Meriden Wallingford Town News October 2009
MAYOR’S CORNER WALLINGFORD
Dear Friends:
September and October are harvest months. Even though the cool autumn weather heralds the winter to come, we enjoy the fruits and vegetables that make us feel good to admire and eat. The cornucopia overflows with blessings, apples and berries.
This raises the inevitable question, how did Fruit of the Loom arrive at using an apple, grapes and gooseberries as its logo? Just prior to 1871, it is said that the daughter of a shopkeeper named Rufas Skeel was an artist. She painted still lifes. While working in her father’s shop, she discovered really fine muslin fabric from the Knight Textile mill. The fabric was wonderful, easy to cut and sew, but was not selling. She painted several pictures of an apple and pasted them on the plain white fabric. The Knight muslin became very popular, adorned by paintings of apples, grapes, pears and cherries. Up until then, fabric in general was pretty plain.
Robert Knight noticed that one shop was selling more of the new cloth than any other shop and decided to personally investigate. He found that Miss Skeel’s artwork was making the difference. Soon, as of 1871, he saw to it that her artwork was copied and printed as a label on all the cloth from the Knight mill. The combination of an apple, grapes and gooseberries on the label continues today. What a harvest!
Sincerely,
William W. Dickinson, Jr. - Mayor
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MAYOR’S CORNER MERIDEN
Fall has arrived and the frost is on the pumpkin. In Meriden, we have lots of fairs and fall events/activities scheduled. Please take the time to take part in these fun, festive activities. ” Weather permitting the castle access road will be open from 7:00-8:30PM on Wednesday, October 7th. The 2009 Autumn Fest will take place at Hubbard Park on Saturday, October 24th from 1:00-4:00PM. This free event features hayrides, kids’ entertainment, arts & crafts, amusements, a pie-eating contest, seasonal refreshments, and lots of fall foliage!
Meriden homes are invited to enter the 10th Annual Halloween House Decorating Contest. Phone entries will be accepted at the Parks & Recreation office (630-4259) from October 2nd-23rd.
Judging will take place on October 24th. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: “Most Creative,” “Scariest Entry,” “Best Autumn Theme,” & “Best Overall.”
Want to get an early start to candy collection this year? Then come to “Halloween at City Hall”! Departments will be distributing candy to costumed trick-or-treaters ages 12 & under from 3:00-5:00PM on Friday, October 3oth. Make sure to begin at the Meriden Public Library (105 Miller Street) to get a special bag for candy collection!
Also, there are many worthwhile volunteer opportunities available to help others and socialize with friends. The Augusta Curtis Cultural Center is looking for volunteers to help with clerical work for doing postcards, newsletters, membership mailings, etc. Volunteers are needed to help protect the beauty of the Linear Trail by helping to keep the trail clean from litter. Anyone wishing to help can fill out a volunteer form at http://www.meridenlineartrail.org
Literacy Volunteers is looking for people who want to become tutors for English and non-English speaking adults in our community. Tutors work one-on-one and in small groups, focusing on reading, writing, and speaking skills with their students. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, call Lara Chiaverini at 235-1714 or go to our website, www.lvagnh.org to fill out an online application.
The Annual Fall Mayor's Clean up day is scheduled for Saturday October 24. 10AM-12PM. Join Meriden residents, community organizations, and businesses for some fall cleaning in Meriden! Meet at City Hall at 10am for a clean-up “pep rally” and sign-in to get your t-shirt! (Available on a first-come, first-serve basis by pre-registration) pick up clean-up supplies, (bags and disposable gloves) pick up safety tips and instructions for your clean-up crew. After the clean-up, join us for grilled hot dogs (served by Mayor Mike), refreshments and entertainment at 12:30pm at Hubbard Park. PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 call 639-6595 or email jfordiani@ci.meriden.ct.us to pre-register your clean-up team and location.
So put on a sweater or sweatshirt, enjoy the fall weather and take advantage of some of these exciting activities and opportunities occurring in your city. I wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!
