the people's press early april 2011

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The People’s Press - Early April 2011 • Volume 11, Issue 137 LocalMotion! www .peoplespr essne w s.com LocalMotion - Your Town, Your News, Your Views! Unless...someone like you cares a whole lot...it’s not going to get better, it’s not! Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Teacher, Mrs. Lianne Gerety and her 4th Grade class recently celebrated the comple- tion of an inventive learning experience. Each student did a project on an inventor and what a wonderful job! They all did great. It’s important for all of us to recognize the efforts of ALL teachers that goes above and beyond the call of duty. I don’t see it as “No Child Left Behind”, I’ve seen many teachers try their best and I call it, “Our kids future in mind!” Benjamin Franklin Principal Daniel Coffey said, “This year at Benjamin Franklin teachers were encouraged to have their stu- dents work on reports and projects on various topics. Students were to "drill down" and become "experts" in a given field or on a certain topic. This is a great way for students to make connec- tions to the world and build background knowledge. By sharing reports all students learned a great deal. “I am most impressed with the students and their work so far this year! Our teachers have done a sensational job of bringing the material to life and supporting the students in their studies.” Coffey concluded. It’s not just about one school either. It’s about schools and teachers who do the same all over the area. Listed below are the students and who they presented on: Jada learned about Frank Rudy Isabella learned about Albert Einstein Shyneicelearned about Tim Beners Lee Joseph learned about Ken Kutaragi Photini learned about Thomas Andrews Devon learned about Karl Benz Brittney learned about Steve Jobs Olivia learned about Robert Moog Conner learned about John Pemberton Juan learned about Josh Parsons Andy learned about Alexander Cartwright Marc learned about Ralph H. Baer Justin learned about Karl Benz Candice learned about John Logie Baird Unique learned about Peter Cooper Alex learned about Philo Taylor Farnesworth Nick learned about Walter Camp Joshua learned about Thomas Edison Amanda learned about Milton Hershey Congratulations again to all of the students and THANK YOU to all the teachers who keep “Our kids future in mind!” Look for a segment of the Celebration on PPC starting Saturday the 9th at 8pm. See inside for details. *Please note that The People’s Press does not list the last names of children under the age of 13 for safety reasons. Proud to be part of your NeighborWood since 1847 www.lyon-billard.com Expires 4/30/11 An Inventive Experience From “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss

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The Early April 2011 issue of The People's Press for your total reading enjoyment

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Page 1: The People's Press Early April 2011

The People’s Press - Early April 2011 • Volume 11, Issue 137

LocalMotion! www.peoplespressnews.com

LocalMotion - Your Town, Your News, Your Views!

Unless...someone like you cares a whole lot...it’s not going to get better, it’s not!

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Teacher, Mrs. LianneGerety and her 4th Grade class recently celebrated the comple-tion of an inventive learning experience.

Each student did a project on an inventor and what a wonderfuljob! They all did great.

It’s important for all of us to recognize the efforts of ALLteachers that goes above and beyond the call of duty. I don’t seeit as “No Child Left Behind”, I’ve seen many teachers try theirbest and I call it, “Our kids future in mind!”

Benjamin Franklin Principal Daniel Coffey said, “This year atBenjamin Franklin teachers were encouraged to have their stu-dents work on reports and projects on various topics. Studentswere to "drill down" and become "experts" in a given field or ona certain topic. This is a great way for students to make connec-tions to the world and build background knowledge. By sharingreports all students learned a great deal.

“I am most impressed with the students and their work so farthis year! Our teachers have done a sensational job of bringingthe material to life and supporting the students in their studies.”Coffey concluded.

It’s not just about one school either. It’s about schools andteachers who do the same all over the area.

Listed below are the students and who they presented on: Jada learned about Frank RudyIsabella learned about Albert EinsteinShyneicelearned about Tim Beners LeeJoseph learned about Ken KutaragiPhotini learned about Thomas AndrewsDevon learned about Karl BenzBrittney learned about Steve JobsOlivia learned about Robert MoogConner learned about John Pemberton

Juan learned about Josh ParsonsAndy learned about Alexander CartwrightMarc learned about Ralph H. BaerJustin learned about Karl BenzCandice learned about John Logie BairdUnique learned about Peter CooperAlex learned about Philo Taylor FarnesworthNick learned about Walter CampJoshua learned about Thomas EdisonAmanda learned about Milton Hershey

Congratulations again to all of the students and THANK YOUto all the teachers who keep “Our kids future in mind!”

Look for a segment of the Celebration on PPC startingSaturday the 9th at 8pm. See inside for details.*Please note that The People’s Press does not list the last names ofchildren under the age of 13 for safety reasons.

Proud to be part of your NeighborWood since 1847www.lyon-billard.com

Expires 4/30/11

An Inventive Experience

From “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss

Page 2: The People's Press Early April 2011

THE PEOPLE’S PRESS Page 2 Early April 2011

38 Gypsy Lane in Meriden (203) 235-4487 www.lyon-billard.com

If it’s time to Re-Deckorate...There is only ONE Exterior

Re-Deck-orator you need to call!

38 Gypsy Lane in Meriden 203-235-4487*Sales Prices Good Till 4/25/11

TT ww oo NN ee ww LocalMotivaters TT oo SS ee rr vv ee YY oo uu rr NN ee ee dd ss !!The People’s Press is both honored and humbled to announce theaddition of two new LocalMotivaters to serve your needs.

Effective as of April 6th, Michelle Trenchard-Scianna and RupertThomas joined us. The will have various responsibilites with exist-

ing services we offer you and also future services to serve youeven more. Current responsiblities will be on the website soon.

You can reach Michelle at [email protected] andRupert at [email protected].

When it comes to roofing or siding...Lyon & Billard has you covered!

Page 3: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 3 Early April 2011

Wallingford Park andRecreation

GOLDEN EGG HUNTThe event will be held at DoolittlePark Playscape. The event will bedivided into two age groups chil-dren 1-5 and children 6-11. Plasticfilled eggs, candy along with 12special GOLD EGGS for eachgroup will be spread throughout.

Participants are asked to findonly ONE Gold Egg. Once foundyou may redeem your prize for thegolden egg at the table at DoolittlePark. Thursday April 14th, Raindate is Friday April 15th.Younger children hunt will begin at6:45p.m.Older children hunt will begin at7:00p.m.***Please be considerate of agebreakdown we want everyone tohave an equal opportunity.Parents should be aware that if

they have a young child and anolder child two adults will berequired to participate in bothevents.

Parents are asked to bring a bas-ket and a flashlight for their child.

City of Meriden Easter Egg Hunt

The event will be held at theHubbard Park Bandshell onSaturday, April 16th. Times arebased on ages.Birth to Three 10:00am Four to five 10:30am Six & Seven 11:00am Eight to ten 11:30am

Children are asked to bring abasket or bag to collect candy.

Adult assistance will be permit-ted for birth to three year olds only!!!

The Event will be held rain orshine.

*Custom Window Treatments*Residential & Commercial*Expert Advice*Expert Measuring*Expert Installation

Now Celebrating 25 Years of Exceptional Service with GREAT SAVINGS!

Eileen C. HortonCall for an appointment

[email protected]

New Spring Styles Are Here!

José Julián & Jimena Hermanos Murillo!I Love U babies! Love, Mommy

CELEBRATIONS

Connecticut OutdoorsWritten By: Paul NarducciThis past Feb Connecticut Outdoors participated in thisyear's fishing and Hunting show at the ConnecticutConvention Center. This was our first year doing thisand overall we feel it was a great success. We represent-ed our sponsors and mainly our focus was Lubrimatic.As you all know Lubrimatic carries products that willtake care of all your boating needs. They have every-thing from grease guns, gas stabilizer, marine grease,lower unit oil and of course their brand of TCW3 twostroke oil. I have a Skeeter bass boat with a 150Yamaha. I use all Lubrimatic products on and in myboat. This is truly a wonderful company with greatproducts that are proven and dependable. They havecome out with a new line of products called Ultralube.These products are nontoxic and enviormentally friend-ly. For those who stopped by our booth they were pleas-antly surprised when we gave them a free sample of thisproduct and the feedback I have received is people loveit. I have used it myself and it works great no moresqueeks and no more mess. For those who would like more info log onto www.lubrimatic.com.Myself, Tony and Frank worked our booth and met a lot of nice people. We had key chains, tire gauges and a lot ofproduct from Lubrimatic that we handed out to those who spent time at our booth. It was really nice to see how happyand thank full people were to receive something free. Lubrimatic is a wonderful company with a new line calledULtralube. This is a product worth looking into and checking your local retailers for this product. One of our sponsorsLunker City also had a booth and a fellow fisherman Chris Bielert was working this. Chris is a wonderful person with alot of knowledge about our sport and is respected among the fishing community and industry. They had Charlie Moorecoming on Saturday and I asked Chris if he could set up a meet and greet with Charlie and my son Jonathan. SaturdayChris came to our booth several times in anticipation of Jonny's arrival . Jonathan got to meet Charlie Moore with hiscousins Joe Dias and Ryan Paul. Charlie was a class act and treated my son with a lot of respect and talked to him notat him. He wasn't afraid or uncomfortable and spent close to ten minutes with him. We all totally loved this. Some peo-ple shy away, get nervous and don't know what to say or how to act. This was not the case with Charlie and I will for-ever appreciate the way he treated my son. Jonathan was very excited about meeting him and couldn't wait to telleveryone about it. Charlie gave Jonathan a bunch of his hats DVd's and a signed autograph. Jonathan wears this hat andit is now his favorite hat to wear. I would like to give a special thanks to Chris who works for Lunker City and to HerbReed ( owner of Lunker City ) for setting this up. You made one little boy very, very happy. Charlie ,Charlie Mooreyooooo. Jonathan and I like to yell this is in our house especially when we watch Charlie's show. Lunker City hascome out with several new lures for 2011. Lures that we love to use are the salad spoon, pudgie, rascal worm, sluggo,swimfish and ozmo. If you would like info on these lures go to www.lunkercity.com. Lunker City was one of my veryfirst sponsors in 1994 and I will be forever grateful to them. Opening day of fishing!!!! April 16, 2011 it's time to gofishing. It sure has been a long long winter and I need some therapy. For those who love to go trout fishing you maywant to try Wharton Brook, Black Pond, and the Quinnipiac River. I would recommend trying anything by ThomasSpinning Lures. My favorites are the rough rider, buoyant, Colorado, EP Spinn, Special Spinn and the double spin. I'mhoping to hit all three at some point during the day. If you see us there come over and say hello maybe you to will bepleasantly surprised. As always the crew of Connecticut Outdoors wishes everyone the best of luck and good fishing!!!

South Meriden Upcoming EventsHello Neighbors! Here are the Spring Events.

Identity Theft Workshop presented by Meriden Detective Marty Eisner, Tuesday April 12, 7:00 PM, at the SouthMeriden Volunteer Firehouse, 31 Camp Street. Learn how to protect your identity and prevent identity fraud.

Third annual Pet Food & Supply Drive, Saturday May 14, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, South Meriden Police Substation,113 Main Street, Come join us to stuff a police cruiser and fire vehicle with your donations to benefit the MeridenHumane Society.

Please remember to recycle cans, bottles, cardboard and paper. Visit www.tunxisrecycling.com for more information.Sincerely,Your Neighborhood Associations: Diamond Hill, Poet's Hill and Greater South Meriden

Happy 95th BIRTHDAY!To a very special “young ladyat heart!” Lady Rose S. atMeriden Center. Love always,your 5 children, 8 grand-chil-dren and great grand-child.

CELEBRATIONS

Meriden Junior and Cadette Girl Scout Troop 66070 spent Election Day selling all their cookies to the good people of Meriden.

Thanks to all the people who bought cookies to take home and donated their cookie box to our U.S. Troops overseas!

LocalMotion

Page 4: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 4 Early April 2011

Price Reduction! Beautiful South Meriden Townhouse Condo

Too much snow, help me move to Florida! Owner motivated! Quiet end unit with sunroom, 1 car garage,2 bed/2 ½ bath; HW/Tile floors; vaulted ceilings inbedrms, fireplace, and more, pets OK, 24 hour noticerequired for showing, NO DROP INS. $169,900

203-815-6152/[email protected] MLS# G573467

Saturday, May 21st from Noon-3:00pmDonation of only $10 includes Ziti, meatballs, salad,bread & drink The event will be held at the MeridenMotorcycle Club - Stantack Road, Meriden, CTTickets available at the door

Jim was a 1991 Wilcox graduate from theCarpentry program. He died in a dirt bike accident in2000.

Help us honor his memory by helping studentspursue educution for the future of us all.

Please contact Diane Polito-Chenkus at 203-631-0478 to purchase tickets.

Donations made payable to Diane Chenkus can besent to: 22 Carriage Drive, Meriden, CT 06450

Jim Chenkus Memorial Scholarship tobenefit Wilcox Tech Class of 2011

To my love We have been through so much in both our lives, separately andtogether. I am happy to have you by my side. I know with each other wecan accomplish anything small or big. So here is to us, may we continue togrow and love one another. Happy anniversary! Love, Emily

CELEBRATIONS Wallingford Spring Clean Up by Public Works - Begins April 18The Department of Public Works will begin the Spring Clean Up on Monday, April 18, 2011, for public streets in allsections of Wallingford. Residents are asked to place materials by the curb no later than Sunday, April 17.

Only brush, wood and leaves will be collected. These materials must meet the following guidelines:Branches and twigs only. No branch more than four feet long or six inches in diameter will be accepted. Brush must betied separately in small bundles.Dimensional lumber, such as two-by-four-inch lumber or plywood, may not exceed four feet in length or width. Woodmust be tied separately in small bundles. Absolutely no wood containing creosote will be picked up.Leaves must be in paper yard waste bags. No brush, twigs, debris or plastic bags will be accepted. Masking tape only isacceptable to seal bags.Items placed at the curb must be light enough for one man to put in a truck.This is a one-time collection. The Department of Public Works will not return to a street that has already been visitedfor the collection. Those residents who miss the pick up may take their leaves and brush to the Compost Area at theRecycling Center on John Street.

For more Information contact the Department of Public Works: 203-294-2105.

CCeelleebbrraattee EEaarrtthh DDaayy - SSppeecciiaall FFiillmm SSeerriieessThe Wallingford Recycling Committee, in cooperation with the Public Library, presents…Celebrate Earth Day films to be shown at the Wallingford Public Library in April. The films will be shown in theCommunity Room from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Discussion will follow each film. The schedule is:April 13 - Energy Crossroads: Most experts agree that global peak oil production, when demand exceeds supply, willoccur within the next 15 years and will drastically change the very fabric of our industrialized world. This award-win-ning documentary exposes the problems associated with our energy consumption. It also offers concrete solutions forthose who want to educate themselves and be part of the solutions in this decisive era. Click here to view the flyer forthis film.April 25 - The 11th Hour: The film explores how we've arrived at this moment - how we live, how we impact theearth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course.

SPEND YOUR VACATION WITH US! Meriden Public Library Presents "FREE" April Vacation Specials

April 20th at 10:30 am.Come & Watch, Steve Wronker the magician amaze you with hismany talents. Join in on the fun!

April 21st at 10:30 am.Meet Farmer Brown with his pet pig Daisy.Listen & Learn all about Daisy and her adventures with FarmerMinor.

These programs are FREE family programs and open to allages.Tickets will be available on April 4th in the Children's Library.For more information call us at (203) 630-6347.

“Let's Talk"…..About Your HealthBy Chris More RN, Public Health Educator, Wallingford Health Department Let's Talk about Memory Loss . . . We've all done it, misplaced our car keys, our eye-glasses, or someone's name that you haven't seen in awhile. Worst of all is receivingthat call from your dentist's office that you have forgotten your appointment and theywant to charge you for it.

Sometimes older adults refer to them as "senior moments." So what is normal for-getfulness and when does it signal something more worrisome? Let's start withDementia - this is a decline in mental ability that affects memory and other cognitivefunctions. One very sad form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease; this conditiondestroys brain cells that can't be rejuvenated. The disease strikes fear in the hearts ofBaby Boomers, seniors, and people with a history of dementia in there families. No one wants to hear "mom or dad Itold you about that last week!" That's when we all start to put up the post-it notes all over the house.

Not all seniors develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease, but every person who has ever had a "senior moment"thinks about it. Forgetting where your car is parked in a mall parking lot (I have pressed my panic horn button morethan once) is a normal part of the aging process. Dementia on the other hand is a term used for any memory loss thataffects day to day functions like the ability to drive, work or shop.

One example of normal forgetfulness is some trouble remembering a phone number. If it is dementia it wouldinclude the inability to recognize the numbers and dial it.

Believe it or not people at greatest risk are those who don't stay active. Your age, family history and possibly headinjuries also put you at a higher risk. Dementia may be hard to diagnose because of an overlap with other diseases likedepression. Vascular Dementia is the second most common form of Alzheimer's. Vascular Dementia is caused byblood clots in the brain, cutting off the blood supply and killing healthy brain cells. Paranoia and irrational behaviorcan be a symptom.

Caregivers of these loved ones face many challenges from physical issues to many emotional difficulties. The care-giver can also feel very stressed and sad. They may not be well themselves, they face extra financial burdens and justwatching the decline of their loved one depresses them. A huge challenge for the care-giver is then to take their stressand sadness and use it to give care with kindness and compassion seeking out every support system they can find,including extended family involvement. Most importantly keeping your body well cared for.

People concerned about memory loss should first start with their primary care provider. Memory loss has manycauses. Some can be treated and even reversed, making a medical assessment very important.

There are many senior assessment centers make sure the one you and your doctor choose can meet the needs of yourloved one, you and your family.

Check your insurance coverage, before any appointments are made to avoid financial discomfort and embarrassment.Don't wait, if you have memory loss or someone you love does, make that call, the sooner there is medical interventionthe better chance there is to at least halt the progression in any disease.

That's you health topic March. REMEMBER Stay Healthy, happy and active. As always please call the WallingfordHealth Department at 203-294-2065 for more information. Let's Talk …again next month.

Southwest Conservation District Annual Plant Sale April 29th and 30th Time: 10:00-4:00 Friday 10:00-2:00 Saturday New Haven County Customers Pick Up at Lockwood Farm in Hamden. Fairfield County Customers Pick Up WiltonTown Hall Parking Lot (Sat only) Preorder forms available from SWCD office at 51 Mill Pond Rd, Hamden 203-287-8279. Call for a newsletter andorder form. Email at [email protected] ww.conservect.org..SWCD..newsletters " Evergreen bare root seedlings " Native & Ornamental Shrubs " Perennials from Perennial Favorites " Wlfd & North Haven Garden Clubs

Page 5: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 5 Early April 2011

Looking for even more Good News?It’s Positive-ly within YYYY OOOO UUUU RRRR site!

www.peoplespressnews.comYOUR Videos, Stories, News, Events, Photos and even more at

Featuring

LocalMotivated to make a difference!

Together,WE just don’t share Positive & Good News...Together, WE MAKE Positive & Good News HAPPEN!

LocalMotion by YOU andwww.peoplespressnews.com [email protected]

Watch it & be a part of it starting Saturday, April 9th at 8pm!

Page 6: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 6 Early April 2011

ACROSS1. Apex4. Penetrate 8. Phrase sometimes found on aclearance item sales tag12. John Lennon's widow13. Interlaced yarns or other fibrousmaterials to form a fabric or material14. Official common currency in 12European nations15. It comes before a two and after aking16. A sign or premonition believedto predict a future, good or evil event17. Stretch18. Restrain or prevent20. A foot digit21. Cain and Abel's dad24. Media mogul and host of thehighest-rated talk show in the historyof television27. Helper; aide; collaborator, (abbr.)30. Statuesque32. Rail & bus line providing com-muter service to NYC, Long Island,CT., etc. (abbr.)33. Exclamation of encouragement,usually used during a sport event34. Told funny stories35. To broadcast or televise36. An extreme leftist terrorist groupformed in Greece in 1971 to opposethe military

Junta from 1976 to 1974; oppos-ing capitalism and imperialism37. Prayer ending38. A fixed amount put into the potby each player before the deal in apoker game39. Lillian Hellman's play opened onBroadway in 1960, "Toys in the______".41. Turn over and over43. Exclamation of disdain orshame, used often in quick repetition44. Brand of portable media playersdesigned and launched by Apple Inc.in 200148. To perceive by touch50. Type of cereal53. A day of the week. (abbr.)54. A monster in fairy tales55. A ceremonial act prescribed orcustomary in religious use56. George Gershwin's older brother57. Bruce Springsteen is also knownas "The _____"58. A seaport in the Republic ofYemen

59. A type of danceDown1. If you kiss one you might getwarts2. First word in many fairy tales3. Person who creates rhymingverse; a bard4. In legend a young man, the futureKing Arthur, was able to pull thisweapon from a

Stone and proved him to be theright wise king born of England5. A male domesticated cat.6. A thoroughfare. (abbr.)7. 1972 movie about a boy namedDanny and his pet rat8. Famous teller of fables9. Clark Kent's alter ego10. A type of savings plan offeringtax advantages to an individualdepositor (initials)11. A male family member19. Dine20. Made known by speech or writ-ing22. The smallest component of anelement23. Chris Money_____, is a pokerplayer who won the 2003 WorldSeries of Poker. He

was the first person to become aworld champion by qualifying at anonline poker site25. "Let's have ___ ___"26. The Tortoise's opponent27. A geographical region28. Sodium chloride

29. Breaks (something) into pieces31. Tonight Show host34. He was nimble and quick andjumped over a candle stick38. A high mountain40. Great Britain, Ireland and islandsoff their coasts make up the British______42. Fabric woven from flax yarns45. Leave out46. Cartoon character "_____ theExplorer".47. A fastener that closes by pres-sure and clicks together49. The "I" or self of any person50. Supportive undergarment.51. To clear or free of somethingobjectionable52. Dined58. A metal or plastic tab on a keyring, or pocket watch

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

What Just Happened?We'll tell you. GAME DINNER 2011 here in Meriden , CT. Just Raised over$5,000 for the EMS Youth Explorer Program & just about $2,000 for the localACS Relay for Life TEAM. Thank you so much for supporting these causesand believing. Saturday March 12th's event went off fantastically !

