Interactive Desk

Times Papers Win 11 Awards in Statewide Journalism Contest

2009-05-26T16:21:15Z

The Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists hosted its annual Excellence in Journalism awards May 21. Among a record number of competing entries, the Times Community News Group won 11 awards for work produced in 2008.

Stephen Chupaska placed first for a column titled, “Hey Obama supporters: Lighten Up,” and for a feature, “50 Years Down the ‘pike.” He also placed second for in-depth reporting and received an honorable mention for another column.

Marisa Nadolny, the editor of the Times Community News Group, received a first-place award for headline writing.

Elise J. Rugens placed first for a photo layout of a blessing of the bikes event that appeared in the Groton Times.

Cheryl Albaine won first place for a feature photo in the Mystic Times; Deborah Beckwith received an honorable mention in the same category.

Suzanne Thompson of the Montville Times finished first in arts and entertainment reporting for a feature titled “The Ambassador of the Blues.”

Jason J. Marchi of the Waterford Times was second in feature writing and Larry Kelley received an honorable mention for a sports feature in the Lyme Times.

Blood Drive at the Garde Arts Center tomorrow!!

2009-05-18T16:54:43Z

What: Blood Drive

At: Garde Arts Center (325 State Street, New London)Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009Time: 1 to 5:45 pmTo make an appointment to donate please call 1-800-give-life (448-3543)Please donate blood and help save the life of a Connecticut Hospital patient.

Con Brio Presents Spring Concert

2009-04-20T19:08:44Z

Con Brio Choral Society, the popular auditioned shoreline chorus, will join with the Con Brio Festival Orchestra in an exuberant spring concert on Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. in the soaring space of Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme.

The concert pays tribute to two great composers, marking the 200^th anniversary of the death of Josef Haydn and the birth of Felix Mendelssohn in 1809. Under the direction of Dr. Stephen D. Bruce, the concert centerpiece will be Josef Haydn’s last great choral work, Harmoniemesse, the harmony or wind band Mass, so called because of the extensive use of wind instruments.

Austrian born Haydn (1732-1809) wrote six celebratory masses for the Esterhazy court, near Vienna, where as music director he built an orchestra and an opera company that were among the finest in Europe. Noted for experimenting with new ideas in musical form and harmony, Haydn gave importance to wind instruments which previously had been used to reinforce the string section.

Dr. Bruce, true to form, is again conducting challenging, less-often-performed work, acknowledging that “few have tackled” the Harmoniemesse. “It is clearly at another level of difficulty than the more frequently performed Haydn masses,” he said. Compelling was one reviewer’s description of it as “an exhilarating journey that contrasts serene contemplation with moments of jaw-dropping splendor as the full complement of wind and brass are brought to bear.” Sir Roger Norrington said, “It is filled with the wisdom of Haydn’s maturity and the deep fervor of his faith – a true valedictory masterpiece.”

Joining the 20-piece orchestra and 50-voice chorus in the Haydn work are four professional soloists: mezzo-soprano Clea Nemetz, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; soprano Adele Paxton, Hadlyme; tenor David Marc-Finley, Waterbury, and baritone David Olsen, Con Brio member from Old Saybrook Donna Breen Stamm of East Haddam is accompanist and associate music director.

In keeping with the celebration of the birth of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47) and the great resurgence of interest in the composer, the chorus will sing two excerpts: “Lift Thine Eyes” and “He Watching over Israel,” from his beloved oratorio, “Elijah.”

Rounding out the concert are songs Con Brio shared with other choruses during their concert tours of Italy (2005) and the Czech Republic (2008) – Hajku, Hajku from the chorus Gaudium Praha in Prague and Beve Beve, Campari from the Coro Alpino in Valle de’Aoste. Two contrasting spirituals, one from the Gospel tradition – Climbing Higher Mountains and the 12-part Ezekiel Saw the Wheel and a famous march (also rarely performed) The Circus Band by Connecticut’s own Charles Ives. Con Brio members also featured in solo parts are Donna Bishop Seaton, Madison; Bill Sorenson and Tom Crosby, Guilford; Len Donweck, Old Saybrook; Shari Wilcox, Centerbrook, and Jen Monroe, Westbrook.

