidence of his daughter is. This is brilliantly woven story of God's love and redemption and a loving but peculiar description of God, His Son and the Holy Spirit. You can read this quickly. I know many who have read it in a day. I plan on reading it again. 4 Pineapples.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to http://www.peoplespressnews.com/
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Bobbie’s Bevy of Beauties
Congratulations to Geno and the UConn Lady Huskies for winning a 6th collegiate national woman’s basketball championship. Besides becoming “The Top Dog” they collected many other awards either as a team or individually. I think some of the records they established may not be broken but if they are it won’t be for quite awhile. Wish them much success when November comes around again.
Definitely spring is here. Pam along with her very helpful husband Ed, and he has become quite a gardener, but I don’t know if he will agree with me, planted her beautiful bed of pansies a few days before the heat wave. They are in her front lawn planted in a circle with a huge pot of them in the middle. I admire them every time I walk by there house alone or with LitlBit. And if I’m not outside I have a great view of them from the upstairs bedroom window. In July when they are on their way out the garden is planted with mini begonias. As I have mentioned before they are another one of my favorite annuals – white, pink, red with green or brown leaves. I prefer the brown. Once the plant produces a bloom it continues to flower until the cold weather.
There is one other sign of spring. We have a great mailman. His name is Bob. Anyone who is on his route is very fortunate. When the temp reaches a certain degree off comes his postal trousers in exchange for his postal Bermudas. Once I see his legs are covered up again I know we’re headed for the cooler weather. What an ugly thought.
Still haven’t made that first trip to the nursery. And I know it will be more than one. Probably within a week or so. Don’t want to take the chance of planting my selection of annuals then have a few cool nights do their damage.
Most of the trees and shrubs are in full bloom. Any pruning to be done wait until they have finished their flowering. Then cut back but no more than twenty five percent.
That’s about it for this issue. If the weather is agreeable will try to finish getting my perennials squared away this weekend. It’s also time to bring my calla lilies and dahlia’s up from the cellar. Hope I have time to grab a bite. Oh, how I wish it could be a tomato sandwich.
Flowercerly Yours,
Bobbie G. Vosgien
My P.S. List
May 5 – Happy 53rd Anniversary Jimmy – Love, Bob
May 8 – Happy Birthday Jodie – Love Mom “Greta” and Dad
May 10 – Happy Mother’s Day Jaime and Jodie – Love, Mom and Dad
Mother's Day Origins
Mothers are the unsung heroes of the world. Every day they sacrifice their time and devote their love to the children they brought into the world.
What mother doesn't hope to be celebrated and pampered, if just for a bit, by her children in recognition for all that she had done for them? That is why every year on the second Sunday of May children pay hommage to their moms on Mother's Day.
Mother's Day hasn't always been a standard spring holiday. In fact, mothers went officially uncelebrated for years and years. It wasn't until the 20th century that an official holiday was established to honor mothers, grandmothers and the other special women in people's lives.
Anna Jarvis was a woman who made great strides toward establishing a national holiday for mothers. Jarvis held annual gatherings called "Mother's Friendship Day" with an objective to heal the pain of the victims and those affected by the Civil War. After her own mother died in 1905, Jarvis decided a national celebration of mothers was in order, and began to campaign for such a holiday.
Jarvis began by soliciting the pastor at the church where her mother had taught Sunday School classes for a special commemorative mass. The church obliged, and the first Mother's Day celebration took place on May 10, 1908 at Andrew's Methodist Church. Later that day, Jarvis celebrated Mother's Day again with her brother at her home in Philadelphia.
The Mother's Day idea eventually caught on, and President Woodrow Wilson made it official in 1914 that the second Sunday in May would be celebrated as Mother's Day annually.
Since then families have gathered annually together to give thanks to the special women who have helped shape their lives.
