May 2009 • Volume 9, Issue 115

Get Happy With It!www.peoplespressnews.com

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

Wallingford Flower& Gift Shoppe

190 Center Street. 203.265.1514

By Tia KozarAs we all impatiently waited to start our journey, my Brownie Girl Scout troop andI squirmed in our tiny brown uniforms and stared at the pavement in boredom. Afterwe'd eagerly wait for our turn to come, we would begin our march around the townin the annual Memorial Day parade. We would do this for many more years, grin-ning as people waved and clapped when we walked past. The attention was greatbut I doubt many of us understood the real reason why we were there.

I always thought it was just another holiday, a day off from school, (whenEVERYTHING is on sale), but I was incredibly wrong.

The tradition started when after the Civil War, General Logan declared May 30thto be a day to decorate the graves of fallen friends and families with flowers,, (itwas more popularly called Decoration Day). After World War 1 the day was broad-ened to honor and remember those who had died in all wars. The parade aspect of

Memorial Day was to "kick off" the day; war veterans would walk through town tothe cemeteries with flowers to put on the graves of their fallen comrades. Otherswould often join in to decorate the graves of their loved ones, too.The tradition con-tinued to evolve and now most parades end at a memorial site where a wreath orflowers are placed and a remembrance ceremony is held.

Memorial Day is a day of commemoration, respect and honor for all who havedied in the wars. The day and its precedings are just as important today as it waswhen the tradition began. Soldiers are still dying today as they protect our countryand the world against terrorism.

Although I may not have understood how important it was to march in the paradewhen I was a young Girl Scout, I am now glad that I was able to be a part of suchan important tradition for so many years.

Memorial Day for Me

Page 2 May 2009

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

WALLINGFORDFAMILY

The Wallingford YMCA All Day Kindergartenin Now Accepting 2009 Applications!

Preschool and SchoolAge Child CarePreschool and YouthSports:Parent-Tot GymnasticsMunchkin Basketball Munchkin Soccer Youth BasketballYouth Floor Hockey Dance

Sport & SplashYouth Indoor SoccerYouth BasketballY Aquatics:Ages 6-38 monthsClassesPreschool ClassesYouth ClassesAdult ClassesLifeguard Training

Swim TeamsAqua Fitness ClassesY Arts:Pee Wee PicassoMessy FunY Personal Fitness:Zumba™ Cardio DanceIrresistaballExtreme KickboxingTai -Chi

Indoor CyclingPilatesYogaGliding Personal TrainingHealthy BalanceProgramTeen ProgramsFriday Family NightsAND SO MUCH MORE!

Just A Sample Of What Else We Offer You During The Year!

We Make A Difference For You And Your Family! Join Us!

The Wallingford Family YMCA has something for every-one! From certified personal trainers to exercise equip-ment, free weights, two pools, a gymnasium, cycling,group exercise, yoga, racquetball courts, we offer youopportunities for cardiovascular exercise, strength, andflexibility training!

Benefits of your YMCA membership…* 4,000 square foot health and wellness center* Over 50 group exercise classes land and water

each week.* Initial Fitness Orientation* Reduced fees on YMCA classes* Babysitting (minimum age 6 weeks)* Priority Registration* Sunday swim with "Lenny the Lobster"* Use of pools for lap swimming, open and family

swims* Open and family gym* Racquetball Court time* Friday Night Family Time* Monthly Signature Events* Seminars and workshopsand so much more!

Become A Member Now - Get 30 Days FREE!*

*Based on a 1 year membership Limited Time Offer! Stop by the Welcome Center For More Information!

Summer Program and Swim Class Registrations

SUMMER I- JUNE 29-JULY 23**No classes July 3 & 4SUMMER II - JULY 27-AUGUST 20 SESSION C- JUNE 27-AUGUST 21 (swim classes only)Registration Dates:May 26th- Facility membersJune 1st- Community Participants

Register your child today for the best in summer camps!The Wallingford Family Y’s Camp Ulbrich!

Page 3 May 2009

Page 4 May 2009

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MAYOR’S CORNER - WALLINGFORDDear Friends: The month of April is the home of the celebration of Earth Day. In May, we continueour celebration of our environment with Open Space Day. On May 19th, at 2:00 p.m.,we offer a hike over town property located on Tamarac Swamp Road. The guide andspeaker for the event, which is planned by the Wallingford Conservation Commission,is Erin O'Hare, the Environmental Planner for Wallingford.

The two-hour hike will traverse a stream corridor, hayfield, early successionalwoodlands, a freshwater marsh, wetlands, hedgerow borders, pastureland and corn-field. Participants may see bobolinks, eastern meadow larks, savannah sparrows andmany other species. Organizers request that pets not be brought along on this hike.Please bring your own water and boots as mud can be expected. This is a wonderfulway to enjoy the warmer weather and learn about open space, its management, and theencouragement of different wild life species with habitat.

Don't forget the Residential Electronics Recycling Event scheduled for May 12thfrom 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Cheshire High School, 520 South Main Street,Cheshire. Recycling of electronics is a great way to help protect the environment byreusing products rather than disposing by burning or burying. Please telephone the Mayor's Office at 294-2070 or theevent coordinator at 294-2061.

We have much to celebrate! Have a wonderful May!Sincerely, William W. Dickinson, Jr. - Mayor

Mayor's Corner - MeridenIn January, I convened a Mayor's Summit to address the needs of Meridenresidents facing difficulties in the current economic climate. Leaders fromMeriden's faith communities had approached me to offer to partner with thecity to provide better coordination, information sharing, and identification ofresources to help those in need. To date, we have hosted three SummitMeetings and these efforts have proved to be extremely beneficial.

We have focused on housing, energy assistance, food, clothing, childcare,and employment. We have brought together representatives from the non-profit sector, State of Connecticut, probate court, city departments, MeridenHousing Authority, and faith communities.

These Summit Meetings have led to increasing the number of officesthroughout Meriden for accepting energy assistance applications. We haveidentified a complete list of all food resources including food pantries andsoup kitchens. A complete list of all clothing resources has also been com-piled. These resources have been shared with all agencies and can beaccessed though the Meriden Health Department.

We have also hosted presentations about 211, which is the statewide info directory, and the Ten Year Plan to EndHomelessness. And finally, we have developed a universal referral form that can be used by all participating organiza-tions to refer clients for assistance, track progress, and assess need.

Plaudits to all the Meriden organizations who have come together to serve our community in a difficult time.Meriden is an extremely generous community in heart and spirit.Michael S. Rohde - Mayor

The Twelfth Annual Town of Wallingford 'Doherty Cup' Golf Championships 2009

The Twelfth Annual Town of Wallingford 'Doherty Cup' Golf Championship 2009 will be held on Tuesday, July 7th atthe Wallingford Country Club.Rain date will be on Wednesday, July 8. The popular tournament raises monies for theDoherty Scholarship Fund., a scholarship that was created in 1997 upon the untimely death of David J. Doherty, a popu-lar town councilman and Sheehan High School Civics teacher. The Doherty Scholarship Fund is a non-profit organiza-tion dedicated to providing two $2,500 scholarships to eligible Sheehan High School Seniors and donating $1,000 annu-ally, to20the Wallingford YMCA's Youth and Government Program, David established at the Y many years ago. TheDoherty family, which hosts the tournament, extends the invitation to all to come and support its event and enjoy a dayof comradery and fun! This year the tournament not only has its traditional individual medal play championship, butalso features a new option of play, a four-person team scramble event championship! The day is highlighted with spe-cial events and prizes, and features our special Doherty Cup presenter, Mayor William Dickinson. For more informationon the tournaments and a copy of this year's brochure, please contact John and Elaine Doherty at 203.265.7349.

Public Health Preparedness - Request for Volunteers May 19, 2009Please be advised that the Wallingford Health Department is planning to participate in a Regional Exercise for PublicHealth Response. One of our Public Health responsibilities is to distribute antibiotics to residents and critical staff/firstresponders in the event of a community bioterrorist action, such as Anthrax or Smallpox.

The Town of Wallingford will be participating in a Regional Exercise on May 19, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.The exercise will involve setting up an antibiotic distribution clinic for Town first responders, clinic volunteers and crit-ical staff.

We are requesting your assistance. Volunteers will be needed to sort and package the antibiotics for distribution andto help us document the process. We will provide the necessary training 1 week PRIOR to the exercise for all volun-teers.

The Town of Wallingford and the Wallingford Health Department appreciate your willingness to help us protect allresidents. We could not provide the public health response required without individuals like you, our public health pre-paredness volunteers.

This exercise will be evaluated by the CT Department of Public Health and the Department of EmergencyManagement Homeland Security (DEMHS), Region 2. We will assess the distribution plan, the number of volunteersneeded, and the time frame required to distribute the antibiotic. Your input will be a critical part of the exercise and theevaluation.

We would greatly appreciate if you could share this information with your colleagues and co-workers. If they areinterested in volunteering, please feel free to photocopy the volunteer form for their use. Medical training or certifica-tion is NOT required for this exercise.

Thank you for your time in considering this matter. If you have any questions, please contact the WallingfordDirector of Health, at 294-2065 or email us at: Wlfdhealth@sbcglobal.net

Wallingford Health Department, DEMHS Region 2 Municipal Point of Dispensing (POD) EXERCISEWhen: May 19, 2009Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.Volunteer Training Date: Date/time TBA, 1 week Prior to EXERCISE

Please complete and return the below information by mail, fax or email:Wallingford Health Dept., 45 South Main St., Wallingford CT 06492Fax: 203-294-2064Email: wlfdhealth@sbcglobal.netVolunteer Name: ______________________________________________Address: _______________________________________________Phone/Email: _______________________________________________Indicate medical certification, if any: __________________________________Thank you in advance for your help!

To advertise with Wallingford and Meridens CommunityNewsMagazine, The People's Press - Call Andy Reynolds at203.235.9333 or email him at andy@peoplespressnews.com.

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Page 5 May 2009

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Congratulations to Laura and Ben Belancik Jr. on your Wedding Day , April11th, 2009. May you have all the Happiness that the world has to offer,Love you both, Mom and Dad Belancik

CongratulationsMeriden Health Department - Keeping You Healthy in MayWomen's Total Cholesterol ScreeningFree total cholesterol screenings are available to women who live in Meriden. Screenings will be held on May 12, from9:30-11:30am, and on May 28 from 1:30-3:30pm. Screenings are held at the Meriden Health Department, 165 MillerStreet.

Appointments for the screening are required, and are first come, first serve. Call 630-4234 to make your appointment.Screenings are funded by a women's healthy heart grant through the Connecticut Department of Public Health.Stroke: What You Need to KnowDo you know the signs of stroke? What would you do if a friend or family member became suddenly ill? Learn thisand more at a community presentation called Stroke: What You Need to Know, to be held on May 5 from 6-7pm at theMeriden Public Library. Pat Giannelli, APRN, Coordinator of MidState Medical Center's Stroke Program, will be thepresenter. A light dinner will be served. This program is free and open to the public, but RSVP's are required. Pleasecall Lea at the Meriden Health Department, 630-4238, to RSVP.Stroke Awareness ScreeningsIn recognition of Stroke Awareness Week, the Meriden Health Department will be hosting 2 stroke awareness screen-ings for Meriden residents. The screenings will be held on May 21 and 27, from 9:30-11:30am, at the Meriden HealthDepartment (165 Miller Street). The screening includes total cholesterol, blood pressure, and a family health history.

The screening is free, but appointments are required. Please call the Meriden Health Department's Clinic office at630-4234 to make your appointment.Join Us for Coffee & ConversationThe Center for Successful Aging and MidState's LaPlanche Clinic will be jointly sponsoring the next Coffee andConversation on Monday, May 18 from 1:00 to 2:00pm at the Meriden Senior Center, 22 West Main Street.

This month's program will feature a program on Elderhostel. Elderhostel is a leading provider of educational travelopportunities for adults age 55 and over. Ellie and Ed Kepler, Elderhostel Ambassadors, will be the presenters.

This program is part of a monthly coffee and conversation series that will be held at the Senior Center. Programs arefree and open to the public, and of course, coffee and refreshments will be served. Please call Jackie at 237-0300 orRita at 630-4222 for more information.

Just in Time for Spring - New DVD's at Meriden LibraryThe Meriden Health Department, as part of ahealthy heart grant, has donated a variety ofexercise DVDs and books to the MeridenLibrary for residents to take out. The books andvideos are on display by the reference desk.DVD's include the Biggest Loser yoga, bootcamp, cardio sculpt, and aerobic workouts, andthe Leslie Sansone indoor walking series. Booksinclude a Betty Crocker healthy heart cook bookand the Eat This Not That restaurant, supermar-ket, and kid food editions. In the photo is LeaCrown, Community Health Educator, and KarenRoesler, Director of the Meriden Public Library.

Meriden Schools: Return on InvestmentApril 22, 2009By David RadcliffeA few months ago I was waiting outside school to pick up my kids. Another parent got to talking and said, "You know,my son is doing okay here. But even though I'm a tax payer, I don't know how we're doing overall - as a school dis-trict. You just don't hear much about that."

That's a great question and an important one. Do parents, taxpayers and our elected leaders know what return we geton the significant investment we make in Meriden schools? With all the talk about budget and cuts, we sometimeslose track of why we're doing this school thing in the first place. The result we're after is that our kids will do well inschool and with a strong foundation, do well in life.

So how are our schools doing? Over the past three years, according to the State Department of Education, all eightMeriden elementary schools have held steady or made gains in math and reading. Several of those schools have madesignificant gains. Overall, scores have improved nearly 10% over those threeyears, compared to about 5% for the state as a whole. There's a lot more workto do, but that's pretty good.

This is happening in an environment where more and more of our childrencome from poor families - up 15% over the past 10 years where now nearly 2or every 3 Meriden children grow up in lower-income families. And whenyou compare our school spending with that of Connecticut towns likeMeriden, we spend about $500 less per student. To perform as well as we aresays that our schools are on the right track.

The City Manager has proposed an increase in school funding that is muchless than the amount requested by the Board of Education. He based his rec-ommendation on an assumption that the new $4.9 million in Meriden's shareof Federal stimulus dollars will make up the difference. That assumption hasnot held. Much of the Title I and IDEA special education funding can't beused to keep existing staff. And, that $4.9 million has to last two years, notone as proposed in the budget. It turns out that while welcome, the newFederal funding is not the big windfall for schools as first appeared. Withoutchanges, this budget could have a seriously negative impact on our town'slargest employer and its' customers: the children of Meriden.

The solution to local school funding, especially in these times, is no longerjust a Board of Education matter. As the largest portion of our city budget,this will take all of us - taxpayers, unions and all levels of government - work-ing together very hard over these next several weeks as we round third baseon this budget season.

No one believes that more school funding means kids will do better. Butjust as we as a City wouldn't cut public safety when our streets and homes arerelatively safe as now, we shouldn't and can't underfund schools that are head-ing in the right direction.

David Radcliffe is a parent, taxpayer and director of Meriden ChildrenFirst. www.meridenchildrenfirst.org

Art Therapy Gallery Show The Cancer Center at MidState Medical Center invites you to:Art Therapy Gallery Show April 23, 2009 6 PM - 8 PM at The SandManGallery and Frame Shoppe 41 West Main Street, Meriden

Featuring artwork from our Art Therapist, Carolyn Burgess, patients andcaregivers. Carolyn will be on hand to answer questions about the process ofart therapy. People can come to learn about art therapy in general, its applica-tions and how you don't have to be artistic to benefit from the therapy.There will be refreshments and music as well.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for fivepeople, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Page 6 May 2009

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Barbara Bruce creates six floral designs at Garden Club MeetingBarbara Bruce encouraged members of the Wallingford Garden Club to cre-ate floral designs and showed them show to do it at the Wallingford GardenClub’s April meeting, “Don’t be afraid of doing a flower design because it’sflowers and whatever you do about it ,” she said, “they’re going to be pret-ty,”

She had some words of advice for beginners: Cut the flowers at an angleso they can get water more easily. Cut roses under hot water. The designshould be one-and-a half to two times the height of the vase. Don’t use awhite vase because it becomes the focal point of the design. If you do usea white vase, use white flowers.

Bruce then proceeded to create a striking assymetrical arrangement offlowers in a white vase, using white gladioli for height and rhythm, thenadding shorter stalks of white lilies and green leaves. Next she created anall-foliage design, using leaves from a snake plant and an assortment oftropical leaves. She advised her listeners to trim the leaves if they are toobig and angle them so there is space in the design. “The trouble with a bou-quet is it’s flat,” she commented.

Next she quickly did four other flower designs. One was a parallel designwith three liatris--tall purple flowers, shorter stalks of gladioli, and pinkroses around the bottom. She told her readers to always use odd numbers offlowers in an arrangement. “I don’t know why but it works.”

Next came a large design using ginger, red-purple flowers on massivestalks, and two simple arrangements with red carnations. Bruce ended withher “Picasso” arrangement, an abstract with a kiwi vine, balls of a red fuzzytropical plant and a scarf.

The audience was thrilled, especially when her designs and surplus flow-ers were raffled off to raise money for the club.

The vice-president of the Wallingford Garden Club, Bruce has won rib-bons for her flower designs at the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’sannual flower shows, and she inspired the Wallingford club to have its ownflower show last year.Shown in photo: Barbara Bruce created this striking all-foliage design dur-ing the Wallingford Garden Club’s April meeting

Floral Design

Naugatuck Savings Bank Promotes Home Ownership with $5 Million in Funding

Continuing our commitment to promote home ownership, Naugatuck Savings Bank has allocated $5 million in fundingin 2009 for our First Time Homebuyer Program. The program allows qualified first time homebuyers in neighboringcommunities to achieve their goals of owning a home.

"We are committed to helping the people in our local communities achieve their dream of homeownership. Our FirstTime Homebuyer Program is another way we can help enrich the lives of people who live in surrounding areas byoffering mortgage programs created for first time home borrowers" said Mark Yanarella, President and CEO ofNaugatuck Savings Bank.

Naugatuck Savings Bank offers qualified first time homebuyers discounted fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages.Income and sale price limits are 5% above the limits published by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority.Mortgage application fees will be refunded to homeowners at the time of closing.

Naugatuck Savings Bank has been helping customers make their dream of home ownership a reality for over 130years. Our Mortgage Professionals assist borrowers throughout the entire mortgage process, from application throughclosing. For more information, please contact Naugatuck Savings Bank at 203.729.4442 or toll free at 877.729.4442.

Naugatuck Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nutmeg Financial, MHC, has been serving customersthroughout Connecticut's Greater Naugatuck Valley since 1870. Locally owned, we are committed to helping individualcustomers as well as the community at large. Naugatuck Savings Bank offers personal and business banking and finan-cial services at its 12 branch locations.

