Stonington Times

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

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:05:15 GMT

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.

Gales Ferry Collegian Joins Swim Across America: Bowles, 22, joins charity in brother’s honor

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:41:42 GMT

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Cara Bowles of Gales Ferry is a member of the Eastern Connecticut State University women’s swimming team. The 22-year-old’s most memorable collegiate swims, however, won’t happen in a pool.

Bowles has joined Swim Across America to make a splash for pediatric cancer survivorship programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She will participate in the 14th annual Boston Harbor 22-mile relay swim on Friday, July 17, and the 11th annual Nantasket Beach one-and-a-half-mile swims on Saturday, July 18.

Bowles considered joining the cause when a friend’s father passed away from cancer. She was convinced to contribute after her 16-year-old brother, Eric, was diagnosed and later treated for tongue cancer in March.

“I want to do everything I can,” Bowles said. “You really feel helpless when you hear your younger brother, who is a runner, singer, and great all-around kid, has cancer. It was completely unforeseen and very strange. Doctors said 60-year-olds usually are diagnosed with this type of cancer.”

Eric is recovering after radiation removed all the cancer, Cara said.

“He’s doing very well,” Cara said. “He’s handling it a lot better than me.”

Swimming teams must contribute $1,500 in pledges to participate in the Boston Harbor Relay. Individual swimmers must have $150 in pledges to swim at Nantasket Beach.

Bowles had secured about $500 as of June 25. She will join other ECSU swimmers and friends on a relay team in Boston Harbor.

“It’s a mile swim at Nantasket Beach,” Bowles said. “People hear a mile and say, ‘That’s it?’ But that’s 20 minutes of straight swimming in the ocean. It’s not easy, even for a strong swimmer, but it will be a very rewarding day.”

Swim Across America is a non-profit corporation that organizes events from Boston to San Francisco to support cancer research at the country’s finest hospitals and institutions. Proceeds from the Boston-area swims go directly to the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Program at Dana-Farber, where experts help pediatric cancer survivors with an array of issues, including long-term effects of treatment, social and psychological concerns, and the risk of second cancers.

Bowles has a link on the Swim Across America Web site (click on “Donate” and follow the prompts). For more information, to register, or to give a gift, visit www.swimacrossamerica.org.

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

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:35:25 GMT

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.

Interactive Desk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:22:29 GMT

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.

With a Little Help from his Friends: SHS senior turns it around and heads to culinary school

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:23:48 GMT

By Joe Wojtas, Staff Writer:

For most of his time at Stonington High School, Brian Arruda didn’t care about much.

He got Ds and Fs and got kicked out of class a lot. With long hair covering his face, he rarely looked anyone in the eye.

Living with an aunt and then a friend’s family after his mother moved to Rhode Island, he worked long hours to support himself.

“I wasn’t the best kid,” he admitted. “I never knew what would happen the next day. I went to sleep worrying about how I was going to get money.”

Arruda said he was the kid no one ever asked “where are you going to school” after graduating.

“He was a tough kid. He had no goals. No ambition. He didn’t care about school or anything,” recalled his guidance counselor, Lillian DeSimone.

But a job last summer at the newly opened Dog Watch Cafe in Stonington borough and his friendship with C.J. Eck, whom he knew from Spanish class, turned his life around. Days before the beginning of his senior year, it appeared Arruda was going to have to move in with his mother after school officials discovered he was not living with a parent or guardian.

That’s when C.J.’s parents, David and Wendy Eck, the owners of the Dog Watch, agreed to become Arruda’s legal guardians and took him into their home. This year, as a senior, Arruda earned high honors, pitched for the baseball team, and secured a scholarship to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., where he will begin attending class July 28.

“If he was not living with the Ecks, he would not be where he is today,” DeSimone said.

Earlier last summer, C.J. Eck asked his parents if Arruda could move in with them so he could graduate with his class and not have to move to Rhode Island. At the time, Arruda had just begun working at the Dog Watch.

At first the Ecks said no. They had been foster parents in the past and were working long hours after just opening the Dog Watch. Then, just days before school started last September, an emotional C.J. asked Wendy again.

“Mom, you always taught us the most important thing you can do is help another person even if it’s hard. Now you’re telling us it’s too hard,” he said.

“That’s when I said, ‘How can we turn our backs on this kid?’ ” Wendy recalled.

But they told Arruda that if he moved into their home, he was not just going to get a bed to sleep in. He was going to be part of their family. That meant the Ecks were going to meet with his teachers and guidance counselors and he’d have to live by their rules.

“It’s been challenging at times but this has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve ever had,” Wendy said. “All Brian needed was for someone to believe in him and love him. We told him it’s no longer about your past. It’s about your future.”

“He is such a sweet soul. There’s not a mean bone in his body. He has no anger even though he may have a right to with what he’s gone through.”

The Ecks’ help had an immediate impact.

“I knew that after moving in with them I couldn’t screw things up,” Arruda said. “I started doing a lot better. The big reason I never did well in school before was that I never lived in a stable home environment and I had to work 40 hours a week or more. When I moved in with the Ecks they wouldn’t let me work as much and my grades got better. I had normal responsibilities and they treated me like I was one of their own children.”

Arruda begged DeSimone to get him in more advanced classes so he could go to college.

