monroe courier 9.1.11

Volume XLVIII. No. 35 Newsstand price $1 Thursday September 1, 2011- Established 1962 -16 Pages

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THIS WEEK ONLINE• See items not in the paper• Tour the town’s old mines and mills• Bourbon, Beer and Cigars event• Get power restoration effort updates• Statewide event assists veterans

MonroeCourier.com

On The Web

By Brad DurrellEditor

Gin Rummy or Monopoly by flashlight, anyone?

How about an outdoor barbecue? Yes, again!

Perhaps it’s time to head to the in-laws two towns away for another shower visit.

Or cozy up to the neighbor who has that big generator. While it may have seemed a bit over-the-top when he brought it home last winter, it’s looking pretty smart right now.

That’s been the banter around town for much of the past week, since Hurricane Irene paid a visit late Saturday into Sunday afternoon.

And the most common refrain — come on, you know it all too well — has been, “When is our power coming back on?”

It’s been a trying week in Monroe, no doubt about it. Being without power might have charm for a day or two — all right, one day maximum — but for 72 hours or even longer? Forget about it.

“People are starting to get a little

more irritable,” Police Chief John L. Salvatore noted Tuesday morning at an emergency management meeting.

Change in routineWithout electricity, Russ Reith and

his family started going to bed earlier than usual. “There’s little to do once the sun goes down,” Reith explained while standing in front of his Pepper Street home on Monday afternoon.

Reith had no phone, no cell phone coverage, no lights, no TV, no com-puter, no stove, no water...well, you get the picture. Many people were in

the same boat.He also had utility wires strung

across his front lawn. A large tree branch had fallen on a telephone pole across the street from his house, snapping it in half and knocking down a transformer.

Some of the utility wires that were on the pole were soon lying on the ground in his yard as well as on the street, where vehicles routinely passed over them.

Still, the family made the best of the situation. “We put the barbecue grill on the porch and have been

cooking outside, and had filled up buckets with rain water,” he said of adjusting to the primitive conditions. “We’re making do.”

Many trees felledHurricane Irene, a tropical storm

by the time it reached Connecticut, knocked out power to more Connecticut homes than any storm in modern history, including Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

This taxed the ability of util-


The new school year is starting off a bit like the last one, with acts of nature playing a major role in adjusting the approved calendar.

Last year, it was the frequent snow-storms that made the changes neces-sary. This year, it’s a hurricane that has caused major power outages in Monroe and many other Connecticut towns. And it’s only the beginning of the school year.

On Wednesday late morning it was announced that Monroe schools would not open until Tuesday, Sept. 6. Monday is Labor Day.

Schools had been scheduled to start one week earlier on Tuesday, Aug. 30, before Hurricane Irene came along and shut off power to four of five pub-lic schools; caused extended power

By Robin WalluckStaff

Even Robert Giannini thought riding a bicycle from the Canadian border to the Mexican border was a little crazy. After all, the trip would last more than two weeks; traveling thousands of miles, sometimes going days without seeing another person.

But once he learned more about the Tour Divide and

found a cause to ride for, he was game. From June to July he rode his bike, and to date he has raised nearly $6,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. He is still accept-ing donations on the Web site, divideforchildren.com.

“It’s a self-supported bike race,” said Giannini, 29, in a phone interview from his home in Athens, Ga. “You Former Monroe resident Robert Giannini

during his charity bike trip through the Rocky Mountain region.

Ava Wacha, 5, of Monroe pre-pares to bite into a pizza fritta at the Italian Festival.

Above: A tree limb hangs on a utility wire on East Village Road on Sunday afternoon. Right top: Tom Leandres, right, of TLC Home Remodeling in Monroe and an assistant cut up downed trees on Bug Hill Road on Monday. Right bottom: Vehicles drive past downed trees being cut by men with chain-saws on a Monroe road on Sunday afternoon. (Photos by Brad Durrell)

- see Hurricane on page 2A

- see Schools on page 2A

- see Bike on page 6A

Will the school year ever start?

Powerless against Irene’s fury

Riding from Canada to Mexico for a cause

‘Big Italian cookout’ attracts many at St. Jude


Shannon O’Meara and Alexandra Moleski were about to eat some of their favorite festival foods.