The game food was brilliantly done by the chefs, the atmosphere was greatand the raffle & door prizes were over the TOP !

If you were not able to come to or support the GAME DINNER, pleaseconsider making a contribution to our RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM at:http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11NE?team_id=803705&pg=team&fr_id=31011

*Expires April 30, 2011

The Computer GuruWayne Montefusco of Solve-It-All ComputerLet's talk about computer maintenance.

I have been fixing computers for years and one of the main issues I see is lack of care. I get many systems whenthey are on the verge of dying. Like a car that hasn't seen an oil change in a year or more. Caring for a computer is thesame thing. Over the course of time a system gets clogged with junk files that can make a system come to a crawl.There is many ways to do this.1. Purge internet cache. This will also help when viewing web pages to make sure your seeing the most recent updates. 2. Clean out Windows\temp folder. Only delete files that are not in use. This is a folder that is used when installingprograms. Junk does add up quick here. 3. Delete Windows Update installer files. Go to Windows folder and get rid of any folders that start with a dollar sign.You have to have all files showing to see theses. 4. Disk cleanup in you properties of your hard disk is important to get rid of files that the system doesn't need. 5. Purge all Windows System Restore entries except the last one. This can be done from the options part of Diskcleanup.If you have any questions for Wayne that you would like answered -call 203-213-5444 or [email protected]

Providing comfort and coffee to the TroopsHOLY JOE'S CAFÉ

First Congregational Church - WallingfordGoing for coffee these days seems as

American as mom, baseball and apple pie.While it might actually involve grabbing a cupof whatever it is that gets us going, its primarypurpose may be to strengthen social ties orshow support for a friend in need.

Nowhere is this more evident - or moreappreciated - than among U.S. military person-nel taking part in the initiative known as HolyJoe's Café. Thanks to the First CongregationalChurch troops don't have to go for coffee; it'scoming to them with over 550 chaplainsreceiving coffee in locations in Kuwait, Iraqand Afghanistan since beginning in 2006.Holy Joe's provides soldiers a quiet place totalk with friends, converse with chaplains orwrite a letter home. "Our community coffeebar has become the lifeblood of the camp," writes Chaplain Michael J. Lovett. "Your donations have had a directimpact on our operations. Your act of kindness not only meets a physical need but also strengthens our troops emotion-ally."

Donations of ground coffee or monetary donations can be dropped off at the church office at 23 South Main ST,Wallingford, CT 06492.

For more information, please call [203] 697-1042 or [email protected].

Want to publish your own book, magazine, newspaper and more? RupertThomas has joined the team to help you do it! Whether it's for a digital for-mat or print format that you want to share for free or sell it online - he willbe handling this new service. Email him at [email protected]!

Page 7: The People's Press Early April 2011

In order to ensure the quality and availability of our Programs, we ask that all registrations are completed by the deadline specified for each individual program. We would like to thank you inadvance for your cooperation in this matter and appreciate your continued support for the Programs offered by the Wallingford Parks & Recreation Department.

Wallingford Park and Recreation Health & FitnessRegister at our office located at 6 Fairfield Boulevard 203.294.2120

This is just a small portion of the programs we offer. For the full brochure go to www.peoplespressnews.com9043.200 Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour,Merrimack, NHLunch at Hart's Turkey Farm, Manchester, NHSaturday April 30thBus Departs Rec. Dept. 7:45am Returns:9:00pm Fee: $78The Anheuser - Busch Brewery is a destinationfavorite. At the Brew Hall, discover how thesefamous beers are created using the highest quali-ty ingredients and packed in their state of the artfacility. Experience a behind the scenes look atthe brewing of Budweiser with a visit to the HopRoom, Primary Fermentation Cellar, LagarCellar, Packaging Facility,Quality Assurance,and Finishing Cellar, including sampling directlyfrom a finishing tank. Visit the ClydesdaleHamlet, home to the world famous BudweiserClydesdale horses. Lunch will be at Hart'sTurkey Farm in Manchester. Wonderful turkeydinner with all the fixin's, just like Grandmamade…..Salad, turkey with Gravy, whippedpotato, Butternut Squash, Cranberry Sauce, rolls,Apple Crisp, Coffee…..Delicious! We will finishour day with a stop at Swan Chocolates offeringthe finest handmade Belgian Chocolates. We'llbegin our visit with a chance to sample gelato,homemade fudge, chocolate fountain with freshfruit, winding up with a lesson in how these finecandies are made.

4200.202 Spring 2011 P.M. Golf LeagueA nine-hole, co-ed adult golf league with funspecial events within the 16 weeks of play.League meets on Thursdays at Tradition GolfClub. Starting times begin at 4:30pm onThursdays and new for 2011 Tuesdays at 1pm toreplace the AM Golf League..

Dates of the league are April 14th - July 28th,2011. The league has no set foursomes encour-aging new players, partners each week. A pre-registration meeting explaining the league andchoosing formats of play will be held on April7th at Wallingford Parks and Rec. at 4:15pm atwhich time you can register and pay for theleague.4200.202 When: Thursdays April 14th - July28th 4pm for 16 weeks4200.203 NE W!!!! Tuesdays April 12th - July28th 1pm for 16 weeksLeague Supervisor: Elaine Doherty

4263.200 Wallingford TrailblazersJoin this fun running group! You don't have tobe a runner to participate. Coach Kelli will helpyou learn proper running technique, pacing, howto stretch, strength training, and give nutritiontips. We will keep it fun and motivating for thegroup. Don't miss the fun! Program is for ages7-12Instructor: Kelli Montgomery, Health&FitnessSupervisor, USA Certified Triathlon coachDates: 5/4-6/22 for 8 weeks Class Time:Wednesdays 5:45-6:30 PMLocation: Sheehan High School Track orLyman Hall School Track (TBD)Fee: $30

5135.210 GOLDEN EGG HUNTThe event will be held at Doolittle ParkPlayscape.The event will be divided into two age groupschildren 1-5 and children 6-11. Plastic filledeggs, candy along with 12 special GOLD EGGSfor each group will be spread throughout.Participants are asked to find only ONE GoldEgg. Once found you may redeem your prize for

the golden egg at the table at Doolittle Park.Thursday April 14th, rain date Friday April 15thYounger children hunt will begin at 6:45p.m.Older children hunt will begin at 7:00p.m.***Please be considerate of age breakdown wewant everyone to have an equal opportunity.Parents should be aware that if they have ayoung child and an older child two adults willbe required to participate in both events.Parents are asked to bring a basket and a flash-light for their child.

0041.200 Spring StingersAges 6-11Come join your friends in this very popular pro-gram over April break. We will be hopping onthe bus this spring and we will be going on vari-ous trips each day. This will be a fun filled weekfor all participants ages 6-11. Trip schedule isnot available at time of print.Program Date: April 18th - 22nd from 8:30am to4:30pm Fee: $185 per child.Guaranteed T-Shirt for everyone registered byFriday April 8th

4205.300 Summer Adult Midnight RunBasketball League 2011League begins in early June, date T.B.A. Theleague will consist of the first twelve teams toregister.Games will be played on Monday and Thursdaynights. TEAM ROSTER S MUST BE COM-PLETELY FILLED OUT AN D SIGNE D BYALL PLAYER S ON ROSTER. ROSTERSWILL NOT BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT PAY-MENT AND SIGNATURES.Team entry fee is $450 per resident team and$500 per non-resident team. Shirts will be pro-vided. For more info regarding the league pleasecall the Rec Dept. and ask for Bill Farm, LeagueSupervisor.Registration for Returning Resident Teams isuntil 4:30pm. May 20th New Resident Teamsmay register 4:35pm. May 20th New CorporateTeams may register 4:40pm May 20thRegistration for Returning Non -Resident Teamsmay register 4:45pm. May 20th New NonResident Teams may register 4:50pm May 20th

After School Arts and Crafts Program:Wallingford Parks and Recreation is proud topresent a Fine Arts and Crafts After SchoolEnrichment Program, which has completed itsthird successful year. Classes are held in eachschool so that parents may pick up their childrenan hour later. Spring classes are scheduled tostart by early April 2010 (date TBA) and run for6 weeks. The cost is $50 per student, all materi-als included. The program is available to thespecific students in the schools where the classesare offered.Instructors: Kim Larkin (Crafts Supervisor),Kathy Smits, Rashmi Talpade (Fine ArtsSupervisor). To enroll please obtain a specialregistration form from the Rec Center or use theflyers distributed in schools by March.

8707.202 Edible Creations - Easter Bunnies inthe GardenWe'll be making these adorable bunnies burrow-ing into a garden made out of cupcakes. (Veryreminiscent of Peter Cottontail) These bunniesand the garden are made of mini cupcakes, frost-ing, green colored coconut, Oreo cookies andpink jelly beans. Very cute and sure to be a cen-terpiece for your Easter table.

When: Saturday April 16th 11:00am -12:00pmOne DayLocation: Exit 7A Instructors: Sherry Rimkoski& Debbie Terrusa Fee: $12 (A $4 materials feemade payable to instructor day of class)

Digital Camera - Site For Sore Eyes EventThis event is a scavenger hunt with a twist.Participants will be required to provide theirown DIGITAL Camera. No film cameras will bepermitted. Each group/family will be given a listof items which will require them to locate asmany items as possible within a certain amountof time. Each group will then take a group photowith that item. Upon completion the group mustreturn to the Rec. Dept. to have their photo'sjudged. Prizes to be awarded to first 3 finisherswith completed list.Date: Friday April 29, 2011 Time: 6:30p.m. -8:30p.m. Location: Wallingford Parks andRecreation Dept. Fee: $10.00 per group or fam-ily Pre-Registration: Is required -maximum of75 groups or families will be allowed to register.Registration deadline is April 22, 2010 for thisevent.

8707.202 Edible Creations - Easter Bunnies inthe GardenWe'll be making these adorable bunnies burrow-ing into a garden made out of cupcakes. (Veryreminiscent of Peter Cottontail) These bunniesand the garden are made of mini cupcakes, frost-ing, green colored coconut, Oreo cookies andpink jelly beans. Very cute and sure to be a cen-terpiece for your Easter table.When: Saturday April 16th 11:00am -12:00pmOne Day Location: Exit 7A Instructors: SherryRimkoski & Debbie Terrusa Fee: $12 (A $4materials fee made payable to instructor day ofclass)

3035.200 Ant Bee’s Bug ClassFor 3-5yrs. without ParentIf your children love bugs, this is the class forthem. There will be crafts, stories and activitiesaround the world of bugs.When: Thursdays May 5th - June 9th 12:30pm -1:15pm for 6 weeks Fee: $40 Location: Exit 9Instructor: Terese Biega

3200.200 Under the Sea 3-5yrs without ParentIt is time to get our Scuba gear on and explorethe ocean floor where octopus, coral and seacreatures wait for us among the sunken shipsand the treasure they hold. Shark tails will be aplenty in this under sea adventure class!When: Thursdays May 5th - June 9th 1:30pm -2:15pm for 6 weeks Fee: $40 Location: Exit 9 Instructor: Terese Biega ***Children enrolled inboth Ant Bee’s and Under the Sea pay only$70***

3055.200 Trains, Boats and PlanesFor 3-5yrs without Parent“All Aboard”, “Ahoy Mate”, “Fasten your SeatBelts” boys and girls as we journey through theworld of ransportation!!!! Try out this spectacu-lar craft opportunity where we will make excit-ing boats, trains and planes from craft materials.When: Tuesdays May 3rd - June 7th 1:30pm -2:15pm for 6 weeksFee: $40 Location: Exit 9 Instructor: Terese Biega

Page 7 Early April 2011

Page 8: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 8 FEarly April 2011

To my dearest wife Alison Mary of 25 years. Love, a day to remind eachother how much Love we have for one another and to express it the bestway we know how. Like the years that have past by us, each and every yearmy heart & soul has grown full of Love for you and every bit about you. Itsnot been a bunch roses all the time, but I can truly say My Love for You hasonly gotten more intense and I can say I'm so glad I choice you to share mylife with. LOVE ME

CELEBRATIONS

To the most special parts of my life! I love you all so much!

CELEBRATIONS

The submission deadline for the Mid-April 2011 issue of THE PEOPLESPRESS is April 15th. Email your stories, news and events to [email protected]. Don't forget your Easter Greetings!

Email your photos and celebrations [email protected].

If we can help in any way please call 203-235-9333.

WALLINGFORD SENIOR CENTER40th Anniversary Dinner Dance - Featuring Michael Dutra & the Strictly Sinatra Band on Saturday, May 21, 2011, 5:00- 9:00 PM

We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wallingford Senior Center in grand style with a delicious dinner and afabulous Sinatra tribute band. The Chicken Marsala dinner will include salad, ziti, dessert and more. The StrictlySinatra Band, starring Michael Dutra, performs more than 300 nights per year stunning audiences with its dead-on ren-dition of Frank Sinatra classics. Tickets to this gala evening are on sale to members only during the month of April. Ifspace allows, tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning May 1. Tickets are $30.00 for members and $40.00for non-members.Intergenerational Day at Q. U. - Tuesday, April 12, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PMYou have been invited to participate in Intergenerational Day at Quinnipiac University. The day includes a welcomereception with refreshments, meeting students, attending a liberal arts class with a student, lunch, and a special pro-gram. Q.U. will provide transportation from the senior center and back. This wonderful opportunity to experience aday at college is limited to the first twenty members to register. (Sign-up begins April 1.)Sleep & the Older Adult - Wednesday, April 13, 10:30 AMSleep Specialist Dr. Brett Volpe will discuss common sleep problems that affect adults as they age. Learn about theseproblems and possible solutions at this program sponsored by MidState Medical Center. Pre-registration is requested.CarFit for Mature Drivers - Thursday, April 21, 2:00 - 4:00 PMIs your car a good fit for you? Is it adjusted correctly to keep you safe? Do you want to find out ways to make yourcar more comfortable for driving? Yes? Then join us at a CarFit event on April 21, in the Senior Center parking lot.CarFit was developed by the American Society on Aging in collaboration with AARP, AAA and the AmericanOccupational Therapy Association. The CarFit program provides a quick but comprehensive check of how well youand your vehicle work together. A trained professional will ask you simple questions and complete a 12-point CarFitchecklist which includes: height of the seat; fit of the seat belt; and position of all mirrors. Occupational therapy stu-dents and faculty from Quinnipiac University will conduct the CarFit event and recommend car adjustments, adapta-tions, and offer community resources that promote safe driving. Come find out how the fit of your vehicle affects yourdriving, and adjust your vehicle to fit your changing needs. Call now to schedule your appointment.Thursday Evening ProgramsThursdays, 4:00-8:30 PMApril 7th marks the beginning of our extended hours at the Senior Center. Stay and enjoy a delicious meal prepared byLake View Café and served 5:00-6:30 p.m. (meal ticket purchase required). We have a lot of exciting programs andclasses scheduled, including a monthly Dinner Dance, Live Entertainment, Guest Speakers, New Release Movies,Evening Fitness classes, Scrapbooking, Newcomers' Dinners, Texas Hold 'em Poker, AARP Driver Safety classes,Computer Workshops, Book Club and so much more. Wallingford Senior Center is the place to be on Thursday Nights!Backing Up Your Computer with Kevin Ozer - Thursday, April 14, 6:30 PMKevin Ozer, from our Computer Learning Center, will be sharing valuable information about "backing up" the files onyour home or small business computer in easy-to-understand, non-technical terms. Pre-registration is required for thisfree seminar which is open to the public. Space is limited, sign up today. 2011 Golf League - Our Coed Golf League, held at Miner Hills Golf Course, will begin its 12th season in May.There will be one sixteen-week session, running from May 17 through August 30. The cost for play and the final weekcookout is $235.00 for members and $240.00 for non-members. Member Sign-Up begins May 2 (May 9 for non-mem-bers). A meeting for all golfers will be held Tuesday, May 10, at 9:30 AM. If you have any questions, please callLeague Coordinator Howie at 203 265-0412.Student Art Exhibit - April 28 - 30, 2011The Wallingford Senior Center Great Room is the site of the Wallingford Public Schools' Annual Art Exhibit, whichshowcases the artwork of students in our local elementary, middle and high schools.MEMORY LANE - What is Memory Lane and where is it located? Memory Lane is an adult day program locatedwithin the Wallingford Senior Center, designed to promote and maintain independence for seniors with mild memoryloss, cognitive, and/or physical impairments. This program offers a variety of pet-therapy, music, and baking activitiesas well as monthly day-trips, and physical activities. Hours of operation are 9:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Monday throughFriday. Handicapped-accessible transportation is provided for residents of Wallingford at no extra charge. Eligibility isbased on an assessment, interview, and medical clearance. If you are interested in an affordable, fun, and stimulatingway to keep your loved one safe and independent during the day, stop by the reception desk for a brochure and tour ofthe center, or contact Melinda Welch, Program Coordinator, at 203.265.7753 for more information. *There are manybenefits to adult day programs: caregiver respite, daily socialization with peers, integration into the community, and

avoiding premature institutionalization. * Source: http://www.caring.com/articles/benefits-of-adult-day-care-programs.SOCIAL SERVICES - IN ORDER TO SERVE YOU BETTER, PLEASE CALL TO SCHEDULEAN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER, EILEEN FLYNN, AT 265 7753. Walk-InSchedule: The Social Worker will take walk-ins on a first come basis for one-half hour sessionsONLY (30 minutes). Sessions are on the half-hour from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and 1:30 PM to 3:00PM. No regular appointments will be scheduled on Tuesdays.Benefits Screening - Tuesday, April 19, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PMDo you often wonder if you might be eligible for any State or Federal Programs? BenefitsQuickLINK is a free and confidential program which can quickly screen for eligibility. Supportingdocuments are not required, but please bring the following information with you to your appointment:1. Monthly income (social security, pension, dividends and interest). 2. Monthly expenses (heating,fuel, gas, electricity, water, telephone, rent or mortgage payments and medical expenses not coveredby health insurance). 3. Asset information (savings, estimated value of home and car, life insurancebenefits). 4. A list of all current prescriptions. Registration required. Call 203-265-7753 now toschedule an appointment.Questions about Financial Decisions? - Monday, April 11, 1:30 - 3:00 PMBrendan Toomey, Certified Financial Planner of Toomey Investment Management, Inc. will be avail-able to answer financial questions about investments, IRA's and annuities. To schedule a fifteen (15)minute appointment, please call 203-265-7753.Low Vision Support Group - Friday, April 15, 10:15 AM-12:00 PMA representative from the Board of Education and Agency for the Blind will be our guest speaker. Hewill discuss compensatory ways of managing in the home with low vision. Please call (203) 265 7753to sign up for this meeting.Veterans Services - Tuesday, April 26, 1:00-3:00 PMGeorge Messier, Veterans Services Officer for the Town of Wallingford will be available to answerquestions and assist with benefit information. An appointment is required. Please call 203-265-7753.

VISIT our website at www.wlfdseniorctr.com!

Wallingford Neighborhood Assistance Act Applications due May 13th!

The Town of Wallingford will be implementing the provisions of C.G.S. 12-631, the NeighborhoodAssistance Act (NAA), in order to prepare and submit to the Connecticut Department of RevenueServices a "program list" as defined by Departmental regulations.

Interested organizations are directed to the DRS web site athttp://www.ct.gov/drs/cwp/view.asp?a=1447&q=266058 to view the application and program informa-tion. Completed applications are due to the Town's Grants Office (Room 311) no later than May 13,2011.

The required Public Hearing is expected to be scheduled for the Town Council meeting of June 14,2011.

Join the LocalMotion by sharing a video, story, news, photos, events and more! Any questions - email [email protected]

Page 9: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 9 Early April 2011

My Darling Boy, you mean the world to me and you stole my heart themoment I saw your beautiful face. Love, Mommy

CELEBRATIONS

Marion Townsend Willets of Middletown came to teach the Cadette GirlScouts of Meriden Troop 66070 how to knit. Marion also shared photoalbums of wedding dresses she made among other beautiful items. Thethree weeks of lessons go toward their Fashion Design Interest ProjectBadge.

LocalMotion

107th Annual May BreakfastFirst Congregational Church, 62 Colony Street in Meriden, will be hosting its annual May Breakfast on Wednesday,May 4, 2011 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

This year will be the 107th anniversary of a much cherished tradition provided by the Women's Fellowship of FirstCongregational Church to its church members and to the community. Hundreds of breakfasts are served each year.

A delicious breakfast of halved grapefruit, juices, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes with real maple syrup, hot rollsand muffins will be served along with coffee, tea and milk. Cost: $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 10.

Also available for purchase will be May Baskets filled with candy/fudge, home baked breads, cookies and cakes,garden flowers and plants.

Tickets will be available at the door. Group reservations can be made by calling the church office Tuesday thruFriday 9:00 am-1:00 pm at 203-235-5704.

Come, bring a friend and enjoy a real Meriden tradition!

7th Annual "Spring Fling" Polka Dance & Social 2011Sponsored by the Men's Club of SS Peter & Paul R.C. Church of Wallingford, CTSaturday evening, April 30, 2011 from 7:30 PM until 11:30 PM At the Polish Nat'l Alliance ParkNorth Plains Highway in Wallingford, CT

Music by Eddie Forman (EFO Band) Elected to the "Polka Hall of Fame" in 2006It's BYOB with Set Ups available. Coffee, Tea, and Dessert will be served. Tickets are $15.00 per personAdvance Ticket Sales are preferred by calling: Alan Zakrzewski at (203) 294-0374Everyone is WelcomeALL Proceeds to Benefit SS. Peter & Paul Men's Club Activities

2011 WALLINGFORD RECYCLING ART CONTESTThe Wallingford Recycling Committee invites you to be creative and enter our 2nd annual recycling art contest!

