July 2008 Your Stories

noreply@blogger.com (The People's Press) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:06:00 +0000

�Sheltering an Animal�s Perspective�
by Gregory M. Simpson

It was more than six years ago, just after 9/11, that desperation set in. Having trapped, spayed/neutered and vaccinated 19 cats and kittens from my neighborhood, one last female cat was tenaciously eluding capture. She already had two litters which I trapped. I did not want to face a third litter and had exhausted my list of people to call for ideas and help. It was time to think creatively. Going for a long shot, the name of Ellen Perry Berkeley came to mind. She is the author of the seminal book on ferals, Maverick Cats, included by Cat Fancy in the �100 Great Moments of 20th Century Cats.� First published in 1982 and updated in 2001, this book mentions her hometown in Vermont, so directory information was summoned, and voila, her phone number was available!

Despite not knowing me, this warm, kind, soft-spoken, internationally known author graciously accepted my phone call. She provided me sage counsel and sustaining moral support until the female cat was trapped and spayed, without having an additional litter! What I did not know from the first phone call with Ellen Perry Berkeley was that our relationship was only just beginning.

As we grew to know each other through letters and phone calls, I described to Ellen my animal welfare avocation. Along the way, I began writing �Sheltering an Animal�s Perspective� in one newspaper which has since spread statewide. I would send the initial columns to Ellen and she generously commented, drawing on her impressive background as a writing teacher at Harvard, Columbia and UC-Berkeley, and as past senior editor of Architectural Forum. She is also the author of many books, and articles for such magazines at Cat Fancy, Cats Magazine and I Love Cats. Her 1984 article in Cat Fancy on the neuter-and-return of feral cats was the first in an American publication on this humane method of controlling the feral cat population.

In short order, I progressed from a man desperate to aid feral cats in my neighborhood to having a mentor for writing and animal welfare work. Ellen�s help did not end there. A few years into our phone calls, e-mails, and letters, Ellen suggested that I consider membership in the Cat Writers� Association (CWA). Once again, she selflessly offered to assist me, this time through sponsorship into the association. Considering that membership in CWA was a perfect match with my animal welfare pursuits, I agreed, and am now a member. There is no person more than Ellen who better exemplifies the highest ideals of the CWA vision � to promote communal support, networking, and mutual respect between colleagues.

Ellen has continued to write and to tirelessly aid cats. She is on the advisory board of the national organization, Alley Cat Allies, and in 2004 published, TNR: A History of the Trap-Neuter-Return Movement.

To assist Protectors of Animals (POA) in Glastonbury, of which I am a member, she will generously donate $4 to POA for each copy of Maverick Cats sold through the shelter�s efforts. Please consider purchasing a copy of this book that The New York Times reports is full of �Amusing portraits�.intriguing information.� Cat Fancy described the book as �first-rate in every way�entertaining, informative, well-researched, thorough�a definitive work.� One may order directly from Ms. Berkeley at Box 311, Shaftsbury, Vermont 05262. Indicate with your payment of $14.95 that you would like $4 of the purchase price sent to Protectors of Animals. I am deeply grateful to Ellen Perry Berkeley for making this fund raising activity possible for Protectors of Animals, Inc. and for being my mentor.

And remember, as Ellen Perry Berkeley says, �As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.�

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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A New Play in Meriden
Compiled over the last 4 years of articles and current events.

The new Hubbard Park Playground �Adventure Hollow� has a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 2nd at 5:30. The Hubbard Park Playground Committee and Noah�s Ark of Hope, Inc. invites all to attend.

It�s been a long road to get to this point and it�s important to share the story and how folks can accomplish much even as they are faced with many challenges.

Four Years Ago
One Meriden mom, Dawn Reynolds, thought, �What would it take to get a new playground for Hubbard Park?� As she began to explore that option four years ago, she never imagined there would be so much involved in getting something that seemed so obvious and elementary underway. And, so, four years later, after hundreds upon hundreds of hours of footwork, planning, politics and an unforeseen tragedy, the simple observation of Nierenburg-Reynolds is now a playground that belongs to everyone in Meriden.

She started calling the Meriden Park and Recreation Department head who did not return any of her calls but finally found an ally in Christian Bourdon who is the Recreation Program Supervisor for the City of Meriden. In response to an email from Mayor Mark Benigni, Mr. Bourdon said, �Mr. Mayor, The department is in agreement with Mrs. Nierenburg-Reynolds. The current playscape site is not safe, very inaccessible, and unsuitable for the type of playground that Hubbard Park deserves. A new location must be found that will eliminate these concerns. The suggestion of a citizens' committee is a valid one. Parents, especially those that frequent Hubbard Park, would be able to offer input on the location, type of playground, and assist with any fundraising. This playground should be the best & biggest one in Meriden. Should you choose to commission such a committee, I would be glad to serve on it as the City's liaison. Thanks. Chris Bourdon.�

Shortly thereafter, the mayor formed the Hubbard Park Playground Committee. The two-person committee consisting of Dawn A. Reynolds and Chris Bourdon, who had volunteered himself to serve as the city liaison, grew to include Maryann Santos, Amy Filippides, Steven Iovanna and later Joan Goodman. There were also many who joined and provided vital information to the final report of the committee requested by the City Council and prepared in July of 2005. (See final report in a following page.)

Then the real work began.

The Committee first had to research, research and research. Every aspect of the playground was considered from site location, components, safety, environmental impact and so much more. The committee has gone around to different playgrounds to look at the colors, textures, building materials, ground materials and have compiled that information to use for the new playground the best of what they�ve explored.

The most important aspect of the playground is that it is barrier free so that children of all capabilities have a place to play together.

As Joan Goodman said, her son has a friend in his class that uses a wheelchair. At recess, she is not able to play games with him and the other kids on the playscape, and that makes her son sad. He can�t invite her to play at the park after school because there is no place in Meriden to do that. �That is not right. She is one of my inspirations for working on this playground.

�With this playground, children of all abilities can play side by side and have fun together. When children play together and have fun, they learn about one another and differences don�t matter. They take this with them as they grow up,� Goodman said.

Then there was the process. A hard process does not begin to express what they had to go through. Countless City Committees, Departments and other groups were met with and several concerns by the above were eventually resolved upon review of the entire plan that would benefit so many. In the end, after so much work, the City approved the Playground in July of 2005. Tracey Ivers spoke on behalf of the committee at the city council meeting.

By late 2006, the committee had raised just under $89,000.00 towards the playground.

August of 2006, tragedy struck with the passing of Noah Bourdon who was the son of Christian Bourdon and Sarah Bogdanski-Bourdon. To lose a child and deal with the loss is courageous enough but that they then committed themselves to provide a lasting memory of Noah is incredible. Noah�s Ark of Hope, Inc was formed and its first fundraising project was the playground. Sarah so eloquently stated in a story (see in this issue), �Our experience in losing a child and our parenthood is not a unique one - many parents who have lost children have contacted us. We are trying to focus on something positive - something that will give us hope. We look to Meriden's citizens not just to support this project because of our family and our story but because of its importance to all families. It is a unique opportunity to invest in the present and in the future.�

Nierenburg-Reynolds said of them, �I want to thank Chris and Sarah for believing in our work together. You have to step back and take pause, the strength and bravery of this family has compelled the whole of Meriden to give from their hearts for this beautiful, worthwhile cause, a place where we can all play together. And I know this will be the first of many projects for Noah�s Ark of Hope, Inc.�

At that time, Noah�s Ark of Hope, Inc. pledged $100,000.00 towards the playground. Based on fundraising efforts they soon raised the pledge to $175,000.00. The amount of support by various groups, foundations and the community at large was overwhelming and Noah�s Ark of Hope, Inc. soon surpassed its pledge. Recently, the State of Connecticut also approved $100,000.00 towards the playground. For more from Noah�s Ark of Hope and Mr. Christian Bourdon see story inside this issue.

The playground was well on its way and the Hubbard Park Playground Committee presented its final report and recommendations to the City. Thereafter, the City of Meriden took over the site choice, playground design and choice of vendor.

Mayor Mark Benigni said of the final project, �This playground will bring smiles to the faces of so many youngsters for many years to come. I am so thankful for DawnNierenburg-Reynolds and the Playground Committee for teaming up with Chris and Sarah Bourdon to make this dream a reality. This playground is atestament to all that is right about our city and something that I am veryproud of. Thank you to all the volunteers and donors, Meriden hassomething truly special!�

Now that it is completed, Dawn Nierenburg-Reynolds had this to say;
�The project itself has been an emotional rollercoaster. It is beautiful to see what can be accomplished when we let our hearts lead the way. If I had known what was to unfold and how it was to unfold, I would have packed my bags and walked. I now believe that is exactly why we need to walk through this world without knowing what the future will hold.
In the beginning and in the end I did it for my children, they are my love, my joy and my passion. I wanted my children to know that you can make a difference. I do want to thank all of my teachers along the way. Some of you will know who you are and some of you would never guess. Thank you.�

So in closing � join the so many others who will celebrate not only the playground but what a community can do TOGETHER! These are the things that matter in life and the playground is living proof of that.

A Talk with Christian Bourdon of Noah�s Ark of Hope
I had the honor of talking with Mr. Bourdon and asking him the questions below. I would like to thank him for taking the time to answer.

It's been a long challenge to complete this playground, hasn't it?

It has been a challenge to get the playground completed, but not necessarily a long one. I always thought that the hardest part of it would be fundraising, but in retro spect it was one of the easiest parts. It was so successful and achieved in such a short period of time that it set unrealistic expectations to the playground's physical construction. So it may have seemed long, but for a municipal construction project, I think it proceeded at a normal pace.

I think Dawn and the rest of the Hubbard Park Playground Committee really deserve a great deal of credit in bringing the playground to fruition. They "carried the torch" when this was not a popular project and did an outstanding job in raising awareness about it. They set the groundwork for later fundraising efforts to succeed. Dawn was a very capable chairperson who educated herself extremely well about playground design and advocated for the best playground possible. Her contributions should be appreciated by the parents of every child who uses the playground.

Your family has gone through so much but made a commitment to this playground, how do you feel about it now and has it helped in any way?

Both Sarah and I have mixed feelings about the completion of this project. Of course we have been overwhelmed by the community's support and just how many people have helped in bringing it to fruition. It will provide countless hours of fun for our family members, friends, neighbors, fellow Meriden residents, and many, may people who we will never know. That being said, we also know that our Noah will never to use it. Our commitment to the project was made in the days after his death, so being involved with it has given us something positive to focus on. It is very important to us that Noah be remembered as a child who inspired a wonderful playground for others rather than a child who died on a playground. So in some ways there will be a void for us to not be as actively involved in the playground's construction as we have been for the past year and a half. It is quite paradoxical.

