Lyme Times

The Lyme-Old Lyme High School Class of 2009

2009-07-02T17:18:09Z

Olivia Marie Abare-Brown, Jonathan David Abraham, Benjamin Knut Abrahamsson, Samuel Clarke Adams, Chelsea Taylor Althouse, Dillon George Anderson, Evan Cutler Anway, Rebecca Jeanne Baehr, Jenna Briggs Barber, Caroline Wagner Barri, Erin Marie Bennett, Mary Annie Antonia Bill, Frank Vincent Bombaci, Stephen Conor Burke, Kristen Michelle Burks, Andrea Joy Buroff, Laurel Limbach Camean, Evan Bernard Carabello, James Andrew Caramante, Melissa Rose Carpenter, Corinne Tess Cartwright, Jesse Brent Coleman, John William Flynn Connell, Jason St. Pierre Cowee, Shane St. Pierre Cowee, Ashley Jean Davidson, Brittney Mae Davis, Stella Tian Deng, Charles Morgan Diebolt, Margaret Ann Douglas, Zachary David Dunn,Claire Sage Leonard Erhart, Cameron Joseph Evers, Zoe Jenna Fales, Jacob Anthony Farina, Nicholas Richard Fazzino, Alison Heather Firgelewski, Katie Aileen Freaney, Jonathan Scott Gergler, Brooke Ashley Giard, Colin Desmond Gibson, Elise Anne Gilchrist, Jeremy Edward Gladd, Phoebe Read Goodwin, Jillian Fay Goucher, Anthony William Griffith, Sydney Yun OK Groth, Alexander Paul Hallwood, Abigail Elizabeth Hawkins, Samantha Elizabeth Hoblin, Laura Anne Holland, Daniel Jonathan Howarth, Stephen Jablonowski, Jasmine Olivia Johnson, James Anthony Kerwin, Samuel Baker King, Liia Mai Koiv-Haus, Lea Nicole Korsmeyer, Sean Thomas Kratzert, Maryn Younger Lacey, Anthony Lanzano LaCoursiere, Patrick Davis Landry, Carolyn Ann Larson, Chelsea Elise Lipp, Jared Corbett Loper, Maeve Elizabeth Mackey, Hannah Alexandra Male, Michael Louis Massa, Jesse John Matarazzo, Kelly Elizabeth McCracken, Caitlyn Kathleen Meeks, Lawrence Meril Merrill, Aaron Joseph Mesham, Christina Marie Mezes, Lindsay Elise Mullen, Amanda Grace Murtz, Jared Peter Gardner Newman, Caitlin Kelly Nosal, Gabrielle Carmen Nunez, Christine Mary Nyberg, Tess Harriet O’Connor, David Price O’Neill, Kyle Emerson Orr, Christopher Anthony Orris, Robert Louis Ouellette, Elizabeth Kate Parsons, Thomas Lawrence Penfield, Dakota Peperni, Corrie Elizabeth Pierce, Megan Elizabeth Rasmussen, Connor Howard Robbins, Michelle Ann Rockwell, Karl Edward Roskamp, Kelsey Greer Ross, Katharine Tyler Rozanski, Matthew Richard Russell, Jessica Elizabeth Schmidt, Jason Arthur Scott, Anna Helen Seidner, Meghan Irene Shettle, Margaret Powers Smith, Michael Theriault Smith, Trent Machnik Soares, Daniel James Spellman, James Mark Spina, Jacob Thomas Strycharz, Ethan Ross Temple, Matthew Cooper Thomas, Michael Brenton Touranjoe, Micah Daniel Trautmann, Tain Miles Francis Vincent, Karl William Weissinger, Patrick James Whelan, Kevin Lee Winzer, Jared Perry Zimmerman

Water, Water Everywhere? EL officials examine town’s water resources

2009-07-02T17:17:26Z

By Amy Renczkowski, Staff Writer:

East Lyme — Town officials spent the bulk of last year trying to address the water shortage the town faces during the summer months. They have replenished the 400,000-gallon shortfall it faces by getting replacement wells online.

First Selectman Paul Formica said the town is working on both sides of the issue: supply and conservation. Selectmen have implemented water conservation measures again this year.

“This is an opportunity for us to learn how to maintain our water resources and get into new habits,” Formica said. “Not only in summer but year-round.”

The mandatory water-conservation measures will be in effect from 9 a.m. Friday through noon Monday starting July 3.

Customers of the East Lyme Public Water System will be prohibited from sprinkling, watering, or irrigating their lawns; washing their motor vehicles and the outdoor surfaces of all buildings and structures, sidewalks, and driveways; filling or cleaning swimming and wading pools; and providing the service of water to customers of public restaurants except at the specific request of customers.

Those found in violation of any provision of the restrictions will be fined no more than $99.

Times All-Area Softball Team: All-State Teams Overlook Area’s Finest

2009-07-02T17:16:02Z

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Heading the “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me” news flashes during the June scholastic sports scene in Connecticut, what’s up with the voting for the All-State softball teams?

