The People's Press February 2009

8/7/2019 The People's Press February 2009

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February 2009 Volume 9, Issue 112

Get Happy With It!www.peoplespressnews.com

By the People . . . For the People Serving Central Connecticut

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In honor of "The Night Tiger"

ast week a Great Horned Owl was found limping across a CT road dragging an il legal "foot hold"

eel trap around by its mangled leg.

As I read this story and watched the news coverage, needless to say, I was extremely saddened

y it.

This particular variety of owl, in my opinion, is the most magnificent of all of nature's birds of

ey. It deserves to be honored and respected, not harmed due to the careless act of one or more

norant individuals.

When you become informed of some of the fascinating and interesting facts about this bird, you

mmediately become aware that this is much more than "just an animal" and that it is surely the

andiwork of something much bigger and more profound than most can even imagine.

It is respectfully nicknamed the "night tiger" and "a cat with wings" as it is an awesome night

unter equipped with talons and strength that can swiftly and mercifully takes down its prey. This

rd has 500 pounds per square inch of gripping power in its talons! (An adult human male's hands

ave only 60 pounds per square inch!)

It can turn its neck 270 degrees in either direction without moving its body!

They have spectacular binocular vision that allows them to see and spot prey in low light and

their hearing is even more spectacular than their vision as their ears are offset on either side of the

head to help pinpoint both horizontal and vertical direction of sound!

They are about 18-25 inches long and have a wingspan of 35-60 inches and lastly but sadly as

related to this story, most great horned owls are known to mate for life.

On the mystical side, the great horned owl is revered by many cultures and is believed to be a

symbol of the feminine essence of Spirit. It is associated with the moon and night and is considered

a bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom. They say the owl teaches us to trust our

instincts.

Whoever set this trap certainly lacks the knowledge above that teaches us to respect nature and

all of its creatures. Did they even consider such a thing happening and decided that "it's just an ani-

mal"?

Did they even consider that someone's dog or cat or even someone's child could have been man-

gled by this trap and decided to set it anyway?

I don't know these answers but just maybe they will read this and think twice next time.

It's only natural to let an incident like this cause us to react emotionally and make it become a

stepping stone to further ones cause or beliefs, but in the spirit of this newspaper, to find the goodnews in the world and in our town, let me just say that after reading several internet discussions

posted by everyone from vegetarians to hunters and from trappers to wildlife rehabilitators, that the

good news one can derive from this unfortunate incident is, that it seems, that most responsible

people, no matter what their own personal views and beliefs on trapping or hunting or animal rights

or wildlife rehabilitation, feel that this incident was illegal and unnecessary and horrific and are as

saddened and sickened by it as I am.

This is not a story about trapping; it is about il legal and immoral trapping. Respectful trappers

everywhere are appalled by it.

It is heart warming and encouraging, seeing the outpouring of emotion and help that is coming

from people everywhere, who thanks to the media, have heard of our local celebrity.

I am told that people as far away as Canada have offered to rehabilitate this poor creature and that

wildlife rehabilitation centers all over have had their phones ringing off the hook as concerned indi-

viduals scramble to find hope for this great bird of prey.

Finally, in closing, my respect and good wishes to Kathy Grasso, veterinarian and wildlife reha-

bilitator for her compassion and care for this creature and I trust that whatever the outcome of this

story, that she will insure that it is made from a place of compassion and experience.

Thank you, James Rusate

Local Health and Wellness Services & Stories Inside


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ge 2 February 2009

81 So. Elm Street, Wallingford 203-269-4497www.wallingfordymca.org

WALLINGFORDFAMILY

The Wallingford YMCA All Day Kindergartenin Now Accepting 2009 Applications!

Preschool and SchoolAge Child CarePreschool and YouthSports:Parent-Tot Gymnastics

Munchkin BasketballMunchkin SoccerYouth BasketballYouth Floor HockeyDance

Sport & SplashYouth Indoor SoccerYouth BasketballY Aquatics:Ages 6-38 months

ClassesPreschool ClassesYouth ClassesAdult ClassesLifeguard Training

Swim TeamsAqua Fitness ClassesY Arts:Pee Wee PicassoMessy Fun

Y Personal Fitness:Zumba Cardio DanceIrresistaballExtreme KickboxingTai -Chi

Indoor CyclingPilatesYogaGlidingPersonal Training

Healthy BalanceProgramTeen ProgramsFriday Family NightsAND SO MUCH MORE!

Just A Sample Of What Else We Offer You!

Community Health Crisis: We're Going the Wrong Way!

Your Wallingford Family YMCA Can HELP!n response to the growing health crisis in our community, we have developed two new

programs to help our neighbors start to make lifestyle changes that can make a real

difference in their lives..

. The Healthy Balance Program is a comprehensive introduction to nutrition, fitness and

stress management. The program includes:

a. 8 weekly group sessions.

b. 3 individual appointments with a Personal Trainer / Nutrition Manager to target

individual lifestyle needs and develop a realistic, achievable and manageable exerciseand lifestyle plan. You will receive a comprehensive exercise program designed just for

you!

. A Dietician prepared textbook with healthy meal plans and recipes along with a journal

to monitor your progress.

d. A better understanding of the impact of stress on your health and strategies to manage

daily stressors.

. And, a total lifestyle management plan that comes with a lifetime partner in your quest

for healthier living: the Wallingford Family YMCA!

The cost of this terrific program is a very reasonable $239 for YMCA members and $289 for

ommunity participants (and, community participants receive a free 3 month YMCA mem-

bership!).

2. Our New Fitness Punch Card. We invite you to purchase a 10 or 20 class card at a cost

f $39 for 10 or $79 for 20 classes. This card allows access to any Wallingford Family YMCA

itness or aquatics class (with a very few exceptions). The purpose of this non-renewable

punch card is to invite you to "try on" the YMCA and see if it is a good fit for your lifestyle.

For more information about these or any other Health and Wellness programs, please con-act Mark at 203-269-4497 Ext. 24.


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Page 3 F ebruary 2009

Mayor Bill and Friends Present...

Whats A Guy Gonna DoFeaturing Band, Dancers & PerformersEVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Friday 2/27 & Saturday 2/28 at 7:30pmat the Wallingford Senior Center

Tickets are only $5.00 each and are available at the Wallingford Senior

Center or the Mayors Office in Town Hall. Call 265-7753 or 294-2070.

PROCEEDS BENEFIT WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER!

Photo by Ray Ross

HappyValentines Day

Dear Andrew,Happy Valentines Day

to a realSWEETHEART!

Love,Grandma and Pop-Pop

Phil, Happy Valentines Day my love! Thank you for being a GREAT per-

son, husband and dad. Love, Grisel and Antonio.

Happy Valentines Day

HappyValentines Day

Happy Valentines DaySweet Ryan

Love and Kisses,Grammie Irene

HappyValentines Day

I would like to wish mygranddaughter, Justine a

VERY HAPPYVALENTINES DAY with lots of love

fromGramma and Grampa XOXO

Mom and Dad Fluff and I Love you, and I always will love you. Love

Courtney

Happy Valentines Day

HappyValentines Day

Happy Valentines Dayto Ashley Janet!

We love you!

Love,Vovo and Gumps

ICE YOUR CELL PHONEParamedics are asking that everyone add at least one additional entry to their cell phone contacts list. Please add an

ICE entry. ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. This number should dial the person in your family that can respond

to emergency and/or medical decisions if you are injured or incapacitated.

If you are in an accident, paramedics know to check your phone for your emergency contact information. Imagine

taking a look and trying to figure out who to call out of the twenty or more numbers on your phone. By adding a con-

tact entry that's designated as an emergency contact number (ICE), you can make their job much easier and possibly

save your own life.

The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were

always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be

a good idea i f there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, emergency service

personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have

stored as 'ICE.'

So program an ICE entry on your cell phone today! As a matter of fact, pull it out right now as you're reading this

article. If you have more than one person the paramedics can contact in case of an emergency, you can add additional

ICE numbers to your list. Your primary contact should be listed under ICE, then you can add the other contacts underICE1, ICE2, ICE3, etc.

After you program ICE into your phone, have your spouse, your kids, your parents, and your friends do the same

thing. If there are people in your life that you care about, they should all have ICE on their phones.

This short article can be useful to everyone not just seniors. Submitted by Carol Carbutti, Owner of Comfort

Keepers - Wallingford.

