Town times jan10

Volume 20, Number 39 Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall www.TownTimes.com Friday, January 10, 2014

At the two December Board of Selectmen meet-ings, Durham officials have expressed frustration over snow removal issues in town.

Homeowners and plowing services have in past storms caused problems for traffic and continued snow removal by depositing snow from driveways into the streets.

Speed bumps of hard-ened snow across roads and mounds of snow left on the sides of the streets from driveways create a hazard for traffic. Department of Emergency Management Director Frances Willet, who attended both BOS meetings, said that the im-properly deposited snow was also a hazard for emer-gency vehicles operating af-ter a storm.

According to a town ordi-nance: “No person shall de-posit any snow, ice, leaves or other debris onto any por-tion of any public town road, street or sidewalk, so as to impede or render unsafe any manner of use or travel upon said public town road, street or sidewalk.”

There is a potential $50 fine for each offense.

Although the winter of 2013-2014 has been so far less dramatic than recent winters, snowstorms have already brought out the town plows. Town officials at the BOS meetings after the snowfalls suggested they may need to be more aggres-sive enforcing the ordinance.

Another ordinance re-quires homeowners with adjoining sidewalks to clear the sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. If a homeowner

fails to clear the snow, the town may do so at the home owner’s expense, with an ad-ditional $5 fine.

It is also unlawful to park on Durham streets between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. from Nov. 1 to April 1 or anytime during a declared snow emergency.

The board also discussed publicizing the town’s pol-icy on replacing mailboxes damaged by snowplowing. According to the town’s pol-icy, distributed by Francis, “The Department of Public Works will not be respon-sible for mailbox damage from snow being propelled against the mailbox during snowplowing activities.”

For mailboxes damaged by direct contact from a snow plow, the Department of Public Works will determine the cause of the damage - improper mailbox installa-tion or plow operator error.

In the case of operator er-ror, damaged mailboxes will be replaced with a standard mailbox and post.

The Public Works’ pol-icy suggests that homeown-

ers install their mailboxes 12 inches away from the road edge and 40 to 44 inches above the road elevation and not let snow pile up around the mailbox.

Snow worries mount up in DurhamBy Mark DionneTown Times

This mailbox needs to be shoveled out. |(Mark Dionne\Town

Times.)

T h e M i n i Mustangs, a local youth horse club, held its fifth an-nual food drive and fundraiser, Dec. 21, on the Durham town green. The event was to ben-efit Help Willy’s Friends, a group that collects do-nations to support animal shelters and rescue groups.

Fundraiser or-ganizers were ini-tially concerned about the event’s

success because a snowstorm forced it to be rescheduled from the previous weekend. The change was not a deter-rent however, as donations proved.

The group raised almost $450 and over 150 pounds of food at the event.

The Mini Mustangs were formed six years ago under the direction of Pat Bandzes and Debbie Sommers, of Middlefield, as a group of what Bandzes called “young, crazy, horse girls.”

“We are a 4-H horse club,” said Bandzes. “Our club is primarily educational, but we also do community service.”

T h e o r i g i n a l M i n i

Mustangs are now in mid-dle school and high school. “They’re not so mini any more, but that’s still our name,” Bandzes said.

The club has since relo-cated to Chester, but still con-sists of mostly Durham and Middlefield members. The food drive has been a part of the Mini Mustangs’ com-munity service through the years. According to Bandzes the original event involved a trail ride and a door to door collection with horses, but that was not the most con-venient method. Then the event, called “Riding for Rudolph,” became station-ary, first on the Middlefield town green and for the last

two years on Durham’s town green.

At this year’s food drive, one horse was dressed up as Rudolph and another as Rudolph’s helper and resi-dents could meet, pet and get pictures with the horses while making a donation to Help Willy’s Friends.

“They’re a good group of kids,” said Mark Paturzo, founder of Help Willy’s Friends. “They do it for us every year and the locals kind of know after a while and will come down with food and supplies or cash.”

“We’ve been helping shel-ters and rescue groups for

Mini Mustangs help Willy’s FriendsBy Mark DionneTown Times

See Mustangs / Page 4

A2 Friday, January 10, 2014 Town Times | towntimes.com

The razzle dazzle of the holidays is behind us, and now it’s time to settle down for that “long winter’s nap.”

For some, that means de-pression; fatigue; irritability; trouble concentrating; in-somnia; and overeating, es-pecially of carbohydrates, and its associated weight gain. It’s called seasonal af-fective disorder — often re-ferred to by its apt acronym SAD. The syndrome is a result of chemical changes in the body brought on by winter’s decreased sunlight. Research on the topic reveals that in this country SAD oc-curs in about five percent of adults, with up to 20 percent of people having some symp-toms of the condition, with an increase in incidence in people who live farther away from the equator. Relief can be found through such things as the use of light boxes, ex-ercise, a healthy diet, and supplements.

But many folks do not suf-fer from SAD and, in fact, find that winter comes bearing gifts. Others are ambivalent or, at the least, not exactly enthusiastic.

Town Times recently spoke to a few locals, to get their opinion on this oft-ma-ligned season.

Holly Pearce-Bisson: “I don’t like winter as much as I used to. I loved it when I had my Siberian Huskies and I would go dog sledding, but

I don’t have them anymore. Winters are hard because I lose business, and I have to shovel three houses – mine, my parents because they go to Florida for the winter, and the house where I have my hair salon. During the winter I do puzzles, work on my in-come tax for April, and when I get real bored I ride along with my husband when he plows.”

Brenda Eddy: “The worst part is the lack of sunlight, but I really like winter be-cause I would rather put on layers of clothes than put up with the humidity; I’d rather be bundled up than sweating. And I’d rather shovel snow than rake leaves. Sometimes I make snow angels, and I en-joy looking out at the variety of wildlife that comes to my feeders. I love snow, the se-renity of it. But being stuck in your home is another thing. The storm we had last year with all that snow was scary. I don’t like feeling trapped, like I can’t get out of the house because of the snow. I felt like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.”

Karen Augeri: “Winter is my favorite season. It’s so beautiful after a snowfall, and I love going for a walk when it’s snowing. Even shoveling, when the sun is shining, can be pleasant. And though I love being outside, it’s also a great time to hibernate. It’s so cozy sitting by the fire.”

John West: “Winter is a good thing because it’s like a cleansing. I’ve always loved

Winter: We love, hate or endure it

These girls are loving winter. Alexandra and Elizabeth Nick, of Durham, were on the slopes recently for a day of skiing at the newly opened Powder Ridge. | (Submitted by Cindy Nick)

By Diana CarrSpecial to Town Times

the changing seasons in New England. I don’t mind the cold, as long as it’s in the 20s or above, but I don’t like the

snow. I call it white dirt. Over the years I’ve had to work in it and suffer in it. When it’s cold you can still do things,

but when there’s snow it’s hard to function. Any kind of work or project is hard, you can’t find things in the yard, you can’t work underneath your car, you have to shovel. I used to enjoy winter sports, but not so much anymore. Skiing is expensive, and I don’t want to fight the cold.”

Sharon Hall: “I just can’t wait until the spring. I don’t like the cold, the ice, the snow. I don’t mind win-ter around the holidays, for about a month, but that’s it. Then it can leave.”

Middlesex Dance Center has scheduled an American Academy of Ballet Performance Award event for Friday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m., at the Church of St. Coleman, Middlefield. The event is open to the public.

Dancers will perform a series of prescribed port de bras, ad-age, allegro and pirouette com-binations as well as short solo dances.

Admission is a donation for the local food bank or a local animal shelter.

Dance performance

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Town Times | towntimes.com Friday, January 10, 2014 A3

What’s worse than having your loved one die in a car accident? Having neighbors call crying that they saw your truck on the news and it was reported the driver was killed in-stantly only to be told by law enforcement they can’t respond to your inquiries at this time—or even in a few hours. This is the pain-ful predicament our family was in last week when our son died.

Unfortunately in talking with people who deal with these sit-

uations our experience is not out of the ordi-nary. It is imperative that local law enforce-ment and local news crews reach a better balance between the families’ need to know about their loved ones’ deaths first and the public’s need to know about tragic events.

When Austin drove across someone’s lawn and into a tree, the only information the pub-lic needed to know immediately was that the roads in that area were tem-

porarily closed. The news crew could have shown a far away shot of the accident scene until we were notified but instead they chose to zoom in on the back of our truck which showed unique decals (which they may not have realized we add-ed) but which imme-diately alerted close friends of the tragedy. Viewing the video on-line ourselves we were also able to pause it and view the interior of our vehicle—all this before we had been officially informed of son’s death!

We are calling on news agencies to report only vague information un-til the family has been notified. Local law enforcement and first responders should not have to work under tarps to accomplish this. It’s up to the news crews to use common sense and be sensitive to what is going on. By all means brag that you were the first news crew on the scene, the first to report the trag-edy, but don’t inad-vertently also be the first to tell loved ones by showing a close up

photo of the scene be-fore the family even knows what’s going on. Wouldn’t you want things to be handled that way if it were your family member who had died?

We have been told it was obvious even to non- medical person-nel who were first at the scene that Austin had died instantly in the crash.

Law enforcement has policies and procedures in place to ensure these things are handled properly, including the

fact that only the State Medical Ex-aminer’s office is authorized to pro-cess the deceased.

This means officers at the scene had to wait for them to arrive and do their part before Austin’s identity could be confirmed. No de-cent law enforcement official would want to inform us our son was dead if it wasn’t actu-ally him driving!

The media needs to follow standards of decency and decorum and let the law enforce-ment or medical pro-fessionals with special training inform fami-lies of their loved ones’ deaths. Getting the scoop while inflicting pain and suffering on friends and family and putting public servants in an untenable posi-tion is not acceptable.

What’s better than celebrating the life of your loved one with a group of family and friends? Celebrating it with more than a thou-sand people because you live, work and vol-unteer in a wonderful community that rallies around those in their time of need!

On Tuesday, December 31st we held a memo-rial service for our son, Austin, who died in a truck accident the day after Christmas. We had planned calling hours from 11am to 1pm, a service at 1:00,

and a reception im-mediately afterward all at Fellowship Church in Middletown, CT where we have a won-derful church family.

Amazingly, at about 1:15 the sanctuary, cof-fee bar area and foy-er were packed with people, many of them standing, and there were still hundreds of folks outside in frigid temperatures in a line that stretched down the hill and all the way to the main road when the ushers had to close the doors so we could start the service!

