Thursday, June 28, 2007

it's no bad news thursday: and we have birds bees butterfiles and bats

CONNECTICUT COOL!!!

New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

_ A Connecticut artist is the inspiration behind a set of postage stamps that will feature the birds and the bees.
The four-stamp set, going on sale Friday, focuses on the importance of pollination by illustrating creatures that are active in that process -- birds, bees, butterflies and bats.
The stamps were designed by artist Steve Buchanan of Winsted. ........


New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

.........The 41-cent stamps will be released in a ceremony at the Agriculture Department. They show four wildflowers, the purple nightshade, hummingbird trumpet, saguaro and prairie ironweed. Shown busy pollinating them are two Morrison's bumblebees, a calliope hummingbird, a lesser long-nosed bat and a Southern dogface butterfly.............

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

charlie


he just LOOKS cool, doesn't he? therapy animals are a wonderful thing! animals are a wonderful thing!


At Derby Neck Library, Cindy Trifone, right, of Soul Friends shows 2-year-old Lyndsy Pontillo, of Trumbull, how to properly approach her therapy dog Charlie during a program called "How a Dog's Brain Works" about positive reinforcement to change behavior in both canines and humans. Looking on, from right, were Rosie McGrath, 3, of Shelton, Penny Pontillo, of Trumbull, James McGrath, 2, of Shelton, and Julia Dota, 3, of Derby. (Tracy Deer/Connecticut Post)




MATTHEW HIGBEE mhigbee@ctpost.com


DERBY — For many children, the earliest lessons in caring and responsibility are learned through caring for the family dog. Cindy Trifone, a mental health counselor for children and teenagers, has taken those lessons a step further. Trifone and her business partner, Kate Nicoll, a trained clinical therapist, are using therapy dogs in their practice, Soul Friends, to help young people with autism, grief, trauma from abuse, and a range of other emotional and developmental problems. The human-animal bond is a gift that the dog brings to the therapy," said Trifone, who was visiting the Derby Neck Library on Tuesday with Charlie, a terrier......


.......A rescue from the Woodbridge Animal Shelter, Charlie has a story that many patients identify with, Trifone added. He was emaciated when she took him home 2 1/2 years ago, and needed to be housebroken......

to the family and friends of 'dre', army specialist andre craig


my thoughts and prayers are with you. i am so very sorry for your loss




by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke


New Haven-WTNH) _ Army Specialist Andre Craig, 24, was killed in Baghdad on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy.
Just a few short weeks ago, Craig walked the streets of his New Haven home, showing off his baby girl and celebrating his 24th birthday with friends and family.
"He was a very friendly person, an outgoing person," said neighbor Anthony Winfrey. "When I heard about his passing it just tore me apart cause I was right here with the guy a couple weeks ago."........




NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A New Haven family on Tuesday mourned the loss of their son, who was killed in Iraq.
Army Spc. Andre Craig, 22, was killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle.
Neighbors said Craig had just come home on leave a few weeks ago and saw his baby daughter, Taylor, for the first time. Craig was known as "Dre" on Rosette Street, where he lived in New Haven

"He's a good person," said Barbara Smith, a neighbor of Craig's. "I'm going to miss you Dre. I'm going to really miss you."........
By STEPHANIE SUMMERS, And ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER Courant Staff Writers

NEW HAVEN -- Army Spec. Andre Craig of New Haven is reportedly one of several U.S. soldiers who died in the past few days in roadside bomb attacks in Iraq.Jessica Mayorga, director of communications for New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., said Tuesday night that the mayor's office had been notified of Craig's death by several sources but was awaiting official confirmation from the military.
Mayorga said it appeared Craig was the first New Haven resident to die in the Iraq war.Craig, who turned 24 on June 18, was a gunner in a convoy in Baghdad, one of the riskiest jobs in the war, WTNH-TV, Channel 8, reported Tuesday evening. The station reported he was killed by a roadside bomb.............

Monday, June 25, 2007

when connecticut bishops

are able to get pregnant, THEN and ONLY THEN will their comments on plan b be worth anything

Conn. bishops claim Plan B law takes shot at religious freedom

By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. --Victim advocates cheered a recent bill requiring all Connecticut hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims, but Roman Catholic leaders see it as the beginning of a new national assault on religious freedom.
The bishops in this heavily Catholic but pro-choice state say the legislation, already signed into law by the Republican governor, could force Connecticut's four Catholic hospitals to perform what they consider chemical abortions.
An attorney for the hospitals said they are considering state or federal legal action claiming the new law that takes effect Oct. 1 infringes on their constitutional rights.............

Sunday, June 24, 2007

leonard domler

has passed. i didn't even know. he was a friend of the family. i know his kids.

the last time i saw him was at a relative's (both his and mine but from different sides) wedding. he was very old and very frail. he still had that twinkle in his eyes though.

he (and fran) were special people. i'm glad their paths crossed mine

A Driving Force Behind Folk Music In The Hartford Area

By ANNE M. HAMILTON, Special to The Courant


Len Domler's first love was country music, but over the years, he became known for bringing Odetta, Pete Seeger, Doc Watson and hundreds of other folk singers to Hartford. They all performed at the Sounding Board or the Hartford Family Folk Festival, which Domler ran.

Started in 1973, the Sounding Board is one of the oldest continuously running folk music sites in the country, according to Susan Forbes Hansen, a folk-radio show host. "He kept this venue growing, and it spawned a lot of others in the area," she said. "It's helped make Southern New England a hub for folk music."And while he was known for his overwhelming admiration of Johnny Cash, Domler also became a convert to folk music..........