Is there anyone who your family and Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc. would like to thank or any final words on your part?

Sarah and I would like thank everyone who helped bring the playground to completion. From the major donors to the everyday folks who gave what they could, it was a total community-wide fundraising effort. Many businesses donated their services & products and many people gave their time to assist at our events. The Hubbard Park Playground Committee advocated for this playground when its support was low and also contributed significantly to the fundraising efforts. The City forces that constructed the playground went above and beyond what they were asked to do. And the L. Suzio Co. has done so much for this playground without wanting any recognition in return. The playground truly is a community gem because it represents what can be accomplished when people work for the good of others. The potential is limitless.

Hubbard Park Playground Committee Final Report

Meriden�s Hubbard Park needs a new playground. The existing structure is made of splintering pressure treated wood and broken or damaged plastic components.

We, the Hubbard Park Playground Committee, have also observed and experienced the close proximity to a major road, West Main Street, the difficulty parents, grandparents and caregivers have keeping their children away from the stone steps down to the water, or the waterfall as well as the struggle the parents have bringing strollers up and down to and from the playground parking area that sits above a full flight of stone stairs. Additionally, though we understand that the bathrooms were to be opened during park hours, when we have visited the doors still remain locked.

We have found either, modified site #5 (across from the duck house) or site #3 (behind the pool) suitable for a parent friendly ADA compliant playground. Site number five enjoys the support of the Park and Public Works Department. Site #3 is acceptable to the conservation commission. Both are workable.

Site #3 has plumbing in place. Fewer trees would need to be cleared and a parking lot is already exists close to the site.

Either site will need to meet the current needs of families residing in Meriden. With the help of a recent survey we circulated through Meriden�s Elementary School System with the cooperation of the Park and Public Works Department, we have come to the conclusion that:

1. We should look into a location further away from West Main Street.
In coming to this conclusion we have considered the current safety codes which, to our understanding, would require that any new playscape be set 100 feet from a road such as West Main Street.
This would significantly reduce the play area. The current codes will also disallow replacing the swings where they once stood parallel to the stone wall.
2. A fully ADA (handicapped accessible) playground should be in place.
3. A major consideration for this playground should be stair-free ground level access, from a parking area to the playground.

****Please review the surveys we have received back from Meriden�s elementary school parents.
Very early into the process we discussed the possibilities of creating a ramped access point from the parking area as well as creating a parking area from below the existing playground area. We concluded that the necessary changes to that area would alter the character of the park.
4. We recommend clean well maintained bathrooms.
5. Bathrooms are to remain open and available to the public during park hours.
6. A water fountain
7. A fence
8. Additionally, site depending, we recommend the appropriate safety features,
a. I.e. a phone, lights etc.
9. Trash receptacles should be on-site
10. Benches and picnic tables in the vicinity.
11. Naturally or artificially, shaded areas should be available.

These recommendations would allow a greater number of our parents, grandparents and caregivers to enjoy Hubbard Park, and all it has to offer, with their children.

Love to Play. Play to Grow. Grow to Love.

Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc.
Article From October of 2006

By Sarah Bogdanski - Bourdon & Christian Bourdon

The main theme of the song "Seasons of Love" from the play Rent is how is the life of someone measured? With the recent loss of our son Noah we have had to look at this in many ways. What was the purpose of his life? How do we show others who never met him what his one year meant, what he was like and how he loved? What will be the ripple effect of his life? Can one year really make a difference? In Noah's short life he experienced many things: hikes through Meriden's beautiful trails, feeding the ducks, flying on a plane, swimming in the Caribbean, and playing on playgrounds at many of Meriden's parks. He also gave so much to those who he loved. His life was measured in kisses, in giggles, and in milestones. Now we have found ourselves learning a new way of measuring life. With the creation of our family and community foundation called Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc. we plan on doing just that. Our experience in losing a child and our parenthood is not a unique one - many parents who have lost children have contacted us. We are trying to focus on something positive - something that will give us hope. We look to Meriden's citizens not just to support this project because of our family and our story but because of its importance to all families. It is a unique opportunity to invest in the present and in the future. This project will come to fruition for Meriden's children right now. Everyone will have someone in their lives that could benefit: grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, siblings, etc.

For the past two years, a playground committee of dedicated members has been working hard to get a barrier free playground built in Hubbard Park. We are joining in on the efforts to raise awareness and dollars for this project. Who knows? Children who play on it now may even bring their children here someday. Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc. and our pledge to raise $100,000.00 for this playground is our attempt to pay forward all the support and assistance we continue to receive every day. We will be able to measure Noah's life and its ripples through this playground and other future projects of the Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc. Foundation. And for us, this playground will give us something to put all of our positive energy into - a place where we will be able to celebrate the life of our "little man" every time we see a child smiling within its walls. Is that not how we all strive to have our lives measured? In happiness, in love, and above all else, in Hope.

Bobbie�s Bevy of Beauties
Looking back at what my garden beds looked like when I wrote my last article and what they look like now is truly amazing. One month with very warm weather and rain surely does the trick. The hostas are of gigantic size. Liatris with small yellow square flowers running up and down their stems and the yellow four o�clocks and evening primrose look like huge buttercups. I have two varieties of companulas. One bell shaped in blue and white and the other a very deep purple in clusters. The latter is a favorite among the people who come to see the gardens. One type of perennial salvia and the Rose-of-Campione is also in bloom and the lilies are beginning to open up. I can�t believe the amount of hibiscus I�ll have this year. They have also produced many new plants as has the trumpet lily and black-eyed-Susan. I�m still either giving or throwing away these unwanted plants. There�s just so many of them. Also included in the just so many reproduction list are the annual cleome, balsam and portulaca. Outside of two rose bushes, one red and one a pale yellow pinkish orange, the rest are the pink simplicity. Their first blooming was spectacular. They�ll continue to bloom on and off until fall.

Jimmy�s veggie garden and tubs are all squared away. Has some pole beans, two varieties of cukes, cherry tomatoes and is trying out the Roma this year. They are very bushy with lots of flowers and some have very tiny tomatoes. I�m sure they�ll make a very great sandwich.

And as I do every season, have made many visits to the area nurseries. Am sure I�ll make a couple more. But one thing is missing. Going up Allen Avenue to the Westfort nursery. Besides the beautiful healthy plants, the conversations with the owners Carol, Richard and their knowledgeable employees was most enjoyable. Almost every avid gardener tells me how much she or he misses this nursery. It sure was a big favorite.

My oldest brother Tom and his wife Rita�s 60th wedding anniversary was Thursday, June 19th. The sisters, brothers and spouses were invited to attend 12 p.m. mass at St. Stanislaus Church in Meriden where they would also renew their marriage vows on Sunday, June 22nd. It was a very beautiful ceremony and I did shed a few tears. After church the family went to the youngest son and daughter-in-laws home where a reception was held in their honor. The appetizers, main course dinner and desserts were absolutely scrumptious! The conversations, laughs and memories were also a big part of the day. A great time was held by all.

School has ended and I have to do some bragging concerning my two older granddaughters Izzy-Bella doesn�t begin her 13 year journey till August. Abby who finished 6th grade received a Certificate of Appreciation for Choir, Art Excellence Award, Good Citizenship Award, Lincoln Middle School Spelling Bee Championship, Honor roll for all 4 terms and a Academic Award for straight �A�s� for all 4 terms. Emmy �MeO� who graduated from 8th grade received the Band Award for participating in all three years while at Lincoln, Pamela J. Aldi award for excellence in Math, Connecticut Association of Schools Scholar Leader Award, Honor roll for all 4 terms, and the most prestigious - the Academic Achievement Award for straight �A�s� for ever single term in the 3 years while at Lincoln. We are all so proud of these gals.

And I do have some very special P.S.�s
June 25 � My sister Marilyn and her husband Ed who live in Massachusetts will be married 47 years!
June 28th � My brother in-law Ed�s birthday.
June 29th � Happy Birthday Hubby!
July 5th � Congratulations to our next door neighbor and his fianc�e Courtney who lives in Chatham, Ontario, Canada and will marry in her hometown.
July 17th � Happy Birthday to my long haired dachshund LitlBit who will be 2 years old.

Love and best wishes to all.

I think everything has been covered for this month. So until my next article -
Flowercerly yours,
Bobbie G. Vosgien

Photo of Emily Olivia Schmidt receiving one of her awards with Principal Leo Lavallee.

The Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra and FateGetting ready for a concert happens on so many levels.There is the administration, the parents, the musicians, our Music Director and Conductor, our venue, our reception and the audience. Everybody who has put on a concert or a recital can tell you how delicately balanced all of these factors must be juggled.Personal schedules, family schedules, venue schedules, product availability, good health and availability all factor into the event.Some things cost money, some can be borrowed, some things can be volunteered, some things will cost lots of money and some things can be free! Decisions have to be made, priorities have to be made.We all like free, but we want everything to go smoothly, so we pay for those things that will make things go more smoothly and we cadge what we can. .What does a Civic Youth Orchestra really need? Musicians and parents willing to schlep them to rehearsals.
Music Director and Conductor- needs vision, music, (which requires money and good taste in music!)Administration- willing to go the extra mile with the wonderful volunteers and be there for questions, keep the concert moving, keep the parent-donated raffles safe (and lo and behold, don�t you know that a father had to go to the store and buy new raffle tickets one hour before they were needed?? Couldn�t find ours. Felt dumb, but the concert and the raffle must go on! Talk about going the extra 31/2 miles! But I did remember the doilies. You can�t raffle doilies.Now, we are going to take our Fourth Year publicity photo. The photographer arrives (bless her heart). The musicians, understandably, are all over the venue, warming up, chatting, staving off nervousness. I call, parents call, everyone else calls, siblings call for the musicians to assemble. Get the instruments! The harp, the double bass, the two celli, the bassoon, and all the rest, relatively portable. We assemble. Parents gather to take their own pictures. I look awful in 99% of them, but oh, well, I vowed to go on a diet so that the double bass can no longer hide behind me in Hide and Seek. Seriously. I suck it in, the musicians smile, the Music Director smiles and all is well, all is bright.Once a concert starts it has its own momentum. I speak. I forget to do the Pledge of Allegiance, and then when I speak again, I suggest that everybody do it individually. The audience laughs, I do it individually after my speech. The rhythm takes over; the musical pieces go very nicely, the first half is over. Raffle tickets fly off the roll! It is a success. Ten minute break is up and the second half is ready to be performed.The second half is in full swing and the reception elves start their carrying, unwrapping, placing, re-placing, fiddling and making the tables look perfect. I have pictures to prove it!The musicians are triumphant. They did a fine job and everyone is happy for them. Parents are happy for other people�s kids, as if they were their own. The musicians are the center of attention, as they should be. Solos are over, duets are over, rough spots have been smoothed over, rushing or lagging doesn�t matter any more.Everything has indeed come together and synchronized. It all worked, together and well. I can only say �THANK YOU�. It seems inadequate, but I think they all know that it takes a Civic Orchestra and a great audience- like, yes, like a village, to do this magic.Thank You to everyone who helped make the Fourth Annual Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra Spring Concert so wonderful. I am very proud to be a part of this group and really looking forward to our Fifth Annual Spring Concert. If you or a loved one would like to know more about the CCCYO, please send e-mail to meridenartstrust@yahoo.com. Thanks, Katrina Axelrod.