Fitch placed just one player (catcher Stacy Pouliot) on the Class LL All-State team, and Waterford was shut out in Class L. Didn’t Fitch win the Class LL state title and Waterford cop Class L’s crown? What ever happened to the theory that to the victors go the spoils? Both the Falcons and the Lancers deserved at least two, if not three, All-State picks apiece, but the local absence is another example of Eastern Connecticut getting overlooked by the rest of the state. And you wonder how that can still happen, especially in female sports.

Norwich Free Academy topped Fitch in the Class LL girls volleyball final. NFA, Bacon Academy, and Old Lyme won girls’ basketball state titles. Fitch-Waterford won the state and New England gymnastics crown. Fitch and Waterford won softball championships. That’s domination. Forget about getting a fair shake. When it comes to polls and All-State teams in girls sports, the ECC should be receive VIP, not equal, treatment.

This typist had a vote in the Connecticut Sportswriters’ Alliance state softball poll and selected Fitch No. 2 in preseason behind Masuk. I was stunned the Falcons rose no higher than No. 4 thoughout the bulk of an undefeated season. Though they deservedly fell a bit after some late-season losses, Fitch ripped though Class LL and stunned Masuk in the “mythical state championship.” With apologies to undefeated Seymour, I gave Fitch a No. 1 final vote. If you beat the best, you are the best. The Courant poll agreed.

A number of deserving Falcons and Lancers were snubbed in All-State voting. They won’t be here, as we reveal the 2009 Times Community Newspapers All-Area Softball Team.

Pitchers

Sarah Emery - Stonington: This senior enjoyed a dominant year on the mound (16-6, 1.14 ERA, 175 strikeouts) and the plate (.414 average, 26 RBI, 17 extra base hits) to lead the Bears to an ECC Medium co-championship and ECC Tournament final berth. Hurled perfect game against Plainfield .

Kelli Connors - Waterford: Connors, a freshman, gets a slight nod over Fitch tandem of Cayla Sampson and Aubrey Latham because she carried the Lancers pitching load herself during the heart of the season to finish 16-1.

Catcher

Stacy Pouliot - Fitch: This two-time All-State pick batted .400 and delivered game-winning RBI single in 1-0 state title victory over Masuk.

Infield

Brianna Turgeon - Fitch: The Most Outstanding Player in the Class LL title game singled and scored the only run. Turgeon, just a sophomore, added a second straight productive season at the plate and played stellar second base defense.

Mattie Brett - Waterford: Junior Brett was one of Lancers’ top hitters all season. Second baseman was selected to State Junior Select All-Star game.

Brittany Duclos - Fitch: All-State as a junior, the UConn-bound shortstop was steady all year and at her best during state tournament, hitting for the cycle in a first-round win and going 3-for-3 in LL semifinal win over Mercy.

Arielle Cooper - Fitch: Batted nearly .400 and made just two errors all season at third base.

Macy Stefanski - Montville: A Division I recruit (Central Connecticut), Stefanski batted close to .500 and made acrobatic plays at shortstop. Repeated as Class M All-State pick.

Outfield

Cashel Gaffey - East Lyme: Though the Seton Hall-bound slugger produced a relatively quiet year on rebuilding East Lyme, Class L All-State pick still batted close to .400

Amy Ogden - Waterford: A leadoff batter and catalyst, Ogden was one of the state’s clutchest hitters. The senior singled home the only run in Lancers’ 1-0 win over Stonington in ECC Tourney final. Ogden added a two-run homer in 5-4 Class L semifinal win over Naugatuck. Earned Most Outstanding Player honors in L title win over Darien.

Kelsey Barlow - Montville: Power hitter repeated as Class M All-State pick.

Courtney Weber - Fitch: Most underrated of Fitch’s superb senior class, Weber provided consistent hitting and base-running from leadoff spot. Center fielder singled and scored the winning run in the bottom of seventh in 1-0 Class LL quarterfinal win over Newtown.

Utility

Kate Flanagan - Waterford: Infielder-outfielder punctuated a fine senior season with dramatic two-out, two-run walkoff homer to give Lancers their 5-4 win over Naugatuck in Class L semifinals.

Players of Year

Fitch seniors: The Falcons featured such a depth of talent with no one player standing above the rest—a stark contrast to Rachel Fico-dominated Masuk. Fitch played on the nine versus one theme as a motivating factor. Duclos, Pouliot, Cooper, Weber, Chelsea Fogarty, Katie Stack, Sampson, and Latham share team honor.

Coaches of Year

Kate Peruzzotti (Fitch) and Liz Sutman (Waterford): As it should be, former associates share award. Peruzzotti inherited loaded team after serving as Sutman’s assistant at Waterford, overcame a mini-slide in late season and directed Falcons to landmark Class LL title win (Fitch’s first ever) over a Masuk team shooting for a state-record winning streak of 78 games. Walker won ECC Tourney title and her first state crown after two straight final losses.