Con Brio Choral Society, now in its 12^th year, presents works of beloved masters and songs from a broad choral repertoire, both sacred and secular, in a spring and winter concert each year. An auditioned chorus of some 50 voices, it is a diverse group ranging in age from mid 20s to mid 70s. Con Brio has attracted both professionals and enthusiastic amateurs, some of the finest singers on the shoreline. Members are from Guilford, Clinton, Madison, Westbrook, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, Chester, Killingworth, East Haddam, Groton, and Pawcatuck.

Tickets for the spring concert are $22; $20 for seniors and students. Call 860-767-0026 or 860-526-5399. For more information on joining Con Brio or making a contribution to the non-profit organization, visit www.conbrio.org.

Seniors Savvy to Center:There’s more than a few regulars at the NL Senior Center

2009-03-12T14:36:24Z

By Stephen Chupaska
Staff Writer

Beverly Knapp admits that at first she was skeptical about going to the New London Senior Center.
“I thought, ‘All right, I’m old now, what am I going to do? Sit around the senior center?’” she said.
Eventually, Knapp started going to the center on Mondays, then she started mixing in Fridays as well.
It did take her very long to become a regular, and now she’s the chair of the Program Advisory Committee that organizes senior center events.
“Now, I come every day,” she said. “I felt really welcome here.”
Knapp’s story is a familiar one for Elizabeth Vitter, New London Senior Citizens coordinator who hopes to dispel the image that the senior center is just a place where people “just sit around.”
“It’s not that at all,” she said.
In fact, the senior center, which has more than 300 regulars, has never been more dynamic.
Located on the corner of Board and Brainard streets, the senior center offers an array of traditional programs, from excursions to Newport and the grocery store to health awareness seminars and tax advice sessions.
And, of course, the popular Friday morning bingo game.
But Vitter said the dismal economy has seen bumps in the number of people who come by for the daily lunch and those who take advantage of the free day-old bread donated from area supermarkets and the United Way Gemma Moran Food Center.
“We never used to see the bread go that fast,” she said.
Also, Vitter said more seniors have been inquiring about programs to get discounts on electricity and heat.
The center also offers classes on driving, which allow older people a chance to get discounts on their car insurance.
And the center has become something of a job center, as Vitter said more seniors are looking for part-time work.
“With the status of 401ks, some seniors are putting off full retirement,” she said.
Vitter said many of the center’s regulars are leading increasingly busy lives, looking after grandchildren and helping their children who may have lost their jobs.
“Some of them don’t have time to come to the center too often,” she said.
Vitter said the changes in seniors’ schedules might lead center staffers to offer programs in the evenings.
“We are looking into it,” she said.
The center, which is funded through municipal money, grants, and a trust fund, has a $150,000 annual budget.
Hence, volunteers like Geraldine Landry, who moved to New London five months ago from the Venezuelan island of Margarita, play a major role at the center.
“I saw sign at the library and thought I would come down,” she said. “There is a closeness, like family. We share the good times and the bad times.”
Lately, the hip thing at the senior center has been playing games on the recently purchased Nintendo Wii.
“We had a baseball game last week,” Knapp said.
And the New London seniors have been honing their Wii bowling skills for an upcoming match with the Groton Senior Center.
“There’s nothing wrong with a little competition,” Knapp laughed.

Winefest Winners

2009-01-16T15:19:11Z

Congratulations to Zip06 member rvanderbes, who won the Saturday tickets to Mohegan Sun's Winefest, and Zip06 member juststella, who won the Sunday tickets. Stay tuned for more contests!

Win Tickets to Winefest Through Zip06.com!

2009-01-14T22:43:53Z

I have two sets of two tickets each to the Mohegan Sun Winefest 2009 taking place on Saturday, Jan. 17 and Sunday, Jan. 18 from noon to 5 p.m. in the Mohegan Sun Ballroom. One set of tickets is for Saturday and one set is for Sunday.

The first two Zip06 members to e-mail me will win the tickets. Send an e-mail with the subject line Winefest to m.babcock@theday.com by Friday, Jan. 16 at noon and tell me your Zip06 username. Specify which date you'd like to go to Winefest (or specify "either" if it doesn't matter).

