Wags & Whiskers TLC, an animal support group based in West Haven, will have its annual photos with Santa event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at Pet Supplies Plus 471 Boston Post Road, Orange, Conn.The cost is $7 and canned cat food and refundable cans and bottles will be collected during the event.The event is open to all pets of every shape and size and "of course children," organizers said. Cookies, cider and coffee will be served. All proceeds will benefit the Wags & Whiskers medical fund. For more information, please call Jim Vitelli at (203) 937-3642 or send an e-mail to: pounddogs@yahoo.com

David O’Sullivan, director of the Community Soup Kitchen and Santa Christy Mulhall are preparing for a fundraiser.

NEW HAVEN - Christy's will again host a fundraiser for Community Soup Kitchen of New Haven from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 10. There will be hors d’oeuvres, drink specials, prize drawings and a special pre-Christmas appearance by Santa Christy himself.

There is a $15 donation at the door. (tax deductible)

Santa Christy says, "Last year we raised $5,700. That's 1,425 meals! And we all had a great time. So please put this event on your calendar today! It may be the best gift you give this holiday season."

Contributions may be made at any time at Christy’s, 261 Orange St. (checks payable to Community Soup Kitchen of New Haven.) All proceeds benefit CSK. For more information call: Colin O'Toole– (203) 506-5753

In the photo by Pete Casolino, David O’Sullivan, director of the Community Soup Kitchen and Santa Christy Mulhall prepare for the fundraiser.

Students told the story of Christopher Columbus

From l to r: Ellen King and Kaitlyn Capone, both of Hamden High School; Matthew D’Angelo, of Notre Dame of West Haven; winners of the Columbus Day Committee of Greater New Haven Essay Contest, and Essay Committee Co-Chairmen Louis Criscuolo and Richard DiPalma.The students won the contest for essays that presented the best biographical portrait of Christopher Columbus, highlighting his influence on United States and relating his experience to the immigration experience of today and the last century, organizers said. Missing from the photo are winners Kara Maltese, West Haven High School and Donato Biceglia of Notre Dame of West Haven.

Anyone who loves animals might want to check this site out:

http://teslaslove.blogspot.com/

Shabbat Alive, a cheerful and upbeat Kabbalat Shabbat Service filled with joy, prayer and song, leads services periodically at a variety of Conservative and Reform synagogues in Greater New Haven. Shabbat Alive provides a different experience for congregants welcoming and receiving the Sabbath, re-energizing Shabbat evening services with a blend of lively traditional and contemporary musical settings, meditation, dancing and teaching, organizers said.
This month Shabbat Alive will be followed by a Shabbat Dinner at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at Temple Emanuel, 150 Derby Ave., Orange and all are invited. The dinner costs $15.00 for adults and $7.00 for children. In addition to the traditional kosher chicken dinner, vegetarian options are available with advance notice. For dinner reservations and any questions about the menu, call Leona Kusmit at Temple Emanuel at 397-3000 or e-mail office@templeemanuel-gnh.org. Payment can be made using a credit card or personal check.
Shabbat Alive services are led by New Haven business attorney Isaiah Cooper, a member of Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel of New Haven, serving as teacher/leader;h well-known Clinton-based cantorial soloist, guitarist and songwriter Rick Calvert, of Temple Beth Tikvah of Madison serving as song leader; and Amity High School senior Jacob Zonderman, of Temple Emanuel, accompanying on a variety of hand drums and other percussion instruments.
All are welcome, there no need to be a member of Temple Emanuel to attend the service or the dinner. Contributions to Shabbat Alive can be sent to Isaiah Cooper c/o Cooper Law LLC, 205 Church Street, Suite 307, New Haven, 06510.

Murder and mayhem clearly come easily to women

NEW HAVEN - The New Haven Public Library will launch a mystery discussion series at 6 p.m. Jan. 28, at the downtown branch, 133 Elm St.

The series, Connecticut Sisters in Crime, will meet once a month through April to discuss four popular mysteries written by Connecticut women authors. Participants may choose one or all of the discussions, and copies of the books will be available for those who register.

The series is made possible by a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council. Discussions will be led by Carole Shmurak, shown, author of the first book, Deadmistress. Shmurak is professor emerita at Central Connecticut State University and the author of 10books. Her third Susan Lombardi mystery is due out in 2009.

Book Schedule is:
Jan. 28: DEADMISTRESS by Carole Shmurak
Feb. 25: FINAL FORE by Roberta Isleib
Mar. 25: SACRED COWS by Karen Olson (with special appearance by the author)
Apr. 22: RESTLESS WATERS by Jessica Speart

There is no charge for the discussions, and participants are invited to bring a sandwich; coffee will be provided. Please reserve books by registering for each discussion online at www.guidezilla.com/nhfpl or call the library at (203) 946-8835. Free off-street parking is available.

