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News Notes & Health Notes - vol. 7, issue 19
Regional #7 Seeks Community Input in Superintendent Search
The Regional School District #7 Board of Education seeks community input to define the leadership qualities of its next superintendent. With that in mind, focus groups and a community forum have been scheduled.
Consultants Eliza Holcomb and Deborah Raizes of CABE (CT Association of Boards of Education) Search Service will meet with community members, elected officials, administrators, teachers, parents, students and support staff on Tuesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 27. An evening community forum has been scheduled for March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Newbury Library/ Media Center at Regional School #7 in Winsted. "We encourage community participation during this public forum. Your input in identifying leadership qualities for our community's next educational leader is paramount to our board," said Stephen Egbertson, Chairman of the Board of Education.
Anyone who is unable to attend this public session can complete a Superintendent Search "Leadership Profile Assessment Form." These forms are available at the Barkhamsted Town Hall, Riverton General Store, Norfolk Pharmacy, Colebrook Senior Center, New Hartford Town Hall and New Hartford Library. The form must be completed by Thursday, March 27. Completed forms can be dropped off at the Office of the Superintendent, Regional School District #7. Forms can also be mailed or faxed by March 27 to: CABE Search Services, PO Box 111, Milford, CT 06460; fax 203-877-1096.
Winsted Area Peace Action Circulates Petition in New Hartford
The Winsted Area Peace Action group will be circulating a petition calling for a resolution of the people of New Hartford opposing unilateral preemptive military action against Iraq.
The group also urges all residents to attend a meeting on Monday, March 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the New Hartford Town Hall. U.S. Representative John Larson will discuss the possible war in Iraq and other foreign policy issues, and is seeking input from local residents.
Support the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days
It's never too late to bring a little sunshine into someone's life, especially if that someone is a cancer patient. There is still time to make a difference in the fight against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days campaign. During the week of March 24, bouquets of ten daffodils can be purchased for $6 at the following businesses:
• Kelly Services, 8 Church St., Old Post Office Square in Torrington on Tuesday through Saturday, March 25-29 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Litchfield Community Center, Bantam Rd. (Route 202) in Litchfield on Wednesday, March 26 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Funds raised during Daffodil Days support the American Cancer Society's programs of research, education and service that benefit local cancer patients and their families. For more info about Daffodil Days or American Cancer Society programs and services, call 800-ACS-2345, or visit <www.cancer.org>.
Citizens Convene First PCB Congress
Housatonic Environmental Action League invites the public to attend the first gathering of the PCB Congress on Wednesday and Thursday, March 26-27 in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room at Fairfield University in Fairfield. This event is co-sponsored and hosted by Fairfield University, Department of Environmental Studies.
Recently, a meeting among several citizens’ groups that have been fighting for cleanups in their PCB- contaminated neighborhoods and rivers convened to share information and lessons learned. Through networking we have come to realize that serious health problems for those exposed to toxic PCB contamination have been reported for decades. These health effects know no age limit, affecting adults and children alike, and the range of diseases undeniably presents a picture that cannot be ignored.
Many PCB-contaminated sites have General Electric, Monsanto, Westinghouse, and other corporations to thank for the long-standing contamination of their communities and for the ongoing exposures that continue to threaten the health of their families and ecosystems. These companies have used their vast resources to wage aggressive and irresponsible public relations campaigns specifically designed to discredit our concerns, and mislead the public to believe that PCBs, like GE, can bring good things to life.
Several of us have repeatedly requested comprehensive health investigations by the government agencies that are charged with this responsibility. These calls for action have been largely ignored. It is time to come together and document all of our PCB health concerns. Please join us in Fairfield or participate by sending us your health concerns. We will compile this information and jointly release our report to the press, to public officials, and to health agencies. By joining together we can leverage attention to our cause and demand a response to our united voice.
You are encouraged to bring a written synopsis to the PCB Congress that profiles the health concerns of your community. Using information gathered at the Congress, we will produce an integrated report, which will be the first coordinated compilation of multi-site concerns. We will use this document to leverage a comprehensive response from health and environmental agencies. We will also work towards supporting the growing national effort demanding protection of the Superfund Program and a reauthorization of the "Polluter Pays" provision that funds it.
Before the Congress convenes, we will draft and endorse a Declaration of Independence from PCBs. This document will set forth principles that all of our sites can unite behind. We will then be able to use these principles together in a united front when pursuing cleanups and health initiatives at our respective sites. We will hold a symbolic vote on the document at the Congress and hand-deliver a copy to GE headquarters on Wednesday, March 26 at 5 p.m. during a vigil that everyone is invited to attend.
World-renowned PCB experts Drs. David Carpenter and Brian Bush of SUNY, Albany will present site-specific data from their work in many of the communities that will be attending. Activists from these sites will give presentations along with Drs. Carpenter and Bush. Peter Montague, one of the leading grassroots organizers and author of Rachel’s Environment and Health Weekly, will lead off the afternoon session. Dr. Dr. Peter deFur of Environmental Stewardship Concepts will present pertinent information related to the ecological risks associated with PCB exposure.