Mike Rohde - Mayor of Meriden
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!
MAX E. MURAVNICK
MERIDEN SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTER
The Max E. Muravnick Meriden Senior Citizens’ Center is open to all Meriden residents age 55 and over. Membership is free of charge and new members may sign-up any weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by presenting a driver’s license or other proof of age. New members receive an information package about senior services and a coupon entitling them to one complimentary lunch in our Senior Community Café. Sign-up today and find out about all that is offered for Meriden seniors at the Max E. Muravnick Senior Center!
For almost 30 years, the Meriden Senior Center has partnered with the Wallingford Meriden Branch of the American Red Cross to make sure that Meriden residents have access to transportation for out-of-town medical appointments. Now that the Wallingford Red Cross office has been closed we have made plans to continue this program with Master’s Manna in Wallingford and RSVP of Central Connecticut in New Britain. Both agencies use volunteers to drive seniors age 60 and over to out-of-town appointments, Master’s Manna using agency vehicles, some inherited from the Red Cross, and RSVP drivers using their own personal cars and receiving a mileage reimbursement.
The Medical Transportation Program is funded by a grant from the Agency on Aging of South Central CT. There is no fee for the transportation but donations are appreciated and gladly accepted. People requesting transportation are asked to call one week in advance to either Master’s Manna (678-3011) or RSVP (860-224-7117, local call) to schedule transportation to their out-of-town medical appointments. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Red Cross volunteers who faithfully provided this service for many years and to especially acknowledge all of the good work done by Branch Manager Andrea Balsamo who ran an excellent program and is greatly missed by many in Meriden and Wallingford.
Senior Center members will be attending the 3rd annual “Life Begins at 50 Senior Fair & Job Fair” at the Wallingford Senior Center on Friday, October 23. The event runs from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and is co-sponsored by Masonicare, MidState Medical Center, Shaw’s, Osco Pharmacy and Johnson Brunetti retirement consultants. The Senior Fair includes free admission, information displays and handouts, workshops and seminars, screenings, refreshments, entertainment and more.
The next session of the AARP Driver Safety Program at the Senior Center will be on Wednesday, November 4 and Friday, November 6 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Several good reasons to take the class are to learn defensive driving techniques and new traffic laws, to find out how to adjust to age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time and to get an insurance discount. You don’t have to take a test and millions of people have taken advantage of this valuable course! The course fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. People can sign-up in the office or by calling the Senior Center at 237-0066. There are still plenty of openings for the November class dates so sign-up today!
Creative Writing Classes with Susan Sandel, PhD, will be returning to the Senior Center for six weeks starting on Tuesday, November 4. Classes are scheduled on November 4, 18 & 25 and December 2, 9 & 16 from 1:00 to 2:15 PM. The Creative Writing Classes are your opportunity to learn to express yourself in writing, to put your thoughts on paper and many times to chronicle your important memories to share with your family and friends. Susan makes the classes educational and enjoyable so please sign-up in the office to participate in the next session of Creative Writing starting on November 4!
New Opportunities of Greater Meriden is now scheduling appointments for people to apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program for the upcoming winter heating season. Any household with elderly (60 years of age or older) and/or disabled members, whose annual gross income is $21,660 or less for one person or $29,140 or less for two people, is eligible to receive help with the cost of their home heating bills. Assistance is also available for people at higher income levels. For further information or to schedule an appointment, call New Opportunities of Greater Meriden at 235-0278.
Congratulations to 2009 Senior Center 8 Ball Champion Jose Rios, Sr. who defeated Jose Pagan 5 games to 3 to win the title. Rios advanced to the final by beating longtime pool standout Russ Hettrick 5-4 and Pagan beat Raul Cardona 5-3 to win the other semi-final match. Congratulations to the first and second place winners and thank you to all of the 20 pool players who took part in this year’s tournament!