Meriden Rotary Club Golf TournamentThe 12th Annual Corporate Classic Golf Tournament sponsored by the Meriden Rotary Foundation is scheduled forTuesday, May 12, 2009 at Hunters' Golf Course in Meriden The premier event includes 18 holes of golf with lunchbefore a shotgun start, cocktail reception, dinner, gift pack, personalized program, auction, and prizes.

The Meriden Rotary Club has used the money raised from the tournaments, as well as its other events, to support ini-tiatives in the Meriden community, including: Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) for elementary schools,Noah's Ark of Hope, Inc. for a barrier free playground, Project Dictionary for all 3rd graders in Meriden schools, SoapBox Derby, Beat the Street, Spirit of Giving, Rotary Career Center at the Meriden Public Library, Meriden Boys andGirls Club library, Citizenship awards for high school students, Rotary computer center at Girls Inc, and youth leader-ship. Sponsorship opportunities are available and golfers are also encouraged to sign up. For information, visit theMeriden Rotary Club website at www.meridenrotary.org and contact Tournament Director Pam White by calling 203-238-7028 or email golf@meridenrotary.org.

POLISH CULTURE IN MERIDEN BY VALERIE BUBON MAY 16 ATMERIDEN LIBRARYMeriden Public Library will host the program "Polish culture in Meriden" by local resident Valerie Bubon, lecturer andteacher, on Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 pm in the Griffin Room. Ms. Bubon will trace the Polish immigration to Meridenand its contributions to the city through government, medicine, education, art, and music. Audio and visual presenta-tions will highlight dance, opera and music of the Polish people as well as the significance of their community involve-ment, on both the local and national level. This program is part of the library's focus on the Polish culture in Meridenduring the month of May. The library is participating in the World of Words 2009 program. World of Words (WOW) isa program of the Connecticut Center for the Book at Hartford Public Library, an affiliate of the Center for the Book inthe Library of Congress, and celebrates Connecticut's cultural and literary roots. The program is free and all are invit-ed. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or visit the library's website at www.meridenli-brary.org and click on "Adult events" to reserve a seat. POLISH CULTURE CONCERT MAY 19 AT MERIDEN LIBRARYMeriden Public Library will host the Stan Scott Band on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 pm in the Griffin Room. Come andenjoy the music of the Polish culture, including traditional Polish polkas, waltzes, and obereks with some Polish vocals.

This program is part of the library's focus on the Polish culture in Meriden during the month of May. The library isparticipating in the World of Words 2009 program. World of Words (WOW) is a program of the Connecticut Center forthe Book at Hartford Public Library, an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and celebratesConnecticut's cultural and literary roots. The program is free and all are invited. Seating is limited. Contact theCommunity Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or visit the library's website at www.meridenlibrary.org and clickon "Adult events" to reserve a seat.

One Woman's Journal By Audrey C. Linke

Mike was a relative of a relative, maybe still a teen-ager when the tragedyoccurred. I knew him slightly and I knew his mother from conversationsshared at family gatherings. Mike was a boy to be proud of, and his familywas, of course.

As he drove along in the town where he lived, a little girl suddenly steppedoff the sidewalk in front of his car. With not so much as a split second toreact, Mike had no choice but to hit her.

When we heard about the terrible untimely death of a small child, we were,like everyone else, horrified. The bereaved family of the little girl would becomforted by an entire community, but what of the other family?

I don't remember how much time went by before I decided to write toMike. I don't even know if it was my decision, but the thought kept naggingat me until I knew I had to do something. I found a note card and with pen inhand sat down at my kitchen table with the thought that I must write some-thing sympathetic to this fine young man whose life had been interrupted assurely as was the life of the little girl who died. Mike was young, would havea long time to live with the inevitable guilt.

I didn't know what to write, but out of nowhere the Serenity Prayer cameto me and I began with that. Then I remembered that I had a small key chainwith the Serenity Prayer on it. I tucked it in with the note and sent it on itsway.

I didn't know what I expected to accomplish with that simple prayer: "Godgrant me the courage to change the things I can, accept the things I can'tchange, and the wisdom to know the difference." But this is what I learnedlater from Jean, Mike's mom.

When the note came, Mike immediately put his car keys on the key chain.Up until then, he had been unable to get behind the wheel of his car and didnot plan to ever drive again. Jean took the note and drove over to her churchand showed it to her priest. She, too, was lifted from her sadness.

"You'd be surprised," she said, "At how few people expressed concern forus, the family that had to live with the tragedy from the other side of the acci-dent."

I don't know what triggered this memory, but it is a reminder that when weare led to do something in the name of Love, we should do it, for Love heals.Love is a valuable gift, a blessing to both the giver and the receiver.

Now that... my kids are grown, I understand how much work and love it takesto raise and to keep a family together. The example of your strength, devo-tion, and patience is now rippling through the generations. Thank you!~Forest Houtenschil

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~Oprah Winfrey

Page 7 May 2009

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Happy Mother’s Day Mommy! There is no bunny like you! Love, Chelsea

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Happy Mothers Day

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Dear Housewives - Central Connecticut's Know It All GalsDear Readers,Do you have a question regarding family life, budgeting, customer ser-

vice issues, DVD or book reviews, or home organization? We will giveyou our candid advice from a family perspective. Contact The Peoples Press by e-mail or phone with your confidential question and we willanswer it in the next issue. Hope you are all enjoying this spring. -Juneand Flora

Dear Housewives,I have so many papers from each of my two kids classes. I don'tknow what to keep and what to throw out, they are all over the place.Help. No more papers in MeridenJUNE: Dear paper, our kids bring home an amazing amount of notices, work, projects and tests. The best thing to do

is to keep all graded work until the term ends in case you have any issue with the grade; teachers do make mistakes. Iwould buy a binder or file box to keep them organized in. After report cards come you can toss whatever you don'twant to keep. I like to keep some things to look at in the future. It will be fun for the kids to see their old work.FLORA: Open and read all back pack notices the day they arrive. If there is an event you need to attend, put it on

your calender right then and there. Write down the event, time and place. Cross out the flyer and use the clean side forscrap paper at home.

We too have a box for each child that we fill with school work. I collect the 'keepers' (cute things they write or drawor graded papers for memories) and at the end of the school year, I go through the 'keepers', filter out any and fill thebox. This way at the end of college, they can go through their school memory box to see their work from years past.

Dear Housewives,How do I handle people who have all the answers on children and they do not have any children? I work withtwo people who have all the answers but no experience. Remember, I work with them so I want to handle thiswell and nicely. - Walking a Fine Line in WallingfordFLORA: I have encountered that a few times and have handled it by saying for my children or the children I encounterdaily, I see this... or that.... and give concrete examples. I have never reminded them that they may not know becausethey are not parents; doing that is too confrontational. June?JUNE: You are probably better off just ignoring them. I have an Aunt who does the same thing and she always startsby saying, "Kids tend to be...". I always want to as he how she knows. It isn't worth it if you have to see the people all the time. Maybe you can just tell them things about your kids and let it go. You could askthem when they are going to have some of their own but do it nicely.

Dear Housewives,What do you ladies think about Facebook? More and more of my adult friends are doing this. - Faceless inMeridenJUNE: I don't really get it. People have tons of friends but they aren't really friends, it is like a collection of peopleyou know. And even if you don't hang out with them you can see all their information and pictures. I think peopleshould stick to emailing. It is a good tool to find people you lost touch with but they have to have an account or it isuseless for that too. I am a fan of good old fashioned calling people and even emailing. I am not impressed with the computer age.FLORA: I think we need to pick up the phone and meet our friends face to face. If they live far away, there is the tele-phone and email. I thought it was more a college age trend but I too have been invited to be a friend on Facebook. Waytoo much time is spent on Facebook and the internet. And not for nothing, many of these adults on Facebook are doingit on company time and I personally think that is stealing. This is partly why our economy is in shambles. People, ifyou are getting paid to work, work. Get off the Facebook and surfing the internet and be productive.

Nothing replaces truly getting to know and be known by people. Too many of us are loosing the art of friendship.Go for a walk, go our for coffee or tea, go over and play cards or just talk. Let's get back to face to face friendships.JUNE: I couldn't agree with you more Flora, but I can't make the stretch to say that the economy tanked because ofFacebook. C'mon, think about that./

JUNE: Flora, I hope you are enjoying your spring. I took my middle "little june" to see the "Thomas and Friends"show at the XL center in Hartford. It was a great show and we had a great time. I hope more people take advantage ofthe events that come to Hartford's XL center. I got in and out easily and the show itself was top notch. The movie"Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler is now on DVD. This may be a little early for Flora to get it but the rest of youshould rent it. It was a very cute movie for the family. Look into it.FLORA: I read a short novel by Wm. Paul Young titled "The Shack" and found it captivating. Without giving awayany more than the back of the book would, it is a story of a man whose young daughter was abducted while on a fami-ly vacation. The father receives a note from God and is asked to meet him at a shack where evidence of his daughter is.This is brilliantly woven story of God's love and redemption and a loving but peculiar description of God, His Son andthe Holy Spirit. You can read this quickly. I know many who have read it in a day. I plan on reading it again. 4Pineapples.

Ben Franklin before School ProgramMeriden Family Resource Center is now accepting registrations for the 2009-2010 Before School Program at Ben

Franklin School. This program is open to children in Kindergarten through Grade 5. We offer a sliding scale and sib-ling discounts. We provide homework assistance, reading time and quiet games or activities from 7:00am until 8:30am.This program is offered to Ben Franklin students only. To register or for more information, please call 238-2316.

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Proverb

Page 8 May 2009

Tanzani Trails SafariA unique safari in search ofAfrica’s finest game viewing.Tanzania’s best! Visiting the mostpopular locations including thefamous Great Serengeti. Stay inbeautiful lodges along with ourfavorite tented camps. No one butKing Travelways gives you thebest in Safari’s.

November 2nd-14th 2009105 Hanover Street in Meriden 203.634.3500 1.800.624.3516

Email: ktwinc@aol.com www.kingtravelways.com

SILVER CITY COIN & STAMPSCOLLECTIBLES

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Ballroom Dancing at the Meriden YMCAJoin us at the Meriden YMCA on Wednesday May 20th from 7 to 8 p.m. fora FREE introduction to some of the hottest Ballroom Dance steps around.Bring your favorite partner or come solo. Our instructors are RichardFontanella and Pat Lynes who have over 40 years of experience in BallroomDance instruction. The YMCA will be offering an 8 week BallroomDancing course beginning in September. Come try it! Child Watch will beopen for babysitting. Call 235-6386 x18 to sign up for the free lesson today,space is limited.

Ballroom DancingThe Wallingford Family YMCA and the CDC presents tips

for a safe swimming summerThis summer, swimming pools will be filled with millions of people having fun and staying cool. But did you knowthat germs can contaminate swimming water even if it is treated with chlorine? Learning about recreational water ill-nesses (RWIs), which are spread by swimming in contaminated recreational waters such as swimming pools, water-parks, lakes, and the ocean, can protect you from illness.

RWIs are caused by germs like "Crypto" (KRIP-toe, short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia (gee-ARE-dee-uh), E. coli0157:H7, and Shigella (Shi-GE-luh) and are spread by accidentally swallowing water that has been contaminated withfecal matter. How does a pool get contaminated? You share the water with everyone in the pool. If someone with diar-rhea contaminates the water, swallowing the water can make you sick.

The great news is that germs causing RWIs are killed by chlorine. However, chlorine doesn't work right away. Ittakes time to kill germs and some germs like "Crypto" are resistant to chlorine and can live in pools for days. That iswhy even the best maintained pools can spread illness. Therefore, Healthy Swimming behaviors are needed to protectyou and your kids from RWIs and will help stop germs from getting in the pool in the first place. Here are six"PLEAs" that promote Healthy Swimming:1. PLEASE don't swim when you have diarrhea. This is especially important for kids in diapers. You can spread germsin the water and make other people sick. 2. PLEASE don't swallow the pool water. In fact, avoid getting water your mouth. 3. PLEASE practice good hygiene. Take a shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet orchanging diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water. 4. PLEASE take your kids on bathroom breaks or change diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean thatit's too late. 5. PLEASE change diapers in a bathroom and not at poolside. Germs can spread to surfaces and objects in and aroundthe pool and spread illness. 6. PLEASE wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Everyone hasinvisible amounts of fecal matter on their bottoms that ends up in the pool.

Want to learn more about recreational water illnesses (RWIs)? Why you shouldn't swim when ill with diarrhea? Howsome germs that cause RWIs can live for days in even the best-maintained pools? Go to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming for more information.

The Wallingford Family YMCA offers swim lessons for all ages along with water exercise classes and basic rescueclasses. We also teach American Red Cross lifeguarding and CPR. Check our web site for more details. www.walling-fordymca.org

FIRST ANNUAL DURHAM PET FAIRThe 1st Annual Durham Pet Fair will be held at The Durham Veterinary Hospital, located at 178 Parmalee Hill Road

on Sunday, May 17th from 11:00am to 4:00pm (Rain Date May 24th). It is jointly organized by the DurhamVeterinary Hospital and Help Willy's Friends.

This Durham Pet Fair will feature local merchants and adoptable pets from local shelters/ rescue organizations.There will be Live Music, a Wine Tasting and a Silent Auction. There will be food, beverages, and Free Kettle Korn.Children's activities will include a DJ, Face Painting, Touch-a-Truck, Fun House, a State Police K-9 Demonstration,and much more. For those attendees that bring their pets, The Durham Veterinary Hospital will provide microchippingat a nominal fee of $35.00. There will also be Free Nail Clipping, Free Pet Photos, Pet Reiki and a Pet Psychic!

10'x10' booth space is still available. A booth is $25 for shelters/rescue organizations and $50 for vendors. Visitwww.durhampetfair.com for downloadable booth application forms or contact Mark at 203-988-1718 or willy@help-willysfriends.org.

Help Willy's Friends is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting food and supplies to distribute among localanimal shelters/rescue organizations. This in turn assists shelter workers with providing proper, required, and addition-al care to animals in need. Ultimately, this results in additional time with hope of finding a new home for loving dogsand cats. For more information about Help Willy's Friends, visit www.helpwillysfriends.org.

TEEN BOOK CLUB AT MERIDEN LIBRARYMeriden Public Library is starting a Teen Book Club. The first meeting will take place Tuesday, May 12 at 7:00 pm inthe Seminar Room. The book Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin which won the Connecticut Nutmeg Award this past yearwill be the subject of the first discussion. Future book discussions will be: House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer onTuesday, June 2 and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer on Tuesday, July 7.

Come and join us. Light snacks will be served. Sign up at the Information Desk, online at www.meridenlibrary.organd click on "Adult events" or call (203) 630-6349.

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but Ialways remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

Page 9 May 2009

ACROSS1. A country in the West Indies5. Variety of flowers grown frombulbs and noted for their large flow-ers and beautiful colors10. An affirmative response from asailor.11. Draw in a breath.13. Leon Panetta is the director ofthis U.S.A. government agency.15. The theme of this crosswordpuzzle.18. Prefix used with friendly to indi-cate environmentally acceptable19. French word referring to ayoung girl by her parents.21. Female deer.22. A pub beverage.24. Brave, courageous, bold.27. A wooden or metal pole used tosupport sails and rigging.28. Being the remaining one of twoor more.29. To sight a target.30. Universities and colleges areheaded up by these officials.31. John Steinbeck's 1947 novel thattells the story of Kino, a poor Indianfisherman.32. Uncommon33. Adept; brilliant; clever.36. Swindle.39. A hypothetical particle of matter.40. Not a Sr.41. Fragrant tiny white spring flowershaped like a small bell.46. A beautiful showy flower withsword shaped leaves (also a part ofthe human eye)47. Measurement that is equal to 4pecks (abbr.)48. Alloys; minerals; ore.49. If the artist da Vinci had a nick-name, it might have been this.50. "Smooth as _____"52. One of 12 curved bones, it helpsto form the thoracic wall in a humanbeing.53. Famous singer, 82 yrs old, hehas been awarded 11 Grammys dur-ing his career and is

still singing. (initials)55. A feeling of dread, anxiety, oranguish.57. An electrically charged atom.59. "Sweet ____" was the baby in thePopeye cartoons.60. A severe throat infection.61. Part of the mouth of a riverwhere the river's current meets thesea's tide.DOWN 1. Bulbous plant widely cultivatedfor its cylindrical cluster of fragrantflowers.2. Prefix with nautical or space.3. Bind.4. Lodges; hostels.5. This flower was celebrated in

Meriden at a Festival in HubbardPark in April.6. 1966 movie nominated for 5Oscars starring Michael Caine.7. "_____ hath no fury like a womanscorned."8. A dishonest gambler may haveone of these up his sleeve.9. Title given to a male who isknighted by the Queen of England.10. Ripen.12. Part of Santa's laugh.14. These colorful, showy, rayedflowers are often found in 15 across16. Mature.17. "____ will rock you!"20. "_____ we go again."21. A daily record, usually private.22. Not together.23. A narrow country road.24. A very small quantity.25. "That will be _____ day!"26. Fans can see these in an instantwhile watching a baseball game.27. To burn or char the surface ofsomething.30. Playwright.33. The main body of a flower.34. Someone or something that goesfrom one place to another.35. Cook in grease or oil.36. A warning device found on mostemergency vehicles.37. Holds tightly, as by grasping orembracing.38. Jefferson City is the capital ofthis "show me" state. (abbr.)39. A verbal exclamation of surprise,pain, joy, etc., according to the situa-tion.40. Clown in a medieval court.41. Beautiful very fragrant springflower; also a color.42. Robert S. Mueller is the currentdirector of this government agency.(initials)43. A colorful bulbous spring flowerfound in many areas, but often asso-ciated with Holland.44. Place used for conducting scien-tific research.45. Comedy actress from the movie"Take The Money and Run", she wasalso married to

Woody Allen for 3 years. (ini-tials)

50. Road; thoroughfare; route.(abbr.)51. Boxing term. (abbr.)54. Body of water forming an inden-tation of the shoreline.56. Title given to a deceased mem-ber of some religious groups andwho is officially recognized as anextremely virtuous person. (abbr.)58. Compass direction.59. Ma's counterpart.

People’s Press Crossword by Ruth Gordon Look for the answers in this issue.

Do You Know the Signs of a Stroke?FACE – Ask the person to smile. Doesthe face look uneven?

ARM – Ask the person to raise botharms. Does one arm drift down?

SPEECH – Ask the person to repeat aphrase, such as “the sky is blue”.Does their speech sound strange?