This is the opinion of Larry Kelley.

AT THE CAPITOL ~ End-of-Session Notes

2009-07-02T17:14:06Z

By State Sen. Andrea L. Stillman:

At this writing there is ongoing uncertainty about the status of the state budget. Legislative leaders and the governor have worked to identify common ground, but regrettably significant differences remain, so a budget agreement has been elusive.

It is little but some consolation that the vast majority of states face this predicament. Perhaps the most stark example is in California, where the governor has suggested cutting costs by releasing thousands of convicts from state prisons. We certainly hope to avoid that here in Connecticut.

As the extended budget process plays out, I will continue with updates about other policy successes; this time to highlight one new law enacted to the benefit of constituents and a couple from the Public Safety and Security Committee, for which I have responsibility.

On the second-to-last night of the legislative session, legislation was approved to allow the Boy Scouts of Troop 24 in East Lyme to once again operate a safety coffee stop at the Waterford weigh station on I-95 on Labor Day weekends. That unanimous vote ensured a 25-year tradition, that had inexplicably fallen out of favor and was suspended last summer, will resume in 2009.

I worked to restore this tradition because it helps keep drivers on a major thoroughfare—on one of the busiest weekends of the year—alert and alive while traveling through our state. A longstanding cliché for the good deeds of Boy Scouts is helping people cross busy streets and this safety stop along I-95 is simply a modern version of that.

I know how eager the Scouts are to provide this community service and I know how grateful local charities are to receive any contributions collected. In 25 years there were never any accidents, injuries, or other incidents related to this project to cause concern, protest, or cancellation, so it’s gratifying to know the tradition will be revived.

In another new law, we sought to protect first responders from the highly contagious and very serious complications from tuberculosis. To their credit, emergency medical personnel often put their patient’s interests ahead of their own, sometimes at great personal risk. Public Act 09-76 requires hospitals to notify these first responders if a patient they treated and transported has infectious pulmonary tuberculosis, an airborne, extremely contagious, and very serious infectious disease.

Recent enhancements in patient confidentiality protections have unintentionally neglected some common-sense requirements regarding potential risks assumed by those who treat anonymous patients. This new law restores timely notification to state statute to better protect those whose service in the name of public safety inadvertently exposes them to hazardous conditions.

Yet another recently enacted law requires mandatory school crisis drills. This legislation, recently signed by the governor, requires local boards of education to conduct a crisis response drill once every three months in lieu of the required monthly fire drills. Furthermore, the bill requires the first fire drill to be held within the first 30 days of each school year.

Sadly, several shocking tragedies in recent years prompted this initiative to have all Connecticut schools well-versed in their response to a crisis situation. Routine and repeated drills provide local law enforcement agencies with the opportunity to collaborate on the planning for and response to circumstances that are both unthinkable and yet quite possible.

Andrea Stillman represents the 20th Senatorial District, which includes New London, Waterford, East Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Salem, and Montville.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, July 2

2009-07-02T17:12:35Z

Resident Critiques ‘Poor Decisions’

To the Editor:

East Lyme is making some very poor decisions. Under our previous selectman, the triangle at Penn Ave. and Pattagansett was paved over for so-called “safety reasons.” I was told it would be beautified with a new planter.

I offered to join the beautification committee as I had some ideas for that corner. The planter lasted one day before someone drove onto the newly tarred triangle and smashed it (so much for being safer). Not only was the tar never beautified, other than tire tracks, but I was never notified of a meeting of the beautification committee even after several phone calls to them.

Then comes a new McDonald’s restaurant, which you have to circle 1 1/2 times to go into the drive-through. Not only that, but the small children exit right into the drive-through lane. Another safety measure?

And while it was to be replaced by a CVS, it is instead being replaced by a “factory” that takes up most of the parking lot, leaving no place to park. I pity the businesses trying to survive there.

Now we’re having a new recycling program, supposedly cheaper, but they don’t mention buying a new truck, laying off workers, and paying someone else to separate recyclables that we did for free. And where do I put another 96-gallon can?

I was a witness to a deer being hit by a truck one morning. It obviously had a broken leg but was sitting up and alert. An East Lyme police officer came and immediately decided to shoot it (yes, in the middle of the street, very close to houses). No phone calls were made to any rescue centers, and he had to shoot it four times before he actually killed it. After each shot the deer rolled over and tried to get away. And PETA is after the president for killing a fly!

Finally, the garbage truck has to back out of my dead end street and back down again to do the other side as there is an RV parked in the turn-around. Perhaps the police could work on that instead of shooting deer?

Linda R. Vegliante,
East Lyme

Town Introduces One-Bucket Recycling

To the Editor:

Some of you have received a new recycling canister in the last few weeks and have already begun to participate in the town’s new single-stream recycling pilot program. The pilot program involves neighborhoods in the center of town and is designed to help us understand how the program will work before we roll it out town-wide.

