Thursday, October 30, 2008

Grand Avenue Village Association says: keep Halloween fun and safe



The Grand Avenue Village Association, with the help of a generous donation from the New Alliance Bank, will give out candy for children beginning at noon Friday at the corner of Poplar Street and Grand Avenue, association officials said.
In case of inclement weather, the candy giveaway will move inside.
GAVA works with merchants and the community at large to make a positive impact in Fair Haven, association officials said and through the candy event aims to help provide a "positive atmosphere for the children in the neighborhood, by providing reflective bags with safety tips - as well as some candy to start them off on their Halloween fun," the association said in a statement.
GAVA’s work is made possible with contributions from: Empower New Haven, Economic Development Corporation of New Haven; Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, Greater New Haven Community Foundation, and New Alliance Bank, the statement said.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Cocoa and cool science



NEW HAVEN - Cognitive neuroscientist and Yale professor Marvin Chun will present "ILLUSIONS: What You See Is NOT What You Get," a Hot Cocoa/Cool Science Program, at 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

Chun researches visual attention, memory and perception, using neuroimaging and behavioral techniques to study how people perceive and remember visual information. His discussion will explore why people consciously perceive only a small portion of all of the sensory information that comes to then visually.

How does the brain limit visual perceptions? He also will touch on how visual information impacts short- and long-term memory.

Hot Cocoa/Cool Science is a continuing collaboration between Yale and the library to bring cutting edge science to the community. There is no charge for the program and cocoa will be served. Free parking is available. Registration is strongly recommended, online at www.guidezilla.com/nhfpl or call the library at 946-8835.

Water main break creates headache



NEW HAVEN — Construction crews from the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority are working to repair an eight inch water main at the intersection of Level Street and Brookside Avenue.
The cause of the break is under investigation, and drivers should avoid traveling that area while the crews are working, the authority said.
Customers who live on Level, Wayfarer, Lodge and Brookside are affected by the repair work, the authority said. The break was reported at 6:30 a.m. and repair work was delayed because a school bus became stuck in the water and had to be towed, the authority said. There were no children on the bus at the time.
Customers will be without water while crews repair the damage. The authority has made bottled water available to customers in the affected area while the repair work is ongoing. Some customers in the surrounding area may experience discolored water.

Police officer out of hospital; "really has been no change in her condition," chief says

Police Officer Diane Gonzalez, 47, seriously injured in the September collision of two police cruisers that killed a police sergeant was released from Yale-New Haven Hospital Tuesday for transfer to an out-of-state facility.

In a statement, her family said: "Diane will begin a journey of rehabilitation. The Gonzalez family would like to thank you for your prayers, get-well cards, flowers, food, kind words and all your wonderful expressions of concern,” the family said in a statement. Please continue to keep Diane in your prayers. Once again, a heartfelt thanks to all.”

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Benefit Sunday to aid homeless

Yale acapella groups will perform at Battell Chapel from 3-5 p.m. Nov. 2 to benefit Shelter Now, an initiative supported by Columbus House and Yale Hunger and Homeless Action Project to raise $100,000 to fund New Haven’s emergency shelters from November through April.
Many prominent Yale acapella groups agreed to perform for free in order to support Shelter Now, and make the concert possible.
Eliza Schafler, a YHHAP member said, "As the acapella benefit concert demonstrates, Shelter Now is important not just to students within the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project, but to all Yale students. We are moved to help because Shelter Now is a fight to save lives in our own neighborhood, to preserve a basic human right for people in our community. Yet we also understand that shelter is more than just immediate relief; it is a first crucial step for those struggling with poverty toward a better life."
"Due to today’s struggling economy and as winter approaches, many of the New Haven shelters are filling up quickly leaving no room for additional people. This is the time when we as a community need to come together and protect out neighbors. When we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all," said Cecily Jones, volunteer engagement coordinator of United Way of Greater New Haven.
Tickets will be available at the door, $5 for students, $10 for adults; children accompanied by adults will be admitted free. The Whiffenpoofs, Whim ‘n Rhythm, Something Extra, The Duke’s Men, The New Blue, The Spizzwinks (?), Redhot & Blue, The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, Shades, and The Academia Nuts are all scheduled to perform.

Let's hear it for United Way


NEW HAVEN — United Way of Greater New Haven and its Days of Caring participants recently collected more than 100,000 baby diapers for distribution to agencies in Greater New Haven.
The diapers, which are valued at $20,000, were collected through events and in donations by area businesses, are used to "provide relief that will help children in our community start life healthy and ready to learn by ensuring families have access to diapers," United Way said in a statement.
The first annual town of Branford and United Way Touch-A-Truck event, for instance, brought in more than 25,000 diapers from 1,300 Branford residents. Covidien Surgical Devices, with its global headquarters in North Haven and U.S. headquarters in Norwalk, collected more than 31,000 diapers that were donated to The Diaper Bank.


Companies that helped make the Diaper Drive possible are: In New Haven: Yale New Haven Hospital, Carmody & Torrance, Murtha Cullina, The New Haven Register, Proliance International, Inc., TD Bank North, Webster Bank, Wilbur Smith & Associates and WTNH. In North Haven: Covidien, ACES, Connex Credit Union, Marlin Fire Arms, Petra Construction Corp., the Town of North Haven and the Joyce C. Budrow Senior Center. In Hamden: Amphenol Corp. Guilford: Barnum Financial, Wal-Mart, Webster Bank and Guilford Savings Bank. Branford: Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford Parks and Recreation, Controlled Air, Neurogen and Webster Bank. Norwalk: Covidien. West Haven: Eder Brothers and Vine Products Manufacturing Co. Trumbull: Girl Scouts of CT. Orange: Hubbell, town of Orange, UPS and Webster Bank. Stratford: Sprint Nextel. Woodbridge: Stop & Shop. East Haven: Webster Bank and Town Fair Tire. Madison: Webster Bank and Madison Exchange Club.



United Way of Greater New Haven recently engaged thousands of local volunteers in New Haven, Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, West Haven and Woodbridge through its week-long community service event, Days of Caring.
More than 3,000 Days of Caring volunteers last month participated in more than 130 projects that logged volunteer hours worth about $100,000 to benefit the region’s nonprofit agencies, schools and parks.
The annual celebration of volunteerism serves as a kick-off to United Way’s workplace campaign, now taking place. Company teams and volunteers participated in projects such as beautifying and renovating facilities, creating games and "hands-on" information stations for kids, sorting supplies, planting and landscaping, and planning or donating to a collection drive from school supplies to diapers.
The projects help build relationships between volunteer groups and nonprofit agencies in Greater New Haven and raise awareness of critical community issues related to education, income and health. To view photos from various events visit a photo gallery at www.uwgnh.org. "The drives throughout the region collected more than 5,000 books, over 100,000 baby diapers, and 29,000 school supplies," said Amy Casavina Hall, director of Community Impact at United Way of Greater New Haven. "Together we can achieve results that no one can accomplish alone. With, with all of our outstanding results, and over $100,000 worth of volunteer hours and $20,000 in donated diapers, the most important part is that volunteers were able to touch the lives of those in need and influence the condition of us all." "Civic engagement is one of United Way ’s strategies to improve lives and build stronger communities," said Jack Healy, chief executive officer of United Way. "Through Days of Caring, we strive to increase the number of people who are active, engaged citizens in their communities by providing a wide spectrum of opportunities while at the same time raising awareness about the many hard-working non-profits in our region."
United Way of Greater New Haven extended sincere thanks to its Days of Caring partners: Yale-New Haven Hospital, Covidien Surgical Devices, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and WTNH News Channel 8/MYTV 9.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Colorectal cancer topic of talk



NEW HAVEN - Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale Cancer Center will present a free health talk,"Frankly Speaking about Colorectal Cancer," at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in Yale-New Haven Hospital's East Pavilion cafeteria.