“He said, ‘Let me prove myself,’” she said.

“Before that, if I was in a class where kids were not doing work I just fit in. But it’s the same with a good class,” he said. “After doing the work I realized it was not that bad and it wasn’t as stressful.”

Arruda said he’s always enjoyed cooking and he’s worked in restaurants since he was 14. Even when he was struggling in high school, he said he always wanted to be a chef. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he hopes to cook at a resort or large restaurant and someday own his own place.

It was working at the Dog Watch last summer that led to Arruda getting into the Culinary Institute of America. There he became friends with two sisters who worked at the restaurant whose uncle is the dean of admissions at CIA and other uncle is a graduate of the school and an executive with Panera Bread. Arruda joked with them to put in a good word for him.

He then asked the Panera Bread executive to write him a recommendation to the school. The man asked why he should. So Arruda took him out to lunch at the Dog Watch and convinced him to write the recommendation.

The dean of admissions personally delivered the acceptance letter to Arruda at the Dog Watch. He was in, but he did not have the $38,000 a year for tuition, room and board, and other fees.

So David Eck and Arruda began discussing a backup plan that involved joining the Coast Guard or another branch of the military to earn money for college, a Plan B Arruda was not thrilled with.

But two months ago, he learned an essay he had written describing his life and his goals had won him a large scholarship that allowed him to make college work financially.

Arruda said he owes everything to the Ecks as well as his friends and teachers who stuck by him and encouraged him through high school.

“Pretty much I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said.

Because of the Ecks’ help, Arruda has made them a promise.

“When I grow up I want to do something like this for someone else,” he said.

SHS Prepares for Commencement

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:23:08 GMT

By Joe Wojtas, Staff Writer:

Retiring Assistant Principal Patricia Jeffrey will be the commencment speaker when Stonington High School holds graduation exercises on Thursday. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on the football field.

Jeffrey, who graduated from Stonington High School in 1971, has an even longer history with the school. As a child she used to ride the bus when her father drove the school’s sports teams to games.

She began teaching at the high school in 1981 and has since worked as an interdisciplinary coordinator, guidance director, and, for the past several years, as assistant principal. Also speaking will be valedictorian Nianyi Hong, salutatorian Gabriela Hybel, and class president Pete Raffo.

This is also the last graduation for Superintendent of Schools Michael McKee, who will leave his position in August after 13 years. He will begin working as the executive director of the Southern Rhode Island Collaborative, an educational services agency based in North Kingstown, R.I.

The school has also announced the names of students in the top 10 percent of the senior class who are designated as the Stonington Scholars for the Class of 2009.

In addition to Hong and Hybel, other students named as Stonington Scholars are James Ceil, Martha Chudy, Bronson Conlin, Jennifer Herbert, Mallory Huard, Elizabeth Jones, Matthew Keemon, Zimo Li, Kayla Murphy, Patricia Reynolds, Catherine Schmitz, Benjamin Schweid, Jordan Skeens, Connor Toole, David Wagner, and Stephanie Wuenscher.

Stonington Students are in the Money

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:21:52 GMT

By Susan Cornell, Special to the Times:

Three Stonington students were recognized as winners of the Securities Industry Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation’s statewide Stock Market Game.

Juniors Lily Clift, Jessica Scott, and Lindsey Sutton, along with more than 100 students, teachers, and guests, were honored at the Connecticut Annual Stock Market Game Awards Luncheon on June 11. More than 1,200 students took part in the SIFMA Foundation’s Spring Stock Market Game session, in partnership with Merrill Lynch and other corporate sponsors. The 10-week competition ran from Feb. 23 through May 2.

The Stock Market Game, founded by the SIFMA Foundation, has been played since 1977, says Elizabeth Reidel, New England Regional Director of the Stock Market Game. SIFMA’s goal, Reidel explains, is “to teach financial education from fourth grade up to adult.”

This hands-on education initiative allows students in grades 4 through 12 the opportunity to learn about investing and personal finance in a fun and engaging way by applying concepts of math, business, social studies, and economics in a real-world, real-time financial competition.

“What the students are able to do is really learn about the importance of saving and investing from an early age,” says Reidel. “They learn about diversification. They learn about the different asset classes—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds—within a fun and exciting context,” she adds.

Teachers often tell the regional director that students “don’t realize they’re learning because it’s fun.” Participants, she says, “get to really follow current events. They get to learn about the economy in general while they’re putting together their portfolio.”

From six personal finance classes at Stonington High School, 68 teams competed against teams statewide.

Students were given an opportunity to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in a real-time portfolio. The team, consisting of Clift, Scott, and Sutton, profited a hypothetical $173,000, earning them third place in the competition.

Advisor and Stonington High School business teacher Daniel Rahl said the team members were “really proud of themselves that they were able to come in third against 1,045 other teams.”

Because the market was doing poorly at the time, Rahl found that it was “tough for most kids to make money the conventional way—buying low and selling high.”

“They used something we had talked about in class—short selling. They were betting that the stock price would go down; you sell it first and then buy it later to pay back. That was their trick,” he said adding, “It was nice to see that they actually used a topic from class and put it into practice and saw it work.”

Rahl admitted that on the way to the awards ceremony held at the UConn School of Business, he tried to talk the team into pursuing careers in finance. One member is eyeing a position in fashion, one in special education, and one possibly in finance or business.