Winners must pick up their tickets at The Day's main office at 47 Eugene O'Neill Drive in New London on Friday at a time to be discussed upon notification of winning.

Grasso Technical High School Honor Roll: First Trimester

2009-01-08T21:09:30Z

Grade 12
High Honors: Ivan J. Alcantara, Giovanni Banks, Dylan H. Barnhill, Samantha L. Berthod, Justin D. Blanchette, Sade R. Boyd, Lorena Bracamonte, Eric A. Brodin, Jazmin M. Brown, Brenton N. Brozyna, Daniel A. Cornish, Amy M. Cruz, Juan C. Davis, Zachary Fabre, Rosalin Fernandez, Alexandra Guzman, Eric H. Hayden, Kyrsten M. Heffernan, James W. Heikkinen, Deidre L. Herdman, Eiryn L. Hernandez, Felicia H. Herren, Mahogany V. Johnson, Dustin M. Klein, Morgan B. Klewin, William T. Kotecki, Marc S. Lamoureux, Seth A. Matteson, Wyatt J. Metayer, Paul A. Mineau, Brandon R. Miner, Travis N. Moody, Denise M. Morales, Lucas R. Mordick, Cristina Oliver-Garcia, Christopher E. Pancaro, Matthew R. Paul, Nickelous G. Pauly, Jasmine S. Rivera, Jennifer M. Rogers, Taylor M. Salva, Jose M. Serrano, Jeffrey J. Smith, Rebecca S. Smith, Andrew J. Storen, Gregory P. Sugar, Aisha K. Taylor, Michelle M. Torres, Leslie A. Torruella, Luisa M. Vasquez, Jessica L. Watson

Honors: Alexandra N. Alves, Lindsey Brown, Matthew R. Casella, Melissa M. Castillo, Jesse T. Corcoran, Shauna E. Delmage, Shawn N. Deveau, Katie E. Dimaggio, David M. Dove, Wilfredis Duarte, Kyle C. Farrell, Brian N. Forsyth, Kaitlyn Fouse, Maria E. Gonzalez, Jose A. Guzman, Michael T. Hall, Michael W. Irvin, Christopher G. James, Abdul Johnson, Aykurt J. Kalican, Christopher Langella, Steven E. Luce, Megan M. Maldonado, Jasper R. Marshall, Jessica R. McArdle, Claudia V. Papadopoulos, Danielle Q. Permenter, Jason J. Poirier, Kyle M. Purcell, Dwight S. Ramos, Armando J. Rodriguez, Ethan M. Rohrberg, Sabrina J. Santiago, Nicholas A. Sautter, Katherine R. Strickland, Kramer R. Sullivan, Domonique D. Taylor, Tatiana M. Torres, Shayla L. Williams

Grade 11
High Honors: Aaron M. Avery, Jeffrey T. Baton, Natashanicole Borrero, Franklin W. Bryson, Shelby R. Burdick, Jasmin Cedeno, Natashanicole P. Conroy, Charles V. Cramer, Victor A. Diaz, Julian J. Elfedayni-Connell, Benjamen A. Gale, Arron Garcia, Isanett M. Gonzalez, Olga V. Goralchuk, Amanda M. Goudreault, Scot M. Haeseler, Victoria L. Herdman, Chance L. Holland, Zachary R. Kemp, Aaron A. Knoll, Katherine M. Lemus, Hillary N. Martin, Edwin N. Martinez, Jerell G. Mays, Bethany L. McNail, Steven E. Mitsko, Jennifer A. Neault, Joshua R. Norris, Melanie P. Ochoa, Jessica L. Olmstead, Kailah M. Pflugbeil, Rossy C. Ramirez, Elizabeth E. Sanborn, James A. Stearns, Jr., Elizabeth D. Swinburne, Jared A. Viveiros, Krissa M. Walmsley

Honors: Ethan M. Beebe, Patrick K. Brayne, Sthefany B. Calle, Ian Clark, Dylan J. Cote, Nathaniel J. Dailey, Raisa E. Diaz, Ryan M. DiCocco, Chelsee J. Donley, Mauricio D. Duarte, Matthew E. Gentry, Michel I. Gonzalez, Kaitlyn N. Gray, Jamila T. Hightower, Ryan A. Homand, Patrick R. Houlihan, Nitaesha M. Humphrey, Brett Marsden, Kassandra L. Meza, Jeffrey P. Neilan, Justin X. Rivas, Janexie Rivera, Jonathan Rivera-Olan, Steven W. Russell, Digna M. Serrano, Rosa N. Serrano, Jesslyne S. Smith, Jose A. Tineo-Fernandez, Keila M. Torres, DaeLisa D. Traynham, Natasha A. Wolf.