TIME – Every second counts – ifsomeone shows ANY of these signs,call 9-1-1 right way!Additional signs could include suddentrouble seeing in one or both eyes,confusion, walking, dizziness, or lossof balance; a sudden, severeheadache with no known cause.

For more information on stroke prevention and recognition, pleasecall the Meriden Health Department at 630-4238.

BANKS OF MERIDEN DISPLAY AT ANDREWS HOMESTEADThe Meriden Historical Society will be holding an Open House at the Andrews Homestead, 424 W. Main St (next toBen Franklin School), Meriden, CT beginning on May 10th and every Sunday in May thereafter. There will be dis-plays and early photos of Meriden banks and a historical overview and timeline of the banks and their organizers.Collections of give-aways, ephemera and related souvenirs will be displayed. During this exhibit, we will have the sec-ond floor opened for those who can manage the stairs. The Andrews Homestead has been updated with lighted show-cases filled with items made in Meriden by people who lived and worked here. If you've never been to the Andrew'sHomestead, here's your chance to see what's inside the old, red house. The homestead will be opened beginning onMay 10th and then each Sunday in May, from 11a.m. to 3p.m. Admission is free. Come and reacquaint yourself withMeriden's history.Meriden Historical Society Preserving Meriden's Past for Future Generations since 1892

May children's programs at the Wlfd Public Library Children's LibrarySpring has sprung and our wonderful storytime programs have been extended for an extra two weeks! Checkout what the Children's Library has to offer for children ages birth-five.ITTY BITTY BABIESThis drop-in program introduces babies and their grown-ups to the library and each other in a program filled withsongs, rhymes and books. Stories and songs are for children 12 months and under but older siblings are welcome toattend.

There is no registration required for this program but seating is limited and Wallingford residents are given priority.For further information stop by, or call, the Children's Library at 284-6436.Thursday, April 23rd-May 21st at 10:30a.m.MOTHER GOOSEJoin us for a toe-tapping good time in this fun program for one's and two's and their parent or caregiver. Registered:Monday, March 23rd-May 18th at 1:30p.m.Drop-in: Tuesday, March 24th-May 19th at 6:30p.m.Wednesday, March 25th-May 20th at 10:00a.m. PRESCHOOL STORYTIMEJoin us for stories, songs, fingerplays and more in this lively storytime for preschoolers ages three to five and theirgrown-ups. Younger interested siblings may attend. There is no registration required for this program but seating islimited and Wallingford residents are given priority. For further information stop by or call the Children's Library at:284-6436.Tuesday, March 24th-May 19th at 10:00a.m.Wednesday, March 25th-May 20th at 1:30p.m.Thursday, March 26th-May 21st at 6:30p.m.CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK AT THE ANNUAL CHILDREN'S BOOK SWAPSaturday, May 16th9:30a.m.-1:00p.m.Wallingford Public Library Community Room

Kids, here's a chance to clean off those bookshelves and trade old books for "new." Just bring books that you nolonger want to the Children's Library and we'll give you a coupon for each book you bring in. Each coupon is goodfor a book at the Book Swap on Saturday, May 16th.

Remember, books need to be brought to the Library before May 16th. They need to be clean and in good condition.Come to the Swap on Saturday, May 16th and select your books. It's lots of fun! For more information call theChildren's Library at 284-6436.

Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughtsnor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faith-ful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the restaway. ~Dinah Craik

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charm-ing gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust

Page 10 May 2009

Garrett Look who is turning two on May 18th! Loves to play baseball with his bigbrother & will love having an Elmo birthday party! Hugs & Kisses,Mommy, Daddy & Evan

Happy BirthdayMy Mother's Voice and The Piano - A Mother's Day Story My mother had an average singing voice and was quite good atplaying the piano. About five years after she was married, whichwas in 1945, my parents, Philip and Bernice, purchased aSteinway & Sons console piano, which was made in New YorkCity in 1950. From the time Nancy and I could sit on either sideof our mom on the piano bench, we would listen to her sing chil-dren's songs to us in her soft and soothing voice.

Our favorite collection of songs was a book called FourteenSongs from When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne and H.Fraser-Simson. I loved all of the songs, but I had my favorites,such as "Halfway Down" and "Vespers." All of the pieces hadmarvelous lyrics, and we soon learned to sing all of them withour mom. The book had been inscribed by my aunt on behalf ofher two children at that time: "To Aunt Bernice on her birthday -with the hope that Barbara and Nancy will enjoy these songs asmuch as we do! With love from Kirk and Kathy. September 16,1951."

I started taking piano lessons when I was in the third grade atage eight, and so did Nancy, but I stuck with the lessons for yearsto come, unlike Nancy, and became a pretty good pianist. I don'tknow exactly how old I was when I was able to sit down and playthrough every piece in that favorite children's music book of ours.Over the years I have recorded some of them for children of rela-tives and friends or for others who have requested that I do so, but I have not touched that book in many, many years.

I still have the Steinway piano, but I have not been able to use it as it is housed in my landlady's part of a 100-year-old-plus house. (I would not risk injury to the movers or to the piano when they attempted to carry it up a very narrowand winding staircase 13 years ago.)

I recently was told of a Catholic church in Wallingford in need of a piano (and my mother was Catholic). I contactedthe priest, and he will soon be coming to see the piano and hear the accompanist for the choir play it. I decided to sit down a few days ago to find out how the old piano sounded. It took me a few minutes to get my eyesfocused on the music and get my fingers to cooperate, but I was able to play through some simple pieces, such as JohnDenver's "Annie's Song," and my, oh, my, what a beautiful tone that piano has.

I opened the piano bench to get some more music out to play, and I noticed the book Fourteen Songs from When WeWere Very Young in the stack of music. I started with "Halfway Down," which has delightful lyrics, and it begins with,"Halfway down the stairs is a stair where I sit: There isn't any other stair quite like it. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not atthe top: So this is the stair where I always stop." I did not sing; I only played the piano. I went through almost all of thesongs, including "Happiness," "Buckingham Palace," "Politeness," "Market Square," and my favorite, "Vespers," thelast song in the book.

This may not sound plausible to you, but what was extremely special about the time I spent going through thosesongs was every now and then I could actually hear my mother's voice singing the words. She was in the room withme. Did she realize I had not played the piano in years? Did she know I was about to make a difficult decision aboutthe future home of her piano? I do not know. But it is comforting to know that, although my mom has been gone fromthis earth for 25 years, she is still watching over me and that I can still hear my mother's voice!

I wish everyone's mom a very happy Mother's Day! (I wrote this story in 2003. The priest and the accompanist did come to the house, and when she sat down to play,

tones rang out from that old Steinway piano I had never heard before. It was glorious! She played a number of piecesby heart, but when she began to play Mendelssohn's "He Watching Over Israel," I broke down in tears. I was unable tomake the sacrifice and did not give the piano to the church. When I moved to South Whittlesey Avenue on November28, 2004, a date I shall never forget, the piano came with me, and that's another story for another day.)By Barbara Sherburne barndt49@yahoo.com

Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr.Memorial Tennis Tournament

The biggest and premier community tennis tournament in New England is right here in Wallingford, CT! The 5th annu-al Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament is scheduled for June 13th - 21st.

The venue will again be the beautiful Hunt Tennis Center located on the Choate-Rosemary Hall Campus inWallingford. All proceeds from the tournament will benefit Wallingford YMCA youth programs and the Winton S.Filipek Sr. scholarship fund.

All players receive a tournament t-shirt, players handbook, players gift bag, ticket to "Breakfast at Wimbledon" andtennis balls & water for every match. Prizes are awarded to 1st & 2nd place in every division.

The 9-day event in 2009 will feature: 17 divisions for all levels, a Free Kids & HS Clinic & Fun Day, Sunday June14th (at capacity in 2008), opening ceremony with Mayors Wallingford/Meriden and Town ManagersSouthington/Cheshire and several other special events.

In 2008, the event drew 481 entries in 17 divisions. THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY TENNIS TOURNAMENT!

Please direct any questions to Wint Filipek Jr. wrfilipek@hotmail.com 860-621-5655 or the Wallingford FamilyYMCA at 203-269-4497.

Remember Mother's Day May 10th with a gift certificate to the Meriden YMCA

Don't forget the most important woman in your life - MOM! Why not treat her to a gift certificate to the MeridenYMCA? She can treat herself to a spa day - work out or go for a swim, have a massage, and visit the sauna. Gift cer-tificates are available for membership, classes, or massage therapy.

Give mom the best gift ever this Mother's Day, a gift certificate for a Massage or Reflexology session with one ofour licensed massage therapists. The Y now offers 30 Minute Chair Massage, 60 Minute Table Massage, andReflexology. Massages are by appointment and are only $35 for a half hour or $60 per hour for members, and $45 perhalf hour and $80 per hour for nonmembers. Stop by our Fitness Center and ask for a tour of our newly remodeledMassage Room.

For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Meriden YMCA at 203-235-6386 or by email atjoangoodman@meridenymca.org

The Meriden YMCA is located at 110 West Main Street in Meriden. Since 1866 the Meriden YMCA has helped itsmembers build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities. Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there from the Meriden YMCA!

The Ladies of St. Anne Society is sponsoring a Cabaret Night

On Friday, May 29th at 7:00PM at St. Laurent Church Hall, 121 Camp Street, Meriden. Entertainment will be provid-ed by Nick Grasso. Hot and cold hors d'oeuvres will be provided. Raffle tickets will be sold and door prizes will beawarded! Ticket price is $10. First call your friends to make up a table, then call the St. Laurent parish office at 634-1583 or Eleonore at 238-3124 to reserve your tickets for a fun night of music!

The story of America's quest for freedom is inscribed on her history in the blood of her patriots. ~Randy Vader

Barbara and Nancy at the piano.

Page 11 May 2009

Many Annuity Owners Lose MoneyDo youMakeThese

Mistakes?I can show

you hownot to.Christopher W. Porter

Porter Financial Strategies

Many Annuity owners lose over 50% of their annuity's valuewhen it pays off. It's true-and I can provide you a bookletwhich will show you how you may be able to avoid this mis-take entitled,

"Annuity Owner Mistakes"The booklet is absolutely free

and shows you how topreserve your annuity.

To get your complementary copy that could help protect your funds, simply call our message service at1-800-774-4964 (Toll Free - 24 hours) and leave yourname and address and the booklet will be mailed to youimmediately.

As a courtesy, we will plan on giving you a call toconfirm your booklet was received. Any questions canbe answered at that time. No selling.

ALASKA CRUISE FROM $469.00EYE POPPING SCENERY! JAWDROPPING SAVINGS. No doubtabout it - Alaska is one cool placeand with NCL’s Norwegian Staryou’ll see more than you everimagined. Beautiful coastlines,glaciers and wildlife like bears,bald eagles, whales and that’sjust the tip of the iceburg.

September 12th 2009105 Hanover Street in Meriden 203.634.3500 1.800.624.3516

Email: ktwinc@aol.com www.kingtravelways.com

Happy Mother’s Day to the best MOM in the whole wide world! You playwith us, teach us, read to us and care for us. We know you love us by whatyou do every single day and we really do know! Love, Sierra, Joshua andShaunessy. P.S. Thanks for the great trip this summer to a tropical won-derland.

Happy Mothers Day

Celebrations ofLife and Home

Happy Birthday Meagan!We hope that youhad a great time

at your party withall of your friends.

Love Gramps and NaNa

Postal Carriers Annual Food DriveYour Wallingford and Meriden Postal Carrier is helping the community and you can help. On Saturday, May 9th theywill be collecting canned food donations. PLEASE help by leaving canned food and non-perishible foods by yourmail box/slot/door - whereever you receive mail. The Postal Carrier's Annual Food Drive will suport several area foodpantries. In Meriden, the Soup Kitchen, New Opportunities, Salvation Army are recipients - In Wallingford, theWallingford Food Pantry at Red Cross is the recipient.

Volunteers are also needed at the site at 280 Washington Street on Wallingford Sr. Center Grounds, from 2:00 until6:00pm. You can make a difference in these tough economic times for families who are struggling to put food on thetable.

PLEASE support the Meriden and Wallingford Postal Carriers by helping in any way you can.

Even More Wallingford Public Library News and EventsCelebrate Old Blue-Eyes in May:Sinatra in Hollywood by Tom Santopietro Thursday, May 14 6:30 p.m. Community Room - Join us for a free presentation on Frank Sinatra by Tom Santopietro, author of Sinatra inHollywood, as well as books on Doris Day and Barbra Streisand. This program focusing on a brilliant and fascinatingcareer will include movie clips from Sinatra's films and a book-signing at the conclusion of the program. Reserve yourseat online, in person, or by phone. From Here to Eternity - Thursday, May 7, 6:30 p.m.Community RoomEnjoy Frank Sinatra in this classic film on our big movie screen. All are welcome to watch this free movie. More Upcoming Free Movie EventsWe've got another bumper crop of movies for you over the next month. All are welcome to attend any of the following(but please be aware of the ratings!). No need to register.Cinema Club presents: The Reader Tuesday May 5 at 6:30 p.m. Discussion to follow movie. Refreshments will be served. Rated: R Friday Flicks Night presents: Valkyrie Friday May 22 at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Rated: PG-13Cinema Club presents: Revolutionary Road Tuesday June 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Discussion to follow movie. Refreshments will be served. Rated: RNow on Display!This month our antique library table located in the center aisle of the book stacks continues to showcase books andmaterials featuring poetry as our celebration of the Favorite Poem Project continues. In addition, because May isMental Health Month, look for a special display of materials focusing on information and tools you can use to liveyour best life. Please remember; always inquire at the Information Desk if you cannot locate what you are looking for.We are here to help with your information requests!

WPL Teen Zone:The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest Do you like to read? Do you like trivia? How about winning free prizes? The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest is the per-fect thing for you. The Wallingford Library is thrilled to be a member of this awesome program for teens. To play:1) Go to www.kaycassidy.com/hunt and choose a book from the hundreds listed. 2) Print the Scavenger Hunt trivia questions from the book. 3) Read the book. 4) Answer the questions and hand them in to a librarian. 5) Get 8 out of 10 answers correct and you are entered into a contest to win a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card! Please stop by the Information Desk with any questions you may have, and for help selecting a book or printing outthe questions. Wii Bowling Wednesday, May 13 6:00 p.m. Community Room Back by popular demand! The overwhelming winner on the Teen Blog for the May Wii event is Bowling. Come and bowl some frames for your chance to win a gift certificate to a local bowling alley! Open to all teens in grades 6-12. Registration is required for this event. You may sign up online at wallingford.lioninc.org, by phone at 203-265-6754, or in person at the Library.Mother Daughter Book Club Wednesday, June 17 7:30 p.m. Board Room The Mother Daughter Book Club is taking a break in May to give you plenty of time to read the lengthy June selection, The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Twi- light fans will love this sci-fi thriller. The book club is open to all teengirls and their mothers or adult female friends. Reserve your copy today, and we will see you in June.Teen Book Swap Saturday, May 16 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Collins Room Don't miss the Teen Book Swap! You may bring your own slightly-used books to the Information Desk. Each bookearns you one coupon. On the day of the Swap bring your coupons to trade for "new books". Coupons may also beused in the Children's Swap (also on May 16). Please call the Information Desk at 265-6754 with any questions. Music on CDsWhen we select CDs for the Library's huge collection of music, we try to provide all kinds of music to appeal to awide audience. Teens are an integral part of the population we serve, and we definitely want to be sure we have thekind of listening you all want to check out! Did you know we have CDs by: Kelly Clarkson, Lil Wayne, Beyonce,Chris Brown, Jessica Simpson, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Rihanna, and many morepopular teen performers? Are we missing something important? Can you recommend some titles we should add?Please let us know. Stop by the Information Desk and give us a list of your suggestions. We'll do the best we can toprovide them for you.

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~Attributed to ClaudiaGhandi

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!~Maya Angelou

Page 12 May 2009

Message: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Due to space - messages are limited to the 2 lines above.Your Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Phone # _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Signature: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _If you would like the photo returned to you, please enclose a self addressed stamped envelope! We do not publishthe last names of any photo submissions. Send to:The People’s Press, P.O. Box 4459, Yalesville CT 06492

DDeeaaddll iinnee ffoorr oouurr nneexxtt iissssuuee iiss MMaayy 2277tthh..Send to: The People’s Press P.O. Box 4459 Yalesville, CT 06492

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Don’t forget to send Dad a special wish!

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It’s easy to enter. Senda photo wish in any ofthe next 3 issues andyou will be entered intothe contest. You mayalso send 1 photo wishfor each of the issuescovering the contestMay, June and July2009. The drawing willbe held on July 6th andthe prize will be presented on July 10th.Winner agrees to be photographed attime of prize presentation.

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Celebrations

Patriots of PeaceBy Dorothy Gonick

Wars of ages pastfought for gain of land;for power over people,to make their nation grand.

Colonists hoped for fairness,voted for freedom.Revolutionary patriotsfought hard and won.

Then came a time of shamewhen pushing ever westward-the Indians deserved respect.Their griefs still being heard.

The Civil War whichthreatened to divide,brought freedom to the slaves,Unity: now nationwide.

Two World Warsclouded the skies,yet Allied patriotskept freedom alive.

Overseas we have gonehelping the weaktheir freedom to gain,their dignity to keep.

Today we havenew wars to fight. The evils are manyand not pleasant sights.

There's hunger, corruption, hate,oppression, ignorance, fearwe've been sad to discover.

And prejudice, poverty, greed,pollution, loneliness, stressare more to uncover.

Are there many morefor us to deplore?

Let's put down our guns,choose a cause to defend.Win freedom from these;bring strife to an end.

Let's be Patriots of Peaceand justice, release.

The Yalesville Volunteer Fire Department is hav-ing a Mother's Day Flower/Plant sale on:

Friday May 8 from 5:00PM-8:00PMSaturday May 9 from 8:00AM-6:00PMSunday May 10 from 8:00AM-12:00PMThis event will take place at the Yalesville Fire Station at 143 Hope HillRoad, Yalesville.

Support SustinetFriday, April 17th, I spent time at the Mission of Mercy dental clinic in New Haven. It was a jarring experience. Theline was so long that I never actually did see the end of it. There was a woman standing in line for 3 hours on a bro-ken ankle. There was an elderly woman who stood in line for hours while two other women helped to support her.There were parents with infants and young children. Some of the people were employed, some were unemployed, andothers were retired. It was a microcosm of the health care crisis. What a terrible thing to see in one of the richestcountries in the world; in one of the wealthiest states in the country: people standing for hours, some even throughoutthe night, for the chance to get free dental care.