NEW HAVEN —The New Haven Job Corps Center has launched its fall recruitment drive to fill class openings, center officials said in a statement.
Young adults age 16 to 24 who meet specific income requirements can enroll in the program free of charge, the statement said.
Job Corps provides its students with academic and career technical training, room, board, and basic medical and dental services, it said.
"Our program gives students the opportunity to train in the careers of their choice, while still completing their educations through self-paced classes," Acting Center Director Patty Wooten said in the statement. "Job Corps offers students a variety of career areas, including culinary arts, advanced pastry and baking, stationary engineering, C.N.A., facilities maintenance, and carpentry."
"Each student receives specialized attention, ensuring they gain the skill sets and academics they will need to be successful in today’s competitive job market," Wooten said.
On average, students spend two years completing career technical training, while working toward a high school diploma or GED.
Job Corps offers students the Advanced Career Training program, which allows them to receive further training by enrolling at a vocational or community college at no additional cost. The New Haven Job Corps Center offers a wide range of career areas from which students can choose. Students also participate in athletics, community service projects and the Student Government Association.
For more information, call (203) 907-4300.

Nate Brown, left, of International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 478, thanks Stop & Shop of Hamden Manager Ed Paglia after loading a truck of food for delivery to Christian Community Action of New Haven. This is the seventh year the union has worked with CAA to help deliver food the agency then delivers to those who need it for Thanksgiving. Local 478this year will donate nearly $1,800 worth of stuffing, fresh baked pies, potatoes, and other traditional Thanksgiving foods.
Christian Community Action is a 41-year-old ecumenical social services agency with a mission to provide food, emergency housing and other support to homeless families New Haven and to the poor. More than 1,400 families and individuals, the majority of them children, will receive turkeys and bags of groceries to prepare a home-cooked holiday meal as part of the agency’s 2008 Thanksgiving Food Drive.
Local 478, headquartered in Hamden, is the largest supplier of trained, qualified heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and support personnel in the state, its officials said.

The Shoreline Chapter of Amnesty International will hold a special event to honor of the 60th Anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Scranton Memorial Library in Madison.
The guest speaker will be James Silk, clinical professor of law at Yale Law School and director of the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, organizers said. Silk is also executive director of the Schell Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School. As a former director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights in Washington, D.C., Silk focused on human rights in China, child labor and corporate responsibility. Before attending law school, Silk was editor, policy analyst, and senior writer for the U.S. Committee for Refugees, event organizers said.
Article 1 of the Declaration say, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." In keeping with this tenet, the event will include participation in Amnesty International’s Global Write-a-thon, organizers said. Letters in support of prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders will be available for signature.
The event is free and refreshments will be served.

In the photo: Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt holds a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Gan Hayeled Nursery School of Woodbridge is holding enrollment for the 2009-10 school year and is accepting applications for the 2-, 3- and 4-year old programs. Two open houses are upcoming: from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 16 and 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14.
Gan Hayeled Nursery School is a non-profit program in its 60th year of operation, and is sponsored by Congregation B’nai Jacob in Woodbridge.
The open houses are opportunities for parents of toddlers and preschool-aged children to learn more about the program, meet teachers, speak to current parents and to tour the school, officials said.
Registration packets will be available at the events. For more information, an application or directions, please contact Sue Shapiro at (203) 389-2111, ext. 215 or visit www.ganhayelednurseryschool.org.
Gan Hayeled Nursery School is at Congregation B’nai Jacob, 75 Rimmon Road, Woodbridge.

New Haven Probate Court Judge John A. Keyes has ruled that former clients of J. Markiewicz and Sons Funeral Home whose pre-paid contracts were misused are entitled to refunds of 50 percent to 80 percent of what they paid.But those who are supposed to receive the money haven’t seen any yet, and nobody can say when they will. Moreover, at least one of those clients is outraged that the percentage isn’t higher.

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Nearly 200 volunteers packed 1,550 grocery bags filled with food Saturday and Sunday for Christian Community Action to distribute this week to families and individuals in the Hill neighborhood.

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Photos by Brad Horrigan

The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven keeps stepping up to help.


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Members of Oyster Point Marina will share decades of memories at next month’s holiday party as they gather together, possibly for the last time, to say goodbye.

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Roadway changes on Long Wharf Drive may not have the curb appeal of traffic circles and other in-vogue traffic calming techniques, but the city hopes some simple concrete barriers and sand-filled plastic barrels will help solve the street racing problem on the stretch along New Haven Harbor.


Photo by Vern Williams

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Thirty-one groups, including students, city workers and families, pitched tents on the Green Thursday night to raise the final thousands of dollars needed to keep the Cedar Street overflow shelter open through April.

“Whether it is those infected with HIV, the recently arrived, those with mental illness, the homeless, time after time, the one that stands up first, loudest and with the most self-sacrifice is New Haven,” said Mayor John DeStefano Jr.


Photo by Melanie Stengel

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Students helping in Rwanda

Yale University student Emily Morell, crouching at left, and Emma Clippinger, a student at Brown University, co-founders of Gardens for Health International, were on Thursday named the global winners of the Staples "Youth Social Entrepreneur" Competition.