Grade 10
High Honors: Ivan L. Abreu, Nicole L. Algarin, Shawn Bahr, Kelly L. Bean, Alshya L. Bostick-Maynard, Brandy G. Burdick, Robbie T. Caswell, Aisha C. Chang, Yaykira M. Cuesta-Beckford, Justine K. DeNobrega, Nicolas A. Deso, Tatyana Dixon, Tyreel D. Drayton, Sara G. Duarte, Joseph R. Fahrenholz, James J. Fonner, Anthony J. Franco, Rylan J. Gallagher, Alexis C. Gemme, William V. Gregory, Christopher A. Jackson, Courtney L. Lapp, Jalyn T. Lesieur, Iris Morales, Ashleigh E. Munton, Brittany M. Murray, Megan L. Read, Astrid L. Rivera, Anthony J. Ruggieri, Alissa M. Schroeder, Zachary J. Smith, LeKeisha S. Taylor

Honors: Kayla E. Alfonso, Joseph E. Allen, Drew R. Cannon, Yanelis M. Centeno, Jamie T. Chaplin, Douglas W. Curry, Christopher E. Curtis, Angelica R. Davis, Alba E. DeJesus, Robert S. Diaz, Ashley L. Dolzenchuk, Alexandrea C. Gemme, Salvatore R. Gramolini, Samantha D. Hickling, Sade S. Huggins, Annie-May I. Jones, Daniel L. Lopez, Sean M. Madec, Brittany N. Mallette, Alexander A. Marmol, Nicholas G. Maynard, Eric P. Melanson, Robert E. Mitchell, Devin J. Monroe, Cameron J. Muller, Stanley G. Nowakowski, Samuel A. Ortiz, Kevin W. Perry, Richard A. Puccino, Shane R. Richard, Tamara L. Sears, Ashelyn S. Smith, Alissa D. Taylor, Alexis D. Thornton, Summer S. Tindle, Veronica R. Vasquez, Jeremy S. Violette, Britton D. Wilson

Grade 9
High Honors: Eduardo A. Aguilar, Amanda F. Atkinson, Christina M. Blackburn, Janea K. Borrego, Michaela S. Coombe, Z’haniqwa L. Daniels-Holmes, Yenaldy Delgado, Melissa S. Dolzenchuk, Kyle W. Emery, Olivia A. Farrington, Taylor A. Foxworthy, Santino R. Francischelli, Jaicee L. Getchell, William C. Godwin, Sara Y. Gonzalez, Hannah L. Gumbs, Joshua M. Haderski, Alexander V. Haeseler, Chelsea E. Henderson, Joseph G. Kotfer, Nicole E. Ladd, Shawn A. Lagace, Alberto A. Latorre, Laurencia E. Laurent, Miguel A. Lopez, Gabriel Martinez, Brandon R. McNulty, Jaeer D. Mendoza, Erin G. Miner, Unika G. Monge, Livenette Negron, Jeremy R. Palmer, Alyssa M. Phillips, Shateeka Phillips, George Pytlik, Jasmine Ramirez, Mackensie K. Rhodes, Elda G. Sanabria, Brandon C. Smith, Ashlee M. Turner, Evan A. VonWinkle, Jacob Werrbach, Timothy Wiglusz, Michael J. Wooldridge, Sean Zeppieri

Honors: Ralph W. Abbott, Irwin O. Alvarado, Michael A. Attinello, Andrew Barnes, Bick C. Branciforte, Jordon A. Brown, Luisanna Cabrera, Ashley R. Caswell, Taylor Clark, Nicole B. Daigle, Janea I. Dixon, Stephanie Dorvil, Hilaira Estevez, Jacob B. Gironimi, Angel J. Guzman, Jessica Harris, Jacob R. Hildebrand, Patrick S. Hopkins, Jacqueline J. Houatchanthara, Erika L. Jones, Lyle K. Lamoureux, Tanajiah D. LeSane, Heather M. Linski, Jayson P. Manning, Timothy G. Meadows, Luisa M. Pellot, Rick P. Perez, Travis J. Robinson, Lizandro Rodriguez, Lisandra Santana, Cristian A. Silva, Andre Thomas, Ricki Thomas, Jesus J. Vazquez, Corwin Walker, Fersan J. Warren, MaryJane Warren, Keanu A. Wilson

Win Tickets Through Zip06!