The lecture is part of the ongoing Understanding Cancer Lecture Series for patients and families living with cancer.


Dr. Edward Chu, deputy director and chief of medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center, will review the latest information on colorectal cancer detection, treatment, and prevention, including new options for patients through clinical trials.


A light supper will be served at 6 p.m. and the lecture begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. The supper and lecture are free and validated parking is available. Call (888) 700-6543 (press option 2) to make reservations and for directions to park in the Air Rights Garage.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

It's....magical

NEW HAVEN — Local magicians have teamed up with the New Haven Free Public Library to provide free magic shows in a run-up to Halloween, the spookiest time of the year.
The family-oriented series is held in several libraries throughout the city at 4 p.m. It starts Saturday and ends Oct. 30.
Begun by the Society of American Magicians, Magic Week promotes magic and also marks the anniversary of the death of SAM founder, Harry Houdini. Houdini, regarded as the world’s greatest escape artist, who died on Halloween 1926.
The magicians orchestrating New Haven’s magic week are members of the local "ring" of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (www.ring59.com). IBM members meet at one of Connecticut’s only magic shops, the Mystical Magic Company on Campbell Avenue in West Haven.
The schedule is:
- Magic Dan and Snowball the Rabbit: 1 p.m. Saturday at Fair Haven Library, 182 Grand St., off Ferry Street. Call Betsy Goldberg at 946-8115.
- The Magic of Jeff Horton: 4 p.m. Monday at Wilson Library, 303 Washington Ave., off Daggett Street, near Howard Avenue. Call Aisha or Melissa at 946-2228.
- Recycling is Magic with Cyril the Sorcerer: The story of monsters, magic and too much trash, 4 p.m. Tuesday at Mitchell Library, 37 Harrison St., off Whalley Avenue. Call Sharon Lovett at 946-8117.
- The Amazing Andy: 4 p.m. Oct. 29 at Stetson Library 200 Dixwell Ave., near C-Town, off Webster. Call Diane Pettaway at 946-8119.
- Escape from the Goblins with Cyril the Sorcerer: A tale of a young boy who makes a daring escape from a goblin dungeon with the help of a very magical friend is told at 4 p.m. Oct. 30 at New Haven Free Public Library Main Branch Children’s Room, 133 Elm St., off Temple Street. Call Xia Feng (sha-feng) or John Jessen at 946-8129.
Information on Magic Week New Haven is available at www.magicnewhaven.com
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Friday, October 17, 2008

PETA to Yale: stop using primates in experiments





Supporters of the research, however, say it is the best way to help people. At right, protestors unfurl a banner over Route 34.

Photo by Melanie Stengel

Read the full story here:


City goes for short-term borrowing

NEW HAVEN — With the municipal bond market frozen, the city instead sold $35 million in short-term bond anticipation notes Thursday to pay for infrastructure projects including road and sidewalk repairs and school construction.
While typical bonds are repaid in 20 years, the bond anticipation notes must be repaid within six months. The interest cost for the bond anticipation notes was 3.2 percent.
"Having the bond market up and stable in March would allow us to repay
the notes from the proceeds of 20 year bond," said Lawrence Rusconi, director of Management and Budget.
If the market were not to improve, city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said, the $35 million could also be repaid through new bond anticipation note sales or other types of financing.
"We feel confident that the market should be in a better place between now and then," she said.
The city delayed a $39 million bond sale last month due to prohibitively high interest rates.

--Elizabeth Benton

It's art

If all goes well Saturday, the bare wall of the Acme Furniture Co. on Crown Street will bear both the handiwork and vision of a group of young New Haven artists in a mural based on the word “experience.”

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Cause of Kresge fire might never be known

The cause of a massive fire that wiped out a portion of a downtown city block last December will be classified as “undetermined” unless new information arises, according to a final report from the Fire Department’s lead investigator.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Voter forum scheduled for 94th

NEW HAVEN — The Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP will sponsor a pre-election voter education forum featuring the candidates from the 94th House District from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 27 at Lincoln Bassett School, 130 Bassett St.
Democratic nominee Gary Holder-Winfield and independent candidate Willie D. Greene, who also is a registered Democrat, will address the audience on a number issues generated from the NAACP Executive Committee panelists, and questions from the audience. The forum will be moderated by Clifton Graves, co-chairman of the Branch Political Action Committee.

NPR's 'Speaking of Faith' host calls for better religion coverage

Krista Tippett speaks at Yale Divinity School convocation

By Ed Stannard

Register Metro Editor

NEW HAVEN — Krista Tippett, host of National Public Radio’s “Speaking of Faith,” is not really interested in her guests’ religious beliefs.

What she cares deeply about is how they live out those beliefs and how they approach issues that we all face.

“For the record, I’m no longer interested very much in what religious people believe,” she told a packed Marquand Chapel audience Wednesday. “I’m interested in how they think.”

Tippett’s weekly program explores a broad spectrum of religion and spirituality. Based in St. Paul, Minn., the show won a Peabody Award this year. A 1994 graduate of Yale Divinity School, Tippett returned for the school’s fall convocation.

Read the full story at nhregister.com.

Register photo by Arnold Gold

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Season of rejoicing

NEW HAVEN - A Sukkot celebration will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday on Bellevue Street between Dyer Street and Glen Road. The event will feature live music, BBQ, a moonwalk, a giant slide, magic show, and more. It is free and open to all ages, said Michael Raskin, program director of Rabbinical College of New Haven.

American Committee on Italian Migration to hold annual luncheon

For more information call Fran Calzetta at 467-0705.
NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Women’s Division of the American Committee on Italian Migration will hold its 36th annual luncheon at noon Nov. 2 at Anthony’s Oceanview Restaurant.

Dr. Joseph Julius Bruno and Pio Imperati will be given the Distinguished Service Award.

Cost for the luncheon is $40. Checks made out to ACIM can be mailed to Linda DeFillippo, 1 Carolyn Court, North Haven 06473.

Bruno is 101. His community service includes his medical service to Italian immigrants during 1930-1940; service in World War II and Korean War as ranking general; Connecticut surgeon general; service work at Veterans Hospital; entertains residents at Whitney Center.
Pio Imperati is a post World War II American. His contributions and civic organizations are: The Knights of Columbus; The Amity Club, and Champania Club that donates to charities gives scholarships; active member of his parish, Holy Infant Church in Orange, and St. Anthony’s Church in New Haven that has serves the Italian Immigrants; and a youth advocate, sponsoring the Westville Youth Association baseball teams; and soccer teams in Orange.