“I’m hoping that it has sparked something even if they don’t go into finance. They’re getting some experience in investing so that when they get older and have to invest their money, they’re going to make wise choices and will be that much more educated.”

While the SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game lasts only 10 weeks, the experience will help students throughout their lives as they gain financial independence.

Reidel says, “We definitely have teachers who let us know that they hear from past students that the program has encouraged them and influenced their decision to go into the industry. We also hear just how students remember their experience with the stock market game and how it has changed their likelihood of saving and investing.”

Meet the Elite: Eastern CT Ballet dance team takes world championship

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:45:02 GMT

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.

Times All-Area Baseball Team

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:39:49 GMT

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

OK, all of you objective ECC baseball followers out there, let’s play a little game. Forget everything that happened after June 1 and raise your hand if you thought New London had the best baseball team in the area. Don’t be shy. Anyone think New London was the ECC’s best as of June 1? Is anyone paying attention? I don’t see many hands.

OK, who thinks Fitch was the best ECC team as of June 1? I see some hands in the air. Who thinks Waterford was the best? I see about the same number. Who thinks Montville was the best? Well, now I see dozens of hands being raised. Montville, the ECC Tournament champ, had to be the clear-cut choice as area top dog.

If Montville and New London played a best-of-five series, the Indians would have been favored. New London was knocked out in the ECC tourney first round.

The CIAC baseball tournament was a different story. While Montville was stunned in the Class M quarterfinals, New London caught a hot streak, avoided powerhouse teams that were knocked off such as Seymour, St. Joseph, and Montville, missed facing Waterford ace Colin O’Keefe, who struck out 17 in one Class M win and hurled a no-hitter in another win, in the semifinals and stunned the state en route to the school’s sixth CIAC baseball title, blanking Ellington, the team to oust Montville. Six baseball crowns is just three short of Waterford’s state-best nine.

Nobody really asks how you got there. But in this entertaining ECC baseball season that featured a full house of Division I college quality pitching aces and three teams (Fitch, Waterford, and Montville) that spent time in the state top 10 poll, the lasting memory will be how former power New London quietly stole the local spotlight to emerge as the last ECC team standing in the state tournament.

Baseball is the most unpredictable of any scholastic major sport. You can pretty much project the top football teams advancing to state playoffs. The same for basketball, where there are few unheralded teams that upset the favorites. Nobody really knows who the best baseball teams are, as the volatility of the state’s top 10 poll attests. New London never appeared in the New Haven Register’s top 10 poll until reaching No. 3 in the final rankings.

Once again, the ECC did itself proud on the state baseball level. The 2009 Times Community Newspapers All-Area Baseball Team is a distinguished group to be sure.

Pitchers

Luis Sanchez, New London – Compiled a 9-1 record and burst on the scene with three state tournament victories, including shutouts in the quarterfinals and finals.

Derek Wilcox, Montville – All he does is win, save the the 5-3 state quarterfinal loss to Ellington. Wilcox finished 9-1 this season, 20-2 for his career.

Catchers

Alex Tuneski, Waterford – The power-hitting catcher was the area’s best combination of hitter-receiver-thrower. Will team with O’Keefe as one of state’s best batteries next year.

Eddie Sierra, New London – Fine defensive catcher and clutch hitter, Sierra had to be included because of state playoff run.

Infield

Jesse Sutherland, Montville – Junior batted close to .500 and led area with 10 home runs. Sutherland continues Montville’s legacy of fantastic shortstops: the three Ternis and recently-drafted Anthony Giansanti (A’s, 49th round).

Alec Brown, Montville – Fine defensive third baseman, although overshadowed on that side of the diamond by Sutherland, was clutch hitter for ECC Tournament champ Indians.

Anthony Turgeon, Fitch – Perhaps the area’s best leadoff hitter, the Division I bound Turgeon (Central Connecticut) batted over .400 and played strong defense for Class LL state quarterfinals.

Kevin Castodio, Stonington – Class M All-Stater hit .400 as a junior. Without any protection in the lineup, he only hit .280 on team that averaged .190 and 2.5 runs a game. Still, the Division I bound (Quinnipiac) pitcher-first baseman hit walk-off homer to beat Canton and deserves to be included.

Outfield

Kevin Carlow, Fitch – Carlow could have made it as a pitcher, but the outfield had openings. Best scholastic players traditionally play infield, catch, or pitch. Left-handed stick batted .500 with extra base hit power, setting Fitch’s all-time hit record in process. On mound, he posted 6-1 record, losing only 1-0 to state finalist McMahon-Norwalk in Class LL state quarterfinals, and he finished with three shutouts and a no-hitter off Ledyard.

Colin O’Keefe, Waterford - Junior left-hander posted 8-1 record, losing only 1-0 to Fitch ace Kevin Carlow, and added a no-hitter and 17-strikeout effort in Class M tournament wins. O’Keefe played center field when he didn’t pitch and was one of Waterford’s top hitters.

Co-Players of Year

Carlow – Following in the recent footsteps of pitcher-sluggers Rob Bono (Waterford) and Matt Harvey (Fitch), Carlow was magnificent in any role. He batted .500 or better with loads of doubles. He was nearly untouched on the mound, compiling an undefeated record until losing 1-0 in the Class LL state quarterfinals. Hurled five shutouts, including a no-hitter.

