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News Notes & Health Notes – vol. 7, issue 17
Riverton Grange News
The Riverton Grange meets on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Grange Hall on Route 20 in Riverton. Lecturer Dorothy O'Connor will present a program on the forget-me-not flower. Refreshments will be served by Sally Dewey and Virginia Butler.
The Grange is a community service organization. Presently, those who can sew are making patriotic pillows for the families of servicemen and women who have been called to duty to defend our country; chairing this project are Cindy Prelli and Fran Barber. Throughout the year, the Boy Scouts, the Riverton Church and other organizations use the Grange Hall for community functions.
The Grange is a family-oriented institution, and anyone is invited to join and become part of those working together in recognizing leadership abilities and encouraging individual talent.
Girl Scouts Celebrate 91st Anniversary
Celebrating 91 years, the Girl Scout Council of Northwestern CT has lots of service projects planned for Girl Scout Week, March 9-15.
Girl Scout Sunday, March 9 is celebrated with ecumenical services and masses throughout the Northwest Corner. Also scheduled on Sunday is the Girl Scouts' annual blood drive for the Red Cross, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Sullivan Senior Center in Torrington; blood donors may pre-schedule an appointment by calling the Girl Scout office at 860-482-4495.
During the week, troop birthday parties are planned with games and songs led by the girls. In preparation for Girl Scout Week, which also means the arrival of Girl Scout cookies, girls have been working on two projects. Troops were asked to think about those in need by collecting non-perishable food items and donating them to their local food pantry. Girls are also participating in an original Council program, "Girl Scouts–Reach for the Stars." This program encourages girls to identify and recognize women within our communities or in history who lead us to have a better life or to choose a particular career path. Girls learn that anything is possible.
Area residents are invited to join in the celebration in the county where Mrs. Constance Baillie Ripley of Litchfield, Juliette Gordon Low's friend, founded the second Girl Scout troop in America in 1912. One of every four girls in the 22-town Council area are Girl Scouts; there are over 2,700 registered girls in 300 troops with over 1,250 caring adult volunteers.
Today the Girl Scouts are taking the lead in helping young women become positive contributors to society. Career and life planning programs, activities that focus on contemporary issues, and an emphasis on girl-adult partnerships are helping Girl Scouts develop the values, self-confidence and leadership skills to make sound decisions about their lives and on issues that will affect everyone.
For more info call Deirdre H. DiCara, Executive Director of the Girl Scout Council of Northwestern CT, at 860-482-4495.
Free Adult Education Courses in Winsted
Foothills Adult & Continuing Education is offering free adult education classes at Hinsdale Elementary School in Winsted.
• English as a second language (ESL) classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• ESL Technology classes meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m., during which time you can learn English using a laptop computer. You must be registered in an ESL class to participate in this program. (The family with the best attendance will receive a free computer.)
• "On Common Ground" Civics classes meet on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Learn more about citizenship and U.S. studies.
All classes are free, and walk-ins are welcome. For more info call 800-300-4781, or 860-567-0863.
Money on Your Mind?
On Tuesday, March 11 at 2 p.m., Michael Ashe III, Account Vice President of UBS PaineWebber (Springfield office) will give a talk and answer questions about income: where does it come from, and where is it going? He will talk about personal fixed income investments and how they can be made to produce more income without getting into financial risk. The Salisbury Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will be the sponsor of this meeting, to which the public, as always, is invited. We will learn about CDs and where interest rates are going. (At the present time they have to go up or disappear!) The markets in fixed income instruments and in other investments remain volatile, so what should one do? You should not feel trapped into a plan set out a few years back, as banks and interest rates and exchange rates have been doing unexpected things.
Michael Ashe III planned early in life to be a professional hockey player, but many injuries and a family of his own changed his mind. He graduated from Clarkson University, where he majored in Business Management. He lives in Springfield with his wife and two children. He travels over the many roads and to the many cities and towns of New England representing the well-known financial firm of UBS PaineWebber. Following his talk on individual financial management he will answer your questions on finance. This is a topic of interest to us all in these times of turmoil, anxiety and daily worry.