Contest is open to Wallingford students, K-8. Entries may be either art sculptures or useful items made from items which have had a previous life. Projects should be dropped off in room 315 of Town Hall between 9:00 and 5:00 on April 19th or 20th, and picked

up April 25th or 26th. (Winning entries will be kept until Celebrate Wallingford.) All entries must be constructed of materials that have been used before and would have been recycled or thrown

away if not for having the unique opportunity of being part of this contest. All entries must be able to be easily carried by one person. Entries will be judged by the Wallingford Recycling Committee on creativity, artistry and ability to provoke aware-

ness of recycling and the environment. Only one entry per student or group. Please do not use dirty stuff, broken glass or other sharp objects, hazardous waste materials, things which will

decompose and be smelly or icky, or items which may break easily. The most important item you will use is your imagination! Prizes will be awarded and winning pieces will be on display at Celebrate Wallingford!For the submission form visit the Town of Wallingford's website at www.town.wallingford.ct.us Questions? Call the

Program Planning office at 203 294-2060.

August Curtis Cultural Center April EventsMeriden Garden Club & ACCC present 4th speaker in Series: "Creating a Seasonal Habitat for Wildlife" Presented by Wildlife Biologist Peter Picone Thursday, April 14th at 6:30pm Lectures are free and open to the public.

Page 10: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 10 Early April 2011

How do YOU become a part of the

LocalMotion?How do I share my videos, stories, news and events?

It’s easy to share! All you have to do is send an email [email protected] with a word document attached or in the body or youremail. Be sure to include your name. You can also go to www.peoplespressnews.com andpress the submit button. If you don’t have email - mail your submission to: ThePeople’s Press, PO Box 4459, Yalesville CT 06492. REMEMBER - It’s FREE to share.

How do I share my CELEBRATIONS of photos/messages?Email [email protected]. Make sure your photo is large byemail - we will reduce the size for the paper. By sending it as large as possible the quality will be much higher. If you don’t have email, look for the CELEBRATIONSphoto form in this issue. Don’t crop your photo - we will do it for you. REMEMBER nomatter what the reason all CELEBRATIONS photo wishes are FREE.

How do I get the paper?It’s EVERYWHERE. If you want us to tell you a location close to your home - call 203-235-9333. It’s also always on-line at www.peoplespressnews.com. You can read it justlike the print issue in image form AND also download it as a pdf to save on your com-puter or print out the articles that interest you. As a matter of fact - you can read everypaper we’ve published from 2000 till today! There has never been any charge to readthe paper on-line or pick up the print edition!

When do I know when it’s on-line?Become an on-line subscriber. Go to our website and click on the subscribe button. Notonly will you find out when the paper is on-line but you will also get deadline reminders,special offers, upcoming events and more! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitterand MySpace!

When is the deadline for submissions?The deadline fpr the Mid-April issue is the 15th. However, normally it’s the 28th.

Questions?Just call 203-235-9333 or email [email protected]. We are here to help you!

www.peoplespressnews.com 203-235-9333

Time is going fast!Now is the TIME to put your

own personal burst in the 2011 Wallingford Fireworks!

http://wallingfordfireworks.org/

WALLINGFORD FIREWORKSFUND FUNDRAISER

FOR THE 2011 CELEBRATIONFriday, May 6th - Wallingford FireworksConcert at Zandri's Stillwood Inn. Tickets are$10.00 per person.

Scheduled to play:Bluzberry Pi - http://www.bluzberrypi.net/

42nd Street - http://42ndstband.com/ Third Band to be announced...

To buy tickets or for more information contactJason Zandri - (203) 294-4647

[email protected] NOW AVAILABLE AT OUR WEBSITE!

Special Items for Sale! All proceeds benefit the Fund!

Radio Like It Used To Be…By Brad DevlinMusic and the way we listen to it has changed a lot since I was a kid growing up in the 70s. Back then, we relied ontrusted disc jockeys to turn us on to new hip music and tell us which cool bands were coming to town. However,these things are almost impossible to find in the overly nostalgic repetition of commercial rock 'n roll radio or thedeafening thump-thump-thump of some sweaty late-night clubs here in Connecticut. And, if you're like me, is not thatyour musical tastes have changed all that much. We still want to hear new and thought-provoking music and maybeeven go out to see a show every now and again; the trouble is where to find these things. What's a gracefully agingmusic fan to do?

In many regards, college radio has become what commercial rock 'n roll radio used to be. And for readers of ThePeople's Press, 88.1FM, WESU in Middletown is closest place to find it. The variety of music on WESU challengesme. If you're looking for Caribbean or Jazz, gospel or grunge, you're sure to find it on the schedule. Rob DeRosa'sHomeGrown program might be my favorite on the WESU schedule because it gives me the great new music from coolnew bands that I want, with the added caveat that the show exclusively features actively performing bands from ourhome state of Connecticut. I tune in every Thursday on my drive home (5:05-6pm) to get a healthy helping of greatmusic grown right here at home. DeRosa has been hosting the show for close to eight years, and I've been listeningalmost as long. At first, I was surprised at the quality of some the local Connecticut acts he features. Seven yearslater, I find myself even more surprised at the sheer number of local bands that exist from all over our home state.DeRosa plays them all, and he has introduced me to many of my new favorite acts. Interestingly, several of the actsDeRosa has featured on HomeGrown have gone on to national and international acclaim.

Each show focuses on Connecticut bands performing during the coming week. On occasion, a few of the shows areDeRosa's own productions (DeRosa volunteers as music coordinator of the annual Meriden Daffodil Festival. Inrecent years, and at DeRosa's request, the festival has featured an all-Connecticut line-up of musical acts. DeRosa alsohosts a free music series every Monday evening during the Wesleyan University school schedule at the Red & BlackCafé inside the Wesleyan Bookstore on Broad Street in Middletown.), but more often he features acts performing atlocal clubs and coffeehouses throughout the state. So if you like what you hear, grab a pen and paper because at the next break between songs, DeRosa will tell you a little about the band and let you know where they'll be performing.From time to time, he'll even host live bands right in the studio. Recent HomeGrown guests have been Eric Lichter ofDirt Floor Studios in Chester, eclectic songwriters The Sawtelles of Southington, and Fairfield County's Caravan ofThieves.

As a disc jockey, DeRosa is as loose and charmingly irreverent as you might expect a veteran of Woodstock to be.Intelligent adult allusions abound, and the weekly public service announcements from Willie Nelson are good for aknowing chuckle from 70s rock 'n roll radio fans everywhere. Everywhere is an appropriate term here because WESUand Rob DeRosa's HomeGrown are available worldwide via wesufm.org. So again, if you're like me and in search ofnew and thought-provoking music and want to know where to see a show every now and again, you can find thesethings on Rob DeRosa's HomeGrown on 88.1FM WESU in Middletown (wesufm.org if you're on-line). It's radio likeit used be.

Take A Motor Coach Trip With The Wallingford Family YMCAApril 16th: Statue of Liberty & Ellis IslandApril 30th: New York City On Your Own.**Pre-Registration is required. For more information on these trips

and future trips; please contact Lisa Hoover @ [email protected]

PINK PANDORA BRACELET Fundraiser Raffle

Retail value over $800.00. Tickets are $10.00 each or 10 - tickets for $50.00or 20 - tickets for $100.00

Thanks for the support from our friends @ Michael's Jewelers Tickets canbe purchased at Hunter's Ambulance, Training Center 474 West Main St.Meriden, CT. USA

Winning Ticket will be announced at the Relay for Life Saturday May 14thLyman Hall H.S., Wallingford

Thanks for being part of TEAM HUNTER'S and if you have a Pink Camoshirt you're the Best !!!Team Captain: Dana Hunter-Moyer 203-514-5108

Want to publish your own book, magazine, newspaper and more?Rupert Thomas has joined to help you do it! Whether it's for adigital format or print format that you want to share for free orsell it online - he will be handling this new service. Email him [email protected]!

Page 11: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 11 Early April 2011

New Life Church exists to help guide peopleto new life in God and to develop them into

passionate followers of Jesus Christ. Service Times Meriden Campus

Saturdays5 PM Saturday Night Life

Sundays9 AM Prime Time Service

11 AM Brunch ServiceWallingford Campus

Sundays 10 AM at Oakdale Theatre

Meriden Campus - 262 Bee StreetWallingford Campus - Oakdale Theater

located at 95 South Turnpike RoadDiscover the Message at New Life’s

Life Line TV availalble atwww.innewlife.com

One of our readers sent this in to us. Be sure to read all of it and note thetimes of explosions. Submitted by Heather Sarkin - Thanks for the laughHeather!

LocalMotionA man is not where he lives, but where he loves. ~Latin Proverb]NEWS AND EVENTS FROM WALLINGFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY

All Programs, Movies, and Events at the Wallingford Public Library are free and open to the public! The Library islocated at 200 N. Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Lecture: Can Children with Autism Recover? - Monday, April 11 6:30 p.m. in the Community RoomBased on her research, Deborah Fein, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at theUniversity of Connecticut, believes that at least 10 percent, and possibly as many as 20 percent of children whoreceive a diagnosis of autism or autism spectrum disorder can "recover" from it if they are provided the right kind ofintensive behavioral therapy. This free lecture is co-sponsored by the American Association of University Women andthe UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. All are welcome. The program will be preceded by a brief AAUWannual meeting.Civil War SesquicentennialCommunities across the nation are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War withlectures, exhibits, discussions, and re-enactments. Join us for two special programs this monthThe Greatest Hits of the Civil War: America's First Professional Songwriters

Thursday, April 14 7:00 p.m in the Community RoomFeaturing songs written by Daniel Emmett, Stephen Foster, Henry Clay Work and George F. Root, musician RickSpencer will perform popular tunes from this era. All are welcome to an evening of music and song.Unlaunched Voices: An evening with Walt WhitmanWednesday, April 20, 7:00 p.m. in the Community RoomStephen Collins brings his portrayal of Walt Whitman to the Library in honor of both the Civil War sesquicentennialand National Poetry Month. Through poetry and readings of actual letters, we experience Whitman's movement fromselfishness to selflessness, and his growth into a mature artist who is at peace about "himself, God and death."Read and Discuss!

April 26: The Marshal and the Madwoman by Magdalen Nabb3:30 p.m. Collins RoomThis four-part series of mysteries features sunny Italy. Get copies of the books from the Information Desk and join usfor a murderous tour of Rome, Bologna, Florence and Venice with discussion leader Dr. Carole Shmurak. This pro-gram is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and will continue next month.Thursday Night Book Club: The Tender Bar: a memoir by J.R. MoehringerThursday, April 21 7:00 p.m. in the Collins RoomThe Thursday Night Book Club is an informal gathering open to all who love to read and discuss fiction and popularnonfiction. Ask at the Information Desk for a copy of this book and join us for the discussion.Environmental Film SeriesCo-sponsored by the Wallingford Recycling Committee, this series features three ecologically-themed films.Recycling Committee members will be on hand to encourage discussion about the films and steps the public can taketo help safeguard the future of our natural resources. Flow, for Love of Water - Monday, April 4 6:30 p.m.Community Room. This film is Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label themost important political and environmental issue of the 21st century, the world water crisis.Energy Crossroads

Wednesday, April 13 6:30 p.m. Community Room This award-winning documentary exposes the problems associatedwith our energy consumption, and offers concrete solutions for those who want to educate themselves and be part ofthe solutions in this decisive era. The film features passionate individuals, entrepreneurs, experts and scientists at theforefront of their field bringing legitimacy and expertise to the core message. The 11th Hour

Monday, April 25 6:30 p.m. Community Room - The 11th hour is the last moment when change is possible. This filmexplores how we've arrived at this moment: how we live, how we impact the earth's ecosystems, and what we can doto change our course.Town Hall Meeting! "CT Budget"

With Senator Len Fasano and Representative Vincent Candelora Thursday April 28: 6:00 p.m. Community RoomCelebrating National Poetry Month:

Saturday Mornings with Poetry: April 16, 30 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Board Room At every meeting, favoritepoems are shared, and attendees may read their poems with the option of receiving critique and comment. Poetryappreciation will focus on: Confessional Poetry, April 2; Walt Whitman, April 16; and Frank O'Hara and the NewYork School of Poets and Artists, April 30.TEEN ZONE!

Wii Event: Mario Kart! Wednesday, April 13 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.Hop on your bike or kart and don't crash! Open to all Teens in grades 6 - 12. Please be sure to sign-up in advance.School Vacation Movie: Vampires Suck! Tuesday, April 19 2:00 p.m. Community RoomHysterical spoof of the Twilight Series…..Free glow in the dark fangs for all attendees!Xbox Kinect & Pizza Party - Wednesday, April 20 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Community Room Come and party at

the Library over vacation. All Teens in grades 6 - 12 are welcome to join us for pizza and Xbox Kinect. Spots are lim-ited, please register in advance. Creative Writing Workshop for Grades 6 through 12

Thursday, April 21 6:30 p.m. Board Room Meet movie screenwriter Matthew Q. Martin who wrote the originalscreenplay for the 2005 film Slingshot starring David Arquette, Joely Fisher and Juliana Margulies. Matthew is anaccomplished actor and author and a former student at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School! Join Matthew for a specialworkshop on creative writing. Learn about the creative process and receive expert advice on your own work. Don'tmiss this opportunity! Open to all Teens in grades 6 - 12 however space is limited and advance registration is required.Please call the Library to reserve your spot

Wallingford Public Library Children's EventsSchool Vacation Week Programs

Family Game Night: Unplugged - Friday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Children's LibraryBoard games are definitely not boring - they provide hours of intellectual stimulation, socializing, and FUN! Join us inthe Children's Library with your family and neighbors and enjoy a wide variety of board games. Amazing FrogsTuesday, April 19th at 11:00 a.m. in the Community RoomWallingford proudly welcomes this multi-media live animal show which will explore several different types of frogsfrom around the world. Participants will have up close meetings with these fascinating creatures including theAmerica Bullfrog, Red Eyed Tree Frog, Can Toad and the Amazon Milk Frog. This program which is free and opento the public is sponsored by the Rotary Club's Wallingford Foundation and has been organized by Chris Stone. Demos R UsThursday, April 21st at 11:00 a.m. in the Community Room Join us for a science demonstration program to develop abetter understanding of air pressure, air molecules and how air moves!

The program which is for school-age kids is sponsored by the Rotary Club's foundation and organized by ChrisStone. Moving and Grooving with Amy Rogell: A Musical Program for KidsWednesday, April 20th at 10:00 a.m. in the Community Room Come enjoy a morning of music and interactive funwith the ever popular Amy Rogell who is well known for her numerous credits in film, television and radio! Thisdrop-in program is for pres-schoolers and their grown-ups.

Tell me how many beads there areIn a silver chainOf evening rain,

Unravelled from the tumbling main,And threading the eye of a yellow star: -So many times do I love again.

~Thomas Lovell Beddoes

Page 12: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 12 Early April 2011

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MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY APRIL EVENTSMERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY CLOSED ON GOOD FRIDAYMeriden Public Library will be closed on Friday, April 22 to observe Good Friday. The library will be open onSaturday, April 23 from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. LUNCHTIME BOOK CLUB APRIL 21The Meriden Public Library's lunchtime book club meets on Thursdays at noon in the Friends Room. Bring your lunchand enjoy the discussion.April 21 - Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman May 19 -Swamplandia by Karen Russell

All are welcome. The books are available in a display across from the Information Desk. Contact Laura at (203) 238-2346 to sign up.BOOK DISCUSSION SERIES CONCLUDES AT MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARYThe Meriden Public Library will conclude the book discussion series organized by the Connecticut HumanitiesCouncil. The final discussion will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 on the book Bee Season by Myla Goldberg.Marsha Bansavage is the facilitator.

Books are available at the library. Please contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349, [email protected], or visit the library's web page at www.meridenlibrary.org to view the adult events calendar toreserve a seat.SCRABBLE SESSIONS AT MERIDEN LIBRARYMeriden Public Library hosts sessions for people who enjoy playing Scrabble. The sessions will be on Monday, April11 and April 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the Friends Room. All skill levels are welcome. Scrabble boards will be provided, butpeople are welcome to bring their own boards. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if youhave any questions about the library programsGET YOUR GAME ON APRIL 14Get your game on at the Meriden Public Library on Thursday, April 14th from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Griffin Room. The

Wii will be set up with Wii Sports and Mario Kart for friends and family to challenge each other. Board games such asScrabble, Candyland, Apples to Apples and many others will also be available for use. All ages are welcome to attendincluding parents and guardians. Registration is not required. If you have any questions please contact Melissa [email protected] or call (203) 630-6347.LEGO CLUB APRIL 21Meriden Public Library will have its next Lego Club event on Thursday, April 21st from 3:30 to 4:30 in the GriffinRoom. Children ages 6 through 12 are invited to bring their imagination and build on this month's theme - "Boats".Completed projects will be put on display in the library. The library will provide Legos for all children who attend.Sign up is not required for this program and late arrivals are always welcome. If you have any questions or would liketo be put on the Lego Club mailing list please contact Melissa at (203) 630-6347 or [email protected] WORKSHOP APRIL 19Meriden Public Library will be hosting a financial workshop called "Find More Money in 2011" by I&C, LLC, anEmployee Financial Education Company, on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Griffin Room. This special workshopwill help you: stretch your dollars, eliminate holiday debt, avoid financial traps and pitfalls, find more money to savethis year, and ease family conflicts over spending. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the CommunityServices Department at (203) 630-6349, email [email protected] or visit the library's webpage at www.meridenli-brary.org to view the adult calendar and reserve a seat.VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE FINISHES APRIL 16The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program at the Meriden Public Library will finish April 16. The library is locat-ed at 105 Miller Street. V.I.T.A., which is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service, provides free help to taxpayers

who cannot afford professional assistance or who have tax questions.Assistance in preparing Connecticut state tax forms will also be available.

The sessions will take place in Meriden Public Library's Griffin Room. Foreasy access to the Griffin Room, parking is available in the Catlin Street lot.The schedule is as follows: WEDNESDAY April 6 and13 from 5:30 to 8:00PM Call 203-630-6331 for an appointment between 5:30 and 7:30 pm. SAT-URDAY April 2, April 9 (This session is in the Literacy Volunteer Office), andApril 16 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Call 203-630-6331 for an appointmentbetween 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM.

V.I.T.A. volunteers alert taxpayers to special credits and deductions forwhich they may be eligible. People interested in attending the V.I.T.A. pro-gram can stop in the library and pick up a list of the necessary documents youwill need to bring. Contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 if you have questions about the tax assistance program.FREE COMPUTER CLASSES IN APRIL AT MERIDEN LIBRARYSign up for one of the free computer classes at Meriden Public Library andlearn how to use a computer, Word, email, and search the internet. The classschedule is as follows:Email - Saturday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m.; Monday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m.Basic Computers - Saturday, April 9 at 9:30 a.m.; Monday, April 18 at 6:30p.m.Internet Searching - Monday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 23 at 9:30a.m.

Class size is limited. Contact the Community Services Department at (203)630-6349 or the Information Desk at (203) 238-2346 to reserve a seat.WRITERS NETWORK APRIL 12 AND APRIL 27The Writers Network will meet on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 pm in the GriffinRoom and on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:00 pm in the Friends Room. Anyonewho is serious about writing fiction or nonfiction, wants to learn the processof getting published, or needs support for writing a book proposal or queryletter is welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining the WritersNetwork, contact the Community Services Department at (203) 630-6349 oremail us [email protected] SOLUTIONS TO DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS APRIL 25Dr. David DeRosa, a licensed chiropractor serving the Wallingford communi-ty, will present the program on "Natural Solutions to Digestive Problems" atMeriden Public Library on Monday, April 25 at 6:30 pm in the Griffin Room.

The purpose of the workshop is to provide you with facts concerning diges-tive-related conditions and the natural treatment options available to help youmake an informed decision regarding the steps you can take to restore healthydigestive function. Conditions to be discussed are: acid reflux, hiatal hernia,irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, colitis, Crohns disease and many others.

This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community ServicesDepartment at (203) 630-6349, email [email protected] or visit thelibrary's website at www.meridenlibrary.org to view the adult events calendarto reserve a seat.

The People's Press is pleased to welcome two new LocalMotivatersto our team. Rupert Thomas and Michelle Trenchard-Sciannaoffer a wealth of experience and knowledge. You can welcomethem by emailing [email protected] [email protected]

At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. ~Plato

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Page 13: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 13 Early April 2011

This year, Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22. Because it's right in the heart of thespring season, when many people feel rejuvenated after a long winter, Earth Day is the idealtime for men, women and children to take that extra energy they have in the spring andchannel it into eco-friendly behaviors that benefit the environment.

How can we due our part? Share your stories, photos, drawings, videos and more for thenext issue of The People’s Press.

Parents and Teachers - we encourage children to be part of this. Not just to learn but todevelop confidence in themselves by being printed and showcased on the web as well. Wecall this program for children “Yearn to Learn!” We are honored to offer this to you.

The deadline is April 11th. Email [email protected].

AApprrii ll 2222,, 22001111

LocalMotion - GlobalImpact

www.peoplespressnews.com

Mrs. Erasmus' third grade class at Nathan Hale School in Meriden studiesmany famous and not so famous Black Americans during Black HistoryMonth. They completed Venn diagrams to see how they were alike and dif-ferent.

CELEBRATIONS

Meriden Spring Clean Up Reminder The Department of Public Works does not collect leaves in the Spring.Residents are required to deliver their leaves and brush to the Transfer Station,which is located on Evansville Avenue. The Transfer Station is open Mondaysfrom 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM, Wednesdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and thefirst and third Saturday from 7:30 AM to Noon. There is no charge for the dis-posal of leaves and brush. For complete information on the Transfer Station,please visit the City's website at www.cityofmeriden.org. Select municipal ser-vices followed by Public Works and Transfer Station.