John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director
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THE NAPIER COMPANY ON DISPLAY AT THE ANDREW'S HOMESTEAD
The Meriden Historical Society will open the Andrew's Homestead, 424 W. Main St, Meriden, CT (next to Ben Franklin School) every Sunday during the month of October.
The Napier Company will be the featured exhibit. On display will be banks, bar ware, cigarette items, jewelry, advertisements and other collectibles from the early beginnings until their closing in 1999. For this exhibit we would encourage you to bring along your favorite Napier items to share with the society and any visitors who may be there. We will have a special, temporary section for display or, if it's jewelry, you could simply wear it. It seems everyone who comes to the Andrew’s Homestead has a story to tell and that’s what makes it so interesting. The people of Meriden are all connected through our wonderful manufacturing history. We welcome you each Sunday in October from 11am until 3pm. Admission is free, donations are always appreciated. Stop in and see what’s inside the old red house.
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Sheehan Announces New CAPT Scholars
The following students have been selected as CAPT Scholars: Shayna Adams, Justyn Alexandre, John Anderson, Kristyn Banack, Brian Bates, Matthew Bennett, Timothy Bickford, Brett Biestek, Shayna Bisnov, Mary Kate Boyd, Colin Bradley, Matthew Brigante, Erika Bruneau, Mason Bush, Tara Butkus, Breanna Butler, Heika Caldropoli, Matthew Caparrotta, Rebecca Caruso, Shandi Chester, Deya Chowdhury, Brian Colantonio, Alexander Comforte, Garrett Corless, Jillian Cummings, Alexina DelVecchio, Erica Duran, Christopher Earley, Janet Early, Philip Gaetano, Matthew Gamache, Stephanie Gibson, Scott Gingras, Jessica Glynn, John Grammatico, Cody Grant, Amarah Johnson, Elizabeth Kadow, Michael Kadow, Kayla Kazimer, Graham Kelley, Laura Kinkead, Kirsten Knecht, Brianna Lauria, Jennifer Leno, Eric Liska, Elvia Lopez, Emily McCarthy, Shelby McIntryre, Lindsay Mongillo, Ryan Moore, Lisa Naples, Olivia Navickis, Chelsea Neelon, Reid Nelson, Robert Neubauer, Eric Nguyen, Zachary O’Malley, John Paiva, Amanda Ridley, Lauren Roddy, Kaitlyn Romania, Farah Salam, Julie Sandt, Alexander Scelzo, Janie Schlauder, Jennifer Seyler, Tori Sheldon, Cameron Sidwell, Jake Signore, Monika Singh, Austin Smith, Johnathan Songer, Luigi Tancredi, Ashley Testa, Minh Tran, Jeanne-Marie Van Heerden, Leanna Verch, Nicole Vitello, George Wooster and Tyler Yasensky. The CAPT Scholar award has been established to recognize the academic accomplishments of our students. To be eligible for recognition as a CAPT Scholar, graduating seniors must have achieved goal on all sections of the CAPT. The Sheehan faculty and administration are very proud of these students’ accomplishments.
Sheehan Students Earn AP Scholar Award
Twenty-five students at Sheehan High School earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program Exams. Graduates Lisa Cheung, Stephen Ciccone, Samantha Nardi, Alexander Thompson, along with seniors Alexina DelVecchio, Michael Kadow and Kaitlyn Romania qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Graduates Kaela Bjornberg, Stephanie DuBois, along with seniors Brian Bates, Matthew Gamache, Cody Grant, Elizabeth Kadow, Farah Salam and Alexander Scelzo qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Ten students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Examinations with grades of 3 or higher. These students are graduates Robert Belcourt, Nicole Richetelli, Corey Williams, seniors Leann Bickford, Philip Gaetano, Jessica Glynn, Kirsten Knecht, Tori Sheldon and juniors Alicia Gansley and John Somers.
To read The People’s Press, Meriden and Wallingford Ct’s Newspaper in image or pdf form go to www.peoplespressnews.com . We are your NewsMagazine!
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