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Medical Transportation for Meriden Seniors

The City of Meriden Advisory Board on Aging is currently publicizing transportation resources for Meriden senior citizens who are going to medical appointments. Information is being sent to medical offices, churches and other common community organizations. The Board has identified the following medical transportation options for Meriden seniors. You may wish to clip this article to keep for future reference. Please call the number(s) listed for the service you desire.

1. Meriden Senior Citizens Center (237-3338). Transportation for Meriden residents aged 55 and over to medical appointments in Meriden. 24-hour advance notice required. Funded by the City of Meriden, the Agency on Aging of South Central CT and the CT Dept. of Transportation. No fee for the service, contributions accepted.

2. American Red Cross, Wallingford/Meriden branch (265-6721). Transportation to out-of-town (outside Meriden) medical appointments. One week advance notice requested. Partially funded by grants from the Agency on Aging of South Central CT and United Way of Meriden and Wallingford. No fee, contributions accepted.

3. Northeast Transportation Co. (ADA Paratransit Program) (1-800-441-8901). Transportation to medical appointments in Meriden and Wallingford. Riders must complete an application to verify that a disability makes it difficult to use the fixed bus route. Fee charged.

4. American Cancer Society (1-800-227-2345). Volunteer drivers provide transportation for cancer patients to medical appointments. Three business days advance notice is requested.

5. Meriden Transit District (235-6851). Fixed route local bus service in Meriden with connections to Wallingford, Middletown, New Britain and New Haven. Special fare for senior citizens aged 65 and over with Medicare card or Transit ID card.

The Meriden Advisory Board on Aging meets monthly at the Meriden Senior Center, 22 West Main St., Meriden. Please call the Center at 237-0066 for questions about the Board's activities.
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Helping Hands Thrift Store
I would like to remind the people that their �no longer needed� items can and do help others. By donating articles from clothing to furniture at the Helping Hands Thrift Store located at 22 No. Turnpike Road in Wallingford victims of Domestic Violence at the Chrysalis Center have been able to receive any help needed from us which has been anything from clothing, toys, furniture at no cost with proof they have been referred to us. Being our main concern we would like to help get the word out that there is help available as no one should have to live in fear of physical and mental abuse from another person. If someone wants to get out of such a situation a phone call is all that is needed for help.
Donations offered to the store also help the Childhood Dreams Organization and the Meriden Humane Society. The Meriden Humane Society has been given items for different fundraisers they have organized to help with the care of so many homeless, mistreated animals and have a no kill policy for their organization. Right now we are helping them by offering the public hand made beautiful pillows with different pictures of cats, dogs, horses and even Clifford the Big Red Dog at only $3.00 each!

It is that time of the year to clean your basement, attic or buy new furniture so why not donate it if it is in good condition and can help others. Helping Hands Thrift Store offers Free pick up for donations of furniture in good condition or other large quantities of donations by calling the store at (203) 284-0300 Tues.-Sat. 9a.m.-5p.m. and Sundays 10a.m.-3p.m. The public has been great in responding knowing our store supports these organizations and will offer help to the Community when referred to us with PROOF of their need at no cost to the client.

It is a wonderful feeling knowing that you are helping others by donating no longer needed items to help someone else.
Remember at tax time you are allowed to claim donations made even without a tax receipt up to a certain amount!

The above mentioned Organizations and Helping Hands Thrift Store would like to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

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PLEASE HELP Jake DeMarco

Dear friends,

In 2004, Jake DeMarco graduated from Lyman Hall High School healthy and excited about attending Johnson and Wales University, having been awarded a full scholarship to pursue a career in hospitality management. Jake today is bed-ridden, overwhelmed by disabling pain and chronic vomiting, and facing lifelong paralysis. Jake has overcome challenges throughout his twenty years, but none of this physical magnitude. His grandmother and legal guardian has contacted me to ask for help.

Jake suffers from Chiari Malformation, a birth defect illness whose systems do not present until early adulthood. In simple terms, a herniation of the cerebellum, the bottom part of the brain, descends out of the skull and crowds the spinal cord, putting pressure on both the brain and the spinal cord. It took nearly a year to identify Jake�s disease, and state and federal services are still being negotiated. The only intervention is Chiari Decompression Surgery, which will alleviate Jake�s pain and allow him the ability to become mobile, but there is no cure.

Jake�s problem is that the increasing size of his herniation has made decompression surgery an immediate need, but the cost is prohibitive. Few surgeons in CT have ever done this very specialized surgery, but at the Chiari Institute in Great Neck, New York, which was developed in 2001, they have performed thousands of these surgeries and are recognized world-wide as the best chance any Chiari patient has for a successful outcome. You can find more information at www.conquerchiari.org.
Please help those of us who were touched by the grace and dignity of Jake Demarco during his high school career to help fund the cost of his surgery. There is no cure, but if Jake�s pain can be alleviated and he can regain his mobility, you will have provided Jake some hope from the despair he faces today.

Contributions should be made out to the Jake DeMarco, Chiari Fund, Peoples United Bank, 930 North Colony Road, Wallingford, CT 06492 c/o Heather Abel.

Thank you in advance for any contribution that will get Jake to the Chiari Institute as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Andrew Candido
STC Coordinator
Jake�s Foodservice teacher at LHHS in 2004

______________________________________________________________________________________ News Brief

If you travel a long Main Street in South Meriden you will see the Patriotic Sprit with American Flags waving in the wind. This South Meriden community project is in it�s 5 year now and has been handled completely by the South Meriden Events Committee who pays for and installs the flags themselves. We are proud of our community and we enjoy celebrating through the year with different events.

The things we are not proud of, are the people who have been stealing the American Flags that we have purchased for display during the summer months. To date in the last several weeks we have lost 5 flags.

We would like everyone who travels along Main Street in South Meriden to enjoy the view but we also need your help by keeping an eye out for those who feel the need to steal other people property.

Anyone having information about the missing flags or might have found any of the missing flags can speak to April at Tom's Place 55 Main Street.

Thanks for the help and enjoy the up coming holiday

Keith Gordon
Chief South Meriden Fire Rescue
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Home Country
Slim Randles

Genius is occasionally driven by desperation, and that�s what happened to Annette down at the Soup �R Market.

The phone lines were fuzzy that day, she thinks, because of an electrical storm. That�s the only reason she can think of that she was stuck with 800 pounds of squash. She thought she was ordering 80 pounds, you see, but there was static � oh well�.

So the banner went up across the front of the market. It was so thick you had to duck under it to get in the store. �Giant Squash Recipe Contest,� it read.

This was fascinating, because science and mothers have been trying for centuries to make squash edible to normal human beings. Some thought it wasn�t possible, but those folks probably think we didn�t land on the moon, either. In most of us there is this innate belief that someone would someday make squash into an edible vegetable.

Of course, we�ve been wrong before.

To enter Annette�s giant squash recipe contest, you had to first register at the store, and then pick out the kind of squash you want to transform into food. Then you bring the completed dish in on Saturday at 11 a.m., along with the recipe all written out. The entries would be tasted by blindfolded locals whose wives had volunteered them for the task.

By Tuesday the squash began being sold so fast that Annette�s kid had to continually bring more from the back of the store to refill the bins.

Zuccini was a favorite, closely followed by crookneck.

On Saturday, quite a crowd had gathered, because it turned out that many of the local cooks thought their family recipe could turn gourds into a meal. The blindfolded judges were unanimous in picking Carla Martinez�s squash dish, which had enough chile in it to disguise brunch at Lucretia Borgia�s. After the applause, Carla proudly drove home with her prize: one hundred pounds of squash.
We sure have fun around here.
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Brought to you by the folks at Cabela�s, the outdoor outfitters. Visit them at www.cabelas.com.

Hometown Girl Makes It Write
It was my great honor to interview Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna, who grew up in Wallingford and is a well know author who has recently published a new book called, �CHERRY BOMB: The ultimate guide to becoming a better flirt, a tougher chick, a hotter girlfriend, and living life like a rock star� The book is available August 5th and information on purchasing it is listed below. Thanks again to Carrie for taking the time out of her extremely busy schedule to talk to me.

When were you born and what schools in Wallyworld did you attend? When did you graduate?

I was born June 20, 1970 in Milford but lived in Wallingford most of my life. I attended Parker Farms School for Kindergarten and a portion of 1st grade. Then we moved across town and I went to Cook Hill School for the remainder of grade school. Middle school was Moran. High school was Sheehan. I graduated in 1988. College was SCSU in New Haven. I graduated with a BS in journalism in 1992 and moved to Los Angeles the day after my final exam. I had already landed a job in L.A. at the music trade publication Billboard.

Do you still have friends and family that still live here?

Yes! My parents, Ronald and Paula Borzillo, still live in the house I grew up in. My mom works in Wallingford too at Calcagni Associates Realtors. My aunt and uncle, Bill and Marie Borzillo, still live there too, as does my cousin Chris Borzillo who works at the Serenity Salon and Day Spa in town. My sister Tracy Borzillo and her family are in Farmington. The rest of my family lives all over Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. I�ve kept in touch with some friends but I�m really looking forward to catching up at our 20th high school reunion in 2008, which I�m definitely coming home for.

I usually come home about once a year, and I have to say, when I first graduated college, I couldn�t wait to move to Los Angeles. But as I grew older, I�ve come to really fall in love with my hometown all over again. It didn�t really hit me how wonderfully New England Wallingford is until I took my husband to �wallyworld� for the first time after my Grandmother�s funeral and showed him around. I took him to the center of town and showed him the Record-Journal where I used to work. I showed him the adorable gazebo and our train station. He thought the train station reminded him of the one in the Harry Potter movies � and that�s a compliment! I showed him the hill on Cook Hill Road that we would sled down on our toboggan when I was a little girl and Twin Ponds where I�d go ice-skating.

My hubby loved it so much that we�ve actually discussed getting a little bed and breakfast somewhere in New England - maybe Vermont � Marlboro was like my second hometown because I spent a lot of time there with my grandparents.