You love books

So why not stop by and meet other people who do too?


The Friends of the Woodbridge Library will hold its second Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 18) in the Book Store.

Following last year's success, the committee decided to repeat the event, during which current patrons are thanked and new ones are welcomed. A warm welcome awaits attendees, organizers said. Refreshments will be served in the hall outside of the Book Store, which will be open during the festivities. Each person attending will receive a free children’s paperback. Committee members Mary Jane Purcell, Chris Burnor, Sue Fischer, Janet Germaine, Donna Wrubel and Anita Perlman will be on hand to greet visitors. New volunteers are always welcome - anyone interested can sign up during the Open House.

"What he says to you is what he believes"

Tribute held for the state’s longest-serving legislator, the now retiring William R. Dyson, who has held the 94th District seat in the state House of Representatives since 1976.


Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Rell to city: "Double taxing...is ludicrous and hideously unfair"

Gov. M. Jodi Rell asks state lawmakers to close a legal loophole New Haven has used to tax construction equipment that is registered and already taxed in other cities.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Knights release poll results

Americans are much more in favor of limiting abortion rights than the labels “pro-life” or “pro-choice” suggest, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Knights of Columbus.


Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Lawmaker vs. marshal

The state Marshal Commission has found probable cause to further investigate allegations by state Rep. Robert Megna that state marshal Peter Criscuolo doctored postal documents to indicate two tenants lived at Megna’s vacant Quinnipiac Avenue property in New Haven.


Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Kids: Have your say

Oratory contest planned

NEW HAVEN — The Yale Chapter of the NAACP will hold an oratory competition for high school students from the New Haven area beginning at 4 p.m. Nov. 2 at the African American House at Yale, 211 Park St.
Organizers said that with the election nearing, the event will allow area teens to voice their opinions on how the outcome will affect "the lives of their parents, and inevitably their futures as well."
The competition’s topic is: "Is America Ready for a Black President?" Scholarships will be awarded to the top three contestants.
Students enrolled at a New Haven high school can request an application by e-mailing YNAACP@gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ice time

It's that time of year again

The Parks, Recreation and Trees
Department has announced that the 2008-09 Ice Skating season begins Nov. 1 at the Ralph E. Walker Ice Rink, 1080 State St.



The rink offers a variety of activities and opportunities for fun on the ice, officials said. There are learn-to-skate classes and a learn-to-play hockey program, both serving individuals ages 3 through adult. For those already involved in skill programs, the rink offers freestyle ice, stick time, and slots for hockey team practices and games.
There also are special rates for New Haven schools that wish to take students to the rink for a new twist on physical education.
Birthday, corporate or private parties also can be held at the rink. Area businesses offer discounted food services for these events and the entire rink can be rented for a private party. The holiday season books well in advance so those interest should make reservations as soon as possible by calling Linda at (203) 589-4200.
For more information, call 946-8007 or visit http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Parks/ParksInformation/walker.asp

2008 RAYMOND E. BALDWIN AWARD

Ruth M. Feldman, director of Education and Accessibility Services at Yale Repertory Theatre, will receive the 2008 Raymond E. Baldwin Award from the Connecticut Board of Education and Services for the Blind at the 25th Annual Awards of Excellence ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon Friday in the Old Judiciary Room of the State Capitol at 210 Capitol Ave., Hartford.
Feldman joined Yale Repertory Theatre in 2003, and is responsible for its accessibility services program, officials said in a statement. She oversees WILL POWER!, Yale Rep’s extensive annual arts and education theatre-going initiative; The Dwight/Edgewood Project, a month-long after-school playwriting program for middle school students; and a variety of artist-in-residence initiatives featuring Yale Rep artists and graduate students at Yale School of Drama, the statement said. Prior to her work at Yale, Feldman worked for 10 years at the Shubert Theater, where she created a community ticket access and education program and oversaw multiple dance residencies; and spent more than 20 years as a production stage manager, working at theatres in Connecticut and across the country. She is a founding member of the national Audio Description Coalition and trains and mentors Audio Describers.
The Raymond E. Baldwin Award recognizes an individual, civic organization, or volunteer group for outstanding contributions made for the betterment and enrichment of the lives of visually impaired and blind persons in Connecticut.

Eye of newt and toe of frog



But don't expect those ingredients to be mixed into any potions as the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History celebrates Halloween


NEW HAVEN — Owls, spiders, snakes and other creatures often associated with a witches brew will be part of "The Natural History of Witches and Wizards: A Peabody Halloween" from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
Other invited creatures include giant millipedes and hissing cockroaches.
Planned activities include making your own cat hat and a tarantula craft activity. Games include a haunted house bean bag toss and "bat cave." A Roxi Fox puppet show by Betty Baisden will be presented, as will several owls, nocturnal birds that can see at night as easily as humans in daylight, by Wingmasters.
Inspiration for the creatures to be displayed came from the famous witches scene (Act 4, Scene 1) in Shakespeare’s "Macbeth:"
"Eye of newt and toe of frog
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
The museum is at 170 Whitney Ave. For more information, call David Heiser, Peabody Head of Education and Outreach, at 432-3777.

That's a big bill




A-Quick Pick Crane Service gets hit with $110,000 city property tax bill. But they are based in Shelton.


Read the full story here

nhregister.com

Safe streets to launch program Sunday

A safe streets movement, galvanized by the deaths of two pedestrians, one a Yale medical student and the other a fifth-grader going to a Laundromat, has been gaining allies and momentum since spring.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