Meriden Superintendent of Schools CornerDear Friends, I hope the tough winter weather has finally come to an end.March not only meant some excellent college basketball games, it also hadCMT/CAPT testing and budget deliberations. Our students and staff recentlycompleted this important standardized testing measure. While these tests arevery important, they are only one measure of what our children are learning inour schools. Recently, the Board of Education approved the 2011-2012 educa-tion budget with a 2.78% increase. This request includes the reduction of 26staff positions--19 certified positions and 7 classified positions. We will con-tinue to monitor all budget lines for savings, and we are committed to explor-ing all cost savings measures. Provisions to carry over any surplus dollars willbe requested to reduce the 2011-2012 budget request.

We must work together to assure that our education system continues tomeet the needs of all our students.

On April 13th, there will be a Public Hearing on the City's 2011-2012 bud-get. This is an opportunity for all citizens to speak out on the budget.

Thank you for all your support! Together we can assure that our educationsystem continues to prepare our students for successful futures.All the best! Mark D. Benigni

Out of the Fire, and Into the Frying PanBy Chuck RinaldiFrom the time I became an adult, I have always enjoyed cooking. For a little over four decades, the kitchen has been myfavorite room in the house. I started this love affair with all things culinary when I got married and, for the first time,was living away from my childhood home where food was simple and relatively unexciting. Being young and on a pret-ty tight budget, get-togethers with our friends tended to be dinners at each others' houses rather than going out to restau-rants. It was these occasions that caused me to begin seeking out more interesting cookbooks and gave me the opportu-nity to begin preparing dishes such as Chicken Kiev or Lobster Thermidor for our guests. It was during this time that Irealized that rather than seeming like work, the time spent searching out recipes and preparing these foods was reallyfun for me. I must admit I also enjoyed receiving compliments from our friends or the applause that would greet the pre-sentation of a flaming Cherries Jubilee. I continued in this vein, trying this, perfecting that, always looking toward thenext occasion to cook for family or friends, and I gradually began to gain a wider knowledge of various cooking meth-ods and preparation techniques. Time passed and the demands of teaching, going to graduate school, raising children,working a second job and making home repairs took over time that before would have been spent at the cutting boardand stove. Life moved on, to a second marriage, a new job (at Sheehan High School in Wallingford!), and a focus onacting and theater that lasted for the next 25 years.

Cut to the present… In June, 2009, I retired from my position as a high school Assistant Principal, and my wife and Ifulfilled a dream by moving to Arizona. It took a little while getting used to being retired, not having to run off to workeach day, or having my life segmented by bells signaling the change of classes. I now had the time to pursue things Ienjoy or had always wanted to do. I started going to the gym three times a week, taking T'ai Chi, reading to my heart'scontent, doing home improvement projects, and traveling. However, among the most wonderful aspects of this newphase of my life is that I have begun to cook seriously again. It has been like returning to a lost love.

About twenty years ago, I began acquiring professional-level pans, knives and other cooking implements to be able tocook like the gourmet I have always wanted to be. I also collected cookbooks, dozens of them, searching for just theright recipes by great chefs such as Jacques Pepin and Mario Batali. It got so bad that my wife finally instituted a "onein, one out" rule to help keep some kind of control on the situation. Now, in a new house with a well-set-up kitchen, allthese things are being used the way they were intended to be. Since we try to keep an eye on our health, not every nightis gourmet night, but at least twice a week I try to make a special dish or soup that I have not tried before. I am ventur-ing into French cuisine and thanks to Julia Childs' Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I am turning out such dishes asDaube de Boeuf à la Provençale with great success. Living in Arizona, outdoor cooking is possible year round, soBobby Flay has become my guru as well. I began making my own bread about a year ago, and recently started turningout my own hand-made pasta. Although I do subscribe to a number of cooking magazines, thanks to the Internet andThe Food Network, I'm no longer bringing home cookbooks, and I can learn new techniques and recipes from some ofthe best chefs in the world. These days, a visit to "Cucina Rinaldi" might just include tempting smells from the kitchen,a good glass of wine, some home-made bread and food that's been carefully and lovingly prepared. Whether it's a spicychile rellenos or a delicate celery-root soup, the satisfaction I derive from preparing a complicated recipe and turning outa fine restaurant-quality meal has become one of my greatest pleasures.

The submission deadline for the Mid-April 2011 issue of THE PEOPLES PRESS is April 15th. Email your stories, newsand events to [email protected]. Don't forget your Easter Greetings! Email your photos and celebrations [email protected]. If we can help in any way please call 203-235-9333.

March Meeting of Wallingford Garden ClubThe Wallingford Garden Club took a trip back in time to the Victorian eraat the March 8 meeting. Marie Hayes of Gardens Unlimited presented aslideshow depicting American gardens during the Golden Age ofHorticulture extending from 1836 - 1901. At this time wealthy homeown-ers had leisure hours to devote to planning gardens containing statuary,vines and water features. The Victorians were influenced by the French,Chinese, Moorish and Italian cultures for their outdoor rooms. This GoldenAge was noted for sunken gardens with seating for contemplation, the useof boxwood for natural fencing and for the practice of "bedding out" whichentailed planting 1 or 2 annuals in a circle on the lawn so that one couldhave an aerial view of the flowers from the house. Hayes had slides of his-torical estates to illustrate the various features of the Victorian garden andalso shared her collection of antique photos, post cards and memorabiliafrom this nostalgic time.

The Wallingford Garden Club is a member of the Federated Garden Clubsof CT and the National Garden Clubs Inc. Marie Hayes shown in photo.

LocalMotion

Page 14: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 14 Early April 2011

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WHO BELIEVES IN GROUNDHOGS ANYWAY?By Phyllis S. DonovanToday is National Groundhog Day. All day, it's been vacillating between rain and sleet and all thetrees in our back woods are sporting glassy coatings of solid ice. I don't know about PunxatawnyPhil but around here any self-respecting groundhog wouldn't dare to stick his nose out of his bur-row on a nasty day like this. Even if he did decide to get a breath of fresh air, it wouldn't be rays ofsunshine that would scare the critter back inside for six more weeks, it would be sharp needles ofprecipitation which couldn't raise a shadow if it wanted to…a much better reason for the poor ani-mal to seek warm shelter.

Either way, it's pretty obvious that, groundhog or not, we're pretty much doomed to at leastanother six weeks of this horrid stuff which we've been steadily subjected to since a day or so afterChristmas. I'm not the only one who is getting pretty tired of it. Everywhere we go we hear folkswondering if all this bad weather will ever end.

We have been lucky the plows can continue to keep up with it all, even if we take our lives inour hands just driving downtown with the mountains of cleared away snow in medians and atcrossroads piled so high we can't see over it all. Try nudging your car cautiously out into trafficand hear the irate honking of horns when oncoming drivers reprimand you for edging out in frontof them.

By the second storm, the plow through our neighborhood succeeded in taking down our mail-box. During a late storm last spring it had been tipped a bit askew but, tipsy or not, it was still suit-ably serviceable. This year, however, a plow finished the job and it now lies frozen onto its side onthe top of the giant snowbank at road's edge in front of our house. Thanks to a very understandingmailman, we're still using it. Like many of our neighbors, we shoveled out a path to our fallen sol-dier and the mailman still leaves mail in it.

If we have mail to go out, we raise the flag as usual, even though, with the box lying flat, itpoints toward the driveway instead of straight up. When the mailman leaves the mail, he puts theflag down and it points toward the house. As long as we all know the signals, it works. Whoknows when we'll ever get it standing upright again, certainly not until most of this snow meltsaway and then we'll have to figure out how to prop it up until spring.

I always feel sorry for the birds in weather like this. My husband went out early this morning,cleared the ice and snow out of all the feeders on our back deck and refilled them to overflowing.We keep running down to Greenbacker's Agway to buy food for them: sunflower seeds for thechickadees, titmice, juncos, sparrows, mourning doves, and our spectacular red cardinals and blue-jays, thistle seed for the finches and suet for the woodpeckers, nuthatches and giant flickers whobang so hard it reverberates through the house. No matter what it costs, I get a lot of pleasure outof watching our feathered diners.

We aren't the only ones watching. Two days ago I saw a Cooper's Hawk sitting in the maple treeright outside our kitchen window. (We live in a raised ranch so our kitchen is on the second floor.)He sat there long enough for me to get a good look at him and check my Peterson's Field Guidebut all the time he sat there not one bird came to the feeders. Once he flew back into our woods,they all came back again.

Like everyone else, we've been worrying about the weight of all that snow on our roof. We'dnever even heard of roof rakes until this winter but we've been seeing folks with lower roofs than

ours using those long handled tools to clear at least as far as they can reach on their roofs. We'vealso seen men up on roofs shoveling and/or snow blowing for what we've heard are exorbitantfees. Of course, it's a drop in the bucket compared to what we'd have to pay if the roof caved in.My sister, who lives in the frigid Berkshires and had her roof cleared off, told me that she heard anarchitect on the Home and Garden Network say that if the house is an older one (ours is over 50)and constructed by a reputable builder (we live in a Carabetta house) that chances are it's beenbuilt to New England standards and should weather winter's wrath.

Since, our attic is still dry and the house seemingly tight, we thought it would probably survivethe unusual amounts of snow. But this morning I walked into the kitchen and heard a loud drip-drip-drip. Water was dripping in over the window behind the kitchen sink. Clearly all the sleetyrain and ice had created an ice dam up in the gutter area and it was seeping into the house. Just aswe thought our luck might hold through this miserable winter, we're hit with a situation that mustbe dealt with.

Right about now, my resolve is weakening. My husband's suggestion that we should just escapeto the Caribbean until this blasted winter is over is sounding better and better to me. But we'd stillhave to determine a window of time between storms when we could fly out to warming climes andface the airport hassle if it didn't work out.

Guess we'll just grin and bear and take our chances right here. We ARE New Englanders afterall.

MAYOR ROHDE TO VISIT THE MERIDEN CHILDDEVELOPMENT CENTER TO CELEBRATE THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILDCatholic Charities is delighted to announce that the Honorable Michael S. Rohde, Mayor of theCity of Meriden, will be visiting the Catholic Charities Meriden Child Development Center at 61Colony Street to help us celebrate the Week of the Young Child on Wednesday, April 13th at 10:00AM. Mayor Rohde will be reading to some of the children to underscore the importance of read-ing in their educational development.

The Week of the Young Child is designed to enhance awareness of the value of good earlychildhood education, a primary goal of Catholic Charities throughout its ninety year history ofhelping those in need in Connecticut. The event is scheduled for the week of April 11th throughthe 15th and other political leaders will join in the effort in their respective cities: The HonorableJohn DeStefano Jr., Mayor of the City of New Haven, will be visiting Catholic Charities' CentroSan José Family Center in New Haven on April 11th and the Honorable Pedro E. Segarra, Mayorof the City of Hartford, will be visiting Catholic Charities' Institute for the Hispanic Family inHartford on April 14th.

Catholic Charities is the largest non-governmental provider of human services in the State ofConnecticut and has been the licensed, accredited social service arm of the Catholic Church in theArchdiocese of Hartford (Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven Counties) for 90 years. The Agencyserves 30,000 people of all faiths annually from 34 locations throughout Connecticut and is anemployer of more than five hundred social service professionals.

For more information on Catholic Charities, please visit our website at www.ccaoh.org.

Page 15: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 15 Early April 2011

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LocalMotionDear Housewives - Central Connecticut's Know It All GalsDear Readers, Do you have a question regarding family life, budgeting, cus-tomer service issues, DVD or book reviews, or home organization? We willgive you our candid advise from a family perspective. Contact The PeoplesPress by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 203-235-9333 with your confidential question and we will answer it in the nextissue. Sincerely, June and FloraDear Housewives,With all the snow days, do you housewives think the Board of Educationshould remove days off of February vacation? - SnowyJUNE: I think this year they should remove the February vacation due to allthe snow days so the kids don't have to go into the hot summer. I think they would rather have their April vacationwhen it is starting to get warm. Plus, there aren't usually any days off in March . FLORA: Why do we have February vacation anyway? The kids are off for 10 days at the end of December followed byseven weeks of school to be off another week? Aren't they beginning the CMT testing at the beginning of March?Usually there are snow days in those 7 weeks.

Oh, I forgot...the teacher's unions...hmmm, that may pose a problem; but hopefully not. As a parent, tax payer and cit-izen, I say do away with the February vacation.JUNE: Don't knock the teacher's union, for the most part they try to keep teachers from getting taken advantage of any

more than they do. Do you know what they have to put up with these days? I bet if they took away Mr. Flora's vaca-tion time or they added work hours with no extra pay he wouldn't be happy. Without a union, tough noogies for him.Teaching is hard work and if they get 5 lousy days off in Feb. then good for them. They are usually correcting and plan-ning during that time anyway.FLORA: We are getting off topic. Perhaps a Dear Reader will have a Union Question for us in the future where we canexpand on that topic. Teaching is hard work and I value their commitment and the profession they chose. JUNE: Off topic, yes, but I didn't bring it up.

Dear Housewives,My kids are going a bit batty in the house with all these snow days. What can we do? - Cabin FeverFLORA: Break out the Board Games so they won't get bored...Learn some card games, watch movies, bake, read, roll

coins...I'd say build a snowman, but you might loose a little one out there in the five foot deep snow!JUNE: One thing they can do is school work. They can get ahead on some of their work. They can enjoy and play

games, help clean up or go out and play in the snow. Remind them that you don't have to entertain them and give themsome ideas. If they still are bored I bet they can find some things in their room to clean. We don't usually get this muchsnow, so remember it will be over soon.

Showdown At Gobbler's KnobStepping off the train at Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, was a sobering aged man of impeccable dress. The Rochester andPittsburgh Railroad traversed the backwoods of this puny little settlement, nearly secluded from humanity. He was here -not to enjoy the scenery, nor the local fare … he was here to serve a warrant for the arrest of a groundhog named Phil.

"Where might I find the Burgess of this squalid, shanty town?" He asked with a dignified air of superiority. "I'm hereto take into custody the vermin who claims to be a certified promulgator of the future weather to come our way." One of the folks, who had gathered around the man holding a folder to his lapel, spoke up.

"We have no Burgess, sir……but we do have the president of the local council who might be able to help you. If youfollow me, I will gladly introduce you to His Honor."

The two men walked briskly toward the town hall which had been built around the turn of the century. Several of thetownsfolk followed close behind the pair. There was a certain strain of intense curiosity that prevailed over the onlook-ers as they gathered at the steps of that old brownstone building.

The town of Punxsutawney was steeped in volumes of facts and legends. Going back to the yesteryears of the earlyinhabitants -- the dignified Native American tribes of the Delaware, Shawnee and Mahoning Indians. One of the storiestold by a great chief of the Delawares was that of the Ponkies. He had killed an evil sorcerer to rid the hunting groundsof its "evil medicine" but it arose as a nastier biting nemesis called sand flies. The Indian word, Ponksaduteney mean-ing "land of the sand flies" was given to this area, and later became the formal name Punxsutawney.

Eagerly, the man with the warrant, waited for the so-called speaker of this no man's land to answer the knock on theheavy oaken door.

"What in tarnation are you doing here, mister, mister…..eh, what's yer name anyway ?" "The name is Herman Gogant… Sergeant Gogant, that is, of the US Marshall's office, and I am here to bring in this

local yokel named Phil."There came a thunderous roar of uncontained humiliating laughter from the crowd that had gathered 'round. "Well, let's get on up to Gobler's Knob and see what Phil has to say about that."More laughter and jeers were directed at this Tomfoolery with the slicked-down hair, and the manners of a jackass.Off they trudged towards the top of the hill where the hole of Punxsutawney Phil stood in all its infamous glory. All

huddled around as the marshal unfurled the document and began to read from the certified wording put forth by the lawsof the commonwealth.

"It is unlawful for a man or beast to impersonate a figure of civil standing. Now come out of your darkened abyss andface your foreboding fate, sir."

There was a stillness in the air …. a quietness such as that of a pin dropping on supple sand, which nothing couldcompare to.

And, as the gallant citizenry waited, Phil emerged from his chambers yawning. Then, with the swiftness of lightning,the marshal grabbed the poor furry thing, slapped handcuffs on his front paws, and started to drag him back down thehill.

The crowd was not about to let their little celebrity be taken away to be flung into some dank dirty ol' jail cell. "Let go of him," someone shouted. "Take those cuffs off ol' Phil before we tar and feather you." Everyone formed a

semicircle between the marshal and the path leading down to the center of town. Someone held onto the marshal's coat-tails while another scuffled for the key to the handcuffs. Soon there was pandemonium. Cursing, shoving, name-calling,and all sorts of ballyhoo.

"String him up!" "Run him out of town!" "Kill him ….. the dirty rascal," came shouts from several of the fans ofPunksy. Dirt, debris, and fiery words, flew like Hades unleashed. And as the wild flaying and nerve rattling scuffle final-ly ended, there came a sigh of triumphant heraldry over the dust upon the hill that day.

All is peaceful and quiet now in the little town of Punxsutawney…… the natives have been appeased, andPunxsutawney Phil has been safely slipped back into his hole to wait again for another Groundhog Day.

Nobody talks about the man with the warrant … the man who tried to arrest ol' Phil … but if you happen to walkaround Gobbler's Knob some dreary dark night, you might catch the sound of a weak muffled voice crying, "Help, help--- I don't deserve this fate." -george arndt-

Page 16: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 16 Early April 2011

There's a new party in town ..Ditch the workout and comejoin...Annie's Dance Party!

Meet Anne Cicia - OwnerChoreographer, Fitness

Motivator, Hip Hop Dance,Toning and Zumba InstructorAnne’s passion for dance, high

energy, and enthusiasm will besure to make for a fun and stimu-lating workout that will makeyou sweat!

Come out and join thePARTY!!!

Annie's Dance Party promises to pro-vide you with a fun filled, energetic,calorie burning and body toning danceclass and aerobic workout.

Combining the funky flair and streetmoves of hip hop dance, the strong andpowerful toning exercises, and the latinflavor and rhythms of Zumba, thesestimulating classes will be sure to keepyour heart and body pumping!

[email protected]

www.anniesdanceparty.com

FREE!

NO WASTE FROM BUSINESSOR CONTRACTORS.

5 Gallon per person limit.Resident I.D. is required!

The MaryheartCrusadersBookstore

Catholic Books * Religious ItemsGifts * Church Goods

531 West Main Street in Meriden 203-238-9735Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5 Sat 9-2

Want to publish your own book, magazine, newspaper and more? Rupert Thomas CAN help you do just that..

Email him at [email protected]!

Meriden Health Department News and EventsMeriden Garden Club April PresentationThe Meriden Garden Club will be hosting a presentation called "Creating a Seasonal Habitat for Wildlife" on Thursday,April 14, 2011. The presentation will start at 6:30pm at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, 175 East Main Street,Meriden. Wildlife biologist Peter Picone will teach us how to create seasonal habitat for a variety of wildlife usingnative trees, shrubs, wildflowers and grasses, and what invasive non-native plants are bad for habitat. Everyone is invit-ed to attend! Please RSVP by calling the Cultural Center at 203-639-2856. The Meriden Garden Club always welcomesany resident interested in gardening and beautification projects to join!Save the Date! Community Wednesday Block Party and National Day of Play This event is back for a second year! Over 1,000 residents enjoyed a day of sunshine, play, and community last year -will you be part of the crowd in 2011?When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 (rain date is Thursday, July 21), 10:00am-4:00pmWhere: Meriden HUBWhat: A day of fun for everyone! Activities, games, food, health fair, info booths, petting zoo, hay rides, dunk tank, livebroadcast by HOT 93.7. Sponsored by the Meriden Housing Authority, Meriden/Wallingford NAACP, and the City ofMeriden.

Want to get involved in the health fair portion of this event? Contact Angela Simpson at 203-630-4237 or [email protected]

Want to be a food vendor? Contact Teri Ramos at 203-235-0157 or [email protected] a Bike? Wear Your Helmet!Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and fresh air and share time as a family. The Meriden Health Departmentwants everyone to be safe - we are selling Bell brand bicycle helmets for $7.50 each. Both adult and child sizes areavailable, and there are many different styles and colors to choose from. The helmets are available for purchase Mondaythrough Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please call the Clinic office at 203-630-4234 if you have any questions. Be safe -always wear a helmet when riding a bike, no matter where you are or how short the ride!Got Public Health?April 4 through the 10th is National Public Health Week. The benefits of public health can be seen in our day to daylives - it is because of public health we know that unclean water can carry bacteria that can cause disease; that second-hand smoke can be deadly, and that wearing a seat belt whenever we drive or ride in a car can save a life. Unlike doctorsand nurses who focus on the health of individual people, public health focuses on the health of the community as awhole. Your Meriden Health Department is the local agency responsible for Meriden's public health. We'd like to takethis opportunity to tell you a little bit more about what services we offer our community.

Our Health Clinic provides health screenings such as blood pressure, total cholesterol, and hearing and vision; givesimmunizations, and tracks communicable diseases in our community.

The Health Education office provides health information and education to the public; collects and manages data,coordinates health programs and much more.

The Environmental Health Division licenses and regulates all establishments that prepare and serve food, respond tonuisance complaints that may be in violation of State and City codes, inspect public swimming pools and day care cen-ters and much more.

School Health Nursing provides complete school health services to all students enrolled in Meriden's public and non-public schools.

Our HIV/AIDS Program provides confidential education, counseling and testing. Outreach, educational materials andgroup programs are also available.

The Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC) provide education and healthy foods to eligible participants.In addition to the Health Division, our Department also provides Human Service Programs such as:

School Readiness, which provides access to quality child care services for children ages 3 and 4 in Meriden. Youth Services provides resources to youth, parents, and professionals including counseling, juvenile assistance,

youth employment, crisis intervention programs, and community services opportunities.Social Work Services: provides social services to Meriden residents, including geriatric assessment and planning,

financial assessment, screening for entitlement eligibility and much more.The Max E. Muravnick Senior Citizen's Center is a hub for activities and services for older people to enhance their

social, physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.Your Meriden Health Department is committed to the protection and promotion of the physical and environmental

well-being of the citizens of Meriden through direct service, wellness promotion and active support of communityefforts. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Residents can also call 203-630-4226, visit our website,www.meridenhealth.com, or become a fan on Facebook (search for us under City of Meriden Health Department).

MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARY APRIL EVENTS CONTINUEDSATURDAY MOVIE APRIL 23 - This month's Saturday movie will be shown on Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m. inthe Griffin Room. This month's selection will be the new story of Rapunzel. This program is free and all are welcome. HELD ON THE HOMEFRONT: GERMAN POWS IN THE U.S., 1943-1946 AT MERIDEN PUBLIC LIBRARYMAY 2 - Meriden Public Library will be hosting the traveling exhibit "Held on the Homefront: German POWs in theUnited States, 1943-46" by the non-profit organization TRACES on Monday, May 2, 2011. The BUS-eum will be openfrom 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the public to view the exhibit which consists of 15 narrativedisplay panels illustrated with photographs and documents, audio and DVD documentaries, artifacts and more inside a40 foot long converted bus.

The German POWs held in U.S. Army-operated camps across the United States were sent out to harvest or processcrops, build roads and waterways, fell trees, roof barns, erect silos, work in light non-military industry, lay city sewersand construct tract housing, wash U.S. Army laundry and do other practical wartime tasks. With the high rate of 19th-century German immigration to "Amerika", many of those who worked with POWs spoke to them in their nativetongue; some even had relatives or former neighbors among them. In the process, they formed significant, oftendecades-long friendships with "the enemy" and underwent considerable changes as individuals and as a group-thus fun-damentally influencing postwar German values and institutions, as well as American-German relations. A number ofPOWs even chose to immigrate to the United States after the war.

While American soldiers and airmen were in Europe, blasting German cities to rubble, some German soldiers sat outthe rest of the war after being captured-behind barbed wire, on the American Homefront. While here, some secretlydated local girls, sneaked into corner bars, and darkened movie houses, and some even took correspondence courses forwhich they would earn college credit back in postwar Germany. All this occurred while a vicious global war raged onbeyond the peaceful shores of the faraway New World, claiming over 55 million lives and laying entire countries towaste. This exhibit documents the contradictions and ironies of both war and imprisonment-above all to stimulate reflec-tion, discussion and insight.Held on the Homefront explores the human context of the POW experiences. Implicitly, itaddresses five primary questions:-Were German POWs generally treated well or poorly while held captive in the United States? How has the treatmentaccorded to enemy POWs during the Second World War impacted the standing of the United States both in Europe andin the world at large?-In which contexts and settings did German POWs encounter Americans? Were those encounters generally positive ornegative? For which side-and what were the lasting impacts of those encounters?-What role did art play in the POWs' experience?-How did the POWs' perceptions of the United States, of Americans and of democracy evolve from the point of theirarrival in the U.S. (generally from 1943-45) till their departure from the U.S. (in summer 1946), as well as once theyreturned to Germany (or Austria)?-How did the German POW experience affect German-American relations, both immediately after the war and for thehalf century thereafter?TRACES is a non-profit educational organization created to gather, preserve and present stories of people from theMidwest and Germany or Austria who encountered each other during World War II. The BUS-eum has been touring theUnited States since 2009. This program is free and all are welcome. Contact the Community Services Department at(203) 630-6349 for more information about the library programs.

Page 17: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 17 Early April 2011

SAVE THE DATESkin Cancer Prevention Educational Sessions

May 5th and May 17thProgram will consist of one hour educational session toincrease the awareness of the harmful effects of the sun'sultraviolet rays and to influence sun safety practices. Thissession will be immediately followed by screening usingthe American Academy of Dermatology Melanoma/SkinCancer Screening Program Guidelines. Treatment at thetime of screening is prohibited. Participants will berequired to sign an AAD form to acknowledge that thescreening is a rapid skin screening and not a complete skincare examination.

Registration required and limited to Wallingford residents18 years or older; preference will be given to those withyoung and/or adolescent children in the home. Additionalinformation will be provided at time of registration.

Contact Chris MorePublic Health Educator

Wallingford Health Dept 203-294-2065

CUNO FOUNDATION ELECTS NEW OFFICERS AND AWARDS GRANTSElizabeth Canavan was elected Chairman of the Distribution Committee of The Cuno Foundation at the AnnualMeeting. Canavan replaces outgoing Chairman, Kenneth Mango. Eliot White was elected Vice-Chairman for the2011 year. Other members include, Natalie Cheerman, Kevin Curry, Larry McGoldrick, and John Stanton. Membersare appointed for a seven year term. Trudy Cotton serves as Secretary.

Grants were awarded to the Martin Luther King & Albert Owens Scholarship Fund, the American Cancer Society onbehalf of Relay for Life, the Greater Meriden AAUW, Birthright of Greater Meriden, and Literacy Volunteers ofGreater New Haven. The Distribution Committee also voted to award approximately $50,000 in scholarships to highschool seniors planning to further their education. Applications will be sent to Meriden, Wallingford and Cheshirehigh schools where students can pick up an application in the Guidance Department. Applications can also beobtained by emailing a request to [email protected]. The deadline date for accepting applications isFriday, March 18th. The Cuno Foundation is again accepting grant applications for public, charitable or educationalpurposes. Grants are usually made for specific, tangible items or capital expense requests that directly benefit therecipient. The Cuno Foundation does not grant funds for salaries. Applications are reviewed three times a year. Thenext deadline date to submit applications is April 15, 2011. Awards will be announced in June. Preference is given toproposals submitted by tax-exempt, not for profit organizations located in the Meriden area.

For additional information or to obtain guidelines and an application form, call 203-443-5594 or email:[email protected]. Please be aware that the address for the Cuno Foundation has been changed to 562Baldwin Avenue, Unit 6, Meriden, CT 06450.

James H. Napier Foundation Grant Applications Being AcceptedThank you for contacting the James H. Napier Foundation regarding a possible grant for your program and/or organi-zation. Before you prepare the application, please review the attached Grantmaking Priorities. If you have any ques-tions after reviewing the priorities or want to discuss your project's specifics, please contact the FoundationAdministrator directly. Contact information is below. Cuno Foundation Grants Grant deadlines are: April 10, July 10, September 30 and January 10. If you are interested in submitting an applica-tion for the April 10 deadline, please feel free to contact me via email or cell phone if you have any questions, needadditional information or would like to discuss your project. Cuno Grant Application Instructions: Please use either the CT Council for Philanthropy Common Grant Application Form, available at: http://www.ctphil-anthropy.org/s_ccp/sec.asp?CID=7509&DID=17055 or the attached Foundation application which consists of a coverpage (Parts A and B) and a grant application outline. The proposal should be brief but complete.

Application deadlines are: JANUARY 10, APRIL 10, JULY 10 AND SEPTEMBER 30.

Students in Mrs. Drenzek's third grade class at Nathan Hale School createdmusical instruments from recycled materials as a final project for theirScience unit about Sound. They were instructed to create an instrumentwhich would produce a sound by striking, blowing, plucking, tapping, or stretching a part of it. The class listened to each one and determinedwhich part of the instrument vibrated and produced a high pitch or low pitchsound.

Students answered questions from the class as well. After all of the instru-ments were presented, they played them by sections, then all together. It wassweet music to our ears!

Yearn To Learn

People’s Press Pulse PollWe asked who was the best president ever to our online subsribers

and social media fans. It was a tie between Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt along with Abraham Lincoln.

Limit application to five (5) pages.If longer than five (5) pages, the addi-tional pages will not be reviewed.Please use these headings, subhead-ings and numbers. If a question doesnot apply to your organization, pleaseindicate that with "NA".

Please email an electronic versionof the application to [email protected], in addition to submittinghard copies: an original and five (5)copies. Do not use covers or bindersbecause additional copies must bemade for our Trustees review.

The range of grants made fromunrestricted funds is normally between$1,000 and $10,000. The requestedamount should fall within that range.Any variations should be discussedwith Foundation staff prior to submis-sion.

If you have received a previousFoundation grant, please note that afinal report MUST be submitted to thefunder ninety days (90) after the pro-ject's completion before another appli-cation is submitted. Please access theCT Council for Philanthropy CommonReport Form available at:http://www.ctphilanthropy.org/s_ccp/sec.asp?CID=7509&DID=17055

Applications must be complete asof the deadline date. It's strongly rec-ommended that you submit yourapplication a few days before thedeadline so the FoundationAdministrator can review it and adviseyou if additional information is need-ed.

In some cases, a phone call will bescheduled to discuss the application.This will give the Foundation Trusteesand staff an opportunity to learn moreabout your proposed project and theapplicant organization.

The Foundation Administratorand/or Trustees may discuss conceptspresented in the application with otherindividuals and/or organizations as theproject and its potential significance tothe Foundation are assesse

All applications must be receivedno later than 4:00 p.m. on the dead-line at the following address. If theapplication is received after the dead-line, it will NOT be reviewed. Pleasehand-deliver or mail applications to: Daria Smith, FoundationAdministrator - The James H. NapierFoundationc/o United Way of Meriden andWallingford. 35 Pleasant Street, Suite1E, Meriden, CT 06450

Page 18: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 18 Early April 2011

My father Jorge Pereira is my hero. He will be 73 in may and he is stillworking. He brought our family from Brazil in 1973. He has lived theAmerican dream and made it come true.

CELEBRATIONS

Happy 92nd Birthday Joe Sr. ! Love, Joe Jr., Sally, Keatyn, & Trevor.

LocalMotion

PUCKER UP! Mark, Happy 21st Birthday!We love you! Love, Mom, Dad,

Booey, Jeannie, Butter Cup and Sarah

CELEBRATIONS

Rachel and Richard Birmingham - my 16 year old twins, who are the great-est gift to me from God above. i love you so much. mom xoxoxo

CELEBRATIONS Life along the Q River… An Update from the Quinnipiac River Watershed AssociationHanover Pond RepairsBy JoAnne GrabinskiOn Friday, March 18 contracted workers from Green Mountain Pipeline Services damageda sewer line located in Hanover Pond in South Meriden. The Quinnipiac River WatershedAssociation's (QRWA) headquarters sits on the edge of the pond. The sewer lines hadalready been diverted due to the scheduled work on the pipe, so no sewage leaked into thepond. Green Mountain was attempting to place a sleeve in the sewer pipe as part of a com-prehensive program the City's sewer lines. The pipe collapsed during the sleeving processand created the leak, which resulted in large amounts of pond water rushing through theline and stressing the pumps at the nearby sewage treatment plant on Evansville Avenue.

As a result the City obtained an emergency order form the DPUC to drain the pond inorder to make repairs to the pipe. The pond was drained by opening the dam. The pondwas drained to the point where work could be done, but there was still some water left inthe pond. Crews were busy Saturday working on creating a damn to get to the affectedpipe, which was located near the island in the center of the pond. Bald eagles have been regulars at the tree on theisland so there was some concern that is disturbance could be harmful to the birds.

According to Ginny Chirsky, President of the QRWA, once DEP had confirmed there was no sewer leakage intoHanover Pond from the broken pipe she felt confident that the situation only created a temporary displacement andwildlife will return to normal at Hanover Pond including the four Bald Eagles and fledglings who have made HanoverPond their home.

Notes Anna Neumon, a member of the city's Conservation Commission, "My concern is on the impact, if any, on theimmediate area and on the fish and the eagles who feed from the river and pond." "We expect no adverse harm towildlife," CT Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) spokesman Dwayne Gardener said of the break and sub-sequent draining. "The period of time the pond is drawn down is going to be brief and there is still water available."

Since the break, crews have been working around the clock to fully fix and line the pipe. According to PublicUtilities Superintendent Dennis Waz, the city will be paying for these overtime costs. City Finance Director MichaelLupkas said Tuesday that he hadn't yet seen a full cost estimate for the additional work, but that funding would likelycome out of Meriden's Enterprise Fund for the sewers. As of Thursday the repairs seemed to have been complete andthe damn was closed to allow the pond to refill to its normal levels. And that same day two eagles were spotted flyingabove the pond.Upcoming QRWA Events: Wednesday, April 13, 5:00 pm - Annual Fish Stocking, Meet at Red Bridge, Oregon Road,Meriden. Please park in the Linear Trial lot.Saturday, April 23 - Annual River Clean Up - contact David James at 203-237-2845 for staging area and times.Saturday, May 1, 1:30 pm - Eagle Watch on Hanover Pond. Led by certified canoe instructor Dan Pelletier and WildlifeBiologist Peter Picone. Watch through binoculars or cruise around Hanover Pond. This event is for experienced pad-dlers only.Sunday, May 15th, 9:00 am - 31st Canoe/Kayak Race, Down River Classic. Register at the Southington DOT parkinglot on Route 322. This year the race with be combined with an Environmental Fair for CT Based EnvironmentalGroups. To learn more about the QRWA and to confirm information, dates and times for upcoming events, please visitour website at: www.qrwa.org.

Home CountrySlim RandlesMargaret Clawson, down at the Rest of Your Life convalescent home, can'thelp it, really. You see, she's a pony mom. Her teenage daughters have horses,and she's busy hauling the girls and their mounts around to horse shows,gymkhanas and barrel racings throughout our corner of the country on week-ends.

Pony moms have … well, a way about them. So did Genghis Khan. As oneold cowboy put it: "You can put a pony mom in a room full of Little Leaguemoms and she'll whip them all into shape."

So in a way Margaret couldn't help herself. Dud and Anita Campbell were invited to come and be judges last Friday, but weren't sure what was happening until

they got there. But there, smiling from ear to ear, were about half the inhabitants of the home lined up in their bestbathrobes and non-skid slippers, holding onto their walkers.

"Okay guys," said Margaret, inspecting the troops ala Rommel, "we're going to see fair play done in each contest,but you will strive to win. It's the American Way."

Nods and grins.Then Margaret whipped out a stopwatch and said, "Our first event is the pole bending. You will weave in and out of

the chairs in the hallway, go completely around Grant's wheelchair at the far end, and weave back. If you break the pat-tern, you will be disqualified. Okay now. Estelle, are you ready?"

Estelle was."Go!"

There she went, in and out of the chairs, only getting her walker hung up on a chair leg once during her run. Twowall bumps. No falls. No pattern breaks. Great applause as she crossed the finish line.

The event was eventually won by Mitch, who claimed he'd been a track star in high school around the time the stockmarket crashed.

"You've probably noticed the obstacles we've put out," Margaret then announced. "Lily, do you have your hearingaids on? That's better. So now we come to the trail horse class. Get those ponies ready!" You're never too old for fun.

Brought to you by Slim Randles's outdoor memoirs, Sweetgrass Mornings, available at www.slimrandles.com.

Page 19: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 19 Early April 2011

AVANTIRestaurant & Lounge

34 River Road * South Meriden203-4440-99990

AVANTIRestaurant && LLounge

Open for Lunch and Dinner Featuring:

*Southern and Northern Italian Cuisine * Veal, Chicken & Seafood Specialties * Large Selection of Salads * Pizza *

Grinders * Homemade Burgers * Specialty Wraps

Plan your next party with us! Partiesfor up to 60 people are our specialty. Wealso offer off premises catering andparty platters to go.“Come visit and enjoy one of our finely prepared meals

in the comfort of our new dining and lounge areas”

We Make Your Events Special!

Louis, 3 Years ago on Valentine’s Day you came into our lives & com-pleted us. .Happy Birthday! ~ Our little P. Love Mommy, Daddy, Momo &Harly

CELEBRATIONS

Happy Birthday Sarah - You are always our princess!

CELEBRATIONS

MERIDEN MAN RUNNING TO RAISE MONEY FOR LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY

Bill Mercuri can usually be seen walking or running with his RhodesianRidgeback, Gus, almost anywhere on Meriden's west side.

On April 30th he'll be running in the Country Music Half Marathon inNashville, TN as part of the Team in Training, a comprehensive endurance train-ing program for runners, walkers, cyclists and triathletes which benefits TheLeukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since 1986, Team in Training has raised over$800 million for the LLS.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society helps fund research into cures andtreatments for Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma and Hodgkin's Disease. It alsoprovides much needed services to improve the lives of those living with thesediseases.

Bill has a $5,000 fundraising goal and a deadline of March 15th by which toraise it. He needs your help in achieving his goal. Please support his run bymaking a gift to this campaign. Donations of all sizes will be greatly appreciat-ed.

Giving is easy and all gifts are tax deductible. You may write a check payableto LLS and mail it to:Bill Mercuri - 39 Corrigan Ave., Meriden, CT 06451

Or, use your credit card to give online at Bill's secure web page: pages.teamintraining.org/ct/cmc11/wmercuriCorporate sponsorships are also available at the $1,000, $2,500, and $5000 levels.For more information on this event and how you can help, please contact Bill Mercuri at 203-237-4305 or e-mail

him at [email protected]

A Beautiful Tribute To Her Sister - Brianna

SOCIAL SECURITY'S FINAL FOURBy Paul GilfillanSocial Security Manager, Meriden CtThis time of year basketball fans are gearing up for March Madness -- a time when the final four teams in the NCAAfight for the title of national champion. While basketball fans are excited about March Madness, Social Security alreadyhas a winning "final four" of online services to cheer about: the Retirement Estimator, Benefit Application, online ExtraHelp application, and Business Services Online.

The Retirement Estimator is an easy way to get an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security bene-fits. Just key in some basic information and the Estimator will use information on your Social Security record, alongwith what you input, to give you a benefit estimate on the spot. You even can experiment with different scenarios, suchas changing your future earnings and retirement date. Check it out in English at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator or inSpanish at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador.

The Benefit Application is the most convenient way to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. You can applyfrom the comfort of your home - it's fast, easy, and secure. It's so easy, in fact, that it can take you as little as 15 min-utes to apply online. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you're done. There are no forms tosign and usually no documentation is required. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any fur-ther information is needed. Try it out when you're ready to retire at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.

The online Extra Help application is an easy way to save about $4,000 a year on your prescription drug costs. Toqualify for the Extra Help, you must be on Medicare, have limited income and resources, and live in one of the 50states or the District of Columbia. Learn more about it at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

Business Services Online is our one-stop shop for small businesses. The site allows organizations and authorizedindividuals to conduct business with and submit confidential information to Social Security. You even can use it to fileyour W-2s the fast, convenient, and paperless way - online. Visit Business Services Online atwww.socialsecurity.gov/bso. In the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Social Security received the highest ratings in both the public and privatesectors.

To learn more about our winning services, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. Or, read our publication WhatYou Can Do Online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10121.html.

Get to know our final four, and all of our online services. When you do, you will be the winner.

April Meeting of Wallingford Garden ClubThe Wallingford Garden Club will host Lisabeth Billingsley at the April 12 meeting. Billingsley's topic will be"Pressed Flower Art". Billingsley is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City where shelearned color, texture, and balance. She has weaved this expertise into bright collages that she creates from pressedwildflowers, seaweed, bark and feathers.

This meeting is open to the public for a donation of $5. It will be held in the Community Room of the FirstCongregational Church at 23 S. Main Street. The business meeting begins at 11:45 am and Billingsley will speak at1:00 pm. New members are always welcome. For info call 203-265-4329.

The Wallingford Garden Club is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of CT and the National Garden Clubs Inc.

Wallingford Family YMCA/Wint Filipek Sr.Memorial Tennis TournamentThe biggest "community" tennis tournament in New England is right here in CT! The 7th annual Wallingford FamilyYMCA/Wint Filipek Sr. Memorial Tennis Tournament is scheduled for June 11-19. The 2011 venue is the beautiful andrecently renovated Hunt Tennis Center on the Choate-Rosemary Campus, Wallingford.

In 2010, the event drew 594 entries.THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY TENNIS TOURNAMENT!Please direct any questions to: Wint Filipek Jr. [email protected] 860-621-5655

To my sister, Brianna Kaitlyn Vitale,may she rest in peace until we meet again<3*11.2.89 - 2.9.06*_An original poem by Kayley Brook Vitale"My Reason To Be"

I can't seem to hold back the tears,Even after all these years.

I try to keep them tucked inside,But they never seem to want to hide.

I don't cry much, to say the truth,But I always cry because of you.

I lost you in a tragic way,Now I'm just living day to day.

I guess you never know what's coming next,You put me through the hardest test,To see if I could make it through,Living life, without a you.

It was hard at first, don't get me wrong,But I have learned, for you, to just be strong.

It seems that since you left, my strength has grown,And to you, my friend, I now do owe,A true, sincere, and great big thanks,For helping me strengthen my strength.

You are in my mind, and in my soul,But on my heart, you've taken a toll.

For now, I cannot change the past,If I were able, I'd run out of gas.

I guess that I will just push through,This life I live because of you.

My motivation,my strength,my reason to be... Brianna, that's what you are, to me.

Page 20: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 20 Early April 2011

[email protected]

Why Right At Home?Our professional, experienced Photographers cometo your home where you feel most comfortable andwe are able to capture those candid moments andportraits that are matched by no other.

We believe in Right At Home because that’s wherethe heart is and it shows in the photos we take. Webring all of the equipment and set-up in the placethat matters to you!

Right At HomePortraits & Photography

Happy 9th Birthday and Happy 5th Birthday to Alyssa and Donald. Welove you lots!

CELEBRATIONS

Winter Blast at Nathan Hale Fourth grade students at Nathan Hale School participated in a PBS rewardfor consistently showing respect for self, others, and school. They enjoyed afun-filled afternoon of winter activities, including sledding, building snow-men, and making snow forts.