And, in doing so, it really dawned on me what a charming town Wallingford is and I really feel fortunate for growing up there. I know it sounds clich�, but my roots and upbringing really gave me a solid foundation for life. I couldn�t imagine growing up in a big city like LA. I think I�d succumb to the dark side!

Can you help me with something? I lost touch with my best friend from high school and would love to catch up with her. Her name is Dina McDaniel. She lived in Wallingford and went to Sheehan too. I think her mother still lives here.

What inspired you to write?

I started out a bit shy, so it was always easier to write down what I was thinking or feeling instead of having to say it aloud. So, I�ve had a journal since I was in first grade. (I still have the journal. One entry said: �I love Donny Osmond! I�m joining his fan club.� Yeah, I wasn�t big on deep thoughts then!) As I got older, English was always the class I did best in. And, I was too shy to give oral reports in class, so I would always try to get the teacher to let me just write a longer report to make up for it. Likewise, when I�d get in trouble with my parents, I would write them these long letters explaining why I shouldn�t be grounded or whatever the situation was. Meanwhile, I�ve been a music fan since age 5 � my parents turned me onto bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones at an early age. So when it came time to deciding what I wanted to go to college for, I simply put two and two together � music plus writing equals music journalist. And, that was that. I consider myself more of a journalist than a writer. I�m not that writer-type of person. I�m good at interviewing people and doing research and putting together cool and interesting things to share with people. I�ve always loved reporting more than writing so everything I do comes from that base. Journalism class was more exciting for me than creative writing. Yet, I still find journalism a creative outlet. Go figure!

How did you get into the music scene and who do you know?

It started in Wallingford, really. I was that �rock chick� all through school and life. I was the girl who knew about the cool (some, not so cool) bands before my friends. My sister Tracy Borzillo turned me onto music too when I was little. I remember stealing her records by Heart and Iron Maiden. So, by the time I started dating around age 14-15, it was the rocker boys I was into. My second boyfriend when I was 15 was in a local metal band called Forgotten Realm (this was 1985-86).

And, then at age 17 while a senior at Sheehan, I started writing about music for a few New Haven fanzines called Tunes N� Times and Hip and shortly after for a Boston music �zine called The Beat. Right after that, I started college and did some journalism internships, worked for The Record-Journal, and continued freelancing for music magazines. I worked out a way to not only get paid for my articles by the magazines, but also get college credit for the work too. My first article in a national magazine was on the Black Crowes for Hit Parader magazine when I was 19, a freshmen or sophomore in college. All of that put me in the music scene locally and somewhat in NY, where my internships were.

I made great connections through those internships and my freelance writing. By the time I wanted to move to L.A. and work at a big magazine, I already had a decent resume going and tons of clips so I was able to really hit the ground running when I moved to LA for that job at Billboard in 1992.

Relationship Advice - that's a far stretch from the music scene - how did that come about?

Hah! Good question!!! And, shockingly, there is a music tie-in here. It�s all about connections. You meet a lot of people in the music or entertainment industry when you work at a music magazine because you�re constantly going to concerts, parties, awards shows, press conferences, industry events, conventions and stuff like that. Through work and through mutual friends, I met an editor named Dee McLaughlin who was helping Gene Simmons of Kiss start up his magazine called Gene Simmons Tongue [sic. that is the proper title of the magazine. no apostrophe]. It was a Maxim-type magazine for men who like rock music. So, Dee just randomly thought of me to be their �Dr. Love� sex and relationship advice columnist. I never asked why, because, well, it seemed like a perfect fit to me. I mean, I�ve always had successful relationships with men and was married to a musician and I write. So, she just put two and two together and figured I�d be a good columnist for her.

The key thing to giving out advice is that you need to be successful at what you�re giving advice on. I have a great marriage and sex life so since that�s successful, why not share some helpful advice with others? I always thought Carrie Bradshaw on �Sex and the City� was such a flawed character and not just for the obvious reasons. But, why the hell is someone who is so unlucky in love giving advice to others on relationships? Though I loved the show, that just made no sense to me.

In addition to being an advice columnist for Gene Simmons Tongue, I also had begun writing about fashion and relationships of celebrities for magazines such as Us Weekly, Teen People and People. So, I picked up a lot of fashion, style, beauty, and design tid-bits as a journalist through that as well.

And, then I pick up a lot in my travels and I take classes for fun often and love to host parties at my house and have dinner parties or help style my friends. I�ve even had friends pay me to be their personal shopper.

It�s a combination of my journalistic and life experiences that made Simon & Schuster understand that I am someone who can dish out advice on a wide range of topics with some sense of authority.

And, I�ve done everything in the book --- just about. For instance, I spend a lot of time backstage and on a tour bus with my husband so I�ve lived those tips first hand. I had credit card debt in my early twenties, but I�ve been debt-free and a homeowner 10 years now, so my advice on how to get out of debt is advice I used myself and it worked. And, so on.

For the stuff I�m not an expert at, I�ve brought in an expert to talk about it in my book. For instance, I have the hairstylist for �American Idol� giving tips on how to do a cool up-do and I have Kat Von D. from �LA Ink� talking about what to consider before getting your first tattoo. I even got the woman who waxes such celebs in L.A. as Pamela Anderson and Sandra Bullock to talk about bikini waxing!

What do you like most about what you do?

It�s fun and sometimes you get to actually help or inspire someone, while being inspired yourself. It�s creative and rewarding and fulfilling and I could really go on and on. And, the perks don�t suck either.

How long did it take for you to find your calling and do you have any words of advice for all of our readers and writers?

I knew what I wanted to do after my first article was published in Tunes N� Times when I was 17 years old. Writers love seeing their name in print, right? I consider myself lucky because it takes most people a long time to find what makes them happy. My advice is that when you find something you love, you need to work it 24/7. You need to eat, live, breathe, and sleep it. Read everything you can on the subject. Work for free to get experience. Do internships. Take classes on it. Go see speakers on it. Google it. TiVo it. Whatever it is, there are tons of opportunities out there to immerse yourself in that �thing� that you love. You just need to be active in seeking it out. Learn how to schmooze and make connections. I landed almost every job by word of mouth because I was always out there working it, even when I was in a job I liked. I was always making new connections and friends with people who have similar interests. Schmoozing is only bad when it�s not sincere, but my love for what I do and the people in the industry I do it with has always been truly sincere.

One last thing -- Sometimes you need to be a little aggressive and obnoxious to get noticed, so don�t be afraid to make a fool of yourself in doing so. I swear, I got my first job just because I went after it aggressively � I FedExed my resume and clips overnight instead of sending it via the mail. I called that day to make sure they got it. I told them I was perfect for the job and just had to come in for an interview. The second I got home from that interview, I emailed the editor with a follow up. And, I think I got the job partly just so I would shut up! Well, I was qualified for the job but so where several other people and some of them might have been better writers than me. But it�s not always being the best technically at what you do. It was my vivacious personality and the fact that I was a real �go �getter� that made me the right person over the other equally qualified candidates. Decent skills are only one part of it.

Tell us about the book:
"CHERRY BOMB: The ultimate guide to becoming a better flirt, a tougher chick, a hotter girlfriend, and living life like a rock star� is a lifestyle guide for the girl who dares to be different. It is essentially the rock chick�s guide to life. But, by rock chick, I really just mean chicks who rock -- Women who dare to be different. Women with an edge. Women who don�t want to look like Paris Freakin� Hilton or the Girl Next Door. Women who are risk-takers and are bold and confident. Women like Gwen Stefani, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joan Jett, Joss Stone, Dita Von Teese, Frida Kahlo, Bjork, Gina Gershon, and others.

It�s a fun reference guide with a lot of advice, tips, how-to demonstrations, and inspirational stuff on, well, everything I had time to write up in just four months. It has flirting, dating and sex tips. It has style, fashion and beauty tips. It has tips on how to land a cool job and how to set goals and get out of the red. But, my favorite entries are the more rock lifestyle entries, such as how to prepare and serve Absinthe, how to sneak backstage at a concert, how to behave on a tour bus, and how to hit on a celebrity.

I�ll have some rock chicks, celebs and cool experts chiming in too, but I can�t reveal then yet. I�ll update you as soon as I can, though.

Where can folks buy it?

You can actually pre-order it now on amazon.com. Here is the link: www.amazon.com/Cherry-Bomb-Ultimate-Becoming-Girlfriend/dp/141696116X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195874025&sr=1-3

But you won�t get it until Aug. 5, 2008, which is when it�ll hit stores. It should be in all major stores like Barnes & Noble and R.J. Julia Booksellers.

Is there any way you people can contact you with questions?

Absolutely. They can email me at www.myspace.com/carrieborzillovrenna. And, yes, I do reply to all emails.

Any last words to share with the folks back home?

Wallingford still �and will always � holds a special place in my heart. When people ask me where I�m from, I always say Connecticut even though I�ve lived in Los Angeles since 1992. The area of L.A. I live in (Eagle Rock) reminds me of a small New England town so I feel close to home every day.

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Just a Little Guy

By Carol Sinon

He was just a little guy when he came into our hearts and home. Gray and white with beautiful green eyes and both a pink nose and toes. He was very handsome and was a people cat. He loved children.

Gonzo was my official greeter. The day my husband and I took him to the Vet for the first time�he weighed only five pounds.

Later on, I asked the Vet if there was anything that could help him. There was nothing that could be done. Gonzo was twenty years old.

We all loved Gonzo very much and I will miss him terribly.

If there is a kitty heaven then he is looking at us now.

Gonzo, this is my tribute to you!
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My Trip to Paris
Abigail Schmidt Age 12 Grade 6
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I was lucky enough to experience a vacation like no other. The destinations? Paris, France and Calvi, Corsica. It was here where I visited my uncle in his apartment near the Eiffel Tower, covered with African antiquities and his 10 purebred cats. That unto itself was a bit unusual, but after seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre museum (I happened to see the Mona Lisa while I was there), the Picasso museum and most importantly, the Eiffel Tower, it seemed pretty average. As they all say, there are many eccentric shops and cafes in Paris, some of which we visited and ate at. Gardens were scattered around the city along with parks and fountains. Exotic pets were sold some of the days we were there, such as chipmunks and turkeys.