This is not the answer to the health care crisis. Charity is not a health care system. Thankfully, there is somethingthe residents of Connecticut can do to fix our broken system. The Connecticut Legislature has the opportunity to passHB6600, the Sustinet Bill, to provide Connecticut residents with the option of an affordable public health insuranceplan. Businesses, non-profit agencies and municipalities as well as individuals would be eligible. Now is the time foraction; to ensure that people of our state get the medical and dental care they need. Take the time to contact your staterepresentatives and state senators and tell them to support the Sustinet Bill. It’s smart. It’s right. It’s time.

For information, please contact me at amy@ctparentpower.org or 203-886-6432.

CHORALE CONNECTICUT SPRING CONCERTOn Saturday, May 9th, Chorale Connecticut, under the direction of Dorothy Barnhart, will present its spring concertentitled "Of Thee We Sing." The concert, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 159 East MainStreet, Meriden, embraces a patriotic theme including a well-known medley of George M. Cohen pieces, the moving"Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "In Flanders Field." For this stirring performance, Chorale Connecticut is proud toshare the stage with the Southington High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Jeff Shaw. A reception at theAugusta Curtis Cultural Center will follow the concert. Ticket prices are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Seniors'tickets (65) are $15 and children 12 and under will be admitted free with a donation of a canned good for the townfood pantry. Tickets may be purchased from Chorale members or from the following outlets: JC Music, 519 WestMain Street, Meriden; Valencia Liquor Shop, Ames Plaza, Meriden; Gallagher Travel, 390 Center Street, Wallingford;Just For You Country Gifts, Rte. 322, Southington and the Veteran's Service Center, 45 So. Main Street, #213,Wallingford. For more information, visit the Chorale website at www.choralect.org or call (203)237-5684. Fredrick Edward Wallace SearchI'm looking for the parents or siblings of Frederick Edward Wallace, his obit says he was born in Wallingford, CT in1852, but his headstone says he was born November 11, 1850. Not sure when he came here to Missouri, but he marriedAlice Earl in 1881 in Lexington, Missouri. He died August 5, 1905 in Lexington, Missouri. If anyone has any informa-tion that could help me, please contact Cathy Wallace, my email, wallywaldo60@embarqmail.com, phone,660.232.3798. Thank you.

Page 13 May 2009

EASEL WORKSCreative Art Studio & Gallery

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Register NOW for Springand Summer Classes.

Ask about our SummerKids Creative Art Camp &Summer Nature Art Camp

Easel Works offersArt Classes * Adult * Kinderart

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* Auto * Home * Business * LifeJohn J. Kovacs Insurance Agency

208 Center Street, WallingfordOffice: (203) 269-2500

Life Insurance underwritten by Nationwide Life Insurance Company Nationwide Mutual InsuranceCompany and affiliated Companies Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215-2220

Preview of Gardeners MarketMembers of the WallingfordGarden will hold the annual PlantSale on Saturday, May 9th 9:00-12:00 at the Railroad Station.Members will have perennialplants from their gardens, aChildren’s Table, Garden Treasures

Plant Sale

and Special Baskets for Mothers Day.There will be four vendors from the Wallingford Gardener’s Market

available as a preview of this summer’s market. Michael Melillo of‘Nature’s Mirror’ in North Haven will have individually potted organicheirloom vegetable plants of eggplant, peppers and tomatos.

George Wooster of ‘Garden Stones’ in Wallingford will have his engravedrocks.

Nancy Paull of Hamden will have her quilts, aprons and bags. Deneen Thompson of Garden Party will have garden ornaments, tools.

The Wallingford Garden Club is a member of the Federated Garden Clubsof CT and National Garden Clubs, Inc.Photo: One of George’s rocks with dragon fly

Helping Hands Thrift Store Helping To Save You Money!22 No. Turnpike Rd. in WallingfordFurn., Appliances in good to new condition all priced UNDER $100.00! Save even more by stopping by often as wehave unadvertised sales happening in May! Need summer clothes? Many new and famous name brands available atlowest prices around. We have 2 floors of electronics,housewares,books,videos,dvds,cds,toys,jewelry,shoes,linens,baby furn. and items,knick knacks and so much more to offer at tag sale prices to help those that can not afforditems needed elsewhere.

Being proud supporters of the Chrysalis Organization for Women and Children whom are victims of DomesticViolence your purchases and donations allow us to offer assistance to them and to people in the community needinghelp and who are referred by an organization with a voucher get items they may need.

We offer every Wed. BAG DAY! Fill a bag we provide with certain clothing items for only $2.00 a bag with a limitof 4 bags per customer this day only.

Watch for Senior Discount Day starting in JUNE! Must be 55 years or more to receive 20% off total purchaseallowed once on specified day. Sign up is necessary to receive this discount. Furniture and electronics are EXCLUDEDfrom this discount.

The store is in need of a new cash register if anyone has one they would like to donate or are selling VERY reason-able please contact us. Must be in good working condition.

Please remember us when your child outgrows their outside riding toys, or patio furn. that you may be replacingwith new ones that are still in good condition and would like to donate. Wagons,bikes, ride on outside toys are inGREAT need! Cable ready t.v.s, dvd players,portable radios,vhs players,working computers are other items in greatneed.

New and different items are placed out for sale everyday so stop by often!Sale going on till May 9th- all framed pictures BUY 1 get 1 half price and all glassware BUY 1 get 1 half price.

Other sales will be posted in the store during the month of May.We also have misc. FREE furn. items that we will give to anyone that may want them just for the asking so come on

in and ask about it. These items are donated items that we may have a surplus of that are fine for cottages,odd and endpieces or may need refinishing etc. We wish to thank all that shop and donate to the store helping us help the Chrysalisand our community. Sorry we are no longer accepting winter items as we have limited storage space. Check out ourformal wear section of gowns, dresses and even Wedding gowns for sale!Need an accordion in excellent condition with the case, we have it! Need a small stand up organ, we have that too!

We are NOT a consignment shop and are unable to give out tax donation slips with our current store status butdonating to help others is a very rewarding feeling when you no longer need items which could help someone else-Thank You!

Please be considerate when donating furn., electronics or appliances in regards to the condition of these items. Theycan not have stains, rips, broken as this is a very expensive expense the store must pay to dispose of them which wouldhave to be passed on by raising our prices which we do not want to do. Please if it is not something you would notpurchase for yourself because of its condition don't offer it to someone who is having a hard time trying to replaceworn out or broken items already..

Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup

Wallingford's Congregation Beth Israel will be hosting The Ryan C. Gordon Memorial Kiddush Cup Golf Outing onThursday, June 4, 2009 at The Tradition at Wallingford.

Celebrating its 10th year, the Kiddush Cup was renamed 4 years ago after 19 year old Ryan Gordon, a young con-gregant who passed away after a 3 month, courageous battle with cancer. A week before he died, Ryan requested thathis unused college funds be donated to charities that he felt had benefited him throughout his lifetime. His explicithope was that his gifts would inspire others to give.

Beth Israel, in honoring Ryan's legacy, will be donating one half of all Kiddush Cup proceeds to Ryan's Circle ofGiving (RCG), a 501(c)(3) charitable fund that will annually donate 100% of all contributions to those charities thatRyan championed. Last year, Beth Israel's Kiddush Cup contribution to RCG enabled this fund to donate over $19,000to:-The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -The Ryan Gordon Endowment Fund at the Kingswood-Oxford School, a financially-driven scholarship that enables deserving students to attend the school's Team-Tobati yearly trip toParaguay. Team Tobati is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to working with and assisting the poor ofTobati, Paraguay-The Yale Cancer Center's Thoracic Oncology Program. Donations godirectly towards thoracic oncology research.-The Ryan Gordon/Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation Scholars Fund at Trinity College. This Fund was

established to provide deserving Hartford youths with the opportunity to learn to play the game of hockey. The Shotgun/Scramble format will begin with a 7:45 - 8:45 a.m. registration and continental breakfast, an 8:00

putting contest and a 9:00 tee-off. A kosher meal, award ceremony and silent and live auction, MC'd by Fox61 SportsBroadcaster Rich Coppola will follow.

The tournament will offer men and mixed team prizes, raffles, a 50/50 pot, 2 Hole-in-One opportunities and muchmore! Registration Fee is $155. Dinner only is $45 and will begin between 2:30 - 3:00 p.m.

To learn more about the tournament and sponsorship opportunities or to download a brochure, go to www.bethis-raelwallingford.org and follow Kiddush Cup link. You can also call Phyllis Gordon at 203-269-5094 or Todd Schwartzat 203-235-4314 or email pgordon@snet.net. To learn more about RCG, go to www.ryanscircleofgiving.com.

Giant Tag Sale at The Willows InWallingford Benefits

American Cancer SocietyThe Relay for Life Big Green Team will use proceeds tohelp "kick cancer one goal at a time"On Sunday, April 26th the local Relay for Life Big Greenteam held a giant tag sale at The Willows single familycommunity at 751 North Farms Road in Wallingford. Allproceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society'sannual Relay for Life.

The week before the sale, Big Green team leaders andlocal business owners, Sandy and Jim Comeau ofWallingford Optical and Greg Kamens of VW Homes collected donations of furniture and other household items atThe Willows sales center.

"Everyone has been touched by cancer," said Greg. "My father died of cancer, and my mother is a cancer survivor,so the Relay for Life is very personal for me. I'm thrilled that VW Homes' partners Bob Wiedenmann and Liz andGerald Verna offered The Willows model home for our tag sale."

The Big Green Team will be participating in the Meriden/Wallingford Relay for Life at Platt High School inMeriden on May 29th and 30th. Go Big Green!About Relay for Life - Relay for Life is a fun-filled overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise

money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. During the event, teams of people gather at schools,fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on thetrack at all times.About The Willows - The Willows www.thewillowsct.com is a new old-fashioned community of 65 single familyhomes, located on North Farms Road between the center of Wallingford and Route 68. VW Homes is building TheWillows with smaller lots and sidewalks on both sides of the street to encourage walking and getting to know neigh-bors. The Willows is the first large single family community developed in town since 1995.

Page 14 May 2009

The Kids Press!Send in a Story!Send in a Picture!Send in a Poem!Send in a Drawing!

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His diet was worse than you would feed to your pets. He never worked out and he wasn't athletic.

He shrunk every day now. He looks quiet pathetic. This story is alarming but it's all true.

Be careful or it might just happen to you.

Hey kids - don’t forget to send Dad aphoto greeting for Father’s Day. AskMom to help you with the form in thisissue!

Page 15 May 2009

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Cheshire Garden Clubmakes Donation to Friendsof Boulder Knoll

On Saturday, April 18,2009, The Cheshire GardenClub made a $500.- dona-tion to the Friends ofBoulder Knoll to help defraythe cost of building materi-als for the new tool shed at

Boulder Knoll

Boulder Knoll Farms. Funds from a bequest by deceased Cheshire GardenClub member, Helma DeFronzo, made it possible for the Club to make thisdonation.This was the second "working day" on the farm under lease from the Townof Cheshire, where members of the Friends of Boulder Knoll gathered to cul-tivate several acres on the former Lassen property under the direction ofFriends farmer, Brenda Caldwell, for purposes of growing organic vegeta-bles, herbs and fruit. Some of the harvested crop will be made available toFood Banks and Soup Kitchens.Picture Caption: On hand for the official check presentation were (from left

to right): Treasurer Carol Goertz; Cheshire Garden Club President, MarvinCarley; Friends of Boulder Knoll farmer, Brenda Caldwell; Friends membersGreg Melville; Ellie Tessmer; and Fellis Jordan.

Hunting for the Perfect FitBy Katrina S. Axelrod - President, Meriden ArtsTrust, Inc. I have been hunting for funders for the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra and it has taken me on some wildand wonderful side trips. There have been several dead ends, too. I thought maybe I could assist other people in thesame search, so I share it here.

Some people go to the Internet first. When you go to the Internet, you find all manner of people ready to sell youthings. There are Professional Fund Raising Companies. Some are helpful, some aren't. Everybody wants to make abuck. Be careful.

Then there are the Foundations. Allow me to save you some time about foundation searches. Each foundation hasfunding priorities. Each foundation will fund some things and not others. I look for Music, Arts, Young People,Children, After School programs and Instruments. For the most part, to look elsewhere is a waste of time. There arealways exceptions, but just be disciplined.

Obtain your Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 501-c-3 or equivalent documentation before going to any foundation.This document, with its rather lengthy application document, may take you some time to complete and it will takesome doing on your part to put together a good team (Board of Directors, etc.). The effort is worth it. You get to knowyour program better, you find more like-minded people in the process and it proves that you can do some simple book-keeping to keep donations straight; all good things. Now, it takes about seven or so months to be processed in mostcases, so start with a positive attitude and see it through. It is worth all of the time and effort (and occasional sweat)you put into it and when the thing comes in the mailbox you will feel accomplished! Have a party! You HAVE accom-plished!

The government requires a DUNS number in order to fund a program. I have yet to do this for the MeridenArtsTrust, Inc., but I'm going to do it in the future. Who knows? It may come in handy and it won't cost anything to do.Look it up on the Internet if you are interested in obtaining government funds.

Do your homework. There are books in the library, ask the nice Reference Librarian for assistance. Bring a big padof paper and a few pencils; you can't check out a reference book. Look for words that are familiar to your work. Writeeverything that is related down- everything. Make a copy if the entrance is a big one. When asking a foundation for agrant, you are asking the foundation to believe in you and your program as much as you do. You need to make astrong case why your group is more worthy than others, the foundation has limits on its money.

Read the guidelines very carefully. If it says telephone, then telephone for the first contact. If it says letter, get yourstamps ready. If you can do it with an e-mail, then e-mail a nice, informative letter that shows your program in a goodlight. Go with what the foundation asks. Be memorable, but don't get cutesy. This is a business and is run as a business.Facts, facts, facts. Show them why you put all of your love and work into your very worthy project.

Letters of Inquiry (LOI): some foundations want to get to know you by having you send in a LOI before you send ina full proposal. You write down what the foundation asks of you, and you send it off with a little pat on the po-po. If itis within the foundation's priorities, they will contact you. Or, you may never hear from them again. Use your bestmanners, too. You may follow up, but don't be surprised if they already said somewhere back in that library referencebook that they don't accept unsolicited letters of inquiry. Watch out for that. Just let it go, your mistake! You'll only doit once to learn not to do it again! That was a lot of work for nothing.

Make a new proposal for each foundation, tailor it to what they want, how they present themselves and how youpresent yourself. Do not copy a proposal and just fill in the name. It is tacky, and it won't get funded. You must doyour homework. Remember, you want to be working with these people during the grant time and after, be cordialinformative and patient. Really patient.

There are family foundations that meet once a year, there are big foundations whose Distributions Board meets quar-terly, with very complicated and fancy rules for how you go about determining how well your program succeeded-called the evaluation. Read up on the different kinds.

There are corporate foundations that serve the cities in which their companies have a footprint; an office or a manu-facturing plant or historical roots. They have rules and regulations that need to be considered, too. Everybody has veryspecific rules, so that they don't get swamped with requests for everything.

Finding the perfect fit may be finding the good fit. If you think that the foundation has the priorities of your pro-gram, then ask. Don't waste people's time. Be businesslike and state your case. They will tell you if they wish to learnmore about your cause. When they tell you they can't help you, BE POLITE. Number one, it is the thing to do, and,number 2, you may see these people again and they may remember you for the gracious way you understood their lim-itations when it came to your program. Think of it as 'brownie points" towards professionalism.

So, for people who think that "Foundations" are the end-all and be-all of fund raising, nuh-uh. You must put inmany hours of fund raising without foundations help, in order to prove that you are worthy and will be around. Fundraising is only partly foundation-centered. Fundraisers, raffles, car washes, walks, whatever it takes, that is what ittakes. Then approach foundations, with a proven track record of success.

Speaking of fundraising- the Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra is having two benefit concerts in June, June7th at the Lincoln Middle School Auditorium at 3:00, when the CCCYO themselves will play and then a different ben-efit on Saturday, June 13th from 6-9, when professional musicians will perform many kinds of music including Jazz,Broadway and Classical for the scholarship programs of the CCCYO and the Q. Walter Peabody Foundation. This onewill be at the Immanuel Lutheran Church on Hanover Street, at the corner of Cooke in Meriden. Please come to one orboth, these are wonderful programs of music for young people.

I've barely scratched the surfaceof fundraising, but this will get youstarted. Do your library work.There is nothing magic about foun-dation fundraising, on the contrary,it can be some pretty hard work,but you know that it is worth it. I'llwrite again about other ways tohelp your group. I hope this helpsand that you are successful in yourfundraising. For more information,feel free to contact me at meridenartstrust@yahoo.com. I'lldo what I can to help. KSAPRAYER TO The Blessed Virgin:Blessed Virgin please help Vali tokeep her job and not get laid off. Iplace this prayer in your hands.Never known to fail. Oh most beauti-ful power of Mt. Carmel, Fruitful Vine,Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Motherof the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin,assist me in my necessity. Oh Star ofthe Sea, help me and show me thatyou are my mother. Oh Holy Mary,Mother of God, Queen of Heaven andearth, I humbly seek you from thebottom of my heart to secure me inmy necessity. (Make your request).There are none that can withstandyour pwer. Oh Mary, conceived with-out sin, pray for us who haverecourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary,I place this prayer in your hands (3times). Say this prayer for three con-secutive days and then you mustpublish it and it will be granted to you.Grateful Thanks. A.P.R.

Page 16 May 2009

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May Events at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Centerlocated on 175 East Main Street in Meriden. Call 203-639-2856 for more information or go to our website atwww.curtisculturalcenter.org.

May 1st through May 10th: Artist Exhibit by Darlene Keeffe (A Meriden PublicSchool Art Teacher)

Meet the artist reception Saturday, May 2nd from2pm-4pm

Friday, May 8th: Nites Out at the Augusta featuring Daniel Taylor,

8:00pm Bring your own drinks and food. The Centerwill provide mixers, water, and ice. Tickets $10 inadvance and $15 at the door. Tables can be reservedand tickets are going fast!

Meriden Public Elementary School Student's ArtShow: 5/12/2009 to 5/21/2009Opening reception Tuesday, May 12th 4:00pm to7:00pm.

For more information on any of the events listed orto get more information call 203-639-2856 or go towebsite www.curtisculturalcenter.org

Upcoming Events at The Augustis Curtis Cultural Center!

NATURE AS A MIRROR

by Dorothy Gonick

GRASS ROOTSPotatoes to plant-Preparing garden soil-Springtime has arrived.