Yearn To Learn

Burn victim may not surviveAfter I read this news headline in the morning paper, I was moved to offer comfort to the unfortunate victim, and listento his tale of woe. I wished to soothe the agony of his final moments, as he was not long for this life. Listen to this sadtale he told to me."My life was filled with sweetness; my companions and I lived a soft life until one day tragedy struck, and we weretumbled from our cozy comfortable life. I became impaled and immobile. Flames were everywhere and licking closer.I was sweating; the blistering heat was scorching and roasting me. I've swollen to twice my normal size. Such misery Ihave never known and I fear for my life, so I thank you for rescuing me from these burning flames. If by some chanceI don't survive, will you write my eulogy, telling of my soft-heartedness and how everyone enjoyed my sweetness?"Oh, yes, Mr. Marsh Mallow, I shall, I shall."Dorothy Gonick

EEnnggaaggeedd,, NNooww WWhhaatt??By Jamie DeChesserSo, he finally pops the question and you have already practically planned yourdream wedding, right? Most of us ladies have pictured how we want our bigday to be in some way or another but when it finally comes down to planningthe wedding, the x's and o's become uh-ohs! There is a lot of time, energy, andcreativity that goes into planning a beautiful wedding. If you are like me, youlike to take on the challenge. If you are like my fiancé, you are just ready toshow up at the altar and have a great time. The process of planning a weddingcan be very stressful but it should be very fun as well. Here are some of mytips, being a real bride in the midst of all the excitement to help make planningyour wedding a smoother, more exciting process:

Create a budget: Having a CPA as a fiancé does have some of its benefits! Iam the more creative "dreamer" in our relationship and can tend to get carried away, especially after watching all ofthese bridal shows, featuring brides that have unlimited budgets. Whether the cost is 100% on you and your fiancé oryou have family helping you out, creating a very specific budget will help with planning every step of the way. Thisway, you can weed out vendors that are way out of budget and you have a realistic approach to planning your wedding.

Focus on what you and your fiancé want: A lot of the stress of being a bride comes from the pressure of friends,bridesmaids, moms, mother-in-laws and everyone else that has an opinion. From your guest list to your wedding dress,the people that love you only want to help, however sometimes their opinions steer you away from your own unique-ness. Maybe you love the outdoors and want to get married at a beautiful vineyard but your sister pictures you in a cas-tle with all of the trimmings. Do not forget that this is your big day and putting your own creativity and uniquenessinto the planning is what in the end, makes your day unforgettable for you and your guests. Whether big or small,fancy or casual, your wedding day should reflect the love that you and your partner share.

Use your resources: Brides have a lot of work cut out for them so why not take advantage of all of the greatresources out there? There are several wedding websites (one of my favorites is the theknot.com) that will provide youwith local directories of vendors from florists, photographers, venues and more. You can even chat with other bridesand swap ideas, pictures, and experiences. Also, the duty of a bridesmaid is not only to look pretty and walk down theaisle-they are there to help. Put them to work! I have taken advantage of the bridesmaid to help with mailing out save-the-dates, picking out flowers, and helping with my invitations. Think of your bridesmaids as part-time wedding plan-ners. This will not only help reduce your workload, but also strengthen the bond between you and your girls!

Have fun: I cannot stress this enough. When I first started to plan my wedding, I have to admit, in the beginning, Iwas a bit of a classic Bridezilla. I was having fights with my mom over the guest list, becoming overwhelmed withpetty details, and was just plain not enjoying myself. Once I took a step back and realized that being engaged is a won-derful thing and that I was going to marry a man who I cherish and love, I relaxed and started to enjoy the process. Mymom and I have a blast trying way too many cake samples at bridal shows and I find myself becoming more inventiveand creative when I am having fun with it. So, bride-to-bes, congratulations on your engagement and have a blast planning your dream wedding, whatever thatmay be! For advice/tips on wedding planning, feel free to email me [email protected]@yahoo.com.

Meriden Baby Born Less Than Two Pounds Defies OddsWill Serve as Greater Hartford March for Babies Ambassador

On Sunday, May 1, thousands from the Greater Hartford area will gather forMarch for Babies at Rentschler Field to benefit the March of Dimes. Leading thefestivities will be Adam and Lauren Pallone of Meriden, along with their 10-month old daughter Kendall, who will serve as the 2011 Greater Hartford Marchfor Babies Ambassador. They will share Kendall's incredible story of survival,and thank walkers for their commitment to the March of Dimes mission to giveall babies a healthy start.

Kendall was born in May 2010 at just 29 weeks gestation (a full-term pregnan-cy is 40 weeks) and weighed a mere 1 lb. 13 oz. Because of Kendall's life-threat-ening prematurity, she was immediately transferred to the neonatal intensive carenursery at UConn Health Center in Farmington, leaving her frightened motherLauren at Mid-State Hospital in Meriden to recover. Mom and baby were sepa-rated for five days before Lauren was able to see Kendall again in the NICU.

"I wasn't feeling well and went to the hospital. The emergency C-section cameas a complete surprise. My family is incredibly grateful for the staff at Mid-Stateand the transport team from UConn for their quick response to the situation," saidLauren.

Kendall was born with serious health complications as a result of her veryearly arrival, including hydrocephalus, a build up of fluid inside the skull leadingto brain swelling, as well as grade 4 brain bleeds. At just two weeks old, andagain at nine weeks old, Kendall underwent brain surgery to help relieve her conditions. She ultimately spent threemonths in the NICU receiving specialized care for critically ill newborns. In the end of July, Lauren and husbandAdam were able to bring Kendall home but Kendall has faced several challenges along the way.

"Since February Kendall has had an additional five brain surgeries," said Lauren. "Each day brings new challengesbecause her future is unclear. Our focus is to show Kendall that she is capable of doing whatever her heart desires andnot limiting her in any way. The resources made available to my family through the March of Dimes made coping withKendall's situation easier than it would have been without it," said Lauren.

March for Babies participants can meet the Pallone's and hear their story at March for Babies at Rentschler Field inEast Hartford on Sunday, May 1. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. with the 3-mile walk kicking off at 10:00 a.m.Participation in March for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding morning for the whole family. To registerfor the event, visit www.marchforbabies.org or www.marchofdimes.com/ct.

Funds raised by March for Babies in Connecticut help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, neonatalintensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.

Greater Hartford March for Babies is proudly presented by Farmington Bank and sponsored by CIGNA, ClearChannel Radio and Lamar. Statewide sponsors include NBC Connecticut and Comcast, with support from CIGNA,Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, Stanley-Black & Decker, Bob's Discount Furniture and UnitedHealthcare. March forBabies is sponsored nationally by the March of Dimes number one corporate supporter Kmart, Farmers InsuranceGroup, Bayer HealthCare, CIGNA, Famous Footwear, FedEx, Sanofi Pasteur, United Airlines, First Response, andMission Pharmacal. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Withchapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, prematurebirth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find uson Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Page 21: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 21 Early April 2011

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Call 203-600-4431

* 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

REWARD: My name is PUDGE, please help me go home to: 14 ChesterLane, Wallingford, CT 06492 where I was born and grew up..

If you have me and are keeping me warm from the weather, Thank You,but, please bring me home. Call my owner: Linda at 203-265-9461 she isnot well and is heart sick not knowing where I am.

PLEASE HELP!

COMMERCIAL * RESIDENTIAL * INDUSTRIALELECTRICAL SERVICES

Fully Insured and Licensed CT Lic. #104727203-235-5653

TICKETS TO RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY®

PRESENTS FULLY CHARGED ARE ON SALE NOW!The Most Electrifying Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth® comes to XL Center in Hartford May 4-8

(Greater Hartford don't miss Fully Charged, the all-new surge of circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. andBarnum & Bailey where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhumanstunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children Of All Ages. Tickets are on sale now for nine perfor-mances from May 4 to 8 at the XL Center in Hartford.

Fully Charged celebrates 'performance power' that boosts circus-goers' excitement. The amazing acts, which can onlybe seen at The Greatest Show On Earth®, include Tabayara, a dynamic animal trainer whose rare ability to communi-cate with animals allows him to ride rearing stallions at a fully-charged gallop and orchestrate majestic four-ton Asianelephants in a symphony of dance. When he stands inside a cage, eye to eye with 12 ferocious tigers, Tabayara seesfamily where others see danger.

Audiences will feel the earth shake when the strongman duo of Dmitry and Ruslan, who are as wide as they are tall,enter the arena. The brawny twosome give the word 'manpower' a whole new meaning as they lift large, cumbersometelephone poles, which weigh up to half a ton, and twirl them above their heads while acrobats balance atop.

The fearless Fernandez Brothers dial up the thrills as they perform daring feats of athleticism on the Twin Turbines ofSteel, including extreme jumps and twists inside the moving wheels! Audiences will crackle with excitement as theywatch Guillermo perform a 360-degree, flying-forward somersault, three stories in the air, a feat so difficult it has onlybeen attempted by one other person in the 141-year history of Ringling Bros. The Human Fuse, Brian Miser, sets thearena sky ablaze as he rockets through the air from his self-made human crossbow. Don't blink as he flashes across thesky in less than a second, and travels 110 feet at 65 miles per hour.

Ever wonder how many clowns it takes to change a light bulb? The hilarious hoopla continues to flow as the clownsfrom the world-famous Ringling Bros.® Clown Alley, charge up the audiences' funny bones with hysterical silly anticsand clownish comedy.

You can only experience this current of excitement at Ringling Bros. Fully Charged! Get your tickets for high-volt-age fun today!

Tickets for Fully Charged are on sale now and are available through Ringling.com, Ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000 or visit a Ticketmaster retail outlet. Tickets will also be available at the XL Center ticket office Monday-Friday from noon to 5 p.m. For groups of 15 or more call 860-548-2000.

Tickets are $15, $20, $25 with a limited number of $45 VIP floor seats and $55 Front Row seats available. CircusCelebrity seats are $85 each and include the opportunity for you and your guests to actually participate in the show.Prices do not include facility fees or service charges. Performance ScheduleWednesday, May 4 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5 10:30 a.m.* and 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 7 p.m.Saturday, May 7 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, May 8 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The action at Fully Charged begins 90 minutes* before show time at the Animal Open House where you will meetand learn about the amazing animals and their handlers. Then starting 60 minutes* before show time for the All AccessPre-show - FREE to all ticket holders. Get to know the world's greatest performers, meet some our amazing animals inperson, and work to become CircusFit all before the show starts! The All Access Pre-show is the only place where youcan register for a chance to win a pachyderm painting created by one of Ringling Bros. artistic Asian elephants rightbefore audiences' eyes.

*Pre show events do not happen at the Thurs., May 6, 10:30 a.m. performance.For more information, visit www.Ringling.com

The Lions Denby Ralph Riello"In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb…"

This weather-related sobriquet is now the unfortunate description that applies to our annual "Day The Lions Roar"auction, scheduled for February 27th. This has been a tough winter, and like so many others, we and Cox Public Accessdid not come away unscathed. If you have been down Route 10 in Cheshire recently, you might have noticed that theroof of the Cox facility located just south of the I-691 interchange has fallen victim to the snow loads.

Initial reports had us putting out a delay notice, however we just learned that the building will not be ready for occu-pancy for at least five months, meaning the 2011 edition of the auction is officially cancelled. True to the spirit ofLionism that exists in our committee, we are proposing an idea that will allow us to salvage something from the event.We have received many generous donations and consignment items and would hate to see this major fundraisersilenced. At our recent board meeting, myself and co-chair Vince Caramanello floated an idea for a silent auction to beheld at Platt High School as part of the festivities offered with the Palm Sunday Brunch in April. This week, our com-mittee will meet with the Brunch Committee to determine if this idea is feasible. We certainly hope so. Stay tuned formore on that.

Meriden Lions as "The Dream Makers"…If you haven't read Mike Roberts' Woods and Water column that appears regularly on Sundays in another publication,

try to find a copy. His complimentary words and descriptions of Meriden Lions and our various projects tell the storyof what Lionism is all about, especially here in our community. What inspired his column was the work that is current-ly being undertaken at the QRWA headquarters in the Republic of South Meriden. Past Presidents Art Forcier and EdHaberli have combined resources from their President's Project budgets and are constructing a classroom that will benamed for the Lions, and new bathroom facilities. Each Lions President is given a budget and a generous sum of manyto apply to a project in the community that they feel is worthy of financial help. As is the case with the Meriden Lions,financial help is only one small part of the equation. On a cold and raw Saturday morning this past February, over adozen Lions, myself included, proceeded to saw and remove concrete flooring to expose earth that likely has not seenthe light of day since the great depression. Said earth was then shoveled out to make way for the installation of newsewer pipes feeding the bathroom facilities. The propane heaters donated for the work were greatly appreciated, aswere the breakfast sandwiches. By the way, those heaters work well as sandwich warmers if the sandwich is encased inaluminum foil. By early afternoon, the digging was mostly done, and the last five or six of us said our goodbyes as weleft the old building prepared for plumbing and framing work scheduled to take place soon, if it hasn't happenedalready. Mike called the Meriden Lions "dream makers" in his article, and I think Ginny Chirsky, Mary Mushinsky, andother members of the QRWA would likely agree with that name. Miscellaneous news from the Jungle…

The Lions scholarship dinner is coming up soon, and I would like to remind those lucky recipients of this generousaward that it is REALLY A GOOD IDEA to show up at the dinner, dressed neatly, and allow the Lions to see whom it isthat we invested in. It's the right thing to do. It always amazes me that we honor a student with a couple of grand, andthey don't show up at the scholarship dinner at Sans Souci. This is not a good way to start off your professional careerkids…just a gentle reminder.

The Lions Citizen of the Year is coming up soon, and we are looking for nominations. Nominees cannot be Lions soif you know somebody worthy of the honor, contact me at [email protected] and please include a brief descriptionof why they deserve this honor, and contact info so I can get back to you with questions. Fun stuff coming up from the Meriden Lions…

The weather is turning, and these events are slated for the spring…Relay For Life, Palm Sunday Brunch, FishingDerby, Duck Race.

Meriden Lions meetings are every Wednesday at Sans Souci on the Berlin Turnpike. If you have interest in becom-ing a Lion, just come to the bar between six and six-forty five. There are plenty of Lions available that can direct youfurther. Thanks for listening!

ALL GLASS SHOW AND SALEThe Nutmeg Depression Glass Club presents the 36th Annual Glass Show and Sale featuring Depression era glass andpottery. The one day only show will be held on Saturday, April 9th from 9:00A.M.-4:30P.M. at Southington HighSchool, 720 Pleasant St., Southington, CT. Admission is $6.00/$5.00with this notice. There will be free American glass and pottery identification during the show.

Page 22: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 22 Early April 2011

The Meriden Daffodil Festival

Meriden's Largest and most colorful festival the "Meriden Daffodil Festival" will celebrate it's 33rd year dur-ing 2011. Join us on Saturday April 30 and Sunday May 1, 2011.

600,001 daffodils can't be wrong! They create a sea of fragrant yellow blossoms throughout the 1,800-acreHubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut each year. You'll not only see an amazing 61 different varieties ofdaffodils, there will also be crafts, amusement rides, food, entertainment, and a fireworks display for you toenjoy. So mark your calendar - It's going to be a great time for the whole family! For additional informationplease call 203-630-4259.

The Meriden Daffodil Festival began as a community event 33 years ago and has grown into one ofConnecticut’s premier celebrations. With food, crafts, music, fireworks, amusements and a parade that has tobe seen to be believed, the Daffodil Festival is a springtime funfest for old and young, couples and singles,families and friends.

Visit www.daffodilfest.com for the latest news and additional information!

HUBBARD PARK Saturday & Sunday

April 30th & May 1st

Saturday April 30, 2011Gates open at 10:00 AM Gates close at 9:00 PM10:00 AM Food Tent open10:00 AM Arts & Crafts open10:00 AM Children's rides open11:00 AM Musical Entertainment begins11:30 AM Parade BeginsFIREWORKS WILL BEGIN AT 8:30PM

Sunday May 1, 2011Gates open at 10:00 AM Gates close at 5:00 PM10:00 AM Food Tent open10:00 AM Arts & Crafts open10:00 AM Children's rides open11:00 AM Musical Entertainment begins

Don’t miss the DAFFODIL TAG SALE CONNECTICUT'S LARGEST!

Saturday, April 23, 2011- Under the Festival Tent 9:00 AM-2:00 PM

Page 23: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 23 Early April 2011

Treat yourself to a steamed cheeseburgerand maybe even a cookie for dessert.

1046 Broad Street in Meriden - 203-237-6660Adam from Man V. Food stopped by too and so should you

THANK YOU to all the crew of FoodNetworks new show "Crave" for coming to visit March 30th. The showdebuts on June 11th and Ted's will bein one of the first few episodes.Willkeep you posted on the date! Keep aneye out for us in your local TV listings.Thanks again for stopping at Ted's,pleasure to have you!

But most important is that we’ve beenseen by YOU and YOU matter the most!

Wallingford Center Inc presents the 2011 Gardener’s Market Saturdaymornings 9:00-12:00 from July 16th to Sept 17th at the Railroad Station Green, routes 5 and 150. Offered will be plants, flowers, produce, homecrafts, baked items and other goodies. Dry Dock Café will have breakfastfor the vendors and public.

Lizzy B’s will have coffee and refreshments as well as Italian Ice.Current vendors are Farmer Joes’s Gardens for produce; crafters: Beverly

Keener and Francine LaFontaine; artisans Samantha Dudac, KathyMcNulty and Kim Poggio, and Polka Dots. The Daytime Gardeners ofNorth Haven will have their plant sale on July 16

If you wish to be a vendor, please contact Liz Landow of WallingfordCenter Inc at 203-284-1807 or email at [email protected] or Cathy Knight at 203-265-3878 or email at [email protected] for applications is June 15.

LocalMotion

Opening Day at Riverbound FarmThe Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society, the local chapter of the NationalAudubon Society, will sponsor an Open Day at Riverbound FarmSanctuary, 1881 Cheshire St in Cheshire on Sunday, April 17th 11:00-4:00.Celebrate Earth Day and JJ Audubon’s Birthday . A ‘Beginning Birders’walk will be at 1:00 with Eric Einhorn (203-265-9529)Learning Bird Song Part 1 at Red Bridge with Corrie (203-630-9640) SunApr 17th Spring song is an important bird ID feature, bring binoculars. Meet at park-ing area on Oregon Rd next to Hanover Pond in Meriden. Rain dateSunday, April 24th Spring Bird Walks begin in April.

Saturday, April 23rd Earth Day walk at Riverbound 9:00-11:00 withMelissa ( 272-5252), Saturday April 30th bird walk with Melissa 9:00-11:00Sunday, April 24th and May 1st 7:00 – 9:00 am at Red Bridge in Meriden

located at Oregon Road next to Hanover Pond with Melissa and CorrieWed Apr 27th 7:30-9:30 am at Ives Farm with Melissa. Ives Farm is 1585

Cheshire Street in Cheshire, go to North Pond Rd , turn at the bus shelter,go to the end of road.

Ives Farm is owned by the Cheshire Land Trust.Please call Loretta at 203-634-1911 for more information. The events are

free, however, donations are accepted. Photo by Tom Twohill of titmouse and Carolina wren on feeders.

LocalMotion

What kind of impact can a teenagerhave on society & their community The day that Sarah Gopoianjoined Hunter's EMSExplorer Post 181 was theday of her 12th Birthday 2-2-05.. Just hope she'll knowhow much of an impact shemade and the memories shecan look back on….. Shealways came with a smile,and I know it also was tohang out with her dad. Nowshe graduates Maloney HSwith honors, accepted to Central CT & Keene State. Andwants to become a TEACHER…and she will. Determinedand wants NOTHING to do with the Military

2-23-10 Community Service 3 hours event not recorded 9-15-09 Community Service 8 hours event not recorded March 2009 CT. EMS Conference 9 hours 12-20-08 Meriden Spirit of Giving 3 hours 8-5-08 Meriden National Night Out 7-26-08 Meriden Cemetery Clean up 3.5. Hours 5-10-08 Meriden QRWA Clean up 5 hours4-26-2008 Daffodil Festival First Aid Station 13 hours4-19-08 Meriden City Wide Clean up 5 hours 4-15-08 Meriden Girl Scout First Aid training 3.5. Hours4-12-08 Meriden YMCA Kids Safety Fair 5 hours March 2008 Cromwell CT. EMS Conference 16 hours 4-17-07 City wide Clean up 4 hours11-9-06 Cheshire BSA Medical Demonstration 3 hours 11-4-06 Meriden Neighborhood Cleanup 4.5. Hours 10-15-06 Meriden Merit Badge medical training for scouts6 hours 9-23-06 Durham Fair First Aid station 8 hours 8-1-06 Meriden National Night Out 4 hours6-17-06 Meriden Bicentennial Parade 4 hours 5-19&20-2006 ACS Relay for Life 24 hours4-30-06 Daffodil Festival First Aid Station 8 hours4-22-06 Meriden Road Race 3 hours 4-19-06 Milford State Vaccination Medical Drill 6 hours 3-17 & 18 2006 Cromwell CT. State EMS conference 16hours 3-8-06 Meriden Public Safety 7.5 hours3-4-06 Blizzard Blast First Aid Station for BSA 7.5 hours2-7-06 Meriden first aid training for Girl Scout Brownie's3 hours12-18-05 Meriden Spirit of Giving 4.5 hours9-22-05 Meriden Hurricane Rita Relief preparations 3hours 8-24-05 Meriden Senior Center File of Life presentation 2hours8-23-05 Meriden Rotary Club Luncheon 6 hours5-31-05 Durham Memorial Day Parade 3 hours 5-21-05 Meriden Kiwanis Bike Safety Rodeo 3 hours 5-14-05 Meriden Police Academy Law EnforcementStations Day 6 hours3-19-05 Meriden St. Patrick's Day Parade 3 hours 12-19-04 Meriden- Spirit of Giving 4 hours participatedprior to full membership to post 8-28-04 Durham Mass Casualty Drill 6 hours participat-ed prior to full membership to post 219.5 HOURS… tiring just looking at it.Love, The Fam!

UCONN and My City Kitchen

move to Schools

Chef Kashia Cave- Founder and President of My CityKitchen (MCK) is taking it one step further with the pro-gram. MCK move to local schools in the City of Meriden.In Collaborating with the University of Connecticut(UCONN) Department of Extension and Mrs. UmekiaTaylor. My City Kitchen provides healthy cookingdemonstration to students of Casimir Pulaski ElementarySchool.

UCONN and MCK teamed up with Ms. Ellen Kearney,the Health/Physical Education Teacher of Pulaski to bringhands on healthy cooking demonstration to over 275 stu-dents. "We have been treated to some delicious food late-ly. So far on the menu our students have made healthyturkey wraps, cheese and bean quesadillas and yogurt par-faits. It has been very exciting for the students to try newfoods and to learn what categories each food item fallsunder in the Food Pyramid, this is a wonderful enrichmentprogram to teach our students about eating healthy, portioncontrol and nutrition. This program would not be possiblewithout the support and contributions of UCONN,Shoprite, Cabot Cheese Company, our Principal Mr. TomBrown and Chef Kashia Cave," Kearney says.