The Sweet ToothMichael Santacroce, D.M.D.

With Valentine's Day approaching, it seems ironic that February is Dental Health month. After all, the most common

gift given on Valentine's Day is chocolate, which contains a large amount of cavity-causing sugar. Everyone knows

that sugar is not a good thing to eat as far as healthy teeth are concerned, but millions of pounds are ingested every

year in the form of chocolate, baked goods, and candies.

As a matter of fact, common table sugar, or sucrose, is the ONLY substance that causes tooth decay. So you would

think that it might be easy to avoid it, and stop cavities from forming, forever. But if you

stop and think, sugar is in almost every food we eat, including fruits, sauces, drinks, and nearly all snacks. Not to

mention, even if you avoided all foods with sugar, you would still have another source ofsucrose--carbohydrates! That's because the human body has enzymes which break down carbohydrates into (you

guessed it) sugar.

So the question is, how do we avoid sugar in our diet? The answer is, you can't. Eating a perfectly healthy diet

will always contain sugar. The idea should be not to avoid eating sugar, but to limit the amount and frequency of it.

Eating everyday foods such as cereal and milk for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and meat, salad, and dessert for

dinner will never contain enough sugar to damage healthy teeth, provided you brush your teeth twice a day. However

9 pieces of chocolate washed down with soda provides enough sugar for decay to get a great jump-start.

Science has proven that keeping sugar and bacteria away from tooth surfaces will protect teeth from getting decay.

The best way to do this is to brush and floss, soon after eating any foods, especially sweets.

Knowing this, you can still lay back and enjoy your Valentine's Day chocolate in complete bliss, with a clear con-

science, realizing your toothbrush is only steps away.

HUSKY AND CHARTER OAK HEALTH PLAN SEMINAR FEBRUARY

20 AT MERIDEN LIBRARYA seminar with information regarding the Husky and Charter Oak health plans will be held on Friday, February 20 at

1:00 pm in the Griffin Room of the Meriden Public Library. Sam Diaz from Aetna will discuss the various plansincluding what each plan covers, members rights, qualifications for the plans, how to keep the plan, and the providers

network. There will be a question and answer period at the end of the program. The program is free and all are invited.

To reserve a seat, contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, email [email protected], or

o advertise with Wallingford and Meridens Community

NewsMagazine, The People's Press - Call Andy Reynolds at

03.235.9333 or email him at [email protected].

xperience the power of positive for the readers and writers

ou will sponsor as well as the return on your investment.

Check out the paper in its many forms at

www.peoplespressnews.com!


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ge 4 February 2009

Start the New Year off with Better Vision!

(203) 265-1541 58 Center St., Wallingfordwallingfordoptical.com

WWaalllliinnggffoorrddOOppttiiccaallDiane MintichLicensed Optician,A.B.O. & N.C.L.E.

Certified

James ComeauLicensed Optician,A.B.O. & N.C.L.E.Certified

Eye exams provided by an Independent Doctor of Optometry

Your Eyes Matter To Us!

Your Meriden Health Department

he Meriden Health Department provides many essential public health and human services to keep you and the com-

unity healthy. Below is a brief description of the services offered:

inic Services (630-4234) coordinates immunization services for children and adults, provides a variety of screenings,

d is responsible for communicable disease tracking.

nvironmental Health (630-4280) inspects and provides licensing to places which prepare and sell food such as restau-

nts, supermarkets, and bakeries. They also investigate nuisance complaints such as rodents, stagnant water, and bulky

aste.

hool Health (630-4237) provides services to Meriden's public and parochial schools, from kindergarten through 12th

ade. Nurses conduct vision, hearing, and scoliosis testing, as well as provide emergency care and first aid to students

need.

ommunity Health Education (630-4238) provides health information to help residents make voluntary health decisions

better improve their health. Smoking cessation services are available by calling 630-4104.

IV/AIDS Counseling and Testing (630-4176) is available by appointment. Services are confidential. Educational

aterials are available as well.

IC (Women, Infants, and Childre, 630-4245) provides healthy foods and nutrition education to eligible participants,

cluding pregnant women, mothers, and children under the age of 5.

he Senior Center (630-4273) hosts programs for residents including mini-bus transportation, medical transportation,

eals-on-Wheels and various recreation activities and trips.

he Youth Services Division (630-4225) offers counseling to youth and their families, provides juvenile assistance to

uth who commit their first offense, and is a resource for community service opportunities.

eriden School Readiness (630-4236) provides access to affordable preschool programs to Meriden children. All-day

part-day options are available.

ocial Services (630-4222) provide a variety of services including health insurance counseling, geriatric assessment,

d planning an developmental screenings for children 18 months to 4 years of age.

ease visit the Meriden Health Department's website at www.meridenhealth.com for more details on each office, infor-

ation on public health news and emergencies, and a complete list of all upcoming programs.

amp Express Registrationeriden -Girls Inc. will be holding Camp Express Registration on Saturday, Feb. 7th from 9am-11am at 130 Lincoln

This will be the official kickoff for registering for the Strong, Smart, & Bold Girls Summer Camp for the 2009

mmer season. The camp is held Mondays thru Fridays, beginning June 22nd and ending August 21st. Each of the 9

eeks of camp has its own theme and campers will enjoy activities based around each weekly theme, along with swim-

ng. The summer camp is suitable for girls' ages 4 thru 13 years old. We also have a Leadership Program for girls'

es 14-15 years old. Extended before and after camp care is available for an additional fee. For more information

out the camp or financial aid, please contact Girls Inc., (203) 235-7146.

you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you

ed, even if it is not all you want. ~Elbert Hubbard

An Angel In A Pickup Truckby Barbara Sherburne

After doing a fairly short proofreading job this morning, I sat down to tack-

le my income taxes, which I finished, and now I am just awaiting W-2s from

a couple of employers. I had looked out the window earlier to see what snow-

fall we got, and it was maybe three inches. Someone had cleared the sidewalk

in front of the house, ending abruptly several feet before my side, but nothing

looked bad. I could see I could easily get out of the driveway. Around 3 p.m. I

decided to go out and start the car and do some minimal shoveling and run a

few errands. I got outside, and what was blocking my part of the driveway

were these two huge boulders of solid ice. I am assuming it was a Town plow

that unearthed a pile from somewhere from the prior storm and left them

blocking me in. Well, I pounded and pounded with my snow shovel and tried

to break pieces off of these ice blocks that were too heavy to move. I kept at it

(real good for carpal tunnel people), and eventually broke off enough from

each of the two boulders to use my shovel to push them further down the road

in front of the house. What a job that was though.

I then went to the post office and bank, and since it was just about 3:30

and my night job didn't start until 5, I decided to take a drive over to the

Community Garden to see if the driveway was any better than it had been

lately. I haven't fed the birds since December 29th, and I have been steadfastly

feeding the birds for about nine years now all yearlong, so I was feeling bad

that I hadn't been there in over two weeks. As I approached the entrance to the

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park and could see what it looked like, a little

voice in my head said, "No, it still looks iffy," (I've got to listen to that little

voice) but, on the other hand, there were lots of tire tracks, so I took a chance.

I went down some distance and turned around using the four-point turn

method until I was headed in the direction of going up the hill.

I then trudged to CJ's garden, and I tried with all of my might to get his

door open so I could get to my two bird feeders, but there must have been ice

on the other side. I was using my feet to kick the door repeatedly, but I could-

n't open it quite enough to go inside. So I walked outside his garden to the

approximate location of the bird feeders and threw bread and raisins over the

top of the fence, which is high, and threw bird seed through the fence. It all

disappeared into the snow, but I made quite a pile at my feet, so I guess the

birds will get some of it.

And then I trudged back to the car. I was pretty high up on the hill, but no

matter what I did, I could not go forward. In fact, I kept going further and fur-

ther backwards. I have a small shovel I carry in the car and thought maybe I

could shovel a path, but I soon realized that wasn't going to work as it was

pretty much solid ice. Damn. No cat litter. No IceMelt. Several Jeeps and vans

passed me by, but no one was stopping to help. I then saw a big school bus,

and what the gal was doing there with the bus, I don't know. (I had considered

earlier parking at the top of the entrance of the driveway. Had I done that, my

car would have been damaged by all the large vehicles that came in and then

left.) The school bus went all the way down to the hockey field parking lot,

quite a distance, and I have no idea why, and then came back. I flagged her

down and explained my dilemma. She did not know how she could help, but

she said she would call the Town for me. I had no idea when this would

occur, but I thanked her.