Single-stream recycling means that all your recycling items—plastic, bottles and cans, newspaper, and cardboard—are put into one container (no trash). The sorting now will be done at the recycling plant. It is our hope that you will recycle more items and more often. The list of recyclables is expanded and is posted on the town Web site, eltownhall.com.

Trash will still go into the brown trash can; only recyclables will go into the gray can. Both cans will be picked up by the automated truck. The Web site has more specific information, or please call me at 691-4110 with any questions or comments on this exciting new program.

The Highway Department led by Chuck Holyfield will be condensing trash pick-up days on holiday weeks to avoid Saturday pick-ups. Please call us or visit the Web site to see the schedule for the fourth of July in your area.

Thank you all for all you do to make East Lyme the great community it is.

First Selectman Paul Formica,
East Lyme

P.S. I will be in the dunk tank on the Town Green at 5 p.m. on July 18 during Celebrate East Lyme to raise money for Kids Cancervive. Please help me to support this great cause so we can ease the burden of the families who suffer.

Grab a Brush and Hit the Beach

2009-07-02T17:10:23Z

Escape the heat and cool your feet at the beach with a two-day workshop with Doug Smith at Lyme Art Association.

Drawing, picture composition, and value relationships will be the focus of this workshop, which will be held July 18 and 19.

Smith studied at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts from 1987 to 1990. He has traveled and painted in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Russia, and throughout the United States. His work is represented at Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison and Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Me., where he now lives.

“The workshop, ‘To The Beach,’ is not typical of most painting courses offered,” says Smith. Painting at the beach, Smith says, allows the artists to encounter not just views of water but also people of all ages.

“There is a lot of activity often and choosing a composition to paint can be tough, but usually with all the umbrellas and sunbathers, there are many possibilities. Painting small and fast is a must because there is only so much time to capture the moment,” he says.

This workshop is recommended for painters who have experience painting on location and who are adept at working in small format. The goal will be to complete one or two paintings in each three-hour session.

“To the Beach!” will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To register or to receive the LAA summer catalogue of art classes, call the Lyme Art Association at 860-434-7802. The Lyme Art Association is at 90 Lyme Street in Old Lyme.

OBITUARY ~ Charles V. “Chaz” Cosenza, 79, Ivoryton

2009-07-02T17:09:40Z

Charles V. “Chaz” Cosenza, 79, of Ivoryton, died June 23 at the Shoreline Medical Center in Essex. He was born in New Haven on April 6, 1930, son of James and Mary (Musco) Cosenza. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army. He was an early entrepreneur, having owned and operated several different businesses throughout his career. He owned the New Haven Rams semi-pro football team, for which he played, coached, and managed during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

In 1964, he owned the Pettipaug Manor Convalescent Home in Essex and at one time owned the West Rock Healthcare Convalescent Home in New Haven. In 1977, he established the Connecticut Chair Car Company in New Haven, which became the Cosenza Bus Company. In 1992, he semi-retired to Fort Pierce, Florida, and developed the Rain Forrest Amusement Company. His retirement in Ivoryton was devoted to his children and grandchildren, whom he adored. An avid golfer, he was a member of the Lyman Country Club in Middlefield.

He is survived by his children, Shelley Russell and her husband, Kevin, of Old Lyme, Charles V. Cosenza, Jr. and his wife, Lisa, of Killingworth, and Joyce Cosenza of Ivoryton; his beloved grandchildren, Kyle, Troy, and Travis Russell, Isabella Cosenza and Charles “Chaz” Cosenza III, Shannon and Kylie Gates, and Mason Drew; his sister, Barbara Daughterty, of New Haven; and his loving companion, Gloria Burdick.

A memorial service was held on June 26 at the Deep River Congregational Church in Deep River. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 2550 US Hwy1 N., Brunswick, NJ 08902-4301. The Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook was in charge of arrangements.

Are You One in a Million?

2009-07-02T17:08:42Z

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare, and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, recently launched its “Are You One In A Million?” campaign in conjunction with its 40th anniversary celebration of service to the United States Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard has rescued more than 1 million people since it was established in 1790. Honoring the heroic efforts of service men and women throughout history, the “Are You One In A Million?” project strives to highlight the unique stories and personal impact of more than one million successful missions.

An “Are You One In A Million?” Web site has been established to collect accounts of rescues, as well as stories of a heroic rescue that have been passed down through generations. Individuals can submit their stories at www.one-in-a-million-rescued.org. The foundation will post them on a daily basis to the site. Participants can also mail their stories to the Coast Guard Foundation, 394 Taugwonk Road, Stonington, CT 06378. A picture of individuals rescued and their families may be submitted with each story.

For more information, visit www.coastguardfoundation.org.

News from Hartford

2009-07-02T17:07:34Z

Rell Announces Crackdown on Drivers Using Cell Phones

Governor M. Jodi Rell recently announced the start of a statewide crackdown on distracted driving in Connecticut, especially drivers who violate the state’s law banning the use of hand-held cellular telephones.