Sutherland – The junior deserves high honors based on his offensive prowess, including 10 homers.

Coach of the Year

Mike Wheeler, New London - What does he do for an encore? In his first varsity head coaching stint, the former Fitch and New London Legion standout leads his team to a state championship, the school’s first since 1994. Though some may argue how much talent New London had—Babe Ruth and Little League all-star teams have fared well in all-star play in the last five years—the Whalers won just a little over half their games a year ago and are not far removed from a sub. 500 seasons. For Wheeler to take over just weeks before the season started after Jack Cochran stepped down, winning a state title ranks as one of this proud athletic city’s biggest accomplishments in years.

OPINION: Why I Joined the League of Women Voters

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:38:41 GMT

By Marilyn Mackay:

During the 20th century, the League of Women Voters represented one of the few organizations that allowed women to learn, expand their intellectual horizons, stretch their abilities, and meet like-minded women. It was not until the latter part of the century that the league allowed male members. A 1972 movement out of the Westport league helped to allow men to become members.

Because far fewer women worked until the 1960s, except during the World War II, the league offered homemakers the chance to learn and to affect the politics of their day. In the ’60s, when many single-issue women’s organizations began to flourish, the league lost young women because they were looking for immediate action on issues.

The league has a history of studying issues before taking action, which frustrated those emotionally charged to just “do something.” Today’s young people seem to be re-examining how to spend their free time, and we at the league hope they consider membership in our organization as a vehicle to understanding the world around them.

Discussion has begun at the board level of the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut to initiate chapters at the four colleges in southeastern Connecticut: University of Connecticut at Avery Point, Connecticut College, Mitchell College, and Three Rivers Community College. If you have a child or grandchild over 18 years old, a gift of membership in the league can be a life-changing experience.

For students and for people between jobs, try expanding your resume by volunteering your time and service to the league. It allows an opportunity to do almost anything within the parameters of the organization’s mission. State and national leagues offer classes in everything from moderating debates to lobbying your legislators.

League credits are highly valued by governments, private enterprise, and non-government organizations as an emblem of an individual’s interest, knowledge of events, and expertise in how to get things done in our fast, changing world.

Many members have gone on to serve in public office at the town, state, and federal levels. It is the best “prep” school around and costs only $55 a year.

As a member of the League of Women Voters dating back to 1961, I’ve never stopped learning. My membership began with the formation of a three-island league in the U.S. Virgin Islands and becoming its first president. It continued in New York’s Hamptons and now as membership chair for the southeastern Connecticut league.

When asked how I became organized and knowledgeable on so many topics, my reply is, “I never graduated from college, but I got my Ph.D. from the League of Women Voters.”

As an active member, I can try to do almost anything, including producing and directing a league public access television series. How did that happen? At a meeting I suggested it, and, bingo! I was in charge. What did I know? Nothing. But I sure learned fast, and now we offer classes and seminars for free.

Here are some other views from local league members when asked why they joined the group:

Claire Sauer of Lyme: Each time I’ve moved to a new area, starting as a newlywed, I’ve joined the local League of Women Voters. Membership familiarized me with governmental structure and issues in the state and locality, and introduced me to terrific women who provided great mental stimulation.

On Long Island, my chairmanship of the Suffolk County League led directly to becoming the chair of a County Charter Revision Commission. After voters adopted the commission’s recommendations, I decided to run for the county legislature. My reputation gained for work for the league and the Charter Commission led to an upset victory.

After moving to Connecticut, my service on the New York state league’s board of directors led to my chairing a local league and then serving on the state league’s board. Needing a new challenge after the death of my husband, I ran for the Connecticut House of Representatives. The district included five towns and I ran against an incumbent. My league work gained a reputation and, again, I achieved an upset victory. I’ve been a member of the organization for more than 50 years. League activity has had a significant influence on my life, which would have been very different had it not been for the League of Women Voters.

Eunice Waller of New London: Arriving in Connecticut in the early ’60s, there were many civic issues that needed change. I’ve been known as an activist since early childhood, being the youngest of three older sisters and a foster brother.

I joined a newly formed Black Federation of Democrats, only to learn it was not recognized as effective by the local Democratic Town Committee. As a life member of the National Education Association, I tried activity in the Connecticut Education Association.

It didn’t take long to learn that a political force was needed, so I joined the local League of Women Voters. They would surely tell me what I could not do before assuring me of how the league could be helpful to a local activist. The league was just what was needed. They were non-partisan, as the brochure reads. I’ve never regretted being a part of the league and still strongly believe all young able-bodied women should join and actively support the organization. Life for women in America is still in need of improvement, reform, and enhancement from years of non-involvement in our own welfare.

We can certainly help ourselves by more active involvement and financial support. I urge all women, young and old, to join the league. If you don’t like what’s happening, get involved. Do something!

Irene Weiss of Mystic: When I moved to southeastern Connecticut as a young mother, I wondered which group to join to get to know people in the community. The league was doing a study about the Groton school system and, having children, of course I was interested in their schools. As a member I got to participate in the study, which included attending board of education meetings, interviewing principals, and learning how Connecticut funds public education.