A Picture for Hope


Local photographer to hold event to raise money for American Cancer Society


Photo by Mara Lavitt





By Pamela McLoughlin


Register Staff
HAMDEN — Michele Tenney of Orange thought maybe she was the only one who saw a sparkle in the eyes of her third infant son, born with a rare genetic condition that caused severe health problems and early on required him to breath through a tracheotomy.
But when Mia M. Malafonte took Collin’s photograph when he was 4 months old, Malafronte managed to capture that sparkle, leaving his mom amazed because it confirmed for her in a way that she wasn’t the only one to see that special something in her son.
"She puts on film, what’s in a person’s heart," Tenney said of Malafronte. "Her deep, loving spirit is what makes her exceptional in her field."
Malafronte, an award-winning photographer and owner of Malafronte Photography, is now putting a lot of that heart into a project to raise money for the American Cancer Society in honor of her late father, Louis A. Malafronte who died 17 years ago this month of brain cancer. He was 51.
She’s calling the project, "A Picture for Hope," because it was hope for his recovery that got her through her dad’s 10-month illness, even though he didn’t make it. Mia Malafronte is offering a 5- by 7-inch family photograph to be shot in her studio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 for $30. Most of the fee, normally much higher, will be donated to the cause after costs.
"It’s always been a bad month," she said of October, which also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "I thought to myself about how so many people have been touched by cancer and thought this would be a good way to remember him, because he used to say, ‘friends come and go, but family will be forever."’
The fundraiser is also quite fitting because it was Louis A. Malafronte, a former U.S. Navy photographer, who inspired his daughter’s love of the art.
While he supported a wife and four children as a retail management advisor, Louis A. Malafronte spent many hours in the darkroom in the basement of the family home in Orange working at his hobby. As a Navy photographer, he accumulated an interesting portfolio though he served during peace time. His black and white pictures shot around the world include ship visitors Winston Churchill and Zsa-Zsa Gabor and sites like icebreakers going into Norway and civilians feeding pigeons in France.
The pictures for charity will be done in black and white because that will create "timeless" photos and it’s how Mia Malafronte’s dad shot some of his best work.
The father and daughter always had a special bond. Louis Malafronte rooted his youngest child on in every volleyball, basketball and softball game she played - and from the time she was a youngster, he also took the time to answer Mia’s many questions about photography and working the darkroom. He shared many of his tricks.
"Dad would say, ‘You don’t need props or a fancy background (to get the right picture). You get the light right and capture the look in their eyes," she recalls with a smile.
And she practices that simplicity in the studio.
Mia Malafronte said she regrets never asking her dad how his interest in photography began or whether he would have wanted it as a career. She’d love the chance to talk to him again.
"My dad was very tough externally, but a teddy bear inside," she said. "He always supported me and listened to me."
Mia loved taking pictures in high school - something she squeezed between many sports - and even found herself going to playgrounds in her spare time to photograph children, her favorite subjects because of their innocence and beauty. But it wasn’t until a few years following her dad’s death that she made photography a profession.
Distraught over her dad’s death freshman year of college, Mia left school.
"I gave up all my sports because I couldn’t play without him in the stands," she said. "I tried."
After holding a variety of jobs, a cousin who knew of her interest in photography called to encourage her to apply for a job opening he heard about at a local paper. She got the job after shooting her portfolio in one day, shadowing another newspaper photographer and eventually became a New Haven Register staffer until leaving a couple of years ago to launch her business. The studio is located on the second floor at 2679 Whitney Ave.
Mia Malafronte, mother of two, has a niche photographing children, infants and expectant moms, but also excels at shooting weddings, bar mitzvahs and sporting events, including many years of freelancing for the Yankees. She does well with rock stars as well - individual shots of Rolling Stones band members add an edge to her studio displays of pregnant moms and kids.
Faithful client Elizabeth Glatzel of Stratford knows all too well how important just the right photograph can be or become. Mia Malafronte went to the Glatzel home in December of 2006 to photograph Lillie, 2 and Helena, a few weeks old, staying triple the time she had planned to get just the right shots, Glatzel said.
"She really captured the essence of my kids," Glatzel said. "It was very obvious she’s a mother."
And that became more important than Glatzel ever imagined.
A few months later, the unthinkable happened. Lillie died in her sleep for no apparent reason; it was determined to likely have been caused by a syndrome that hits older children the way sudden infant death syndrome hits infants. Glatzel called Malafronte to get more pictures and the photographer made a huge image of Lillie for the funeral, declining to charge any money. It now hangs in the family home and Glatzel, pregnant now with another daughter, says, "it’s so important to have these pictures to share."
"It doesn’t surprise me at all that she’s having this fundraiser, knowing who she is and how much she cares," Glatzel said. "It’s perfect (as a way to raise money) because I always get the feeling it’s more than just a job because of the way she’s able to capture people."
Appointments are preferred for Family Photo Day at Malafronte Photography, but walk-ins are welcome at 2679 Whitney Ave. Please call 203-288-2880 or visit www.miamalafronte.com.

Can you say yuck?

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is urging 11 baby-bottle formula manufacturers to remove a chemical from their products that is especially toxic to infants.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Area clergy of mixed minds on gay marriage

By Ed Stannard, Register Metro Editor

The views among clergy about marrying gay and lesbian couples is no more uniform than the churches they serve.

After last week’s 4-3 state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Connecticut, some ministers say they’ll be happy to perform a wedding for two men or two women, while others won’t consider it.

Read the full story at nhregister.com.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Learn more about grants

NEW HAVEN — The International Association of New Haven will hold two informational sessions to help non-profits learn about grants it awards.
The first will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 20; the second from 4 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27, both in the community room of the New Haven Free Public Library on Elm Street.
The International Association of New Haven is a cultural, educational and social organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening mutual understanding between people of Greater New Haven and the world. It seeks grant applications from organizations whose programs advance international, intercultural and global understanding, association officials said, and invites proposals from organizations in Greater New Haven for innovative projects. Visit www.ianewhaven.org.

Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day 2009 Parade event set




A fundraiser for the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day 2009 Parade will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Texas Roadhouse Restaurant, 524 Sawmill Road, West Haven. The restaurant will donate 10 percent the entire check for each person who presents an invitation to the server. Invitations can be downloaded from the parade’s Web site at www.stpatricksdayparade.org, click on "our events," or call Mary Malenda at (203) 397-8523. The 2009 parade is on March 15 in New Haven.

Tribute to state Rep. William Dyson Tuesday

NEW HAVEN — A salute and tribute to retiring state Rep. William Dyson will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Anthony’s Ocean View, 450 Lighthouse Road.
Former Speakers of the House of Representatives Moira Lyons and Irving Stolberg will act as hosts for the event in honor Dyson. The evening also will serve as a benefit for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, organizers said. Numerous officials, dignitaries and speakers also will attend.

For more information visit www.newhaven.dems.info.
RSVP to newhaventowncommitee@gmail.com, or 787-9548.

Beautiful music

John C. Daniels School band growing thanks to devoted administrators, teachers, donors and musicians


Read the full story here:

nhregister.com



Watch the video here:

5,000 strong

United Way of Greater New Haven’s second-annual community book drive has accomplished its goal of collecting 5,000 books for children and families.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Blight fight

Under an ordinance proposed by Alderman Joseph Rodriguez, D-15, banks and other institutions or individuals who acquire blighted properties would be required to register with the city a 24-hour contact who can easily be reached when code violations or other problems occur.


Read the full story here:


nhregister.com

It's a S.N.A.P. at the Shubert




Sixty-two New Haven community groups throughout the city this year received free tickets under the Shubert Night At A Performance — or S.N.A.P. program — underwritten by various sponsors.
In the photo, Bob and LouAnn Giunta at left, and Mr. and Mrs. Brevard at right, with members of the Harlem Gospel Choir at the Shubert Theater.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Friday, October 10, 2008

This is simply wrong

Nothing like this should happen anywhere at any time

A 15-year-old girl was shot in the back outside of a corner store in the city’s Newhallville section Thursday evening and was in serious, but stable condition at the hospital, police said.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Read an update in Saturday's edition of the New Haven Register and at nhregister.com

Once was not enough



Dorothy Johnson’s Nissan Altima has been towed five times since Aug. 25 for $76 in unpaid taxes. But she owes no taxes.