With the summer driving season beginning, the Connecticut State Police and police departments across Connecticut are joining together for stronger enforcement of the 2005 law that bars the use of cell phones and other hand-held electronic devices by drivers. Under the law, drivers over the age of 18 are permitted to use cell phones with hands-free devices, while drivers under the age of 18 are forbidden to use cell phones or other electronic devices of any kind, even with hands-free accessories.

“Last year the State Police gave out 10,000 tickets for violations of the cell phone law, but wherever I go, distracted driving is one of the most common complaints I hear,” Gov. Rell said during a news conference at a rest area on Interstate 91 near Middletown. “The greatest complaint of all is that…people continue to flaunt the restriction on cell phone use.

“Starting over the next two days and continuing through the summer, we are launching a new campaign, ‘Hang Up or Pay Up,’ and it won’t just be the State Police enforcing this crackdown—municipal police departments across Connecticut are joining the effort.

“State and local police officers will be targeting high-crash areas and keeping a sharp lookout for drivers who violate the cell phone law,” the governor said. “The purpose is simple: We want to reduce the number of distracted drivers. Distracted driving is the cause of far too many crashes—crashes that are easily preventable. The only thing more tragic than a crash that injures or kills someone is an injury or fatality that could have been prevented.”

Labor Programs Gearing Up for Summer Youth Workforce

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that hundreds of worksites around the state are gearing up to get younger for the summer.

The governor signed Senate Bill 2001 last week, which appropriates $11 million in federal stimulus labor funds for a summer job program for as many as 5,000 disadvantaged youths. The $11 million is part of $30 million in stimulus workforce funds, with the remainder to be used for adult and dislocated workers.

The program, administered by the state Labor Department, is coordinated through five regional workforce investment boards. The summer jobs will be provided to young men and women 14 to 24 years of age. State Labor officials say the popular program has attracted nearly 11,000 applicants.

The workforce investment boards find jobs for the young workers with non-profits, private industry, and municipal organizations. Jobs include office work, graphic design assistants, hospital and nursing home aides, and recreation and park staff. All jobs comply with state wage and workforce regulations and meet all safety requirements.

The state’s five regional workforce boards are The WorkPlace in Bridgeport; Capital Workforce Partners in Hartford; Workforce Alliance in New Haven; Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board in Franklin; and Northwest Regional Workforce Board in Waterbury.

For information on youth employment, visit www.ct.gov/dol.

TIME FOR HEALING ~ The Light at the End of the Tunnel

2009-07-02T17:02:47Z

By Katie Jeffrey-Lunn:

Hardship, suffering, emotional challenges, physical limitations...none of these sound very desirable, but all of us experience these sometime in our lives.

Isn’t it interesting that school doesn’t prepare us with the tools we need to deal with the realities of life? Most of the time, there’s no road map for the situations we find ourselves in, and we must forge our own path out of the forest, sometimes running into dead ends, and other times finally finding relief and solace. Many of us shake the bars at our reality, angry that we must go through painful experiences, resentful that others have seemingly easy lives. We watch the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” commercials, hear about the lives of the rich and famous, and wonder why we can’t have things that easy. We think that if only...whatever...changes, then we can be satisfied. But inevitably, one thing changes, then another comes up to take its place. Challenges fill our lives, with only short periods of peace in between, and we wonder, “Is there really a light at the end of the tunnel?”

So it may be time to accept the fact that unless we do something different, take on a whole new perspective, we may be destined to a life of cyclical unhappiness. What does it take to be happy? We hear about those who have suffered but still maintain the integrity of who they are, despite their situations. We hear of those who receive terminal diagnoses and then gear themselves up to live life to the fullest with their time remaining. Why does it take traumatic events to wake us up? Is it because most of us simply take life for granted?

When we think of the things in our lives that grieve us, we always seem to point to the events or the people outside of ourselves. What if we gave that up and decided to take full responsibility for our own reactions to these people and situations?

Self realization, self control, and self mastery are all about stepping back from instant reactions and making the conscious choice of how your life will be. You may think it impossible to not react negatively to certain situations, but if you could simply imagine responding differently, then you’ve taken the first step. Ask yourself how you’d like to respond; what is the goal? Then practice in your mind. Just like the sports players who envision themselves at their peak performance, see yourself being the person you’d like to become.

These are simple questions to ask yourself: 1. Who are you, really? 2. Who do other people think you are? 3. Who do you want to be? 4. What obstacles within you stop you from being who you want to be? 5. What strengths will help you overcome these obstacles?

The one thing in life we can be sure of is that although challenges may come our way, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If we take every experience as a gift, and become wiser and more refined because of it, we will find the gem of light in everything we go through. Rather than making us bitter and angry, choosing to accept every chapter of life with peaceful equanimity gives us the personal power needed to grow and thrive. We can become more connected with ourselves and find a deeper appreciation for all the gifts we’ve been given.