Last fall large clumps of sod were tossed by a backhoe and left torest under heavy snows 'til spring. Spring has arrived and I've beenloosening the fertile soil from those clumps to prepare a garden.Grasping the sod, shaking the soil loose, and holding the mattedroots to reveal the tight interlocking of last years plants, impressesme with the web of life that must flourish unseen below the surface.The occasional earthworms that interlace the soil speak of their partin enriching its productivity.

The grass and weeds that have been uprooted have done an admirable job of holding soil in place and allowing stormwater to glide by without washing away the precious soil. There are seeds left from last years plants that are just wait-ing for the warmth of spring to sprout, but I plan to thwart them. Weeds are fine in pastureland, but not welcome in thegarden that I am planning.

The seed potatoes are waiting to be cut into sections; I'll leave 'eyes' in each piece to sprout and absorb the moistureand nutrients from the soil. Sprouting will be followed by growth as green leaves rise above the soil. Under the sur-face, nodules will form on the roots and grow; each nodule to become a new potato.

How does this 'mirror' life? All living things have an indwelt urge to grow, including us. Thoughtfully we let the day-by-day joys blossom and we reject the weeds of annoyance that darken our thoughts.

Throughout life, there are changes and sometimes it seems that we've been uprooted; much as this garden plot was.Changes such as parting from family for college or marriage; welcoming the birth of a child, or adjusting to the loss ofloved ones all call for new roots to form. Changes become part of us, even while we cling to the roots of the past (ourgrass roots). Shaking out the harmful, unneeded roots (weeds) and holding to the nourishing changes of life is a never-ending growth process.

Springtime is most welcome, so let's anticipate the growth it holds for us.

Wallingford Family YMCA to Offer May Lifeguard Certification CourseRegister now for the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course. This course provides training and certification inLifeguarding, First Aid, CPR/FPR, and AED. Course fee for Wallingford YMCA members is $250 and $280 for non-members. Participants must be at least 15 years old and able to swim 300 yards to participate. Course dates and timesare as follows:

5/14/09 7:00pm5/15/09 5:00-8:00pm5/16/09 8:00-6:00pm5/17/09 8:00-6:00pm

Class lengths are subject to change based on class size. For additional information and to register, call (203) 269-4497ext. 20 and ask for Pam VanderWeele.

A TASTE OF POLAND MAY 11 AT MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARYMeriden Public Library will host the program "A taste of Poland" by the Mazury Polish Deli on Monday, May 11 at6:30 pm in the Griffin Room. Traditional Polish foods will be highlighted and samples will be available after the pro-gram.

This program is part of the library's focus on the Polish culture in Meriden during the month of May. The library isparticipating in the World of Words 2009 program. World of Words (WOW) is a program of the Connecticut Center forthe Book at Hartford Public Library, an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and celebratesConnecticut's cultural and literary roots.

The program is free and all are invited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 or visit thelibrary's homepage at www.meridenlibrary.org and click on "Adult events" to reserve a seat.

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATIONThe Ulbrich Boys & Girls Club is now taking Summer Camp registrations. Camp starts on June 29, 2009 and endsAugust 21, 2009. The camp runs eight one week sessions starting at 8 AM and ending at 5 PM each day. Call forinformation at 203-269-7525 or stop by Ulbrich Boys & Girls Club 72 Grand Street, Wallingford, CT and pick up appli-cations. Limited Spaces.

Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannoteat money. ~Cree Indian Proverb

Happy Mothers Day

Dear Mommy,I was so happy to

meet you only a shorttime ago. You are a

dream come true.Love, Anthony

Happy Mothers Day

Dear Mom,Thank you for lettingme be who I am andloving me anyways.

Happy Mother’s Day!Love, Abby

Happy Mothers Day

Mommy,Daddy and I care about

you so much. You give meso much happiness and

bubbles too.Love, Matthew

Happy Mothers Day

Roses are redViolets are blue

You are the best mom in the worldand I love you!

Love, Muffy and Katie

Happy Mothers Day

Mom - we don’t knowhow you put up with

all of us. We are suchangels that it must

be hard to take.Happy Mother’s Day

Love, John, Emily, Ruby & Tomkk

Page 17 May 2009

ROCK OUT! HAVE FUN!PLAY DRUMS!

DRUM LESSONSAttention Parents I give your

child focus & confidence!Students are welcome from beginner to advanced byJon Peckman, author of the nationally renownedbook “Picture Yourself Drumming.” Lessons areheld conviently in the center of Wallingford.

Call 203.537.4112 or visitwww.myspace.com/jonpeckman

American’s Northern National ParksBe amazed by the wonders ofYellowstone, Grand Teton andCraters of the Moon National Park.Watch Old Faithful Geyser eruptwhile enjoying the unspoiled beau-ty of Yellowstone. Take in theunique landscpapes of Craters ofthe Moon and let Grand Teton fillyour mind and vision with beautyand serenity. Various dates!

105 Hanover Street in Meriden 203.634.3500 1.800.624.3516

Email: ktwinc@aol.com www.kingtravelways.com

Why Using Exterior Paint Inside Isn't a Good Ideaby Kimberley Linstruth-BeckomUsing exterior paint for a bathroom may sound like a good idea, but your body may not think so. Read why using thispaint may do more harm than good for your well being.

Exterior paint has many wonderful benefits. It is durable enough to withstand the elements of the seasons. It iswashable enough to remove mold and mildew from its surface and can hold its color from the sun. There is no doubtthat exterior paint is great for the outside, but is it a goodsolution for your interior needs?

Some home improvement do-it yourselfers like to use exterior paint in their interior bathrooms because it is sodurable and that may sound like a good solution for a moisture prone area, but it can actually do more harm than goodfor your well being in the home.

There is much talk today about certain buzz words like VOC's (Volital Organic Compounds), going green, and sickbuilding syndrome. VOC's are harmful odors released into the air from certain everyday products. These VOC's cancause "sick building syndrome", a term used for people who react to the odors in a building negatively. Negative reac-tions can include nausea, lightheadedness, and headaches to name a few. Many people want to reduce these VOC's tomake air quality better which is what going green is all about.

One product that is a major culprit to air quality in the home is paint. Manufacturers of paint are becoming moresensitive to this and are putting low-odor or fume-free paint on the market to reduce the amount of VOC's inside thehome.

Exterior paint has a different viscosity or "recipe" than an interior paint so it can withstand the elements. And thismeans that there are a few more chemicals in an exterior paint than there are in an interior. And this boils down to onething for the consumer, it means that exterior paint has more fumes than an interior paint does.

Putting an exterior paint inside the bathroom can be harmful because the fumes from the paint can take days, weeks,or in some cases, months to go away. Most people that I've known who have tried to use exterior paint for a bathroomhave redone it because they just couldn't stand the fumes.

So what's the best solution for a moisture-prone room like a bathroom? A paint that is specially made for kitchensand bathrooms will work, or you can also use a regular semi-gloss interior paint. Either one will give you durability, aneasy surface to wash and wipe down, and, if youchoose a good quality paint, a three to five year mildew resistance.

Another way to eliminate some of the excess moisture buildup in your bathroom is to use the fan for both during andafter your shower. Moisture and mold problemscan be prevented if you leave the fan on for at least 30 minutes after your shower. The same can be done if you have awindow in your bathroom.

The 75th Anniversary Party of the Meriden Poetry Society

It was a bright day for the The MeridenPoetry Society's 75th anniversary party atGallery 53 on April 5th . Within wallsadorned by Dick McEvoy's colorfulabstract and impressionistic art, gallerystaff, poets, photographers, guests and TheHumble Bees quintet set the stage for afestive occasion.Guests, gradually flowing in from the sun-filled afternoon, soon occupied all theseats and overflowed toward the back ofthe gallery where a table loaded withcookies and an anniversary cake werelocated. Hostess Ruth Kahn greeted anddirected them to Carol Christoffers to signthe guest book and consider purchasingOn Wings of Verse, the society's 75thanniversary collection of 67 poems writtenby 14 members.

At the same time, John Kenney was distributing an anniversary edition of the society's monthly newsletter, Wordswith Wings, which features Marie LeVan's history of the society, an article by Al Mueller on its current activities, andJohn's acrostic poem, Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of History. Meanwhile, the Humble Bees, having set up to per-form in the front of the gallery, waited for a signal from Mr. Kenney to begin their widely acclaimed program.

Marv Beloff, Peter Burch, Bruce Burchsted, Steve Lazarus, and Barry Spencer soon had folks foot- tapping andcameras flashing while they sang lively, humorous and original songs, sometimes as solos, other times ensemble, whileaccompanying themselves on ukuleles, a fluke and a mini-bass. Among the highlights were Bruce singing a song aboutpoets and Barry amazingly playing Danny Boy on a saw with a bow.

The Humble Bees act was hard to follow as Mario Cavallo noted at the outset of the next part of the 3-hour party.After welcoming approximately 100 guests , he thanked gallery staff members for their hospitality and assistance inmaking the party possible; upheld Al Mueller's work in producing On Wings of Verse as being exemplary; and intro-duced Marie LeVan to read her History of the Meriden Poetry Society. It was established in 1934 by Julia LansingWarnock and Isyla Powers Lee, co-editors of the Meriden Record. At that time it was the only poetry society inConnecticut and has been meeting continuously since.

Mr. Cavallo followed the reading by announcing that Elsie Melco, longtime member of the society and well-knownMeriden poet, has honored the society with a bequest. The society plans to establish an annual Elsie Melco PoetryAward beginning in 2010 for the best poem written in a competition among students at Meriden's three high schools.His reading of a composite poem written by society members , The Meriden Poetry Society is….. set the stage for AlMueller's presentation of complimentary copies of On Wings of Verse to individuals whose support has been and con-tinues to be vital to the life of the society.

Mr. Mueller prefaced the presentations by noting that "poems, like songs we heard, aren't complete until they'vebeen read or sung, their words have become imprinted in minds and hearts, have stirred responses therein." He sug-gested browsing in On Wings of Verse to discover why its three reviewers praised it and, if finding a poem to one'sliking, to chat with its writer about it.

As an example of humor within the book, John Kenney read his poem, Hough's Tavern, by delightfully playing withvariant pronunciations of Hough: Hoo, How, Hoff, Hock, Hup, Hoe and Huff .

Fifteen individuals were given complimentary copies of the book by Mr. Mueller, beginning with Bruce Burchsted,President of Prentis Printing Solutions, whose professional counsel and eye for beauty helped create a memorableanniversary momento. He was followed by: Patricia Mottola, Lois Lake Church and John Surowiecki , reviewers ofOn Wings of Song; members of the staff at the Meriden and Wallingford public libraries and Gallery 53; AndyReynolds, publisher of The Reader's Press; Nancy Mueller, party photographer; and Mayor Mayor Michael Rhode whoconcluded the presentations by recognizing individuals and arts groups vital to Meriden's rich cultural life and leading a"Hip, Hip, Hooray!" for the poetry society.

Following the program, guests enjoyed refreshments and conversation with the poets; some had them autographcopies of Wings of Verse; a few guests became society members or purchased copies of the book. Without question,the society was delighted to share the occasion with so many supportive friends and family members and to be reas-sured that poetry is alive and well in Meriden!

For information about how to purchase a copy of On Wings of Verse or become a member of the Meriden PoetrySociety, contact Mario Cavallo at 203-237-8252 or Alfred Mueller at 203-265-2445.

Woman in the home has not yet lost her dignity, in spite of Mother's Day, with its offensive implication that our loveneeds an annual nudging, like our enthusiasm for the battle of Bunker Hill. ~John Erskine

The Humble Bees performing at the party.

We're Getting Older… Is Our Country Ready For It ???

Submitted by Carol Carbutti, Owner of Comfort Keepers of WallingfordToday in the US, 6,000 people turn 65 everyday! In 10 years, the number willrise to 10,000 people per day! By year 2030 older Americans will double innumber from 35 million to 70 million. The Alliance for Aging Research haswritten a report entitled, "Ten Reasons Why America is Not Ready for theComing Age Boom", in which they call out 10 fundamental cultural chal-lenges and deficiencies in our health care and educational system:1. Age Denial - The US is a youth oriented culture; and Baby Boomers con-tinue to fight aging !! We need to adapt cultural age perceptions and careoptions.2. Prevention Disparities - Prevention programs tend to be youth orientedand offer few preventative treatments for older patients.3. Geriatric Gap - Health care providers are not well-trained but developingin the care of the elderly.4. Few Academic Leaders - Academia has been slow to take a leadership rolein training students in the care of the aged, nor have they proactively promot-ed the need for training.5. Lack of Geriatric Curriculum - Over half of all medical schools are notteaching geriatric medicine6. Lack of Geriatricians - There is a distinct lack of investment in geriatricseducation. Less than one half of 1% of Medicare education funds are aimedat treating older Americans.7. Inadequate Reimbursement - Medicare and other health care insurers pro-vide higher reimbursement for care that is NOT core to geriatric care.8. Lack of Coordination within Medicine - Older patients often have multiplechronic conditions requiring more than one doctor. Coordinating the infor-mation flow between health care providers is under-managed.9. Clinical Trials Often Do Not Include the Aged - The lack of inclusion inresearch complicates the creation of safe standards for the aged.10. Lack of Research on Aging - Less than 1% of the budget at the NationalInstitutes for Aging is dedicated to studying aging.

The perceptions around aging and the resources dedicated to understandingaging MUST change…. because we are all getting older . See the Alliance forAging Research website www.allianceforaging.org/ for more informationabout aging and the cultural, political and financial effects it will have.

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst intoflame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankfulfor those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer

Page 18 May 2009

The deadline for our June issueis May 27th! Don’t forget to

send a story or photo about Dadfor Father’s Day!

If you have an upcoming eventin the months ahead send it in -

it would be our honor to helpyou AND we will send out each

week’s events in our weeklyemail newsletter to our on-line

subscribers to give you evenmore exposure. Sign up - it’s

free! Go to www.peoplespressnews.com

and click subsribe!There are several ways to submit:

Email: andy@peoplespressnews.comWeb: www.peoplespressnews.com Mail: The People’s Press

P.O. Box 4459, Yalesville CT 06492For Advertising call

203.235.9333The People’s 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!

News and Events at the Wallingford Public LibraryPoetry 24/7 in May:Poem in your PocketGot a poem in your pocket? How about in your wallet? Maybe tacked up on the fridge, or taped inside your car? Needone? We can help! Now's the time to stop by the Wallingford Library Information Desk and pick up a portable poem.Keep it with you to share with friends, family, and anyone else as Connecticut's Favorite Poem Project celebration continues this month.

The Favorite Poem Project is inspired by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky who said, "Poetry connects uswith our deep roots." He believes that poetry is a vocal art: "If a poem is written well, it was written with a poet's voice.Reading a poem silently instead of saying a poem is like the difference between staring at sheet music or actually hum-ming or playing the instrument." The Favorite Poem Project is a much-loved model for inspiring people from all agesand walks of life to rediscover poetry and strengthen their communities through the art of sharing poetry. This Spring theWallingford Public Library, the International Festival of Arts and Ideas*, and the Connecticut Library Consortium joinwith libraries across the state to celebrate the vital, but sometimes little acknowledged, role that poetry plays in thehearts and minds of Americans. Favorite Poem Community Reading What's your favorite poem and why? The Library invites you to give poetry your voice by reading your favorite poem atour Favorite Poem Community Reading on May 16th in the lower level of the Library from 2:00 to 3:00p.m. Sign up atthe Information Desk to read your favorite poem and share why that poem has special meaning to you. Each participantis limited to five minutes, and selected poems must be from published sources. Readers of all ages are encouraged toparticipate! Poetry Wall: More ways to share poetry! The Library is taking both original submissions and published poems for inclusion on our Poetry Wall. Print or typeyour favorite poem and put it in the "poetry box" at the Information Desk. Poems will be posted daily. Our Poetry Wallis located adjacent to the stairs in the lower level lobby. *The International Festival of Arts and Ideas, in support of the Favorite Poem Project, invites you to join the celebration

of poetry on the New Haven Green June 13. You may submit your favorite poem to the festival with an explanation ofwhy that poem is especially meaningful to you. Forms available throughout the Library must be submitted to theFestival and received by June 1 to be considered for participation in the Favorite Poem Community Reading hosted byRobert Pinsky on Saturday, June 13 on the New Haven Green. More information is available at www.artidea.org811.54 Poetry Workshop Saturday, May 2, 10:00 a.m. Board Room Poetry enthusiasts are welcome to share their poetry and writing experiences at this workshop co-sponsored by theMeriden Poetry Society and the Meriden and Wallingford Public Libraries. Learn How to Get Published:You Wrote a Book: Now What? Wednesday, May 27, 6:30 p.m. Community Room Join the library in welcoming literary agent and publishing consultant Jan Kardys for a program on the secrets of gettingpublished. Ms. Kardys is a publishing professional with over 25 years of diversified publishing experience. Learn howto find a literary agent, market your book and negotiate contracts. If you are an author or illustrator or thinking aboutbecoming one, this is your chance to get a backstage look and the inside scoop on the publishing industry. Don't missthis opportunity! Sign up for this free program online or by phone. More information is available from the InformationDesk. Save the date! Former U.S. Ambassador Sichan Siv will be at the WPL for a return engagement on Thursday, June 4 to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of his arrival in Wallingford. Read his moving story of a new life in America in Golden Bones: an extraordinary journey from hell in Cambodia to a new life in America, available from the library'sbiography collection.May Computer Classes: Basics and ExcelNew to the computer? Join us for Computer Basics on Tuesday, May 12, 10:00-11:30 a.m. in the Board Room. Designedfor the novice, the class will explore both hardware and soft- ware, and will include hands-on practice using the mouseand keyboard. In addition, expand your spreadsheet knowledge with Excel 2007 Formulas & Functions on Wednesday,May 13, 2:00-3:30 p.m. This hands-on class will cover common business calculations as well as conditional formatting.Please register for classes in person, on the Library's web site, or by phone at (203)265-6754. Seating is limited to 6 perclass, so be sure to sign up early. All classes are held in the Board Room of the Main Library. Computer Tutoring Sessions Continue One-on-one computer tutoring sessions are available at the Main Library on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3:30p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and on Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Computer novices are encouraged to sign upto learn keyboard and mouse skills, word processing, Internet searching, online job applications, or email. Please call theLibrary at (203)265-6754 or stop by the Information Desk to register. Get Library Event Reminders in Your E-mail Our online events calendar has a great feature that sends e-mail reminders about upcoming events to your inbox. Neverforget about storytimes or book sales again! Visit the Library's web site at wallingford.lioninc.org and click <Calendar ofEvents> in the right column. Click the <Remind Me> button on the right side of any event. You'll enter your name andemail address and select how far in advance you want the reminder. Click <submit> and you're done. You also can shareLibrary events with friends and family via email. The Tell a Friend button (located next to the Remind Me button)allows you to send event information to up to six email addresses. Give it a try. Health Program:Medication Management: What's inside your Medicine Chest? May 19, 6:30 p.m. Community Room Over 50% of adults make medication errors, either by taking the wrong dosage, mixing drugs that have poor interactionsor not following directions properly. You are invited to a presentation by Donna Jones, RN, of MidState Medical Center to learn helpful hints about how to properly manage your medications, includinga discussion of herbal medicines. Free medication wallet cards will be distributed and light refreshment will be avail-able. Please sign up for this program online or by calling the Library.Thursday Night Book Club: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway May 21, 7:00 p.m. Collins Room In preparation for the June presentation of "Hemingway Alive," our book club selection is the classic The Old Man andthe Sea. The elements in this epic story of an aged Cuban fisherman and a magnificent marlin portray Hemingway'sfavorite motifs of physical and moral challenge. Reserve a copy through our catalog or email bdevlin@lioninc.org.Thursday Night Book Club is an informal gathering for fans of fiction and popular nonfiction. Each month a book isselected for group discussion, and all are welcome to come and share their thoughts about authors, writing styles, plots,and themes. It's all about the book; however light refreshments are offered!