I waited maybe 10 minutes and kept trying to get my car up the hill, but I

just couldn't do it. No Town truck had shown up, and I was beginning to won-

der if one ever would. I was starting to feel a little panicky and was praying to

God to please help me. Finally a pickup truck drove down the driveway and

the guy in the t ruck was talking on a cell phone. When he was finished with

his phone call, I got out of my car and told him I was stuck and could he

please help me. He wasn't sure if he could help, but he remembered, cheerful-

ly, that he had a bag of IceMelt in the pickup part of his truck. He quickly got

out of the truck, went to the back, and pulled out this enormous bag that was

just about empty. I'd say there was maybe a cup of IceMelt. He proceeded to

toss it around the tires. I didn't see how that could possibly help. He said,

"Would you like me to drive your car?" I told him it was a stick shift, and that

was fine with him. He got in the car, and I stood there in disbelief as he drove

the car right up to the top of the entrance. I ran up to him and tried to give

him some money, but he wouldn't take it. I could not believe how easily he

got my car up the hill. He told me, "My driveway is longer than this one, so

I'm used to it." He said he would stand there until he was sure I could pull out

into the street. I thanked him so much, and was nearly in tears and kind of

shaken up. He understood as it was going to be a cold night. I touched his

shoulder and said thanks again (I really wanted to hug him), and he stood

there with all this traffic going by until I could finally pull out into the street,

and then I waved to him, and he was doing the same.

I thanked God, by the way. I was very thankful for the Good Samaritan,

and this is the second time that happened to me at the Community Garden.

The first time was a couple or three winters ago, and now I know: "Do not go

down that driveway unless you are absolutely, positively sure you can do so."

But it was really weird how this guy was able, without backing further down

the hill, to get in the car and just drive it right up the hill. Like what? (And the

other fellow two or three years ago did exactly the same thing.)

So that's how my day went before my night job at Krauszer's, and then I

worked there until 10:15, so it was kind of a long day. I was fervently asking

for God's help when I was stuck on that darn hill, and I believe He sent me an

angel my way. And I thank that angel who came to my aid. I don't know your

name, but I hope you are reading this. Thank you very, very much.

Barbara Sherburne (who is approaching age 60)

[email protected]

Men that look no further than their outsides, think health an appurtenance

unto life, and quarrel with their constitutions for being sick; but I that have

examined the parts of man, and know upon what tender filaments that fabric

hangs, do wonder that we are not always so; and considering the thousand

doors that lead to death, do thank my God that we can die but once. ~Thoma

Browne

I think you might dispense with half your doctors if you would only consult

Dr. Sun more. ~Henry Ward Beecher


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ge 6 February 2009

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Be a Hero for kids with cancer!St. Baldrick's began as a casual conversation between friends and has explod-

ed into the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood

cancer research, which started in 1999. Thousands of volunteers shave their

heads in solidarity of children with cancer, while requesting donations of sup-

port from friends and family. Tens of thousands of volunteers make St.

Baldrick's happen, with the leadership of a board of directors and the support

of a small staff. Volunteers organize each event, coached and equipped by the

Foundation.

Every year more than 160,000 children around the world are diagnosed

with cancer. In the US cancer kills more than any other disease, and because

childhood cancers are different from adult's cancers, the research must be

specific to kids.

I was never aware of just how many children are affected by cancer and

the research needs for children are different from adults. Curing cancer in

children is so very important because they are the future. St. Baldrick's beinga volunteer based organization not only provides monies, it helps people real-

ize, and become involved in something that they may not other wise be part

of.

Four years ago, guys from the Meriden Fire Department asked me to join

them in New Haven for our first St. Baldrick's event. What a great experi-

ence it was. About 16 guys on very short notice got together and shaved

their heads bald. My husband came as the camera man and left, yes you got

it-Bald! One of our good friends Marie shouted out "I'll give $250 i f Jim

shaves his head!" The look on his face made me want to be the camera per-

son. So Jim handed over his camera to my sister, Theresa, and then became

one of the many fire fighters that had to wear a hat for the winter season. As

part of the event we have guest speakers come talk about their role and how

St. Baldrick's has helped them help children fighting cancer. That y

pediatric Oncologist spoke on behalf of his peers, what a humbling "Oh My

God" experience. After the doctor spoke, we all passed the hat around and

raised over $800 for the doctor to shave his head and to all of our surprise, he

did! When we ask people to shave their head in solidarity for children fight-ing cancer, hopefully the answer will be "Why not, it'll grow back".

For the last two years it has been held at Quality Time Caf and hosted by

the Meriden Fire Department, with my salon Jennifer's House of Hair doing

the shaving. This years event at the Quality Time Cafe will be held on

Saturday, March 7th from 3-7pm. The continued support and new comers to

St. Baldrick's has grown immensely. The Meriden Fire Department leads

various other fire departments and societies in a parade. All shavings stops

the patrons wait for a very special boy, Brent and his family to arrive by fire

truck, which leads the parade. Brent is six years and was diagnosed with

neuroblastoma at the age of 2. Brent spent most days at either the oncolo-

gist's office, Yale New Haven Hospital or Dana Farber/Boston Children's

Hospital. He was immunosuppressed so germs were a constant enemy. Brent

had six rounds of chemo, two stem cell transplants and three weeks of radia-

tion. Today Brent is totally cancer free and doesn't even remember being

sick. Brent's father Mike, for the past two years, has given a speech that has

not left a dry eye in the room. He talks about his experience as a father, who

has a child with cancer. He reminds us all of how short life can be and alsoof how long it can be. He expresses his gratitude with such dignity for all the

people that helped make the experience for a child with cancer an easier one.

Jennifer's House of Hair will be hosting their 2nd social gathering to raise

money for St. Baldrick's. Last year we held a social gathering called, "Dish

It Up", which we raised over $1300 for The CT Food Bank. We were very

successful in raising money for "Dish It Up", that we thought it would be a

good idea to hold another social gathering for St. Baldrick's. Jennifer's

House of Hair will be teaming up with Goldilocks Deli in hosting "A Bash

For Baldness", which will be held at the salon, 437 Broad Street, Meriden. It

will be held on Friday, February 27th from 5p.m to 8p.m. We have local

businesses and dedicated clients that are going to be sponsoring different

tables of various types of beer and wine, and Goldilocks Deli will be cooking

an assortment of comfort foods, as people walk around and socialize. Ticket

will be $20 per person. All proceeds collected that night will be donated

100% to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. If you have any questions about this

event, or would like to know how to become a sponsor please call the salon

at 203.235.3166.Jennifer's House of Hair will also be collecting donations at the salon.

You can stop by the salon and buy a St. Baldrick's Circle, either in honor or

in memory of someone, and Jennifer's House of Hair will also be collecting

bottles and cans to help raise more money for this great organization.

Be a Hero for kids with cancer!

Softball TryoutsCome join the CT Titans softball organization. We're a premier girls fast

pitch softball organization seeking players to join their 18u team. We're

mainly interested in juniors and seniors in high school as well as first-year

college students to be a part of a growing organization.

You are welcome to come down to tryout at our new indoor training facil-

ity on any Saturday morning between 10 a.m. and noon or on any Sunday

afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. during the months of January and

February at 13 Agney Avenue in Terryville. If you are unable to make any of

the dates and times, please contact us via email at ([email protected])and let us know what date and time is best for you.

Our group is also registered as a non-profit 501c3 organization. If you

would like to pre-register, please go to our website (www.titanssoftball.us).

We look forward to seeing you.

Nature does require

Her time of preservation, which perforce

I her frail son amongst my brethren mortal

Must give my attendance to.