Wednesday of our first week brought airplanes and handsome flight attendants. When we landed in Corsica, I could scarcely believe the beautiful scenery and the towering mountains. And the beaches! They were so beautiful, with powdery white sand and crystal clear waters. Rock bridges protruded out into the sea, urchins clinging to the lower rocks of the bridges. A large fortress, the Citadelle, stood out next to the seemingly-endless horizon. The port had scattered shops, and cafes directly on the beach (particularly one little creperie) kept us full, and every day I enjoyed something different. People played rugby and soccer out of the beach, and everyone was courteous. Algajola, another city off the coast, supplied tide-pools and large waves, which was perfection for an excitable girl like me. Back near his apartment, a hidden cove was like a haven inside this heaven, wildlife so abundant and the water crystal-clear and aquamarine. It was a true shame when we had to leave Corsica and the day after, France, but the sound of my friends' voices and sleeping in my own bed was home-sweet home after such a wondrous vacation.

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True Treasure
Chapter one

Elizabeth walked towards her husband, Jonathan after the short funeral. She knew his grief was as deep as hers. She slowly went into his arms and they both cried together. They will never go to their two year old son, Jonathan Jr. again. He was gone from their lives but not from their hearts.
Soon they walked arm in arm back to their wagon. This is what the trail brought them� the death of their son.

Jonathan looked at the sky and sighed. Others had come ill on the trail and died, but none had ever been so close to their hearts as their dear son. How would they ever make it? Leaving the new grave on the trail unmarked. The wagon master had advised them not to mark the grave because of raiders.. Sometimes the Indians raided graves.

At the wagon, Elizabeth started a stew for their dinner, that she knew neither of them would really eat, but their friend, Jake, who drove their second wagon, would need to eat. It was something for her to do. She also made some biscuits. When it was ready, Jake arrived. Elizabeth got him his plate and placed three biscuits on it and handed it to him. He had sorrow in his eyes when he looked at her, but he didn�t say anything because he didn�t know what to say. He knew his friends were grieving. He nodded his thank you when she handed him his plate. Elizabeth tried to smile but it was a weak one. He sat down by the wagon and started eating.

She knew Jonathan wouldn�t want to eat but she fixed him and plate and took it to him. She made one for herself as well and headed to where Jonathan was sitting on the other side of the wagon. He was chewing on a piece of grass when she walked up to him. She handed him his plate but he pushed it away.
"Honey, you need your strength to drive this wagon." she said softly.
"I know but I just can�t eat right now."
"Honey, I don�t feel like eating either, but I am going to push myself to eat just a little and you should as well."
"I know........okay, I�ll try to eat a little," as he took the plate from her. She sat down beside him and took a few bites of the stew and Jonathan did as well.

Since it was Sunday, they weren�t traveling that day. It was a day of rest. Elizabeth spent most of the afternoon at the grave. That�s where Jonathan found her just after dark.
"Come, Beth, we need to get some sleep so we can move on tomorrow." he said in a low voice.
"I don�t want to leave him," she cried softly.
"I know, Honey, but we have to." She went into his arms and cried. He held her tenderly.
"I know, Hon, It won�t be easy for me to leave him either but we can�t stay here. It�s too dangerous." She cried some more. He held her until her tears were spent and led her back to the wagon and to bed. Neither one of them slept very well but they did get a little rest. Elizabeth dreamt about her son running towards her but she could not get to him. The closer they got, the further away they got. She tossed and turned and woke Jonathan up several. She was calling for Jonathan when he woke her at dawn.
"It�s time to get up, Beth." he said gently. "I�ll go start the fire for breakfast and go check the horses."
"Okay, I�ll be up shortly," answered Elizabeth. Jonathan got dressed and kissed his wife before he left.
Jonathan met Jake when he climbed out of the wagon. Jonathan reached for some wood to start the fire and Jake got the kindling. Soon the fire was going. Jonathan got the coffee pot and started the coffee. Then they went to take care of the horses. Jake didn�t say much as usual, just small talk.
"How is Mrs. Tanner doing? Jake asked.
"Not well, I�m afraid. It�s going to be hard for her when we leave this morning."
"I�m sorry for your loss. Your son meant a lot to me too. I grieve with you. I loved him like my own son."
"Thanks, Jake and I know he meant a lot to you and he liked you as well." answered Jonathan. After feeding the horses, they headed back to the wagon. Elizabeth was up preparing breakfast that she wasn�t looking forward to eating, but she had to cook for the men. Jonathan poured him and Jake coffee. Elizabeth was sipping hers while the salt pork was frying in the pan. Jonathan reached over and kissed her. Elizabeth pushed him away.
"We�re in public, Jonathan," she replied.
"What? I can�t kiss my wife in public?" he asked. "Where�s the public anyway?" She nodded toward Jake. He smiled at her.
"Well, I don�t think Jake minds if I kiss my wife in front of him, do you, Jake?"
"I don�t mind at all," he answered. Jonathan reached over and put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her again. She blushed.

George's Groundhog Grudge
by George Arndt

I used to plant veggies up on the hill in back of my house for as long as I can remember with no thought of any herbivorous intruders...then came the day of the groundhog. One day I noticed a couple of partially eaten green tomatoes on the ground. Hmm, aha...someone, or something, has been eating my unmatured produce. So I fenced the garden in with chicken wire. But some sneaky critter had laboriously dug a tunnel underneath my fence, and feasted once again on what was left of my fledgling crops.

Uttering to no person, nor beast...I hesitantly implored,

"What is that odd-looking hole, just up from my garden, doing there, and what does it imply?" As I stood there pondering, a groundhog stuck its head out from that abysmal abode of his. Well I'll fix him...smart aleck. I removed the chicken wire, dug a trench a foot deep around the perimeter of my garden plot and reinstalled the fencing a foot below ground level.

Would you believe?...that taunting, ungainly, and ominous furry marauder, managed to dig beneath my well-thought-up attempt to bar it from getting in. Well, that was about 10 or 12 years ago. I decided this past Memorial Day Weekend to give it another try...hopefully there will be no more hassles from Punxsutawney Phil.

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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 advise from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail or phone with your confidential question and we will answer it in the next issue.

Let us all make this summer a summer filled with adventure.

June and Flora

Dear Housewives,

I am a single Mother who just recently lost a job that paid $45,000/year. The only job I can find pays only $10.00 an hour. How can I feed the kids and pay the mortgage?

- Single Mom in Wallingford

FLORA: Dear Mom, first I want to say that I am sorry that you are in a situation like this. Losing a job especially when you have children, is very stressful. Please remember to not loose sight of a good outcome; there is hope.

Here are some things you can consider:

-get a roommate to share expenses while you work and learn some skills to get a better paying job.

- I am not sure what type of field you are in but try to develop some contacts and relationships to help you land a job in your field of work.

-call your mortgage company and anyone you owe money to. Explain your temporary situation to them and work something out.

-cut out ALL extras. Yes, the cable, your cell or land telephone line, if you go out to eat (even for a coffee) stop all of that.

-Shop at discount grocers. Prepare meals that are low cost and healthy. Prepared foods can be a waste of money. Use your discretion in the stores. And please don't let the marketing executives get control of your mind and tell you what you need to buy. Keep your power and you will keep some of your money too.Your children can have fun for FREE. You do not need to buy buy buy.

-visit Dave Ramsey's website. Read his books. www.daveramsey.com

This is a good example of how having an emergency fund is so important for families. Have enough to cover 3-6 months of living expenses. As Dave Ramsey (daveramsey.com) says about emergencies: It will rain; you need an umbrella. This would mean liquid/easy access funds.

JUNE: I am also sorry for your situation. It must be very scary to wonder how to take care of your children. I agree with all that Flora has said except taking in a roommate. That can often be a nightmare situation and it is one thing to fight to get someone out of your home when you are single but it can be dangerous with kids in the house. I see that only making your life more stressful and more confusing for your kids. You should never bring strangers into your kids life. You can also read Suze Ormon's books. She went from rags to riches in a situation like yours.

Dear Housewives,

What can I do to entertain the kids when I want them outside but can't afford to drive anywhere? Hoping for Help in Meriden.

JUNE: Hmmm, uhhh, put them outside. Can't see the correlation between wanting your kids outside and driving them somewhere. When I was a kid I went outside in the morning, went home for lunch and dinner for the night. I was always outside, my mom didn't drive me anywhere and my dad was at work. Don't feel you have to go anywhere, tell them to go outside and find an imagination.

FLORA: I wish we knew the ages of your children. Explore your neighborhood. Teach them marbles, jump rope, jacks. Identify leaves, flowers, birds. Use the sprinkler. Let them play. They will finds games to play on their own. Kids are naturally curious and creative. Let them be kids, stand back and watch them have a wonderful summer.

CHIT-CHAT

June, my children, along with all of Meriden's school kids are participating in the Governor's Summer Reading Challenge. They have to read 30 books and respond to 5 questions on 5 of the books. I think it is fantastic. I have a few books that are accumulating in my 'need to read' pile. So, I too will challenge myself to read the group this summer.

The Secret Life of Bees
Wicked
Spontaneous Healing
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Memory Keepers Daughter
Suite Fran�aise
Waiting for Snow in Havana

For those that can knock out a book in a day or two; more power to ya. I am a slow reader but I can master this. My Bible is coming along too. I am on 1Chronicles, Romans, somewhere in the Psalms and Proverbs. Reading it the way Our Daily Bread www.rbc.org is doing the bible in a year this year is great.
Do you have any summer book reading plans?

JUNE: Flora, I read Wicked and I think I had assessed it in this column. I just finished sTori Telling, which was Tori Spelling's book about her life as the daughter of one of the most successful television producers of our time. A good, quick, light read. I will look into your suggestions. Have a great July.