A side benefit was getting to know some terrific people. I value the in-depth knowledge that the league provides about all sorts of issues at the local, state, and national levels that are important to me. I especially like that the league does not take a stand on issues until it has looked at all sides. I am looking forward to learning more about the issue of whether to decriminalize marijuana, a study our southeastern Connecticut League will undertake this year.

For details on how to join the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut, go to www.lwvct.org/lwvsect/join_us.htm; e-mail lwvsect@earthlink.net; or call 860-535-1192.

Marilyn Mackay of North Stonington heads membership for the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut.

Celebrate the Season and Support Local Farms

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:33:15 GMT

By Amy J. Barry, Special to the Times:

Bank Square Books in Mystic is known as an independent bookstore that supports local authors, but owners Annie Philbrick and Jane Hannon are also keen on supporting local farmers, the environment, and healthy eating.

On Tuesday, June 30, Bank Square Books will host “Shop Locally, Eat Seasonally”—an event to inform the public about the wide and rich array of homegrown food and homemade products available in southeastern Connecticut.

The evening will include talks by Deb Marsden, founder of Connecticut Farm Fresh Express in East Haddam, along with local farmer’s market participants Elizabeth Archer of Starry Night Farm, Brie Cassadei of Terra Firma Farm, Bob Burns of Aiki Farms, Mike and Elisha Riley of Stonington Beef, and White Davis of Davis Farm—all of Stonington—and Joe Dondero of Dondero Orchards in South Glastonbury.

“Eating Well in Season” by Jessie Price (Countryman Press), and “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters (Random House) will be featured books for sale.

“Bank Square Books is working towards making ourselves a community hub in addition to selling books,” says Philbrick. “Our Shop Locally and Eat Seasonally event exemplifies our commitment to educating our community about what products are available from our local farms and where and how one can purchase these products.”

Fresh and Local Right to Your Door

Connecticut Farm Fresh Express delivers locally grown, mostly organic, fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy products, meat, baked goods, pasta sauces, salsa, fresh fish, and more from local farms and producers to homes and restaurants all over the state.

Deb Marsden, founder of Farm Fresh Express, was a graphic designer who started her business just over a year ago because, she says, “I was looking for a similar service. I used Peapod and even though I like the delivery concept, I was disappointed in the produce and not being able to get the fresh food I wanted.”

Marsden says she was also looking for something that she enjoyed doing and provided a way for her to give back to her community.

“I think supporting the farmers in the state is really giving back,” she says. “If we didn’t have them, we’d be getting our food from all over the world, which isn’t economical when we are perfectly capable of growing it ourselves and it tastes so much better.

“I know these farms, I know what they’re doing, and they’re not dumping chemicals in the ground,” Marsden adds, “because they live on these farms and don’t want to poison their families.”

Marsden says her prices are similar to what one pays at a farmer’s market with the addition of a delivery fee.

“It’s such a pleasure to deliver to people’s homes,” she says. “They’re so excited to get the fresh food and don’t have to go to so many farms—I’m going to more than 20 different farms for them—mostly from southeastern Connecticut.”

Information on Connecticut Farm Fresh Express is available at www.ctfarmfreshexpress.com and the week’s selection of fresh food can be viewed and ordered at www.ctfarmfreshstore.com.

Small Farm Delights

Elizabeth (Ibby) Archer, owner of Starry Night Farm, grew up on a farm in Maryland but had no interest in the farming life as an adult and went on to become a teacher and psychotherapist. That is, until she had her own child and went back to the earth to become a one-woman small farmer.

“It was a big turning point for me,” Archer says. “I had an opportunity to buy this farm in Stonington. I wanted my child living on a farm to see where food came from. It’s exposed her to a different way of eating and gave her an appreciation of nature and how food is grown. It’s a whole life-cycle thing.”

Archer grows all certified organic produce on her seven acres that
includes nine different varieties of potatoes, two kinds of squashes—zephyr and scallopini—Swiss chard, purple scallions, garlic, and haricot verts.

“I cater toward the upscale market,” she says. “I’m always looking for something unusual and pretty on the plate.”

Archer is also known locally for her delicious no-basil, garlic-scape pesto, made from the stem and flower of hardneck garlic—a labor-intensive recipe given to her by Ellen Anthony of New London, who used to grow her own garlic.

Like Marsden, Archer stresses how important it is for people to support local agriculture and eat seasonal food.

Just because, for example, you can get “perfect” looking raspberries or blueberries from Chile or Mexico any time of the year doesn‘t mean that’s a healthy or environmentally conscious way to eat, she says.

“We’ve gotten out of sync with the environment because we’re not eating seasonally and locally. People used to eat things in the spring that cleansed their liver and gall bladder—like dandelion greens, scallions, spring onion, asparagus—and in the summer they ate light fruits and vegetables because it’s hot, and in fall and winter, root and heavy vegetables.

Archer sells her produce and pesto primarily at the Stonington Farmer’s Market, which is held every Saturday, year-round.

Shop Locally, Eat Seasonally will be held Tuesday, June 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bank Square Books, 53 West Main St., Mystic. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the bookstore at 860-536-3795.