~William Shakespeare

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all

memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown

Mayor's Corner - Meridenow that we are in 2009, I'm sure many of us have made some New Year's

esolutions. Seems like most people would like to get in better shape and

se some weight. A few years ago, my wife Nancy and I were realizing that

cause of my hectic work and commuity schedule, we could go for long

retches without talking to each other. So we decided to commit to walking an

our for 3 or 4 times a week together. We started out doing our walks at 5

M before work but over time we switched to the evenings. Sometimes we

alk as late as 9:30 PM. What a nice way to make sure we connect regularly

d also get some beneficial and enjoyable exercise. I bought some bright

ashers, blue and red, that I wear front and back for safety. Nancy thinks I

ok like a geek wearing the flashing lights but I say "Safety First!

continue to be amazed at all the activities and events happening in Meriden.

nce I was sworn is as Mayor in July, I have been privileged to make 150

ayoral appearances throughout the community. This gives me a good per-ective on the richness of Meriden's spirit and pride. In the short run, we need

work our way through these difficult economic times with tough and coura-

ous decisions. But, I feel very confident that Meriden's future is indeed very bright. We have many resources and

sets that will bode well for our community in the years ahead.

est to all. Michael S. Rohde - Mayor of Meriden

DOCUMENTARIES HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARYMeriden Public Library will be showing various documentaries honoring Black History Month during February.

he showings will be held in the Griffin Room on Wednesday, February 4 at 6:30 pm; Tuesday, February 10 at 6:30

m; Wednesday, February 18 at 6:30 pm; and Wednesday, February 25 at 6:30 pm. The programs are free and all are

vited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 to reserve a seat.


7/32


SSeeaa rrcchh aa ll ll hhoommeess ffoorr ssaa llee iinn CCTT @@w w w . G u e r r a R e a l t o r s . c o m

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"MAGGIE'S CORNER"Touched By an Angel

By: Maggie Griffin

5 years ago, there was a young lady who find out she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Having two small children, she was scared about the two children living without her if

she wasn't around to raise them.

She first went in for a lumpectomy, and it turned out to be a partial mastectomy. The

surgeon had to remove a large size tumor and found others. A month goes by, it was

February. She had to go through a double mastec tomy. The surgery was scheduled to

take place February 12th. The night prior, she dropped her children off to her parent's

home, to sleep there, as she had to be in the hospital 5:30 in the morning. The surgery

took 14 hours because during the process, she lost a lot of blood resulting in 4 blood

transfusions; they found a hernia and her heart stopped. The surgical team needed to get

her heart beating again and successfully they did.

After the surgery was complete, she was in critical condition, but in the recovering room. Her Mother was thereith her husband by the time she woke up. Her mother touched her toes and the young lady opened her eyes. Not

nowing the problems she had in the operating room, all she wanted to know was did the surgeons replace what they

ok off of her by reconstruction? Her husband told her yes.

ebruary 13th, she woke up and wanted to see where they operated, still not knowing the problems she had in the

perating room. She=2 0lifted her bandages and her skin was like charcoal, blistered. She called for the nurse and

ithin hours, she was back in surgery because the skin grafts didn't take in the reconstructed area.

She never thought she could be as brave as she was going through all of this. All she kept thinking about was her

wo small children and how she couldn't wait to see them. But something happened to her that she will never forget

fter the second surgery, in the early morning of February 14th.

was around 3:30 A.M. on February 14th. It is Valentine's Day. She was lying in her bed in her private hospital

om, sleeping, until she felt a hand on her head with a thumb rubbing her forehead. She woke up and opened her

yes, while she felt the hand on her head and the thumb rubbing her forehead, and saw a Man in a white doctor's coat.

he thought to herself "who is this doctor", as she looked at his face. She complemented him about what a glowing

omplexion he had. He=2 0was young with blue bright eyes.

Then she asked him who he is. He told her he is a part of the Team and was in the operating room with her both

mes. She then asked him, "Am I going to be ok?" He looked at her with a smile and reassured her she is going to be

st fine and that her two children were going to visit her later in the day. He told her he is just checking in on her andgo back to sleep so she can be up when her children arrive and reminded her to stay brave.

6:30 a.m. came and she was woken up by three doctors that were a part of the surgical team. She told them one of

e surgeons from the surgical team was already in to check in on her around 3:30 in the morning. Then she told them

l he did was put his hand on her head and rubbed his thumb on her forehead. One of the doctors on the team looked

the chart that hung at the rear of her hospital bed and told her, "no doctor was in here before them to check in on her

nd they don't start their rounds to check in on their patients until 5:30/6:00 in the morning".

This young lady was baffled; she knew she wasn't imagining things. As the day went by, her husband did walk in

ith her two children, like she was told she was going to see her children later that day, and she was given a

alentine's Day gift from all three. The children brought her two joining teddy bears holding a heart with red roses,

nd they drew her pictures. She told her husband about the doctor that came in 3:30 in the morning. She even men-

oned it to the nurse when the nurse came in during her time with her children.

Later that evening, the night shift nurse from the previous night came back . The young lady asked her about the

octor that checked in on her the morning at 3:30 in the morning. That nurse looked at her chart, just like the three

octors from the surgical team did, and told her there was no doctor in this room at that time as she would also have

nown because she worked that shift, just like she is working the same shift now. The young lady started to cry and

id, "But he was here, I talked to him". The nurse looked at her and said "many things happen in this hospital, what

d the man look like?" The young lady told her he had light brown very short wavy hair, his skin was shiny and he

ad blue eyes. The nurse then said to her "Ah, You Were Touched By An Angel."

The young lady started to think about this. But when she recalled him telling her she was going to see her children

ter that day, and she did although she wasn't sure, plus she didn't tell anyone her children may come, she believed

hat the nurse told her was true. Knowing an Angel was by her side now, she knew in 100% confidence she was

oing to make it through her next step battling cancer.

Finally, on February 15th, one of the head surgeons came in to talk to her. He told her that cancer was found in her

mph nodes, she has stage 3, invasive lymph node positive breast cancer. He told her what took place in the surgical

om the first time and the problems they ran into, this way she understood why the surgery took longer than it should

ave. Never mind all the other problems like the hernia and the blood loss, needing four blood transfusions, she

ought to herself. As soon as she was told her heart stopped, but they got it beating again, she laughed and told the

urgeon "So let me understand this, YOU SAWA STRAIGHT LINE ON THE MONITOR AND I DIDN'T SEE THE

RIGHT LIGHT? I HAVE A BIG CONCERN HERE!" But this made her and this head surgeon laugh. He told her

long as she keeps this humor within her; she will do just fine through chemotherapy.

Just think about it - if this young lady didn't have those blood t ransfusions, would her heart start beating again?

emember the fact she lost so much blood during the first surgery, would she be alive today to tell this story?

This is story is TRUE. I know this young lady very well. After this experience, she sees life totally different, leav-

g her to help so many people in need. The miracle is she is stil l alive today and tells this real experience to many

nd how she was Touched By An Angel in the early morning on Valentine's Day during a challenging time in her life.

Angels are all around us, no matter what kind of mood we are in, no matter what we say or do. Just rest assured, by

ading this true story, through trouble times, an Angel is there, right beside you.

is not by accident that the happiest people are those who make a conscious effort to live useful lives. Their

appiness, of course, is not a shallow exhilaration where life is one continuous intoxicating party.

ather, their happiness is a deep sense of inner peace that comes when they believe their lives have meaning and

hat they are making a difference for good in the world.

rnest Fitzgerald

American Minister)

M.H.S. Valentine Adoption WeekendLori Peck, Dedicated Volunteer

Are you looking for that special someone to cuddle up with at night, watch t.v. with or take a walk in the park? Well

ok no further. We can help you find a true, loyal companaion that's purrfect for you.The Meriden Humane Society will host a Valentine Adoption Weekend on February 7 & 8, with extended hours

om 10-8. Come meet our animals, enter a raffle, enjoy a purchase from our bake table, cookie walk or Valentine's

ovelties table.

All proceeds from this event will go towards the medical expense and surgery of two of our shelter's cats. You can

ew these cats and their stories on our website at www.meridenhs.petfinder.org.

So come on down for a visit, a snack or just to make a donation to help

fulfill our goal for these cats. For more information please call the M.H.S. at 238-3650 or stop by our location at

11 Murdock Ave.

Thanks to everyone for your support through the long awaited appointment of the Summer Street cats, to the

Meriden Humane Society. They are finally ours to adopt out! Some of them have already gotten wonderful new

omes,but there are still many sweet, lovable kitties available.

See you at the shelter!

Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupry,


8/32

ge 8 February 2009

his Valentine's Day, Be Good to Your Hearty Lisa Zola - Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes LLC of Wallingford

3-269-2TLC (2852).

nce Valentine's Day is a day that is associated symbolically with the heart, I thought it would be

ting to write an article about how to care for your heart. Statistics show that heart disease is still

e leading cause of death in the United States and has been since the early 1900's. This just does

t make any sense, especially given all of the advances in medicine we have had since then. In

dition, stress, anxiety and depression have all been implicated as contributing factors in heart dis-

se and are some of the top reasons why people visit their health care provider.

hat seems to be missing and what I think is the key to a healthy heart, and to a happy life, is fol-

wing a healthy lifestyle. In fact, our health problems have become so chronic in nature that until

e change our usual approach in how we treat disease AND unless lifestyle changes are imple-

ented, those with heart disease will continue to progressively worsen and ultimately die of their

art disease, as we can easily surmise from the statistics. And those with other ailments won't be

uch better off.

owever, there is good news in all of this. A person with heart disease can actually halt the pro-

ession and even reverse their disease as evidenced in the "Lifestyle Heart Trial" study conducted

Dr. Dean Ornish. A pioneer in the field of medicine, Dr. Ornish is the first physician ever, to

monstrate the reversal of heart disease in patients who had been diagnosed, by facilitating

estyle changes, and subsequently, he has developed a program specifically for reversing heart

sease without drugs or surgery. It is also important to keep in mind that the whole person needs

be treated, not just the disease or symptoms, which simply are red flags and the body's way of

ying that there is a break in the Body-Mind-Spirit connection.

our heart needs to be to be nourished emotionally and spiritually, not just physically and it is

mportant to integrate all three of these components in order to achieve optimal health. Physically,

ur heart requires the proper nutrition, exercise and rest. As far as nutrition is concerned, recom-

endations for a heart healthy diet include eating low-fat foods and choosing the right fats such as

onounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). It is equally as

mportant to avoid fried foods and foods that contain those dreaded trans fats.

Physically, your heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised just like any of the other muscles in

your body, in order to keep it healthy and strong. Physical activity is good for your heart and has

numerous health benefits for your heart and for the rest of your body too including helping to

lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels, promote joint, cartilage and bone strength, maintain

flexibility, assist with weight loss, and elevate mood. The truth is that in many cases, diet and exer-

cise should replace surgery in treating heart disease. Always consult with your health care provider

before starting exercise.

Emotionally, stress has now been linked to heart disease, but don't let that stress you out! There is a

very simple remedy, and I am not talking about paxil or prozac. It's called breathing. Usually when

we are anxious, nervous or uptight, our breathing becomes more rapid and shallow. When faced

with stressful situations, our bodies prepare for the "Fight or Flight Response," a response in which

the adrenal glands pump out cortisol and adrenaline to prepare the body for action. These stress

hormones which are released into the body cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

Alternatively, slowing down and deepening the breath induces the "Relaxation Response," a physi-

ological state of quietude, which counteracts and is the antidote to the stress response. Add a halfsmile to your breathing which causes pressure on the vagus nerve and stimulates the release of

serotonin, and you'll get that feel good feeling too. All you need to do is to take three slow, deep

belly breaths with a half smile on your face and see how much better you will feel. This technique

can be done several times a day or as often as is needed and takes only a moment.

The last component for caring for your heart is to nourish it spiritually with Love. Love is an ener-

gy that arises spontaneously in the heart and is our essential nature. It is always ready to flow;

however, if we are not experiencing love right now, it is not because we are failing to create it, but

because we are preventing it from arising. Love is always there, waiting deep within our hearts and

waiting for us to surrender to it. And, when we do, it rewards us with the greatest fulfillment in

life: that Divine connection with our Higher Being, Source, or God. If you sometimes find it diffi-

cult to make that heartfelt connection try practicing gratitude and try to be grateful for both the

blessings and the challenges that l ife brings.

Ultimately, how we treat our heart is in our own control, whether we have heart disease or not.

Being good to our heart is vital for a healthy life. Developing lifestyle changes is a process that

takes place over time, but the rewards naturally lead to heart health and happiness on the physical,

emotional and spiritual levels of existence. So this Valentine's Day, do yourself a favor and be goodto your heart!

Mayor's Corner - WallingfordDear Friends,

Isn't it wonderful to

have daylight at 5:00

p.m. each day. Just to

know that the days are

getting longer puts a

smile in our minds if

not our faces. Mother

Nature is making a

major effort this year to

remind us what winter

is all about. Sleet, ice,

snow and cold tempera-

tures lurk in and around whenever each day takes

usunless we head for southern climes. There, temper-

ature may have a different meaning. Someone once told

me that, if you plan to drive to Texas, remember that

people drive the temperature, not the speed limit.

Whatever discomforts the winter wind may bring us,

that wind is being warmed by a sun which shines longer

each day. Now is the time we plan for warm weather

events like the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

But please drive the speed limit, not the temperature.

Yours truly, William Dickinson - Mayor

Bikers Against Animal Cruelty,

gearing up for spring!Submitted by: V.J. Peregolise, B.A.A.C.

PR Representative

We here at Bikers Against Animal Cruelty are getting

ready for, and looking forward to, SPRING, just like all

of you I'm sure. In case you are not familiar with our

group, Bikers Against Animal Cruelty (B.A.A.C.) is a

nonprofit, group of motorcycle enthusiasts, with a pas-

sion for all things animal. B.A.A.C., holds several events

a year, runs , parties, and even a motorcycle rodeo. All

the proceeds and donations, go to caring for victims of

animal abuse, and cruelty. Proceeds also help animal

shelters and rescues.

As a group B.A.A.C. isn't a political action group, we

are all about helping the animals, they come first. As

much as we despise anybody that would abuse, or

neglect any animal, there are plenty of groups that fight

the legal battles for stiffer penalties for such people.

Starting in Sept. 2007, B.A.A.C. has grown very fast.

When the idea was first thrown around, it was done so

with the knowledge of how generous bikers are, and how

a great deal of them also loves their animals. The idea

was dead on. We are based in North Haven Connecticut

with members now throughout the state, and in Texas,

and Florida.

With the riding season right around the corner, well lets

just keep telling ourselves that, we have been busy set-

ting our 2009 schedule. For a full lists of events, and

more information on the group please check out,

WWW.BIKERSAGAINSTANIMALCRUELTY.ORG.

If you like to ride, have a great time with some great

people, and care about animals, this group is for you.

New members, and or supporters are always welcome!

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special

to catch your heart. ~Author Unknown


9/32

Page 9 February 200

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Coco Key

y Dawn A. Nierenburg-Reynolds

o where is it 84 degrees year round (a few degrees lower near the entrance way)? Yup, it's Coco

ey. If you have somehow escaped the barrage of commercials placed on kid's channels, Coco

ey is 55,000 square foot, indoor water park located in neighboring Waterbury.

fter some major pleading and lofty promises by my kids and I Andy, my hubby, agreed to take us

o Coco Key for the day. So, our big family trip this holiday season was to this new local attrac-

on. That morning, knowing that this was the day, my children came down the stairs dressed and

eady to go, without prompting. Now how much is that worth? Ah, yes "Priceless". Drive time: 15

minutes max with traffic. My son Josh only got in two "Are we there yet?" Yes, he did manage two

ut, before I had to answer I was pointing out the billboard in front of the Waterbury Holiday Inn

oco Key Water Resort.

We found a great parking space walked twenty feet to the front door loaded up with the swim bag

which included everything you would need for a day at the beach minus the sunscreen. With no

lines at the front desk and the complex at maximum capacity 1,040 people, we got our official

admission bracelets and were directed through the big glass doors that housed the water adventure

that my children had been anticipating since before they opened last August. Parent's note- the

dressing rooms where toasty warm, a very welcome surprise! Yes, that gets an exclamation point.

The first thing you see is Parrot's Perch a water playground ideal for the l ittler ones maximum

water depth 6 inches- but, enjoyed by the bigger ones too. With four, not so scary, water slides,

some great interactive water features, a very manageable climbing net and, oh yes, the giant bucket

of water that threatens to soak you at regular intervals this attraction will keep them entertained for

hours. My five year old son, Shaunessy, loved this area and made some new friends here. The

soaking is avoidable, just keep your ears open for the ship bell and if you are like me, run away

from the sound, if you are like any one of my kids, stand under the splash zone and await the mas-

sive soaking. Baby/ toddler bungee swings complete this mom friendly area. Another parent note,

life vests in many sizes are easily accessed they are scattered around all swimming areas to grab as

you need.