Gardens for Health International provides nutritional support and economic empowerment to HIV-positive people throughout Rwanda. The organization simultaneously targets malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and poverty. Morell and Emma Clippinger were chosen from five finalists selected from more than 100 entries received from the U.S. and France for their outstanding impact, innovation and commitment to serving their community, according to a prepared statement. They will receive $5,000 in Staples products to help run their organization.
The panel of judges included Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist; Hannah Teter, U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning snowboarder; Gilles Daniel, vice president of MTV France; Franck Riboud, chairman and chief executive officer of Groupe Danone; and Kyle Freas, grand prize winner of the 2007 "Youth Social Entrepreneur" Competition.
The award was created by Staples Foundation for Learning, a private foundation created by Staples, Inc., and Ashoka, the world’s community of leading social entrepreneurs.
"We received hundreds of entries for this year’s Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition from young entrepreneurs from all over the world who are making positive change in the world," said Bill Drayton, CEO and chairman of Ashoka. "We hope their stories and Ventures will inspire youth everywhere to take part in the global movement of young changemakers who are taking initiative and creating Ventures that contribute to social change."
Youth Venture is an Ashoka initiative that is "catalyzing and investing in a movement of young changemakers all over the world who are taking action by identifying problems and creating Ventures to create positive change in their communities," the statement said. Staples began its support of Youth Venture in 2006 through Staples Foundation for Learning, a private charitable foundation created by Staples, Inc. Support from Staples Foundation for Learning has helped Ashoka launch the Youth Venture program in France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. To date, Staples has contributed $1.5 million to build the capacity, visibility and reach of the Youth Venture program throughout the world, the statement said.

Officials applaud new College partnership program

Shown, l to to r, Margaret Bauer, Gateway Community College dean of research; State Sen. Martin Looney, D-New Haven; Dolores Garcia-Blocker, principal of Cooperative Arts High School, Gateway President Dorsey Kendrick,; AT&T state President Ramona Carlow; John Emra, regional vice president, AT&T External & Legislative Affairs; and Mary Ellen Cody, Gateway dean of Development & Community Partnerships.

NEW HAVEN - The Gateway Community College Foundation Thursday received a $35,000 grant from AT&T to support planning and building a Middle College partnership program between Gateway Community College and Cooperative Arts High School to provide a guided and rigorous college curriculum.
The Middle College will give a group of students from the high school the opportunity to complete an Associate Degree Program in General Studies while attending regular high school classes, the college said in statement.

Upon high school graduation, students may receive both a diploma and an associate degree, thereby facilitating transfer into a baccalaureate program.

"This grant will enhance access to post-secondary education and expose students to college much earlier in their academic experience," said Dorsey L. Kendrick, president of Gateway Community College. "This partnership strengthens our collaboration with New Haven Public Schools as well and we are grateful for AT&T’s generosity."

AT&T’s grant is part of AT&T Aspire, a $100 million philanthropic program to help strengthen student success and workforce readiness, the statement said.

AT&T Aspire supports the work of the education community to help our students succeed in school by helping them see the connection between education and their brightest future.

A 23-year-old New Haven man who admitted to fueling his drug addiction by committing a string of armed robberies at convenience stores in Orange and West Haven received a 10-year prison sentence Wednesday.

Defense argues, “Addiction is walking death. … If it was a choice, we wouldn’t have 20 million addicts (in the country); we would have no addicts.”

But judge tells him, “You have a choice not to do it to begin with."


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There was kick off this week to a year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of James Hillhouse High School, the city’s oldest public academic institution

Photo by Melanie Stengel

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The Green is more than gorgeous.


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A new exit ramp is going to take you over Interstate 95 and down onto Route 34. Check it out at right.

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NEW HAVEN — Fantasy of Lights, presented by Easter Seals Goodwill Industries and a holiday tradition for thousands of families, begins Nov. 21 at Lighthouse Point Park.
The exhibit, which runs through December 31 is sponsored by area businesses, corporations and individuals. PSEG Power Connecticut LLC is the title sponsor.
Hours are 5 to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission for passenger cars/family vans is $10, 15-passenger vans or mini-buses $25, buses $50. Proceeds benefit Easter Seals Goodwill Industries whose mission is to enhance employment, educational, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and other challenges.
For more information, visit www.ctgoodwill.org

Woodbridge native Alison Josephs is the illustrator of a new children’s book, "Ankle Soup," that is drawing rave reviews in the human and animal world.

Well, OK, no animals have actually weighed in on it yet that we know of, but they should. The book features a gorgeous little French bulldog named Carlos, who is made all the more lovable by Josephs’ colorful illustrations.
The book takes readers along for the adventure as Carlos makes his way through Grand Central Station on Thanksgiving. And what’s not to love about Grand Central Station at any time of year, let alone during the hustle and bustle of a holiday.

"So smile when you see me
way down in the crowd.
And bend to my level
for crying out loud!
Please try to see things
from my point of view.
Your ankles are nice but…
you’re more than a shoe," says one passage

The intent of the author, Maureen Sullivan, and Josephs, is to give "young readers the chance to learn to have a sense of the other guy — to walk a mile in another’s shoes — a key to balance in life and a boost to emotional intelligence," according to their press packet.

Josephs, a painter and graphic designer working in New York City, grew up in Woodbridge, graduating from Amity High School in 1983. She went on to earn a BFA from Cornell University and studied in Florence and Assisi.

Her work focuses on New York themes such as Yankee Stadium and Coney Island. Shown at right, Josephs now lives in Hoboken, NJ with her ankle-high Norwich Terrier, Ruby.

For more, visit: http://www.anklesoup.com/

Yes, that Susan B. Anthony

NEW HAVEN — Fort Nathan Hale will hold its annual meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday at Center Church Parish Hall, 311 Temple St. The hall is directly behind the library.
Keynote speaker will be Sally Matson, a professional actress and educator who will perform as Susan B. Anthony — "The Invincible."
Anthony struggled for most of her life to get voting rights for women and equal rights for all.
Also featured at the meeting will be a display of antique postcards of old New Haven and Fair Haven, presented by Tom Slater, a long-time history buff who is working on a book about New Haven.
Historical and other items will be on sale to benefit fort restoration projects. Election of officers will take place and refreshments will be served. The meeting is free and open to the public.
For more information, call 466-1596.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal Monday recommended contracts for Husky Medicaid insurance and Charter Oak be rebid, but Gov. M. Jodi Rell sees no need for that.