A Special LuncheonThe luncheon will be held at the Evangelical and Reformed U.C.C. located at 105 South Cherry Street in Wallingford onMay 31st. The Menu will include Vegetable Soup, Beef Stew (Porkolt), Mashed Potatoes, Spring Vegetables, Coffeeand Desert. A $10.00 donation to the church is requested. A raffle will also be held. Come one and Come all! Anyquestions please don't hesitate to call 203.269.2708.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed,but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. ~Aristotle

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does.That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A moth-er always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~SophiaLoren, Women and Beauty

Page 19 May 2009

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QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY ATHLETES AND COACHES VISIT HOLYTRINITY SCHOOL TO CELEBRATE READING "Reading: The Sport of Champions..Exercise Your Mind!" was the theme ofthe reading program recently held at Holy Trinity School. Designed toencourage children in grades K-5 to develop a love for reading, students'reading hours were charted on sports posters in each classroom, and stu-dents were rewarded at the 15-hour and 30-hour milestones with achieve-ment certificates, local store gift certificates, sports water bottles, and abook to take home. With 100% participation in kindergarten through fifthgrade, more than 130 students read a total of 4,310 hours, and 92 studentsachieved the ultimate goal of reading 30 hours outside the classroom in twomonths.

To celebrate the conclusion of the program, the school hosted a readingcelebration on April 3, 2009. Quinnipiac University student athletes andcoaches from the men's and women's basketball teams, men's and women'shockey teams, and women's field hockey team were invited to read and talkto the children about the importance of reading to be successful in schooland life and exercising and being physically fit. Students moved throughstations to meet the Quinnipiac University student-athletes and listen to astory, try out sports equipment, and ask questions.

Picture: HTS First Grade class with Quinnipiac University Men’s IceHockey team’s players and coaches

Holy Trinity

Maggie's CornerBy: Maggie GriffinMom, what is it like to be a Mother?Wow, I never thought I would hear my 16 year old daughter ask me that question now.In fact, I wasn't expecting that question for another 10-15 years from now.

For all the Moms out there, do you remember that famous question from your kidswhen they were at Nursery School age - "Mom, where did I come from?" That wasdifficult to answer back then. But these are the questions and talks that Moms reallytreasure the most.

Let me tell you how I recently answered this question and how the question cameabout from my daughter, Stephanie. You see, my husband decided to take the weekoff, calling it a vacation, and be home the week the kids were home from school. MyMaytag Dishwasher decides to take a turn for the worse. It figures, Mr. Fix it is onvacation, leaving me and Stephanie washing and drying the dishes.

So I was telling her how many years ago, my nightly chore was drying the dishes as my Mother washed them. Now,if my Mother reads this, she will include how I always had that famous "Sony Walkman" to my ears, drying the dishes.It use to annoy my Mom, but I never understood why until I finally realized that today's "Sony Walkman" is now theIPod that is surgically attached to your kids ears.

And then I told that story to my daughter, as I took the ear plugs off Stephanie's ears, laughing. So she asked mewhat it is like to be a Mom. Well now, this is a delicate question to answer. So I was honest.

Being a Mom is constant worry. There is no age limit of when being a Mom ends as being a Mom is for life. As Itold Stephanie, being a Mom also means that we want are kids to do as we say, not as we did. Being a Mom alsomeans never ask Grand Ma what your Mom was like at your age. Being a Mom is gifts that as our kids grow; it isharder and harder to let them go spread their own wings in life. But a Mom is always there, unconditionally, no matterwhat, a Mom is for life.

Now my son Tommy's definition of being a Mom (I said definition, not a question he asked to be answered) was"And a Mom is someone who likes to get into their kid's business and know everything". I looked over at my son andtold him that is true and I still have that eye in the back of my head I told you really does exist a long time ago. Hethen said, "Mom, you told me you knew Santa personally a long time ago too".

Being a Mom means telling your kids, when they are toddlers so they don't get hurt, "NO, don't touch that". Let'scall a spade of spades, eventually they learn "NO" so much, that when you tell your kids as they are older to do theirchores, they tell you "NO". This leaves me to a future thought. When the day comes that I become a Grand Ma,watching my grand children when they are in the curiosity stage, when they go to the vacuum cleaner, I will simply say"NO, Mommy Said Don't Ever Touch That".

Being a Mom also means "stop yourself when you find yourself sounding like your Mom". It also means "stop yourkids when you see your kids act like you when you where their age". Let's all admit it, all Moms seem to follow thatpattern where we don't want to be like our Mothers, but we also don't want out kids to repeat the same actions and mis-takes we did either. But, the circle of life seems to be a stronger hold on us because everything, as a Mom, does turnaround in full circle and history repeats itself.

Again, this conversation all started over my dishwasher, made by Maytag, breaking. Did anyone ever wonder whythey don't play those "You will never have to call Mr. Maytag Guy to fix an appliance"? That's because Mr. Maytagdoesn't exist, worse in my house, Mr. Fix It is on vacation.

Getting back to what being a Mom is like; it's like another day in paradise. I wouldn't have it any other way. Wewant what is best for our kids; we want our kids to be better than us. We will trade the world to protect our kids too.

As our kids grow up, we hold onto the moments when they were smaller, asking ourselves where did all the years go.But we never miss a moment as they grow up. We somehow see ourselves in our kids at times too. So to all thoseMoms out there, ask yourself and tell your kids what being a Mom is like in your eyes and from your heart.

And if you have a Mother like mine, immediately interrupt her when she tells your kids "When Your Mother WasYour Age….." I remember asking my Mom and Dad where I came from when I was little. They told me Aliens leftme in their back yard. For years I thought I was a science project. Worse, I was always referred to as #6 or "hey you".That's what you get for being the youngest of 6 children, either that or name tags.

Now that I think of it, it's no wonder my Mom still doesn't have a dishwasher. But my Mom, she is a pistol. I willnever let anyone insult my Mother in any way, shape or form. I just want to add, "Mom if you are reading this, I amwearing the head phones on my ears listening to music as I am writing". Tradition never changes.

But Moms, treasure your kids, they truly are a gift and always remember that the best things in life is life itself. Godknows my kids are the best gifts I hold, and I will hold my two children forever. A Mother is for life. A MaytagDishwasher ends its life a month after the warranty expires.

I am turning 40 this month too. If Mr. Fix It, a.k.a. Mr. Griffin, buys me a new dishwasher for my 40th birthday, hebetter include an IPod and Domino's Pizza. To me, and to add, being a Mom is also reminding the Dad the long hoursof labor I went through to bring his children into this world.

But, in all honesty, in my heart, to me the greatest experience that I still have, and will always have, is being a Mom.So this Mother's Day, the year and same month I turn 40, I want to thank my Kids for making me their Mom. If it was-n't for them born to me, I wouldn't be celebrating Mother's Day with my kids.

Happy Mother's Day to All the Moms around the World!

Common Sense …. Could Save Your Life !!!!Connecticut Outdoors Written By: Paul NarducciWith the boating season on its way there are a few thingswe need to remember. Accidents are called accidents for areason, but most could be prevented. Here is a list of a fewthings I recommend you follow. The first is that anytimeyour on the water be aware of your surroundings. If you'rethe captain of the boat always be responsible and in con-trol of what is happening. I feel alcohol and boating do notmix. I understand most of you might have just replied,WHAT? Well it doesn't, to many people have accidentsdue to alcohol related boating and it seems ridiculous tothink other wise. If your running the boat drinking alco-hol isn't using common sense at all. Another thing peopleoverlook is the importance of wearing a life jacket (PFD..Personal Floatation Device) This always amazes me whenI see children not wearing a PFD and when I talk to theparents they look at me like I'm doing something wrong.The law states that any child under 13 years old on any vessel that is underway must be wearing a life jacket unless thechild is below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying a life jacket. They mustbe approved by the U.S Coast Guard and will state this on the jacket itself. It should also fit the person properly and bein good condition. Most importantly people need to wear them. 90% of all boating fatalities could have been preventedif everyone was wearing a life jacket. Some of the best life jackets you will find are made by Stearns, Coleman andSospenders. These companies make life jackets for everyone and for many different needs. If you go towww.sospenders.com this will take you to all three sites. Some people have stated to me life jackets are to bulky, it's tohot, I can swim and once again is this using your common sense. I think if you check out this website and look atsospenders automatic inflatable Pfd you no longer can use any of these or other excuses. If you're a fisherman these arewonderful and you won't even realize you have one on. If you refer to the 2009 Connecticut Boaters Guide this andmore info will help you have a safe and fun boating season.

There is a lot of information out there due to the internet and here is a list of some great websites that may help youwww.ctfisherman.com , www.ctfishtalk.com , www.ctbass.com , www.Sotv1.com .

Jenna Paul, Joe Dias and Ryan Paul

All mothers are working mothers. ~Author Unknown

Page 20 May 2009

Bobby Chenkus a 6th grade student at Washington Middle School andCassandra Lis an 8th grade student at Edison Middle School competed inthe Jr. Enduro at the Meriden Motorcycle Club on April 18th. Both Bobbyand Cassie placed 1st in their respective classes. Terry Byrnes, President ofthe Meriden Motorcycle Club was on hand to present the first place tro-phies. WAY TO GO KIDS!!!!

Winners!

Happy Mothers Day to the best Grandmother a girl could ask for.Happy Mothers Day Mom would be lost without a mother like you.Love Grand-Daughter AlexisDaughter Kym

Happy Mothers Day

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MERIDEN-We're Ready For Summer In The Children's Library At The Meriden Public Library

Registration and FREE tickets will be available beginning June 8th in the Children's Library.Summer programs will be held Monday evenings at 6:30 PM. and Thursday mornings at 10:30 AM. Programs are sub-ject to change. Starting in June are programs are as folllows:Mon. June 22 Sirius Coyote-Songs and storiesSirius Coyote will take you on a musical journey.Thurs. June 25 Exotic Animals From Aound The World-Live animal show-3 and upMon. June 29 Crazy Craig juggling and unicycle, comedy showThurs. July 2 Movies at the libraryMon. July 6 David Costello children's author and puppet showThurs. July 9 Magic with Steve WronkerMon. July 13 Yoyo Tricks by Eric.

Come and let amaze you with his coordination and skill.Thurs. July 16 Grandpa's Attic Puppet ProgramMon. July 20 Movie at the libraryThurs. July 23 Birds of Prey Horizon Wings-Live bird showMon. July 27 Vanilla Swirl Variety show with water!Thurs. July 30 Songs with Tom SeilingMon. Aug. 3 Doug the Monkey Guy-Live MOnkey performance.Thurs. Aug. 6 Flow Circus-juggling, magic, and comedy performance.

Just a reminder: We will still be having Story Hours, Games, Contests, and a Rocket Club!For more information call us at (203) 630-6347 or e-mail us at mplchildrens@hotmail.com.

We Are What We EatCancer kills more children than any other disease…Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are at epidemic levels…One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer…One in 7 women will have breast cancer…Heart disease kills more women than cancer…"For the first time in history, we have a generation of children headed for a shorter life expectancy than their parents!"

Dr. David Katz, Yale ResearchFind out why this is happening and what we can do to reverse and prevent it!The solution really is simple. Will an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Do you eat 9 - 13 servings of fruits

and vegetables daily? (R U kidding?) What are whole food supplements and why they are so important? Healthy bod-ies are critical to healthy lives. How healthy are you?

Bring your questions. Leave with answers.May 17th 2:00 pm Jewish Synagogue in Wallingford Nancy Freyberg's office in Harvest Park Wellness Center 101 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford

For more information call: 203-284-8299 lavendermoon47@yahoo.com

Become a Hospice VolunteerSpring is a perfect time of year to consider new beginnings! Masonicare Home Health and Hospice would like to offeryou a new beginning - one that will add quality and joy to others. Make a positive difference in someone's life bybecoming a hospice volunteer. Hospice is about living every day to its fullest...it's all about quality of life.

There are many volunteer opportunities available...companionship, respite for weary caregivers, animal assistedtherapy, sharing your musical or artistic talents or helping in the office. You choose what's best for you!

Training to become a hospice volunteer with Masonicare Home Health and Hospice will be starting soon. We offera Medicare approved volunteer training as well as continuing education and support. Begin the journey to make a dif-ference in the life of some else - call Jolan Szollosi, Volunteer Coordinator at (203) 679-5342.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never didcare for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Page 21 May 2009

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All caregivers are employees who are screened, bonded and insured for your peaceof mind.

Let our compassionate caregivers help you or your family member.

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On April 8, a delegation of Meriden parent and community leaders involvedwith the Meriden Early Childhood Blueprint project visited the HarlemChildren Zone project in New York City. The objective of the HCZ(www.hcz.org) is to 'create a neighborhood safety net so tight that no childcan slip through'. The results have been extraordinary. The Meriden teamlearned many strategies that may be useful here in town.

For information about the Meriden Blueprint visit www.meridenchil-drenfirst.org or call 630-3566.Participants:Back row: Barbara Holloman (NAACP), David Salafia (Meriden CityCouncil), Karen Roesler (Meriden Public Library), Andy Paul (EasterSeals/Head Start), Beth Vumbaco (Department of Health and HumanServices), Tom Bruenn (Meriden Board of Education)Front row: Geri Kogut (Children First), Sophie Vargas (Children First),Cathy Battista (Family Resource Centers), Marisol Estrada-Soto (ChildrenFirst), David Swedock (Council of Neighborhoods) and staff from theHarlem Children Zone.

What you need to know!

People’s Press Crossword May 2009Answers. Puzzle by Ruth Gordon.

"Sheltering an Animal's Perspective"by Gregory M. SimpsonIf love could have kept him alive, my cat Lucky would still be with me. It was not meant to be, as eventually he suc-cumbed to liver cancer. Now the place on the couch where he slept is empty and there is a hole in my heart.

Although a common gray color, Lucky was a special cat. Originally stray or abandoned, he was a rescue one frigidJanuary night ten years ago from our backyard deck. He made it clear what he wanted, as he wrapped his two frontlegs around my leg and would not let go. He never had a desire to go outside after that, as when a member of myfamily would open a door, he would run in the opposite direction. He had been outdoors. My wife aptly named him"Lucky".

My prayers were that Lucky would die peacefully at home, but in the end, I needed to bring him for euthanasia.The word "euthanasia" is of Greek origin and literally means a painless, happy death. Although one of the most diffi-cult decisions of my life, I was comforted by the words of friends and family, such as "You made all the right deci-sions along the way, even the final one. I'm so sorry for the pain you feel now." One friend wrote, "Our pets are sodevoted to us and faithful to the end and we owe it to them to be worthy of such devotion. All you can do is whatyou are doing and Lucky knows that." Another friend shared, "My sympathies to you also about dear Lucky. Buthow lucky he has been and you too, with him." Another offered, "You were and are his guardian angel and he knowsit".

Now Lucky is my guardian angel looking down over me until we see each other again. As once noted by a monkcalled the Venerable Bede, I believe that death is but a horizon and a horizon is but the limit of our sight. Moreover,as a gravestone inscription found in a pet cemetery proclaims, "O heaven will not ever heaven be unless my cats arethere to welcome me". So, until I see Lucky again, the last two things I said to him before he passed on were that Iloved him and we would meet again at Rainbow Bridge. For those of you familiar, or not, with the description ofRainbow Bridge, I share it now - in memory of Lucky. The author is unknown.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are

meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, andsunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed aremade whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals arehappy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be leftbehind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His brighteyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, hislegs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion,never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and youlook once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….For the animals,Gregory M. SimpsonGregory Simpson's animal welfare involvement spans over 25 years, having provided leadership for severalConnecticut organizations, as well as having served as state advisor to the national Friends of Animals. Currently aBoard member of Protectors of Animals, Inc., he was chosen by CAT FANCY magazine as one of the ultimate catlovers in the U.S. He is also a member of the Cat Writers' Association.

Mother's Day OriginsMothers are the unsung heroes of the world. Every day they sacrifice their time and devote their love to the childrenthey brought into the world.

What mother doesn't hope to be celebrated and pampered, if just for a bit, by her children in recognition for all thatshe had done for them? That is why every year on the second Sunday of May children pay hommage to their momson Mother's Day.

Mother's Day hasn't always been a standard spring holiday. In fact, mothers went officially uncelebrated for yearsand years. It wasn't until the 20th century that an official holiday was established to honor mothers, grandmothers andthe other special women in people's lives.

Anna Jarvis was a woman who made great strides toward establishing a national holiday for mothers. Jarvis heldannual gatherings called "Mother's Friendship Day" with an objective to heal the pain of the victims and those affect-ed by the Civil War. After her own mother died in 1905, Jarvis decided a national celebration of mothers was in order,and began to campaign for such a holiday.

Jarvis began by soliciting the pastor at the church where her mother had taught Sunday School classes for a specialcommemorative mass. The church obliged, and the first Mother's Day celebration took place on May 10, 1908 atAndrew's Methodist Church. Later that day, Jarvis celebrated Mother's Day again with her brother at her home inPhiladelphia.

The Mother's Day idea eventually caught on, and President Woodrow Wilson made it official in 1914 that the sec-ond Sunday in May would be celebrated as Mother's Day annually.

Since then families have gathered annually together to give thanks to the special women who have helped shapetheir lives.