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Exercise Tips for Seniors Starting Anew
Babies today have it better than those that came before them. That's because, according to a 2007 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, a baby born today has a lot more life to look forward to than one born 50 years ago. A child born today can expect to be around for the next 78 years, whereas one born half a century ago had a projected life span of nine fewer years.
While some might suggest this longer life expectancy is a product of people taking better care of themselves, others might say it's due in large part to advances in medicine.
Whatever the reason, it's obvious more and more seniors are living longer lives, and many are hoping to add even more miles to their odometers. One way to do just that is through exercise. But for seniors who haven't hit the gym in a while, starting an exercise regimen can be an intimidating, if not confusing, experience. Seniors looking to make exercise a regular part of their lives should consider the following tips along the way.
* Seek medical advice: The first thing you should do, even before lacing up your first sneaker, is visit a doctor. Each individual is different, and a doctor will let you know what you, personally, should and should not be doing as you begin a new exercise regimen. In addition, a checkup could reveal problems you might not be aware of.
* Recognize limitations: If you have not lifted a weight or run a step in 20 years, you're not going to be able to simply pick up where you left off. Recognizing your physical limitations is paramount to the success of your new program. For seniors, the point of exercise is not to become a pinup guy or girl, but to get healthy or maintain existing health. Set realistic goals and acknowledge what you can and cannot do.
* Choose an enjoyable program: Choose an exercise program you know you will enjoy. An enjoyable program will encourage participation and increase the likelihood that you'll stick with it. Whether it's a daily walk with friends or a structured workout at the local gym with a trainer, the program you choose should be one you look forward to, and not one you see as a necessary evil.
* Take it easy: Whenever a new program is started, be it by a teenager, professional athlete or senior citizen, the temptation to overdo it is omnipresent. However, flying out of the gates is a great way to get hurt, particularly if you do not yet know your physical limitations. Take it slow as you begin a workout, and make a daily journal of what you do at the beginning. That way, should you encounter any aches or pains, you can always look at the journal or share it with your physician or trainer to determine what might be the root of the problem. As you grow accustomed to physical activity, you can then make adjustments to your routine accordingly.
* Do your homework on facilities: You may, especially if you are retired, prefer to workout during the mid-morning hours when kids are in school and working professionals are at the office. That can make choosing a gym easier for you than it is for students or professionals.
However, when looking for the right facility, do your homework and find a gym that has all that you want. Some gyms, for example, heavily emphasize weight training, and don't offer other amenities such as racquetball courts or a swimming pool. Find a gym that best fits your needs. Many gyms offer free passes for up to a week so prospective customers can get a better grasp of what the gym has to offer. Take advantage of this common practice when choosing a facility.
* Make stretching a regular part of your regimen: Young or old, stretching is an integral part of any successful workout routine. For seniors, however, stretching becomes especially important, as you are more susceptible to injury than you were in your more youthful days. Stretching helps prevent muscle pulls and other injuries, and should be done both before and after a workout.
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Home Country
Slim Randles
It’s Tuesday afternoon at two, which means Clarice Devon is on her way to the Curl Up ‘N Dye beauty salon. It’s like the sun coming up or the price of bread increasing. Tuesday. Two. Clarice.
“Clarice!” yells Fran. “Ready to be beautiful?”
“Sure,” she said. “I like attempting the impossible.”
Clarice Devon is one of our angels. She’s one of the few people in town who will tolerate old people and shut ins, and she not only takes care of them, but seems to relish it as well.
During the rinse, Fran asks her if she’s the one taking care of Mr. Gavin since his stroke. Clarice nods.
“So what’s he like to work with these days?”
“It’s a now-and-then situation,” Clarice says. “You know … now and then?”
“I don’t understand. You mean it’s part time?”
“Nope. Full time. But it’s now and then.”
Fran looked puzzled.
Clarice laughed. “It’s like this,” she said, imitating old Mr. Gavin’s voice. “Now, when you finish getting me my tea, I’d like a custard, but I’d like it in a glass bowl. A small glass bowl. Then I want you to call and see if my pills are ready. Now if they are, could you pick them up? Then, while you’re there, I want to try that toothpaste they talk about on television.”
