plan b at one way fare (simsbury) CONTINUED - OPENING TODAY!!!

plan b at one way fare (in simsbury) will open today!!!

last night it opened for the friends and family gathering. plan b in west hartford also (almost EXACTLY one year to the day) had the day before 'friends and family'. i don't do people well (as my friend joe says, there will be people there, so a rose is a rose will NOT be there) so i decided NOT to attend. what i DID do though, is stop by in the afternoon. shawn, jen, al, ryan, joe, paul and a BUNCH of other people were putting the finishing touches on. i was literally AMAZED. what they did was astounding. they kept ALL of the charm of one way fare (i know EVERYONE was so very worried about losing that historic place) BUT made it PERFECT. i tell you it's perfect.

now remember, they were putting the finishing touches on BEFORE friends and family night.

(i am SO impressed you guys-a most OUTSTANDING job you ALL did!!!)

from the cool justice report

Making Perverts Pay

Megan Kanka and Jessica Lunsford:Battling Sexual Predators
By RICHARD MEEHAN
The Cool Justice Reportwww.cooljustice.blogspot.com
July 11, 2007
EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com

The tortured and ravaged death of a child has once again defined the law in Connecticut. In 1994 seven-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender who had moved into her New Jersey neighborhood. No one knew that a sexual predator named Jesse Timmendequas lived only doors down from Megan’s home. He lured her inside with a promise to see a puppy. He had two prior convictions for the sexual assault of very young children.Megan’s death became the catalyst for the establishment of sex offender registration programs through out the country. Profiles and locations of registered sex offenders are now available online in Connecticut at www.ct.gov/dps/cwp.


In 2005, 10-year-old Jessica Lunsford was abducted, raped and murdered by another convicted sex offender. Following her death Jessica’s dad, Mark Lunsford, crystallized efforts for more stringent controls of sex offenders and greater prison sentences. Ironically Jessica’s older brother was later arrested for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.As we have adopted a version of Megan’s Law, Connecticut has now adopted a version of Jessica’s Law. Jessica’s Law, Public Act 07-143, effective July 1, 2007. The purpose of the Act was to create mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenses against minors under the age of 13. Here are some of the highlights of the law:Section 3 of Jessica’s Law creates a new offense of aggravated sexual assault on a child under age 13, which now becomes a Class A felony with a penalty of a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence for a first conviction, and 50-year minimum mandatory sentence for a second offense;......................

a big fat shout out to justin goodman!

from what i know about justin, he really is a special person



(a caveat to this is, i personally do NOT support everything peta does. i used to be a member, but i no longer am. i DO support SOME of their activities though)


Creature Discomforts
Justin Goodman Fights For Humane Treatment For Animals, Including Pigs





By KATHLEEN MEGAN The Hartford Courant





Justin Goodman came to Connecticut three years ago to finish his undergraduate degree and pursue graduate work in sociology at the University of Connecticut, but there's little doubt he's most known here for his work protecting laboratory animals.Recently, Goodman, who is 27 and lives in Vernon, received PETA's Nanci Alexander Award - a national award given to the activist of the year - for his success in exposing experiments on monkeys' brains at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Last year, the research - which PETA called "cruel and deadly" - was shut down..........

picture: HOLLY BEAL / PETA, July 12, 2007
Goodman with, from left, actress Pamela Anderson, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk, and Nanci Alexander, a Florida activist, during an awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

every once in a while i'll post a STUPID connecticut criminal

well today it's NEW HAMPSHIRE that has the honors





Robber disguised as tree hits N.H. bank

MANCHESTER, N.H. --Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree.
Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.
"He really went out on a limb," police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said Sunday.
Police said the leafy man didn't saying anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given an undisclosed amount.
Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police..........

This security camera photo provided by the police shows a bank robber, left, wearing a disguise of leaves duct taped to his head and torso in the Citizens Bank, in Manchester, N.H. Saturday, July 7, 2007. (AP Photo)

(note: he DOES get a few points back for using duct tape though)

if you want to read about ANOTHER kind of bank robber, stop by cv rick's and get the scoop on one he knew

this is a billboard up by fenway

which would make it a bit more enjoyable on the mass pike!

(the even better part about it is the boston police and lt governor and the state police all welcome it!)