Barbara's Bountiful Bouquet

What a difference a month makes, hey? Today is June 23rd, and my garden is coming along well at the Wallingford Community Garden. I did plant the basil too soon, on May 25th, as we still had several cold nights after that, and the basil did not make it. So I replanted it. Even the second planting is not looking all that healthy, kind of yellow instead of green, so I fertilized it yesterday, along with everything else in the garden. I planted two long rows of corn (seeds, the only way to go), and they are close to knee-high and are so far not getting eaten by bugs or critters. The marigolds are looking very sad at the moment. We definitely need more sun than we have been getting lately. I even have mushrooms growing because it is too darn damp. I plucked all of those out that I found, but it is not a good sign.
My sunflowers I planted from seed are doing well. Sometimes those can be eaten up immediately, but thus far they are surviving, knock on soil. I planted about 10 cucumber seeds in each of six hills, and I have lost a lot of them. I'll be lucky if four survive in most of the hills, and one only has two. Cucumbers are always a touch-and-go vegetable. Last year I had a bumper crop, but you never know from one year to the next what will happen. If the bugs don't get to them, something else will. I also bought two stargazer lily bulbs and planted those, and they are slowly growing.
I have always had cleomes reseed themselves, but this year I did not see a one until a few days ago. Lo, and behold, they reseeded in various parts of the garden, but not where they were last year. They are very tiny at the moment, and I will try to transplant them when they get a little stronger because they are too close to other plants, like the cucumbers. My tomatoes hardly look like they are making any progress, but I do have some small green tomatoes on a few plants, so maybe I'll have ripe tomatoes sometime in July. Yum. Last year we didn't have tomatoes until well into August, which is pretty late. Does anyone need garlic? I have probably 30 or more ready to be harvested. Let me know if you want some fresh garlic. There was a little space where my sunflowers did not pop up, so I planted some Black-Eyed Susan seeds, and they are now emerging.
Every year I have a battle with weeds from the neighboring plots. There are three sides of my garden that border other gardeners' plots, and I am always blessed with people who do not weed their borders. So yesterday I hauled a motherlode of hay to my garden and deposited it on all three sides, after weeding, of course, in hopes of keeping the weeds from invading my garden and depleting needed nutrients from my plants. The fourth side of my garden faces the path, and I always keep that weeded and looking nice. Oh, and the artichoke plants are doing great! I think I may have planted them a little too close to each other, but time will tell. They looked so sick a month ago, I didn't think they were going to survive, but they are quite robust now.
A friend of mine had extra plants she had no room for in her garden, so two weeks ago she gave me some cucumbers, yellow squash, and zucchini. So I shoveled, hoed, and raked a section next to the side of the house where I had planted a few things last summer, and put the vegetables into the ground. (I wish I could come up with another word besides planted.) I have a trellis that I placed behind the cukes, and hope to be able to train them up the trellis so they won't wander out into the lawn. I had a few extra marigolds, so I dug a spot for them in the ground next to the vegetables. And then I had a large packet of seeds in a planting mix that are supposed to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so I threw those into some empty spaces as well, and they are already emerging. So that's it for this edition. Whew, that was kind of long.
Happy 4th of July to all! Thank you, God, for the United States of America!Barbara Sherburnebarndt49@yahoo.com
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The Best of Fishing
By: Fran Lappert

I receive a call from my good friend Peter Devit that he and his friend George Soeters were planning another trip fishing on Lake Ontario. It was to be planned for the middle of July and he asked me if I would like to join them for two full days of fishing. At that time pf my life Ellie was visiting our daughter Linda and her family in North Carolina. I told Peter I would like to join them. We met at his home to make a list of what food we needed for the two days, and I said, I would buy the groceries. Pete had already had a weekend reservation with Jim Wells Charter Boat out of Port Bay. He had already made several trips with Jim that was very successful. We left Peter�s house at 12noon, as it was a six-hour drive to the lake. We made one stop at a rest station and had an ice cream and to stretch our legs. We arrived at Jim�s cabin around 6p.m. After unloading all our groceries into the cabin, we went to a nice restaurant on the lake for supper and for me to buy my license. Jim said he would like to be on the lake by 6a.m. so we hit the hay around 9p.m. We all got up around five to have a quick breakfast and to make sandwiches for our lunch as we were not going to stop fishing for the next eight hours. When Jim arrived at the location we were going to troll, he just finished setting out the fourth down rigger when we got a strike on one of them. Pete was the closest to the rod and picked it up and reared back to set the hook. After fighting the fish to the boat Jim netted it. It was a ten-pound Lake Trout. It was a nice start.

Jim now had all six rigs set out at different levels from fifty to one hundred feet deep. After trolling for an hour another rod got a strike and it was another nice Lake Trout. We cough most of them in ninety feet of water. Then we had a dry spell for quite awhile until Jim saw a huge school of baitfish on his fish finder and told us to watch the rods as he also saw some large fish following them. First one rod popped and Pete was closest and took it. A minute later a third rod popped and I grabbed it. We were now battling three King Salmon. Jim quickly reeled up the remaining lines to get them out of the way. First Pete�s line went slack another fish off. George was luckier, he was able to bring his fish to the boat and Jim netted it. It weighed close to twenty-four pounds.

Jim got the rigs down again and returned to the same area again. The next strike, it was my turn on the rod and it soon popped. I grabbed it and Jim said to strike hard so the fish could not throw the spoon. The fish pulled another fifty feet of line off the reel and finally surfaced way in back of the boat. Jim said I had a good Salmon this time. I fought this fish for almost thirty minutes before I finally got him close to the boat. It was a huge King Salmon. Jim got out his scale and weighed it. It tipped the scale at thirty-five lbs. It was the largest fresh water fish I ever caught. It turned out to be the largest King caught from his boat that summer.

Horoscopes for July
Week 1
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, money is the root of all evil for you this week. You may let greed get the better of you. Thursday is a good day for turning things around.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21
Think long and hard on things before you make a big decision, Taurus. Examine all sides and you just may find that you're doing it all for the wrong reasons.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21
Sometimes there's no place like home to provide that quiet retreat that you crave, Gemini. But since staying home all the time is not an option, you have to learn how to chill out elsewhere.
CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22
This is a special time for you, Cancer. The stars are aligning in just the right way to bring you financial success and a wealth of friendship as well.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, it's time to get off the express train to nowhere and figure out what you want to do with your life for the next few months. Get a plan and put it in action.
VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22
Normally you're the first to join in with anything, Virgo. But this week you're certainly not the life of the party. Banish this serious case of the grumpies.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23
It's remarkable what you can accomplish when you put your mind to things, Libra. This week is full of surprises and some will trickle over into next week as well.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, being helpful and being bossy are two different things. But you're having trouble telling the difference between them. Rethink your approach.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21
Sagittarius, constantly checking up on a coworker is not going to make him or her move any faster. In fact, it could incite this person to slow down progress even further.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20
Hand over the leadership reigns to another person, Capricorn. You're entitled to a well-deserved break this week. It's okay to watch things from the sidelines.
AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18
Stop worrying about your finances, Aquarius. Your investments, bank accounts and other financial ventures are all picture-perfect. Splurge on something you want.
PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20
Sharp words and barbs may win the fight in the immediate future, Pisces, but they can also have long-term effects.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
JULY 6
George W. Bush, U.S. President (62)
JULY 7
Ringo Starr, Drummer (68)
JULY 8
Kevin Bacon, Actor (50)
JULY 9
Fred Savage, Actor (32)
JULY 10
Arlo Guthrie, Singer (61)
JULY 11
Lisa Rinna, Actress (45)
JULY 12
Richard Simmons, Fitness Guru

Week 2
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, you need to be a team player when it comes to your job. Do your work as best as you can, but let it be known that you also stand by your coworkers.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21
Don't take anything too personally in the next couple of days, Taurus. It is not worth the headache it could cause. Focus your energy on work projects that need attention.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21
Sometimes the most unselfish act involves letting others do things for you, Gemini. Stand back and let someone else enjoy the spotlight and dote on you.
CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22
Cancer, you can fix whatever is broken if you are prepared to put in a little hard work. Consider saving time by scaling back your goal, or asking others for help.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23
Something you've long anticipated finally happens this week, Leo. Recognize the difference between a real commitment and a shallow promise made in haste.
VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22
If you point out what people are doing right at work rather than how they are messing up, the team will become more efficient, Virgo. You will benefit from this situation.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, the world becomes an easy place in which to live this week. Throw aside your inhibitions and bask in your good fortune. Also enjoy some moments of indulgence.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22
Believe it or not, Scorpio, you have a choice in the way you react to the attitude and actions of someone else. Don't let others' sour moods ruin your day or your week.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21
Someone has been singing your praises, Sagittarius - unbeknownst to you. This person is letting others know how well you've done your job and how you're a real asset.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20
Capricorn, ease up on the people around you. You are coming across as too harsh with the things you simply cannot tolerate. Tone down the drama and be more supportive.
AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18
Aquarius, right now you are in a good position to make a connection with someone who had previously been an adversary. Extend a hand and put aside your differences.
PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20
If you don't gather up all of your facts, Pisces, someone could end up looking like a fool on Tuesday. That person could be you.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
JULY 13
Harrison Ford, Actor (66)
JULY 14
Harry Dean Stanton, Actor (82)
JULY 15
Forest Whitaker, Actor (47)
JULY 16
Will Ferrell, Actor (41)
JULY 17
David Hasselhoff, Actor (56)
JULY 18
Vin Diesel, Actor (41)
JULY 19
Jared Padalecki, Actor (26)

Week 3
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20
The hot weather has put you in a mood, Aries. You may want to spend some time at home until you're in better spirits. Think about hanging out with friends as well.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21
Taurus, financial concerns leave you feeling nervous this week. It's better to pinch some pennies for a while until you get back on course. Capricorn lends a hand.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, a special friend from your past comes back for a visit. It could lead to interesting things. Keep your agenda open for Wednesday when love is in your stars.
CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22
Cancer, keep your patience with a friend on Tuesday. This person is just feeling a little stir-crazy and really doesn't mean the things he or she is saying.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23
Family squabbles can get out of hand unless you keep the peace, Leo. Be the bigger person, maintain order and lead by a compassionate example.
VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22
Virgo, stop doing so much for others and pamper yourself a little bit this week. Go to a spa, take a vacation, or just stay home from work for a day.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, you've been feeling very anxious and it's partially because you are experiencing low self-esteem. You have to exert more confidence in all that you do.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, a close friend really needs your help on Thursday. Make sure your schedule is open so that you can lend a hand. Put work on hold for some quality time with your mate.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21
Have you been spending too much time at work, Sagittarius? It could be because you are avoiding a situation at home. Face your problems and be honest with yourself.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20
It may be time to consider a career change, Capricorn. Think about what interests you the most rather than just focusing in on the financial factor.
AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18
Your confidence continues to rise, Aquarius. It could be because of good news you've been receiving at work. Consult with Leo for advice on improving your financial future.
PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20
Pisces, be the life of the party on Friday. You just may hook up with a winning romance. Look to Scorpio for some companionship.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
JULY 20
Gisele B�ndchen, Model (28)
JULY 21
Josh Hartnett, Actor (30)
JULY 22
Willem Dafoe, Actor (53)
JULY 23
Michelle Williams, Singer (28)
JULY 24
Jennifer Lopez, Singer (39)
JULY 25
Matt LeBlanc, Actor (41)
JULY 26
Sandra Bullock, Actress (44)