Fran laughed. “Now and then, huh?”
“Now and then,” Clarice said, smiling as she was attacked by curlers.
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Home Country
Slim Randles
The garden catalogs start coming when the snow is too deep to even find dirt. But we don’t care.
This is a catalog time of year, a time for making plans and figuring out how to do something even better than we did last year.
There in the fishing catalog is that new fly-tying vise. I know I’ll be able to tie flies faster and better with that, which will give me more time to cruise up and down Lewis Creek with the fly rod. Well … at least that’s the plan.
And the housewares catalog has all kinds of things in it to help us peel potatoes, boil things, slice things, and clean things. A few well-spent dollars on their 800 phone line and before you know it, our lives will be easier and our food tastier.
With the truck catalogs, we can get a little coffee maker that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter. Or we can get a little oven that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter, or a fan that plugs right in to the cigarette lighter. Let’s hope the car makers continue to make cigarette lighters even after cigarettes themselves disappear. We’d miss out on a lot of fun without that plug-in.
The mule needs his catalog, too. I’ll do the reading for him, and the ordering. But I think he’d appreciate one of those nice white fleece cinches. They seem so soft on an old mule’s belly. And a matching saddle pad would be good, too. He’s too old to rope on any more, but a guy can still appreciate comfort in semi-retirement.
The land catalogs are the most fun. In these, there are always lakes with wooded margins, begging for a little cabin. A small place where a guy can hole up and think literary thoughts and type quietly. Well, it’s a thought, anyway. And that’s what catalogs do, stimulate our thinking.
Spring catalogs are the novels of optimistic lives.
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
Live Like You Were Dying
by Barbara Sherburne and Jeff Johnson
I had the good fortune in November of 2008 to become acquainted with a new cashier at Krauszer's named Kara Johnson. I think almost the minute we met she told me about her brother Jeff who has ALS. I had no idea what ALS was. I was about to learn. Jeff is 43 years old, and before I get to his story, I just want to explain briefly, for those who do not know about this disease, what ALS is.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: It is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a motor neuron disease that was first described in 1869 by the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, and it was called Charcot Disease at that time. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. Lou Gehrig brought attention to this disease when he retired from the New York Yankees back on July 4, 1939. He was diagnosed with ALS on his 36th birthday on June 19, 1939. There are approximately 5,600 people diagnosed every year. 60% are men, and 93% are Caucasian, generally between the ages of 40 and 70.
Jeff's motto is: "I won't let a little thing like ALS stop me from enjoying life." And from everything I am hearing, he is living life to the fullest.
I met with Jeff Johnson on April 25th in his Wallingford apartment to interview him. I had a bunch of questions prepared, but actually the interview took off on its own path, which didn't surprise me. He handed me a couple of pieces of paper he and his mother, Pat, had typed up, and I am going to use that in his own words, and then I will add some other comments at the end.
This is Jeff's story. My family and friends play an important role in my fight with ALS. My symptoms began in July of 2004. For the first two years it affected only my left shoulder, arm, and hand. I went through months of testing and was told in 2006 that I might have ALS. I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in March of 2007. I continued to work and make deliveries for Brescome/Barton until it became too difficult to lift cases, and I retired on a disability on July 1, 2007. After 22 years with Teamsters Local 443, I was able to draw an early pension.
As the disease spread to my right arm and legs, I had to give up all the activities I have always enjoyed, like running, canoe racing, softball, and bowling. At this point, I have a lot of time on my hands trying to adjust and finding things to do. I found it difficult to talk to anyone about the disease. By the summer of 2008, ALS was really putting a strain on my marriage. I have three daughters, Kelli, who is 16, Colleen, who is 14, and Cassidy, who is 8 years old. [In my interview with Jeff, I asked him what his greatest achievement had been in his life, and he pointed to a photo on the wall of his three daughters.]