Gun control message is put across

listen to andy and colin

plan a poety gathering while they were on the air yesterday

go here for the podcast link

andy's blog the cool justice report

colin's blog to wit

black and blue (square) and the 'sterilazation' and death of west hartford center as we KNEW AND LOVED IT

i don't want black and blue square in my town. i'm shite out of luck on that one though 'cause it's there and i can't do a thing about it. west hartford center will now be a breeding ground for suvs and designer outfits (well it HAS been that for a while now but it will be WORSE) and martini drinking 'i want the world to see how cool i am' asses.

i'm in mourning

i want the acorn shop back
i want hilliards (sp) back
i want the lasalle shop back
i want teh central to be back
i want dunns to be back

Rents Rise, Some Worry
Longtime Businesses In West Hartford's Prime Shopping District Have Seen Lots Of Changes

By EZRA R. SILK Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD - Pfau's, an old-fashioned hardware store with tin ceilings where a homeowner can buy a single set screw and still get solid advice on house repairs, is a retail throwback in the glitzy regional shopping area that is downtown West Hartford.So is the Family Hair Care shop on LaSalle Road. The barbershop, which Tom Reddin opened 49 years ago, doesn't look like it's changed much. It has turn of the century barber chairs, a life-size pirate in the front window and hundreds of Elvis pictures and memorabilia.Reddin, 70, sports Elvis sideburns and slicked-back hair, both a testament to the King..........

.......................Now the center is a gleaming consumer bauble, soon to be enhanced by the $159 million Blue Back Square complex, complete with big-name anchor stores.............

.........Reddin is more blunt about the changes he's seen in West Hartford's retail heart: "The center has been sterilized."He remembers Hillyer's Candy Store, the LaSalle Restaurant deli, the recently shuttered War and Pieces hobby store and other evaporated retail haunts.To Reddin, high prices borne out of high rents have driven out some with smaller pockets, such as teenagers.............

and another goodbye to Spc. Andre Craig, Jr

my thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends

New Haven Soldier Laid To Rest

Bob Child, Associated Press( July 6, 2007)
A U.S. Army honor guard puts Andre Craig Jr.'s casket into a hearse as Craig's family waits inside the doorway of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church in New Haven.

my thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of petty officer 1st class jason dale lewis

Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason D. Lewis



i am so very sorry for your loss. my thoughts and prayers are with all of you and with all of the men and women so far from home.


of course my thoughts and prayers for the families and friends of petty officer 1st class Robert Richard McRill and petty officer first class Steven Phillip Daugherty as well

Brookfield Navy SEAL killed in Iraq

(Brookfield-WTNH) _ Petty Officer First Class Jason Dale Lewis, 30, died Friday in Iraq while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Navy says Lewis died when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Humvee in which he was riding. Robert Richard McRill, 42, and Steven Phillip Daugherty, 28, also died in the IED blast.
The Brookfield native joined the Navy in 1996. He lived in Virginia Beach with his wife and three children.
Governor Rell has ordered all state and U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in honor of Lewis........

Brookfield Native Dies In Iraq

By DAVE ALTIMARI Courant Staff Writer

A 30-year-old Navy SEAL who was a Brookfield native was killed Friday by an improvised explosive device during a combat mission in Baghdad, military officials confirmed on Saturday.Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Jason D. Lewis was one of three sailors killed by the bomb. Naval officials would not release any more details on how or where Lewis was killed or what the sailors were doing when the bomb exploded, citing security concerns.Lewis is survived by his wife, Donna, and three children who live in Virginia Beach, Va. Donna Lewis is also from Brookfield.................

we STILL don't have our tax bills yet in west hartford

of course taxes were due july 1st. when i called the town last week they confirmed they were NOT mailed yet and there would be an extension. i forgot if she said until august 1st or the END of august. that's neither here nor there, we're all going to be paying taxes OUT our ASSES

black and blue square was supposed to STOP that from happening. of course not only hasn't it stopped it, so far (and it's not even opened yet), it's MUCH MUCH MUCH WORSE.

it's a horror show driving ANYWHERE near the center. i'll only stop now to run into sit-n-knit. and then only in a yarn emergency.

farmington avenue is a mess, trout brook is a mess and please don't even get me started on main street AND park road (especially by the highway exit).

speaking of black and blue here is an article listing more of the stores and whatever else that's going in there

Retail space is filling up at Blue Back Square

Heavy construction continues at Blue Back Square in West Hartford Center, in anticipation of a November 2007 opening. An update was released this week from the developers, reflecting a significant step forward in the number of retail tenants signing rental leases. The retail spac, as expected, is filling up.