Both from Monroe and about to begin the ninth grade, Shannon was holding a choco-late mousse while her friend Alexandra had a large pretzel

- see Italian on page 16A

Tax exemption deadlinesDeadlines are approaching for paperwork to be

filed at Town Hall for some partial property tax exemptions. Military veterans must file original honorable discharge papers with the town clerk before Oct. 1, and military veterans with VA Disability Statement should submit this document until age 65 annually to the assessor. Also, farm and forest land owners need to submit informa-tion. Learn more at MonroeCourier.com.

Energy assistanceProject Warmth, a Monroe Social Services

Department-administered program that provides energy assistance to local residents in need, is accepting donations. The program has helped 134 families in the past two years, with private dona-tions being added to state and federal energy assis-tance funds. The money is distributed directly to vendors. Send donations to Monroe Senior Center, 235 Cutlers Farm Road, Monroe, CT 06468.

Education filmRace to Nowhere, a film about the cheat-

ing epidemic in schools and ways to help youth handle it, will be shown Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Masuk High School auditorium. A discussion of the film will fol-low the screening. Advance tickets are $10 at http://rtnmhsamonroe.eventbrite.com; tickets also sold at door for $15. Proceeds go to the Masuk Parent Teacher Council.

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THE MONROE COURIER, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 PAGE 2A

ity companies — including Connecticut Light & Power, which serves Monroe — to restore power quickly. People were told it could be three days to a week until all power was restored.

“The damage from this storm was unprecedented and the res-toration process may take a week or longer in some areas,” Jeff Butler, CL&P president, said at the time.

Trees came down throughout Monroe, blocking roads and bringing down utility wires. Some main roads were partially closed for a day or two, and cul-de-sacs for longer.

Most businesses were closed Sunday and Monday. Many people didn’t go to work Monday because their work-places lacked power. Town offices were closed Monday due to the lack of working phones and e-mail.

Flooding generally was not a problem in Monroe. The wind, combined with the saturated ground, caused the severe tree damage. Monroe received an estimated 7.5 inches of rain.

Soon after the storm stopped, people flocked to the Stevenson Dam to get a look at all the water being released from Lake Zoar into the Housatonic River below.

Three fire stations had been kept open during the storm as emergency centers, and the Monroe Senior Center was opened as an overnight shel-ter. A handful of people stayed there Saturday night.

First Selectman Stephen J. Vavrek had declared a state of emergency in the hours before the storm’s arrival, urging peo-ple to stay off the roads until at least Monday. Most people stayed home Sunday.

Town public works crews then began coordinating with CL&P crews so tree debris could be removed and damaged utility wires repaired.

“Everyone is working, but there’s a lot of stuff to do,”`Public Works Director Doug Arndt said Monday. “There are localized areas in town where a substantial amount of trees fell.”

By Tuesday, town facilities were being opened for public showers and to provide water.

Cleaning upMonday was a cleanup day

for many Monroe residents. They could be seen in their yards picking up sticks and

small branches and raking leaves. The sound of chain-saws also could be heard, for those who had large branches or complete trees come down in their yards.

While most roads were open to traffic by then, yellow police tape and detours signs could be found around town in spots. Lights weren’t working at inter-sections, so temporary stops signs had to be put up.

One place where there was a sigh of relief after the hurricane was on Flint Ridge Road. Flash flooding has become a frequent problem on the road, near West Maiden Lane, and they were prepared for the worse. But it wasn’t that bad.

“I think it’s because the rain was spread out over a period of time,” said Flint Ridge Road resident Bill Lennon, who lost the asphalt in part of his drive-way to flooding earlier this year.

Lennon is waiting for the town to come up with a plan to solve the drainage problem on the street.

Dave Cusa was out raking up debris in his nearby yard, with help from daughter, Lillian, 8. “We had a big one split in the back,” said Cusa, pointing to a damaged tree in the woods behind his house. “I heard it crack at 3 a.m.”

“Be patient”As the week moved on, more

people began getting their power back. About 90% of the town had been without electric-ity in the hours immediately after the storm.

Vavrek said while the situation was difficult for people without electricity — this included his household — everyone needed to keep in mind that the power eventually was going to come back on.

“I’m telling people to be patient,” he said. “Everyone is going to get through this.”

The challenges also brought out the best in people in town, according to Vavrek. “There’s been a real sense of commu-nity spirit, with people helping neighbors,” he said.

One of the more unusual con-sequences of the storm was lost sheep in Monroe. “We’ve been finding sheep all over the place — three of them,” Police Capt. Michael R. Flick said Tuesday.

Note: The town will not be accepting storm debris such as tree parts, leaves, etc. until next week at the earli-est. Look for announcements at MonroeCourier.com.

outages for a majority of house-holds in town; and knocked down hundreds of trees and tree branches in and near roads that would make bus pickups a challenge.

The changes in the school calendar, while beyond any-one’s control, are obviously affecting the schedules of many Monroe families. Young chil-dren who were supposed to be in school for much of the day have instead required daytime supervision.

“Safety issues are our pri-mary concern before we con-sider opening schools,” Interim School Superintendent John Goetz said. “Restoring emer-gency fire systems, food dis-posal, and the ability to safely run buses down roads that may be only partially open are some of our many concerns.”

Masuk High School never lost power in the weekend hur-ricane, and the electricity at

Monroe Elementary came back on Monday night. Fawn Hollow Elementary, Jockey Hollow and Stepney Elementary all went longer without power.

Goetz said the storm did not cause any major damage to school facilities in town. “We are pleased to say that all of our buildings do not show any structural damage,” he said after the storm.

“While we do have buildings with some roof leaks and some trees have fallen, damaging fences and playground equip-ment, no significant damage has occurred,” Goetz said.

The new STEM Academy, a specialized public school focus-ing on science for middle school students, had been scheduled to open one day in advance of all other schools, for a student ori-entation. The advance opening then was canceled in advance due to predictions about the coming hurricane.

St. Jude School, a parochial school in town, follows the public school calendar.

Schools –Continued from page 1A

Hurricane –Continued from page 1A


The Trumbull Monroe Health District (TMHD) issued “a blanket order” early this week that no restaurant in its two-town service area could open without first having its food inspected. There are about 100 such establishments in Monroe and Trumbull, according to Patrice A. Sulik, TMHD health direc-tor.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Sulik said inspectors would visit all food-serving establishments to make sure any perishable food being served after the power outage was delivered after the electricity went back on.

“I can’t begin to express my concern for someone cooking food that’s been unrefrigerated for 24 hours,” Sulik said at an emergency management meeting Tuesday at Monroe Town Hall. “It’s really a risk.”

Sulk said the concern “is a signifi-cant issue” in Monroe because all — or almost all — of the town’s food-serving businesses lost power for at least 24 hours. From a public health standpoint, she said, “any food that requires refrig-eration or a freezer [now] is unable to be eaten.”

Four Monroe food establishments had to be temporarily closed Monday because they were serving food without an inspection, she said.

“They’re opening without talking to us,” said Sulik, noting part of the prob-lem is due to communication limitations caused by the storm and the uncertainty about when and where power would come back.

Restaurants will have to show health inspectors a receipt proving the food was purchased after the storm “or they will have to throw it out,” Sulik said. While she understands the economic impact of this policy, she said it is

necessary to protect public health. “It’s a hard line to take, but we’re talking about an enormous risk,” she said.

Any person who has eaten at a food-serving establishment in Monroe or Trumbull after the storm and before power began returning should be cog-nizant of any unusual health issues that arise, Sulik said.

She said it’s important the TMHD not show any priority for one establishment over another. She said the inspectors also will have to check food kept at the schools. “We need to confirm the schools are throwing things out, too,” she said.

As for other public health con-cerns, Sulik said Tuesday her office had received few calls from the public about septic system backups or well problems, but that could change in the coming days. “Our biggest issue is food safety,” she said.

Health inspectors checking food safetyat establishments after power outage

From the top: A fallen tree blocks the entrance to

Hammertown Road from Route 111. The top of a

telephone pole hangs on a wire on Pepper Street; the

pole snapped when part of a large tree landed on it, bringing down the trans-

former. Dave Cusa and his daughter, Lillian, 8, rake

leaves and branches from their yard on West Maiden Lane. A man takes a photo

of the water pouring out of the Stevenson Dam on late

Sunday afternoon.(Photos by Brad Durrell)

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FAMILY FUNDAY!Friday, September 2 ��Monroe Town Green ��3–6pm��

www.monroefarmersmarket.org/family-fun

at the MONROE FARMERS’ MARKET

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The following property transfers are copyrighted material previously published in the Commercial Record, a weekly trade paper. It is reprinted with permission from the publisher, The Warren Group, thewarrengroup.com.

MONROE19 Chadwick Court, Scott and Jennifer A. Malmberg to

Joseph N. and Linda R. Lapine, $570,000.41 Chadwick Court, Glen M. and Kerry L. Donovan to

Raymond A. and Tammy S. Newsom, $569,000.52 Gay Bower Road, John P. Ireland and Jeanne M. Ureland

to Jennifer E. and Craig S. Garvey, $345,000.34 Great Hollow Road, Margaret R. Goldstein to Michael

Batsu, $495,000.41-43 Grindstone Lane, Kelly A. Sicilia to Marie Nichols

and Evelyn Dejesus, $710,000.79 Grist Mill Road, Theodore G. Stastny to Michael and

Tracy Kusick, $662,500.10 Nutmeg Circle, Unit 10, Lisa Fiedler to Uliana Demelio,

$200,000.124 Osborn Lane, Helen Labowsky to Vito and Arlene A.

Renda, $356,000.357 Wheeler Road, Mary L. Lisi to Francis X. Fitzpatrick,

$250,000.52 William Henry Drive, Tammy L. Pappa and Norman L.

Cotrona to Flavia A. Zaffina, $454,500.204 Windgate Circle, Unit B, Jerry Shulman to Donna B.

Katz, $232,000.

Property Transfers

Police News

Crosswalk DUIA Monroe man was arrested Aug. 26 at

about 9:15 p.m. for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and other charges after he allegedly failed to stop for pedestrians at a crosswalk despite an officer’s signal.

Darren Loux, 38, of 27 Wells Road was also charged with disobeying an officer’s signal, failure to grant the right-of-way to a pedestrian in a walkway, and driving while using a cell phone.

Police said Loux’s vehicle approached a Route 111 crosswalk for the St. Jude Italian Festival when an officer motioned for him to stop, but he kept driving. Pedestrians report-edly had to stop walking to avoid a collision.

The officer was able to get the vehicle’s license plate and another officer later pulled over Loux, also on Route 111. However, after Loux pulled his vehicle into a retail lot, he walked inside a pizza parlor instead of waiting for the officer to approach his vehicle, police said.

He smelled of alcohol, slurred his words, had glassy eyes and admitted he had been drinking, according to the report. Loux was given a field sobriety test but refused to take a Breathalyzer test.

Tirade and drugsA Shelton woman was charged Aug. 27 with

third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after she allegedly threw a lamp on the floor and kicked a door at a Monroe home.

Tara Salamacha, 19, of 201 Lenore St., Shelton, also was charged with possession of narcotics when cocaine powder`was alleg-edly found in a wallet in her purse. Bond was $500.

Police said Salamacha went to a relative’s home and began breaking items. Later, when officers searched her purse, marijuana and cocaine were found, according to the report.

Assault with a carA Fairfield man was charged Aug. 26 with

second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs based on a June 26 car accident.

Timothy Philbin, 21, of 135 Margemere Drive, Fairfield, was released on a written promise to appear in court. He turned himself in based on a warrant.

Police said Philbin had been taken to a hos-pital after the car accident. He was arrested after medical records from that hospital stay were obtained by police. Details of the acci-dent were not available.

Not my chargesA Stratford woman told police Aug. 24 that

$1,792 of unauthorized charges had been made with her business credit card.

The woman said she had opened the credit card account when she owned a business in Monroe, which she then sold to someone who had a spouse with the same name as her.

Police said the new owner said the charges were made by his spouse and appear to have been charged to the former owner’s account, and he is looking into the matter so it can be rectified.

The complainant said she is worried about her credit rating being negative impacted.

DUI accidentA Southington woman was charged Aug.

25 with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs based on a warrant from a July 16 incident.

Bond was $500 for Beth Waluk, 33, of 37 Faye Lane, Southington. Waluk also was charged with driving the wrong way on a one-way street in a construction zone, and failure to drive in the proper lane.

Police said Waluk had been involved in a car accident on Brook Street and was taken to a hospital. An arrest warrant was secured after police obtained her medical records.

Seven beersAn Ansonia man was charged Aug. 26 at

about 1 a.m. with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Bond was $500 for Jonathan London, 22, of 12 Charters Road, Ansonia. He also was charged with failure to drive in the proper lane.

Police said London was pulled over on Route 111 because his vehicle was swerving in the road. He smelled of alcohol and told officers he was coming from a friend’s house and had drank seven beers, according to the report. He was given both field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests.

Pizza driver gets stuckA pizza delivery person’s vehicle became

stuck in a customer’s driveway on Aug. 13 at about 7:30 p.m.

The driver, a 17-year-old male, called police after his vehicle became stuck in Belgian blocks when he was attempting to turn around in the Horizon Court driveway.

The vehicle eventually was put on the road again with private assistance. Fire personnel also responded to the scene.

Family farmersP.J. Pane, left, and his grandfather, John Pane, sell fresh produce from Pondview Farm in Monroe at the weekly Monroe Farmers’ Market, held Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. in front of Town Hall. The farm on Barn Hill Road is run by Lisa and Phil Pane, P.J.’s parents, and grows vegetables such as eggplant, cucumbers, toma-toes, squash, peppers and corn. It also is known for its Christmas trees.

The Save Our Stepney Task Force (SOS) will place 2,977 small white flags on Monroe’s Stepney Green in remembrance of those who perished in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

The flags, along with a temporary reflec-tion pool, will be installed on the Green to commemorate the 10th year anniversary of 9/11.

The 9/11 memorial installation will begin Saturday, Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. and will remain on the Green until Saturday, Sept. 17. In addition to the flags, a reflection pool will be inside the gazebo with candles that members of the community can light and float in the water.

On Saturday and Sunday evenings, lumi-naria will be placed around the gazebo. The Stepney Baptist Church will ring church bells

at the time of each attack.The public is invited to visit the memorial,

but no official ceremony is scheduled. Those who wish to help with the 9/11 Memorial installation should plan to arrive at the Stepney Green on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m.

In 2001, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, SOS had installed small red, white and blue flags on the Stepney Green. “Today, it only seems appropriate that we re-create a version of the memorial again, so as to never forget those who lost their lives in the attack,” said Joel Leneker, task force president.

The SOS works to preserve and enhance the historic and natural features in the Stepney neighborhood. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.

Donations to help defray the cost of the memorial are welcomed. Call Joel Leneker at 203-268-0247 for information.

Flags to be placed at Stepney Greento remember the victims of 9/11

The local Knights of Columbus will recognize Frank Flynn of Monroe as Knight of the Year at its annual awards dinner Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Stone Barn at Whitney Farms.

Flynn is being recognized by the Blessed Pope John XXIII Council No. 5987 Knights of Columbus for his many years of dedicated service to the Knights and to St. Jude’s par-ish.

A press release stated that Flynn “works tirelessly for the success of parish and coun-cil events,” and played a key role in the establishment and maintenance of the council’s Web site.

The event will begin with a social hour, followed at 8 by dinner. For reservations ($40 per person) call commit-tee members Pete D’Ostilio at 203-261-0593, or Tom Pleva at 203-261-8377.

Monroe Knights to honor Frank Flynn at Oct. 1 dinner

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Thursday September 1, 2011Published weekly by Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC

Brad Durrell, Editor .................................... 203-402-2313Nancy Doniger, Managing Editor .............. 203-402-2318Mike Suppe, Sports Editor ......................... 203-402-2339Donna Cosenza, Advertising Sales ............. 203-402-2327Circulation Department .............................. 800-372-2790Classified Department ................................ 800-372-2790

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Editorial

Opinion

Columns

Letters PolicyWe welcome letters from our readers. Please limit your letter

to 500 words and include a daytime phone number in case we have a question. We will not publish letters that are libelous or in poor taste, and we reserve the right to edit letters.

E-mail your letters to: [email protected] is Monday at 10 a.m.