By now my speech was starting to be affected, and I needed more help with eating and other daily tasks. Due to stress and various factors, I needed to find another place to live. My sister, Kara, was kind enough to break her lease where she was living, and we found a three-bedroom apartment. I moved in on November 22, 2008, and Kara came to live with me shortly after that. She does all the chores and shopping.
ALS patients cannot live alone. The Connecticut VNA comes for an hour and a half in the morning and at night. I don't know what I would do without them. During the day, my mom is here to assist with bill paying, phone calls, sending emails, and running errands, et cetera. At night, either Kara is here or my friends Tony Leonardi or Mike Becker stop by to help. I have a Lifeline in the event I am alone and should fall or need assistance.
My brother, Mike Mezerewski, keeps me busy by taking me to various sporting events. He also monitors my weight and muscle loss, which was 35 pounds in a year. He was also helping me work out in the gym to strengthen my legs, but I have recently stopped the work at the gym.
My father, Pete, who lives in Florida, will fly up for holidays, doctors' appointments, and events such as a recent walk-a-thon in Fairfield. [Jeff completed the one-mile walk with his family members rooting him on, and it was every bit as difficult as the 26-mile marathons he ran so many times, takes the same mind-set, and the last marathon he ran was in April 2006, the Boston Marathon, and he already had ALS.] My father also flew my friend Tony and me to Florida for the Daytona 500 back in February. We went to an ALS demonstration in Washington, D.C., and he flew me to California to consult with a specific doctor.
Recently there have been a lot of wonderful experiences. My good friend Tony Leonardi surprised me with Opening Day Yankee tickets nine rows behind the dugout! Another friend, Mike Becker, set up a luncheon for me and the granddaughter of Babe Ruth, and she gave us Babe memorabilia. On the weekends I am constantly being visited by old friends and former coworkers. I joined Facebook, and reconnected with many people.
ALS is a very difficult and depressing disease, but I find that I don't get depressed as long as I have wonderful people around me. Setting goals and having things to look forward to keeps me going.
On May 2nd I will have gone to a Yankees game in New York, which my dad flew in from Florida to attend, and the tickets were given to me by my high school friend, Michele Candelora Pollack. Thanks, Michele.
In June I will be going to a Yankees game, which is due to the generous donation of four tickets by Kara's boss, Bill Meany, VP Metro of the Lindenmeyr Munroe Paper Company.
On June 27th, I will be walking in a walk-a-thon at the Connecticut Irish Festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds. We are still looking at prices for shirts we need for over 100 people. It will say "JJ's Pit Crew" on the shirts. People from the ALS Foundation will be there.
On August 16th we are having a fund-raiser, which Kara and my sister-in-law Kathy Mezerewski are organizing. It will take place at Amato's in Northford. There will be lots of food, maybe a comedian, raffles, horseshoes, volleyball, and a guaranteed good time for all.
I am currently awaiting a drug called IPLEX, which was distributed in the USA previously and was pulled by the FDA in 2007. Since that time, it was only available in Italy. In October of 2008, the FDA announced they were going to release IPLEX again in the USA, and I was looking forward to starting it in December. Then many roadblocks occurred. A small group of people (18-20) are now using IPLEX and are being closely tracked. I am hoping that their success will open up the door to all ALS patients. In the meantime, I am taking injections of Increlex twice a day. It is a growth hormone.
That is where Jeff's notes stopped. Jeff made it clear to me that he wants his story to be inspirational and not negative. He basically refuses to think about the inevitable, and says he is
"Too busy doing making the most of each day now." He mentioned "Live Like You Were Dying," a country song, and did I know it. I had to admit, I did not. So he clicked a few things on his computer and printed out the lyrics. I don't think Tim McGraw would mind that I borrowed his title for this story. I thought it really captured the feeling Jeff has about life right now. You might want to look up the lyrics if you are not familiar with them, but some of the words go like this:
"'And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.' And he said, 'Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying... And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I watched an eagle as it was flying.' And he said, 'Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.'"