When completed, Blue Back Square will have a total of 600,000 square feet of space that will include condominiums, apartments, medical offices, a Healthtrax fitness center, professional offices (non-medical), a movie theater, restaurants, and the retail stores. Ed Pilkington, executive director of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, sees Blue Back Square solidifying West Hartford Center's regional attraction. "On behalf of the Chamber, I am very excited about the diversity of retail options," said Pilkington. "These tenants are great additions to Blue Back Square and they will contribute to West Hartford remaining the premier shopping destination in the region."Retail tenants include a 1,988-square-foot Lucy Activewear, a 4,163-square-foot National Jean Company, a 3,100-square-foot Homeward Bound, and a 1,201-square- foot JD's Cosmetic Essentials. Robert Wienner is a partner in Blue Back Square/JDA Development. "I am thrilled with the amount of response that we have had to leasing retail space at Blue Back Square as we move toward grand opening this fall," Wienner said in a prepared statement. "We are currently over 85 percent leased and have continued progress and interest from many different retailers, restaurants and service oriented merchants."....

NOTE: i had not heard of most of these stores before so i looked them up. lucy activewear looks like a medium priced clothing store for 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes'. national jean company sells different brands of jeans to 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes'. homeward bound is a connecticut based store focusing on the greening of the earth (i'm guessing they are higher end. how else could they afford the black & blue rent??? any way seems they sell furniture and the like). jd cosmetics sells a few (very few from what i could tell) higher end cosmetics for the 'hip YOUNG teenaged typed babes' to look AS BEAUTIFUL AS THEY CAN. janie and jack sell baby clothes (i'm sure nothing i'd ever put a kid into. oh shoot, i take that back, i WOULD put a kid into that beret!). there are other stores named in the article and a movie theater and a restaurant that serves big hunks o' dead cow.

beret picture: janie & jack

more plan b at one way fare news

UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007

during the late afternoon on the fourth of july - i ran into shawn and jen and al. where were they all morning and afternoon? WORKING ON PLAN B AT ONE WAY FARE! dedication i must say

at any rate, shawn assures me it will be open NEXT weekend (no, not THIS weekend). it will be exactly a year from the opening of plan b in west hartford.

how fortuitous!

i can't wait to go see it. they really have been working so damn hard on it.

(p.s. shawn, thanks for the stoli elite!)

look out for this GIANT tag sale

to assist with aids patient housing

the tag sale is on park road in west hartford on july 13th and 14th. just a stone's throw away.

stop on by, i'm sure you'll find at least a LITTLE something to your liking



Jumbo Tag Sale To Help Home For AIDS Patients

By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ
Hartford Courant

Black-tie benefits, with their posh guest lists and steep ticket prices, do a nice job of pulling in charitable donations. This Loretta Dyson knew.
'But they're a little bit pricey for plain folks like me,' says Dyson. 'I thought, `How about something that would appeal to just about anybody and everybody?'' She thought about it and thought some more. And then it came to her.
A good bargain. Who doesn't love a good bargain? And so was born the Tabor House Tag Sale, a massive annual event Dyson helped launch 13 years ago to raise funds for local men and women living with HIV/AIDS. From the first tag sale's $2,000 profit to last year's record $10,000, every dollar and dime has gone straight to Tabor House, one of the state's first AIDS residences. Proceeds from this year's event, scheduled July 13 and 14 at the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph at 27 Park Road in West Hartford, will also benefit AIDS Project Hartford.....

this tracking sounds like a GOOD idea to me

as long as it's not abused, i think it's a grand idea. the MORE we can do for our veterans the better!
Tracking Wounded Veterans
State Seeks Notification When Troops Come Home So It Can Offer Services

By JESSE HAMILTON | Courant Staff Writer

NORWICH - Connecticut political leaders have taken the lead in trying to establish a simple paperwork procedure that may help save wounded war veterans from bureaucratic limbo.

Right now, when a member of the military who has been wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan is discharged from active duty and returns to his or her home state, the state is not told by the Department of Defense.