The meeting will be held in the Community Room at Noble Horizons in Salisbury. Following the meeting, refreshments will be served by chapter members. The meeting and the refreshments are free of charge, as always, to those who attend.
Plant Scientist to Speak on Medicinal Herbs
"Herbs and Herbal Medicinal Remedies" will be the topic during the Torrington Community Garden's Winter Workshop on Tuesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services office, 1185 New Litchfield St. (Route 202) in Torrington. Usha Palaniswamy, Ph.D., M.Ed., a well known expert on the use of herbs for nutritional and medicinal purposes, will be the presenter. How to grow herbs, what to grow, what to use them for, and how to harvest and prepare them are among the topics for the evening.
Palaniswamy is a professor at the University of Connecticut's School of Allied Health and the Asian American Studies Institute. She has published widely in the field of dietetics and food crops, focusing on medicinal plants, functional foods and health practices in world cultures. Ms. Palaniswamy is Chair of the Tropical Horticultural Crops Working Group of the American Society for Horticultural Science, and a member of the Sub-Committee on Multicultural Health of Connecticut's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women.
This event is free and open to the public; space is limited, so reservations are recommended. For more info call Ann or Tom Bott at 860-485-0211.
Colebrook Potluck Dinner Lands Another Star Speaker
Colebrook's Senior & Community Center seems to be attracting some of the area's most interesting speakers and subject material at its potluck dinners this year.
The speaker for the next free potluck dinner, to be held on Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m., was captured before he could take flight on another of his adventurous worldwide tours. He's none other than one of our own Colebrook neighbors, Mr. Jesse Lewis, a former Washington Post foreign correspondent, U.S. diplomat, business executive, and local Historical Society president who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Mr. Lewis will present an exciting program on "The Lost Temples of Southeast Asia: The Ruins of Angkor." He first researched the mythology and architecture of the temples, which rival Egypt's pyramids and Greece's Acropolis, and then he visited them personally to get a firsthand view of their splendor. Mr. Lewis has said: "Of all the places I have visited, the temples at Angkor are the most spectacular and appealing I have ever seen."
During two trips in 2000 and 2001, Jesse took more than 3,000 photographs of which 160 images have been carefully selected for this narrated slide show. There is no question that you will be awed by this presentation, which will include views of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious structure, scenes of the Elephant Terrace, Preah Khan, Ta Prohm, Bayon and Banteay Srei, plus photos of the Cambodian people and how they live.
Everyone is welcome. Please make your reservation now by calling 860-738-9521 if you want to join with us on this marvelous excursion into Cambodian culture without leaving the comfort of our cozy Colebrook Senior & Community Center. You won't be sorry!
Fridays in Spring Seminar Series at Noble Horizons
"Fridays In Spring," a five-part seminar series featuring noted experts in long-term care insurance, Medicare, home elder care, the diagnosis and treatment of depression, and estate and financial planning will begin on Friday, March 14 and conclude on May 16. All sessions, which include a light supper, will meet from 5-7 p.m. at Noble Horizons, 17 Cobble Rd. (off Route 44) in Salisbury. The seminar series is offered to the public at no charge, but those planning to attend are asked make reservations by calling Sandy Gomez, Noble's Director of Community Relations, at 860-435-9851, ext 132.
The series will begin with author and former director of the Northwest Center for Family Service & Mental Health, Dr. Richard O'Connor, whose topic is "Depression: The Silent Epidemic," on March 14. Dr. O'Connor is in private practice in Canaan and New York City and is the author of two books on depression. He will review the warning signs of depression in individuals from youngsters to seniors, treatment and recovery, and the role of the family and the community.