The lazy river was a lot of fun. The whole family grabbed tubes held onto each other and made our

way under waterfalls, by water jets and under water geysers again and again and -oh you get it by

now. There is a pool with some cool obstacle course features. I made a graceless attempt across

the floating lily pads. In another area of this pool separated by a floating log they have two basket-

ball hoops and the deepest water in the complex about waist high for the average adult male. Both

adults and kids were warming up in the toasty hot tub that is tucked away in the back corner.

As you drive up to the hotel complex you can't help but notice three tubes jutting out of the side of

the building. Oh yes, these are the water slides, must be 42" inches high to enjoy, not just for kids

anymore, my kind of fun. Woohoo! There are three big slides; Shark Slam a tubeless l ight-blocked

slide about one story high with some fun twists and turns, Pelican Plunge running the full height of

the water resort, the fastest of the three lit by the light of the day as it winds outside the complex

walls and the third slide Barracuda Blast as tall as Pelican Plunge but all in the dark. There was a

long line, Josh my 7 year old, was the first one to want to hit the slides. We grabbed a double tube

and waited with the other eager adventurers. We swapped stories with other kids and their adults

on the way up. Josh sang, he does that when he is excited. I started getting nervous anticipating the

ride. "Hey Josh, are you sure about this? We can turn around you know, you don't have to go down

the slide." "I'm sure, mom. Don't worry mom, it will be OK" "Thanks Josh, I feel better now (not)"

He made me go down Barracuda Blast the darkened tube, I screamed all the way down. Josh

smiled all the way down. My throat hurt the next day. Josh's face hurts the next day (from smiling

too hard). I did go down the slide half a dozen more times with my daughter Sierra and Josh and

yes, I grew to love them all. Most of all, I loved the time with my family.

There is an A&W/ Pizza Hut inside the water complex. A medium pizza runs $15. A chicken strips

and fry combo runs about $6 and change. Watch the internet for day deals. I had found a twilight

special, 4pm-8pm Mondays and Thursdays, for $15 per person. Contact the resort at 203.706.1000

or online cocokeywaterresort.com/Locations/Waterbury. You can buy tickets online but there is a

$2.00 per ticket service charge. Birthdays run $30-$40 per guest but include cake, pizza and goody

bags. It's a party I'd want to be invited to. Overnights claim to run from $185.00 per room with two

day wrist bands for four guests. I ran a search and could not find a room for less than $250.00 per

night.

Opportunity for Changey Jennie Jenkinshe current economic situation has stirred up a tremendous amount of fear

mongering, especially with respect to the media's announcements of job lay-

ffs throughout the country. Life is certainly unpredictable when it comes to

obs; I certainly know. I have experienced job loss in my life. However, in

pite of this, I am still standing, stronger than ever. So, if you receive a pink

ip, fear not. A job layoff, as I have learned, can actually be a blessing in

isguise. It is an opportunity to profoundly change your life and do what you

eally love, what you are meant to do as part of your path in l ife.

How do you know the path you should take? You must listen carefully to

hat makes your heart sing, what resonates within your soul. Paying atten-

on to your thoughts, especially the repetitive ones, is extremely important.

there a class you keep thinking of taking? Have you thought of examining

our resume to see what skills are transferable to the job/career you wish to

ave? Do you look at that professional astrologer's business card, which

ecently caught your eye, and think of calling to make that appointment?

ccording to Angel Expert, Doreen Virtue, repetitive thoughts, as long ashey are positive in nature, are often divinely-infused thoughts, or what I like

o call "Divine Transference." It is up to us, though, to "listen" and, most

mportantly, act upon this guidance.

How do you know you are embarking on the right path? One way of

nowing you are on the right path is noticing signs along the way, signs

hich confirm you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Do you

otice "doors" opening for you, along the way? If, however, you are feeling

nsure of whatever signs you are receiving, spend some quiet time alone to

alm your mind. When we experience stress and racy thoughts it's hard to

make wise decisions. However, when we focus on quieting our minds, we

an see things more clearly and exercise better judgment. So, spend some

uiet time alone to center your self. Listen to some peaceful music.

Meditate. By doing this, the wisdom within you will resonate. You will have

strong sense of what to do.

Just as it is important to focus on the spiritual aspect of your life, it is justs important to focus on all the material resources available to you, as well.

We live in a state that is rich in career and job resources, from Connecticut's

ate library program to the University of Hartford's non-profit center, Center

or Professional Development to our "211" info line program, a free informa-

on line and website which guides people to the assistance they need. In

ddition, thanks to grant and state funding, many resources, including the use

f the internet at public libraries, are often free of charge.

So, fear not, you are okay and will be okay. Just have faith, follow your

ivine guidance, and act, using the divine wisdom within you.

he trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is

difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind. ~G.K.

hesterton


10/32

ge 10 February 2009

CROSS

Basic school subject

Every one individually

"Hit or _____"

3. Region

4. "______ is this word??

5. Initial amount entered into a

oker pot

6. "Double _____ chewing gum"

7. Yogi, Smokey, Boo-Boo; i.e.

8. Scram; vamoose; flee

9. Comfort

0. Raced

. Labels indicating price, etc.

2. Psychedelic drug advocated and

ed by Timothy Leary in the '60's

4. Taxi

7. This western State is often called

The Golden State" (abbr.)

9. A ewe's vocal comment

0. Animated TV star, Mr. Simpson

2. Insane

3. "Ready, willing and _____"

5. Form of electricity (abbr.)

6. "Ready, set, ____"

7. Trickle

9. Musical gift

0. Anything serving as a distinc-

ve, often venerated, emblem or

mbol

2. A home for flowers

3. Aged

4. A colonized, industrious insect

5. Connecticut clocks are usually

t to this (abbr.)

6. The symbol for this element is

e

0. Majestic and lengthy poem, usu-

ly centered upon a hero

4. Cease and desist

8. Naked

9. Slang for 22-Across

0. To feel a lingering, often nostal-

c desire

. A mass or lump

2. Unclosed

. A shy author's signature (abbr.)

4. "His and ____"

5. Region

6. RelaxOWN

"Auntie ______", novel by Patrick

ennis which was later adapted to a

usical play

An elaborate melody sung solo

ith accompaniment

3. A specific denomination of U.S.

currency

4. Detest

6. Amazes

7. A fellow; boy or man

8. The tortoise's competitor

9. A spar or structure rising above

the hull of a ship or boat

10. A member of the group of

Quechuan peoples of South America

whose empire was

conquered by the Spanish con-

quistadors

11. Attend a party or dance without

a female companion (used with "go")

12. Puts in a specified position or

place

22. Tag usually found on clothing

and other articles providing descrip-

tion, price, etc.

23. A serving of leafy greens tossed

with dressing and usually served cold

24. Hot beverage sometimes served

with small marshmallows

25. Morning (abbr.)

26. To father; sire

27. Many dieters count these

28. A popular New Years resolution

is "to go on ___ ______"

29. College degree

30. A head covering

31. Computer memory in which pro-

gram instructions or other data is per-

manently stored

32. Hospital worker (abbr.)

34. Hospital department where many

of 32-Across are found

38. Word found on an invoice or a

receipt (abbr.)

41. Nashville is this State's capital

(abbr.)

46. Sometimes if you "give" this to

someone they "will take a mile"

47. "Always follow the golden

____"

48. Aroma

49. New Jersey NBA team

51. Partner for Mama

52. Cake decorator

53. Movie theatre54. See 9-Down

55. A sharp, projecting point or

prong

56. Belonging to John Lennon's

widow

57. Shut in; confined

Peoples Press Crossword by Ruth GordonLook for the answers in this issue.

Need a place to spend February 14th with-out being overwhelmed with ROMANCE?

Come and hang out at YogisGreatValentines Day Party

The party to go to withoorrwwiitthhoouutt a date!

HappyValentines Day

For Nicholas, Savannah,Vincent and Dayton:

With all the sunshine things you do,The smiles you share -the laughter,too - With all the dreams you makecome true...It's great to have kids

like you! Love, Mom

he power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common

nse, and everyday experience. Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter

ound.... Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recog-

zed as a valuable element in healing. ~Larry Dossey

Services of the Wallingford Health Departmentby Eloise Hazelwood, DOH

Hard to believe that a year has already passed since the First Health and Wellness Edition! At least this time I only

have to update everything I previously wrote. Let's start with the summary chart of who we are and what we do.