Thanks, Jeff. You are an inspiration not only to other people with ALS, but to me and to all of your family and to all of your friends who have stayed by your side and love you for everything you are and for everything you dream and hope to yet accomplish. And accomplish those dreams and hopes, you will.
Note: For information on ALS, visit the Connecticut site at http://webct.alsa.org and the worldwide site at www.alsworldwide.com. To read about Ben Byer, a young filmmaker, who documented his journey with ALS on camera spanning three years in a movie called Indestructible or to order his amazing film on DVD, visit www.indestructiblefilm.com. I ordered the DVD and watched it, and it is very informative and inspirational. Barb
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Hunting for the Perfect Fit
By Katrina S. AxelrodPresident, Meriden ArtsTrust, Inc.
I have been hunting for funders for the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra and it has taken me on some wild and wonderful side trips. There have been several dead ends, too. I thought maybe I could assist other people in the same search, so I share it here. Some people go to the Internet first. When you go to the Internet, you find all manner of people ready to sell you things. There are Professional Fund Raising Companies. Some are helpful, some aren’t. Everybody wants to make a buck. Be careful.Then there are the Foundations. Allow me to save you some time about foundation searches. Each foundation has funding priorities. Each foundation will fund some things and not others. I look for Music, Arts, Young People, Children, After School programs and Instruments. For the most part, to look elsewhere is a waste of time. There are always exceptions, but just be disciplined.Obtain your Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 501-c-3 or equivalent documentation before going to any foundation. This document, with its rather lengthy application document, may take you some time to complete and it will take some doing on your part to put together a good team (Board of Directors, etc.). The effort is worth it. You get to know your program better, you find more like-minded people in the process and it proves that you can do some simple bookkeeping to keep donations straight; all good things. Now, it takes about seven or so months to be processed in most cases, so start with a positive attitude and see it through. It is worth all of the time and effort (and occasional sweat) you put into it and when the thing comes in the mailbox you will feel accomplished! Have a party! You HAVE accomplished!The government requires a DUNS number in order to fund a program. I have yet to do this for the Meriden ArtsTrust, Inc., but I’m going to do it in the future. Who knows? It may come in handy and it won’t cost anything to do. Look it up on the Internet if you are interested in obtaining government funds. Do your homework. There are books in the library, ask the nice Reference Librarian for assistance. Bring a big pad of paper and a few pencils; you can’t check out a reference book. Look for words that are familiar to your work. Write everything that is related down- everything. Make a copy if the entrance is a big one. When asking a foundation for a grant, you are asking the foundation to believe in you and your program as much as you do. You need to make a strong case why your group is more worthy than others, the foundation has limits on its money. Read the guidelines very carefully. If it says telephone, then telephone for the first contact. If it says letter, get your stamps ready. If you can do it with an e-mail, then e-mail a nice, informative letter that shows your program in a good light. Go with what the foundation asks. Be memorable, but don’t get cutesy. This is a business and is run as a business. Facts, facts, facts. Show them why you put all of your love and work into your very worthy project.Letters of Inquiry (LOI): some foundations want to get to know you by having you send in a LOI before you send in a full proposal. You write down what the foundation asks of you, and you send it off with a little pat on the po-po. If it is within the foundation’s priorities, they will contact you. Or, you may never hear from them again. Use your best manners, too. You may follow up, but don’t be surprised if they already said somewhere back in that library reference book that they don’t accept unsolicited letters of inquiry. Watch out for that. Just let it go, your mistake! You’ll only do it once to learn not to do it again! That was a lot of work for nothing.Make a new proposal for each foundation, tailor it to what they want, how they present themselves and how you present yourself. Do not copy a proposal and just fill in the name. It is tacky, and it won’t get funded. You must do your homework. Remember, you