Though those veterans may be eligible for state services, the state has no way of knowing they are back.
So U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said Tuesday that he will introduce a stand-alone bill next week that would direct the Department of Defense to tell states the names and contact information of all servicemen and women discharged from the military, to help them get the services they're entitled to.
...........

it's about darn time!!!

i think this is a MOST welcome idea!!!

State to offer online vehicle registrations

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. -- The state will try out a new program allowing some vehicle owners to renew their registrations online, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Tuesday.Registrations are currently renewed through mail or by visiting a Department of Motor Vehicles branch office.
"This is a long-overdue but fantastic start for making DMV transactions accessible online to those who want this convenience rather than going to a DMV office or using the mail," Rell said. "Other kinds of the upgrades in technology now occurring in the agency will help DMV bring online more services to benefit residents."............

how cool is this? in a land far far away

D. Finnin/AMNH, June 27, 2007
This 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet guards the entrance to Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, a new special exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

well, NOT so far. about two hours away.





i am going to see this. it's right up my alley. i have plenty of time too. it goes on through january





A Fabled Journey





By KIRA GOLDENBERG Courant Staff Writer





I was standing on tiptoes, stretching over an extra-tall ticket counter to see my receipt printing at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, when a security guard sidled up next to me. I signed my receipt, lowered my heels and turned to smile at him."Oh - you were on tiptoe," he said. "I was about to remark on how tall you are, but you're actually short."I'm 5 feet 8.


For my "daycation," I grabbed a friend and made for New York to see the museum's "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids" exhibit. New York is full of pricier adventures, but the city can captivate when you're simply walking around, people-watching - and flirting with bored security guards........





...........The exhibit is a fascinating combination of fancy and scholarship. Divided into land, sea and sky, each section features display cases devoted to various mythic creatures from all over the world, with panels that recount a version of each creature's legend. The tales are underscored with historical artifacts like sculptures, bones and 16th-century biology texts, all illustrating the persistence of the folkloric imagination throughout history and across continents......

da liebs

ready willing and don't for a second doubt, VERY capable of starting ANOTHER war

i don't like the government of iran. they are evil and even more unjust than our own government. there are terrorists in iran. i have no idea how many or if the government is bankrolling and training them. my point is i don't think DA LIEBS HAS THAT INFORMATION EITHER.

before starting YET ANOTHER WAR where our men and women are being harmed maimed and killed, WHY DON'T WE GATHER ALL OF THE FACTS. why don't we determine what is true and what isn't true.

we invaded iraq based on lies. are we going to continue to invade more countries without having the full story?

Lieberman: Iran has declared war on the US

Josh Catone
Following a statement issued by the American Forces Press Service accusing Iran's Quds Force of "training, funding and arming the Iraqi groups," as well as Hezbollah operatives in Iraq, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) released a statement saying that Iran has declared war on America."Although no one desires a conflict with Iran, the fact is that the Iranian government by its actions has declared war on us," Lieberman wrote, while urging the United States to keep "open the possibility of using military force against the terrorist infrastructure inside Iran.".........

Lieberman: Iran Has Declared War

By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief, The Hartford Courant

............Lieberman said he hoped the latest news about Iran would help quash calls in Congress to withdraw U. S. troops.Withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq at this time, he added, "will give Iranians exactly what they want most" -- an "epic victory" for forces of terrorism."Iran's purpose in sponsoring these attacks against our soldiers is clear," he said. "The Iranian government wants to push the United States out of Iraq................

a shout out (a BIG one) to my friend lk

tyshawn and lk

mikey relaxin'

chris and lk

alli tyshawn katie and of course lil' gizmo

she just got back from a few days in new orleans. what was she doing you ask? sure, she went out and had fun during the evenings. during the day she was BUILDING HOUSES FOR HABITAT! that's so very wicked cool

alli katie and lk

i'm STILL angry the citizens of the great state of connecticut

voted this man, who is CLEARLY not quite right, back into office. makes me think my fellow citizens are NOT QUITE RIGHT either

(and by the way, i am NOT against surveillance of ANY kind as long as it is done WITHIN THE LAWS)

Lieberman calls for wider use of surveillance cameras

By Klaus Marre July 01, 2007

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said Sunday he wants to “more widely” use surveillance cameras across the country.“The Brits have got something smart going in England, and it was part of why I believe they were able to so quickly apprehend suspects in the terrorist acts over the weekend, and that is they have cameras all over London and other of their major cities,” Lieberman said.“I think it’s just common sense to do that here much more widely,” he added. “And of course, we can do it without compromising anybody’s real privacy.”Lieberman lamented the “petty, partisan fighting” in Congress and called on his colleagues to join together to upgrade the nation’s electronic surveillance capabilities............

ugliness-VERY early morning june 29 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.............