AT THE HARBOR'S EDGE ~ Confessions of a Cat Person

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:17:10 GMT

By Penny Parr:

I am a cat person! How did I end up writing about dogs? How did I end up owning two Australian Shepherds? How did I end up being in love with Greyhounds? And Rottweilers? Poodles? Salukis? Chihuahuas? Even Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers? (I just met one yesterday.)

I think it has to do with the impossible attempt to reconcile the concept that dogs and cats can be compared. I love them both for quite different reasons.

I have friends who say if we were the size of mice, our pet cats might be tempted to eat us. That is possible, but a cat is too clever to be fooled. He knows we are not mice, and it’s a silly suggestion.

I have another friend who insists cats are under the impression that when we open the door in the morning to let them out, we turn on the morning. I have to admit cats do seem to admire our clever ways—our ability to open a can and produce Friskies is an example. And that’s one reason we love cats —they flatter us. To be admired by a cat makes for a heady relationship. When a cat accepts you, it is satisfying to the ego, so soothing.

A dog gives you uncritical love, and they are such good company. No matter what time of day or night, they are always ready for a run or a drive—whatever you suggest.

But as I said, we don’t compare cats to dogs. We compare their individual characteristics to ourselves. We see Sam Johnson’s “Hodge” as a logical companion to that intellectual city dweller. We recognize a well groomed, supercilious, snooty poodle as the elegant embodiment of a Parisian Proust, and we appreciate a blue collar, union boss of a Rottweiler—with a heart of gold—as being right off a page of Studs Terkel.

I enjoy reading about dogs’ histories—their appearance in literature as well as in real life—because I think we are all intrigued at the way their personalities can resemble us.

As an example, did you know the Afghan Hound for centuries belonged only to the Royal House and could not be taken out of Afghanistan? Of course, there were exceptions—someone was always smuggling a Royal Hound out of the country—but still, until recent years, they were rarely seen outside Afghanistan. When I was in Kabul in 1970 we met an Afghan hound at the American embassy, which belonged to an American officer who was distressed because he was due to be sent home and he couldn’t take the dog with him. He had to give the dog to another officer—his replacement, I believe. Of course things have drastically changed by now—there is no longer a king in Kabul now. I don’t know what present-day war time rules apply to Afghan hounds.

In England, for 700 years it was against the law for a commoner to own a Greyhound—they were the property of the aristocracy, so it is hardly surprising Greyhounds have developed a rather lordly, superior manner.

“Bull’s Eye,” the very loyal and true pet of his very unworthy master Bill Sykes, is a character we’ve all met outside of Dickens. And when we read Emily Brontë’s novels we can easily imagine her roaming the moors, accompanied by the large and aggressive canine “Keeper.” The two of them, wind whipped and still wet, braving the Wuthering Heights, must once have been a familiar sight on those bleak, Yorkshire hills.

Here in Stonington, a walk through our dog park gives a fair idea of how well represented we are, though far short of the 169 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. My son, who is president of the United States Australian Shepherd Association, has just returned from the club’s National Specialty, a premier, Aussie-only event, attracting handlers and dogs from all over the country and from overseas. The show runs for a week and includes agility, herding, obedience, and rally trials; a conformation show; plus seminars, banquets, and a general membership meeting.

Most breeds have similar shows, though most do not have so many events. I don’t know how many individual clubs are recognized by the AKC, but the number must be in the thousands when you consider each breed club has subsidiary clubs, and then there are the “All Breed Clubs” that welcome members from every breed. This makes me reel thinking how many “dog people” there must be out there in the U.S.A., generating innumerable dog shows and trials all over the country. And there are registries besides AKC with their clubs and shows! If you watch Animal Planet you probably have an idea of the number and variety of these events.

Westminster is the very apotheosis of this kind of happening. It is a conformation show, meaning the dogs are judged on how close they conform in structure and movement to a perceived standard of perfection. It is a beauty pageant, I think, but I am sharply refuted by those who participate.

It has been a revelation to me the time consumed, the interest elicited by the all-absorbing world of the “dog people” and their multiple shows. How well represented this world is in this small but cosmopolitan village!

And small wonder to achieve distraction from giving all our attention to the gloomy reports on the economy, the news from two Middle East wars, swine flu, you name it. It is tempting to be diverted from contemplation of the usual TV news, no? And fixing one’s attention on a beauty pageant that does not include Donald Trump’s decision on Miss California’s qualifications—or even worse, to hear Miss California herself explain the First Amendment to us—is perhaps not so hard to understand, after all. Just to have the chosen one at Westminster modestly accept the “Best in Show” title and let it go at that, is worth a lot!

Penny Parr of Stonington is the author of “Scuttlebutt Goes to Westminster.” Her husband, Grant Parr, was the NBC correspondent in Cairo during WWII.

Stonington Historical Society Launches Music at The Lighthouse

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:15:55 GMT

By Amy J. Barry, Special to the Times:

Local history and local music meld in Music at The Lighthouse, a new series of outdoor concerts produced by the Stonington Historical Society (SHS). The concerts will take place at the Old Lighthouse Museum overlooking Fishers Island Sound in Stonington Borough.

This summer’s concerts will kick off on July 5 with “Broadway Favorites” by Salt Marsh Opera and continue on Aug. 9 with Ross Tucker’s Hot Cat Jazz Band performing as part of the town’s annual Battle of Stonington Celebration (commemorating the Battle of 1814).