want to be working with these people during the grant time and after, be cordial informative and patient. Really patient. There are family foundations that meet once a year, there are big foundations whose Distributions Board meets quarterly, with very complicated and fancy rules for how you go about determining how well your program succeeded-called the evaluation. Read up on the different kinds.There are corporate foundations that serve the cities in which their companies have a footprint; an office or a manufacturing plant or historical roots. They have rules and regulations that need to be considered, too. Everybody has very specific rules, so that they don’t get swamped with requests for everything.Finding the perfect fit may be finding the good fit. If you think that the foundation has the priorities of your program, then ask. Don’t waste people’s time. Be businesslike and state your case. They will tell you if they wish to learn more about your cause. When they tell you they can’t help you, BE POLITE. Number one, it is the thing to do, and, number 2, you may see these people again and they may remember you for the gracious way you understood their limitations when it came to your program. Think of it as ‘brownie points” towards professionalism.So, for people who think that “Foundations” are the end-all and be-all of fund raising, nuh-uh. You must put in many hours of fund raising without foundations help, in order to prove that you are worthy and will be around. Fund raising is only partly foundation-centered. Fundraisers, raffles, car washes, walks, whatever it takes, that is what it takes. Then approach foundations, with a proven track record of success. Speaking of fundraising- the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra is having two benefit concerts in June, June 7th at the Lincoln Middle School Auditorium at 3:00, when the CCCYO themselves will play and then a different benefit on Saturday, June 13th from 6-9, when professional musicians will perform many kinds of music including Jazz, Broadway and Classical for the scholarship programs of the CCCYO and the Q. Walter Peabody Foundation. This one will be at the Immanuel Lutheran Church on Hanover Street, at the corner of Cooke in Meriden. Please come to one or both, these are wonderful programs of music for young people.I’ve barely scratched the surface of fundraising, but this will get you started. Do your library work. There is nothing magic about foundation fundraising, on the contrary, it can be some pretty hard work, but you know that it is worth it. I’ll write again about other ways to help your group. I hope this helps and that you are successful in your fundraising. For more information, feel free to contact me at meridenartstrust@yahoo.com. I’ll do what I can to help. KSA
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Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup
Wallingford’s Congregation Beth Israel will be hosting The Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup Golf Outing on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at The Tradition at Wallingford.
Celebrating its 10th year, the Kiddush Cup was renamed 4 years ago after 19 year old Ryan Gordon, a young congregant who passed away after a 3 month, courageous battle with cancer. A week before he died, Ryan requested that his unused college funds be donated to charities that he felt had benefited him throughout his lifetime. His explicit hope was that his gifts would inspire others to give.
Beth Israel, in honoring Ryan’s legacy, will be donating one half of all Kiddush Cup proceeds to Ryan’s Circle of Giving (RCG), a 501(c)(3) charitable fund that will annually donate 100% of all contributions to those charities that Ryan championed. Last year, Beth Israel’s Kiddush Cup contribution to RCG enabled this fund to donate over $19,000 to:
-The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -The Ryan Gordon Endowment Fund at the Kingswood-Oxford School, a financially-driven scholarship that enables deserving students to attend the school’s Team-Tobati yearly trip to Paraguay. Team Tobati is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to working with and assisting the poor of Tobati, Paraguay-The Yale Cancer Center’s Thoracic Oncology Program. Donations godirectly towards thoracic oncology research.
-The Ryan Gordon/Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation Scholars Fund at Trinity College. This Fund was established to provide deserving Hartford youths with the opportunity to learn to play the game of hockey.
The Shotgun/Scramble format will begin with a 7:45 – 8:45 a.m. registration and continental breakfast, an 8:00 putting contest and a 9:00 tee-off. A kosher meal, award ceremony and silent and live auction, MC’d by Fox61 Sports Broadcaster Rich Coppola will follow.