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)

Derby therapy dogs help Valley children

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

New Haven soldier killed in Iraq

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 Soldier Killed In Iraq Mourned

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."........

New Haven Soldier Killed In Iraq 24-Year-Old Army Specialist, A Convoy Gunner, Died In A Roadside Bomb Blast

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.............

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.............

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..........

i couldn't agree MORE with chris dodd on this one

for years i've been saying, ALL kids right out of high school (especially those who are planning on attending college) should be made to do some type of community service. in return, i think their education should be paid for (if going to a state school) or subsidized (if going to a private school).

i'm all with the adults doing service as well. i'm lucky - my company DOES allow for volunteer work/community service during work hours. (however, i've done most of my volunteerism on my own time)

Dodd Urges Mandatory Community Service


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- Aiming to create the first generation in which all Americans serve their country, Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd is offering a range of initiatives to encourage -- and in some cases compel -- community service.
''All Americans should serve our country,'' the Connecticut senator said in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday. ''Endowed as we are with so many gifts, is it too much to ask that we each give something back to this remarkable place?''
He proposes making community service mandatory for all high school students, doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 and expanding the AmeriCorps national service program to 1 million participants by the end of his presidency.
Requiring high school students to perform community service will give them a chance to acquire new skills while meeting the needs of their communities, Dodd said........

grrrls and sports

REMIGINO-KNAPP, center, the athletic director for West Hartford schools, stands with other female coaches for the district: Pam Moffo, from left, Susan Startzman- Daly, Sue McAuliffe Curnias and Kathy Walling. Remigino-Knapp was a student at Hall High School when female coaches staged a boycott in 1971 to fight to be paid for their work in the West Hartford schools. A year later, Title IX would help pave the way for further equality for girls and women in athletics. (MARC-YVES REGIS I)

i went to hall. i went around that time period as well. i hated sports (and to this day i hate MOST sports exept for my beloved red sox. oh ok, i like hockey too and perhaps the celtics in their heyday) in high school. i hated them with a passion. i did play field hockey and was good at it. goalie. as far as i can remember, that's about all we played among other schools. i don't think we played basketball or baseball, or similar sports. there is no reason GRRRLS can't play competitive sports in high school if they want to. they SHOULD have every equal opportunity boys do. we're MORE than cheerleaders.

i was quite the rebel when i was in junior and high school. i know i was SICK of playing golf in high school (to this day i HATE it so much i cannot even express it accurately). i don't remember if i was a sophomore or junior (i don't think i was a senior) but i decided to do something for me and all the other grrrls in all of the other high schools. i tried out for the boys basketball team. i was NO good. that was NOT the point. i didn't want to make the team. i wanted THEM to know i should have the SAME chance of playing on a team that competed against other schools as any other student. penis or not.

even back then i was a rabelrouser. of course they kicked me out of the gym but i felt good and i think i made THEM feel more uncomfortable (i'm good at that).

(oh and i remember ms rosenkrans too! a shout out to her)

Female Coaches Played Hardball A Year Before Title IX, Boycott Led To Wages

By LORI RILEY, Courant Staff Writer

Betty Remigino-Knapp's father won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Her mother grew up with a tennis court in her backyard and played football and baseball with the boys in her neighborhood. Lindy and June Remigino encouraged their four daughters to play sports, but there was little offered for girls in West Hartford in the 1960s.

When Betty entered Hall High School in the fall of 1969, she played some field hockey and basketball and ran track. But the sports were a far cry from girls high school sports today. The schedules and travel were limited. The girls wore the same uniforms for all three sports. There was a "girls gym" - smaller, no bleachers, no scoreboard - and a "boys gym" - bigger, with bleachers and a scoreboard.The girls didn't complain. They were just happy to be able to participate........