Find out what happened here:

nhregister.com
Photo of Johnson by Melanie Stengel

Thursday, October 9, 2008

NAACP to hold economic summit

WEST HAVEN — The deadline is today, Oct. 9, to register for a roundtable discussion and strategy on "America’s Post Civil Rights & Industrial Eras: Social & Economic Implications for African Americans" will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at the University of New Haven’s Dodds Theatre.
The Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP is the host of the free economic summit organized to educate and empower minorities on how to become engaged In the growth of New Haven’s business and industry.
The purpose of the summit, which includes continental breakfast, is to begin a process that will produce the next generation of entrepreneurs of color and accelerate the establishments of retail and commercial businesses owned-and–operated by entrepreneurs of color in the greater New Haven area over the next five years, organizers said. The summit will culminate with participants gathering for a working lunch to craft recommendations for an economic development strategy for people of color in Greater New Haven. Recommendations will be compiled and made public within 60 days following the summit, organizers said. To register, call 624 4296.

A reason to celebrate





NEW HAVEN — A promotional celebration for Yale University Assistant Police Chief Ronnell Higgins will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 17 at Anthony’s Oceanview, 450 Lighthouse Road.
Higgins, previously a Yale police lieutenant, was named assistant chief of the department in July. He has been on the Yale force since 1997, working his way up through the ranks, making lieutenant in 2004 and being named commanding officer of the Patrol Division in 2006, according to the Yale Web site.



Yale University photo

Tickets to the celebration are $45 in advance and $50 at the door. For more information call Reginald Higgins Sr. at (203) 288-9048, or Robin Higgins @ 203-214-8528; Val-Jean Belton @ 203-887-3172; Leonard Jahad @ 203-410-2580; Debbie Maclellan @ 203-710-9118.

Celebrate the immigrant experience at the New Haven Public Library




NEW HAVEN - The New Haven Public Library is inviting the public to celebrate the immigrant experience, especially that of Italian Americans, in a special program at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14.


During the vent, celebrated Italian American poet Robert Viscusi, shown, will read from his epic poem, "Ellis Island, A Book of Changes."


Viscusi has published several volumes of poetry, fiction, and criticism, and is a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities and of the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute. He is an English professor at Brooklyn College and president of the Italian American Writers Association. His appearance in New Haven is made possible through Yale's American Studies Program. The Sons of Italy New Haven Lodge 37 will provide refreshments.

The program is free, and free parking is available. For more information, call 946-7431.

To EMT or not to EMT?

The city is looking at the question of whether to realign the Fire Department to reflect the reality of the number of medical calls.


Read Bill Kaempffer's full story here:

nhregister.com

Day care plan will displace students

Yale University's to displace 12 graduate student families from Whitehall in order to expand a day care center is upsetting some residents of the housing complex.

Read Mary O'Leary's full story here:

nhregister.com

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Economic summit to be held at UNH

WEST HAVEN — The deadline is Thursday to register for a roundtable discussion and strategy on "America’s Post Civil Rights & Industrial Eras: Social & Economic Implications for African Americans" will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 11 at the University of New Haven’s Dodds Theatre.
The Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP is the host of the free economic summit organized to educate and empower minorities on how to become engaged In the growth of New Haven’s business and industry
The purpose of the summit, which includes continental breakfast, is to begin a process that will produce the next generation of entrepreneurs of color and accelerate the establishments of retail and commercial businesses owned-and–operated by entrepreneurs of color in the greater New Haven area over the next five years, organizers said.
The summit will culminate with participants gathering for a working lunch to craft recommendations for an economic development strategy for people of color in Greater New Haven. Recommendations will be compiled and made public within 60 days following the summit, organizers said.
To register, call 624 4296.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The Elm City is the setting in these mystery novels

Annie Seymour is back!


WOODBRIDGE - The award-winning author of the Annie Seymour mystery series, set in New Haven, will be the featured Purves Lecturer at the Woodbridge Town Library at 7 p.m. Oct. 27.

Titles in the series by author Karen E. Olson include Sacred Cows, Secondhand Smoke, Dead of the Day, and the latest, Shot Girl, which will be released on Nov. 4. Copies of Shot Girl will be available for purchase at the lecture, before they hit bookstores, organizers said.

Olson, shown, a Connecticut native, worked for 20 years as a newspaper journalist, including at the New Haven Register. She now lives in the suburbs of New Haven with her husband and daughter, and devotes more time to her fiction writing.

She is working on a new mystery series featuring a tattoo shop owner in Las Vegas. The first in that series, The Missing Ink, will be released in July 2009.

The annual Purves Lecture is sponsored by the Friends of the Woodbridge Library. This event is free and open to the public, with no registration necessary.

For more information call (203) 389-3466.

Judge finds cause for ICE raid hearings

“I think all of our clients were delighted to be able to have a chance to tell their story, not just to the judge ... but also to the community at large,” said Stella Burch, a Yale Law School student who has worked on the case since the first raid June 6, 2007.


Read Mary O'Leary's full story here:

nhregister.com

Four makes a full family

Fourth assistant chief sworn in.

Read Bill Kaempffer's full story here:

nhregister.com

Yale part of $3.2 billion study on children's health

By Abram Katz
Register Science Editor
Yale University has received about $26 million to help study the genetic and environmental underpinnings of autism, asthma, learning, and other diseases in one of the largest public health studies undertaken in the United States.
The National Children’s Study will eventually follow a total of 100,000 children from birth to 21 years of age. The Yale school of public health is responsible for conducting the study in New Haven and Fairfield counties.
Ultimately,
A total of 105 representative counties in urban and rural areas in the U.S. will be studied. Currently about 25 medical schools and other research institutions have been tapped to participate in the $3.2 billion study.
Yale is concentrating on diseases developed in utero and through childhood.
While the study will encompass 2 decades, research results will start to emerge after a year or two, said Michael B. Bracken, a principal investigator in the study, and professor of epidemiology at Yale.
Findings on diseases and disorders that appear in the first 12 or 24 months, for example, will not be withheld until the end of the study.
Bracken said the university will recruit 1,000 pregnant women in both New Haven and Litchfield counties.
Rather than select patients from doctor’s offices, which might introduce unintentional bias, researchers will go from door to door seeking pregnant women, he said.
Then scientists will see how, or whether, environmental risks such as air and water quality, diet, or chemical exposure interact with maternal genetics to cause learning disabilities, asthma, autism, obesity, heart disease, and other diseases.
The National Children’s Study’s broad view of environment includes biological, physical, social, and cultural factors.
Scientists already formulated around 30 hypotheses, including glucose metabolism and birth defects, prenatal infection and schizophrenia, dietary antioxidants and asthma, and the impact of media exposure on child health and development, to study.
"This key expansion of one of the most important epidemiological studies in the United States today to include mothers and children from Litchfield County is a testament not only to the importance of this landmark study, but the expertise of our faculty," said Paul Cleary, dean of the Yale School of Public Health.
Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human development, said researchers will examine "not only what children are eating and drinking, not what’s in the air they breathe, what’s in the dust in their homes, and their possible exposures to chemicals from materials used to construct their homes and schools."
The National Children’s Study was established by an act of Congress and is being administered by the National Institutes of Health. The U.S. Department of health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency are also collaborating on the study.
Yale received $15 million last year, and another $10.7 million last week to launch its research and continue studies for five years.
Following subjects for 21 years could be difficult, Bracken said, but participating medical schools and hospitals across the country could "pick up" New Haven and Litchfield county residents who move.
The study’s $200 million cost is a large sum, but its results could help produce treatments for diseases that cost the U.S. tens of billions of dollars a year to treat, Bracken said.
Other lead investigators at Yale are Kathleen Belanger, research scientist in epidemiology; Dr. Jessica Illuzi, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology; and Lisbet Lundsberg, associate research scientist in epidemiology.
"Prospective studies such as this are critical to our understanding of factors that improve and cause risk to our health," said Dr. Robert J. Alpern, dean of the Yale School of Medicine.
"I am delighted that Dr. Bracken has been funded to continue and extend his work on this cohort," Alpern said.