In the receiving line, we were blessed with so many kind words one-on-one and during the service many folks came forward and shared with everyone special thoughts about Austin. It was a privi-lege to share the reason for the hope within us and how because of the death and resur-rection of Jesus Christ we know we will see Austin again someday when we get to join him in heaven. Many people liked Austin’s stylized drawing of the word hope which

we used on the pro-gram and some have already had it tattooed on themselves in his honor!

More than one person shared with us that this was the first memorial service they felt better after than before and we hope others will be blessed as well as we are working on up-loading the video to the internet so those who missed it may watch. We had originally vid-eotaped the service so Austin’s friend, Dave, could watch it while he recovers from the acci-

dent in the hospital but this will allow others to have the opportunity as well.

We are so blessed to be part of a commu-nity of wonderful people who care

about others. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your love, prayers and support as we keep on keeping on after losing our precious Austin. From a wave, smile, and kind word, to a dish of food, trip to the transfer station and help shoveling, to flowers, plants and fruit baskets, to count-less hugs, cards and prayers we have been overwhelmed by your love and support!

Neighbors are plan-ning a memorial at the

site of Austin’s Eagle project at the Coe Hill Sanctuary on School Street in Middlefield, the Vinal Technical High School PFO is collecting donations for a memorial project there and this Saturday, January 11th at 10 am there will be a drive in Austin’s honor from Vinal Technical High School to Hammona-sett State Park. The $10 donation made by each driver will go to a memorial in Austin’s honor.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing us to Middle-field where we could experience such a won-derful home town in good times and in bad.

Love and God bless, Jim, Paula & Emery

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Mustangs

seven years now,” Paturzo said. “We’ve helped nearly 200 shelters and organiza-tions since our inception.”

Paturzo expressed ap-preciation for the dedica-tion and generosity of the Mini Mustangs and the community.

Paturzo said that the food has already been distrib-uted. Because of spoilage potential, donated food has to be turned over quickly. Monetary donations give the organizations flexibility to help animals. One of the needs that is not always met in food drives is cat food, Paturzo said, which can go both to shelter’s and to help feed homeless cats. Noting the increase in demands and the increase in donations to Help Willy’s Friends, Paturzo

From Page 1

Above, members of the Mini Mustang gang came to Durham recently to raise money for animals in need. Below, horses eat hay and otherwise make themselves at home on the town green. |(Submitted photos.)

Making friends was all part of the fun during a holiday fundraiser to benefit Help Willie’s Friends.

said that the next goal for his organization is a permanent warehouse.

The largest event for Help Willy’s Friends, the annual pet fair, also involves the Mini Mustangs. In the past the horse group has set up a table at the fair and while they did their own fundrais-ing, they collected donations

for Help Willy’s Friends.“We try to do something

nice for each other,” Paturzo said.

According to Bandzes, the Mini Mustangs and Riding for Rudolph get bigger ev-ery year. The group plans to continue their community service and their association with Help Willy’s Friends.

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SeniorsHappenings

The Senior Center is ex-ploring the possibility of starting a TOPS group that will meet during the day.

A meeting to discuss the topic is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. TOPS “Taking Off Pounds Sensibly” is a weight loss support group. Yearly fees are charged.

60+ ClubThe 60+ Club is scheduled

to meet Monday, Jan. 13, 1:30 p.m., at the Durham Activity Center, 350 Main St. A blood pressure clinic and Bingo is planned. New members are welcome.

Volunteer opportunity

The Middlefield Senior Center is looking for volun-teer servers for the lunch program. Lunch is served Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon. Volunteers usually work in pairs (single persons will be paired with

another volunteer) for ap-proximately two and a half hours.

Training and instruction is provided.

For more information and to volunteer, call the Senior Center at (860) 349-7121.

ScrabbleThe Middlefield Senior

Center has a Scrabble game. An interested person is look-ing for a Scrabble partner. For more information, call (860) 349-7121.

Middlefield/Durham Senior Bus

The Senior Center has a 17 passenger bus that transports seniors to out of county doc-tors’ appointments and twice a week trips. The bus is free; participants pay for their lunch. To reserve a spot on the bus, call (860) 347-5661.

For more information, call the Senior Center at (860) 349-7121.

Dial-A-Ride

Dial-A-Ride will transport seniors to doctor appoint-ments within Middlesex County. It is necessary to be registered with Dial-A-Ride.

A fee is charged. The Dial-A-Ride service operates Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Dial-A-Ride (MAT) at (860) 347-3313.

Office hours and senior lunch

The Senior Center office hours are Monday-Friday, 9

a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at noon. Make a reservation at least one day in advance, by visiting the Senior Center or call (860) 349-7121.

Senior Center Programs

The Senior Center offers a knitting group, a card group, a bridge group, an exercise group, a yoga group.

AARP tax aideAARP offers free tax-aide

to Durham and Middlefield low and moderate income taxpayers, especially those 60 and older.

The program is sched-uled for Feb. 4 through April 7, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Middlefield Community Center, 405 Main St., by appointment.

If tax counselors do not have adequate knowledge or a return is too complex, par-ticipants may need to seek another qualified counselor or paid tax assistance.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Joan at (860) 349-7121.

Please keep your eye out for this little guy. I knew something was wrong by dark. He never stays out long...

His big sister and our family are devastated. Simon is the one on the left. His black face has almost completely filled in since this picture was taken a month or so ago. He is very friendly! Lovable and Vocal! Please call me anytime 24/7 at 860-301-7723 if you have seen him or

have any other info –Thank you for reading this!

Beth Grant

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Schools

School reconfiguration a lengthy process

For many Durham and Middlefield residents, two workshops conducted by the architectural and educa-tion planning firm Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. drove home the potential of school closings within the district.

At those meetings, held Oct. 29 and Dec. 11, as well as at the Dec. 18 Board of Education meeting, the pub-lic responded to the situa-tion with opinions as well as questions.

Members of DRA and the BOE have emphasized that no decisions have been made and that new options will be introduced based on feedback.

“We’re at the very begin-ning of the process,” said BOE

chair Kerrie Flanagan at the panel’s Dec. 18 meeting. Her statement echoed words from DRA’s Jim Barrett, at the Dec. 11 workshop. He said, “We’re still early on in the process.”

Speaking to the Town Times, Bob Fulton, chair of the Education Resources Committee and the ad-hoc School Utilization Review Committee, said that the early meetings were designed to create a “widely cast net of options” and stimulate discussion.

The first options were revealed on Dec. 11 and involved closing Korn Elementary School, Lyman Elementary School , or Memorial Middle School, either singularly or in some combination. Those config-urations maintained both the Integrated Day Program and

the Contemporary Program but housed them in the same buildings, a characteristic that drew negative feedback from some parents.

Those Dec. 11 ideas can be seen by using the “Facilities Utilization Study” link at the top of RSD 13’s web page.

A third public work-shop will take place later in January. According to Fulton, the BOE will meet with DRA on Jan. 16 and schedule the workshop, so it will take place after that date.

Fulton said he expects the future meetings to produce “a further refinement” of op-tions with “practical implica-tions.” The BOE will have to consider implications such as costs and savings, disrup-tion to the schools, timing, educational results, and ad-aptation to curriculum and

By Mark DionneTown Times

technological changes.“I think the most that we

can expect from that is a nar-rowing down to a few options because, really, each option is going to require a lot of work,” said Flanagan at the Dec. 18 BOE meeting. “The board will not be taking ac-tion for next year’s budget.”

Timing of the potential re-configuration is one of the questions parents have asked.

Barrett presented demo-graphic predictions to de-scribe the district’s situation and used the school year 2016-2017 as his example. According to Barrett, without reconfiguration in 2016 Strong School will have 271 students in a building with a capacity of over 480 students. Also according to the 2016 pro-jections, Memorial Middle School will hold 278 students with a 368 capacity while Coginchaug Regional High School will have 539 students in a 652 capacity building.

At the elementary level, the projections have Brewster Elementary School (ca-pacity 242) at 191 and Korn Elementary School (capacity 176) at 131. Lyman Elementary School (capacity 268) is pro-jected to be closest to its ca-pacity with 253 students.

This stage of the reconfig-uration will end when DRA presents the BOE with what is expected to be several op-tions. Then the board will have to begin what Fulton describes as “a deliberative process” involving public input and consultation with administration. Any changes, Fulton said, will also have to take into consideration the district’s new evalua-

tion and budget processes, as well as implementation of the Common Core State Standards.

“When do you vote on all this?” John Kelly asked the BOE on Dec. 18.

According to Flanagan, there is no set date for the process and a timetable will depend on the number and complexity of the viable op-tions. “It’s not an easy thing to look at. We have a lot of information to gather and the first step is to get all of the people’s opinions on the table and get all the options ... there will be some [options] that will be obviously ruled out and the ones that remain will require a lot further in-vestigation for the board to be able to make a decision.”

There is no vote sched-uled to approve anything at this date and the author-ity to make the changes will likely result in different votes. Managerial changes, such as programming changes, can be made with a vote of BOE members. Significant changes are likely to have an impact on the budget, which is voted on annually by members of the public.

Substantial construction could require bonding put to a public referendum for approval.

Without the plans in hand, approval of those plans is even further down the road. According to Fulton, in other districts significant renova-tion follows a three to five year process from inception to creation. “You have to plan it well in advance and the fur-ther in advance you are the less certain it is.”

The Healthy Family Funfest is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 23, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Aqua Turf Club, 556 Mulberry St., Plantsville.

Admission is free. The event includes health informa-tion, speakers, screenings, demonstrations, and activities for everyone, from children to seniors.

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Parents of children living in Durham and Middlefield who will be 5-years-old on or be-fore Jan. 1, 2015 must register them to attend kindergarten in September 2014 or apply for a waiver of attendance. In Regional District #13, chil-dren may attend kindergarten in either the Contemporary Program or the Integrated Day Program. Parents need to choose the appropriate program for their child prior to kindergarten registration. School visits and informa-tion available at the schools will assist parents in making their choice.

T h e C o n t e m p o r a r y Program serves children in grades K-4 and is housed at Brewster School for grades K-2 and at Korn School for grades 3 and 4. The Integrated Day program serves students in grades K-4 at John Lyman School. While the two pro-grams share many similar-ities, they also have some distinctive differences that must be considered when de-ciding which program is best for each child.