“The mission of the historical society is to try and communicate something about the history of Stonington to residents and visitors,” says Meredith Brown, president of SHS. “We’re always excited to have a chance to work with other organizations in the community like Salt Marsh Opera and do music at the Old Lighthouse Museum.”

Brown says he hopes this will be the first of many such seasons and that the series grows to three concerts in subsequent summers.

“It should be fun for people attending in the neighborhood and will also attract people in Southern Rhode Island and New London County in the summertime,” says Brown. “How bad is it to sit outside at a historic lighthouse and look at three states and have something to eat and drink while hearing spectacular music?”

Salt Marsh Opera Sings Broadway

The July 5 performance will feature star singers chosen by audition and accompanied on piano by Simon Holt, Salt Marsh Opera’s artistic director.

The opera company will sing a variety of favorite Broadway show music, performed as arias, duets, and trios by soprano Sarah Callinan, tenor Brian Cheney, and baritone Douglas Jabara—all professional singers with opera companies throughout the U.S.

“I love the fact that two non-profits in the same town are doing this event,” says Holt. “It’s unusual for a historical society to have a performing arts group, and Salt Marsh Opera was the first organization to be approached to help SHS launch the series, which is great.”

Holt is enthusiastic about the singers who will perform in the concert.

He explains that Callinan is new to Salt Marsh Opera although she has sung quite a bit in the local area.

“She’s a wonderful singer,” Holt says. “We found her this spring in auditions in New York. She sang with Connecticut Opera and she’s been involved in Opera Express—educating students about opera.”

Cheney sang with Salt Marsh Opera in “Mikado,” “La Traviata,” and, more recently, “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Ivoryton Playhouse. Jabara, who has also sung with the company, has crossed over, Holt says, from classical music, including opera, to musical theater. He’s currently in “Les Miserables” on Broadway.

“One thing I’m pleased about,” Holt says, “is Salt Marsh ourselves is crossing over—showing our singers can do all genres, whether it’s classical or not.”

Hot Cat Jazz Sings Standards and More

The Aug. 9 concert stars Ross Tuckers’ Hot Cat Jazz Band of Wethersfield, which performs locally and all over Connecticut. The band’s repertoire includes swing standards of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Duke Ellington; big band hits of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey; popular songs from the 1920s; and New Orleans and Dixieland favorites. The band also performs classic rock and blues tunes from the 1950s to the present.

Tying in the Battle of Stonington Celebration, the event will include a viewing of items at the Old Lighthouse Museum, such as the coat worn by John Miner, a 19-year-old Stonington defender, and a Congreve rocket fired by the British attackers that was fished out of Stonington Harbor.

Tertius de Kay, a prolific writer of maritime history and a director of SHS, is slated to speak at the event.

Both concerts begin at 6 p.m. at the Old Lighthouse Museum on Water Street in Stonington Borough. Concertgoers are encouraged to come early and bring a blanket. Food and beverages by Coastal Gourmet will be for sale. Tickets are $12 at the Lighthouse gate. Advance tickets are $10 by calling 860-535-3456 or 860-535-8445, at the museum or at Tom’s News on Water Street. In event of rain, concerts will be held at Stonington Meadows, 769 Stonington Rd. (Route 1).

Local Community Hasn’t Forgotten the Citizens of New Orleans

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:08:05 GMT

By Amy J. Barry, Special to the Times:

The devastation of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina struck three-and-a-half years ago is no longer splashed across front pages or at the forefront of most people’s minds here in Connecticut. But the fact remains that there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done to help people in the region rebuild both their homes and their lives.

Rob James, youth leader at Union Baptist Church in Mystic, is well aware of the circumstances in the Gulf Coast and at 25 he has already made two mission trips to the region and will be bringing a group of 35 people—both church members and local residents—to New Orleans from July 29 to Aug. 11 to help with the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the hurricane.

The age groups of people going on the trip range from fourth grade to senior citizens.

“It’s definitely a multi-generational trip,” James says. “Only about half are youth.”

Clare Rogers, a member of both the Union Baptist Church and the East Lyme Arts Council, is unable to go to New Orleans. Instead, she asked her fellow cast members in the Arts Council to contribute their singing/dancing talents to support the trip and says all 10 graciously agreed to do a fundraising performance on June 28 titled “Music From the Stage and Screen—a Benefit Concert.”

James says the church has been raising money for more than a year.

“It will only cost each person $200 for two weeks because people have been organizing fundraisers both in and outside of the church,” James says. “People just came out of the woodwork—like the East Lyme Arts Council. We’ve raised over $12,000 and still need to raise more. If we can raise another $800 to $1,000 in the next month, we’ll be at our goal.”

James, originally from Georgia, has also organized food and housing for the group with two churches he’s worked with in the South to help keep costs down—the Wilmington, N.C., Baptist Church and Madison, Ga., Baptist Church. “The church I grew up in,” he says.

James points out that a lot of people don’t realize the severity of Katrina’s aftermath.

“They think it’s been three years and it’s over, but there are still places that look like the storm just hit last week,” he says. “Obviously downtown New Orleans and the Bourbon Street area has been cleaned up. We’re going to the Ninth Ward—one of the poorest and hardest hit places in New Orleans. Only 30 percent of the population, if that, is back. There are still a lot
of people without running water, without electricity.”