2008-12-04T22:20:01Z

E-mail m.babcock@thetimesgroup.com by 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 for your chance to win two tickets to this spectacular event:

The Downtown New London Association presents:

Festival Of Trees – A Christmas Tree Auction!

Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 – Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

24 Eugene O’Neill Dr., New London

Tickets $12 at the door

Habitat For Humanity Seeks Volunteers

2008-12-03T19:26:01Z

Habitat For Humanity is in need of construction volunteers for the last Davis Farm Community home. They are looking for volunteers for the weekends of Dec. 6, 13, and 20.

For the weekend of Dec. 6, exterior work will be done. Dress warmly!

Visit Habitat SECT Volunteer Up if you are interested in helping out.

Connecticut College panel to examine psychological impact of economic crisis

2008-11-24T19:42:54Z

NEW LONDON, Conn. — Connecticut College’s Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy will host a panel discussion, “The Psychological Impact of the Current Economic Crisis: Strategies for Coping,” on Monday, Dec. 1, at 4:30 p.m. in the 1941 Room, College Center at Crozier-Williams.The panelists will include Connecticut College psychology professors Ruth Grahn, Jefferson Singer and Stuart Vyse, as well as Janet Spoltore, director of Counseling Services at Connecticut College. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Holleran Center’s “Challenges of Our Times” lecture series.

Situated on the coast of southern New England, Connecticut College is a highly selective private liberal arts college with 1900 students from all across the country and throughout the world. On the college’s 750-acre arboretum campus overlooking Long Island Sound, students and faculty create a vibrant social, cultural and intellectual community enriched by diverse perspectives. The college, founded in 1911, is known for its unique combination of interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.

Release courtesy of Conn College.

From the Interactive Desk

2008-11-24T16:27:34Z

Zip06 now features member pages for the towns of Oakdale and Quaker Hill. If you are a member of either of these towns and signed up using the "Other" selection, you can edit your profile so that your account appears under the correct town. Just sign in, click My Profile in the red dot in the upper right-hand corner, scroll down and click Edit My Profile under Options, go to the About tab, and the second item down is the location menu. Scroll down and select either Oakdale or Quaker Hill.

Uncasville will be added during our next round of site edits. If you've noticed the absence of any other towns please e-mail me at m.babcock@thetimesgroup.com.

See you online,
Melissa Babcock
Interactive Desk Chief

Whaler Pride Begins on Micro Football B Team

2008-11-07T18:29:59Z

New London squad unbeaten, unscored upon

By Larry Kelley

Special to the Times

“Whaler Pride,” the rallying cry of all New London football players, begins early in the Whaling City.

Youths ages 7 through 10 learn the principles of Whaler Pride while playing and practicing for New London’s Micro B football team in the Southern New England Youth Football Conference. Winning, playing hard, respecting coaches, adults, teachers, siblings, schoolmates, and parents, making honest effort academically, and making intelligent decisions all factor into the Whaler Pride lifestyle.

“The whole essence of Whaler Pride begins here,” New London Micro B coach Lydell Pemberton said. “Although education is the most important element, we preach if you’re going to play the game of football, you play it hard. Whaler Pride, it’s a tradition. Wearing green and gold is something to be proud of, and we as coaches put that in their minds at the beginning.”

The Micro A team (age 11 and under, 100 pounds and under) finished an undefeated (9-0) regular season, allowing just four touchdowns all year, and now preps for the SNEYFC playoffs. Micro B (under 100 pounds, 7- to 10-year-olds) is the entry level to tackle football. If you thought New London’s Micro A’s were dominant, then check out the B’s performance.

A 9-0 record with zero points allowed. Total dominance.

New London High is undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the state, the Senior Whalers (14 and under, 180 pounds and under) were 7-2 and made the playoffs after winning four of the last five Super Bowls, and the Juniors (125 pounds and under) posted a 9-0 record. Looks like Whaler Pride will be alive and well in New London for some time.

“Sure, the kids wanted to be undefeated but they took it a step further,” Pemberton said. “They told me they wanted to be unscored upon. I think one team got to the 4-yard line, and we allowed just four first downs all season. At this level, you can have two coaches on the field because it’s a developmental league. But during the season, the coaches stayed on the sideline and it gave the kids more ownership. A lot of teams run six plays or so, we had a playbook of 50 to 60 plays, and the kids knew what was going on. They were a football team, not just a bunch of little kids running around.”

Quarterback Melquan Gomez, fullback Devyon Verdini, lineman Quenton Commander, halfback-linebacker Gelani Gilbert, and tight end Major Roman have been team leaders all season. Pemberton cites Gomez and Gilbert for making tremendous improvement this season. Gomez, a tall left-hander, gained tremendous confidence as the signal caller. Gilbert, who has always been a ferocious hitter defensively, gained more discipline running plays, knowing when to use his speed and power effectively as a running back. They will join the Micro A team in its quest for the SNEYFC playoff championship.

Pemberton bypassed an opportunity to move up to join his son and help coach Mike Ladson’s Micro A team to remain with the B’s. Pemberton, a district manager for Frito Lay, was a star athlete in North Carolina, playing on a high school team that produced seven NFL players.

“It’s a different mentality down there,” Pemberton said. “If you play football, it’s expected you have to do track. Weightlifting is taught in a physical education class. Plus, the kids are bigger and eat better. Families grow vegetables in their back yards, kids work on the farms, pushing logs around. Plus, the summers are longer, and there’s a lot more physical activity.”

Pemberton has a former NFL player, Darryl Ford, on his coaching staff.

“I could have moved up, but I think it’s extremely important for these kids, who are so young and shapable, to get base knowledge right away,” Pemberton said. “A child can have a bad first experience with football and decide not to play anymore. Darryl and my assistants are tremendous.”

Pemberton figures some players will become standouts, some will become role players, and others will drift away from football. But if all players benefit from being part of something bigger than themselves—a football team—they’ll all be winners in the long run.

“Every kid isn’t built to play football, he said, “but if they learn one thing about interacting within a team framework, they’ll walk away from here a better person.”

Halloween Eve Film Fest Features a Second Screening of ‘Micah Rood’

2008-10-24T17:16:02Z

By Jason J. Marchi
Times Correspondent

If you’re in the mood to celebrate Halloween this year with an evening at the movies, head on over to the Olde Mistick Village Cinemas on Thursday, Oct. 30 for a treat, and witness a series of short films written, directed, and performed by area talent associated with the Southeastern Connecticut Filmmakers.
Beginning at 7 p.m., several independently produced short films will precede the highlight film of the evening, The Curse of Micah Rood, featuring Ron Pallilo, who played Arnold Horshack in the popular 1970s TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, and Brian Ellsworth, a rising talent in the industry.
This 30-minute film—written by Nick Checker and directed by Alec Asten—is based on a legend out of Norwich regarding an 18th-century recluse whose suspicion of local villagers leads to a crime resulting in a bizarre haunting, according to Checker.
Micah Rood was filmed at various area sites, including Whittle Farm in Mystic, the Nathan Lester Home and Holmberg Orchards in Ledyard, and the Jabez-Smith House in Groton.
“We are grateful to all of them for their generosity and consideration,” Checker said, allowing for a period authenticity the filmmakers could not have easily achieved without building elaborate sets.
The short films that precede Micah Rood are the work of a fledgling film group in Southeastern Connecticut and western Rhode Island, and the group hopes the Halloween eve short film festival will encourage more support for area filmmaking.
The group also hopes more people will want to get involved and exercise their talents in whatever areas interest them the most, from writing and directing, to producing, acting, film-scoring, or general production assistance work.
Of the short films to kick off the evening, “These are cracking-good tales, and all but one or two were written by the screenwriting students I have been working with the last couple of years,” Checker said, who also works as the director of development of the Southeastern Connecticut Filmmakers.
The Southeastern Connecticut Filmmakers then gathered the various production talents to turn these scripts into films. “These short films are, in essence, the ‘stepchildren’ of the Micah Rood production and the culmination of a tremendous amount of work on all their parts,” Checker explained.
The local filmmaking movement that has been mushrooming “has turned into the nucleus of a bona fide independent film company,” Checker added. “This screening on Halloween eve is, in a sense, Southeastern Connecticut Filmmakers true coming out party,” and a first for the organization to show a group films it is responsible for producing from script to screen.
“I’m very thankful for Bill Dougherty, owner of the Olde Mistick Village Cinemas and a truly, truly great man who believes in seeing independent filmmakers have their day in the sun,” Checker noted.
Admission for the evening is $7 per person. The entire showing is expected to run about two hours. There will also be a gathering after the screenings at the Steak Loft, across the street from the cinemas.
Checker has posted a YouTube link to a three-minute trailer of Micah Rood. To find the trailer search for “Curse of Micah Rood” at http://www.youtube.com/.
For further information on the Oct. 30 screenings or the Southeastern Connecticut Filmmakers, contact Nick Checker at 860-444-8711 or e-mail Nick at nickchecker@aol.com.