The best way to under-stand the differences between

the programs is to visit both programs. The district urges prospective parents to visit all three schools and to view at least one classroom at ev-ery grade level. Only by visit-ing can you get the true flavor of the three schools and the two instructional programs.

Parents may visit the schools now through Jan. 31 to observe classes and to dis-cuss any specific questions or concerns.

Visits, which are designed for adults, should be sched-uled ahead of time to allow for optimum opportunities to observe the programs. Appointments to visit can be made by calling the individ-ual schools. Parents may call Lyman School at(*60) 349-7240 to visit the Integrated Day Program. To visit the Contemporary Program, call Brewster School at (860) 349-7227 and Korn School at (860) 349-7210.

Once parents have vis-ited both programs, they will need to make a deci-sion about the program for which they will be register-ing their child. According to Regional District #13 Board of Education policy, this de-cision must be made by Feb. 1. Any child not registered in a

RSD #13 announces kindergarten registration and visits

specific program by that date may not be able to attend the program chosen by his/her parents(s). Scheduling an ap-pointment for kindergarten registration confirms pro-gram choice.

Kindergarten registration for the 2014-2015 school year will take place Monday, Feb. 3 through Wednesday, Feb 5.

Appointments will be available between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily with hours extended to 6 p.m. on one evening. Parents wishing to register their child for the Contemporary Program should call Brewster School at (860) 349-7227 for an ap-pointment. To register a child for the Integrated Day pro-gram, please call John Lyman School at (860) 349-7240 for an appointment. Once the registration appointment has been made, the school will send a registration informa-tion packet. This informa-tion will include a residency form and questionnaire, a stu-dent information/emergency form, a school entry health questionnaire and a parent questionnaire, which should be completed and brought to registration along with a copy

of the child’s birth certificate. Please make sure that the res-idency form is completed in its entirety and notarized. If the family has a child already in district, the residency form is not required. Your child should attend the registration appointment with you.

Please share this informa-tion with others you may know who have children el-igible for kindergarten in the fall of 2014.

Any parent of an eligi-ble kindergarten child who wishes to hold his/her child out of school for another year must sign a form at the of-fice of the superintendent of schools.

Press release

ScholarshipRonald McDonald

House Charities of C o n n e c t i c u t a n d Western Massachusetts plans to award a total of $50,000 to 25 local high school seniors this aca-demic year through its scholarship program. Eligibility requirements for the RMHC scholar-ship are be eligible to enroll in and attend a two-or four-year college with a full course study and reside in a partici-pating area.

Scholarship recipi-ents will be selected on the basis of academic achievement, financial need and community involvement.

Applications are avail-able by calling 1-855-670-4787 or online at www.rmhc-ctma.org/scholar-ships. Deadline to apply is Jan. 21, 2014.

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Libraries offer hefty selection for winter reading

Trying to find ways to oc-cupy time during the cold winter months can be diffi-cult, but local library direc-tors have compiled a list of what they believe to be the season’s top picks for curling up and diving into a story.

“Winter is a great time to start reading a nice, long series,” said Southington Library Director Susan Smayda.

“The Burgess Boys”, by Pulitzer Prize-winning au-

By Julie Sopchak Special to Town Times

Covers for “12 Kinds of Ice” and “Song of Fire and Ice” wallpaper available for computer screens. | (Wikipedia)

thor Elizabeth Strout, is an adult fiction about siblings from a small town in Maine who run into some trou-ble. Readers soon discover a deep, dark secret within the family as the story unfolds.

“TransAtlantic”, by Colum McCann, is about voyagers who flew across the Atlantic Ocean. The flights are based on true events, but the author fictionally ties all of the pilots together through a family that was in the inner-work-ings somehow of each trip.

“Untethered Soul”, by Michael Singer, is a book that is part of a growing trend of mindfulness and meditation. This particular book helps readers to get in touch with their inner selves and dis-cover true inner peace.

“Team of Rivals”, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, puts a dif-ferent spin on the Civil War era by examining Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet members, which had a great rivalry amongst them.

In “Aloha Quilt”, by Jennifer Chiaverini, read-ers might be able to at least pretend they’re in warmer climates as the main charac-ter gets an opportunity to go to Hawaii and teach quilting rather than facing the winter months alone after a divorce.

But, if you want to stay in the cold, there’s “Twelve Kinds of Ice”, by Ellen Obed, which is a series of vignettes

written entirely about, you guessed it, ice. The book reveals the different types of ice seen throughout the winter.

Good reads for the younger audience include “First Light”, by Rebecca Stead, a young adult fiction about an expedition to a glacier, only to discover an entire civili-zation has been living under-neath it.

“A Song of Ice and Fire”, by George R.R. Martin, made popular by HBO series Game of Thrones. Originally planned as a trilogy, there are now five volumes with two more in the works.

“The Archy McNally” se-ries, by Lawrence Sanders and Vincent Lardo, follows Archibald “Archy” McNally through a series of light-hearted mysteries in Palm Beach.

“The Millennium Trilogy”, by Stieg Larsson, includes three books that follow Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest. The series is recommended for a mature audience.

Of course, this is just a small sample of what local libraries have to offer, and perhaps browsing through the shelves might be a good way to find a hidden gem.

Library Briefs

Durham Public

LibraryPrograms for Kids:Bouncing Babies (birth

to17 months). Mondays at 11 a.m. Drop in.

Mother Goose Storytime (18 to 30 months). Mondays at 10:15 a.m. Drop in.

Time for Tots (2 ½ to 3 ½ years). Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. Drop in.

Preschool Storytime (3 ½ to 5 years). Tuesdays at 10:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Drop in.

Bedtime Storytime (ages 2 to 5 years). Mondays at 6:30 p.m. Drop in.

Story Magic (Grades K to 2). Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Drop in.

Kids in the Kitchen (8 to 11 years). Wednesdays, Jan. 15 and 29, Feb. 5 and 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Observe, learn, try, saute, boil, bake, mix, fry taste, enjoy.

Games, Games, Games (Grades 3 to 5). Thursday, Jan. 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. Bring friends and test your skills at Apples to Apples, Sorry, Scrabble Jr., and other fun games. Drop in.

L u n c h B u n c h B o o k Discussion (Grades 4 to 6). Bring lunch; dessert pro-vided. Saturday, Jan. 18, at 12:30 p.m. Discuss “How to Steal a Dog” by Barbara O’Connor. Registrat ion

required.M a g i c S t o r y b o o k -

Fairy Stories (ages 4 to 8). Thursday, Jan. 30, 6:30 p.m. Act out fairy stories with music, props and scenery.

Programs for Young Adults:

Knitting Club (ages 10 to 18). Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. All levels welcome. No reg-istration, drop in.

After school movie (ages 13 to 18). Wednesday, Jan. 15, 3:30 p.m. Movie to be an-nounced. No registration, drop in.

Practice SAT test (high school students). Saturday, Jan. 18 , noon to 3 p.m. Prepare for the SAT by tak-ing a practice test. Register at the desk or call (860) 349-9544.

S top Mot ion Mov ie Making with Legos (ages 12 to 18). Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m. Learn to create a movie using the stop motion technique and Legos. Pizza and beverages provided. Register at the desk or call (860) 349-9544.

Program for adultsMystery Book Discussion.

Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Discuss “Child 44” by Tom Rob Smith. Copies of the book are available at the library.

See Library / Page 9

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Taste of Durham - A Community Party, Saturday, Feb. 1, 6 to 9 p.m. A fee is charged. Tickets are avail-able at the library. For more information , ca l l (860) 349-9544.

Levi E. Coe LibraryL i b r a r y h o u r s a r e :

Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Fridays.

The library is scheduled to be closed Monday, Jan. 20 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

ProgramSaturday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m.

- Meet Eric D. Lehman, author of “A History of Connecticut Food: A Proud

From Page 8 Tradit ion of Puddings , Cla mba kes & Stea med Cheeseburgers” and “A History of Connecticut Wine: Vineyard in Your Backyard” at the Levi E. Coe Library.

For more information and to register, call (860) 349-3857 or stop by the library.

Indulge in a little too much eggnog and cookies this hol-iday season? The New Year is a great time to consider adding some healthy hab-its into the daily routine. Maintaining good health doesn’t have to be hard. Experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute offer seven easy strategies that can help just about anyone get on the road to good health and pos-sibly help reduce cancer risk.

One: Get walkingStaying fit and healthy can

be as simple as going for a walk. According to stud-ies, people who exercise af-ter diagnosis of a number of common cancers, including colon and breast cancers, have a lower risk of cancer recurrence. “You don’t have to be a marathon runner, but the more you exercise, typ-ically the greater the ben-eficial effect,” says Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, Clinical Director of Dana-Farber’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Center.

A recent study showed that exercise can even help with joint pain related to a

common drug used to treat breast cancer. “Exercise has been shown to have so many benefits from maintaining weight to reducing fatigue to improving overall quality of life,” says Jennifer Ligibel, MD, a breast cancer special-ist in Dana-Farber’s Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer and senior author of the study.

Here are some inexpensive ways to work out, but always consult a doctor first.

- Using the stairs rather than an elevator.

- Walking or riding a bike rather than driving.

- Taking an exercise break or quick walk at work.

- Using a stationary bicy-cle or treadmill while watch-ing TV.

- Trying a new team sport.Two: Eating a rainbow

of colorNext trip to the grocery

store, skip the snack aisle and head straight to the store’s produce section. Taking that little detour to avoid processed sugar and fat can help reduce calories and provide many healthy bene-fits. Focusing on a diet high in fruits and vegetables will increase antioxidants and

Seven easy steps to a healthy New Year

Getting outside for a walk will help you stay fit and connect with friends and neighbors. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.

Press release

is one of the simplest ways to help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of certain cancers.

The goal is to eat colorful produce like carrots, pome-granates, tomatoes, grapes, squash, eggplant, berries, and broccoli. The brighter and richer the pigment, the

higher the level of nutrients.“In the nutrition world, we

like to say if it comes from the ground and it stains your shirt, you want to be eat-ing it,” says Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN, a nu-tritionist at Dana-Farber.

Kennedy also says drink plenty of water and try to limit red meat. She and her

Dana-Farber nutrition col-leagues offer a wealth of information and recipes on Dana-Farber’s nutrition website and Dana-Farber’s free nutrition app, Ask the Nutritionist: Recipes for Fighting Cancer.