Week 4
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, if you're not a fan of the summer weather, you may want to make a trip to a cooler locale. Plan a romantic rendezvous with your sweetie as a chance to escape.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21
The beginning of the year had some bumps along the way, but the second half will give you another chance to reassess your goals for a greater feeling of purpose and security.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, if you've been in a festive mood, spread your cheer to others who could benefit from a friendly smile. Do some volunteer work or help those in need.
CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22
Feeling academic, Cancer? It could be the right time to sign up for school to continue a degree. Make the most of the slow economy to expand your education.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23
You've been in a slump, Leo, which is usually not your typical behavior. Get rearing to go with a new hobby to jump-start your interest. Start a club or join a class.
VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22
Virgo, if you've been speeding through your life, it could be time to step on the brakes. Take a few moments to enjoy the scenery. A beachside resort could be the place.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23
Have you been thinking of a home remodeling project, Libra? This is just the time to start one. The warm weather will give you plenty of days to throw open the window.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, take a short vacation to refresh and recharge before you're needed back at work. Since it's serenity you seek, you might want to fly solo to optimize peaceful moments.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21
Sagittarius, it seems that the new project you hoped to start is not going to work out. The finances are just not there at the moment. Bide your time - you may be surprised in a few months.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20
It's time to shed those pounds you've been meaning to lose for a while, Capricorn. Too many rich foods have left you feeling soft in the middle.
AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18
Have you been experiencing cabin fever, Aquarius? There's no reason to when the weather is so nice. Plan events around being outdoors and you'll soon recharge.
PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20
You're normally a very confident and positive person, Pisces. But lately you're a skeptic. Find out what's bugging you.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
JULY 27
Alex Rodriguez, Athlete (33)
JULY 28
Sally Struthers, Actress (60)
JULY 29
Martina McBride, Singer (42)
JULY 30
Hilary Swank, Actress (34)
JULY 31
Dean Cain, Actor (42)
AUGUST 1
Tempestt Bledsoe, Actress (35)
AUGUST 2
Jeremy Castle, Singer (34)

Ernie's Garden Adventure's 2008��The Recession Fighter Garden

Gas, food, utilities, just about everything; what do all of these things have in common � well, if you haven't been living in a cave you would know that they all cost more this year than last. However "experts" say this is not a recession � I wonder what field these "experts" are experts in, hmmm?

Rapidly rising energy costs � have skyrocketed the price of, well, as I stated, almost everything � gasoline for the car, heating oil, food, both processed and fresh due to transportation costs, almost every day to day necessity. People are cutting back on unnecessary trips in the car, shortening or even canceling vacations and trying to be more self sufficient in daily life. I've heard of a few families who are installing pools as a hedge on outside family activity expenses.

In my case, for many years, I've had a vegetable garden, well; it usually works out to be pretty much of a tomato garden simply because they seem to grow no matter what and are so versatile, everyone I know seems to like them. This year, I thought I'd be a bit more assertive and try and grow some other types of veggies that my family would enjoy � so I chose green beans, beets, carrots, lettuce and cucumbers; plus the obligatory tomatoes along with some basil and dill. Stuff we'd usually buy at the store or farm market stands � just thought perhaps an attempt at saving would be in vogue. Well, every year I plant a garden one of my major crops are weeds � like anything else, at the beginning of the season, like a lot of others, I'm pretty gung-ho on keeping the garden watered, weeded etc. and as the season wears on, the enthusiasm is a bit more relaxed. Last year I did purchase some weed barrier, it worked to a point, yet I still had a goodly amount of weeds, for some reason the weeds seemed to just multiply, finding any minute nook or cranny and just ignoring the existence of the barrier; however I must admit there were a lot fewer than in previous seasons.

I was trying to find out how to easily grow (weed free) vegetables � so, with the availability of the Internet and its vast storeroom of knowledge, I found some great ideas on a site called Square Foot Gardening - a vision of a fellow named Mel Bartholomew; read the premise, thought about it, the fact that people proclaim it is a virtually 'weed free' method and noticed how simple and easy it was to implement, decided this was the plan for me..

I downloaded the basic instructions, found out that I probably should buy Mel's book as it was a very recent revision with some new information. So, being the frugal character that I am I downloaded a 40% off coupon from my local bookstore and emerged 30 minutes later with Mel's newest tome on this innovative system of vegetable propagation. This system does entail some expense and basic woodworking, however if you have access to a home building supply center, Lowe's etc� you can get them to do all the wood cutting. Then it's just a matter of assembling your 'garden box'. I think my total expense to purchase materials for two 4x4 foot boxes was $35.00 and for the growing medium/filling what is touted in the book as Mel's mix and what I call Ern's mix, a slight variation, was around $38.00, note that all this was a one-time expense.

I had all my materials, proceeded to assemble the boxes, set them in the garden, filled them with the growing mix and placed the wooden grids which defined the planting areas , all which took about 2 hours or so. Then I planted my plants and seeds, 6 tomato plants an equal number of basil, beets, carrots, peas and bush beans. For some of the seed planting I used seed strips � the seeds were in a water soluble strip, evenly spaced. I saw these at the home center, they were on sale, so being the consummate bargain hunter, plus they touted the fact that it was more economical to buy the seeds this way because you would not have to thin emerging plants which would result in less waste. Well, I'm one for experimenting so I took the plunge and this 'technology' seems to seem to be working OK. Well, except for the cucumbers, I think the birds had a feast on those seeds as I only have a couple of plants emerging (should have been 20-25). And they are not in the square foot garden; they are in an auxiliary, regular soil, planting area, oh well.
It's been a few weeks since I did my initial planting, the tomato plants are flourishing, 3 or 4 times the size of the initial plants, beets and carrots, peas and beans all progressing nicely. The basil is ready to harvest, I did, inexplicably lose one basil plant, can't figure out why, but the others have some nice leaves and I did pick some, will use them this weekend. A friend stopped over during the week and gave me 3 tomato plants he started from seeds he purchased on a trip to Greece. I planted those in the auxiliary garden today; they were pretty good looking, nice and sturdy with good foliage, I'm sure they'll do very well.

I'm not sure if this endeavor is going to save me any money, the initial expensed worked out to about $85.00 � however it's a one-time cost and for the investment I hope to reap a lot more product than in years' past. Plus, I haven't seen a weed yet!

So now it's just a matter of time � I water almost every day, well in the past couple of days I was upstaged by heavy rains which took care of this nicely. I also have a cherry tomato plant planted in a container on my deck, and a planter full of scallions I started from seed. Now it's up to Mother Nature. Stay tuned for the next issue of the PP and my update on my SFG garden and my other miscellaneous plantings.

Gina's Take!
By Gina Maurizio

So much is happening as we enter the second half of 2008. Gas prices make for big conversation along with the upcoming presidential election. There are some local changes with Meriden�s long time mayor leaving us to move on with his career and the Board of Education�s budget cuts also have people stirring with concern for our schools.. So as Bob Dylan sang �The Times They Are A Changing�.

All politics aside, the first half of the year has flown by and it is amazing how time passes so quickly.

Now its time to see what I�ve accomplished and what yet needs to be done.

Hmmmmmm it appears as if there is a lot left to carry out� did I paint the spare room, no, clean the basement� not yet .How about tearing up that old rug? Didn�t happen.
Either I began the year with too much in mind to do, or I kept adding to the list.
Not quite sure.

July is just too great of a month to do too many tasks anyway. There are picnics and graduation parties. Not to forget the Fourth of July and the summer concerts at Hubbard Park .How about a game of miniature golf? Oh yes, I should work on my tan�and I need to purchase more bug spray for nights by the fire pit. Shall we get an ice cream on the way to the store???

Another reason not to over do it is that July is national hot dog month, national blueberry month, ice cream month, and anti boredom month!!!
Who would have thought!! It appears that these important holidays need to be recognized with a reverence, do they not???

That settles it then, as I stroll through the month of July I will leave politics for the politicians and the chores for Autumn.

But I do love to walk in the leaves.

Opportunities in Africa
By Tom Daley

I write this article as a local citizen who has experienced the richness of a continent and a people through three previous trips which were both eye opening and heart opening. My heart was changed, my opinions were destroyed; it was like a laser gun that tore through me and created a vision to be part of a small but growing number of American who want to partner with those Africans who have integrity, vision, and want to see their continent changed while holding on to their wonderful cultural values of a strong family, close village ties, and commitment to the arts, especially the crafts and music/dance. I believe that this is the time America or at least those in the Wallingford-Meriden area to take a look at the opportunities. Hopefully we can get past the tourist mentality of seeing the mud huts off in the distance, shaking our heads, and then refocusing only on the pleasures of our five star hotel or clinging to our tourist guides as we enjoy our safari in either South Africa or Kenya. Although I have taken time off in my travels, in fact about 20% of my time doing R&R, I have also enjoyed the challenges of the other 80%: In the bush (no electricity, no plumbing) addressing key villagers on the merits of this partnership and reminding them that Africa�s greatness lies fore mostly in each African believing in his and her greatness. Because they all have relatives in the cities who watch TV and the American and European shows, they know of our �big buildings� and long interstates and they aren�t afraid of our technology. But we do have a self-esteem problem here as most Africans see themselves as �small� compared to the Americans, Europeans, and Asians. Consequently, I always remind them of the greatness of simplicity as well as the world�s need to be refreshed by their unending joyfulness. Simply put America and the world need Africa just as Africa needs America and the world.

Unless you are really adventurous I suggest that your first adventure over there be for 2-3 weeks to learn the culture; I went to the Maputo-Zimpeto area in Mozambique and did a safari in S.Africa on the way back. This program acquainted me with 500 children who were being housed and schooled in a large compound administered by both Westerners and Nationals; it also gave me the opportunity to visit a village and be honored by all the grateful villagers; I in turn was just as grateful to them for their hospitality. These people and children easily open up their hearts and joyfully embraced the American. I have returned for a three month training and again last year for four months sharing in the bush on weekends and teaching English during the week in the city of Nampula. The response of the African toward us is overwhelming positive; we haven�t colonized their continent and their anti-colonial slogan of �Africa for Africans� has been revised for us, �Americans you have come to see how we are.� They seem to feel that we are concerned for their welfare while also being fearful that their country may be next on our list of nations to be invaded. But these fears seem easy to overcome as one shares a meal with a family in the village, giving out crackers and treats while partaking of their delicious chicken and rice dish, seasoned with mouth watering spices and herbs. On one occasion I supplied the equivalent of $7.00 so an infant could have her medicine for malaria. In their subsistence economy of barter and a few crops, this amount may rarely be seen by some. Visiting the recovered infant later and celebrating with the extended family became a highlight of my trip. Regardless of one�s skills: teaching, nursing, administration, sanitarian, nutritionist, irrigation/farming, or student of international studies- Africa needs you. There is presently a hunger in their hearts to receive us and to hear of the potential greatness in store for them as we partner together. I will be leaving again in August, this time for West Africa I will assist in organizing a private high school. These 300 students are the children of faculty and students of a nearby university and represent a number of nations in the area. These teen students are the future of Africa! Whether Africa dissolves into tribal factions, refuge camps, dictator ruined nations, or places of peace and modern technology will be determined by how we have helped them �catch the fish�, not by how much fish and corn we have supplied. Let us partner and labor along side these Africans, donate our used computers, science equipment, and maybe just some of our time. Check out the opportunities on the net or email me at tomdaley777@yahoo.com, 203-235-7863.