If you’ve spent too much time disengaged from your feelings, from your life, isn’t it time you reconnect? Your life is waiting to be lived; make the decision now, to receive the treasures that await you. It’s never too late. Begin.

Amy Martin is a nurse practitioner and RoHun therapist. RoHun is a transpersonal psychotherapy, an alternative to traditional therapy. Her private practice, Center for Healing Therapies, is in Niantic. Call 691-0743 for a consultation . You can e-mail her at AmyMartin@Time4Healing.com or go to www.Time4Healing.com more information.

PARENT'S EYE VIEW ~ ‘Boyology’ Gives Girls a Roadmap to Opposite Sex

2009-07-02T15:33:08Z

By Amy J. Barry:

If you’re a ‘tween or teen girl looking for a definitive guide to the male species—or if you’re a parent that wants to get up to speed on girl-boy relationships in this new age of technology, “Boyology: a teen girl’s crash course in all things boy” by Sarah O’Leary Burningham fits the bill.

Author of “How to Raise Your Parents,” Burningham’s new book covers everything from first dates to break ups and all the important in-between stuff like understanding the various “breeds” (classifications) of boys, techniques for asking a boy out, setting boundaries, introducing boyfriends to parents, and more.

Burningham lives in New York City with her husband Grant, a contributor to the book, who adds his perspective on a variety of topics from shopping to love.

The author gave a talk to teens and parents on June 24 at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison and plans to visit area schools in the fall.

The following is an interview with Burningham about her new book.

Q. What was your impetus for writing
“Boyology”?

A. I realized that even with all the technology and media out there, girls still have a lot of questions—still don’t have great examples of healthy relationships—and I wanted this to be a guide. I believe the [relationship] patterns you start setting as a teenager are the patterns that stay with you.

Q. How did you do your research?

A. I interviewed 2,000 teenagers, both girls and boys—a lot online and cell phone calls—from all over the country and Canada. I have really active MySpace and Facebook profiles. Once I started to talk to teenagers, other teenagers found me.

Q. How are you able to relate so well to teenage girls? Obviously, they wouldn’t read the book if it came off like an out-of-touch adult had written it.

A. I’m 29 and I remember what it was like to be a teenager and to have those feelings—I’m also far enough away [in age] to have experience and perspective. Teenagers treat me like an older sister.

Q. What are some ways dating is very different for this generation?

A. Technology is the biggest change. Even when I was dating, we had landlines, and my parents knew who was on the phone. Cell phones are a great tool [for everyone], but parents may not know who’s calling and have to make extra effort. Kids aren’t [verbally] communicating, they’re just texting. We still have to find a way to show healthy interpersonal skills. Besides technology, teenagers are going through the same things [as previous generations] like that first heartbreak.

Q. What are the most important points you’d like to get across to girls in this book?

A. A message of self-respect, which I [address] in the “You Wear the Pants: Setting Your Boundaries” chapter. “You wear the pants,” meaning knowing what you want and defining that, and making sure people you’re with respect you as much as you deserve and that you respect yourself. Teenage years are full of the unknown and insecurities. To be grounded and have a good sense of self is the most important thing.

Q. How did you come up with the different Boy Breeds?

A. I got them from interviewing boys and girls. For example, for “The Athleticus Greatius,” I asked boys in sports who they would want to be and almost every one said LeBron James.

Q. Besides defining good and bad flirting, the “Get your Flirt on” section even discusses text flirting!

A. Text flirting is great, but at some point you’ve got to pick up the phone—or see him and have real conversation or it’s not a real relationship. These are good skills to learn as a teenager—how to talk to someone and say what you’re thinking.

Q. You made choices in the book to talk about kissing, setting boundaries, what to do if you’re violated, but you avoid the safe sex/using contraception discussion. Why?

A. I think every teenager is different, is raised differently with a different set of rules and values. The most important thing is to know what you want and where your line is so that you know where you stand before you get into an uncomfortable situation—so you don’t freeze up in the moment. It’s important that teenagers make those decisions for themselves because they’re the ones that ultimately deal with the consequences.

Q. Is there anything you’d like to add?

A. If our future lies in the hands of this generation, I think we’re in good hands. They’re much smarter and more thoughtful than they’re given credit for sometimes. Even though they’re not perfect, they’re good kids.

“Boyology” by Sarah O’Leary Burningham (Chronicle Books) is $12.99, softcover, and is available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com.

E-mail Amy Barry at aimwrite@snet.net.

NATURE NOTES ~ Cowbirds: Nest Parasites of the U.S.

2009-07-02T15:18:13Z

By Albert Burchsted:

A reader wrote to ask about the identity of an odd egg she found in a house finch nest. There were three pale blue eggs with a few spots and one larger tan egg covered with spots. The odd egg was a brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) egg, and I explained to her its significance for both the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) and the cowbird eggs.