Freedom Rider tells her story

Lula White knew what to do

By Randall Beach
Register Staff
NEW HAVEN
-- Lula White is again stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight, just as she did when she was a 22-year-old joining hundreds of other "freedom riders" challenging segregation in the South.
White is now a retired high school history teacher who usually lives quietly in her Hamden home. But with publication of the book "Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders," she has been rediscovered and enlisted as a "teaching tool."
Today’s students will doubtless be amazed by her story: facing down a mob of angry racists and later a group of Mississippi policemen before being convicted of breach of peace and spending two months in prison.
White came to the New Haven Free Public Library Monday morning for a press briefing to help launch the library’s civic engagement program.
The goal is to raise funds for the library while galvanizing public awareness about how individuals can make a difference by taking a stand, just as White did in the summer of 1961.
White will join two other "freedom riders," the Rev. Reginald Green and Ellen Ziskind as well as "Breach of Peace" author Eric Etheridge and Yale Professor Jonathan Holloway Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. at the library for a "civic engagement conversation." The event is free and open to the public.
Earlier that day, those panelists will speak at a private luncheon at Union League Cafe. The Patrons of the New Haven Public Library have entitled this "a book lover’s luncheon" to benefit the library.
Heidi Hamilton, who represents "Breach of Peace" publisher Atlas & Co., said Monday a local committee is forming to bring together community leaders, agencies, activists and other supporters to shape programs concerning civic engagement and civil disobedience.
"The idea," Hamilton said, "is to talk and think about what you might do as an individual to make a difference."
White had no notion she was making history in 1961; she said she simply felt she had to do something when she saw a newspaper photo of a "freedom riders" bus that had been set on fire by proponents of segregation.
"I was just so enraged that in this country people would try to kill you because you were demanding the rights that you were entitled to," she said. "Those flames spurred me on."
"We couldn’t imagine going to jail," she added. "But we overcame that to leave our comfortable lives and do what we thought was right."
White was not unfamiliar with the South, having been born in Alabama. But she hadn’t lived there since age seven, when she and her family moved to New Haven. When the first "freedom riders" headed southward in the spring of 1961, she was living in Chicago. In addition to having their bus set on fire, some of those "riders" were badly beaten.
After White resolved to join the movement, she decided not to tell her father. "I knew he wouldn’t want me to risk my life. I dropped him a postcard the day I left: ‘If you can’t reach me in the next few months, I’ll be in Mississippi.’"
On the group’s way to Jackson, Miss., their bus was intercepted by a mob of about 50-60 angry whites, who rocked the vehicle while shouting racial epithets. When the "freedom riders" finally reached Jackson, they were confronted by another, larger crowd who had surrounded the bus station, the planned site of the riders’ protest.
But White and the eight others in her group walked off the bus, made it past the mob and went into the bus station’s "whites only" waiting room.
"The arresting officer came up to me and said, ‘You have to leave; your presence here is breaching the peace,’" she recalled. "I told him, ‘No, I have a Constitutional right to be here.’"
When she was sent to prison, she was stunned to learn she was not allowed to have any books, not even the Bible she had packed. No visitors were allowed and food was slid into her cell.
Asked how those days relate to today’s civil rights climate and the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, White said, "It’s part of a long journey. We’re nowhere near our goal."
White said she had preferred former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards to Obama but hopes Obama is elected.
She also said recounting the civil rights era "reminds me of a time when I was more hopeful. I thought things would change quickly. But that’s not the way things work."
Randall Beach can be reached at rbeach@nhregister.com or 789-5766.

29th Connecticut Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry will not be forgotten




African-Americans contributed to the Civil War effort and that’s not taught in most history books. But in New Haven, the lesson will not be lost, thanks to a new monument, part of which is shown here.


Read the full story here:


Don't like crime?

Get out there and patrol. That is, at least, what more city residents have decided to do.

Read Bill Kaempffer's full story here:

nhregister.com

Monday, October 6, 2008

Child development education forum

State Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan, Yale psychiatrist and pediatrician Kyle Pruett, and child development curriculum specialist Janet Pozmantier will talk about why they believe child development education should be provided to all Connecticut students at a public conference to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 7, in Room 1-A of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave., Hartford.
The forum, "Preparing Tomorrow’s Effective Parents," is sponsored by the Connecticut Coalition for Child Development Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring all students receive courses in child development, child safety, and parenting skills, according to a statement.
Pruett will speak on "Teachable Moments that Change Generations: A Child Psychiatrist’s View of Child and Parent Development in the Classroom." Pozmantier will discuss an award-winning curriculum she developed in her talk "Parents Under Construction: Teaching Children Today the Parenting Skills they will Need Tomorrow." McQuillan will discuss possible curriculum changes to better prepare Connecticut students for the global economy and adulthood.
Anyone interested in attending the forum should call Laura Baldarelli at (203) 281-6617, or e-mail lb_connecticut.pta@snet.net.

City Registrars of Voters want YOU

City registrars extend hours for voters to sign up

NEW HAVEN — City Registrars of Voters Rae Tramontano and Sharon Ferrucci remind residents that Oct. 28 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 4 presidential election, but they will extend hours to accommodate those who still need to register.
The registrars’ office will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18, and hours will be extended from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 28 for voter registration, changes of address or name, and to hear any other request to be restored to the registry list.
The office is at 200 Orange St., Room 201. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 946-8035.

But the blame on mildew, fungi and mold




Leaf peeping might not be what you expect this year.



Read Abe Katz's full story here



Photo by Peter Casolino

Books-n-Parks

City playgrounds offer delights for kids' minds now too.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Homeless registering homeless to vote

When it comes to registering to vote, where you live does not matter

Read Elizabeth Benton's full column here:


nhregister.com

Beach on homeless

Listen: we’re going to have a nightmare on that Green this winter if something isn’t done.