Who are we: WALLINGFORD HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Where are we: 45 S. Main St., Rm. 215

How to reach us: Phone: 203-294-2065

Fax 203-294-2064

Email: [email protected]

The Health Department provides all services required by the CT General Statutes and enforces both CT State

Regulations and Local Ordinances governing public health and local environmental health. Public Health, as the title

implies, are issues in the community that have the potential to impact the general public. By definition Public Health is

the community assessment of physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease. The table

below is a summary of the services we provide:

Environmental Health Functions

- Food Protection, Licensing and Food Handler Education- Subsurface Sewage (Septic) Inspections and Permitting

- Private Well Water Permitting and Approval

- Lyme Disease, Rabies and zoonotic surveillance

- General Nuisance Complaints

- Public Swimming Pool Registration and Inspections

- Beauty/Barber/Nail Salon Registrations and Inspections

- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Risk Assessment

Health Statistics, Surveillance and Monitoring

Public Health Preparedness Activities

Contract Services Provided by Wallingford VNA

Women Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program

Pediatric Dental Health

Immunizations and Well Child Clinics

Blood Lead Screening

The Health Dept. is available to provide educational presentations upon request

OK, so now you have the readers digest version of who we are and what we do.I want to focus this article on recent legislative changes that may impact you as a resident, especially if you a parent.

I'm talking about the changes in the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Regulations. Try saying that

fast!

Lead poisoning is a serious PREVENTABLE illness. Let's play Fact or Fiction:

1. Lead Poisoning is an inner city issue. Fact or Fiction?

FICTION: Generally speaking, all homes built before 1978 have the potential to have lead-based paint. So if you live

in a beautiful (but older) Victorian home that has a wrap around porch, it was probably painted at some point, with

lead-based paint. Most of us (including me) were raised in homes built before 1978. The presence of intact lead-bas

paint does not automatically mean that your child will be lead poisoned. Lead-based paint presents a health hazard

only when the paint becomes defective (peeling, flaking). Older windows present a less visible hazard because the fric

tion of opening/closing causes the lead-based paint to become airborne in the form of dust.

2. Good housekeeping is important in reducing potential exposure to lead. Fact or Fiction?

FACT: We just talked about how children may be exposed to lead (peeling paint and DUST). You play a very impor-

tant role in making sure the environment is lead-safe. NEVER vacuum paint chips or window well areas, why? It ha

the potential to cause DUST and the DUST is then put into the air which will eventually fall to the floor and young

children can then ingest the dust. Remove all paint chips in a wetted (damp) state, why? Come on, you know this by

now, to reduce the amount of DUST of course.3. Home renovations should not be done if your home was built before 1978. Fact or Fiction?

FICTION!!! It's your home, enjoy it! Upgrade, renovate, expand but do it in a lead-safe manner. What does that

mean? It's easy! First, make sure young children are not in the work area. Use plastic to seal off the area, remove

paint in a wetted form, never dry scrape paint. Do you remember why, oh yes, the DUST! If you're doing exterior

work, put plastic on the ground to prevent the paint chips from getting in the soil. The most important step, CLEAN-

UP (I didn't say the most favorite step). How? Use a product called Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP) and follow the dire

tions on the container.

4. Testing a child for lead poisoning is painful and expensive. Fact or Fiction?

FICTION: The CT DPH now requires universal screening, in other words, all children between the ages of 1 and 2

years must be screened for lead in the blood. It's a simple "finger stick", to sample the blood. Contact your medical

provider to schedule a lead screening. If you don't have a medical provider or are concerned about the cost, contact the

Wallingford VNA at 269-1475 to see if you qualify for the free lead screening (Meriden residents should call the

Meriden Health Dept). Why test? There is no "safe" level of lead in the blood, lead can impact a child's ability to

learn and develop. Generally speaking, the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning may mimic normal 2-3 year behav-

ior (picky appetite, short attention span, irritable)!

5. Lead only impacts young children. Fact or Fiction?

FICTION: Young children are more likely to get lead poisoning because their bodies are growing rapidly and so they"absorb" lead in the environment more readily than adults (did you know calcium and lead are similar in molecular

weight). But there are exceptions! Children are not the ONLY ones at risk. Pregnant women, occupational exposu

hobbies (indoor firing range, fishing sinkers) and even pets are at risk of lead poisoning. Pets? Yes! If there are hig

levels of lead dust in the home or flaking paint chips outside, you pet could have lead on it's paws, lick it's paws, or

bring it in the home!

6. The Lead Regulations apply only to parents. Fact or Fiction?

FICTION: True, some parts of the regulations impact parents, but they also impact Medical Providers (they are now

required to perform blood lead screenings or "finger sticks"), Day Care Centers (they must now test the centers for

lead if the property was built before 1978), Licensed Contractors (they must be certified in Lead-safe practices to per-

form lead abatement) Health Departments (we are required to provide increased education and outreach to all residents

and more specific education to those with children found to have lower levels of lead exposure).

So how did you enjoy the Lead Fact or Fiction? You may not realize it, but you just got a quick update on the new

Lead Laws. Every days a learning day! We at the Wallingford Health Department are available to assist you in con-

ducting a home assessment for lead hazards. This is NOT a Lead Inspection. Our role is to help identify potential

sources of the lead so that you can protect your child from lead poisoning, its true what our grandparents said, an ounce

of prevention is worth a pound of gold. For more information, please call 294-2065 or stop by Wallingford Town Hall,rm. 215.


11/32


Shop Local, Shop Smart and make it Sweet!

Just FFor YYour VValentine!Valentine Novelties,

Pecan Bark, Gifts and

much more!!!!

Valentine Drawing!

Enter to win a $25.00

Valentine Basket (Purchase required for Entry

Expires 2/13/2009 NO mailings accepted.

Winner need not to be present.

Everyday in February is Senior CitizensDay 10% off! Spread the Love!

We Ship Nationwide!! We accept VISA, M/C, AMEX, DISCOVER

Come Visit us at 80 S. Vine Street, Meriden * (203) 235-2541

Directions: South Vine Street is located between Hunters

Ambulance & McDonalds off of West Main St Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5,

Special Hours:Thurs, 2/12/09 9-6 Friday, 2/13/09 9-6

HappyValentines Day

For Ian:Love

One word...But so many memories.Happy Valentines Day 3

Love, Kasey

HappyValentines Day

Happy Valentines DayWith Love to Kaitlyn

Love,Grandma & Pa

Scott, Amy & Daniel

Boo Crew Review - Trail of Terror

Well another year has come and gone for the Trail of Terror in Wallingford. Each year seems to run more smoothly

an the previous. Yes, the l ines were long but the timed speed pass worked out well, especially for the first year. This

as quite the year so let me go through some of my favorite highlights of the season.

First, as always, was the presentation of the check to the Red Cross. For the 3rd year in a row the Boo Crew raised

ver $100,000 for the South Central Chapter of the American Red Cross.

think a very close 2nd highlight was the visit we had from the UCONN Women's Basketball team. The team and

oaches (Gino stayed in the bus) made a stealth visit to the Trail this year and had quite the time. They were so much

n while inside the Trail and hung around the Red Cross tent afterwards and took pictures, hugged each other and

lked about their experiences.

The 3rd highlight was the presentation of a check for C.R.E.W. Community Revitalization Efforts of Wallingford.

hey were a huge help to the Trail this year, and for their effort they earned the proceeds from Halloween night and an

dditional amount for all their off-season efforts. The check was for $16,000, which will help pay for their trip to work

ith the Hurricane Katrina victims, sacrificing their spring vacation in April. What a great group of students.

There were many more highlights of this years' season, too many to mention. The Trail has become a part of life forany people and each year comes a bittersweet ending. We can now get back to our "normal" lives; seeing our families

gain, actually sitting down and having a meal (with utensils), and catching up on just about everything that we pushed

ide for many months. The sad thing is dealing with not seeing our Trail family for the winter.

Well, that's all for now, the 14th Trail of Terror is now behind us. The 15th will be here before you know it, time for us

get to work. Wayne "Spookologist" Barneschi

outh Meriden Volunteer Fire Department Newsouth Meriden Volunteer Fire Department is its 101 year of service to the Village of South Meriden and the City of

Meriden. In 2008 the department responded to 772 calls of service to the community, that was a 7% increase of calls

om 2007.

Point of information about the calls in 2008, approximately 61 % of the calls responded to where medicals and

Motor Vehicle Accidents.