The second session of the series will be presented on Friday, March 28 by David J. Guttchen, Director of both the Health and Human Services Unit of Connecticut's Office of Policy and Management and of the Connecticut Partnership for Long-Term Care, as well as chair of the Long-Term Planning Committee, a legislative and executive body charged with developing a long-term care plan for the state. He will review the advantages, risks, and cost of long-term care insurance and its use as a tool in an overall long-range plan.
The following seminar, on April 11, "Estate Planning: Strategies for Today and Tomorrow," will be jointly led by Frank Estes, an attorney and gift planning officer with the American Red Cross, and financial planner Bob Graef, president of Graef Financial Group of Tarrytown, NY. As part of an overview of this important topic, Mr. Estes and Mr. Graef will explain the lifetime benefits of estate planning and how charitable giving can enhance those benefits.
The April 25 session, "Solving the Medicare Puzzle," will help demystify this vital, but often confusing program. Its speaker, Sara Manning, is Director of Information and Assistance for the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging, where she oversees a number of programs and is the host of The Agency on Aging Presents, biweekly television and radio shows that reach an audience of 40,000.
The series will conclude on Friday, May 16 with "Family Care: How to Keep Your Sanity and Theirs," led by Kim L. Pernerewski, Director of Aging Resource Services for the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. In this capacity, she oversees the National Caregiver Support Program and the Statewide Respite Program. She will offer a wealth of helpful information for those who are caring for an elderly parent or spouse at home as well as those who anticipate taking on such a role. She will suggest ways to avoid burn-out, how to choose a nursing home, where to turn if money is an issue, and more.
Bereavement Group Meets in Goshen
Goshen Hospice offers a bereavement support program, "A Journey from Grief to Healing and Hope," on Mondays, March 17 through May 5 from 7-9 p.m. at St. Thomas Church in Goshen. The facilitator for this program will be Karen Jax Giarnese, RN.
Pre-registration is encouraged to assure proper class size. To register or for more info, call 491-4673.
Torrington Youth to Be Honored
National Youth Service Day will be observed in Torrington on Tuesday, April 15. The Mayor's Office in conjunction with the Torrington Area Youth Service Bureau and the Mayor's Committee on Youth wish to recognize the contributions and actions exhibited by the young people of our community.
National Youth Service Day reinforces in young Americans the importance and excitement of helping others. Presently we are looking for young people to honor for their many hours of volunteer time. A few of the many suggested activities for recognition are aid to the hungry/ homeless/ illiterate, drug and alcohol prevention, and assisting the handicapped.
By honoring our youth we will recognize and encourage the many positive contributions that young people are making to their communities. The ceremony is planned for Tuesday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m. at Coe Park in downtown Torrington.
Anyone interested in nominating a youth to be honored should call the Youth Service Bureau at 496-0356, ext 7 to obtain a nomination form. The deadline for nominations is March 31.
Juvenile Arthritis College Scholarships
The Arthritis Foundation is offering $1,000 college scholarships to Connecticut and Rhode Island high school seniors or college undergraduates with arthritis. The scholarships are part of the foundation's Kids Gets Arthritis Too campaign.
Students must have juvenile arthritis that has been diagnosed by a physician and be a resident of Connecticut or Rhode Island. Scholarship applications are judged by a volunteer committee based on academic achievement, disease impact, and volunteer service to the school or community. Applications are due by April 14.
Awards will be presented at a free day-long program for families on juvenile arthritis on Saturday, June 7 at Camp Hemlocks in Hebron. The local Arthritis Foundation chapter is the only one in the country to offer college scholarships to teens with arthritis.
Juvenile arthritis affects approximately 285,000 children in the United States, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The peak time of onset of juvenile arthritis is 1-3 years of age and 8-12 years of age. Children get arthritis, but with the support of community and schools, they can do many activities appropriate for their age group.
Scholarship applications are available through high school guidance departments or by calling the Arthritis Foundation at 800-541-8350.
Bus Trip to DC Peace Convergence
Imagine Peace sponsors a bus trip for those who would like to participate in the Saturday, March 15 "No War on Iraq" emerging convergence on the White House in Washington, DC; the bus will leave Litchfield High School at midnight. Cost is $50; for reservations or more info, call Andy Sewell at 860-567-1405, or Jan Savage at 860-828-2566.