Read his full column here:

nhregister.com

A toast to October's Artist of the Month




Orange artist highlights nature in watercolors and acrylics


A champagne reception will be held to honor October Artist Of The Month Barbara Mazur of Orange from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 14, at Stevens Auto Group, 717 Bridgeport Ave., Milford.
The public is invited.
Mazur, who serves on the board of the Orange Art League, has exhibited in the Orange Library, Whitney Center in Hamden, the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, and the Woodbridge Library, organizers said. Her interest in photography has inspired her artistic abilities to convey nature in its many phases with watercolors and acrylics for the past seven years, oranizers said. She spent 17 years in the advertising business and 15 years working in the promotional/merchandising industry.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Take strides, help the fight against breast cancer

In photo: The 2007 walk



NEW HAVEN - Those seeking to join the fight against breast cancer can participate in the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer® 5-kilometer walk that begins at 1 p.m. Oct. 19 at Lighthouse Point Park. The noncompetitive event unites the community to honor and celebrate breast cancer survivors, educate women about the importance of early detection and prevention, and raise money to fund lifesaving research and support programs to further our progress against this disease, organizers said.
To join or for more information, call American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Manager Mary Kate Carofano at (203) 379-4830, e-mail mary.kate.carofano@cancer.org or visit www.cancer.org/stridesonline.
"In fiscal year 2008, 94 cents of every dollar raised through Making Strides was reinvested into breast cancer research, prevention, detection, and patient support programs," said Simone Upsey, area director of communications for the American Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society uses the money raised through Making Strides events to fund breast cancer research, provide up-to-date breast cancer information, ensure all women have access to breast cancer screening and treatments, regardless of income, and to provide services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families
.



Some of the local American Cancer Society services supported through Making Strides Against Breast Cancer include: a program that links newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with survivors to offer information, answer questions and provide support while serving as role models for life after breast cancer (Reach to Recovery®); a program that provides women with cancer an educational session run by professional cosmetologists on how to manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment (Look Good…Feel Better®); 1-800-ACS-2345 – Trained Cancer Information Specialists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions about cancer, link callers with resources in their communities and provide information on local events; www.cancer.org – reliable, user-friendly Web site containing in-depth information on every major cancer type. Answers are provided to questions about the nature of breast cancer: causes and risk factors; the latest strategies for prevention and early detection; new diagnostic techniques; the latest treatment options and services available in your area. Also, Road to RecoverySM – Transportation to lifesaving medical appointments can be a challenge for someone with cancer so an American Cancer Society volunteer will drive patients to and from treatment.
"Almost everyone has been touched by breast cancer in some way," said Mary Kate Carofano, community executive for the American Cancer Society. "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer gives us the chance to celebrate those who have survived breast cancer and help ensure that future generations are not faced with this life-threatening disease. Making Strides truly demonstrates that hope starts with each and every one of us."
Sponsors of this year’s Making Strides event include: Women’s Center for Breast Health at Hospital of Saint Raphael , HID Global Corporation, Environmental Data Resources, Medical Oncology & Hematology, CRN Helping Hands, , and the media sponsors of this event include News Channel 8 & MyTV
9 and WEBE 108.




Honorary chairwomen and chairmen of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in New Haven are: U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, shown at right; New Haven Mayor John Destefano Jr., also shown at right; West Haven Mayor John M. Picard; East Haven Mayor April Capone Almon; Dr. Andrea Silber, of the Hospital of Saint Raphael and a member of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Directors, shown below; Gateway Community College President Dr. Dorsey L. Kendrick; New Haven Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Redding; Linda Mowed, director, National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service of New England at Yale Cancer Center and former chairwomen of the American Cancer Society’s New England Division Board.

Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund to honor five women

The Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund will honor five women with the Maria Stewart Award, including a top city administrator and a lawyer who practice in the Elm City.

City Community Services Administrator Kica Matos, and Diane Polan, a private attorney, will receive the CWEALF Maria Stewart Award, which goes to women who are "role models in their efforts to advance the cause of equality in Connecticut," the organization said in a statement.



Matos, right, is "a leading advocate for immigrants’ and women’s rights, and is well known for her leadership of Junta for Progressive Action," and CWEALF is honoring her for dedication to community and social service and work to better the lives of under-served women and families in Connecticut, the statement said.


Polan, at right, "has a long history of community service...and has consistently used her knowledge of the law to protect and promote women’s rights," it said and CWEALF is honoring her for her steadfast commitment to feminism and the law.


Other women to be honored by CWEALF are Theresa Canada, at ri ght, top, for her ongoing support and encouragement to women and minority students pursuing their educational goals; Catherine Havens, center, for her dedication and leadership to the advancement of women and girls in Connecticut; and Melodie Peters, bottom, for her commitment to promoting women’s rights and opportunities in the workplace, the statement said.


The awards will be presented at CWEALF’s One Women Makes a Difference event at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Crowne Plaza, 100 Berlin Road, Cromwell.
All proceeds benefit the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund. CWEALF is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women, girls, and their families achieve equal opportunities in their personal and professional lives.
CWEALF works on the individual level to ensure women have tools and resources they need to successfully navigate legal and social service systems, while simultaneously advocating for systemic change to ensure that these services work to the benefit of women and low-income families, the statement said Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund is at 135 Broad St., Hartford, and www.cwealf.org.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Pet blessings abound



Several local churches will bless animals this weekend to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.


SATURDAY
Shelton: blessing and bake sale from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 25 Church St., near the Huntington Green. The Rev. Janet Waggoner will bless each animal. All pets welcome.

Hamden: blessing in courtyard of Mount Carmel Congregational Church, 3284 Whitney Ave. Public invited to worship with their pets at 10 a.m. Animal food and blankets collected. Call 248-7408 or visit http://www.mccucc.com/.

Seymour: blessing at an outdoor altar at 10 a.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 91 Church St. Call 888-6596.

SUNDAY
New Haven: blessing at 11 a.m. in front of Trinity Episcopal Church on the Green, corner Temple and Chapel streets
New Haven: blessing at 4 p.m., St. Thomas's Episcopal Church, 830 Whitney Ave. All animals (even stuffed) and their human companions invited to the church's second annual Blessing of the Animals on October 5 at 4:00 p.m. The blessings will be followed by an ice cream social.

Westbrook: blessing at 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 53 S. Main St. Bring a nonperishable pet food to donate. Call (860) 669-7681.

Hamden: blessing held on the south lawn of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 2819 Whitney Ave., at 2 p.m., open to all. Call 281-3563.

Ansonia: Christ Episcopal Church, 56 Cliff St. at 10 a.m., and First Congregational Church, 44 S. Cliff St. at 10:30 a.m. Dogs must be leashed and other pets must be in closed containers. Bring dog or cat food to donate. Call 734-2715 or 734-0544.