Chef Kashia states "we have been looking for differentway to reach out to the children in our community, andworking with Principal Brown and Ms. Kearney providedus this great opportunity. We are currently working withPulaski and Roger Sherman Elementary Schools. I hope inthe future we can work with all school in our City andgive every child an opportunity to be part of our program.MCK also provides scholarships for students' ages 6-17yrswho cannot afford the program."

For more information about My City Kitchen programsplease visit them on line at: www.mycitykitchen.org orcontact their office: 203-238-2870, by email:[email protected]. MCK is located at 384 PrattStreet Meriden, CT 06450. Become a fan on Facebook:My City Kitchen, Inc.

How did it happen that their lips came together? Howdoes it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that therose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the starkshapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? Akiss, and all was said. ~Victor Hugo

They who meet on an April night are forever lost in love,if there's moonlight all about and there's no moon above.~E.Y. "Yip" Harburg and Fred Saidy

Meriden WIC Celebrates National Nutrition MonthThe Meriden WIC (Women, Infantsand Children) Program celebratedNational Nutrition Month duringMarch. Nutrition staff will be educat-ing program participants on how tomake healthy, affordable meals fortheir family through cooking demon-strations. The theme of the demon-strations will be "Eat Your Way to 5 aDay" - fruit and vegetables that is!No matter how young or how old youare, we all can benefit from eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetablesevery day. To learn more about the WIC program please call 203-630-4245.

Page 24: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 24 Early April 2011

Computer repairs (replacing broken devices-computer errors)Virus & Spyware CleaningUpdates (Windows patches to software Patches)Tune-ups (Cleaning of Windows junk files, System errors anddefragmentation)Networking of systems and devices. Upgrades (Ram, OS, Drives, and Software)System BackupComputer installs. DSL Internet Installs Anything that is computer related except MAC.

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CELEBRATIONSNature As A MirrorBashful Leprechaun,

Hiding where the rainbow endsHis secret pot of gold.

A Bit o' BlarneyInspired by the March breezes, Danny and Alice gathered narrow slats, paper and glue to create a kite. Alice painted

a big smiling face on it, and Danny tied on a long green tail in honor of the day: St. Patrick's Day. With a big ball of string they eagerly set the kite soaring. A friendly breeze caught the kite and carried it high aloft

into the bright blue sky. A sudden strong gust snatched the string from Danny's grasp, breaking it and carrying the kitehigher until it was a small speck, far away.

"Oh, where am I going?" wondered Kite. "With me," said the wind. "We'll sail away and see the world together. Just call me 'Windy' and watch the world go

by. Look down now at the treetops and then ahead at the blue ocean." On they sailed-the wind twirling Kite in circlesand playfully tumbling it as they went on further.

Entering a soft looking pillow of a cloud, Kite moaned about how wet he was getting. Windy assured Kite, "Don't worry, clouds are full of rain, but the sun will dry you off soon. "

And it did. Soon Windy pointed to a green mitten shape and Kite asked, "What is it? It's getting bigger the closerwe come to it."

Windy answered, "That's Ireland and the green are shamrocks. I'm going to put you down now, but will come backlater to fly you home. What I want you to do, is get a bunch of shamrocks for me. I'm off now, see you soon!"

Kite looked all around but could see no green rocks. So it bounced along to a big rock and tapped on it, hoping itwould be of help. Suddenly, a small person dressed in green peered from behind the rock and asked, "Who's thatknocking at my home?" When he saw that it was just a kite, he came to look at it and was quite startled to hear it askfor help in finding the green rocks for Windy.

After a hearty laugh, Paddy Leprechaun introduced himself and said, "First tell me your story-I've never talked to akite before."

Kite began, "It's really been a most unusual day. Just this morning Danny and Alice created me for St. Patrick's Dayfun, but Windy came by and grabbed me! We've had a wonderful journey and he'll soon be back to take me home.But first I must get some shamrocks for him. He said they were green and I don't see any green rocks!"

After another hearty laugh, Paddy gathered a handful of the plants they were standing among and said; "These arethe shamrocks! I'll tie them onto your bright green tail." Indeed this has become a more magical day than you know!Did you know that we Leprechauns are honor-bound to give a gold coin to anyone who sees us on this special day?You certainly fooled me into showing myself."

"Oh, really? And may I have two coins? One for Danny and one for Alice, because they're the ones to thank for thismagical day." So Paddy went around the big rock to the hidden pot of gold coins that he was secretly hoarding andselected two shiny coins, which he wrapped in the kite's tail, then fastened it securely.

Paddy barely had time to hide beneath his rock before Windy came swooshing back to quickly lift the shamrock-laden kite into the air. Windy was very pleased with the shamrocks and enjoyed the delightful story that Kite relatedwhile he was being swiftly carried to the very home of Danny and Alice. Gently placing Kite against a tree in theirbackyard, Windy took a few shamrocks and then breezily waved goodbye.

What a surprise Alice and Danny had when they came down the next morning for breakfast and looked out of thewindow. They quickly dashed out to their kite and their excitement grew greater as more surprises met their gaze! ButKite just smiled its painted smile and said nothing. - Dorothy Adair Gonick

Roger Sherman Elementary Students Raise Nearly $1,600 to Help Give Babies a Healthy Start

Over 100 students from Roger Sherman Elementary School inMeriden raised nearly $1,600 for the March of Dimes by earn-ing dollars with every book they read this fall.

117 students, from kindergarten through fifth grade, read atschool and at home keeping track of their progress by eitherrecording the number of books or amount of minutes read.During the campaign they read 1592 books and a total of71,018 minutes as participants in the March of Dimes ReadingChampions program. The students presented the funds to theMarch of Dimes prior to an awards ceremony on December13th at the school.

"This is our third year participating in the March of DimesReading Champions program and we are growing every year.Our students love to read for a good cause. When teachers participate as readers or sponsors their students, the chil-dren become even more motivated and a wonderful friendly competition occurs throughout the school," said PrincipalLouise Moss. "This program helps encourage our students to develop empathy and compassion for those who are lessfortunate and helps to further develop good reading habits and application of skills. We are looking forward to nextyear and to bringing more district schools on board."

Reading Champions challenges school children to read as many books as they can, while being pledged by familyand friends to support the March of Dimes mission of improving the health of babies.

"We love working with the staff and students at Roger Sherman Elementary School. The student participationgrows each year as does the enthusiasm to help babies be born healthy. We hope to continue this partnership for manyyears to come and look forward to working with more elementary schools in the Meriden area," said Suzanne Galotti,Senior Community Director for the March of Dimes.

The top fundraiser was 5th grader Gillian Galotti. Leilani Chan, 3rd grade, was the 2nd top fundraiser, and the 3rdtop fundraisers (tied) were Justice Galante, 5th grade, and Elena Tellez, kindergarten. Reading the most books was 5thgrader Brianna Boulay (116 books), and Leslie Cortes, also 5th grade, read for the most minutes (5,072).

The March of Dimes awarded a certificate to each student who participated and gave a bronze, silver, or goldmedallion to those students who raised at least $10 and read 4 - 10 books, 11 - 19 books, and 20 or more books respec-tively. Mascots from the Hartford Wolf Pack and new Connecticut Whale also attended the awards ceremony to con-gratulate the kids on a job well done and gave each participating student a complimentary game ticket.

Schools interested in participating in the March of Dimes Reading Champions program may contact Suzanne Galottiat 203-849-9800 or [email protected] and can find more information at www.marchofdimes.com/ct.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide,the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mor-tality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook andfollow us on Twitter.Photo: Roger Sherman students and staff pose with mascots from the CT Whale and Hartford Wolf Pack at a March ofDimes Reading Champions ceremony in the fall.

Temple Beth David Passover Celebration for PreschoolersOn Sunday April 17, from 11:00 a.m. to noon, Temple Beth David of Cheshire will present a Passover themed programfor preschoolers at Doolittle School, 735 Cornwall Avenue, Cheshire. This interactive, high-energy session will explorethe traditions and tastes of the Passover celebration. We will enjoy holiday stories, songs with Rabbi Josh, crafts, andsnacks for both children and adults. The program activities are geared for children up to age 5 accompanied by a parentor other caregiver. Dress your child casually or bring along a smock (we may get messy!). The program is free and allpreschoolers are invited to participate-you do not need to be a Temple member. Story time is a great way to meet otherfamilies with young children. Please email [email protected] to enroll, or call Elyse Krantz at (860) 736-0211 with any questions. You may also visit our website, www.tbdchehire.org, for more information.

The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of. ~Blaise Pascal

Page 25: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 25 Early April 2011

www.daffodilfest.com

Barbara Bruce Wins AwardsBarbara Bruce, President of the Wallingford Garden Club, had a very suc-cessful showing at the Federated Garden Clubs of CT Flower Show heldFebruary 24 - 27 in Hartford. Bruce won two blue ribbons for horticulturefor her display of norway spruce and princess blue holly. In addition, hereffort in the Razzle Dazzle class won a second place award and her petitearrangement in the Garden Fairies class was awarded a first place blue rib-bon.

Bruce enjoys her duties as club president and as an accredited flowershow judge shares her design talents by providing design workshops to clubmembers during the year. 1st place design shown in photo

LocalMotion

Nathan Hale Elementary School - YEARN TO LEARNThe fifth grade students at Nathan Hale Elementary School have been busyshowing off their writing skills over the past several months. Star StudentWork was displayed throughout the classrooms and in the hallways duringthe months of December, January, and February. Three special examples ofdifferent types of writing are being shared with you. Preston Studley is shar-ing a Snowflake Poem, Erin Stone and Samantha Valentino are both shar-ing Martin Luther King, Jr. Haikus, and Adam Williams is sharing hisexpository essay on his New Year's resolutions.

Yearn To Learn

Master's Manna News and Reviews Many events and opportunities are planned for the greater Wallingford/Meriden area Resource Center. Ct Food Bank's 35th Annual Walk Against Hunger is scheduled for Sunday, May 1st at East Rock Park in New Haven.Our team: Master's Manna's "Guiding Lights" will be participating in this event. You can help us achieve this goal bygoing to: http//www.blueskycollaborative.com/cfb/CompleteRegistration.asp?fkroledescid=1&Custom1=New Haven.The goal for CT Food Bank is to raise $190,000 dollars by May 1st.. According to information from The ConnecticutFood Bank Walk Against Hunger Campaign, "More than 1 in 7 households in Connecticut are at risk for hunger. Onethird of those who receive food assistance are children. Money raised goes directly to providing groceries and hotmeals to hungry children, families, seniors and individuals in Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, New London,Middlesex and Windham counties. These numbers are not statistics…they are your family, friends and neighbors".There will be refreshments, activities, and entertainment in the park prior to the Walk. At 3:30 p.m. there will be anAwards Ceremony for agencies and people that joined the Walk. CT Food Bank will equally distribute thirty percent ofthe net funds received from Walk Against Hunger to the participating member agencies which will include MastersManna Resource Center in Wallingford. Our goal is to raise$2500 for the Walk Against Hunger. To register and join ourteam effort go to the Walk Against Hunger Website and join Masters Manna's Guiding Lights. Our team will meet at11:30 AM in the parking lot at Masters Manna Food Pantry and Resource Center in Wallingford. http://www.bluesky-collaborative.com/cfb/CompleteRegistration.asp?fkroledescid=1&Custom1=Newhaven

Master's Manna will hold a CPR/AED /First Aid Certification class on Saturday, April 16th at 8:00 a.m. The sug-gested donation fee is $40.00. Please pre-register for this class.

The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling will be holding a seminar at Master's Manna on Saturday, April 16th, 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. This informative seminar is geared toward teens and/or parents of teens. If you know of any-one that may have an issue with gambling, please attend.

If you have any gently used bookshelves we can utilize them in our reading material area. Gently used books oncooking, travel, nature, wellness and non-fiction are always welcome. Children's books written in Spanish, English andSpanish Bibles are always in high demand.

Volunteers are always welcome at Master's Manna Resource Center. What is your passion?! There is a place for youto develop that passion and serve others at the same time. Master's Manna is located off Route 68 at 46 North PlainsIndustrial Rd in Wallingford, CT. You can also call during the week at 203-678-3042.

That's it for the News and Reviews for this month. Stay tuned for next month's exciting news from Masters MannaResource Center

Healthy Dining Guide Leah Mezick, Public Health Intern

Wallingford Health DepartmentMy name is Leah Mezick and I am a senior undergraduate student at Southern Connecticut State University. As a publichealth major, an important aspect of my educational experience is to put my classroom skills into practice by complet-ing an internship with an agency in the field. While there are many opportunities to serve as an intern, it was importantfor me to be involved with a program that provided a real hands-on experience in the areas of nutrition and health pro-motion. I was fortunate enough to have one of my professors, the Health Director for Town of Wallingford, offer me aunique opportunity to work through the Health Department and create a community wide "Healthy Dining Guide".

This is a new endeavor for the Town of Wallingford and is part of the YMCA's "Pioneering Healthier Communities"initiative; this project specifically focuses on addressing the obesity issue by providing a listing of local healthy diningoptions to the community in an effort to encourage healthier choices and inspire local policy change for better nutritionwhen dining out.

I will be working this semester with the Wallingford Health Educator and a contract nutritionist to establish a stan-dard for healthy menu items. Local restaurants will then be contacted in order to review their menu's; those establish-ments that meet our standard of excellence will be awarded a certificate to put on display and be encouraged to identifythe healthy choices on their menu. A compilation of certified restaurants, along with information on the criteria that theymeet, will be made available for public use.

It is important to be aware of healthy meal options, especially when dining out, and I look forward to workingtowards creating a resource that will make this effort a little bit easier as well as successful. While the Healthy DiningGuide program is purely voluntary for restaurants, the projects success is contingent upon each establishment's willing-ness to be involved and provide healthy choices to the public. Please encourage your favorite local restaurants to partic-ipate! If you have any questions or recommendations on what you would like to see included in this guide, please feelfree contact me at [email protected] or Wallingford Health Dept 203-294-2065.

Page 26: The People's Press Early April 2011

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.

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Page 26 Early April 2011

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Knitting with MomBy JoAnne GrabinskiAfter Christmas I decided to learn to knit. Why? I' don't really know,I've heard that 'they', whoever 'they' are say that you should start newhobby every few years or so. It's supposed to keep your brain andbody active in learning something new. Its new skills to master, newactivities to participate in and new people to meet, all the while creat-ing new neuropath ways in the brain. Simply put, it's good for you andyour health.

But it was more than that. You see, my mom is a wonderful knitterand I realized I better start learning from the best. So I went out andbought some yarn and she brought a set of needles when we met at mysister's to watch a UConn Lady Huskies basketball game. Lookingback, that may not have been the proper atmosphere to begin learning a new skill.

I had decided to make a scarf, thinking it would be pretty straight forward after all it was a rectangle. I chose adenim blue in color, soft and textured, thinking it would 'work up quickly', that's knitting talk for easy-to-knit. Well,not so much.

The good thing was my brain got it; the bad news was my hands were not quite there yet. Kitting is slipping theneedle in back of the stitch, wrap the yarn around the needle and slide it off the front, while purling is just the opposite,slinging the needle in front of the stitch, wrapping the yarn around the needle and sliding the stitch off the back. If youknit row after row you end up with rows of bumps and that is called 'ribbing', whereas if you alternate knitting rowswith purling rows you a very flat weave that most people think of as knitting. And alternating knitting and purling invarious forms get you a whole bunch of different stitches, like the seed stitch or basket weave. And then there is thereal complicated stuff of cables. All I know is I'm not ready for that… yet.

I remember her kitting when we were waiting for the doctors or dentist and even the orthodontists. Back then, weall went regardless of who the appointment was actually for. So she always had her knitting with her while she waswaiting and it seemed like we were always waiting for someone. She would bring her knitting with her while my dadwent fishing, always being productive with her time. My mom knit us hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters, ponchos (yesthey were real cool at one time!) and tons and tons of blankets. Every now and then she would call me over and holdup her work in progress against my squirming body to see where she was and what she needed to do. Measuring thesleeve length or the back all the while telling me to 'hold still'.

There were many trips to Carmelle's Yarn Shop first on east Main Street and then on Elm Street. She had a lovelyFrench accent and was so very helpful to my mom when she got stuck or wanted to start a new project. There werealways such the beautiful colors of the yarn to look at and I was constantly touching them and looking at the patternbooks, thinking 'mom can make me this… and this… and this too!'

I remember a denim blue jacket-like sweater he made for me while I was in middle school. It was a basket weavepattern, with a ribbed collar and patch pockets. It had a knitted belt to tie it together. Man, I loved that sweater andwore it all the time, to the point that I had holes in the elbows. We put patches on them and I got a few more years outof it.

I still have several of her (master) pieces: a sea green top and skirt, the double-breasted short jacket with the shawlcollar and that old comfortable fisherman-like sweated with the cables. Several of her pieces have labels that say'handmade by Mom'. A few years ago, my cousin gave my brother and sister-in-law a huge bag of handmade sweatersthat her now grown children had worn. It was very kind of her to pass along the sweaters to another generation, hergrandchildren.

So my mom cast on twenty stitches and the adventure began. It seemed real easy, I think I learned it all throughosmosis, watching my mom knit for years and years. Admittedly there was a lot of awkwardness in holding the nee-dles and yarn; she made it seem so effortless.

Well it wasn't quite so effortless for me. I added stitches, I deleted stitches, I knitted when I was supposed to bepurling and purling when I should have knitted. Then I'd get frustrated and call her, and all she'd say was, 'Bring itover and we'll take a look at what you did.' So Mom would rip it out and gently guide me through the process. Afterevery row I'd learned to stop and count the stitches to make sure I had twenty. For a while there I could only knit cor-rectly if she was in the room.

I finally got the hang of knitting, but I still have to work on keeping the tension consistent. I got to the point where Icould fix my own mistakes, but I must have ripped that scarf out ten times and started it all over again. I'm getting bet-ter, and like learning any new still the key is to keep practicing. So I finished that scarf and my mom showed me howto bind off, or take the stitches of the needles and complete the project.

The nice thing is that I've got to spend some more time with my mom and she is passing on a skill that is such a bigpart of her. It was a way for her to define herself other than housewife and mother. She has taken up her knitting againand we sit there, knitting side by side. She's much faster of course, with her needles just clicking right along, but I'mgetting the hang of it now. My sister is thinking of starting again, after learning while in high school.

I've finished my scarf and now am on to my next project, a baby blanket. I'm sticking with squares and rectanglesfor now until I feel ready to intentionally add or decrease my stitches. But I know I'll always have my mom right therewhen I need her expert advice on knitting… or anything else.

Frugal Living; Getting More for Less in Connecticut!By Gina Julianowww.ginaskokopelli.comIs Shopping at BJ's or Costco Really Frugal?

The quick answer to that question might be "Of Course!" You definitely payless for things. However, I urge you to take a second look.

I used to shop at Costco at least twice a month. I would get my paper goods,cleaning supplies, cereal, pet supplies, and many other products I used. I justassumed I was getting a bargain because I was buying in bulk. In essence, I didget a bargain because I was spending less per item than I would have if I shoppedin a grocery store. What I didn't know, however, was I could also get these itemsfor free or pennies at drug stores.

With the exception of pet supplies and some meats, I rarely use Costco now tobuy things I need. I have found taking advantage of the drug store sales, promo-tions like Extra Bucks and Register Rewards, plus manufacturers' coupons makefor some incredible bargains that beat Costco hands down.

Take, for example, Finish dishwasher tabs. I used to buy these in bulk at Costco. A can of 100 tabs would cost$14.99. On the other hand, I just bought eight 20 count boxes of Finish tabs for free using coupons and CVS ExtraBucks. Why would I want to pay $14.99 when I can get what I need for free?

Fabric Softener is another example. I could continue buying the Kirkland brand of fabric softener for $8.89 atCostco. It's a good price and I like the way it works. Instead, I picked up FREE Gain fabric softener at Rite Aid byusing coupons. The small bottles are regularly $2.99, and I had eight $3 coupons. I'm set for six months with fabricsoftener I didn't pay a dime for.

The bottom line answer to the question "Is shopping at Costco and BJ's Frugal?" is sometimes. Quite frankly, youneed to know your prices and the type of shopper you are. For a couponer like me, the drug stores are the only way togo. I watch sales and match up my coupons to get most of my paper goods, cleaning and laundry supplies, and toi-letries for free. However, if you are someone who doesn't coupon, then Costco and BJ's are an excellent choice tosave some money.

Gina is the creator of Gina's Kokopelli, a Connecticut blog dedicated to all things coupon, free and cheap. You canget more frugal tips, freebies, coupons, and great deals by visiting her blog at http://ginaskokopelli.com. Gina alsoteaches couponing classes and would love to be invited to your organization or business to teach a class. For moreinformation or to inquire about a couponing class, please email her at [email protected]. She's also happy toanswer any couponing question you may have!

Page 27: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 27 Early April 2011

Celebrate by expressing yourself and showing the world the inner YOU!

Fantasy Faces by Ruth brings fun and excitement to any specialoccasion, both private and public. Full face art is a great way to addto the celebration of birthdays, bar-mitvahs and bat-mitvahs, holi-days, fairs, festivals, store promotions, fund raisers, school eventsand more.

Have fun and make a statement. Express your inner princess, show the animal lurking within you!Ruth Gordon can "change" any face into a tiger, butterfly, superhero or monster within minutes. Show your true Fantasy Face - if only for a day!

203-605-4357 www.fantasyfacesbyruth.com

[email protected]

To Jordan, you are the best! From Samantha

CELEBRATIONSGustav, the Goldfish" by Theodor S. Geisel aka Dr. SeussHasn't been seen in 61 years!!!! But that's about to change..."This is the tale of a goldfish that grew,Presented to you with a technique that's new.To get best results, just read it aloud,To your youngsters and friends and the rest of the crowd."