Michael Pollan on "The Politics and Ecology of Eating"
Great Barrington Land Conservancy presents "Following the Food Chain: The Politics and Ecology of Eating," a lecture by science journalist and best-selling author Michael Pollan on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. at St. James Church, 352 Main St. in Great Barrington.
Michael Pollan will talk about his lessons learned following a steer, an organic TV dinner, and a genetically modified potato through the food chain. He'll share his experience of the tension between the laws of ecology and economics, his insights into saving land and the way we eat, and alternatives to the industrial food chain.
Pollan is the author of the New York Times best seller, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, and other books. His writing has received numerous awards, including the John Burroughs prize (for best history essay 1997), the QPB New Vision Award (for his first book, Second Nature), and the 2000 Reuters-I.U.C.N. Global Award for Environmental Journalism for his reporting on genetic engineering. The American Booksellers Association and Amazon recognized The Botany of Desire as a 2001 best book of the year.
In addition to three books, Michael Pollan's work includes many anthologies, notably Best American Essays and the Norton Book of Nature Writing. He is published regularly in the New York Times Magazine, and his articles have appeared in Harper's, Vogue, Gourmet, Travel & Leisure, Garden Design, Gardens Illustrated, and House & Garden. He is also a contributing editor at Harper's Magazine, where he served for many years as Executive Editor.
Pollan has been particularly successful in creating public interest in science and nature through stories on botanical evolution, the beef industry, genetic engineering, a welfare system for corn agribusiness, and destruction of the Cathedral of Pines preserve in Cornwall, CT. He wrote "This Steer's Life: the highly unnatural journey of No. 534 from calf to steak," the March 31, 2002 New York Times Magazine cover story that detailed the unsavory practices of the American beef industry. In recognition of his accomplishments as a science journalist, he was recently appointed the 2003 Knight Professor of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
Pollan grew up on Long Island, and was educated at Bennington College, Oxford University and Columbia University. He lives in Cornwall Bridge, CT with his wife, the painter Judith Belzer, and their son, Isaac. He is currently writing a book about the system of food production.
The Great Barrington Land Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the community's natural resources and distinctive character through land use planning, conservation, and limited development initiatives.
This program is co-sponsored by Berkshire Coop Market, Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Community Land Trust of the Southern Berkshires, Eastern Native Seed Conservancy, E.F. Schumacher Society, Foggy River Farm, Indian Line Farm, New England Heritage Breeds Conservancy, New England Livestock Alliance, Orion Magazine, and Taft Farms. Tickets are $10 at the door.
First Annual Fuel Cell Investment Summit
The CT Clean Energy Fund, in collaboration with the U.S. Fuel Cell Council and Fuel Cells 2000, has announced its inaugural Fuel Cell Investment Summit, where movers and shakers in the fuel cell industry will team with state and local benefit funds to up the research and demonstration ante. The fuel cell-powered Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville will host the Summit on Monday and Tuesday, March 17-18.
The Fuel Cell Investment Summit will showcase the current and future developments of the worldwide fuel cell industry. The Summit will bring together fuel cell manufacturers and suppliers, public benefit fund managers, investors and investment fund managers, federal and state government agency officials interested in clean energy, public utility managers, and others interested in investing or partnering in fuel cell technology deployment.
At the event, attendees will be able to learn about funding opportunities for fuel cell development and deployment; network with well-known leaders and supporters; learn about fuel cell technologies and the business case for investing in fuel cells; observe fuel cells in operation; learn about fuel cell activities in the United States, Europe and Asia; and showcase their products or services.
The two-day program will include seven panels, consisting of several top industry speakers, as well as an exhibition and fuel cell tours. For more info visit <www.fuelcellis.com>.