On Mother's Day I have written a poem for you. In the interest ofpoetic economy and truth, I have succeeded in concentrating mydeepest feelings and beliefs into two perfectly crafted lines: You'remy mother, I would have no other! ~Forest Houtenschil

To advertise with Wallingford and Meridens CommunityNewsMagazine, The People's Press - Call Andy Reynolds at203.235.9333 or email him at andy@peoplespressnews.com.

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Page 22 May 2009

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Live Like You Were Dyingby Barbara Sherburne and Jeff JohnsonI had the good fortune in November of 2008

to become acquainted with a new cashier atKrauszer's named Kara Johnson. I thinkalmost the minute we met she told me abouther brother Jeff who has ALS. I had no ideawhat ALS was. I was about to learn. Jeff is 43years old, and before I get to his story, I justwant to explain briefly, for those who do notknow about this disease, what ALS is.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: It is morecommonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.ALS is a motor neuron disease that was firstdescribed in 1869 by the French neurologistJean-Martin Charcot, and it was calledCharcot Disease at that time. ALS is a pro-gressive neurodegenerative disease that affectsnerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.When motor neurons die, the ability of thebrain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. Lou Gehrig brought attention to this disease when he retiredfrom the New York Yankees back on July 4, 1939. He was diagnosed with ALS on his 36th birthday on June 19, 1939.There are approximately 5,600 people diagnosed every year. 60% are men, and 93% are Caucasian, generally betweenthe ages of 40 and 70.

Jeff's motto is: "I won't let a little thing like ALS stop me from enjoying life." And from everything I am hearing, heis living life to the fullest.

I met with Jeff Johnson on April 25th in his Wallingford apartment to interview him. I had a bunch of questionsprepared, but actually the interview took off on its own path, which didn't surprise me. He handed me a couple ofpieces of paper he and his mother, Pat, had typed up, and I am going to use that in his own words, and then I will addsome other comments at the end. This is Jeff's story.

My family and friends play an important role in my fight with ALS. My symptoms began in July of 2004. For thefirst two years it affected only my left shoulder, arm, and hand. I went through months of testing and was told in 2006that I might have ALS. I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in March of 2007. I continued to work and makedeliveries for Brescome/Barton until it became too difficult to lift cases, and I retired on a disability on July 1, 2007.After 22 years with Teamsters Local 443, I was able to draw an early pension.

As the disease spread to my right arm and legs, I had to give up all the activities I have always enjoyed, like run-ning, canoe racing, softball, and bowling. At this point, I have a lot of time on my hands trying to adjust and findingthings to do. I found it difficult to talk to anyone about the disease. By the summer of 2008, ALS was really putting astrain on my marriage. I have three daughters, Kelli, who is 16, Colleen, who is 14, and Cassidy, who is 8 years old.[In my interview with Jeff, I asked him what his greatest achievement had been in his life, and he pointed to a photoon the wall of his three daughters.]

By now my speech was starting to be affected, and I needed more help with eating and other daily tasks. Due tostress and various factors, I needed to find another place to live. My sister, Kara, was kind enough to break her leasewhere she was living, and we found a three-bedroom apartment. I moved in on November 22, 2008, and Kara came tolive with me shortly after that. She does all the chores and shopping.

ALS patients cannot live alone. The Connecticut VNA comes for an hour and a half in the morning and at night. Idon't know what I would do without them. During the day, my mom is here to assist with bill paying, phone calls,sending emails, and running errands, et cetera. At night, either Kara is here or my friends Tony Leonardi or MikeBecker stop by to help. I have a Lifeline in the event I am alone and should fall or need assistance.

My brother, Mike Mezerewski, keeps me busy by taking me to various sporting events. He also monitors myweight and muscle loss, which was 35 pounds in a year. He was also helping me work out in the gym to strengthenmy legs, but I have recently stopped the work at the gym.

My father, Pete, who lives in Florida, will fly up for holidays, doctors' appointments, and events such as a recentwalk-a-thon in Fairfield. [Jeff completed the one-mile walk with his family members rooting him on, and it was everybit as difficult as the 26-mile marathons he ran so many times, takes the same mind-set, and the last marathon he ranwas in April 2006, the Boston Marathon, and he already had ALS.] My father also flew my friend Tony and me toFlorida for the Daytona 500 back in February. We went to an ALS demonstration in Washington, D.C., and he flew meto California to consult with a specific doctor.

Recently there have been a lot of wonderful experiences. My good friend Tony Leonardi surprised me withOpening Day Yankee tickets nine rows behind the dugout! Another friend, Mike Becker, set up a luncheon for me andthe granddaughter of Babe Ruth, and she gave us Babe memorabilia. On the weekends I am constantly being visitedby old friends and former coworkers. I joined Facebook, and reconnected with many people.

ALS is a very difficult and depressing disease, but I find that I don't get depressed as long as I have wonderful peo-ple around me. Setting goals and having things to look forward to keeps me going.

On May 2nd I will have gone to a Yankees game in New York, which my dad flew in from Florida to attend, andthe tickets were given to me by my high school friend, Michele Candelora Pollack. Thanks, Michele.

In June I will be going to a Yankees game, which is due to the generous donation of four tickets by Kara's boss, BillMeany, VP Metro of the Lindenmeyr Munroe Paper Company.

On June 27th, I will be walking in a walk-a-thon at the Connecticut Irish Festival at the North Haven Fairgrounds.We are still looking at prices for shirts we need for over 100 people. It will say "JJ's Pit Crew" on the shirts. Peoplefrom the ALS Foundation will be there.

On August 16th we are having a fund-raiser, which Kara and my sister-in-law Kathy Mezerewski are organizing. Itwill take place at Amato's in Northford. There will be lots of food, maybe a comedian, raffles, horseshoes, volleyball,and a guaranteed good time for all.

I am currently awaiting a drug called IPLEX, which was distributed in the USA previously and was pulled by theFDA in 2007. Since that time, it was only available in Italy. In October of 2008, the FDA announced they were goingto release IPLEX again in the USA, and I was looking forward to starting it in December. Then many roadblocksoccurred. A small group of people (18-20) are now using IPLEX and are being closely tracked. I am hoping that theirsuccess will open up the door to all ALS patients. In the meantime, I am taking injections of Increlex twice a day. Itis a growth hormone.

That is where Jeff's notes stopped. Jeff made it clear to me that he wants his story to be inspirational and not nega-tive. He basically refuses to think about the inevitable, and says he is "Too busy doing making the most of each daynow." He mentioned "Live Like You Were Dying," a country song, and did I know it. I had to admit, I did not. So heclicked a few things on his computer and printed out the lyrics. I don't think Tim McGraw would mind that I borrowedhis title for this story. I thought it really captured the feeling Jeff has about life right now. You might want to look upthe lyrics if you are not familiar with them, but some of the words go like this: "'And I loved deeper and I spokesweeter, and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.' And he said, 'Someday I hope you get the chance to live like youwere dying... And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I watched an eagle as it was flying.' And he said, 'SomedayI hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.'"

Thanks, Jeff. You are an inspiration not only to other people with ALS, but to me and to all of your family and toall of your friends who have stayed by your side and love you for everything you are and for everything you dreamand hope to yet accomplish. And accomplish those dreams and hopes, you will.

Note: For information on ALS, visit the Connecticut site at http://webct.alsa.org and the worldwide site atwww.alsworldwide.com. To read about Ben Byer, a young filmmaker, who documented his journey with ALS oncamera spanning three years in a movie called Indestructible or to order his amazing film on DVD, visitwww.indestructiblefilm.com. I ordered the DVD and watched it, and it is very informative and inspirational.

Jeff Johnson

To advertise with Wallingford and Meridens CommunityNewsMagazine, The People's Press - Call Andy Reynolds at203.235.9333 or email him at andy@peoplespressnews.com.

Page 23 May 2009

Photo Contest Winners

Winner’s photos shown above from top to bottom.1st Michelle Hansen, Maloney High School,Meriden2nd Christian Adamik, Maloney High School,Meriden3rd Katie Filippedes, Ben Franklin ElementarySchool, Meriden

Meriden Girl Scout Troop 66070 City of MeridenPhoto Contest to benefit the 1711 Solomon GoffeHouse and the Meriden Humane Society.

The Meriden Public Library has a collection binwith the wish lists posted for the 1711 Solomon GoffeHouse and the Meriden Humane Society. Pleasestop by and if you can contribute, thank you somuch!

Bobbie's Bevy of BeautiesCongratulations to Geno and the UConn Lady Huskies for winning a 6th collegiate national woman's basketball champi-onship. Besides becoming "The Top Dog" they collected many other awards either as a team or individually. I thinksome of the records they established may not be broken but if they are it won't be for quite awhile. Wish them muchsuccess when November comes around again.

Definitely spring is here. Pam along with her very helpful husband Ed, and he has become quite a gardener, but Idon't know if he will agree with me, planted her beautiful bed of pansies a few days before the heat wave. They are inher front lawn planted in a circle with a huge pot of them in the middle. I admire them every time I walk by therehouse alone or with LitlBit. And if I'm not outside I have a great view of them from the upstairs bedroom window. InJuly when they are on their way out the garden is planted with mini begonias. As I have mentioned before they areanother one of my favorite annuals - white, pink, red with green or brown leaves. I prefer the brown. Once the plantproduces a bloom it continues to flower until the cold weather.

There is one other sign of spring. We have a great mailman. His name is Bob. Anyone who is on his route is veryfortunate. When the temp reaches a certain degree off comes his postal trousers in exchange for his postal Bermudas.Once I see his legs are covered up again I know we're headed for the cooler weather. What an ugly thought.

Still haven't made that first trip to the nursery. And I know it will be more than one. Probably within a week or so.Don't want to take the chance of planting my selection of annuals then have a few cool nights do their damage.

Most of the trees and shrubs are in full bloom. Any pruning to be done wait until they have finished their flowering.Then cut back but no more than twenty five percent.

That's about it for this issue. If the weather is agreeable will try to finish getting my perennials squared away thisweekend. It's also time to bring my calla lilies and dahlia's up from the cellar. Hope I have time to grab a bite. Oh,how I wish it could be a tomato sandwich.Flowercerly Yours, Bobbie G. VosgienMy P.S. ListMay 5 - Happy 53rd Anniversary Jimmy - Love, BobMay 8 - Happy Birthday Jodie - Love Mom "Greta" and DadMay 10 - Happy Mother's Day Jaime and Jodie - Love, Mom and Dad

May is National Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention MonthAccording to the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, there are over one million new cases of skin cancer diag-nosed in the U.S. each year, outnumbering all other cancers combined. While skin cancer is the most common form ofcancer, it is also highly treatable if detected early. In addition to getting yearly skin screenings by a dermatologist, peo-ple should also regularly scan their body (use a mirror to check hard-to-see areas) to check for any growth that looksunusual.

Melanoma is particularly important to find early because once it spreads, it can be deadly. Guidelines from TheAcademy of Dermatology can help you determine if you should get a mole checked out by a physician:Asymmetry-One half of the mole doesn't match the other half.Border irregularity-The borders of a melanoma may be uneven or notched.Color-Melanomas may have several colors.Diameter-Melanoma are often larger than ¼ of an inch (the size of the pencil eraser).

For those who are uninsured and underinsured, MidState Medical Center is offer two free skin screenings onTuesday, May 19, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM with Dana Correale, MD and Monday, June 8, 3:00 PM- 5:00 PM with PaulaBevilacqua, MD. Please call (203) 694-8353 to register for a spot. Screenings are located in the Radiation OncologyWaiting Area at MidState Medical Center.

Page 24 May 2009

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Celebrations

Put out some grape jelly & halved oranges for the Baltimore Orioles.You`llprobably hear them before seen,but the bright orange flash is a beautiful siteto behold. Carole Golitko Wallingford

Baltimore Oriole

MAX E. MURAVNICK MERIDEN SENIOR CITIZENS' CENTERThe Max E. Muravnick Meriden Senior Citizens' Center is open to all Meriden residents age 55 and over. Membershipis free of charge and new members may sign-up any weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by presenting a driver'slicense or other proof of age. New members receive an information package about senior services and a coupon enti-tling them to one complimentary lunch in our Senior Community Café. Sign-up today and find out about all that isoffered for Meriden seniors at the Max E. Muravnick Senior Center!

Our annual Senior Expo Information Fair for Older Americans' Month will be held on Wednesday, May 13 from10:00 AM to 1:00 PM on the lower level of the Senior Center. A free box lunch will be served to the first 300 attendeesand the event will feature vendor tables, free samples, health screenings, and information about health and well beingopportunities. The program at 11:00 AM will be a demonstration of "Cane-Fu: Martial Arts for Seniors", a mix of aero-bics and self-defense! The Senior Expo features displays from Meriden agencies serving the elderly and is an opportu-nity for seniors, caregivers and family members to learn about the many fine services offered for senior citizens in ourcommunity. This year's event is sponsored by Genesis Health Care and Meriden Center on Paddock Avenue and weappreciate their support!

Participating agencies at the Senior Expo include Anthem, MidState Medical Center, LaPlanche Clinic, Health Net,Miller Memorial Community, Agency on Aging of South Central CT, Social Security Administration, Companions andHomemakers, the Bradley Home, MidState VNA & Hospice, BCI Financial Mortgage Corporation, Meriden Center, theEye Center, RSVP of Central CT, Rushford Center, Comfort Keepers, Elder Law Attorney Dan Tully, the MeridenHealth Department, the Village at Kensington Place, Silver Springs Care Center, Assisted Living Services, FranciscanHome Care and Hospice Care and more. Join us on May 13 for the Senior Expo at the Max E Muravnick SeniorCenter. Admission is free, the public is invited to attend and we hope you will join us for this big event!

Starting Friday, May 15 Senior Center staff will begin taking applications for the Rent Relief Program sponsored bythe State of Connecticut. The program provides eligible renters with money back on their 2008 rent and utilities basedon their income and expenses. To be eligible, applicants must have been 65 or over as of December 31, 2008 or beenrolled in Social Security Disability. Proof of 2008 income must be presented, including a copy of your 2008 incometax return, if filed, Social Security 1099, and all other income. Income limits are $30,500 for a single person and$37,300 for a married couple. Proof of 2008 rent and utilities must also be presented. For further information contactthe Senior Center at 237-0066.

The next session of the AARP Driver Safety Program will be held at the Senior Center on Wednesday, July 22 andFriday, July 24 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The course fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members.People can sign-up in the front office or by calling 237-0066. The program will be limited to the first 30 people whoregister so sign-up today!

Meriden-Wallingford Veterans Service Center Director George Messier will begin monthly visits here in May toreach out to Meriden veterans with information on veterans' benefits. Mr. Messier will be at the Senior Center onTuesday, May 19 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in the first floor meeting room to meet with veterans and family mem-bers. To reach him at other times in his office at the Wallingford Town Hall call 294-2165.

Flavia Gwara, Queen Mother of the Silver City Red Hat Society, and Richard Egan, Commander of the MeridenAntique Veterans, were named 2009 Volunteers of the Year at a special luncheon at the Senior Center on April 15. Weoffer our thanks to them for their outstanding volunteer leadership and to the other 60 seniors who were also honoredfor their volunteer work during the past year. Thank you all for your volunteer work at the Senior Center, we couldn'tdo all we do without your help!

For a complete listing of all Senior Center classes, activities, trips and meal menus, pick-up a copy of our newsletteravailable on the first of each month at the reception desk in the front lobby. John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director

The fruits of Motherhood are the Children!By Priscilla Reynolds

Such sentimental romantic gifts are given to the lucky Mothers on that special day in May, Mothers Day. Are we allworthy of this show of affection? More than likely, we take it for granted. Babies are God's miracles and women havehormonal and nurturing qualities that draw them to their new borns. Fathers are proud; Mothers are ecstatic.

Babies grow up. The parents who once kept their children in close surveillance must let go. Children still needsupervision and religious training. This is when our four parents' rules and our environmental influences challenge us.Mrs. Taylor, next door, might oppose our baseball practice in the backyard with occasional hits sending the childrensearching for the ball in her bushes. Mr. Pope seems to completely let go of his children and toys are taken from theneighbors' garages without permission. Birthday parties can be chaotic.

My husband, Lew, and I enjoyed the children most when the birthday parties were small. Dave, our oldest son, andDan, our third child, were born four years apart but their birthdays were a day apart close to the Labor Day weekend. (Idon't want to bore my children or my readers but I have to interject that Dan was the product of my most difficult laborand was delivered, coincidentally on Labor Day!) And so our Labor Day celebration included the grandparents, uncles,aunts and cousins and the two birthday boys and their siblings.

Lew and I considered the birth of each of our six children over an eleven year stretch party enough, with the births 11/2 to 2 1/2 years apart. We invested our energy first and foremost on God and our family but also on our jobs, postaland nursing. It's not easy to remember the personal milestones for each child and this, I deeply regret. Photographs spillout of our bedroom closet anxious to be sorted, copied and distributed to each of our children.

Cathy celebrated her eighth birthday with 10 girlfriends, mostly from our neighborhood. She always wanted a sisterand at this time we didn't know whater the next and last child would be Beth or Andy. (Cathy became a second Motherto Andy when he was born.) Having so many females on the same block was helpful to Cathy as she coped with herfive brothers growing up.

Matthew, our fourth child, remembers vividly his seventh birthday. He tells us, "Everyone: Gram Reynolds, Gramand Grandpa Roger, Aunt Esther, Dave, Cathy, Dan, Paul, Andy, Dad, Mom and I ate supper at Howard Johnson's.When we returned home, Mom, you couldn't find your key. We hunted everywhere first for the key, then for a way toget in. You were mad, Mom, but you wouldn't call the police .Dad helped lift Dave up through a small kitchen win-dow and the key lay on the kitchen table next to my birthday cake. That was the year Dad let me choose a kitten--ourred headed Pumpkin, who lived 15 more years."

It's strange but Paul and Andy's parties took place more in their teen age when Lew and I had more problems con-trolling the events.

I do recall a party for Paul and Andy at six and eight, consecutively with a few of their boyfriends. Our hands werebusy but our minds still watched and cared for our two sons. However, after the departure of their friends one snakecage was empty. Our children loved animals and at this time, Trixie, our dog, Pumpkin and Raquel, our cats shared ourhouse with three garter snakes. We hunted everywhere for the snake. Great Aunt Esther was coming for supper to cel-ebrate with the boys. Just a month ago, she screamed as she came in; the front door scrunched a small painted turtle.Less than a year ago she dropped her cane and lost her balance as she watched a chameleon climb the wall. We neverfound the snake and Gram and Grandpa joined us for supper and more cake.