We Want Your Ghost Stories!

2008-10-09T15:49:48Z

Connecticut is home to some of the most intriguing and mysterious historical areas in the country. Have you ever had a ghostly experience? Submit your testimony toward an age-old question: Are ghosts real?
Post your story to your Zip06 member blog (sign up on www.Zip06.com if you don’t have one) or e-mail Melissa Babcock at m.babcock@thetimesgroup.com by Wednesday, Oct. 22 to be considered for publication in the Oct. 30 Times papers!

Courtney Votes Against Second Rescue Package Plan

2008-10-03T17:44:56Z

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Joe Courtney voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 Oct. 3 in the House of Representatives. The measure passed the House by a 263-171 vote.

The Congressman believes the bill, while improved from the House version he voted against on Monday, still did not address the underlying factors that have triggered the current financial crisis.

Congressman Courtney released the following statement:

“When I was elected to Congress, I pledged to act in the best interest of my constituents and the nation, and I cast my vote with the families of eastern Connecticut first and foremost in my mind.”

“While the legislation was improved over the first version considered by the House, I could not in good conscience support this package that demands more than $800 billion in taxpayer funds while the fundamental problems of the housing market damaging our economy remain unaddressed. I voted no because I do not believe this proposal will sufficiently address our economic crisis and because the package was not fair enough for the middle class.

“Let me stress that my vote against this package was not a signal that I am complacent about the state of our economy and the anxiety my constituents are feeling. As someone who represents one of the hardest hit sections of Connecticut, our economic challenges have been apparent to me for the last 20 months I have been in office. Home foreclosures have been accelerating in my district at the highest rate in the state, and the toxic loans sold by large lenders have spread like a virus through our economy.

“Over the past week, I have heard from constituents who vehemently oppose the bailout package, retirees worried about their 401Ks, and small business owners concerned about the freeze in our credit markets. I take this economic crisis very seriously. However, especially in a time of crisis, the people of Connecticut deserve a real solution to the grave problems in our economy.

“Failing to address the increasing pace of mortgage defaults and the slide in real estate values diminishes the chance of success for the rescue package and reduces the prospects of taxpayers recovering a reasonable amount of their nearly $800 billion dollar line of credit.”

“Moreover, the proposal still falls short on the test of fairness. The proposal fails to limit outrageous compensation and bonuses paid to Wall Street CEOs and executives who caused this crisis. It also neglects enacting tough oversight of how the Bush Administration would use taxpayer funds.

“The package was improved after Senate action this week. Raising the cap on FDIC insurance and attaching R&D and energy tax credits were a step in the right direction. By slowing down this process earlier this week, we were able to improve a bill that at least was able to gain majority support in the House, even if it ultimately fell short of something I could support.”

“While I stand on the other side of my colleagues who voted for the legislation, I stand with them and all Americans in hoping the proposal works. If it does not, I stand ready to work with members of both political parties to forge a financial rescue plan that gets it right.”