Westbrook: 11:30 a.m., St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 53 S. Main St., bring nonperishable pet food. Call (860) 669-7681.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Effective Parents

Forum to be held in Hartford

State Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan, Yale psychiatrist and pediatrician Kyle Pruett, and child development curriculum specialist Janet Pozmantier will talk about why they believe child development education should be provided to all Connecticut students at a public conference to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, in Room 1-A of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave., Hartford.
The forum, "Preparing Tomorrow’s Effective Parents," is sponsored by the Connecticut Coalition for Child Development Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring all students receive courses in child development, child safety, and parenting skills, according to a statement.
Pruett will speak on "Teachable Moments that Change Generations: A Child Psychiatrist’s View of Child and Parent Development in the Classroom." Pozmantier will discuss an award-winning curriculum she developed in her talk "Parents Under Construction: Teaching Children Today the Parenting Skills they will Need Tomorrow." McQuillan will discuss possible curriculum changes to better prepare Connecticut students for the global economy and adulthood.
Anyone interested in attending the forum is asked to call Laura Baldarelli at the Connecticut PTA office, at (203) 281-6617, or e-mail her at lb_connecticut.pta@snet.net.

Oktoberfest in East Rock Park

NEW HAVEN — Friends of East Rock Park will hold Oktoberfest from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at College Woods Park.
It will feature kids' games, a magician, farm animals, and a chili cookoff from 4 to 6 p.m.
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., there will be contra dancing and square dancing.
The event is open to anyone.
College Woods Park is at Orange and Cold Springs streets. People are asked to bring their own bowl and spoon to reduce waste and are encouaged to bring a dish of food.

Making a Good Gift Better

NEW HAVEN — The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven will increase its matching grant program for certain basic needs providers from $75,000 to $225,000 in 2008 in response to the effects of the economic downturn on Greater New Haven residents.
Recognizing that 2008 presents a more difficult fund-raising climate, The foundation, in its "Making a Good Gift Better" program, will match all contributions to qualifying agencies, not just new and additional contributions as in prior years, agecny officials said in a statement.
"As much as everyone hopes to see the community’s support for basic needs increase this year, we also recognize that in this economic environment just reaching last year’s level may be a tall order," foundation CEO and President William W. Ginsberg said. "We want the foundation’s matching gift program to reflect this reality."
The foundation also recently created a new community web site www.GNHcommunity.org to ask nonprofits how the economy is affecting impacting the ability to provide services. The foundation acted on the feedback from the nonprofit agencies and other community leaders, the statement said.
Nonprofit organizations that have an operating budget of $3 million or less and that provide food, shelter, clothing, fuel or assistance with utility payments to Greater New Haven residents are eligible to apply. Deadline for submission of application is 5 p.m. Oct. 10. Applications and a complete list of eligibility criteria are available on the foundation’s Web site at www.cfgnh.org. For more information, contact Lee Cruz, Director of Community Outreach, at lcruz@cfgnh.org, or call (203) 777-7074.
The Making a Good Gift Better program is in its third year. It was created to encourage nonprofit organizations that provide food, shelter, and clothing to strengthen operational and development capacities and focus on increasing their resources by fundraising. Some agencies that received funding in the past are: AIDS Interfaith Network Inc. ALSO-Cornerstone, Beth-El Center, Christian Community Action, CitySeed, Inc., Community Soup Kitchen, Domestic Violence Services, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Episcopal Church of St. Paul & St. James’ Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry and Clothing Closet, Fellowship Place, Inc., FISH of Greater New Haven, Liberty Community Services, Life Haven, Master’s Manna, Inc. and New Haven Diaper Bank.

Blake Street detour

NEW HAVEN — Blake Street will be closed to westbound traffic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 3 because of repair work. Westbound traffic will be detoured to Whalley Avenue, the city said.

Hill reunion slated

NEW HAVEN — The Hill Reunion annual luncheon will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at Anthony’s Ocean View, 450 Lighthouse Road.
The event, which includes a buffet lunch and cash bar, is $25 per person. For reservations, send checks payable to Hill Reunion, to Nick DeMatties, 140 Captain Thomas Blvd., #409, West Haven, 06516. The cut off date for reservations is October 24. There are no table reservations in advance, but early arrivals can save available seating.
For more information, call 932-1528 or e-mail demattiesn@comcast.net.

Informant or hooker?

Investigation under way in incident involving off-duty cop.

Read Bill Kaempffer's full story here:

nhregister.com

New budget review panel named

Seven residents have been named to a new Blue Ribbon Budget Review Panel charged with scrutinizing city finances and spending in time for the 2009-10 budget process.

Read Elizabeth Benton's full story here:

nhregister.com

Homeland Security told to give up details

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been ordered to disclose more information about the 2007 raid by Immigration and Enforcement officials that resulted in the arrest of 31 alleged illegal immigrants in the city.


Read Mary O'Leary's full story here:

nhregister.com

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Expedition New England is calling on kids

Kids and Long Island Sound, a great combination, naturalists say

Expedition New England will hold a program intended to draw young aspiring naturalists from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at Hammonasset Beach State Park Nature Center in Madison.
The program, by naturalist Scott Tucker and his daughter, Daphne, will include a sneak peak of "Listening to the Sound" a special episode of the "Expedition New England" program created by the father-daughter team. Expedition New England is a show Tucker created several years ago to focus attention on the natural wonder of the local world and beyond. It is in part funded by the Long Island Sound License Plate Fund, and therefore Tucker makes presentations at elementary schools and other venues across the state.
Currently, Tucker and Daphne are trying to inspire children to join "100 Expedition New England Jr. Oceanographers," and they will talk a bout this at the Hammonasset event. To be selected for the oceanography program, students in third and fourth grades must send Daphne an email or write her a short essay about what they would do to protect the Sound. Winners will be selected in late November and will receive a kit that includes a copy of "Listening to the Sound" DVD produced by Daphne, a digital temp gauge, a compass, a tide chart and basic directions for tests on the water. Ten winners will be selected to do a Seal Tour with Project Oceanology in February and the top three Jr. Oceanographers will get a chance to be on "Expedition New England" and talk about their ideas to save the Sound. Essays can be sent to: daphne@expeditionnewengland.com

Congregation Or Shalom wins national energy-saving award

Congregation Or Shalom of Orange has been named one of three national recipients of the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection’s Energy Star Congregations Award in recognition of its efforts to save energy and provide stewardship for the environment.
Congregation Or Shalom, a Conservative synagogue with a membership of about 350 families, began improving its energy efficiency more than a year ago and has reduced operating expenses by more than $1,400 a year, congregation officials said.
Many families are involved. Their efforts included switching to a solar-powered eternal light; turning off lights and turning down thermostats for efficient operation; installing compact fluorescent bulbs and lighting control; installing new parking lot timer devices; replacing five less energy-efficient computers and a copier; and regularly servicing heating and air conditioning systems to ensure peak performance.
"Our energy strategy is synergistic with Jewish law and tradition, which emphasizes respect and taking care of our environment and resources," Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus, Congregation Or Shalom’s spiritual leader, said in a statement.
"The visual energy savings effort created a pride and enthusiasm with the congregation and with the community at large," he said.
Wainhaus, who includes energy conservation in sermons and community activities, also led a temple energy awareness day that featured presentations by a local company and the sale of fluorescent light bulbs to members and to the community at cost, the statement said.
The other EPA honorees were Dennis Union Church of Dennis, Mass., and Starkey United Methodist Church of Starkey, Nev.

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