The Problems of Parasites

Brown-headed cowbirds are nest parasites. They have lost the ability to construct nests or feed their own offspring and are dependent on other species to raise their offspring. By laying eggs in another species’ nest, the mother cowbird consigns her baby to compete with the host species’ babies for food and space and to eat whatever the host parents bring for their own offspring. This poses several problems for the cowbirds.

Cowbirds have to find nests while they are being constructed so they can lay their eggs before incubation begins. A female lays her egg after two or more host eggs have been laid but before the parent bird begins to sit on the eggs.

The female cowbird often removes one host egg from the nest, replacing it with one of her eggs the same or the next day. Some birds recognize their own eggs and remove or destroy a cowbird’s egg, cover the entire nest and start again, or abandon the nest to build a new one.

The cowbird baby has to obtain enough food to survive. It does so by starting life just a little larger than the host’s babies—usually hatching a day earlier than the host babies—often climbing on top of or pushing the host’s babies out of the nest and begging loudly for food.

Cowbird babies need food rich in protein. Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) and house finches provide mostly seeds for their offspring. Cowbird chicks languish and often die in these species’ nests because seeds have low levels of protein.

The Problems of Hosting Parasites

Parent birds confronted with cowbird eggs and chicks are caught on the horns of a dilemma: by removing or destroying the cowbird egg, they might damage one or more of their own eggs.

For a bird with a large bill, such as a blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) or common grackle (Quiscalis quiscula), this is not much of a problem—it simply picks up the egg and flies away with it. A bird with a small bill can neither handle such a large package nor puncture an egg without slipping off the surface. Thus, many bird species that reject cowbird eggs simply start from scratch and build a new nest. The yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia) covers its entire nest, including the eggs, with a new nest and attempts to keep a preferred nest site without the specter of a cowbird chick. Some pairs construct four or five nests before obtaining a cowbird-free nest.

By feeding a cowbird chick, their own chicks are doomed to languish, starve, or even be killed by their foster sibling. Cowbird chicks hatch out a day or two before the host chicks. By being fed for an extra day or so, the cowbird has grown considerably by the time the host chicks hatch. This head-start ensures the cowbird squawks louder and presents a wider-open mouth than its foster siblings each time the parents arrive with food. One “flaw” in bird behavior is that the louder a chick squawks, the more food it gets. It makes little sense to feed a sickly chick (the chick might not survive), and squawking is a signal to the parents that the bird is both hungry and in good health. Sometimes all host nestlings starve to death as the cowbird chick receives most of the food.

When young cowbird chicks come in contact with other objects in the nest, they attempt to push them up over the edge of the nest cup. This behavior reduces competition from host chicks and ensures more food for the cowbird chick.

Hope for the Parents?

All is not necessarily lost if a cowbird dumps her egg in your nest. Many bird species normally have large clutches (sets of eggs) and can feed up to a dozen offspring. In this case, a few of the host babies often survive.

In some instances, the presence of a cowbird chick reduces the incidence of nest predation, and total nest failure is unlikely. Losing a few babies survive is better than losing the whole clutch. This is often the case with our Eastern and mountain bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and (Sialia corrucoides).

Nest predators tend to take the largest, most active chicks (cowbirds) from the nest first. If a nest predator is interrupted while feeding, as is often the case, host chicks would remain.

Is Dependency on Parasitism Beneficial?

Cowbirds originally inhabited the prairies of the west and Midwest. Opening the forests of the east increased available habitat and exposed many new species to cowbird parasitism. Female cowbirds lay about 40 eggs a year for two years. On average, about 2.4 of these eggs survive, and populations double in size in about eight years.

The species most seriously affected by cowbird activity are those that only recently came into contact with cowbirds because of human activity. These species have few or no cowbird defenses and their numbers have recently plummeted. Some will be driven to extinction; others will survive.

Dependence on other species for reproduction is not necessarily an evolutionarily stable strategy. Those bird species driven to extinction by cowbird and human activities will no longer provide nesting opportunities for cowbirds. As many birds have already done, some surviving species will eventually develop anti-cowbird behaviors that reduce the effectiveness of cowbird reproduction, the tide will turn, and cowbird numbers will drop.

Albert Burchsted is a field biologist recently retired from the College of Staten Island, part of the City University of New York. He lives in Niantic and can be reached via e-mail at al.burchsted@gmail.com.

The Word on the Street: Street Elite dancers are world champions

2009-06-25T19:11:25Z

By Amy Renczkowski, Staff Writer:

East Lyme — Most people don’t associate hip-hop dancing with this small town, but now they have a reason to.

Eastern Connecticut Ballet’s senior hip-hop team—Street Elite—are world champions. They recently competed in Orlando at the World Showcase at Disney World this spring and finished in first place.

“We were so underestimated, a little town from Connecticut,” said Gina Ferigone, 18, a dancer from East Lyme.

“When they announced our name, we were like, ‘How is this possible?’” Sean Kinney, 18, a dancer from Montville added. “It was very validating.”