The tournament will offer men and mixed team prizes, raffles, a 50/50 pot, 2 Hole-in-One opportunities and much more! Registration Fee is $155. Dinner only is $45 and will begin between 2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
To learn more about the tournament and sponsorship opportunities or to download a brochure, go to http://www.bethisraelwallingford.org/ and follow Kiddush Cup link. You can also call Phyllis Gordon at 203-269-5094 or Todd Schwartz at 203-235-4314 or email pgordon@snet.net. To learn more about RCG, go to http://www.ryanscircleofgiving.com/.
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Your Future is Now©
I hear people saying it’s a very bad time
And some complain that they don’t have a dime
But in reality this is a period of gold
A time to be active, a time to be bold
It’s a time to work hard some don’t know what that means
It’s now peanut butter, hotdogs and beans
It’s a time of transition, a time to invent
A time for connecting to the glories God sent
There are three things we all have that are the same
It’s time, money and creativity - so let’s start the game
If you have time, use it wisely each and every day
Help someone else in a spiritual way
Give of your money to those whose fortune is less
But still pay some bills and clean up your mess
It costs nothing to walk and enjoy the outdoors
Or use a row boat… with those great big oars
Remember without valleys, there are no mountains to climb
So enjoy the river, the scenery and every church chime
Know that in history this has happened before
In every town and city and in every war
Watch what comes out of your mouth - keep it positive talk
Spend time watching others, watch them like a hawk
For negatives will not help you but hustling will
And soon things will change and you’ll pay every bill
So pull the plug on the computer the TV and all
And spend time with your children, breathe fresh air and play ball
Many jobs that will be available in fifteen years
Have not yet been created, so wipe away your tears
We have all been a part of the change we now see
Forget about saying “oh goodness, poor me”
Get going right now, and do your part
Do what you know is your passion, it’s straight from your heart
Have we been mindless and is “worry” your theme?
Forget it for now for it’s time to daydream
We must clean up the environment and regain our health
Think of each other and not just our wealth
It’s time to sparkle and laugh every day
And enjoy one another and what loved ones say
So walk in the rain and enjoy the sunshine too
Love and have faith in all that you do
You’re starting to climb, this you believe and know
For your future is now - you are starting to grow
Carolyn Finch
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To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
ORPHAN LANDS
Prescription drug remedies without a substantial market are often ignored by major drug companies leaving a gap of neglect for those with rare diseases. Likewise, in many cases, big environmental groups tend to ignore focusing on the positive but less popular end of environment and land use work: fighting to preserve existing industrial and commercial land for these designated purposes. This is particularly true when the land has natural or legal characteristics that support such uses.
“Keeping land available for coastal and other industrial uses, including rail yards, rail rights-of-way, ports, shipyards, and other suitable activities is in everyone’s interest and deserves the focused attention of environmental groups,” said Bill Urban, Executive Director of the Connecticut Conservation Association (“CCA”).
CCA is best known as the Great Meadows. This stretch of land is now part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and is about to get a major addition of protected land when Stratford and Bridgeport complete the sale and transfer of Pleasure Beach properties to the Federal Government.
Less known is CCA’s battle to preserve the former Carpenter Technology site from real estate developers that somehow thought this deep water site on the East End of Bridgeport Harbor is best suited for a retail development; in this case, a Price Club. The developers claimed that a public walkway along the waterfront was sufficient to satisfy the Coastal Area Management Act’s requirement that such sites must be used for appropriate water related activities. CCA disagreed emphatically and filed suit in Bridgeport’s Superior Court.
CCA argued that a natural deep water area with a water related industrial history should be preserved only for such activities; and not be used as scenic viewing stands for condo dwellers or shoppers. CCA’s case claimed that such land is very limited, serves an industrial economic purpose, customarily provides jobs with wages well above retail and can support national security in times of war. Further, CCA offered evidence of toxic pollutants on the site that were highly likely to disqualify it for any use other than industrial.
T
he Developers, The Bridgeport Regional Business Council, the City of Bridgeport and other interested parties joined the fray showing up in court as a line of 1,500 dollar suits touting big name firms. CCA fielded just one underpaid attorney with a tweed jacket, a professorial looking sweater, and enough paper to block-out any sign of a table top on the Plaintiff’s side of the court.