Three: Skip that cocktail

See Healthy / Page 20

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P.O. Box 265, Middlefield, CT 06455www.towntimes.com

News (860) 349-8000 [email protected] (203) 317-2313 [email protected] (203) 639-0210Marketplace (877) 238-1953 (toll-free)

Town Times is published every Friday by the Record-Journal Publishing Co. and delivered to all homes and businesses in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall.

Executive Vice President and Assistant Publisher – Liz WhiteSenior Vice President of Operations

and Major Accounts – Michael F. KillianSenior Vice President and Editor – Ralph TomaselliNews Editor – Olivia L. LawrenceAssistant News Editor – Nick CarrollReporter – Mark DionneAdvertising Director – Kimberley E. Boath Advertising Sales – Joy BooneOffice Assistant, Press Releases – Marsha Pomponio

OpinionCommentary

Ta k i n g d ow n t h e Christmas tree is consid-ered by most to be a nasty, messy chore, taking far too much time out of the end of a busy season.

For me, it’s a joyous time of reminiscence. Each piece that I remove holds a pre-cious memory.

You see, my tree is not pre-lit or pre-decorated, nor mono- or duo-tone, strewn with beautiful wired ribbons. There is no uniform color scheme or theme of vacations, animals or world historic places.

As I take off each trea-sured item, I hold in my hand the history of my life with my husband since our marriage 38 years ago.

The green plastic stars and the blue popcorn ball represent the very first year, when we had noth-ing – no money, no time, and no past together. We trekked to a local discount store and scooped up what nobody else wanted.

I’ve been a school mu-sic teacher, a church or-ganist and a piano teacher for a zillion years, and have been thanked with a knitted mouse playing a golden pi-ano, a violin with bow, mul-tiple horns, notes and a few music scrolls.

Then came the children. Baby’s first Christmas, the gold-sprayed macaroni on cardboard, the wooden cutout star hand painted in preschool, the wreaths with old Christmas cards from Sunday school, the Popsicle stick reindeer and oh, so much more. Each is a precious memory from a time long past.

My mother-in-law’s photo from 1985 is embed-ded in a plastic tree. She added ornaments to many of her Christmas breads and after all these years, various angels, cherubs and drummers remain.

This year one ornament wiggled with every vibra-tion in the room. Dave’s cousin saw it and remarked, “What a cute little rein-deer!” She had forgotten that she attached it to her annual gift of homemade cookies just last year.

There are a few historic items as well. My great-aunt long ago gave me her German hand-blown glass beads, hand-strung on very old, weak and yel-lowed string. I broke only two beads this year. Auntie Fran’s red heart that was quite new hangs near her WWII-era bell, blue paint flaking off and most of the glitter long gone. Mom’s p ink-str iped pointed glass oval brings back my childhood.

The funniest is a blue glass piece about 12-inches long, curled like the toes of Aladdin’s shoes. I picked it out of a dumpster when a neighboring office was closing. I thought it was beautiful then, and still do. It is stored as lovingly and carefully as all the rest.

The lights are now off, the needles are vacuumed, the boxes are stowed in the corner of the cellar. All is calm all is bright – in my mind, awaiting next year and the revealing again of distant and new memories of love and life.

Susan Zoni is a life-long Southington resident and an employee of the Record-Journal.

Post-Christmas chore evokes lifelong memoriesBy Susan J. ZoniSpecial to Town Times

Letters to the Editor

Real peaceTo the editor:In response to Pastor Roy’s

thoughtful essay on religion, patriotism and peace, I offer these observations:

If organized religion is to survive, it must resolve its chronic schizophrenic view of war.

War is wrong, period. There is no just or honest war. Killing others is barbaric.

Revisionist history shows that most, if not all, major wars were triggered by false-flag “terrorist attacks,” which are inside jobs. 9/11 is no ex-ception — begin with the “Project for a New American Century” written 20 years ago and then look at all the scientific and video evidence.

Suicides now outnumber casualties as military men and women realize they have sold their bodies and minds to empire builders. And when they retire ill and dis-membered, their care is woe-fully lacking.

“ Pe a ce m a ke rs ” f ro m Afghanistan to Zimbabwe are really invaders to steal re-sources and conquer natives.

Join many others in pray-ing that each soldier and each citizen have a change of heart, lay down their weapons and

come home. We cannot wait. Old ways have never

worked because they’re based on fear. We and our children cannot continue to be “canon fodder.”

Each of us can usher in the kingdom of heaven by releas-ing outmoded beliefs, open-ing our hearts to love-based, cooperative living, and re-specting each other and our beautiful planet. That would bring a real and lasting peace.

Sue McIntosh, M.D.Durham

Wishes fulfilledTo the editor:I write to extend my sin-

cere thanks and gratitude to those people who so gen-erously contributed to the 19th annual holiday gift drive sponsored by the Probate Court.

This year, gifts were dis-tributed to residents of four health care facilities: Water’s Edge Health & Rehab Center, Apple Rehab and Middlesex Health Care in Middletown and Aurora Senior Living in Cromwell.

Gift “wish lists” were pro-vided to the court by the staff and residents of the four fa-cilities. I am pleased to re-

port that the “wish lists” of over 125 people were met. I would particularly to thank the many local attorneys who participated.

A special thanks to my clerks for their tireless efforts in coordinating this wonder-ful event.

Joseph D. MarinoProbate Judge

Middletown District

Government Meetings

( U n l e s s o t h e r w i s e indicated, all meetings are held in the Durham Library. Check the town website at www.townofdurhamct.org for updates.)

Monday, Jan. 13Town meeting, Town Hall,

8 p.m.Tuesday, Jan. 14

Conservation Commission, Library, 7 p.m.

Library Board of Trustees, Library, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 15Planning & Zoning, Library, 7:30 p.m.Thursday, Jan. 16

DMIAAB, Middlefield Community Center, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 21Board of Selectman

Budget Meeting, Town Hall, 5 p.m.

Town Green Tree Design Committee, Library, 6 p.m.

Board of Finance, Town Hall, 6 :30 p.m.

Agriculture Commission, Town Hall, 7 p.m.Wednesday, Jan. 22Senior Citizen Board,

Durham Activity Center,1 p.m.

Joint Board & Commission Meeting, Town Hall, 7 p.m.

Board of Education, Memorial School, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 27Board of Selectman

budget meeting, Town Hall, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 28Ethic’s Commission, Town

Hall, 7 p.m.

Find us on the Web: www.towntimes.com


One of latest societal trends is the what I call the “electronic upgrade.”

While people have al-ways coveted the latest gadget, the frequency with which modern consum-ers upgrade to the new-est model as soon as it’s released has skyrocketed to an almost absurd level (Example: People camping out in front of stores).

Yes, most of us want the best of the best of the best, and many of us can afford it. So, whenever the next generation of the iP-hone comes out, or the lat-est Dell laptop is released, many of us want it.

Meanwhile, what hap-pens to the fully-func-tional devices that are suddenly slightly outdated?

I’m waiting for Pixar’s next film, featuring hand-held anthropomorphized gadgets, feeling like the characters in “Toy Story” when they’re neglected for the newer products.

I can see the sad face on the original iPod Nano’s screen, mournfully watch-ing from a shelf as its owner excitedly peels the clear plastic film off the newest model, the new one wearing a smug smirk. Smirking, that is, until it joins the other Nano on the shelf a few months later.

When a Blackberry croaks, when the iPod’s screen is accidentally shattered, when the phone will no longer make calls, when the laptop can’t charge, yes, then it’s a fair time to purchase a new model. But if you’re pouring coffee on your computer’s keyboard or

grinding your cell phone in a blender just to get the upgrade to the new-est advancement, that’s a problem.

It’s incredibly wasteful and unnecessary.

Of course, the compa-nies that sell these devices heartily encourage the fre-quent upgrades.

The birth of planned obsolescence, when man-ufacturers of the 1950s dis-covered that if they made their products to be de-cent rather than long-last-ing, people would have to buy replacements more quickly.

These days, we’re skipping over the step in which products break be-fore we trash them.

Considering the suf-fering in the world, I’m pretty ashamed to think about the encouraged trend of upgrading ex-pensive products when it’s unnecessary. The idea of needing a new tablet because the one you want has a slightly better reso-lution for clearer pictures is suggestive of being spoiled, particularly when there are people through-out the world who would simply like their drinking water to be clearer.

So what if your brand-new laptop can’t also be a tablet? So what if you have the disposable income to buy the next release? If your cell phone still works perfectly, keep using it.

At the very least, find a good use for your “used” electronic device: sell it, donate it, give it away to a friend, or repurpose it.

So, please, if you des-perately want the latest generation device, make sure your old device doesn’t have to fear incin-eration at the dump.

Commentary

Rethink throw-away cultureBy Andrea MeloneSpecial to Town Times


Winter weather isn’t just hazardous to people, it can be dangerous for pets, too. The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation offers key points to keep pets warm and safe.

During a storm, keep pets inside. A pet needs shelter and insulation from the cold. Cats and dogs may have fur coats, but they aren’t equipped to be out in freezing temperatures for long periods of time. Domesticated animals are not adapted to the cold like wolves or bobcats. A good rule of thumb - if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet.

If you absolutely must keep an animal outside, be certain it has an insulated shelter, access to plenty of fresh (not frozen) water and increase food to two times the normal serving. A pet’s energy requirements increase to maintain body temperature (for example, shivering) and those living in a very cold climate have a greater caloric need just to stay warm than the average dog that lives indoors.

When pets need to go outside during a storm, limit exposure and make sure dogs are leashed and

wearing an ID tag. During heavy snowfall, dogs can lose their scents and be-come lost. Dogs become lost during the winter more than any other time of the year.

Keep candles, heat lamps and space heaters away from pets, children and flamma-ble materials. Inspect any pet heating blankets or pads for frays and exposed wires and never leave a pet unat-tended with such a device.

Duraflame logs are actu-ally made of sawdust pulled together with wax. The two ingredients make an attractive snack for dogs. Ingestion will usually just cause mild gastric upset; however, the problem arises if the dog eats a big piece which could cause an intes-tinal obstruction. It’s best to leave these logs out of reach of pets.