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Police found the Branford couple who allegedly are the Scrooges who nearly ruined the annual Fantasy of Lights holiday display.

NEW HAVEN — Police Tuesday arrested the two suspects who were wanted in connection with the theft of power cables that left a portion of the annual Fantasy of Lights display in the dark.
Detectives found David John Tobey, 27, and his girlfriend, Amy Folland, 30, both shown at the Branford house of Tobey’s mother when they went there to deliver paperwork from a weekend search warrant they served at that location, said Sgt. Steve Shea.
The two were arrested on larceny and conspiracy warrants with bail of $500,000 for Tobey and $200,000 for Folland, police said.
Tobey and Folland, who police say have a history of substance abuse, are accused of stealing hundreds of feet of electrical cables that powered about a dozen of the nearly 70 displays that were being erected at Lighthouse Park. The next day, Officer David Murgo spoke to a witness who provided a description of a suspicious vehicle she saw near there. Detectives Scott Branfuhr and James Naccarato visited local scrap yards and ultimately identified the suspects.
Easter Seals Goodwill Industries puts on the annual display as a fundraiser and between 12,000 and 15,000 people visit it each year.
In the wake of the theft, volunteers gave their services and equipment to restore electricity to the darkened displays. The event is set to kick off Friday.

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NEW HAVEN — The Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP will act as host for a discussion on challenges faced by public defenders, and on Yale University’s investments in the city, during its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke’s Church, 111 Whalley Ave.
New Haven Public Defender Thomas Ullman will give an account of the many serious challenges facing his office and those around the country in defending the poor. Ullman also will address the local and state correctional system, cases of innocence, and the death penalty.
Bruce Alexander, Yale University’s vice president and director of New Haven and state affairs, will lead a discussion on the ongoing development and investment plans of the university in the city of New Haven. Alexander will provide insight into how neighborhoods, residents and businesses might benefit from Yale’s expansion projects.
The aim of the event is to provide information on subjects that have raised many questions from NAACP members and the general public, organizers said.
"Our goal during general meetings is to educate and inform our membership of activities that impact those living in greater New Haven. That is our charge," noted Branch President James E. Rawlings.
The Branch also will finish the election of officers to serve for 2008-10.

NEW HAVEN — The collective generosity of many congregations, organizations, and individuals who are donating food and volunteering time for the annual Thanksgiving Day Celebration Dinner sponsored by Interfaith Cooperative Ministries will make Thanksgiving a little more bountiful for some New Haven families in need, organizers said.
The Thanksgiving Celebration Dinner starts at noon Nov. 27 at the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen dining hall in New Haven’s Center Church on the Green Parish House basement. Interfaith Cooperative Ministries is also looking for donations of food and help preparing more than 400 hot turkey meals, which will be distributed to those in need in the community on Thanksgiving Day.
"The holidays tend to bring out the best in people," said Center Church pastor, the Rev. Sandra Olsen in a prepared statement. "This effort by Interfaith Cooperative Ministries and DESK, which serves hundreds of people in need, is truly a community event, with volunteers from all congregations and the public, who so graciously donate food and their time for others who need a hand."
DESK advises interested volunteers to sign up through their congregation, or contact ICM at 776-9526. Food donations (uncooked) can be dropped off at DESK, at 311 Temple St., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 24. Cooked food for the Thanksgiving dinner should be delivered to DESK on the morning of Nov. 25.
Center Church on the Green, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), has been located on the New Haven Green for the past 370 years and is a registered New Haven Connecticut Landmark. ThecChurch is actively involved in its community, offering space and assistance to the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, as well as involved in Columbus House, Hill Health Center’s The Baby’s Closet, and Christian Community Action & AIDS Interfaith Network. For more information about the church or services, visit NewHavenCenterChurch.org or call (203) 787-0121.

NEW HAVEN - Sandi Kahn Shelton will be the star as New Haven Public Library presents Writers Live! from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 10. Shleton will discuss her recent novel, Kissing Games of the World (Shaye Areheart Books, 2008). Shelton, of Guilford, is the author of the novels "What Comes After Crazy" and "A Piece of Normall," plus three nonfiction books on parenting.

A feature writer for the New Haven Register, she also id a frequent contributor to Working Mother, Family Circle, Woman's Day, and Redbook magazines.

Booklist says "Shelton delves into family relationships with humor and empathy." Shelton writes that "some people (say) these books are hilarious and side-splittingly funny (like) "chick lit"…while others see only the hard parts of the characters' struggles to find themselves amid the confusion and grief wrought by their earlier lives and losses."

From Kissing Games of the World: "If there's one point that Jamie McClintock and Nate Goddard can agree upon, it's that love is overrated. Jamie doesn't have time for it. Nate doesn't need it. And they certainly don't want it from each other."

Read more at http://www.sandishelton.com/. The public is invited to meet this talented local author at the Downtown Branch of the Library, 133 Elm St. There is no charge, free parking, and books will be available for sale and signing. Sandi's blog is at http://www.sandishelton.com/blog.

Registration is recommended at www.guidezilla.com/nhfpl or call the library at 946-8835.

Group works to prevent child abuse

NEW HAVEN — The Madison Exchange Club, part of a network of 27 Clubs in Connecticut, is sponsoring a new club in New Haven.
The National Exchange Club and National Exchange Club Foundation are organizations whose national project is child abuse prevention. Exchange is comprised of 800 clubs with more than 26,000 members in the United States, including in Puerto Rico.
The clubs support a network of 110 professionally staffed centers in 29 states, four Connecticut. The centers provide a nationally recognized Parent Aide Program, supervised court visitation, parent education, and informational programs on Child Abuse Prevention. The new club will meet twice a month in New Haven. For more information, call Emy at (203) 245-2967 or Pam at (203) 640-2629

Nineteen new scholarships will be funded

NEW HAVEN — The Gateway Community College Foundation raised a record $75,000 at its 11th Annual Hall of Fame event, which honored Carlton Highsmith, William Ginsberg and Allen Gales.
The recent event, held at Woodwinds in Branford was Gateway’s most successful scholarship-raising event to date, both in the amount raised and in the support shown by by representatives from business, education, and government, college officials said in a statement. Proceeds will fund 19 new scholarships.
Master of Ceremonies Keith Kountz introduced event co-chairmen Fred McKinney and Lindy Gold, who urged the crowd of almost 250 guests to join them in "taking the college and the Greater New Haven community to the next level" by supporting the college’s campus consolidation project.

Shown at right, l to r, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Lindy Gold, Carlton Highsmith, Paul McCraven, Gateway President Dorsey Kendrick, Mark Herzog, Fred McKinney.

Blumenthal, commended Gateway for its growth and cited each honoree as "remarkable citizens who make a difference in their community and in the state."
Chancellor of the Connecticut Community Colleges, Marc Herzog praised President Dorsey L. Kendrick for her dedication to the college and its students, saying Gateway had grown almost 90 percent under her leadership.
The event was a first for Mary Ellen Cody, Gateway’s new dean of Development and Community Partnerships, who credits event sponsors for raising the bar. "It’s a new day for the Gateway Community College Foundation," she said in the statement. "By supporting this event, our sponsors have partnered with us to emphasize the great importance of supporting the campus consolidation project and the students that it will serve."
The 11th Annual Hall of Fame event sponsors included NewAlliance Bank, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, AT&T, Specialized Packaging Group, Northland Investment Corporation, The United Illuminating Co., The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The Anne E. Casey Foundation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Hill Health Center, Pfizer New Haven CRU, and Southern Connecticut State University.

Group to meet on where, how Yale invests.

Tonight is the first public meeting. All are invited to attend the meeting, at 7 p.m. at Linsey-Chittenden Hall, 32 High St.


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A report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut takes aim at what authors describe as a “school-to-prison pipeline” formed by zero tolerance discipline policies and police presence in public schools.

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Chapel West Special Services District adds video surveillance to curb crime.


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Timing jobs to get the best price on materials is difficult, state officials said.

The state Department of Transportation won’t ask for a second round of bids for a new Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge this month as scheduled, but will wait until spring, hoping for better economic times, DOT officials said.



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ORANGE — Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy invites prospective parents to an open house that will run 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 1-4 and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Dec. 2 and 4, at the school, 261 Derby Ave.
The school combines secular and Judaic studies for students in preschool through eighth grade. The open house will allow prospective parents to meet teachers and learn about SCHA graduates, with a strong Jewish identity, who continued on to top-notch universities and are community leaders.
To RSVP for a visit, call (203) 795-5261 or e-mail lpadua@schacademy.org.

NEW HAVEN - Following the election of Barack Obama as the next U.S. president, the question of what the next four years may bring to the relationship between China and Taiwan and how the next U.S. president may influence triangular relations among the two nations and America, will be the subject of a discussion by cross-Strait expert Prof. Lin Chong-Pin and Prof. Pierre F. Landry of Yale University’s Department of Political Science at 4 p.m. Nov. 19 at Rosenfeld Hall, Yale University, 109 Grove St.



Those interested in East Asian studies and U.S.-Taiwan-China relations are likely to enjoy the academic exchange of views, organizers said. A reception will follow the lecture.



Lin, shown, will present his views in lecture form, and Landry will follow with a Q&A session. Lin is former deputy minister of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and the former vice chairman and spokesman for the Mainland Affairs Council. He now teaches at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies of Tamkang University in Taipei. The lecture event is jointly sponsored by the Council on East Asian Studies at Yale University and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.

For more information, e-mail Leanne Kao at leanne@taipei.org.

City officials have been assured by the state that Gateway Community College has “top priority” and the large construction project for Church Street will be funded as promised.

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Judge Jonathan E. Silbert, the presiding judge in New Haven Superior Court, entered final judgment in a case that makes Connecticut one of only two states in the country to allow same-sex marriages.

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Snowmen and other delightful designs await those who order holiday cards from the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer.

Tommy Fund holiday cards, which support the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer, the helper to the oncology section of the pediatrics department at the Yale School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, are on sale now.
The are being sold in packs of 12 for $12. The colorful cards, all hand-drawn by children treated at the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, depict snowy and holiday scenes.

The cards are available for purchase on the fund’s Web site, www.tommyfund.org, in the hospital gift shop, and any Triple A location in central Connecticut. All of the proceeds go directly to the Tommy Fund.

WOODBRIDGE — The Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven will celebrate love, laughter and dirty laundry with authors Stephen Fried and Joyce Saltman at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 at the center at 360 Amity Road. Fried, author of "Husbandry: Sex, Love and Dirty Laundry... Inside the Minds of Married Men," will share his collection of personal essays about men and marriage.

Fried will join forces with Joyce Saltman, popular humorist and co-author of "I’m Changing The Locks And Cementing The Windows: What to do when your kid leaves for college."

Together the humorous authors will entertain, as they share poignant insights into the minds of married men, empty nests, and how to navigate life with laughter. Admission is $18, $15 for students.

Tickets can be purchased at the JCC or online at www.jccnh.org. For more information, call (203) 387-2522 x206.

The event is sponsored by the Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven in conjunction with the Jewish Book Festival.
"I’m Changing the Locks and Cementing the Windows" was released last this week and is available exclusively online at: http://www.kiwipublishing.com/ or at AMAZON. For more information or to hear Joyce speak about her book, contact: stacey@kiwipublishing.com

NEW HAVEN — More than 100 homeless and formerly homeless individuals and families in temporary shelters, transitional and supportive housing programs within New Have Home Recovery, Inc., will celebrate the holidays under the Adopt-a-Family Program, organizers said.
Many people already have been adopted but the agency still has families and individuals available. With support, all of the agency’s residents will be able to celebrate the holidays, organizers said. All donations will be acknowledged and are fully tax-deductible and donors will receive a profile of the individual or family they adopt.
Donation ideas include blankets, clothes, dishes, toys and books. For those unable to adopt-a-family, gift certificates in any amount for clothing and other stores are appreciated.
For information call (204) 492-4866 or e-mail kday@nhhr.org.
New Haven Home Recovery Inc. was established in 1990 to provide emergency shelter for families, and is working in the New Haven area to address housing and support service needs of women with children. The agency provides services to families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and its programs include emergency shelter, supportive housing, children’s programs and The Furniture Co-op. For more information, visit http://www.nhhr.org/.

NORTH HAVEN — Senior citizens in Greater New Haven area will have an opportunity to hear state legislators address issues affecting them during a town hall meeting from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday in the Gateway Community College North Haven campus cafeteria, 88 Bassett Rd.
Area legislators have been invited to attend the session, which is sponsored by the New Haven Department of Elderly Services, Gateway Community College and the Connecticut Commission on Aging.
Lunch will be served.
Information on services available to older adults will be provided by the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut.
Legislators and representatives of sponsoring organizations will update attendees on issues affecting them, listen to their ideas and concerns and answer their questions.
To register for the meeting, call Karen Kelsey at Gateway Community College at (203) 285-2151.

It only takes a trip to Lighthouse Park

NEW HAVEN - Fantasy of Lights, presented by Easter Seals Goodwill Industries, has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families.
Now in its fourteenth year, the dazzling nighttime event at New Haven’s Lighthouse Point Park from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31 will delight visitors as they drive through an enchanted land of sparkling holiday light displays, organizers said.
Area businesses, corporations and individuals sponsor the displays. PSEG Power Connecticut LLC is the title sponsor.
"Easter Seals Goodwill Industries adds a new dimension to this year’s event – ‘Light Night Giveaways’ in partnership with News Channel 8/ MyTV9," said H. Richard Borer, Jr. in a statement.
"For each of the 40 nights of Fantasy of Lights, area merchants have provided valuable coupons redeemable at over 60 businesses. Every car that comes to Fantasy of lights will receive a coupon from an area merchant."

"Like all non-profits, we are clearly feeling the effects of the economic downturn. The demand for our services has increased, and the volunteer donations are increasingly more difficult to receive. Easter Seals Goodwill Industries is grateful for the community and business support that enable us to provide life-changing programs that contributed to the well-being of 1,000 people with disabilities and other special needs over the past year," Borer said.
Hours are Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission for passenger cars/family vans is $10, 15-passenger vans or mini-buses $25, buses $50. Proceeds benefit Easter Seals Goodwill Industries whose mission is to enhance employment, educational, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and other challenges.
Additional information is available at www.ctgoodwill.org

ABOUT EASTER SEALS GOODWILL INDUSTRIES: Easter Seals Goodwill Industries is a progressive, community-based organization committed to its mission to enhance employment, educational, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and other challenges in the greater New Haven area.

The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants the state to clarify to Husky clients that they don’t have to switch to new insurers by the end of December.


Read the full story here

nhregister.com

The Fire Department will bring in an estimated $100,000 under a new ordinance that will charge clients when a firefighter trained in lifesaving techniques rides in the American Medical Response ambulance.


Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Norval Falconer, who was charged with eight felony drug charges after New Haven Police Department detectives planted the drugs and then falsely arrested him, filed a $10 million civil rights lawsuit Monday against the detectives, former Police Chief Francisco Ortiz Jr. and the city.


Read Randall Beach's full story here:

nhregister.com

Why is this man standing atop this fire apparatus? It is not why you think.

Find out today in the Tuesday edition of the New Haven Register and at nhregister.com.


Photo by Mara Lavitt

NEW HAVEN — The New Haven Coin and Currency Club will hold its second annual Toys for Tots fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Annex Club, 554 Woodward Ave.
Members of the Marine Corps will be on hand to collect unwrapped toys. The KC101 Street Team also will be there. There will be many free give-aways to children accompanied by an adult. Also, people can purchase raffle tickets for gift certificates for many area businesses.
Bring in old coins, currency and scrap jewelry for appraisals.
For more information, call 469-2943, or visit http://www.coinsuperstore.com/. All of the proceeds from the raffles will go to Toys for Tots.

Today, Monday, Nov. 10, is the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, and tomorrow, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day.

On Monday, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz distributed Public Service Awards to 85 Orange World War II Veterans in a ceremony at High Plains Community Center. Bysiewicz said she was visiting each Connecticut municipality to thank the veterans for their courage to make the United States a better place to live.

Pictured is Don Jewell, with Bysiewicz to the right. Jewell spent a few minutes talking about what it was like fighting in the European theater. Also attending were U.S. Rep, Rosa DeLauro, D-3, state Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, and state Reps. Themis Klarides, R-Derby and Paul Davis, D-Orange.

Photo and text by Bridget Albert

WPLR, Shop Rite and the Connecticut Food Bank have joined together to bring attention the problem of hunger by creating an effort to "Fill the Yale Bowl" with frozen turkey and non-perishable food.
Frozen turkeys (not the big guy at right) and non-perishable food items will be collected at Shop Rite of Milford Supermarket, 155 Cherry St., Milford Collection hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 12 and 13; 7 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Nov. 14; and 7 to 10:00 a.m. Nov. 15. The items will be distributed by the Connecticut Food Bank to needy people throughout Connecticut. Each person that brings a frozen turkey or at least 10 non-perishable food items to the collection site will receive a pair of tickets the Yale vs. Princeton football game at Yale Bowl on Nov. 15.

Alternate route to a high school diploma

WEST HAVEN — The West Haven Adult Education Program is offering the External Diploma Program, also called EDP, an alternate route to earning a high school diploma.
Students are expected to demonstrate a number of life skills through several tasks. Each candidate also must demonstrate an individual skill in an occupational, academic, or specialized area. The program will be held at West Haven High School. An informational session will be held in the Adult Education office at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at West Haven High School. To register, call (203) 937-4375.

United Way of Greater New Haven as well as service providers and volunteers recently came together to help out the growing homeless community. Project Homeless Connect, held at Wilbur Cross High School, was designed as a one-stop opportunity for the homeless population to receive and obtain access to all types of services, organizers said.
The program, held for the second year, drew more than 400 people seeking to utilize the services provided. The range of services offered during Project Homeless Connect "was vital to the project’s success," organizer said. Many families came out, and in anticipation of that, there was a children’s area devoted to keeping kids entertained with face painting and other fun activities. While the kids were occupied, parents had time to seek out the services that they needed. Flu shots, hair cuts, housing services information, and care packages were top priority to most people attending the event. Other services offered were mammograms, substance abuse counseling, social security assistance, and legal counseling.
"Project Homeless Connect was so successful this year was because of the outpouring of support from the community. With about 68 volunteers at the event helping to set up, serve lunch, and guide people around, everything ran smoothly. Also, over 60 agencies, including Planned Parenthood, Columbus House, and North Haven Academy (a Paul Mitchell partner school), donated their time and services to make this event possible," said Cecily Jones, volunteer engagement coordinator of United Way of Greater New Haven.
To lend a helping hand in your community and to influence the condition of all, visit www.uwgnh.org

Congregation Or Shalom acted as host for the story the four chaplains on the 70th anniversary of Krystallnacht, considered the start of the Holocaust.

Ernest L. Heaton, 85, had been sleeping in his shoes for five days in anticipation of a German submarine attack when, on Feb. 3, 1943, the torpedo hit.

Read the full story here:

nhregister.com

Three outstanding members of the Greater New Haven community will be honored at the Gateway Community College Foundation’s 11th Annual Hall of Fame Induction & Reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Woodwinds, 29 Schoolground Road, Branford.

Carlton Highsmith, president & CEO of Specialized Packaging Group; William Ginsberg, president & CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; and Allen Gales, public relations associate at Gateway Community College will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Highsmith, Distinguished Corporate honoree, founded Specialized Packaging Group in 1983 and the package design and engineering firm has grown to be the largest minority-owned manufacturer of paperboard packaging in North America with annual revenues of more than $150 million. The company ranks 32nd on Black Enterprise Magazine’s list of largest minority-owned firms in America, and is the largest minority-owned manufacturing company in Connecticut, employing more than 500 technicians, engineers and professionals at eight sites in the U. S. and Canada.

A strong advocate of community service, Highsmith’s affiliations include Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, Advisory Board; Quinnipiac University Board of Trustees; Achievement First, Board of Directors; Amistad Academy, Board of Directors; Dixwell Ave Congregational Church, Board of Finance chairman; Yale University’s Jonathan Edwards College Associate Fellow; NewAlliance Bank, member of the Board of Directors member. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. including: MS Corporate Leadership Award, National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Black Engineer of the Year, US Black Engineer & IT Magazine; and state Martin Luther King Service Award.

Ginsberg, Distinguished Community honoree, devoted his career to community issues, working at local and national levels and in public and private sectors in community economic development, community banking, and community philanthropy. A graduate of Columbia Law School, he has served as president and CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for the past eight years. The Foundation is the largest charitable organization in its region with assets approaching $300 million.
Ginsberg served in the Clinton Administration and was nominated by Clinton and confirmed by the Senate in 1994 as Assistant Secretary for Economic Development in the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he was appointed chief of staff to the late Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown. He was managing director and COO of the Federal Housing Finance Board, the federal regulatory agency for the twelve regional Federal Home Loan Banks, from 1997-2000.

Gales, Distinguished Alumnus, has been associated with Gateway for more than 30 years and actively engaged in the college from the beginning. Starting as a student at the former South Central Community College in the fall 1975, Gales was an active member of the Student Government Association, Men’s Basketball Team, and Chess Club; he participated in the Student Work-Study Program in the Library Media Center.
In 1979 Allen became Gateway’s coordinator of Central Duplicating and Photographic Service, and responsible for all in-house printing and photography. After earning his associate degree, he completed a certificate in Electronic Publishing and in 2001 was promoted to his current position, public relations associate for publications, where he is largely responsible for design and layout of college brochures, schedules, catalogs and print advertisements. Since 1990, Allen has been official clock operator and bookkeeper for Gateway’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. With his photography, he has chronicled Gateway’s major events. Additionally, Allen’s photographs have been showcased at community exhibits. In 2007 he obtained a bachelor’s degree from Charter Oak State College in Individualized Studies with a concentration in the field of Graphic Design and Photography.
Master of Ceremonies Keith Kountz, of News Channel 8, will emcee the festivities, made possible by lead sponsor NewAlliance Bank and generous support from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, AT&T, Specialized Packaging Group, Northland Investment Group, United Illuminating Co. This year’s event, co-chaired by Dr. Fred McKinney and Lindy Lee Gold, of the Gateway Community College Foundation Board, places special emphasis on Gateway’s Campus Consolidation Project that will bring the college to downtown in 2012.
Event proceeds support the mission of the College Foundation to raise and manage private funds to supplement state support by providing scholarships, professional development grants, equipment, program support and advocacy to ensure the success of all Gateway students.
The event includes a reception and silent auction, and the Induction Ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person and heavy hors d’oeuvres, pasta and carving stations and beer and wine are included. To buy tickets or for information e-mail sswirsky@gwcc.commnet.edu or call (203) 285-2322.

NEW HAVEN - Dr. Leo Cooney Jr., of New Haven, has been named president of the Yale-New Haven Hospital medical staff board, the governing body for YNHH's medical staff, which is made up of about 3,400 community and university physicians practicing in 100 specialties.

The medical board sponsors about 20 committees to evaluate and improve professional activities of the medical staff and the quality of healthcare at YNHH.

Cooney, shown at right, is the Humana Foundation Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and chief of geriatric medicine at YSM and YNHH. He is the director of utilization review at YNHH, medical director of the hospital's acute care for the elderly unit, medical director at Yale-New Haven's geriatric services practice and an attending physician at the hospital's Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center.

A native of Providence, RI, Cooney earned his B.A. from Holy Cross College in Worcester, and his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Boston University Medical Center and Boston City Hospital, serving as chief resident. He is past president of the American Geriatrics Society.

Cooney and his wife, Kathleen, live in Westville and are the parents of two grown children, Josh and Tim.

NEW HAVEN - Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale-New Haven Shoreline Medical Center will sponsor a free community health lecture entitled, "Sexual Health: What Men Need to Know," from 6:30-8 p.m. Nov. 13 in the conference room at the YNHSCM in Guilford. The speaker will be Dr. Daniel Kellner, attending urologist, Yale-New Haven Hospital. He will address the myths and facts about erectile dysfunction and provide alternative therapies to managing this condition. The program is free and open to the public. To register, call 1-888-700-6543, or register on line at http://www.ynhh.org/. The YNHSMC is located off Interstate-95's Exit 59.

But this talk about vampires in Connecticut should give everyone a thirst for more

WOODBRIDGE - State Archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni will "bring back the dead" when he presents "Vampires in New England" at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Woodbridge Library, 10 Newton Road.

Organizers promise it will be a fascinating look at the real vampire beliefs that once prevailed among 18th century New Englanders.

Bellantoni will present archaeological proof and modern forensic evidence for the existence of such beliefs in Connecticut, library officials said.

Bellantoni, shown at right, serves as the state archaeologist with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Archaeology Center at the University of Connecticut. He earned his doctorate in anthropology from UConn in 1987 and shortly thereafter was appointed state archaeologist. Among his many dutires is the preservation of archaeological sites in the state. His research background is the analysis of skeletal remains from eastern North America. He has been excavating in Connecticut for more than 30 years.
The program is free and open to the public, although recommended for mature audiences. Seating is limited, and registration is required. To register or for more information, call 389-3433, stop by the Circulation Desk, or email pvalsecchi@ci.woodbridge.ct.us.

Event shows everyone can contribute to community.

Chatham Square Neighborhood Association member Theresa Howard and Willie Ellis of Maltby Street were the organizers of a very successful Halloween bash held last week at Chatham Square Park. Those present said tons of fun was had by both adults and children, with candy, toys, and books from New Haven Reads given away. The event was a way for neighborhood residents to meet new people and see how community can be built using everyone’s talents, those present said.

At right, some event goers show dressing up was the order of the day, no matter what your age or favorite super hero.