Although Dr. Seuss had already written and illustrated "And To Think That I Saw It OnMulberry Street" in 1937, "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" in 1938, "The King'sStilts" in 1939, and "Horton Hatches The Egg" in 1940 and so many more that followed,he was also writing stories for Redbook Magazine for 11 years, from 1948 to 1959. He wrote these story poems underthe name of Theodor S. Geisel, which was his name of course, just without the Seuss part spelled out. The very firststory of his that was published by Redbook Magazine was "Gustav, the Goldfish" in June 1950, followed by 21 othersover the course of the years.

I was emailing my nephew Doug Arndt one day recently about "Horton Hatches The Egg," and how I rememberedreading that book to him and his brother Michael, and that I have a copy of it here that was published in 1940. He saidhe had a copy that I gave him and his brother in 1983 and he remembered me reading the story to them. In his email hementioned "A Fish Out Of Water," a story his dad read to them every so often and that it was one of his favorites. I didnot remember this story. He told me there was a Cat In The Hat logo on the book, but it was not written by Dr. Seuss,so that piqued my curiosity.

Ah. "A Fish Out Of Water" was written by Helen Palmer, Seuss's first wife. I did a bit of research on this and dis-covered that they had collaborated on a number of stories and that Seuss had given his wife permission to go aheadwith that book, although the same story line had been written by him 11 years earlier in the story of "Gustav, theGoldfish." "A Fish Out Of Water" has different words and illustrations, but it is essentially Seuss's story.

Charles D. Cohen, who is a dentist, has had a fascination with Dr. Seuss books for years, since his childhood. Hefirst started collecting early editions of his works while he was in college. Dr. Cohen likely has the most comprehen-sive private collection of Seuss's works in the world. He is the author of "The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and Nothing Butthe Seuss."

So here is the best part: Dr. Cohen has written a book that includes seven rarely seen Seuss stories which will bepublished on September 27, 2011. It is called "The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories," and includes the story"Gustav, the Goldfish."

I ordered this book a week ago for my nephew Doug, which I found on Amazon. I think this is kind of excitingnews!!! I intend to flip carefully through the pages of the book before wrapping it up as a present for my nephew's twodaughters.

I happened to stumble upon this information, and I don't know how many people have heard about The BippoloSeed, but for those parents and their child or children (or nephews and nieces or grandchildren) who love Dr. Seuss, Iam quite sure they would be excited to learn about this book that can be ordered right now.Here is a link where you can order The Bippolo Seed:http://www.amazon.com/Bippolo-Seed-Other-Lost-Stories/dp/0307746054(There is an interesting comparison of two story lines here, "Gustav, the Goldfish" (by Seuss) and "A Fish Out OfWater" (by Palmer):http://1stedition.net/blog/200/03/a_story_of_two_fish_dr_seuss.htmlThis was posted on a blog by Stan Zielinski on March 11, 2007, which he entitled, "A Story Of Two Fish: Dr. SeussOut Of Water." It was never published as a book.)

Dr. Seuss left us 20 years ago, September 24th, but his books will live on here and henceforth."Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." (Dr. Seuss, 3/2/04 -

9/24/91)Barbara Sherburne - [email protected]'s talk on the farm twixt the goat and the goose 'Bout a new storybook by our own Dr. Seuss.There will be friends who'll have stories for you,And Gustav the goldfish, you'll find him there too. Youngsters and older will read it, and then... The magic of Seuss will delight you again! (by me)

So when was the last time you experienced a miracle? Rabbi Baruch KaplanNo, I mean a real miracle of Biblical proportions! Okay, so now you start to think about some supernatural event thatshatters the laws of nature….It's not your fault that the so-called 'big' miracles seem to get all the attention.

One of the most obscure Jewish holidays, is the holiday of Purim. I mean even the stores haven't found a way tocash in on it!

The funny thing is that one would think it would be the most popular. The Purim observances (dating the 4th century BCE) include a public reading of the Purim story accompanied by

lots of noisy disapproval for the villain, and all this is done decked up in costume! The rest of the day is spent givinggifts of food to acquaintances (think special treats!), charity to the poor, and peaking with a Purim feast!

The plot isn't too bad either. Set way back in ancient Persia, the Jews were saved from the wicked Haman by a beau-tiful Queen Esther who won the love of the powerful King Ahasuerus. Palace intrigue, love, a real villain ~ what couldbe better.

The only 'problem' with this holiday is that it's not taken seriously enough since it lacks a good miracle. Think aboutit; a beautiful woman who is secretly Jewish is chosen by a king whose grand visor is plotting to annihilate the Jewishpeople. That could just be a great coincidence….or not.

But that is why I love this holiday, for it celebrates the natural miracles that happen every day. It is those miraclesthat seem to be taken for granted daily, through which G-d smiles and shows His love. So don't let those moments goto waste. Celebrate the miracles in your life; don't take any of it for granted!

If you wish to find out more about Purim go to www.jewishwallingford.com and read up on it.

The People's Press Channel or PPC launches Saturday, April 9, 2011. Check it out atwww.peoplespressnews.com and don't forget that you can share your videos! For moreinformation on how to share a video, email [email protected]

Page 28: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 28 Early April 2011

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Meriden's Nathan Hale Grade 5 students Israel and Aubrie (along with theirparents) were honored February 8, 2011 at the Aqua Turf in Southington fortheir outstanding achievement in art.

Yearn To Learn!

Baby Troy, born Jan. 20th 2011 to Keegan & Keith, is watched over by hisfaithful dog Toby.

CELEBRATIONS A Night at the Opera……..and some other stuffPhoto and Story By Ernie LarsenWhen I was a young soldier defending our

nation in the wilds of southern Germany, I hadthe opportunity to enjoy my first of severalopera performances. My "squeeze of themoment" was an opera fan and had an insideline on discount tickets, a plus for me as I wasmore or less living paycheck to paycheck - thiswas long before the Army was all it could havebeen, salary wise.

So, we attended the opera - quite an occasion;in Germany where almost everyone dresses upfor social occasions and just about everythingelse (I actually saw a foreman on a constructionsite in a pair of bund hosen (knickers) wearing ashirt and tie, hmmm?) the opera certainly quali-fied for that. I got out my best outfit, Navy blueblazer and grey slacks, powder blue shirt andspiffy tie, along with I have to say the best pol-ish on a pair of shoes rivaled only by someonewearing a pair patent leather slip-ons.

The first series of productions were Richard Wagner's (German composer ) Ring series - one of the most famousopera, IMO and quite a feat to stage. There are four separate operas that comprise the Ring series - I'm not an operascholar, however the easily accessible INTERNET provides much information on all operas; I also recall seeing thatMeriden Adult Education offered an opera appreciation program given by Valerie Bubon, opera aficionado extraordi-naire.

Well, I digress; I'm pretty good at that and for a few months I attended the Nurnberg Staatstheater (Nurnberg StateOpera) enjoying a couple of the aforementioned Ring series along with performances of the Nurnberg Symphony andsome other classical performances and operas. And then the inevitable - splitsville with the Fraulein du Tag and it wasback to hanging with the guys at Ingrid's (local watering hole - just off the base).

This was in 1964 and until now, well for years I have listened to the Saturday afternoon concerts of the MetropolitanOpera from Avery Fischer Hall in NYC - sponsored for the longest time by Texaco Corporation. And as my wife and Ido visit NYC often for Broadway productions I thought the opera might be an interesting diversion. Hopped on theMet's Internet site and whoa - ticket prices for the opera were out sight; decent seats, $155.00 and up. Not that I couldnot afford the price but when I'm paying less than that for 2 B'way tickets, I'm really thinking about parting with thecash. And then perusing the Met Opera site - I see RUSH tickets for $20.00 which are subsidized by one of the benefac-tors of the venue. There are 200 orchestra seats put aside for each performance, unless it is a premiere or Sold-Out, andthey offer senior citizens the opportunity to buy 50 of these by phone or internet each day at noon and the rest are avail-able at the box office two hours prior to the performance. I know NYC lines can get long - just go by the TKTS boothany day and check those folks out. And I did a TARGET Friday at MOMA doors opened at 5:00 and the queues startedat 3:00 - I'm not a big fan of waiting on lone, as the NY'ers express the terminology.

This was another split weekend, I was in the City on Thursday, had some photo business and was looking for somespecialized equipment, just small stuff but readily available at B&H, my fav photo retailer. And I had some othererrands: my wife was coming down on Friday - we had tickets for LOMBARDI - fantastic - if you get a chance see thisone, a true American classic.

Again, digressing - I programmed my cell phone with the Met's number and around 12:05, Thursday, just after noonI was the proud owner of a ticket to La Boheme, orchestra seat V35, which was right on the aisle for the low price of$20.00. Other seats in the same row were $155.00. Such a deal!

So, I had a few hours to wait and went out to a bookstore and NYPublic Library - it was pretty cold and windy downamidst the canyons of skyscrapers and these venues offered not only warmth but also some excellent diversions, exhibitsand just browsing through books. Then it was back to the hotel - it was suggested to arrive around 7:15 for the opera -this gave me time to check out Lincoln Center and the Met gift shop - oh yes, a fine opportunity to people watch. Talkabout a diverse crowd - the high rollers in tuxedos, dark suits with the women in high-end dresses looking like theywere freezing their patooties off. Come on A February night, around 20F outside wearing about half a yard of silk mate-rial with spaghetti straps and stiletto heels that looked like they could cause a lot of damage in hand to hand combat.And then, tourists, jeans, Dockers, corduroys, slacks, sweaters with all types of footwear - but not too many of themwere wearing sneakers (trainers). And the middle of the road couples, nice practical dresses or pantsuits, and he withslacks, dress shirt and tie with a heavy winter jacket; lots of that style - myself, I had on Docker type pants, turtleneck,flannel shirt and a fleece pullover with a light car coat and L.L.Bean gumshoes, waterproof and nice and warm.

I didn't make any purchases at the gift shop - had a glass of wine before heading into my seat and then it was almostshow time. The first thing I noticed when entering the auditorium were a bunch of what seemed to be lecterns behindthe rear seats of the orchestra. They all have a mini screen mounted on the front of the units. Well, these were the stand-ing room only seats, yes folks; people pay to STAND and enjoy the opera. And this particular production ran 3 hours.

Now I had a chance to peruse the program, got the background on the principals, conductor etc. Then the acknowl-edgements: people who GENEROUSLY donate to the Met; they're just finishing up the 125th anniversary fund cam-paign with the major donation of $30 million from Mercedes and Sid Bass (whoever they are) then the Ziff Family gave$15.00 million (I think they are of the Ziff Davis publishing house, could be wrong). And then a few 10 and 5 milliongifts and then some lower in value -I wonder how William Rondina and the15 or so others who gave just 1 million feel;they are listed on the bottom of the donor list, in small type, as if their money was 'chump-change'; people LOVE theiropera in NYC!

The auditorium is filling up, it's 5 after 8, the lights dim a couple of times, the curtain goes up and La Bohemebegins its 59th season being performed at the Met.

It was thoroughly enjoyable, the translation screens certainly were well appreciated and the effort by both performersand behind the scenes people was exemplary - the 4 different sets were incredible in their design and the conductor andorchestra were second to none.

I've been to many different performance of events, from Broadway to local school concerts and it seems that peoplebelieve they have to give standing ovations - come on, for little Ricky who just murdered Ode to Joy on the clarinet,you know what I mean - if you really enjoy a good performance and it isn't out of sight, just raise the volume and lengthof your applause.

And now the exception to this rule was made up in my mind last Thursday; as soon as the first two performers cameout for curtain call -the whole auditorium started to rise and the applause for the whole company lasted a good 10 min-utes or maybe more; believe me, more than well-deserved.

And I was in full agreement when a lull in the ovation triggered a hearty "BRAVO".

Page 29: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 29 Early April 2011

An Action causes an equal if not stronger reaction.Negative news CAN be overcome by the Positive!

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On December 9th, 2010 - Martin and Sherlyn (Garcia) Avila welcomedtheir first child, Angela Natalie, she weighed 7lbs and 5 oz and measured20 inches long. Congratulations! You are going to be wonderful parents asyou already are! Love, Julie

CELEBRATIONS

Church's Spring TagSt. John the Evangelist Church

360 Church St., Yalesville, CTDate: May 7, 2011 9AM - 3PMTag, Bake, Book and Rummage Sales

Getting the paper at home or picking it up at a local business? Get an Even Quicker Pick Me Upper at www.peoplespressnews.com.

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 Senior Center Volunteer Recognition Day will be held on Wednesday, April 20 at 11:15 AM in Willene's Place.We will recognize all of our volunteers and also announce the 2011 "Volunteers of the Year". Please join us for this spe-cial event and thank you to all of our volunteers for your work all year long!

Creative Writing Classes with Susan Sandel will resume on Wednesday, April 13 at 1:00 PM. The six week class willhelp you learn to express yourself more easily and improve your writing skills. No prior experience is necessary andnewcomers are welcome. Please sign-up for this free class in the front office or by calling us at 203.237.0066.

On Wednesday, April 13 at 10:30 AM Mike Savinelli from BCI Financial will speak on Reverse Mortgages. Learnhow you can use the equity in your home to cover other expenses like home improvements, a new car, medical bills,traveling or other personal expenses. This no cost or obligation program will be held in the first floor meeting room andrefreshments will be served.

On Thursday, April 21 we will have our 3rd annual "Grandchildren Day" during school vacation week. A special $2hot dog lunch will be available for the kids followed by a free bingo open to everyone with $5 gift cards to McDonald'sas prizes. Please invite your grandchildren/great grandchildren and sign-up in Willene's Place to join us for this specialintergenerational event on April 21!

Save the date for the first annual "Seniors First Day" at Maloney High School on Tuesday, May 3 from 12:30-2:30.You are invited to a performance by the Allegrettos, a weight conditioning and country line dance demonstration, com-puter greeting card class, blood pressure screening, refreshments and more, all to unite the generations and bring seniorsand high school students together! The Mini-Bus will depart at 12:15 and take you home after the program, people arealso welcome to drive on your own, please sign-up for the bus with Becky in the Mini-Bus Office or call her at203.237.3338.

On Wednesday, April 27 at 11:15 in Willene's Place, Blanca Toledo Perez from AASCC will speak about the HomeShare Program for homeowners who would like to share their home. Finally, there are still openings for the AARPDriver Safety Class on April 27, tickets for the May 2 Kiwanis Hi-Liters Show at 7:00 PM will be available on April 4and the last day for AARP Income Tax Assistance is April 6.John F. Hogarth - Senior Center Director

Heart Safe CommunityThe Wallingford Health Dept. is in the process of reapplying for the Connecticut DPH Heart Safe CommunityDesignation. This effort is based on the progress this community has made establishing and promoting the potential forsaving lives of sudden cardiac arrest. The increased opportunities for CPR training, and public access to automatedexternal defibrillators (Aids) have tripled the lives saved since our original designation as a Heart Safe Community in2008.

The Wallingford Health Dept. is anxious to recertify in 2011, but we need your help. If your company has offeredCPR/AED training, and or have installed an AED, please contact the Wallingford Health Dept. at (203) 294-2065 or bye-mail at [email protected]. If you are already a partner PLEASE let us know that we have your continued sup-port, and if you have increased your CPR/AED training. If you are new to the partnership, we need you on board!! Wewill forward you a brief questionnaire so that you and you're company are fully recognized as being a partner in thistruly life saving effort. Please join us as we strive to make Wallingford a safer place to live.

Female Urinary Incontinence ProgramMidState Medical Center will host a program that addresses a common problem affecting women: female urinary incon-tinence. The program entitled, "Female Urinary Incontinence - Why Are You Leaking and What are the Solutions?"will be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at MidState Medical Center in Meriden in the HorwitzConference Center.

This program, presented by female urologist, Jean Wong, MD, and physical therapist, Pat Biron, PT, will educatewomen on the different types of incontinence and the treatments that are available. Women are encouraged to attend inthis open, comfortable environment.

Registration is required for this program. To register, please call 203-694-8733. Light refreshments will be provided.

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Page 30: The People's Press Early April 2011

Page 30 Early April 2011

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

Your Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Phone # _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Signature: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _The best way to send a celebration is by email! However, if you prefer you can send to:The People’s Press, P.O.Box 4459, Yalesville CT 06492. If you would like the photo returned to you, please enclose a self addressedstamped envelope! We do not publish the last names of of our friends who are under the age of 15 for safety rea-sons.

TThhee ddeeaaddll iinnee iiss AApprr ii ll 1155tthh ffoorr oouurr MMiidd--AApprr ii ll 22001111 IIssssuuee!!

CCCCEEEELLLLEEEEBBBBRRRRAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNNSSSS ooooffff LLLLIIIIFFFFEEEE!!!!No matter if it’s a birthday, holiday, anniversary, wedding ,

birth announcement or just to make someone feel special ;it’s always FREE to share your Celebrations in The People’s Press!

Read it in print and on the web at www.peoplespressnews.comEmail a smile to [email protected]

Crossword April 2011 Answers. Puzzle by Ruth Gordon.

Shell Game! Can you guess which mound has a car under it? Photo byLynn C Fisher

LocalMotion

Platt HS gymnast Kirsten Dawkins along with her coach Bryon Knox at thePomperaug High School Invitational Kirsten travels with the SouthingtonHigh School gymnastics team.

Kirsten placed third in the All around with a 34.45. On vault she earnedan 8.0 & an 8.5 on floor. Kirsten took first place on bars with a 9.35 andalso tied for first on beam with a 8.6. Also, Kirsten finished second in the AA with a 36.05. She placed first onvault (9.5) and second on bars (9.0). Kirsten earned a 9.05 on beam and fin-ished on floor with an 8.5. PHS Invitational Jan 17Congratulations!

CELEBRATIONS

Third graders in Mr. Cohen's third grade class at Nathan Hale School learnedabout symmetry in math, then made symmetrical masks in Art Class

Yearn To LearnWallingford Senior Center to Offer Extended HoursBeginning on Thursday, April 7, 2011 the Wallingford Senior Center will be offering extended hours of operation, witha variety of evening programs, special events and classes to be held. The Senior Center will be open until 8:30 p.m. onApril 7 & 14, and every Thursday in May through October. Our Lake View Café will be offering dinner, with menuschanging weekly, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased during our hours of operation for $6.00 at the FrontDesk, and include an entrée and small beverage. A variety of dessert items are also available for an additional fee. Formore information, please contact Patty Watts, Program Coordinator at 203-265-7753.Belly Dance This class is rooted in classic belly dance technique and meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 5:15 p.m.No experience needed to participate in this fun and low-impact class. Start Date: April 7, Instructor: Aleenah, Cost:$25. Please sign up.Scrapbooking Class Learn to create beautiful keepsake albums that will be treasured for generations from your person-

al photos and memories. Come to a free introductory session to hear more about it on April 14 in the Creative ArtsRoom at 5:30 p.m. Start Date: May 5, Instructor: Diane Soares, Cost: $25 plus materials. Please sign up.Zumba Gold Zumba infuses Latin rhythms and simple dance moves to create a fun and exciting total body workout

designed for the active older adult. Meets weekly in the Fitness Room at 6:00 p.m. Start Date: May 5, Instructor: KaytKeirn, Cost: $25. Please sign up.Texas Hold 'Em Poker A competitive yet friendly card game. Must be a WSC member to play, men and women are

welcome. Weekly games held in the Game Room from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Instructor: Tom Burrill, Cost: $2.00 per play-er.Twilight Concert with the Survivors Our own band, The Survivors, will be here to perform their wonderful selection ofdance music during the dinner hour. Buy a delicious dinner at the Lake View Café (ticket purchase required) and enjoythe show! April 14, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Great Room.Backing Up Your Computer Kevin Ozer, from our Computer Learning Center, will be sharing valuable information

about "backing up" the computer files on your home or small business P.C. in easy-to-understand, non-technical terms.This session is free, but pre-registration is required. Open to the public. Space is limited, sign up today. April 14, 6:30p.m. in the Activity Room.No Thursday Evening Programs Scheduled April 21 & 28 The Senior Center will be closing at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday,

April 21 & 28. Please join us on Thursday, May 5, when our evening programs resume.

Senior Permits for Delivery of Household Trash to Wallingford Disposal SiteDepartment of Public Works - 203 294-2105 Senior Citizen Permits Expire April 10, 2011

Any Wallingford senior citizen (sixty-five years of age and older) or resident having a Medicare card who plans todeliver his or her household trash to the Wallingford Disposal Site (landfill) must obtain a new permit in order to usesenior coupons. The new permits may be secured Monday, April 4, through Friday, April 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.at the Wallingford Senior Center, 238 Washington Street. The permit cost is $5.00. Applicants must bring their driver'slicense, proof or residence, and the current registration for the vehicle that will be used to deliver trash to the disposalsite. Permits will be issued only on these dates and times. There are no exceptions.

Hawaiian NightThe Meriden Turner Society will host Hawaiian Night on Saturday, April 16th at the Turner Halle, 800 Old ColonyRoad, Rt.71, Meriden. A ham dinner served at 6 pm will be followed by the dancing and listening music of theVagabonds until 11 pm. Call Leo @ 203-440-0028 or the Clubhouse on Thursday evenings @ 203-440-9624 for reser-vations.

FIELD RUN FOR AUTISM, Sunday May 1, 2011TIME: 8:30 AM SHARP! Registration starts at 7 AM.

Come join us at the 5K race on the private running field at Choate Rosemary Hall High School, 333 Christian Street,Wallingford, CT. Registration fee: $30, $35 on day of race, $15 for all students

Students can attain community service hours by forming a group to run in the race. Contact Pat Coppola at 203 265-7717 Ext 14, or email [email protected] for additional information.

Page 31: The People's Press Early April 2011

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Grandma Beth wanted to say hi to her favorite leprechauns, Emily & Sarah

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CELEBRATIONSPage 31 Early April 2011

Page 32: The People's Press Early April 2011

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Page 32 Early April 2011