After the storm, protect those paws. Ice and snow can easily collect between paw pads. Check paws pe-riodically, especially if they are limping or walking awk-wardly. Keep dogs off the ice and away from frozen bod-ies of water. Thin ice poses a danger for pets (and hu-mans). Even a walk on an icy sidewalk puts pets at risk of injuries like torn lig-aments and footpads.

Salt, antifreeze (ethylene

glycol) and chemical de-icers on roads and sidewalks are dangerous for pets. Dogs that lick their paws and fur and ingest these substances can become ill. Wipe paws, legs and stomach with a warm, wet washcloth af-ter walks and outdoor play. There are two “safer” chem-icals used in antifreeze in the United States, Sierra and LowTox. Just because they are considered safer does not mean they are non-toxic. For example, it would take only one teaspoon of ethylene glycol antifreeze to be deadly to a seven pound cat. It would take only a few ounces of the safer form to cause problems for larger animals.

Take extra care with puppies and older dogs, especially those with ar-thritis. Wet, cold weather can worsen arthritis symp-toms. Medical conditions, like diabetes, can affect a pet’s ability to regulate body temperatures. Never leave young, old or sick dogs out-side unattended at any time.

And, winter does not nec-essarily mean the end of bug season. Likewise, winter does not mean you should stop using heartworm or flea and tick prevention.

Submitted by The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation.

Keep pets safe from winter hazardsPress release

Avoid prolonged exposure to cold for your pets. Keep them warm and dry to protect their health and ensure their safety.


EMERALD CITY BOUND

The John Lyman Parents Association and PaperHouse Productions announced the casting of its 2013/2014 production of the “The Wizard of Oz.” Set to play the role of Dorothy are, from left: Yazmin DeJesus, Ellie Castiglia and Jordan Moore. Over 100 Durham and Middlefield students, from first to eighth grade, are scheduled to be part of the production, performing on April 25 and 26. | (Mark Dionne/Town Times)

Advertise in the Town Times!Call Joy Boone at 203-317-2313

Boy Scout Troop 270 of Durham has sched-uled its third annual Christmas tree removal fundraiser.

As a service to the community, scouts will pickup and dispose of resident’s Christmas trees on Saturday, Jan. 11.

D o n a t i o n s a r e appreciated.

To s c h e d u l e a p ickup, ca l l (860) 349-2370 or emai l [email protected].

Boy scouts to recycle trees

Durham Recreation has scheduled its Get Stitchy program for Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Durham Activity Center, 350 Main St.

Get Stitchy is an open sew event for quilters and sewers. Participants may work on projects in the company of other sewers, and exchange tips and ideas. Bring your project and sewing machine (including ex-tension cord.)

For more information and to to sign up, contact Pam Carey at (860) 349-0453 or [email protected] or Vicki Berry at (860) 343-0879 or [email protected].

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William Austin Mazo MIDDLEFIELD — William Austin Mazo, 19, of Mid-dlefield, beloved son of Dr. James E. Mazo III and Paula (Lynch) Mazo of Middlefield, died on Thursday, Dec. 26,

2013 due to injuries in an automobile acci-dent. He was born in Hartford and was a 2013 graduate of Vinal Technical High School in Middletown. Austin currently was an ap-prentice tool maker with Powerhold Inc. in Middlefield, having started working there his junior year through the Work Based Learning program at Vinal. He also earned the Eagle

Scout Award through Durham Troop 27 in 2012, designing a kiosk and parking lot for the Coe Hill Property on School Street in Middlefield; he won the state Skills USA Compe-tition in Precision Machining in 2013 and went on to rep-resent the state of Connecticut in the national Skills USA competition in Kansas City, Mo., where he placed 13th in his field. Austin enjoyed working on his Cummins truck, hanging with friends, and hunting and fishing with family, and was always there to help anyone who needed it. He had an infectious smile and his hugging arms will be sorely missed by all. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his brother, Emery Mazo, of Middlefield; maternal grandparents, Dr. William Austin Lynch, and his wife, Mary, of Wethersfield; paternal grandmother, Eleanor “Ellie” Mazo, of New Jer-sey; as well as his Auntie Margaret (Peg) Lynch, of Ashland, N.H.; Uncle Dan Lynch, and his wife, Margaret Seaman, of Telluride, Colo.; and his Auntie Jennifer (Mazo) Stilwell, and her husband, Ron, of Greenville, S.C.; and many extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his paternal grandfather, Dr. James E. Mazo Jr., in September of 2013. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 at 1 p.m. at the Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Rd., Middletown. Burial was at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, those who wish to may send memori-al contributions to the Vinal Technical High School Parent Faculty/Friends Organization, 60 Daniels St., Middletown, CT 06457. Biega Funeral Home had care of the arrangements. To share memories or express condolences online, please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.

Dane E. Monroe MIDDLETOWN — Dane Ethan Monroe, 56, of Mid-dletown, beloved husband of Jessie (Brockett) Monroe, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 31. 2013 at his home. Born in Hartford, he was the son of the late Lyle and Lu-cille (Higgins) Monroe. Dane, affectionately known as “The Bear”, had lived in Durham for most of his life before moving to Middletown in 2009. He was employed at New Ha-ven Savings Bank for many years. In his spare time, he enjoyed doing crossword puzzles in his “man shed”. His friendly disposition and generous nature made him a friend to many. Dane was always willing to lend a hand or help someone in need and was the epitome of self-lessness. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Timo-thy S. Monroe and his wife, Hollen, of Middletown; as well as three daughters, Savanna Derosier, of Mid-dletown; Victoria Derosier, of Middletown; and Amber Monroe, of East Windsor; and one granddaughter, Hannah-Lynn Goode. He is also survived by five broth-ers, Kerry Monroe, of Kill-ingworth; Lance Monroe, of Higganum; Scott Monroe, of Middletown; Shawn Mon-roe, of Haddam; and Kyle Monroe, of East Haddam; as well as their wives and sev-eral nieces and nephews. Dane was predeceased by a daughter, Tabbatha L. Derosier Monroe. In lieu of flowers, do-nations can be made in Dane’s memory to Make A Wish Foundation, 126 Mon-roe Turnpike, Trumbull, CT 06611; or to American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492. Graveside services will be private and at the conve-nience of the family. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.

Elizabeth (Simmons) Arrigoni MIDDLEFIELD — Eliza-beth “Betty” (Simmons) Ar-

rigoni, 85, of Middlefield, beloved wife of Charles Arrigoni, died p e a c e f u l l y sur rounded by her fami-ly on Friday,

Dec. 27, 2013 at her home. She was born in Middle-town, daughter of the late George and Marguerite (Smith) Simmons. Betty was a member of the St. Colman’s Ladies Guild, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Skippo Girls Club. Besides her husband, Betty is survived by her sons, Ray Arrigoni, of Middletown; Russell Arri-goni, of Middletown; and Robert Arrigoni and his wife, Kathy, of Virginia; her daughters, Nancy Miller and her husband, George, of Middlefield; and Cynthia Kindschi and her husband, Roger, of Killingworth; a brother, Robert Simmons of Middletown; nine grand-children, four great-grand-children and several niec-es and nephews. She was predeceased by her sis-ters, Dorothy Battersby, of California; and Madeline Combe of Middletown. Funeral Services were held Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 10 a.m. from Biega Fu-neral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown followed by an 11 a.m. Funeral Litur-gy at Notre Dame Church in Durham. Burial will be at the convenience of the family at the State Veter-ans’ Cemetery. Those who wish may send memorial contributions to Middlesex Hospice, 28 Crescent St., Middletown, CT 06457. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneral-home.com.

John Rossi DURHAM — John Rossi, 88, of Durham beloved husband of Evelyn (Seifert) Rossi died Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, at his home. John was born in Madi-son the son of the late Hen-ry and Gertrude Rossi. Prior to his retirement John was employed with Modular En-gineering as a sheet metal worker. He was a veteran of World War II serving with the U.S. Army. Besides his wife John is survived by two daughters, Lori Rossi, of Higganum, Diane Fotopoulos and her husband, James, of Florida; a son, James Rossi and his wife, Debbie, of Durham; a son-in-law, Greg Pytlik; five grandchildren; and sever-al nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by a daughter, Linda Pytlik; a brother, Frederick Rossi; and a sister, Barbara Weber. Funeral services were private. Burial with military honors was held at the State Veterans’ Cemetery. Those who wish may make memo-rial contributions to Middle-sex Hospice Home Care 51 Broad St., Middletown, CT 06457. To share memories or express condolences on-line please visit www.biega-funeralhome.com.

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All enrolled members of the Democratic Party of the Town of Durham are notified that, pursuant to the rules of the Democratic Party and state election laws, a caucus is scheduled for Jan. 14, at 8 p.m., at the Durham Activity Center, 350 Main St.

The purpose of the caucus is to endorse candidates for the Democratic Town Committee and to transact other business as may be proper to come before said caucus.

Democratic caucus

Durham resident and C o g i n c h a u g Re g i o n a l High School alum, Joanna Perricone was nervous when she first heard that her inter-viewer at Gateway Financial Services had discovered her hip hop music online.

But when David Wood, pres ident of Gateway Financial Partners sent her an email asking her to write and perform a rap about the company during her job in-terview, she accepted the challenge — and landed the job.

Prior to asking Perricone to come in for a first in-terview, the company’s Director of Marketing and Communications Shannon Berube and Creative Director Faith Zeller conducted a thorough Google search and discovered Perricone’s web-site (www.joannaperricone.com).

It was dedicated to pro-moting her original hip hop music, Perricone said.

After Berube asked her to elaborate on her musical in-terests, Perricone said, “I’m turning 50 shades of red right now.”

Perricone said that when she had searched herself online, she found that her LinkedIn account popped up first and that information about her hip hop music was buried several pages down.

Perricone said she was un-certain at first whether the request for a rapping inter-view was a joke or not.

It def initely wasn’t and “Dropping a Line and Landing a Corporate Job” can now be viewed on Gateway’s YouTube page.

The rap featured lines like “Confidently, I know I could add to your successes” and “I just marketed myself, so I know I’m your candidate.”

Perricone received a phone call with a job offer mere hours after performing the pitch.

Perricone said job com-petition is fierce and an in-

vitation to interview is a rarity. She cited high unemploy-ment rates, which the Department of Labor re-ported are h igher in Connecticut than the na-tional av-erage at 7.9 percent.