Health Tips

We urge all our residence to be careful during the winter months with shoveling snow. Take it easy do not over do i t.

se a good shovel and do not over load it when you lift i t. Also for those of you that have snow blowers please be

xtremely careful not to put your hands near the blades of the blower unit while it is running. You might say whoould do that, but each year Meriden's emergency service responders respond to several of these calls each year and it

n't a pretty sight so please take precautions.

If you can and have the time and the energy may be you can help a neighbor who is a little older or might be ill,

ve them a hand clearing away the snow from their walkways or driveway. It feels real good to be able to help them

ut during the winter months. Each year we lose friends and neighbors to heart attacks during the winter months from

ver exerting themselves shoveling snow.

We also want to thank all of our friends that have been helping clearing snow and ice a way from fire hydrants dur-

g storms. This allows the fire department during fire emergencies to hook up to fire hydrants quicker to gain access to

water supply if the fire is one of a substantial size.

Do to the amount of snow we have been receiving, we still need your continuing help with clearing fire hydrants

Another health tip. If you are

under a doctor's care and take cer-

tain medications keep a list of these

medications handy just in case you

have the need to call 911 for during

a medical emergency.

Also with this list you might wantto give a little history of any medical

conditions that you also might have.

These are important things for emer-

gency responders to have just in

case you are unable to respond to

our questions when we arrive at

your home. A good place to keep

this information is in an envelope on

you refrigerator and note that it is

Medical Info.

Membership Information

We are currently accepting applica-

tions for membership for individuals

ho live in Meriden over the age of 18 in good health and have a clean police records and can pass the application

ocess.

We are also accepting application for those individuals who might all ready be certified as a State of CT

refighter/EMT and do not live in Meriden but are willing to fill night crew positions at our station. These individualsill need to meet our by-law requirements for drills, weekly night crew and duty crew assignments.

We are one of the only Volunteer fire stations in the State that have sleep-in crews at our fire station we presently

over 6 out of 7 nights. Our nightly in-house status allows us to service our customers you our neighbors quicker.

eing a volunteer fire fighter takes a lot of commitment and time. Our members make a lot of personal sacrifices to

elong to our department, but they get great satisfaction of being part of terrific tradition of saving lives and property.

We train and work hard but we love serving and protecting our friends.

Applications can be picked up at our station at 31 Camp Street, South Meriden in the evenings. We are a DRUG

REE Department and we TEST all applicants.

ove is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over

hiladelphia. ~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975

What I need to live has been given to me by the earth. Why I need to live has been given to me by you. ~Author

nknown


12/32

ge 12 February 2009

The deadline for our Marchissue is February 25th!

Share your story!If you have an upcoming event

in the months ahead send it in -

it would be our honor to help

you AND we will send out eachweeks events in our weekly

email newsletter to our on-line

subscribers to give you even

more exposure. Sign up - its

free! Go to

www.peoplespressnews.com

and click subsribe!

There are several ways to submit:

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.peoplespressnews.comFax to: 203.294.8808

Mail: The Peoples Press

P.O. Box 4459, Yalesville CT 06492

For Advertising call203.235.9333

The Peoples Press is now available to down-load in PDF form. Save it, Read it and Printit. We are always finding new ways to serveyour needs because YOU matter most to us!

HappyValentines Day

Happy Valentine's Day!Love,

The MeridenImmunization Program

203-630-4251MeridenImmunizations.webs.com

HappyValentines Day

Happy 1st Valentines DayMorgan!

You make our lives so sweet!

Love, Mom and Dad

HappyValentines Day

Karen, as we begin our golden yearsand your constant chatter numbs my

ears, I must confess why you rate,Its cause we both agree Im so darn

great. Im your gourmet lovemachine. Love, Tom

In LovingMemory

2/26/88 - 7/1/98Amber Marie Rolle

aka Pick-a-lipsIts been 11 years that you have beengone. But you are still in our heartand mind. We miss you very much.

Love you. Love, Mami, Daddy,Devin, Jasmine and Janelly

Why I Like to Practice Yoga At Homey Kimberley Linstruth-Beckom

ealth and wellness have been buzz words in today's society since the beginning of this century due to the fact that

any Americans want to try and loose weight, gain a little more vitality, and eat better to feel better. These are won-

erful reasons to live healthier and even I too, have added myself to the ranks of the buzz words by trying to lead a

ealthier lifestyle for myself and my family. Exercise and eating right just make sense for me because it helps relieve

y symptoms of fibromyalgia, arthritis, and asthma.

My preferred form of exercise is practicing yoga at home. I like to pop in a Wai Lana tape and start out my mornings

r sometimes evenings) with some stress relieving yoga asanas. Exercising from the comfort of my own home is

omething I've been doing for a long time. There are many reasons why I like to exercise at home, some of them are

nancial, and some of them are personal. The financial reasons are pretty straight forward-- I just can't afford to go to

yoga studio, so let me skip that reason and go straight to the personal.

like to practice yoga at home because home is where I feel most relaxed. It is so much easier to schedule my ownme to exercise, rather than schedule my life around it. Scheduling life in itself is hard and stressful when you are

ringing your daughter to school, getting your other daughter ready for nap time, preparing meals, writing articles, or

hatever other activity or work define your life. I don't want to feel guilty i f I can't make my 10 am yoga class, so I

ke the idea of a video tape because the guilt doesn't build up in me if I just can't do yoga at 10 am, 10 after 10 am, or

ven 10 in the evening.

ure, going to class is fun because you can meet new people, get motivated by the instructor, and wear some really

ute exercising outfits, but in the end, you still have to do the work and actually get in some yoga practice. No person,

structor, or cute outfit is going to get you out of that and that's when motivation can fizzle out for anyone. I too, will

dmit that it's hard for me to feel really motivated to practice when I'm having a flare, but I try and push myself to do

omething-- even if it's just one asana on the tape because it's still doing something beneficial for myself.

nother reason why I like to practice at home is because I fall easily to peer pressure. I can get embarrassed very easi-

when I feel like my body can't quite form the shape it's supposed to for a particular pose. I know I shouldn't feel

at way because everyone's body is different and I also have to keep in my mind that if I overdue it-- I'll be in for a

are the next day. There's just something about me and the need to please and succeed that gets me to try weird and

azy things when other people are around. Let's face it-- we've all been there at one point or another. The Life cerealommercial wouldn't have been so popular if we as human beings didn't fall prey to peer pressure. So practicing at

ome can really help me when it comes to saving myself from a flare.

he last reason why I like practicing yoga at home is probably the best reason, I get to do it with my 8 year old daugh-

r at home. That wouldn't be the case if I was going to a class since it just wouldn't be something that's feasible

ecause time wouldn't allow for it with a class. If I've got the luxury of having Wai Lana on tape, I can pop it in right

fter school which is a beneficial bonus for the both of us.

oga is a wonderful form of exercise and Wai Lana Yoga is a great way to go if you can't afford a class. She has been

racticing for over 20 years and is a well known yoga instructor throughout the world. She does a weekly television

how that can usually be found on your public access channels here in the US.

Nature as a MirrorChinese New Year of the Ox 2009

y Dorothy Gonick

etting ready for the New

ear celebrations is especially

xciting this year. Our whole

mily has been making the

ouse spotless. We've put up

e special scrolls, gathered

um blossoms and arranged

em beautifully. Bowls of

olden oranges add touches of

heer. Gifts are chosen and

ady to exchange with our

sitors. Trays of fruits and

andy are ready for our visi-

rs. Mother has new red

othes for us to wear because

d scares all the evil spirits

way, insuring us a good year

come.

he New Year arrives when

e first new moon of the year appears. My aunts and Grandmother have been helping Mother prepare the big feast

e'll have on New Year's Eve. It will be wonderful to have all of our family here, surrounded by the spirits of our

ncestors. Staying up until midnight is a happy time of feasting, playing games, telling fortunes and hearing stories.

My cousins may bring a new game to play. At midnight we'll go outside to see the exploding fireworks that welcome

e New Year, and add to the noise by calling "Happy New Year" to all our friends and neighbors.

And so begins fifteen days of celebrating. For the next two weeks we visit friends and relatives. Elders will give the

hildren red envelopes that have 'lucky money' in them. We will visit the temple and pray for good luck, riches and

ealth. Every day has a special meaning, I like the fourteenth day because we'll get ready to celebrate the Lantern

estival, al

The People's Press February 2009

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Transcript of The People's Press February 2009