Atlantic Salmon Stocking in the Farmington River
The Farmington River Watershed Association and the CT Department of Environmental Protection, Atlantic Salmon Restoration Project are seeking volunteers to help stock the Farmington River and its tributaries with young salmon fry. Once abundant in the Farmington River watershed, salmon have been extinct since the early 1800s due to dams and water pollution. This spring, in a continuing effort to reintroduce salmon to its historic spawning grounds, the Atlantic Salmon Restoration Project will be releasing over 1.4 million fry into the waters of the Farmington River watershed.
Salmon stocking will take place from April 16 through mid May. The process involves DEP workers and volunteers filling five-gallon plastic pails of fish from a DEP fish hatchery truck, and then carrying the bucket through forests and marshy lands to streams where they are released. Volunteers must be physically fit and available on weekdays. High school age is a minimum requirement. Stocking activities are done on weekdays during the day.
The purpose of the Atlantic Salmon Restoration effort is, as the name implies, to bring salmon back to the rivers of Connecticut. Salmon are considered an indicator species. As Steve Gephard, CT DEP Supervising Fisheries Biologist and Atlantic Salmon Project Coordinator, noted: "If salmon can successfully survive in a river, you can then conclude the river is pretty healthy."
This is the eighth year that the FRWA will be involved with getting the volunteers to help stock the river. A free workshop will be held to inform potential volunteers on the process of stocking and offer the best opportunity to sign up for specific dates and locations. The workshop will be held at the Simsbury Public Library on Monday, March 17 from 7-9 p.m. To get involved, call Regina Mahony at 860-658-4442, ext 203.
Informational Meeting in New Milford to Consider Resolution on Iraq
On Sunday, March 9, there will be an informational meeting of the townspeople of New Milford to consider a resolution opposing a preemptive strike by the U.S. against Iraq. The meeting will be held at the Sarah Noble Intermediate School (Old High School) on Sunny Valley Rd. from 2-4 p.m.
This meeting will continue a discussion that began at a Town Council meeting on February 24. At that meeting, several Town Council members felt that commenting on foreign policy was not within their role as local elected officials. Consequently, a motion to table the resolution indefinitely was passed (by a vote of 5-3, with 1 abstention). However, noting the example of neighboring towns, Mayor Bob Gambino suggested a meeting of New Milford townspeople as an alternative venue in which to consider this resolution.
In Connecticut, resolutions opposing a U.S. preemptive strike against Iraq have been passed at meetings of the townspeople of Cornwall, Kent and Salisbury, as well by the New Haven Board of Alders and Mansfield Town Council.
Locally organized opposition to unilateral U.S. military action in Iraq has emerged as part of the "Cities for Peace" initiative. Currently, 124 municipalities have passed such resolutions, as well as the Maine state legislature and the Hawaii House of Representatives. In passing these resolutions, many local governments like the City Councils of Chicago and Los Angeles emphasize the enormous cost of war to their communities at a time when their budgets have already been severely cut.
Indeed, at last Monday's Town Council meeting, several townspeople urged passage of the resolution by insisting that the cost of war in Iraq would exacerbate Connecticut's failing economy and loss of local services. According to the National Priorities Project, a Massachusetts research group that has followed defense spending for years, an estimated $100 billion war in Iraq would cost $17 million from New Milford taxpayers alone.
The meeting on March 9 is sponsored by an ad hoc group, New Milford Citizens for Peace. All residents of New Milford are urged to attend.
Health Series for Children at Thomaston Public Library
The Thomaston Public Library, 248 Main St. in Thomaston presents a Health Series for Children with Dr. Stephen Karpenko, a chiropractic kinesiologist from Middlebury. This three-part series will be held on Thursdays, beginning March 20 at 6:30 p.m. "Childhood Ear Infections" will be the topic for discussion on March 20, followed by "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" on March 27, and "Allergies, Nutrition and Kids" on April 3.
All sessions are free and open to the public; pre-registration is recommended but not required, and walk-ins are welcome. For more info call the library at 860-283-4339.
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