“It is a jungle out there. I had b e e n j o b hunting for f u l l t i m e employ-ment for a year and a half, so it was a big deal when Shannon emailed me. I knew the rap was a big risk, but it was one I was willing to take,” Perricone said.

Perricone initially thought the company might see her hip hop music as something that would count against her as a candidate. “I didn’t think of hip hop as some-thing you can openly talk about in a corporate envi-ronment,” she said.

However, Perricone was surprised to find out that her music was “a huge positive,” she said.

Is this a sign that corporate culture is becoming more re-laxed about employees who have public personal lives online? “Yeah, I think so,” Perricone said.

Perricone first developed an interest in rap music at age 15. She said she started off as a poet and became in-terested in beat poetry and rap through the HBO show Def Jam Poetry.

“For the most part, I identify as a clean artist,” Perricone said, However, some of her tracks, which can be found on YouTube

and SoundCloud, do contain strong language. Perricone said she is thoughtful about her use of language and that each instance of cuss-ing serves a specific artistic purpose.

Perricone joins Gateway Financial Partners as a mar-keting assistant. Previously, she worked from the SS&C SummerWind Performing Arts Center where she served as a development associate and operations manager. Prior to that po-sition, she was program co-ordinator for Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater. She is a magna cum laude graduate with a master of arts in arts administration and a bachelor of fine arts in theater.

Perricone released her f irst mixtape entit led, “Who is this Girl?”, under the independent music la-bel, “Connecticut People Records” in May 2013 . She is currently working on an E.P. titled, “The Wave Series”, scheduled for release in January 2014.

Drop a rhyme, land a corporate jobBy Charles KreutzkampTown Times

Joanna Perricone.

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StatePoint – Whether your home is on the market, or you plan to sell one day, knowing homebuyers’ pref-erences can help you make smart upgrades that will increase your home’s value and offer a great return on investment.

Luckily, a 2012 survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is giving savvy homeowners a clear look at what poten-tial buyers are looking for. Here are a few insights:

WindowsWhen it comes to win-

dows, energy efficiency is the prime consideration for consumers. ENERGY STAR rated windows, triple-pane insulating glass windows, and Low-E insulating glass windows are the three top “must haves” and “desir-able” types of windows among new and potential homebuyers, according to the NAHB survey.

With that in mind, when replacing your home’s windows, you’d be wise to look for those from an ENERGY STAR partner that’s committed to meet-ing the strict criteria of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For ex-ample, Simonton Windows has developed glass pack-ages for each climate zone -- Northern, North Central, South-Central and Southern -- which uti-lize insulating glass units to drastically reduce the transfer of heat and cold, as well as block ultraviolet rays.

As far as materials are concerned, opting for lower maintenance vinyl frames is a good bet, as survey re-sults from the study also show that vinyl framed windows are the leading preference for homebuyers for their low-maintenance features, durability and great insulating factors.

More information about ENERGY STAR quali-fied vinyl windows can be found at www.simonton.com/energystar.

StorageHomebuyers want great

storage features, like laundry rooms, linen closets, garage storage and walk-in pantries, says the NAHB survey.

If you don’t have these features or the budget to knock down walls or build additions, you can at least make the most of the storage you do have. Get organized and use easy-to-install closet systems that fit into your ex-isting closets. Doing so will put your home in the best light possible.

Entry DoorsHomebuyers want quality

and beauty in their doors and entryways, according to the NAHB study, and fiber-glass doors are gaining pop-ularity. It’s no wonder, since the door is the first thing anyone sees when entering a home and fiberglass doors are durable as well as aes-thetically pleasing.

With quality in mind, con-sider selecting a door with a complete system of compo-nents engineered to work to-gether and sourced from the same manufacturer. A door system designed to work together for lasting perfor-

Make your home appeal to buyers

Don’t make home upgrades blindly. By taking the pulse of homebuyers, you can ensure you get a great return on your investments.

mance, security and energy efficiency, such as Therma-Tru fiberglass doors, can withstand severe weather conditions along with day-to-day family activity. They also provide the home with strong protection from air and water infiltration.

Don’t forget to add some

beauty and detail to your entry door. Request decora-tive, clear or privacy door-lites and sidelites to reflect the personality and style of your home.

More information about updating your entry doors can be found at www.ThermaTru.com.



NOT SO BONNY BONE SPURSProjections that develop along the

edges of bones in the foot are known asbone spurs. Primarily caused by wear-and-tear, bone spurs may not be detectedfor years. Their specific location andpotential health threat determine howthey are treated. Tight ligamentsresulting from repetitive, impactfulactivities such as running, carryingexcessive weight, and wearing shoes thatdo not fit properly can result in bonespurs of the foot. To complicate thematter, tissue can build up over the bonespurs, resulting in calluses and corns. Asimple X-ray can identify and pinpointthe location of a bone spur. Treatmentcan range from icing and rest to the useof orthotics, injections, and possiblysurgical removal.

The components of the foot, ankle,and leg are designed to work together,sharing the tremendous pressures of day-to-day living. When they don’t workproperly, though, it can cause pain andother troubles for the rest of the body,and it’s time to get help. Our specializedcare and treatment can make animportant contribution to an individual’stotal health and well-being. AtAFFILIATED FOOT CARE CENTER,LLC, we offer comprehensive foot careby appointment. For treatment for a fullrange of foot problems, please call us foran appointment. Good foot health canenhance your daily existence andimprove your quality of life. Office hoursin Middlefield are Mon. 9-5, Wed. 3-7,and Fri. 9-5; Tues. & Thurs. 9-5 inWallingford. For our patients’convenience we offer on-site X-rays, anddiagnostic and therapeutic ultrasounds.

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HOW DO YOU DO? What is a podiatric surgeon? Working in hospitals and clinics, these surgical specialists are enlist-ed to perform surgeries on the feet, ankles, and in some cases, the low-er leg. To do so requires graduating from medical school and a residen-cy in podiatric surgery. Should the individual desire to specialize in particular surgical techniques, he or she may choose to participate in a fellowship. Reconstructions, cor-rections, and repairs are performed by them on a regular basis. They meet with their patients to discuss the condition or injury and to help educate them on their surgical op-tions, including what is entailed in the procedure, appropriate after-care, and anticipated result expec-tations. Podiatric surgeons may work independently or as part of a specialized team. Today’s column has been brought to you as a public service by the entire staff at AFFILIATED FOOT CARE CENTER, LLC. Of consider-able significance in caring for feet of any age, or any gender, is choosing the right podiatrist. Bearing in mind how much our feet do for us, the least we can do is to provide them with a comfortable environment, preventive care before problems occur, and professional care when they do. Comprehensive, compas-sionate footcare is available. For an appointment, please call us. Good foot health can enhance your daily existence and improve your quality of life. Office hours in Middlefield are Mon. 9-5, Wed. 3-7, and Fri. 9-5; Tues. & Thurs. 9-5 in Walling-ford. For our patients’ convenience we offer on-site X-rays, and diag-nostic and therapeutic ultrasounds.

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Letters Policy

- E-mail letters to [email protected], mail to 11 Crown St., Meriden, CT 06450 or fax to (203) 639-0210.

- Town Times will print only one letter per person each month. Letters should be approximately 300 words.We reserve the right to edit letters. Letters should be on topics of general interest to the community. We do not list names of people, organi-

zations and businesses being thanked.

- Names of businesses are not allowed. Letters must be signed and names will appear in print.

- Include a phone number so Town Times can contact you for verification.

- Letters must be submit-ted by 5 p.m. on Monday to be considered for publication on the following Friday.

The Town Clerk’s office has scheduled new hours of operation.

Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon.

Town clerk hours

CalendarFriday, Jan. 10

Square dance - The 4CF’s Square Dance Club has scheduled a dance for Friday, Jan. 10, 8 to 10 p.m., at Brewster School. Caller is Jim Schell; cuer is Sue Luc-ibello. For more information, call (860) 349-8084 or (860) 828-5978.

Casual bridge - The Durham Activity Center, 350 Main St., schedules casual bridge every Friday at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. For more information, call Jim Martinelli at (860) 346-6611.

Dance performance - Middlesex Dance Center has scheduled an American Academy of Ballet Perfor-mance Award event for Fri-day, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m., at the Church of St. Coleman, Mid-dlefield. The event is open to the public. Admission is a donation for the local food bank or local animal shelter.

Girls basketball - CRHS vs. Cromwell at CRHS, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 12Community supper- The

Notre Dame Church, 272 Main St., has scheduled a

free community supper for Sunday, Jan. 12, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the church hall. All are welcome.

Monday, Jan. 13Ham dinner - Boy Scout

Troop 16 has scheduled a ham dinner for Saturday, Jan. 16, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Third Congregational Church, 94 Minor St., Middletown. A fee is charged. Proceeds benefit scouts in need of camper-ships. The event includes a silent auction and scouting displays. For more informa-tion, call Bob Olenick at (860) 347-4208.

Boys basketball - CRHS vs. Haddam-Killingworth at CRHS, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 14Girls basketball - CRHS

vs. Haddam-Killingworth at CRHS, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 16Boys basketball - CRHS

vs. Old Lyme at Old Lyme, 7 p.m.

PET ADOPTION

Bessy and Blake are 7-months-old spayed female calicos. They love to play and be petted. Both have an inquisitive nature. They need an experienced cat person. They would rather not live with children and dogs. The pair needs to be adopted together by a patient person who will give them time to adjust and be comfortable in their new home. For more information, call (860) 344-9043,or [email protected].

Friday, Jan. 17Girls basketball - CRHS

vs. Old Lyme at Old Lyme, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 18Open house - Middlefield

Children’s Center, 390 Main St., has scheduled an open house for Saturday, Jan. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Monday, Jan. 20Girls basketball - CRHS

vs. Morgan at Morgan High School, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 21Boys basketball - CRHS

vs. Morgan at Morgan High School, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 23Girls basketball - CRHS

vs. Portland at CRHS, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24Boys basketball - CRHS

vs. Portland at CRHS, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 27Girls basketball - CRHS

vs. East Hampton at East Hampton, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 28Boys basketball - CRHS

vs. East Hampton at East Hampton, 7 p.m.