The senior hip-hop team consists of 14 people from around Connecticut and Rhode Island, ages 18 years old and younger. The open team that has 18 performers in the group, ages 14 years old and older, took third place at Worlds.

Coach and Niantic native Beth Newton-Girard said she choreographed a routine for the senior team that was creative but had traditional hip-hop moves and tricks, like team headstands, elbow stalls, swipes, and windmills.

“It took months, an extremely long time to put together. There were lots of formations, level changes, and different tricks,” Newton-Girard said. “I just tried to take it two eight-counts at a time.”

She said she got her inspiration from the dancers themselves.

“This year we had kids that we were so passionate. I couldn’t have done it without their influence. They’re so young and so fresh with ideas,” Newton-Girard said.

The team’s routine also won a number of choreography awards this season.

The routine opens with a piano playing strategically in the background with spoken word: “This is our ghetto ballet, this is how we represent ourselves. This is the only way we see fit of storytelling. This is the only way of making ourselves feel like we belong.”

The rest of the two-minute, 15-second routine is packed with sharp movements, eye-popping tricks, and high energy dance moves.

It ends with more spoken word that seems fitting for the team: “You can do anything you set your mind to, man.”

Newton-Girard said winning Worlds was overwhelming.

“I’m proud of how hard they worked all season and how passionate they are with what they do,” Newton-Girard said. “They’re a bunch that wouldn’t have gotten so far without hard work.”

The hip-hop teams practiced roughly twice a week for two and a half hours each practice. The senior and open team was in the studio practicing almost every day for a few weeks before the championship.

Despite coming from an undefeated season, many dancers from the senior team said they had trouble sleeping the night before the World Showcase.

“The whole week before Worlds I put everything aside. I could not sleep,” Julia Veronesi, 15, a dancer from Colchester said. “But winning was awesome. We worked hard and it paid off.”

The Street Elite team was founded in August of 2007 by Newton-Girard. Besides the senior and open team, there is a youth team that won the United States finals in Virginia this year. She said she hopes to have between five and seven teams next year.

Street Elite is looking for additional members to join their team. Tryouts are Sunday, June 28, and Tuesday, June 30. Newton-Girard will teach dancers two routines. People of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate. Ryan Spanich is assistant coach of the team.

Street Elite dancers said they want to be the first hip-hop team to win the World Championships back to back.

“Street Elite sweep,” as Veronesi put it.

Watch Street Elite’s World Championship routine at www.youtube.com/watch?v=bspLZs74Pqs.

To learn more about tryouts for the Street Elite hip-hop teams, call 739-7899 or visit www.easternctballet.com.

Caution: Moving Parts - East Lyme students take their robots to the pit

2009-06-25T19:09:59Z

By Amy Renczkowski, Staff Writer:

It's only 8 a.m., but things are heating up in Lou Tucker’s classroom at the high school.

Classic rock tunes are playing in the background, as students lean over a contraption—some are standing on chairs. There’s lots of shouting and laughter. Tucker is in the middle of it all, controlling the operation.

It’s the fifth annual Pit Competition, when students in Tucker’s engineering class compete with the robotic arms that they’ve spent months constructing. Some of the hydraulic arms are made of wood, tubing, and syringes.

At the back of the classroom, students are standing in a circle, surrounding the pit. Tucker is standing on top, swinging the contraption as students use their robotic arms to pick up ping-pong balls and plastic figurines. They have three heats to prove what their robotic arms can do.

“Twenty points for taking TRex out of there,” Tucker yells.

After three heats, sophomore Eric DeLea, 16, and junior Ryan Shettles, 17, are announced the winners.

Surprised that they won, DeLea and Shettles said they didn’t have an exact strategy, they just sought the larger figurines to pick up with their robotic arm to get more points.

The pit contests aren’t the only exercise on which students are judged. Over the last few months, students worked in teams and competed in three different tasks to demonstrate their knowledge on articulation, weights, and disposal.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ Flag Collection a Success

2009-06-25T19:08:21Z

To the Editor:

Thank you to the many residents who brought in old, used, and tattered American flags to our June 13 flag collection events in Old Lyme and Old Saybrook.

More than 200 flags were collected at these two events, making these among the most successful events of this kind in the state.

Allow me to thank personally the officers and members of the veterans’ groups in Old Lyme and Old Saybrook who helped to organize and carry out the collection events.

Thanks also to the Acton Library in Old Saybrook and the Old Lyme Fire Station in Old Lyme for allowing us to use their facilities as collection points.

Especially around Flag Day, June 14, we expected people would be interested in disposing of old flags, which are no longer serviceable, and displaying new flags. But we never anticipated the large number of patriotic residents on both sides of the Connecticut River that would take advantage of this opportunity to properly retire old flags.

Flags collected that day will be delivered to the First Company Governor’s Horse Guards, a unit of the state’s organized militia under the Connecticut National Guard, for proper disposal at their headquarters in Avon.

Thanks again to all who participated.

State Representative
Marilyn Giuliano,

Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook