The Sound of Hope

NEW HAVEN — Domestic Violence Services of Greater New Haven will hold its 10th Annual Sound of Hope event from 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 at Long Wharf Pier. The annual event is free and open to the public and is held in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to commemorate victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Last year, DVS provided emergency shelter, crisis services, counseling, advocacy and other support services to more than 7,000 women and children in Greater New Haven, Milford and the shoreline.
Scheduled speakers for the event include state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; New Haven Board of Alderman President Carl Goldfield; state Rep. Milford, Barbara Lambert, D-Milford; Tirzah Kemp, of STRIVE New Haven; and Pam Nuchols of Guilford Youth and Family Services, organizers said. Testimonials from domestic violence survivors are planned, as is a reading of names of state residents who lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year. Participants will receive a flower to throw into the harbor; each flower represents hopes and struggles of survivors as they work to end violence in their lives and honors those who died due to domestic violence. The event will culminate with a bagpipe procession and light snack.
For more information about DVS or the event, call (203) 865-1957, or the DVS 24-hour crisis hotline at (203) 789-8104, or visit www.dvsgnh.org. DVS is a program of Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc.

Gateway president to receive two major awards

NEW HAVEN — Gateway Community College President Dr. Dorsey L. Kendrick has been selected to receive two prestigious awards this fall, one from the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, the other from the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches, the college said in a statement.

Kendrick will be one of five women who receive the CWEALF Maria Stewart Award on Oct. 6 at the CWEALF’s “One Woman Makes a Difference” Dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, the statement said.

The award is given to women who are courageous, inspiring and talented leaders, as well as role models for their efforts to advance the cause of equality in Connecticut, it said.

Kendrick also was selected as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” by the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches. The organization will honor award recipients Nov. 6 at its annual convention at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Ledyard, an event that also will celebrate the organization’s 100th birthday. The award honors individuals whose efforts transcend their profession or position and command national or statewide influence that affects African Americans.

Kendrick, a New Haven resident, has served as GCC president since 1999. Since then, enrollment rose from fewer than 3,000 students to more than 6,000. Reared in Jackson, Tenn., Kendrick was one of three students in 1967 to integrate Union University, where she later earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, the statement said. She also holds a master’s degree in business management from Cardinal Stritch University, a doctorate in philosophy in higher education administration from Walden University, and is a graduate of the Institute of Education Management at Harvard University. Kendrick was the first African-American woman to hold the position of associate dean and dean of the School of Business at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She went on to become the highest-ranking African-American woman in Wisconsin’s system of higher education as executive vice president of Milwaukee Area Technical College, the statement said.

Martin Luther King Community Service Awards

NEW HAVEN - Yale-New Haven Hospital has awarded the first three $1,000 Martin Luther King Community Service Awards to New Haven students who are setting examples in their community

Recipients are: Kaneez Anwar, a junior at Career High School, and Avital Silverman and Crystal Ayala, both students at Wilbur Cross High School.

YNHH's service award program honors the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., by providing scholarships to eligible high school students, as well as grants to New Haven elementary schools, the hospital said in a statement.

To qualify, students must log 20 or more hours of uncompensated community service and write a description of how their experiences helped them appreciate the differences in others, the statement said.

"A scholarship can really make a positive difference in a young person's life - and ultimately in our community," Pat Worthy, manager of workforce diversity at YNHH, said in the statement. "This is a perfect way for us to honor Dr. King - by finding and celebrating the next generation of community leaders."

Yale-New Haven has mailed grant applications to all public elementary school principals and will announce recipients at the end of November. The grants will support educational programs and activities that build on King's philosophy and goal of inclusion, teach the value of diversity and tolerance and bring people of different backgrounds together, the statement said.

Shown in the photo, l-r, are: Paul Patton, vice president of human resources at YNHH; Kaneez Anwar; Pat Worthy, manager, workforce diversity, YNHH; and Michael Ceraso, principal, Career High School.

Foodies: this book talk is yours

NEW HAVEN - The Elm Street Book Group has chosen the book "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise," a New York Times Bestseller by Ruth Reichl as its selection for the October meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

The discussion will be facilitated by Sue Hartt, seminar leader and founder of Writing Matters!

Copies of the book are available at the library for checkout.

The Elm Street Book Group meets monthly at the library to discuss books that are selected from a list provided by The CT Humanities Council.

The group is open to the public but space is limited, and registration is required at http://www.octbookgroup.eventbrite.com/.

Blue State Coffee on Wall Street provides coffee or tea for pick-up prior to the discussion. Beverage coupons will be e-mailed to registered participants.

For more information, call the library at (203) 946-8835.

Reichl, food critic and editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine also was a food critic for The New York Times.

A special spruce?

NEW HAVEN — The Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees is seeking a special tree to be the centerpiece on the Green during the winter holidays. The tree must be 55 to 70 feet high and should be a Norway spruce or Douglas fir; not a blue spruce. The donated tree will be removed from the property free of charge.

Trees between 25 and 40 feet high will be considered for future years or other sites.
To donate a tree, call Christy Hass at the department’s Maintenance Division at 946-8576.

Help Hillhouse win Live United Story Contest

NEW HAVEN — United Way of Greater New Haven has submitted a video of the James Hillhouse High School football team’s United Way’s Days of Action demolition project to the Live United Story Contest.
To vote for the video, "Champions On and Off the Field," visit hillhousechampions.uwgnh.org, and click register in the blue box on the right side of the screen. Then join to create an account, and click vote on the top left side of the video. Supporters can log in once a day and vote, through midnight Sept. 30.
The winner of the contest will be featured in a United Way commercial in 2010.

Petflix Film Festival: how pets help people

You have a pet and you know it's the cutest of its kind.

But pets are way more than just a pretty face and a new pet-themed film festival aims to prove it - possibly with your help.
Soul Friends, Inc, a statewide nonprofit psychotherapy and educational organization that helps at risk children with interactive activities, including therapy animals, will premiere its first pet-themed film festival from 10 a.m. to noon, Nov. 21 at Showcase Cinemas in North Haven. The charity is asking for submissions of short films that demonstrate how animals help people feel better.
“We regularly experience the healing power of animals in our daily work with children and adolescents,” Kate Nicoll, executive director of Soul Friends, Inc., said in a statement. “By hosting this mainstream inaugural film festival, we hope to show the entire state of Connecticut what our clients have already learned…life is more enriching interacting with animals.”
To officially enter the Petflix Film Festival, pet lovers and aspiring filmmakers are encouraged to submit a video that is less than five 5 long, or within the 5-10 minute category.
An independent panel of judges will score the film shorts based on originality, cinematography, message and overall theme, the statement said. The top three entries from each category will then be screened as part of the two-hour film festival. Participants may submit more than one entry, the statement said.
“Besides seeing some of Connecticut’s new shining stars on the big screen, attendees will also learn about local animal rescue groups, animal sanctuaries and other non-profit organizations that promote and preserve the healing benefits of the animal-human bond,” Nicoll said in the statement.
The entry fees for a Petflix film short submission is $15. Tickets to the event are $5 in advance and $8 the day of the show. Visit http://www.soul-friends.org/ to register and for more information.
Soul Friends, Inc. has since 2003 "served more than 3,000 children impacted by grief, trauma, loss and/or social emotional challenges by integrating nature and animals in individual or group psychotherapy," the statement said. Services include interactive animal assisted psychotherapy, dog training for special needs children, equine assisted psychotherapy and crisis response therapy dogs, it said.

True crime writer coming to Connecticut

Bestselling author Casey Sherman will sign copies of his new true crime thriller "Bad Blood" at the 36th Annual New England Independent Booksellers Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show at 1 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

About Casey Sherman: The Simon & Schuster Web site says, "Casey Sherman is the author of two novels, "Black Irish" and "Black Dragon." He’s also the author of the acclaimed true crime thriller "A Rose for Mary: The Hunt for the Real Boston Strangler, " his investigation into his aunt’s murder.

Sherman has been nominated for an Emmy Award, has appeared on dozens of national television programs and has been profiled by numerous magazines and newspapers.

He also is the author of the nonfiction work, “The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue.” (Scribner). Co-written with Michael J. Tougias, it recounts the story of the blizzard of February 1952, when two ships collided off the coast of Cape Cod and the rescue mission that unfolded on the high seas. Sherman lives in Massachusetts.

Does the mystery live on?

Find out more about the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby in an event at the library

Forensic Document Examiner Ana Kyle will discuss facets of the Lindbergh case 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.

IT all started on March 1, 1932, when the toddler son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh was abducted from his home in East Amwell, N.J. More than two months later, his boy's body was discovered a short distance from the Lindbergh home. A medical examination determined that the toddler died from a "massive fracture of the skull."
After an investigation that lasted more than two years, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was charged with the crime. The trial lasted more than a year, and on Feb. 13, 1935, Hauptmann was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to die. Though he proclaimed his innocence, he was executed by electric chair at the New Jersey State Prison on April 3, 1936.
Newspaper writer H.L. Mencken called the kidnapping and subsequent trial "the biggest story since the Resurrection."


The crime spurred Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act, commonly called the "Lindbergh Law," that made transporting a kidnapping victim across state lines a federal crime.

Ana Kyle is a court-certified document examiner with 36 years of experience in the field of questioned documents and psychological profiling through handwriting. She is the author of "The Dead Poets Plus One: the Lindbergh Kidnap Case" (2004), and "Two Men and One Pair of Shoes : The Trial of Richard Hauptmann" (2007).

The information contained here was provided by the New Haven Public Library, only very lightly edited by Elm City Express

Bruce's Ride to benefit St. Raphael cancer center

The Saint Raphael Foundation has will hold a new benefit for the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, a bicycling event in Branford called “Bruce’s Ride” on Oct. 4 at Owenego Beach and Tennis Club in Branford.

The ride features 10-, 25- and 55-mile courses for cyclists of all ages and abilities, organizers said.

Dr. Steven Angelo, M.D., director of Saint Raphael’s Hospitalist Program, is chairman of the event, which is named for his father-in-law, Bruce Pantani, a beloved Branford native and building contractor who died of lung cancer in 2008, organizers said.

“The recent death of my father-in-law really opened my eyes to the tremendous needs of cancer patients and their families,” Angelo said in a statement. “As an avid cyclist, my dream of organizing a premier Shoreline bicycling event seemed like the perfect way to remember Bruce, raise cancer awareness and support Saint Raphael’s cancer patients.”

Bruce’s Ride is sponsored by B. Pantani and Sons Builders and Branford Building Supplies and proceeds will benefit the Father Michael J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care. Supporters include Paul and Co., Drescher Insurance, W. S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home and Ritch, Greenberg and Hassan, P.C. Additional support is needed and sponsorship categories are available from $100 to $5,000.

The family-friendly event begins at 6:45 a.m., with registration for the 55-mile ride, followed by staggered start times for the 10- and 25-mile rides. A picnic-style lunch follows at noon and features family entertainment and waterfront dining. Registration to participate as a cyclist is $50 for adults and $25 for children ages 13 to 18. There is no charge for children younger than 12, but they must be accompanied by an adult. All cyclists will receive a commemorative T-shirt, complimentary refreshments, road assistance throughout the course and a continental breakfast and lunch, organizers said.

For more information or to register for Bruce’s Ride, call the Saint Raphael Foundation at (203) 789-3316 or visit http://www.active.com/ and search for “Bruce’s Ride.”

In the photo: Bruce’s Ride planning committee members include, l to r, Laura, Dennis, Johanne, Bruce and Renee Pantani (seated) and Dr. Robert Nardino, Bill Albinger, and Dr. Steven and Donna Angelo.

Disaster prep information fair at Yale-New Haven Hospital Thursday

NEW HAVEN — As September is National Preparedness Month, and to encourage the public to prepare for a disaster or emergencies, the Yale New Haven Health System office of emergency preparedness will hold an informational fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Sept. 10, in the atrium of Yale-New Haven Hospital, 20 York St.

OEP staff will answer questions, show visitors how to prepare a kit for use in the event of a disaster and have information available to help individuals and families better prepare for an emergency.
The information fair is free and open to the public. For more information, those interested should call Eugenie Schwartz, BSN, Medical Reserve Corps Program Coordinator, OEP, 688-3224 or e-mail center@ynhh.org.

Come watch The Princess Bride!

NEW HAVEN - The SoHu Block Watch Association will act as host for a showing of the movie "The Princess Bride" at 8 p.m. Sept. 4 the College Woods section of East Rock Park.

The event is free, as it was paid for by donations from Cafe Romeo's, Amadeus Center for Health, Nica's Market, and P&M Orange Food Market.

International Hugo Kauder Competition to be held Sept. 11

The Hugo Kauder Society will present its 5th annual International Hugo Kauder Competition from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St.

Ten woodwind players including flutists, clarinetists, and oboists, under the age of 35 and of various nationalities, have been selected to perform in front of a distinguished live jury, organizers said.

The musicians will compete for first, second and third place by performing classical music pieces composed by Hugo Kauder, as well as classical, romantic, and contemporary works, organizers said. Cash prizes will be awarded. They will be accompanied on piano by last year’s Piano Competition winner, Ryo Yanagitani. The first prize winner also will receive a concert
opportunity in New York City.
The distinguished Competition judges are Richard Stoltzman of New England Conservatory,
Joanne Baxtresser of Carnegie Mellon University and Doris Goltzer of New York City Opera.
The Prize Winners Concert will begin at 2 p.m. Sept. 12, at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St.
The Hugo Kauder Society’s mission is to foster awareness and appreciation for the work of
Viennese composer Hugo Kauder (1888-1972), to create opportunities for emerging musicians to
gain wider exposure, and to provide the audience with the unique opportunity to be present at
premieres of Kauder’s musical works, organizers said in a statement. Hugo Kauder came to the United States as a refugee in 1940 and many of his works have not yet been performed publicly. Several pieces performed in this competition will be world or United States premieres, the statement said.
The public is invited to attend the competition, which is free, as well as the Prize Winners
Concert (suggested contribution $10).
For more information, visit www.hugokauder.org.
The members of the Hugo Kauder Society, Inc. Board of Directors are Norman Dee, Helen Kauder, Nina Kauder, Abram Kreeger, Luis Vargas and Siegmund Levarie, emeritus.

Free seminar for job seekers

NEW HAVEN - A two-hour seminar for job seekers, "Careers Forward: Job Finding in a Tough Economy," will be presented by Marcia LaReau, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St.


LaReau, president of Forward Motion (http://www.forward-motion.biz/), will cover job application essentials, interview preparation and networking.


There is no charge, but registration is required at http://www.careersforward.eventbrite.com/ or call the library at 946-7431.