Masonicare has a state-of-the-art GI suite on its Wallingford campus that is open to the community. Partnering with Connecticut GI and Hartford Anesthesiology, we perform a wide variety of outpatient GI procedures including endoscopies and colonoscopies for adults 18 and over. We combine the latest technology with a personalized experience to help you recover privately and quickly. For more information, or if you have a referral, call 203-679-5902.

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The state’s 16 vocation-al-technical high schools could enroll many more stu-dents and open its vacant classrooms if the district had the money.

“It’s a reality we don’t have enough seats,” said Nivea L. Torres, the interim super-intendent of the 10,800-stu-dent district funded almost entirely by the state.

More than 6,000 stu-dents applied for the 3,000 available seats this past fall, which left hundreds of stu-dents across the state on waiting lists.

Torres said several shops remain empty this school year only because she doesn’t have the money.

“Unfortunately that’s not something in the means of our operating budget,” she told legislators on the Education, Higher Education, Labor committees last week. “There is capacity, but it takes more staff and money.”

While enrollment at the schools has remained steady over the last few years, the district that is almost en-tirely funded by the state has struggled to keep its teach-ing, maintenance and secu-rity staffing positions filled. The district reports it has 41 full-time jobs unfilled this school year, eight of which are teaching positions. State funding to cover the dis-trict’s operating expenses has remained largely level over the last several years.

The state’s Technical High School System began coming before legislators annually after a trio of events: news came out that students were learning on outdated equip-ment; there were reports that safety violations existed on most of the school buses that transport district students; and a district school had to close. This led to the passage

Funding cap slows growth of vo-tech schoolsBy Jacqueline Rabe Thomas© The Connecticut Mirror

of a new state law requiring an annual “assessment of the adequacy of resources” for the district.

That 2010 law also calls for more detailed informa-tion on the vo-tech district’s in an effort to enhance legis-lative oversight. Three years later, however, the district’s budget is back to being a sin-gle line item in the state bud-get, and the State Board of Education no longer receives monthly updates.

Rep. Roberta Wi l l is , co-chairwoman of the leg-islature’s Higher Education Committee, acknowledged the unlikelihood of an in-crease in state funding to open seats to more stu-dents. “Obviously that would take quite an amount of re-sources that you don’t have,” the Salisbury Democrat told

Torres.While previous years’ re-

ports were filled with details related to the schools’ fiscal health, this year’s report, by Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor, no informa-tion on the school district’s budget realities. It says: “Continued funding at the state level will be essential to the success of the trades/technologies in the manu-facturing cluster,” adding that a “paradigm shift” is re-quired to align the district’s program offerings with the state’s workforce needs.

This story originally ap-peared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, non-profit news organization cov-ering government, politics and public policy in the state.


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EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

Middlefield Housing Authority has openedits waiting list for Sugarloaf Terrace on1/1/14. Sugarloaf Terrace is a low-income,elderly and/or disabled housing complex.Applications are available for pick up onlyat the Housing Authority, 1 SugarloafTerrace in Rockfall. The waiting list willclose at day’s end on 1/15/14; applicationsmust be received by the Housing Authorityon or before 1/15/14. Applications will bedrawn randomly on 1/16/14 to be placed onthe waiting list.

We Do Business in Accordance Withthe Federal Fair Housing Law

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Town Times Business Service Directory

Commentary

A fall through ice is not nice How does that old say-

ing go? If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a minute and it will change.

That seems to be the case so far.

I know that many of my outdoor fishermen were re-ally getting ready for some ice-fishing with the cold snap that we just had. While it looks like we will have some more cold weather heading our way, there will also be some warm spells in between those cold days. This is not only having an effect on the ice-fishing, but also the local ski areas as well.

The last couple of win-ters have been rather “iffy” at best with ice on many lakes and ponds being extremely dangerous for anyone want-ing to get in some ice-fish-ing. Please, keep in mind that there is no fish worth dying for.

I can tell you this: You don’t have to worry about me be-ing the first one on the ice. But there are those foolhardy sports who just have to be the first one on the ice. I re-member talking to one fisher-man on Tyler Lake up in the Goshen area who told me he was “always” the first one on Tyler, even if he had to put down boards on the ice to keep from going through. I

simply shook my head in dis-belief and walked away.

Another time towards the end of the ice-fishing season, I was up in the Goshen area and stopped by Dog Pond. I could not believe my eyes as a couple of sports were walking around on the rapidly melting ice wearing PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices a.k.a. life jackets).

It made me wonder about their sanity. Sure, it’s great to be what you consider “safe,” but why even go on the ice if you think you are going to go through?

Have you ever gone through the ice? I have, and it is an ex-perience you will never for-get. I was only about 10-years

old when I went through the ice while skating on Morin’s Grove in South Meriden back in the ’40s. Luckily, one of the older kids, Eddie Revay, was there and saved my life by pulling me out of the frigid water.

That was a very scary ex-perience, one that I would not wish on anyone and also one that has made me very aware of traveling on safe ice.

Blue ice (usually clear) is always safer than slush ice, which is about 50 percent weaker than blue ice. There is a scale of sorts for ice users that was made with blue ice being the one the table was made for. The table states that one inch is unsafe for

By Mike RobertsSpecial to Town Times

Mike Roberts

Woods ‘n Water

humans, two inches one person on foot, 3 inches a group in single f ile, four inches a snowmobile or ATV, 7 inches a pas-senger car (2 tons) and 8 inches a light truck (2.5 tons).

Scale be damned. I “start” to feel safe on the ice with a minimum of four inches of ice, and here in Connecticut you are not allowed to drive a car or truck out on the ice. As for the two inches being safe for one person on foot, forgettaboutit! If the ice is only safe enough for one per-son where will the help come from if you fall through?

And speaking of falling through, think about this for a minute or two. If you go through the ice it will gener-ally be one of two ways. The ice will simply give way un-der you and you will be sub-merged in the freezing water and, if you are lucky (if you can call going through the ice “lucky”) you will pop up in the hole you went through and someone will help you out. In the second scenario (and this one is a nightmare) is that the ice will break like trap door, sending you into the freezing water and then the ice will resurface in the same hole that it broke from, trapping you under the ice with only a minute left in your life.

Sorry to sound so grue-some, but accidental deaths due to being careless are gruesome. This also brings to mind the thought that it is really safer to ice-fish with a buddy for safety’s sake.

T h a n k f u l ly, here i n Connecticut, they do not allow cars and trucks on the ice. Just because ice is deemed safe for one sport or another, especially ice-fish-ing, that does not mean that all of the ice is safe for ev-erything. If the body of wa-ter you are on has a current

See Fall / Page 19

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Fall

of any type going through it, this could result in unsafe ice.

Many years ago, I wit-nessed such a thing on Gardner Lake in Salem, Conn. A group of us had fished the northern end of the lake one weekend and had some exceptional fishing the entire day. The rest of the week had remained very cold and we looked forward to the coming weekend for another ice-fishing trip on Gardner.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived and saw that the area we were fishing on was now a small body of open water. No one has ever been able to explain what had transpired other than it might have been from the ac-tivities of some underground springs.

Regarding vehicles on the ice, New York State does al-low vehicles on some lakes and ponds, and on one of them the local Lions Club held a yearly ice-f ishing derby in February. The 10 inches of ice was deemed ac-ceptable for the derby, but the lake was covered with about a foot of snow.

A well-meaning sport who had just purchased a brand new pickup truck with a snowplow volunteered to go out on the ice and plow paths for fishermen to use on the day of the derby. Everything was going smoothly until, without warning, the truck broke through the sup-posedly safe ice and went to the bottom of the lake. Thankfully, the driver was pulled to safety, but the same cannot be said for his brand new truck.

Get the picture yet?Oh yeah, I know that some

of our readers will be read-ing this article thinking Roberts doesn’t know what he is talking about because they never had a problem on the ice. To them, I say good luck on all of your ice-fishing trips. I don’t tell you these things to keep you off the ice. I tell you about them to help keep you safe.

Looking out across a fro-zen surface of water, it is very easy to assume that the entire body of water is safe, but this is not always the case, and this is especially

From Page 18true if there is a covering of snow on the ice! The snow can act as an insulator, pre-venting the ice from becom-ing safer. Plus, it makes it harder to “read” the ice.

If you are the first one on a certain body of water, test the thickness of the ice by chopping or drilling holes as you make your way out on the ice. If the ice on the shoreline is cracked and squishy, stay off! And as I say this, I remember some of us laying old planks across these areas to get onto the ice. What were we thinking?

Expect ice around protrud-ing objects like rocks, bridge abutments and stumps, as well as pressure ridges, to be less safe. This also includes dark areas in snow-covered ice.

Let me say it again, “There is no fish worth dying for!”

Most Berlin residents are familiar with the town’s leaf collection program, but fewer know what hap-pens to leaves after they disappear from the curb.

T h e C o n n e c t i c u t Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has specific requirements for the disposal of leaves, which demand that leaves be composted because of the benefits to farm-ers, communities, and the environment.

According to DEEP, com-posting leaves decreases soil erosion and improves

soil nutrients. Leaves must be composted carefully to ensure that the resulting compost avoids carbon nitrate imbalances. One option DEEP allows, that the Town of Berlin takes advantage of, is to donate leaves to a locally-owned farming operation.

After Berlin’s Public Works collects leaves, they are sent to Coleman Farms in Middlefield where they are composted. Berlin’s Deputy Director of Public Works James Horbal ex-plained. This benefits Berlin in reducing disposal costs and eliminating the liability and expense asso-ciated with composting.

Middlefield compost operation is destination for Berlin leavesBy Charles KreutzkampTown Times

The Town Times welcomes submissions regarding upcoming community events.

These brief items run free of charge.

We do our best to run a submission at least one time, however, we can-not guarantee a submis-sion will be published on a specific date and con-tent may be edited.

Send submissions to [email protected] or contact Marsha at (203) 317-2256.

If you have specific re-quirements contact your sales representative at (203) 317-2313.

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Healthy

The holidays are a time of parties and cocktails but moving into the New Year try limiting alcohol con-sumption. Studies find that it may lower the risk of devel-oping some cancers. Dana-Farber researchers found that women who consume one alcoholic drink a day may increase their risk for breast cancer. “Women need to con-sider the possible effects of alcohol on breast cancer risk when weighing the risks and benefits of alcohol consump-tion,” says Wendy Chen, MD, PhD, a breast cancer expert in Dana-Farber’s Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers. “Our findings in-dicate that in some women, even modest levels of alco-hol consumption may elevate their risk of breast cancer.”