Urban said, “We had hoped to save the site for a deepwater related use and establish case law that differentiated deep water areas with industrial histories from properties that simply have a water view and are unlikely to provide deepwater uses. However, although we failed to make any case law, the suit ended with a hardy “CCA Mission Accomplished” when we introduced evidence of the site’s industrial contamination and the Price Club promptly abandoned the project.”
Today the site is occupied by the Connecticut Derector Shipyard. It employs over 200 well paid (As opposed to low wage retail jobs) workers, builds ferries, tug boats, yachts and other commercial vessels and sells them to the world at large bringing millions of dollars into Connecticut economy and the families of Bridgeport area workers. The Derector Shipyard is now building what is believed to be the world’s largest yacht, two 130 foot tug boats for Boston Harbor operations, and recently completed construction of a major ferry for the Alaska Ferry system.
Urban concluded, “I call that a win-win for all. The more we see of this kind of conservation the more we will see reductions in the pressures for sprawl and unnecessary road traffic.”
Eds Note: The Connecticut Conservation Association is a non profit, tax exempt, membership group with an office in Bridgeport. CCA can be reached at 203-384-2000. Memberships and donations greatly appreciated. CCA is a founding member of Earthshare New England.
FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS): Read Carefully1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.2. A will is a dead giveaway. 3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.4. A backward poet writes inverse.5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion. 7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds. 11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.15. He would often have to break into song because he couldn't find the key.16. A calendar's days are numbered.17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.18. A boiled egg is hard to beat. 19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.21. A short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye !!!26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
One Woman's Journal
By Audrey C. Linke
Mike was a relative of a relative, maybe still a teen-ager when the tragedy occurred. I knew him slightly and I knew his mother from conversations shared at family gatherings. Mike was a boy to be proud of, and his family was, of course.
As he drove along in the town where he lived, a little girl suddenly stepped off the sidewalk in front of his car. With not so much as a split second to react, Mike had no choice but to hit her.
When we heard about the terrible untimely death of a small child, we were, like everyone else, horrified. The bereaved family of the little girl would be comforted by an entire community, but what of the other family?
I don't remember how much time went by before I decided to write to Mike. I don't even know if it was my decision, but the thought kept nagging at me until I knew I had to do something. I found a note card and with pen in hand sat down at my kitchen table with the thought that I must write something sympathetic to this fine young man whose life had been interrupted as surely as was the life of the little girl who died. Mike was young, would have a long time to live with the inevitable guilt.
I didn't know what to write, but out of nowhere the Serenity Prayer came to me and I began with that. Then I remembered that I had a small key chain with the Serenity Prayer on it. I tucked it in with the note and sent it on its way.
I didn't know what I expected to accomplish with that simple prayer: "God grant me the courage to change the things I can, accept the things I can't change, and the wisdom to know the difference." But this is what I learned later from Jean, Mike's mom.
When the note came, Mike immediately put his car keys on the key chain. Up until then, he had been unable to get behind the wheel of his car and did not plan to ever drive again. Jean took the note and drove over to her church and showed it to her priest. She, too, was lifted from her sadness.
"You'd be surprised," she said, "At how few people expressed concern for us, the family that had to live with the tragedy from the other side of the accident."
I don't know what triggered this memory, but it is a reminder that when we are led to do something in the name of Love, we should do it, for Love heals. Love is a valuable gift, a blessing to both the giver and the receiver.
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MOTHERS Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it. Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox. Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids. Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets. Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up. Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.' Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother... The Images of Mother 4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything! 8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot! 12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything. 14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either. 16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned. 18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date! 25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it! 35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion. 45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it? 65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom. The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows! Please send this to 5 Mom's today. If you don't, nothing bad will happen, but if you do, something good will: You will boost a Mother spirits.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s NewsMagazine, in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com
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