Planning a Family-Friendly Trip

Mapping out fun family travels can be easier than vacationers might expect.

The key is to plan trips around what your whole family enjoys. While that may sound easier said than done�especially with teenagers and small children�travel agents say there are a variety of travel options and tips that can help.

For instance, simply blocking out time for teens to sleep in while on vacation can help keep them happy, and give adults some much needed alone time. You might also want to plan for lots of bathroom breaks and always have snacks in the car if you�re traveling with small children.
Keep It Fun

�Be adventurous and visit a national park or take a safari. Keep the activities interesting for kids as well as the adults. From glaciers and geysers to canyons and deserts, there is something that will wow every age group.

�Cruise ships can be a family vacation planner�s best friend. Picture a floating megaresort with tons for everyone to do�all in a confined space where you know your kids are supervised and safe.
Keep Them Happy

�Give teenagers space by having your travel agent select accommodations that offer more than just one room, such as a suite. Or book adjacent rooms if the budget permits.

�Keep the kids involved by putting them in charge of at least one aspect of the trip. If they�re good with maps, make them the navigator.
Keep It Affordable

�Money is a big part of any travel experience, and the more value you feel you�re getting, the more you�re likely to enjoy yourself. Travel agents can help you plan a trip within your budget and expectations to produce a better vacation experience.

�You might also set a budget with your teens for their incidental spending�and stick with it.

A little research can help you plan a vacation that�s fun for the whole family.

Did You Know?
Summer vacations have long been a tradition in the United States. Perhaps because of school being out for several months during the summer season or the casual attitude summer weather promotes, many people choose to take their vacations in the summertime. While that vacation time is valued, compared to other countries it's miniscule. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), among the more developed countries the United States lags far behind some of its counterparts when it comes to the average number of vacation days each year. While the average Italian citizen enjoys 42 vacation days per year, in the United States workers enjoy less than one-third of that total. The average American worker gets just 13 vacation days each year, exactly half the number the country's neighbor to the north, Canada, enjoys each year. Following Italy at the top of the list are France (37 days), Germany (35 days) and Brazil (34 days). Joining the U.S. near the bottom of the listare Korea and Japan, both of which average 25 days of vacation per year.

Did You Know?
Fireworks are known and loved all over the world. They're often a part of festivals and holidays, adding excitement and spectacle. The invention of fireworks is credited to the Chinese. The first fireworks were actually green bamboo that were thrown into fires to scare spirits away in ancient China, called "pas chuk." It is believed that gunpowder was discovered accidentally by a Chinese alchemist who mixed sulphur and salt peter (potassium nitrate) over a fire. The Chinese name for gunpowder is "huo yao" (fire chemical).

DORM LIVING NOT FOR SISSIES
By Phyllis S. Donovan

We were so busy this past spring, we didn�t sign up for my husband�s emeritus reunion at UMass in Amherst until the last minute. By then there was no room in the proverbial inn (that is, all room in the Campus Center hotel on campus had been booked.)

Having stayed other years in the off-campus motels in that area, we remembered how long it took in the inevitable congested traffic around there to get back and forth to the several reunion events scheduled for the weekend.

The alternative was to stay in a campus �residence,� read �dorm,� for the weekend. We reluctantly opted to do that with considerable trepidation, remembering what dorm living was like back when we were students there.

As it was, we were assigned to one of a cluster of four new high-rise dorms which boasted air conditioning, a luxury never even considered in our day. Lucky thing, too, because the weekend promised to be the hottest of the season so far.

Of course, when my husband made the reservation, he didn�t ask if linens were provided, so I packed a bag with two sets of single sheets and pillowcases plus towels and face clothes just in case we needed them. (As it turned out, we only needed the faceclothes.)

We arrived on campus, mid-morning on the Saturday and, instead of checking in at the dorm, went directly to the first reunion event scheduled. From there, we continued on all day from reception to luncheon to tour of the state-of-the-art new library to a carillon concert at the Old Chapel (whose bells I used to ring mornings and evenings when there were only 10 of them that we played by slamming down huge levers one at a time) But I digress.

We finally had a breather in activities to check in at the dorm in late afternoon with barely an hour to spare before the evening reception and dinner. We entered the dorm�s enclosed foyer but couldn�t get through the inner door into the �lobby� until a student at the desk buzzed us in. There we were given our room keys (one for each of our rooms since there was only one single bed in each room) plus a swipe card.

Proceeding to the nearby elevator, we pressed the button and waited and waited, wondering why the thing was so slow, until the guy at the desk told us we had to swipe our card first before summoning the elevator.

Once on the eighth floor, we found our room number at the end of the hall but, try as we might, neither of the keys he had given us worked in the door. Time was fleeting and we were just ready to return to the lobby to inform the fellow in reception that the keys were useless when I spotted another box intended for swipe cards at least five feet from the door. Once we swiped, the key worked fine, admitting us to a suite including a kitchen, lounge area and a row of four doors leading to four individual rooms, each with a bathroom directly across from it.

The bed in one of the rooms looked as if someone had already slept in it and its corresponding bathroom had someone�s shaving supplies lined up on the shelf over the sink. Too late to complain then. We shared the other bathroom, washed up and dressed for the evening function (for which we were already now nearly an hour late) and on the way out, reported at the reception desk about the disarray upstairs. They promised to go up, check the bathroom and make sure the bed was remade while we were out.

After an enjoyable evening spent with fellow classmates we haven�t seen for several years, we decided to check out the town of Amherst before heading back to the dorm. Not much was happening downtown that late at night and on top of that it started to rain heavily. Heading back to campus, we approached the North complex of dorms from a different direction than when we first went there in the sunny late afternoon.

Arriving at the dorm, my husband left me off at the door while he went to park the car in a nearby lot. Entering the foyer, I swiped my card�and nothing happened. The inside door wouldn�t open no matter how many ways I inserted the card. When my husband finally joined me, he couldn�t get the door to open either.

Since our overnight bags containing everything we�d brought with us were stashed on the eighth floor and no way could we come up with the magical �Open Sesame� that would allow us in, my husband took my cell phone and called the campus police to see if they could gain us entry to the place.

�Just where are you, sir?� asked the polite policeman who answered his call. Checking outside the dorm and looking above the door, my husband immediately discovered our mistake. Instead of �North C�, the building where we were assigned, we�d been trying to get into its lookalike neighbor, �North D.�

�Whoops, sorry,� my husband said, and we piled back into the car and made our way to the next dorm where our swipe card worked like a charm and let us in. Finally, back up to the suite we found we were now sharing with another reunion couple, we discovered that the room I had planned to sleep in had a defective lock, the door could be shut, but wouldn�t latch. To top it off, the overhead (and only) light wasn�t working, and the air conditioning vent which was so high on one wall we�d need a ladder (or a broomstick) to reach it was turned on full blast. My husband graciously took that room and I retired to the second room to sleep.

Sleep is not easy to come by when the bed is narrower than a twin bed, the mattress so skimpy my hipbones ached if I lay on one side too long, and, even with the A/C unit closed, one thin blanket was hardly enough to ward off chills. Thrashing around all night, I met the dawn with a grateful sigh of relief.

I remember when we were college age we could shrug off all these minor inconveniences and sleep until noon if we didn�t have a class the next day.

We would have just chalked the whole thing up as a �learning experience� (i.e. we learned we never wanted to sleep in a dorm again) except for the final blow which added insult to injury.

At a lovely farewell breakfast at the Old Deerfield Inn, we learned from classmates that while we had paid $80 for our Spartan dorm lodgings, they had made reservations online at the Campus Center hotel and only paid $77 for a night of comfort.

Before we go back for my class reunion next June, you can bet I�ll be making online reservations in February�or March at the latest for us to stay at the Campus Center hotel too.

And The Birds Have It
By Sil Patterson

This story originally started with a boring commentary about my bedroom window transformation from a shoulder height glimpse of my backyard to a double window giving me five times the view, done in 2002. But the birds I see out this window are the high point of my story. Less than two years ago I gave up on the birdhouse my youngest son and his wife gave me for Christmas and instead, pushed the wrought iron hanger deeper in the ground near my window and purchased from Meriden Feed a case of individually wrapped suet cakes and a wire basket which many birds feed from. Within two to three days the basket is empty: 11 ounces of nutty treat devoured by woodpeckers, grackles, sparrows, blue jays and more, not to mention a few grey squirrels. But the birds had most of it. When I see a squirrel on top of the metal hook I call to my dog, Chipper, who intuitively knows what I want and just misses catching Mr. Squirrel .

There are times when I fail to recognize the type of bird. The jay that oversees all the chaotic activity in a calm almost exulted way, I call Grandpa Blue Jay. Because he is more black than blue I consider him the elder. Other blue jays squawk and compete but he rules. Many of the little brown birds look like sparrows to me; their wings flutter nearly as much as the humming birds� wings do; are they nervous because of their size or do they love flying? In the winter, occasionally a white capped chickadee stops to feed�a treat for him and a treat for me. The grackles are diverse in form and color but most have a long tail. I stop short on the other side of the window to catch the beautiful purple head of the male common grackle but I�m interrupted by two other smaller grackles who push at the same spot on the suet, and of course, one flies away.

Ironically, my favorites are the woodpeckers. Toward the end of the winter my suet basket disappeared, even the rope that replaced the broken chain was gone. Did the squirrels get it or did a wandering raccoon grab it? Or did the woodpeckers have it? They are beautiful birds and I love watching them but where did those large holes come from on the side of our home; could it be from that huge red headed woodpecker? Am I an enabler, feeding the birds that demolish my home? I asked the boy who sold me more suet and a new basket.. He thought for a minute, �I think the woodpeckers will be less attentive to drilling the house if they can feed themselves in other ways.� (Oh well, one of life�s problems still waits to be solved.) Yesterday I witnessed two small downy woodpeckers kissing or was that an illusion. They danced around the suet, not at all nervously and touched beaks. How could I think ill of them?

My bedroom is confining but my window opens my perspective and my cluttered home no longer closes in on me. No curtain obstructs my view. My grand daughter observed, �Where do you get dressed? Aren�t you afraid someone will watch you?� My answer, �I just turn off the light or dress in the bathroom.�

Perhaps, there�s a raven who peeks in on me�that might bring a little romance, a little fantasy to an older woman�s hum drum life. Speaking of drumming, I must have the deep holes repaired on the side of the house.

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