Four: It’s never too late

to quitQuitting smoking can be

very difficult but studies have shown that kicking the habit can result in a healthier lifestyle. And, if you’re try-ing to tighten your spending, it can also lead to a signifi-cant financial savings.

According to the American Cancer Society, smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. It also causes more than 80 percent of all cases of lung cancer and increases the risk of oral, throat, pancreatic, uterine, bladder, and kidney cancers.

“Quitting smoking can be an important first step but may also be one of the most difficult,” says Pasi Jänne, MD, PhD, director of Dana-Farber’s Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology. “It can take on average three times to quit. For those who have

tried and failed, it’s import-ant to pick another quit date and try again.” Jänne empha-sizes that it is never too late to quit. People who stop and remain nonsmokers for at least 10 to 20 years can cut their risk of developing lung cancer in half.

Here are some tips that may help:

- Plan the quit day. - Follow the four D’s: Deep

breaths, Drink lots of water, Do something to avoid focus-ing on cravings, Delay reach-ing for a cigarette – the urge will pass.

- Avoid triggers: Get rid of cigarettes, lighters, matches, and ashtrays.

Five: Go NutsA recent study involving

Dana-Farber researchers showed that people who ate a handful of nuts on a daily basis were 20 percent less likely to die from any cause

over a 30 year period. On top of that, the nut-eaters were more slender than those who did not eat nuts.

“The most obvious benefit was a reduction of 29 percent in deaths from heart disease – the major killer of people in America,” said Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Center at Dana-Farber and senior author of the study.

It did not seem to matter the type of nut. The results were similar for both pea-nuts and “tree nuts” – wal-nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, maca-damias, pecans, pistachios and pine nuts.

Six: Sunscreen ‘applies’ year round

Sunscreen shouldn’t be packed away after summer ends. Skin can be exposed to harmful rays all year long.

From Page 9

Snow, ice and water can all re-flect the ultraviolet (UV) ra-diation that causes sunburn, which, in turn increases the risk of developing skin can-cer. Some experts say winter sports enthusiasts can face just as much risk of getting sunburn as summer sunbath-ers. Dana-Farber experts re-mind to protect year round.

- Wear sunscreen, lip balm and makeup with an SPF of 15 or higher.

- Use UV-blocking eye pro-tection, especially for skiing.

- In a tropical setting, wear a broad brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

- Avoid excessive ex-posure to the sun, espe-cially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest.

Seven: Don’t forget your dentist

Visiting the dentist is not just about clean and healthy teeth. Dentists also are on the front lines of detecting cancer in the mouth and can spot pre-cancerous lesions that can develop from smok-ing or chewing tobacco. In addition to the increased risk of cancer, smoking and using tobacco can erode teeth and gums. “The treatment for this type of head and neck cancer can be a radical and deforming surgery,” warns Robert Haddad, MD, disease center leader of the Head and Neck Oncology Program at Dana-Farber. He stresses, “The changes in the cells never go away once they happen. So don’t start using tobacco and if you have, get help to stop.”

Submitted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston

The Notre Dame Church, 272 Main St., has scheduled a free commu-nity supper for Sunday, Jan. 12, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the church hall. Meal is prepared by the Knights of Columbus; desserts by the Church of the Epiphany. All are welcome.

Free community supper

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StatePoint – Today’s dietary guidelines rec-ommend that Americans consume more nutri-ent-rich foods that are low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol. Yet, few are meeting these goals. Unfortunately, roughly three-fourths of Americans need to improve their di-ets, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index.

Nutrient-dense foods provide plentiful nutrients with relatively few calories. Such foods include vegeta-bles, fruits, whole grains, low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, lean meats and seafood. Eating too few of these important foods can leave the body without enough valuable nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, po-tassium, or dietary fiber.

One food group in which Americans are falling short is low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults consume three serv-ings daily. Unfortunately, most people only get about half that amount, according to USDA data.

So why should we con-sume nutrient-dense foods like yogurt?

The American Society for Nutrition in collabo-ration with the Danone Institute International and The Nutrition Society in the United Kingdom is working with international nutrition and health experts to study the health effects of yogurt through a global initiative

Yogurt is a great food choiceYogurt is a nutrient-rich food choice for your diet.

called Yogurt in Nutrition Initiative for a balanced diet. As part of this effort, the initiative will exam-ine new and emerging data around the health effects of yogurt, spark research and share key scientific infor-mation with both the health care community and the public.

Rich in protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium and healthy bacteria, the already proven benefits of yogurt consumption include:

• A better diet: A recent study found that people who eat yogurt have higher in-takes of essential nutrients

See Yogurt / Page 23

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T h e C o g i n c h a u g Thunder sixth grade boys travel basketball team opened up play in the New Year with a 1-1 week-end, defeating Haddam-Killingworth, 40-25, then dropping a tough game to Old Saybrook, 42-25.

Nico Kulpik led the Thunder with 16 points on the weekend, while Blake Courchesne added

12. Derek Grant had seven, while Adam Copeland and Devin Geoghegan both had six points.

The boys played great team defense, and, as usual, played hard, hustled and played together.

U p c o m i n g g a m e s : Saturday, Jan. 11 vs . Portland at Strong school; Sunday, Jan. 12 vs. North Haven at Strong school.

Youth basketball: Thunder earn split

After a season-opening loss at Kolbe Cathedral, the Coginchaug girls had better success, with wins at Hale-Ray and Valley, and at home against Hyde and Granby Memorial.

On Dec. 20, the girls trav-eled to Hale-Ray, where they prevailed by a count of 48-35.

Morgan Kuehnle scored 11 to lead the way, with Naomi Rinaldo adding eight, Boo Luther seven and Kim Romanoff and Audrey Arcari six points apiece.

Kuehnle pulled in 10 re-

bounds for the double-double.Caryn Sibiskie had seven

boards.Romanoff led the team in

steals, with six, while Kuehnle had five takeaways.

Luther had a team-high five assists.

Coginchaug hosted Hyde Dec. 21 and came away with a convincing 55-25 win.

Kuehnle hauled in an im-pressive 21 rebounds in the rout.

On Dec. 23, the girls trav-eled to Valley Regional and produced a 45-35 win.

Sibiskie had a big game, grabbing seven rebounds and making five steals.

The Devils hosted Granby Memorial Dec. 28 and pre-vailed 46-33.

Romanoff led the way with 14 points. She added four as-sists and three steals.

Sibiskie (4 blocks, 3 re-bounds) and Rinaldo (3 as-sists) contributed eight points apiece, while Kuehnle had five points and five re-bounds, and Arcari added five rebounds, three steals and three points.

Hot stretch for Coginchaug girls


On Dec. 18, the Devils hosted the Howling Wolves of Hyde and came away with a loss, as Hyde scored the winning basket at the buzzer for a 46-44 victory.

Devin Rodr ig ue led Coginchaug with 13 points. Conor Doyle added 10 points. Cam Powers netted seven.

On Dec. 21, the boys trav-eled to Hale-Ray, where they defeated the Noises 58-46.

Rodrigue again led the Devils in scoring, with 19. Powers had 11, Doyle 10 and Alex Markoski nine points. Zach Terrill chipped in with seven for the victors.

On Dec. 23, the boys trav-elled to Windsor Locks where a solid effort saw them come away with a 58-47 win.

The Devils had what looked like a safe 47-25 lead, but over a four-minute span, they had eight turnovers, and

Blue Devil boys rebound from slow startBy Alan PeaseSpecial to Town TImes

See Hoops / Page 23

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Hoops

no attempts from the field, as Windsor Locks made it a 49-45 game with a 20-2 run.

But Coginchaug righted the ship over the final three minutes of action, going sev-en-for-12 from the line, and ending the game with a 9-2 spurt.

Rodrigue and Doyle had 18 points apiece and pulled down 12 and nine rebounds, respectively.

Markoski added 10 points. Terrill had seven points and seven rebounds.

Rodrigue led the team in assists, with four. Powers dished out three assists and had three steals.

Jack Granger had a team-high four steals.

From Page 22

Got sports?We’d love to print your

stories and photos.



Coginchaug Little League is accepting on-line registration for the spring 2014 season at www.coginahaugll.org.

An open house is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Middlefield Community Center, room 3. The event is open to all play-ers and parents who are signing up for the first time and would like more information about the organization.

Fees are charged for 5/6 year T-ball, Farm team and Minors/Majors programs.

For more in for -mat ion about the open house, contact Andy Kleczkowski at [email protected].

Coginchaug Little League

Yogurt

and better diets overall. From one good habit comes another.

• Easy digestion: If you’re lactose intolerant, yogurt offers a nutrient-dense, more easily digestible al-ternative to milk and other products that contain lactose.

• Weight manage-ment: As reported in the “New England Journal of Medicine,” consumption of yogurt, fruits, vegeta-bles and whole grains are associated with less weight

From Page 21

Durham Women’s Club is scheduled to meet Thursday, Jan. 16, at 6:30 p.m., at Gouveia Vineyards, Wallingford. The club is looking for new members.

For more information, contact Kim Tobin at (860) 788-6662 or email [email protected].

Durham Women’s Club

The Town Times welcomes news and scores from all sports leagues in Durham and Middlefield.

Send information and photos to: Town Times, 11 Crown St., Meriden, CT 06450 or email to [email protected].

To submit sports info

The Town Times welcomes your submissions! Please send your news, photos and letter to us at:

The Town Times, P.O. Box 265, Middlefield, CT [email protected]

gain over time, with yo-gurt showing the greatest association.

• Overall health: Consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, such as yogurt, is associated with a reduced risk of cardio-vascular disease and type 2 diabetes and lower blood pressure in adults.

From curries to parfaits, there are plenty of delicious ways to incorporate this nu-trient-rich food into meals and snacks.

For more information on the health effects of yogurt, visit www.nutrition.org/yogurt.

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Connecticut’s minimum wage increased to $8.70 per hour as of Jan. 1, according to state Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer. Previously, minimum wage was $8.25 an hour.

“This increase to $8.70 is the first part of a two-year increase in the mini-mum wage,” Palmer said.

“On Jan. 1, 2015, in accor-dance with Public Act 13-117, Connecticut’s minimum wage will increase to $9.00.”

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State’s minimum wage increased Jan. 1 Press release

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