A fee of $20 is requested for food (five meals beginning with Thursday’s breakfast). Housing is available at special University rates at The Westport Inn; room shares are available (call Judy Herkimer at 860-672-0083). For more info call Judy Herkimer of Housatonic Environmental Action League at 860-672-0083; Timothy Gray of Housatonic River Initiative at 413-243-3353; or Attorney Janet MacGillivray of Waterkeeper Alliance at 718-768-7131. Please contact us to join the growing list of participants in the PCB Congress. If you cannot attend, you can still join our effort!
Berkshire Win Without War
Using the technology of the Internet, a new South Berkshire organization has joined a growing national and international movement urging a peaceful solution to the crisis with Iraq. Berkshire Win Without War has modeled its efforts on the model of MoveOn.org, the organization that recently sponsored the Virtual March on Washington and garnered more than one million emails to American political leaders.
The Berkshire Win Without War website hosts the organization's on-line petition as well as links to other local groups, national peace organizations, and recent articles about the prospects for war on Iraq and peace proposals; visit <www.berkshirewinwithoutwar.org>.
Berkshire Win Without War is taking part in the weekly peace demonstration every Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at the intersection of Routes 7 & 41 (at the bridge) in Great Barrington.
Sponsors of Berkshire Win Without War include Rev. Kathy Duhon, Mickey Friedman, Dr. Stephen Kaufman, Tim Gray, the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the South Berkshire Friends Meeting, Will Ryan, E. Ahmet Tonak, and Michael F. Wilcox.
Environmental Impact Evaluation on Downtown Torrington Redevelopment Begins
The City of Torrington and the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) are pleased to announce that the state-funded environmental impact evaluation (EIE) for the Downtown Torrington Redevelopment project is beginning.
The City's Conceptual Master Plan for the Downtown Area includes considerations to strengthen and improve critical elements of economic development, including mixed-use retail, housing, pedestrian circulation, river amenities, streetscape improvements, traffic circulation and parking, while preserving the character and heritage of the downtown. Copies of the Conceptual Master Plan are available in the City Clerk and Economic Development offices at Torrington City Hall. In addition, the plan can be found on the City's website at <www.torringtonct.org>.
The Maguire Group has been hired by DECD to perform the environmental impact evaluation. Pursuant to the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act, the comprehensive study will include a review of existing conditions such as land use, socioeconomic, traffic, parking, historic resources, aesthetic character and environmental conditions, as well as alternatives and impacts analysis, market evaluation, and mitigation requirements.
The City of Torrington has provided the DECD with complete information on the City's adopted Conceptual Master Plan as a result of multiple local public workshops held last summer. The EIE process, which is just beginning, will evaluate this information.
The initial phase of the EIE process includes a public scoping period beginning March 18 and continuing through April 21, 2003. Individuals wishing to participate in the scoping process may send written comments about the downtown project to: Marie McGuinness, Project Manager, DECD, Infrastructure & Real Estate Division, 505 Hudson St., Hartford, CT 06106-7106. All comments must be received by April 21, 2003 at 4 p.m. In addition, individuals or groups may request that DECD hold a Public Scoping Meeting. Requests for such a meeting must be sent to the same address by March 28.
The state's environmental impact evaluation process will continue through the summer, resulting in the preparation of a draft document for public review this fall.
The City has scheduled a joint meeting with the City Council, Planning & Zoning, and Economic Development Commissions on Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Torrington City Hall Auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to facilitate input from city officials to the Maguire Group about the adopted Conceptual Master Plan.
International Expert on Learning Styles at NCCC
Northwestern CT Community College’s Center for Teaching, a collegial organization dedicated to the improvement of teaching, will sponsor a workshop presentation by Neil Fleming, an internationally known expert on learning styles. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 1 from 3:30-6 p.m. in Founders Hall Auditorium, on the NCCC campus in Winsted. This will be one of Mr. Fleming's few North American workshops this year, and the only one open to secondary and elementary school teachers.
Neil Fleming is the developer of the VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/ write, Kinesthetic) inventory of sensory mode preferences. This brief inventory and the concepts behind it derive from years of direct experience in the classroom as well as research into how students actually learn. It is designed as a catalyst for reflection by both teachers and learners, as well as an entry into an intensely practical discussion of teaching methodology. The workshop offers the opportunity to finally discover why some students seem to "get it" and others don't. Fleming, who lives in New Zealand, has worked extensively with teachers at the secondary, post-secondary and doctoral levels in the U.S. and abroad.
The workshop presentation—"Learning to Make a Difference: Learning Styles and What We Should Know About Them"—is an interactive seminar that will help participants identify some of their preferences for sensory modalities when taking in and giving out information. They will get some feedback on their inclinations and discuss implications for their own classrooms. Some student profiles and their penchant for specific learning strategies will be examined. Finally, participants (in groups) will be challenged to consider teaching strategies (new and old) within and outside their own proclivities, and to consider methods for empowering students to use their learning styles preferences to study more effectively.
Admission to the workshop is free; elementary and secondary teachers from local schools are especially invited. For more info and to reserve a seat, call Prof. Thomas Hodgkin at 860-738-6374.
Wolcott Tech Class of '88 Seeks Classmates
The Class of 1988 at Oliver Wolcott Technical School in Torrington holds its 15th year class reunion on Saturday, November 29 at the Elks Lodge in Torrington. Organizers of the event are having a tough time locating a number of their classmates. Anyone with information is asked to call Tammy (Day) Abraham at 860-485-9482, or Kris (Sobol) Cianciolo at 860-379-6547.
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