Am I still worthy of being honored on Mothers Day? As of this moment, my aching bones and forgetfulness arepart of me. Two other delinquencies are my failure in journalling the past events of my children's and grandchildren'slives and the chaotic boxes of pictures crying out to be completed.

Yet I am blessed! No other gift is necessary--the spiritual growth of our children and our grandchildren is enough!

The Wolfies FoundationThe Wolfies Foundation is a non-profit organization Wolfie is a 14 week old German Shepherd puppy that has a livershunt and needs surgery. A problem that if not corrected would eventually cause his death.

Our last fundraising efforts was at Vinny's Deli in Wallingford with Wolfie and his sister Haylee greeting the cus-tomers.

Our wine tasting fundraiser will be held on May 22nd at Homewood Suites, Wallingford from 6:30 - 9:00. The tick-ets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. There will be raffles, cheese/crackers, appetizers and a door prize.

You can obtain tickets by calling 203-269-6906 or you can e-mail me at info@caninecadre.com. Any donationscan be mailed to Wolfies Foundation, P. O. Box 4334, Yalesville, CT 06492

You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself hedoesn't feel you've done a permanent job. ~Laurence J. Peter

Page 25 May 2009

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Franciscan Sports Banquet and Silent AuctionThe 24th Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet and Silent Auction, to benefitthe programs of the Franciscan Life Center and Franciscan Home Care andHospice Care, will be held Tuesday, June 2, 2009, at the Aqua Turf Club,Plantsville, Connecticut. Silent Auction begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is at6:30 p.m. The recipient of the Saint Francis Award will be Jay Bilas, bas-ketball analyst, ESPN. Kristine Lilly, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist andWorld Cup Champion, will receive the Saint Clare Award. Jim Calhoun,University of Connecticut Head Basketball Coach, will present the JimCalhoun Community Service Award to the Francis J. Oneglia and Family.Mr. Oneglia, past president of O & G Industries, died November 26, 2008.Mr. Greg Oneglia, Vice-Chairman of O & G, will receive the award inbehalf of his father and family. Al Terzi, news anchor, Channel 3, and hisson, Tony, will emcee the event. For more information call (203) 237-8084or visit our web site at www.flcenter.org. The Franciscan Sports Banquet issponsored in-part by ESPN.

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Happy Mothers Day

Mommy,I have the perfect

flower for you!

Happy Mother’s Day!Love, Sarah

It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder andviolence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desireto beget children is a natural urge. ~Phyllis DillerIt’s free to place Help Wanted ads in The People’s Press - simply email your joboffering to

andy@peoplespressnews.com and it will appear both in print and on-line at www.peoplespressnews.com as a serviceto our readers. Even if you have missed the print issue - we will post the job on-line so send your openings as soon asyou get one.

Job Fair Set May 13At Quassy Amusement ParkYou could become part of the “Smiles Are Magical” team this summer at Quassy Amusement Park as the lakesideproperty holds a Job Fair 4 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 13.

Positions to be filled include ride operators, food service, games attendants, arcade staff, parking attendants, life-guards, cashiers, ride inspectors/maintenance and seasonal managers.

Applications are available online at www.quassy.com/about_jobs.htm. Job seekers must apply in person at theQuassy Restaurant during the job fair. No phone calls, please.

Two forms of identification – one must include a photo – should be brought to the park, which is located on Route64. Quassy Amusement Park is an equal opportunity employer.

The Grey Group OfferingsWith over 15 years of staffing experience, The Grey Group Professional Staffing Services, LLC has been filling jobsand helping people get hired... successfully.tgg is a small, women-owned and operated staffing firm dedicated to our clients and candidates hiring needs. Our goalis to provide our clients with career driven, dedicated and highly skilled professionals. We devise a unique hiring solu-tion for each of our clients, tailored to the available job position. To our candidates, we promise to be with you eachand every step of the way, providing complete dedication and resource management throughout the entire job searchprocess.www.tggstaffing.comOT Homecare Positions located in:DanielsonBrookfieldHartfordNorwalkExcellent benefits, sign on bonus and monthly retention bonus.PT Homecare positions located in:BrookfieldNorwalkEast LymeExcellent benefits, sign on bonus and monthly retention bonus.Ortho outpatient PT positions located in:WatertownAvonNew LondonGrotonNorth HavenBridgeportSheltonExcellent benefits and sign on bonus.Julie Grey President 203/537-6412 jgrey@tggstaffing.com** NEW POSITIONS COME IN WEEKLY! **Please call if you do not see your area of interest

Appraiser Needed:Experienced Residential Appraiser wanted for busy appraisal office. Appraiser has to be able to handle eight to tenassignments per week. Completed reports must be sent in a timely manner. Appraiser must be able to cover manycounties of Connecticut. Our appraisers are expected to have excellent verbal and written communication skills.Email resumes and samples of work to carolc@rcico.com

Behavioral Health & Substance Abuse Treatment - Rushford Center Inc. is one of the leading, not-for-profit behavioralhealthcare providers in Connecticut, dedicated to meeting the substance abuse and behavioral health needs of children,adults and families. We offer our staff a flexible work schedule, as well as a competitive salary. Interested applicantsshould view open positions & apply directly at www.RUSHFORD.org No walk-in's please. EOE-AA

Independant Advertising Consultant - The People’s Press is looking for a highly motivated and creative individual toserve our customers and friends. For more information email Andy Reynolds at andy@peoplespressnews.com.

CNA/ Caregivers P/T & F/TCaring individuals needed for seniors who want to stay in their own home. Non-medical duties include but not limited to:Personal Care Transportation Incontinent Care Laundry Meal Preparation Medication RemindersRespite Care Errands etc.Please respond via e-mail to heathersabota@comfortkeepers.com

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Mark T. Sheehan High SchoolWallingford, Connecticut

Sheehan Announces New Members to National Honor Society

The following students were inducted into the Mark T. Sheehan High School Chapter of the NationalHonor Society: Brian Bates, Robert Belcourt, Leann Bickford, Alexina DelVecchio, Christopher Earley,Mollie Hamel, Melanie Hulett, Elizabeth Kadow, Michael Kadow, Emily McCarthy, Farah Salam, ToriSheldon, Jessie Simpson, Leanna Verch, Nicole Vitello and Christina Webster. These students earned aminimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 through the end of the first semester of their junior or senior year inorder to be academically eligible for membership. In addition to scholarship, their selection was based onoutstanding character, leadership, and service. The Sheehan faculty and administration are very proud ofthese students' accomplishments.

Page 26 May 2009

This edition of “The People’s Press, Your Town, Your News, YourViews” serves the needs of the communities of Wallingford and Meriden,Connecticut. For safety reasons we do not publish the last name ofartists/writers under the age of 15. 5% of all annual net proceeds aredonated in kind or in financial donation to local charities and organiza-tions.This newspaper is not affiliated with any other newspaper.

Publishers: Andrew& Dawn Reynoldspeoplespress@peoplespressnews.com

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Web Site Web Solutions, LLCWriters YOU WRITE IT....WE PRINT IT!!!

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The People’s Press will make every effort to see that all advertising copy iscorrectly printed. The publisher assumes no responsibility for typographicalerrors in advertising, advertising inadvertently left out; but will gladly reprint,without charge, that part of an advertisement is which any error may haveoccurred, provided that a claim is made within five days of publication. Thepublisher takes no responsibility for statements or claims made in any adver-tisement. Any copy or images designed or developed by The People’s Press are©Copyright DNA,LLC and may not be used in any other medium. All RightsReserved By advertising within The People’s Press, you agree to these terms.

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Happy Mothers Day

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Wallingford Senior Center News and EventsOur monthly newsletter can be read in its entirety the first of each month on our website at www.wlfdseniorctr.com

MAY IS NATIONAL OLDER AMERICANS MONTHART SHOWThursday, April 30, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PMFriday, May 1, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PMSaturday, May 2, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PMFeaturing the artwork of members of the Wallingford Senior Center and students of the Wallingford Public SchoolSystemPIZZA SUPPER & HI-LITERS SHOW on Monday, May 11, 6:00 PMTickets are on sale through May 8 for a pizza supper which will precede the annual Hi-Liters Variety Show. Pizza willbe served at 6:00 PM., and the Hi-Liters Show, directed by Richard Fontanella, will begin at 7:00 PM. Tickets for thepizza supper are $3.00 for Senior Center members and $4.00 for non-members. The Hi-Liters Variety Show will fea-ture production numbers entitled "Aloha Hawaii" and "Remembering the Roaring Twenties". Come support these greatkids who work all year long to provide great entertainment in local convalescent homes and senior centers.CANCER SURVIVOR COMMUNITY FORUM on Thursday, May 14, 10:00 AM-12 NOON

The Wallingford Senior Center will be the site of a community forum on May 14. The forum is part of a statewideneeds assessment of cancer survivors. The Connecticut Cancer Partnership, in collaboration with the CT Departmentof Public Health, is conducting the statewide assessment to determine the needs of Connecticut adults who have everbeen diagnosed with cancer. Information gathered during the forum discussion will help determine where to focusfuture cancer-related resources, services and programs. This is a chance to share your thoughts and concerns. Yourinput is very important! Pre-registration is required. Please call the Senior Center at 265-7753. A free light breakfastwill be provided and there will be a raffle drawing. For more information about the statewide needs assessment amongcancer survivors, please call Julie Ray at 203-787-4700.ABUSE: PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT, SCAMS, AND MEDICARE FRAUDTuesday, May 19, 10:00-ll:30 AMProtecting your personal information is the best line of defense against scams and healthcare fraud. Tom Davis is theRegional Coordinator of The Connecticut Money School, sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging of South CentralConnecticut. Leslie Pruitt, CHOICES Coordinator, will present the program discussing types of scams that are used toobtain personal information and why many of these scam artists focus on the senior population. Seniors will gain abetter understanding on how to prevent, detect and report unscrupulous activity. To register, please call 265 7753.MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE on Friday, May 22, 11:00 AM

Our program of remembrance will feature guest speaker Bob Parisi, Town Councilor and Commander of AmericanLegion Shaw Sinon Post 73, as well as a color guard, patriotic music led by the Vintage Voices, and the dedication ofnew flags in memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Join us.COMING IN JUNE! CRUISE NIGHT - JUNE 25

Calling all classic car owners! Sign up to participate in our Cruise Night on June 25, 5:00 - 8:00 PM. Cut off date is1979. Call Stephanie Ferrall, Program Coordinator, for more information at 265-7753.FREE HEARING SERVICES

Monday, May 11, 1:30-4:00 PMNick Wills, Hearing Aid Specialist from Miracle Ear will provide the following free services on a first-come, first-served basis: hearing tests; ear canal inspections; hearing aid cleaning (any make or model); Miracle Ear hearing aidadjustments; and general advice on hearing aids and coping with hearing loss.

SOCIAL SERVICESVETERANS SERVICES

Tuesday, May 26, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.George Messier, Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Wallingford will be available to answer questions and assistwith benefit information. An appointment is required. Please call 265 7753.BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VETS AND THEIR FAMILIES WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 10:00 a.m.Accredited Veterans Benefit Attorney, Dean B. Kilbourne, will be discussing how a little known veterans benefit whichmay help pay for home care for you and your spouse. Please call 265 7753 to register.SOCIAL SECURITY/SUPPLEMENT SECURITY ONE-TIME ECONOMIC RECOVERY PAYMENTAll eligible Social Security and SSI beneficiaries will receive a one-time $250 economic recovery benefit by late May2009. If both you and your spouse are receiving benefits from Social Security or SSI, each will receive the one-timepayment. You should expect to receive your payment no later than the first week of June 2009. This benefit will be aseparate payment, which will not be included in your regular monthly benefit payment. If you receive your monthlybenefit by check, you will receive a check. If your monthly benefit is directly deposited, this is how you will receiveyour payment. After June 4, 2009, you may contact your local Social Security office or 1-800-772 12 13 if your pay-ment has not arrived. PLEASE NOTE: NO ACTION IS NECESSARY ON YOUR PART TO RECEIVE THIS ONE-TIME ECONOMIC RECOVERY PAYMENT.BENEFITS SCREENING Tuesday, May 19, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

Do you often wonder if you might be eligible for any State or Federal Programs? Benefits QuickLINK is a free andconfidential program which can quickly screen for eligibility. Supporting documents are not required, but please bringthe following information with you to your appointment l. Monthly income (social security, pension, dividends andinterest). 2. Monthly expenses (heating, fuel, gas, electricity, water, telephone, rent or mortgage payments and medicalexpenses note covered by health insurance). 3. Asset information (savings, estimated value of home and car, lifeinsurance benefits). 4. A list of all current prescriptions. Pre-registration required. Call 265 7753 now to schedule anappointment.CONNPACE PROGRAMConnPACE is a state-funded prescription drug program. Each year the income limit guidelines are adjusted. InJanuary 2009, the changes are as follows: $25,100 for a single person and $33,800 for a couple. Beneficiaries whohave ConnPACE must select a Medicare Part D plan. ConnPACE will still allow beneficiaries to select the Medicare Dplan of their choice. There are no asset limits. Anyone who meets these guidelines is encouraged to apply. For anappointment or additional information, please call Eileen Flynn, SW, at 265 7753.

MERIDEN LIBRARY TO CELEBRATE POLISH CULTURE IN MAYMeriden Public Library will be celebrating the Polish culture in Meriden during the month of May. Join us at the fol-lowing programs and enjoy the richness of the Polish culture.

Monday, May 4 at 12:00 noon - St. Stanislaus Bell ChoirMonday, May 11 at 6:30 pm - "A Taste of Poland" presented by Mazury Polish DeliSaturday, May 16 at 12:00 noon - Join our book club as they discuss Quo Vadis by Henryk SienkiewiczSaturday, May 16 at 2:00 pm - "Polish Culture in Meriden " by Valerie BubonTuesday, May 19 at 7:00 pm - Stan Scott Band will perform a variety of Polish musicSaturday, May 23 at 1:00 pm - Come and watch the movie based on this month's book.Actors include Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov.

These programs represent the library's participation in the World of Words 2009 program. World of Words (WOW)is a program of the Connecticut Center for the Book at Hartford Public Library, an affiliate of the Center for the Bookin the Library of Congress, and celebrates Connecticut's cultural and literary roots.

All the programs are FREE. Seating is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 orvisit the library's homepage at www.meridenlibrary.org and click on "Adult events" to reserve a seat.

Wallingford Family YMCA Community Tag & Craft SaleSaturday, May 9th (Rain Date: Saturday, May 16th) 8:00-5:00 p.m. Doolittle Park Pavilion, South Elm StreetWallingford $25 to rent a table to benefit YMCA Strorg Kids Camp *You Profit from your own treasure!*Reserve your table today! For more information or to book a table contact Nancy Early at 284-5328 or Jenna Schmidtat 269-4497

The deadline for the June 2009 issue of THE PEOPLES PRESS isMay 25th for all submissions. Don't forget to send your Father's

Day Photo Wish - look for the form in this issue. Email your stories, news, celebrations and photos to andy@peo-

plespressnews.com. Sign up to be a subscriber with www.people-spressnews.com for updates, reminders and special offers.

Page 27 May 2009

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What you need to know! Heart OpeningBy Jennifer Jenkins

These days we tend to be surroundedby a media blitz of negativity and fear.It's as if we are immersed in a cultureof fear. You turn on the television andyou hear of the latest unemploymentfigures and the rising number of fore-closures. You may wonder if you willbe the next person to lose a job, andyou may even start to panic. This is anormal reaction as a result of living ina society that is virtually conditioned tolive in a state of fear.

As a result of this fear-based condi-tioning, most people live their lives insurvival mode. As you may know,everyone's body consists of energy.We all have and give off energy, whichis largely due to our body's core ener-getic system, otherwise known as thechakra system. Those existing in sur-vival mode rarely walk around with abalanced chakra system. Most people'schakras, including the heart chakra (thechakra of love and compassion), areblocked. So, when one lives in a stateof fear and anxiety you can imaginethat their heart chakra is blocked. Awise spiritual teacher once taught methat you can not feel fear and love atthe same time; it's impossible. Wherethere is love; there is no fear.

Can you imagine if we worked oneliminating fearful thoughts from ourminds and chose to open our hearts tolive, instead, within a state of LOVE.Think of the positive energy that wouldemanate from our souls and how thatpositive energy would influence others,by mere ripple effect. Think of theclarity we would feel. This changewould enable us to work proactively onfinding viable solutions to our prob-lems. When you're panic stricken it's hard to think rationally and easy to become reactive to stimuli around you.However, when you exist in a loving state you feel calm, think more clearly, and are able to problem solve. These arethe people you hear about who make lemonade out of lemons.

When the heart chakra is truly opened one also feels an immense freedom to love and be who they are, to loveunconditionally, as well as demonstrate compassion and forgiveness toward others. This in turn benefits others. And,people who interact with those who live their lives, open heartedly, feel comfortable being around them, as they tend tobe calm, congenial, cooperative, and concerned about others.

So, as you can see, opening your heart can be beneficial and can lead to a positive shift of consciousness withinyour own world and the world at large. So, accentuate a loving heart and work on eliminating fear from your lifetoday. You may be surprised how much your life changes for the better as well as the lives of those around you.

Page 28 May 2009

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1107 Havover Avenue, South Meriden203.634.9811

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 5/31/09

The Bronze Wash

$2.00 OFF!!Regular Price - $8.00

Includes: Exterior Wash and Towel Dry

AMAZING SAVINGS!

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 5/31/09

The Gold Wash

$2.00 OFF!!Regular Price - $14.00 Includes:

Exterior Wash, Under Carriage Wash, Wheel Brite, SealerWax, Triple Foam and Towel Dry

HUGE SAVINGS!

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 5/31/09

The Silver Wash

$2.00 OFF!!Regular Price - $9.00

Includes: Exterior Wash, Under Carriage Wash and Towel Dry

INCREDIBLE SAVINGS!

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 5/31/09

The Wheel Deal

$2.00 OFF!!Regular Price - $11.00

Includes: Exterior Wash, Under Carriage Wash, WheelBrite, Sealer Wax and Towel Dry

FANTASTIC SAVINGS!

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 4/30/09

Interior-Exterior Detail

$5.00 OFF!!Includes:

Vacuum, Vinyl Cleaning, Shampoo Carpets and Window Cleaning

CAN’T BEAT THESAVINGS!

Limit one coupon per customer. No other couponsor discounts apply. Coupon must be submitted for

this offer. Coupon expires 5/31/09

Bumper to Bumper Detail

$15.00 OFF!!Includes: Exterior Wash, Wax, Vacuum, Vinyl Cleaning,

Shampoo Carpets and Window Cleaning! Monday -Friday Only

THE WORKS AT THIS PRICE?