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

a shout out to the farmington valley school in avon

thank you for your tribute to our fallen

Avon students pay tribute to fallen soldiers

by News Channel 8's Jodi Latina

(Hartford-WTNH) _ Students from an Avon school's civics class brought their classroom to the capitol today. They're paying tribute in a unique way to American soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq.
The lawn of the state capitol was transformed into a makeshift memorial.
18-year old Jack Vivert, a senior at the Farmington Valley School in Avon, read some of the 3,500 names he and his classmates wrote down on paper. Each piece shows the name of an American soldier killed in the line of duty in Iraq.
These students are part of a civics class that often does hands on projects. This one took two weeks to make, along with a lot of emotional investment.
"Everyone talks about how much they hate the war but no one's doing anything," Vivert said...........

plan b at one way fare

UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007

(chris and eddie)

(chris, eddie and cathy)

i FINALLY ran into shawn yesterday. he and al are hard at work at one way fare in simsbury. he was SO excited. i've not seen him like this in a LONG time. all he could talk about was the lighting he got for the bar. they're being specially blown somewhere in ny (that is SO shawn!).

at any rate, i hear the joint should finally be open in approximately two weeks - give or take.

(shawn at the half door after a hard day of working at plan b at one way fare - all pictures taken at the half door by the way)

i can't wait. i know how hard they work to get everything perfect (yet you DO feel at home).

(dottie and marianne)

why is it i don't trust

what our government says about dragon skin armor???

at any rate, that is neither here nor there for gareth mello. let's wish him well along with all of the other deployed troops from connecticut AND the rest of the states as well!
(let's hope some day, some how, somewhere, there is NO MORE red tape and our troops can get ALL of the equipment they NEED WHEN they need it)

Steeled To Fight For Body Armor Marine's Father Pressing To Maximize Protection

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief


SOMERS -- Gordon Mello made sure his son, Gareth, took swimming lessons as an infant.Gordon Mello's brother had drowned at a young age, and he vowed to do all he could to teach his children how to deal with danger.
Protecting his son inevitably got harder as Gareth grew up. "You watched him get plunked by a pitch in Little League," the father recalled. "But you also know that learning the ability to bounce back develops confidence."Gareth Mello today is a 24-year-old Marine corporal, headed back to Iraq for a second tour of duty, and his father still feels a yearning to protect him. He's bought him $1,470 worth of equipment, including a Dragon Skin vest routinely used by some U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to compensate for what the military is not providing...............

voices in conflict

it's NOT about the war, it's about the troops! (and mr lanza is correct. that IS what it's about) oh yeah, and principal canty is a giant weenie


Canceled school play about Iraq brings out real drama
Connecticut students find themselves in the national spotlight when their principal shuts down their play.

By Harry BruiniusWilton, Conn.

Stone-faced and grim, six boys from Wilton High School are marching in formation, stomping out the ominous rhythm of foot soldiers, and saluting from their chests. Together, they stop to shout: "For all the free people that still protest, you're welcome! You're welcome!"
It's a defiant rap, first written by U.S. Marines in Kuwait to taunt those who protested the first Gulf War, and now incorporated into a spring play, "Voices in Conflict," a dramatic series of monologues taken from interviews and letters from real soldiers in combat. This scene, however, has the most complicated stage directions, and Courtney Stack, a junior in charge of the choreography, is barking out orders, showing the boys how to move their feet and swing their shoulders as the pounding march becomes a flowing hip-hop groove. ........


Kids' Iraq Play Hits Big Stage After School Bars It
Wilton, Conn., Kids Get Standing Ovation for Off Broadway Performance

A group of high school students in a small Connecticut town wanted to perform a play telling the stories of actual soldiers in Iraq. But their school said no, afraid it might offend members of their community.
Although the students were silenced on their own stage in Wilton, Conn., they were given another -- Off Broadway in New York City.
Nick Lanza, a performer in the play, said it isn't about the war, it's about the troops.
"For us, it's pro-troops," Lanza said, "It's about the troops' feelings, what's happening to the troops, not whether or not war is an issue."..........

original posting and more voices

the grrrls (and some dreadful softball news)

cathy is back in town for a couple of days. I MISS HER MUCHO!!! here are cathy and lk hangin'

and i'm afraid i have some bad news. the masterbatters are 0 and 12!!!! (i told them i was going to run to my car. i had some extra skirts in there they could borrow)