The Mystic group will work alongside National Ministries—the domestic missions branch of American Baptist Churches, USA—mostly doing construction on up to three homes, James says.

James has been going on trips like this since he was in eighth grade through various churches and church organizations.

“Being part of a church in the South means you actually go out and physically do things,” he says. “It’s not just about raising money but getting out there and being the hands of God for people who really need it. That’s what mission work is about to me.”

James plans to do youth ministry work full-time when he graduates from Yale Divinity School in New Haven next year.

“I want to work with and for youth,” he says. “Youth have a voice and important things to say. I’d like to be that advocate for them.”

James hopes people realize it’s also very important to step up and help all those in need right here in Connecticut and to join forces across generations and religious lines.

“It’s about getting outside your comfort zone and doing something to fix what problems you see—even if it’s right here.”

Gilmartin’s Sailing Passion Touches Many: Mystic River Mudhead skipper raises funds for hospice

Interactive Desk — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:03:41 GMT

By Larry Kelley, Special to the Times:

Though his resume suggests he’s a renaissance man, Greg Gilmartin prefers to label himself as a storyteller.

“I’m not sure what a renaissance man is,” Gilmartin said with a tinge of amusement. The Waterford resident currently owns MYS-TV Studios. His primary product is a promotional video of Mystic-area attractions available on local access channels in Mystic area hotel televisions.

“My profession is a creative one. I’ve been a storyteller, as a radio broadcaster, writing books, and now capturing and telling stories with the camera.”

He boasts experience in a wide range of subjects from theater to radio broadcasting to public address announcing for professional sports teams like the Hartford Whalers to magazine writing to television production to racing sailboats. The latter is the one passion, Gilmartin writes in his MYS-TV bio, in which he has yet to figure out how to make a great deal of money.

Gilmartin’s summer racing may not have coated his pockets, but as skipper at the Mystic River Mudheads Association sailing team, he has helped to raise nearly three quarters of a million dollars for various charities in the last 10 years. His latest charitable sailing endeavor was as skipper of Team Long Island at the 10th Annual Hospice National Championship Regatta on Lake Ontario in Rochester, N.Y., June 5 to 7. Team Long Island Sound finished 13th among 21 boats—23-foot sonars. Gilmartin was skipper with Frank Murphy, Ken Lane, and Skip Hoffman on board.

“It was great competition, tremendous fun, and we were treated royally,” Gilmartin said. “Teams from San Diego, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and New York competed. It was top-notch sailing, nine races in all, and I was very impressed with the organization of the regatta.”

Gilmartin took mental notes on the organization because he will be in a leadership role at the 20th Annual Southeastern Connecticut Hospice Regatta July 18. The Mystic River Mudhead Association spearheads the regatta, which began as a one-day race out of Niantic Bay but has grown to a number of races throughout the area, including events at Stonington Dinghy Club, Niantic Bay, and Thames Yacht Club, allowing boats of all sizes and sailors of all ages to help raise money for Hospice of Southeastern CT.

Last year, more than 120 boats participated with at least 500 sailors in regattas ranging from Stonington to Niantic.

“It’s a great cause,” Gilmartin said. “I have many friends who have benefited from Hospice services. It’s amazing the quality of work that they do to provide care for human beings in their final days of life and help families deal with bereavement in the worst times of their lives.”

Gilmartin caught the sailing bug while working as an announcer for the Tampa Bay Rowdies North American Soccer League team in 1975.

“Friends had boats and I fooled around with small sunfish, started racing, and got my competitive spirit going,” Gilmartin said. “I moved back to New England and wanted to live in Mystic to be close to sailing, but I had the Hartford Whalers gig and a Hartford radio job for 17 years and lived in West Hartford.”

Gilmartin established himself in radio broadcasting, landing on WTIC in Hartford in 1977 with the legendary Bob Steele and Arnold Dean. He later embarked on a national sports talk show in the ’80s, where he said he lost the overnight audience ratings battle with Larry King, and worked promoting Ski Sundown among other creative communications jobs.

After summers of sailing with friends on Long Island Sound, Gilmartin knew his love of boats would eventually draw him to southeastern Connecticut. He loved the area so much he commuted from Mystic to Hartford for the Whalers’ last two seasons. He finally settled here in 1997 to co-found, with Larry Yakaitis, the MYS-TV Studios tourism hotel network. Now living in Waterford, Gilmartin begins his second year as sole MYS-TV owner and is branching out his video work to include sailing.

“I did a video promoting Off Soundings’ 75th anniversary,” Gilmartin said. “I made a few dollars mixing my passions of making movies and sailing.”

But few endeavors have rewarded Gilmartin as much as his sailing-driven charitable fundraising. This year, the Mudheads announced they will waive the traditional $75 entry fee for the Southeastern CT Hospice Regatta in a quest to draw more participants.

“The event comes from the heart,” Gilmartin said. “We’re in a position to waive the entry fee. The payoff is that we hope to increase the number of boats and give the participants the thought of, instead of paying the fee, perhaps they can raise funds to support Hospice.”

To make donations to hospice, e-mail Sally Halsey at shalsey@hospicesect.org.