Monroe’s first school bus driversMonroe school bus drivers independently owned their buses in 1935, when this photo was taken. The bus driv-ers made twice as much as the average teacher’s salary of $85 a month, but they had to buy, insure and gas up their own buses for the routes to Bridgeport for high school students and all around town to bring younger students to the Monroe Consolidated School (formed to replace all the one-room schoolhouses, which were auctioned to raise funds to buy supplies for the new school). (Photo courtesy of Monroe Historical Society)

What has always frightened me about disasters, beyond

the magnitude of destruction and the loss of life and prop-erty, is that while they can bring out the best in us, they often bring out the worst.

They can open the tiny portals into our souls, and in microscopic moral detail, reveal us to be either selfless people or selfish people.

Sometimes I shudder when I see what I’m really all about. Instead of courage, there’s cowardice. Instead of caring for others, I’m caring for me.

A crisis can magnify our character so much that acts of compassion and kindness are elevated to what saint-watch-ers call “heroic virtue,” while acts of greed and self-interest are shown for what they truly are, classical evil.

The examples are many. A store owner price-gouges because people are rushing to buy water and food. After all, he reasons, everyone has to make a buck.

An old man struggles down the stairs to escape an office building during an earth-

quake, and scores of people rush by him while one or two pause to help, but then even they abandon him to save themselves.

Amid the hysteria and turmoil, maybe one person makes the sacrifice and stays with him to her own peril. Meanwhile, the rest of us with shaky consciences breathe a sigh of relief because someone is doing what we know we should have done but were too afraid to do.

As the hurricane approach-es, a car with a mother and children is stranded on the side of the highway, and she waves for help, but motor-ists pass by because they have their own lives to worry about.

On the occasions that I’ve been the one to pass by some-one in need, I’ve thought in a moment of self-deception that it didn’t necessarily make me a bad person, even though I

couldn’t deny that it illumi-nated my selfishness in a very painful way.

I’m reminded of that par-able of the Good Samaritan, where two people walk by the traveler who had been beaten and robbed and left for dead. To their thinking, they had good reasons to keep walk-ing.

However, when you’re the one lying by the side of the road, watching the parade of passersby look the other way, it can lead you to despair.

There were examples like that during Hurricane Irene, in the supermarket aisles, at the gas station lines, and in the flooded areas where people were stranded.

And yet, sometimes good-ness still shines through, and it can be an inspiration for all of us — most espe-cially 10 years ago on 9/11, when terrorists hijacked four jet airliners and slammed them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

That day, there were many heroes who acted with excep-tional grace. Some thwarted the terrorists who intended to

slam a jet plane into the U.S. Capitol, and many more rushed into the World Trade Center while everyone else was rushing out.

They were ordinary men and women who found that thing called “heroic virtue” inside themselves when the world needed it most.

Joe Pisani can be reached at [email protected].

Selfishness vs. heroic virtue in times of trouble

Did I Say That?By Joe Pisani

It’s been a trying week for most of southwestern Connecticut. Some lost houses as Hurricane Irene ripped ashore Sunday. Some were moved

to shelter.Houses suffered wind and water damage. Some

were destroyed. More have been without power, and could still be in the dark for days.

It’s not easy. But it could be worse.Irene, at last count, took the lives of 40 people on

the East Coast, two of whom lived in Connecticut. None were in this immediate area.

Most of the cleanup involves removing trees and power lines, and restoring electrical service. It’s not an easy task. Power must be turned off to safely remove trees and debris. Poles and lines must be rebuilt and reinstalled. The system then needs to be turned back on safely.

But impatience takes hold. The minute the rain stopped Sunday, some took to the street on foot or in car, driving under and over wires that likely were still energized, searching for a utility truck, any util-ity truck, working to restore power to their neigh-borhood, their house.

Complaints start within minutes. “Why aren’t the roads open?” “Where are the power company crews? I don’t see anyone out there.”

Never mind that winds remained strong, and haz-ards lurked around every corner. Those who would not work outside, especially in rain and wind, want to know why others are not doing it for their benefit.

Crews are doing the best they can as quickly as they can. Linemen and others are working long hours in potentially hazardous situations, away from their families, homes and beds as long until all power is restored.

Give the crews on the lines time to get the job done safe. No one needs to die so someone else can check Facebook.

On the lines

As Hurricane Irene approached, a gag posting made the rounds on Facebook. It offered, tongue-in-cheek, tips for facing the prospect

of actually having to speak face-to-face with people if Internet and text message access were to be lost due to the storm.

The posting got more than a few chuckles, yet like any good joke struck a chord. We have become masters at communicating from the safe haven be-hind the screen, atop a keyboard. Some of us rarely have conversations, even with those with whom we make a home.

Days of darkness in the storm’s aftermath have forced us to find pastimes that don’t require electric-ity, games that don’t involve trading with online friends, and maybe taking a new look at things we take for granted.

Feeling more free to wander in darkened neigh-borhoods, deer and other wildlife cross streets and graze in yards under the moonlight. Absent artificial light, humans can gaze skyward and see stars in a new brightness, as layer upon layer of the vastness in which we live come into focus.

It’s not enjoyable to be without electricity, and the convenience it brings, for days. But it can afford an opportunity to do and see things in a new light, or lack thereof.

In the dark

A couple of months ago my husband and I adopted a kitten from

a local animal rescue group. Our decision to adopt one was based on a simple, but very compelling premise: Cats are self-reliant, and as pets go, they are somewhat low maintenance.

We therefore hypothesized that getting a kitten would create very little havoc in our lives. Oh, to be naïve again.

We ended up adopting a black kitten with large green eyes and a tail that seemed to go on forever. In comparison to other kittens her age, she was also one of the smallest, hence the name we selected for her: Peanut.

Just one look at that tiny, little ball of fur, and I was hooked.

Truth be told, it doesn’t take much for an animal, any animal, to turn my heart into mush. The other night, my husband and I were watching TV.

Suddenly, a commercial for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) came on. Instead of watching Iron Chefs battling it out

in Kitchen Stadium, we sat staring at shivering little Chihuahuas, kittens with tiny leg casts, and puppies peering through steel cages with sad, little puppy eyes.

In a matter of seconds, I was bawling my eyes out as if someone had just killed my cat. Try as I may, I just couldn’t stop.

The first time this hap-pened, my husband was pretty much blindsided. One minute we are both enjoying a nice, quiet evening at home, and the next, he is searching the house for extra boxes of tis-sues to replenish my rapidly dwindling supply.

After his second encounter with these indoor downpours from yours truly, he figured out a way to keep the tears from coming.

As soon as an ASPCA commercial comes on, he lunges for the remote control, and in a flash he changes the channel.

His channel-changing

reflexes have become so good that I’m usually left wonder-ing if in fact I had just seen and heard the commercial in question. When asked, my husband casually responds, “Nope.”

Anyway, back to Peanut. It wasn’t until we brought her home that certain feline char-acteristics began poking holes at our original theory — you know, the one about cats and the no-havoc bit.

For one, cats are noctur-nal creatures. Peanut was kind enough to remind us of this little factoid sometime around 3 a.m. on the first night she spent at our home, and there-after.

While we were trying to catch some zzz’s, she spent her time lurking throughout the house, trying to actual-ly catch something. Note to would-be cat owners: Hands and feet dangling off beds are fair game.

Another aspect of kitty life which slowly began chip-ping away at our “no-havoc” premise is that 9-week-old kittens are jam-packed with enough energy to power downtown New York City.

For stretches at a time,

Peanut races throughout the house, evoking her inner-cheetah, with eyes disturb-ingly dilated as if she had just sniffed a little too much catnip, if you know what I mean.

These feline sprints wouldn’t be so bad if she made just a little effort not to run us over on a regular basis. I could somewhat understand this happening when we unwittingly walk in front of her race path.

However, I must draw the line when she uses me as a launch pad to higher grounds as I’m lying on the couch reading a book.

Peanut’s nutty, pre-dawn drive-bys are costing us much needed sleep. Now, at around the 2 p.m. mark, we turn into walking zombies at work while she takes her cat naps under the warmth of the sun rays that shine through our living room windows.

And to think we thought kittens were havoc-proof. Silly us.

To reach Soraya Bilbao-Kuo, visit her blog at thehap-pypen.blogspot.com.

Peanut — more than a nut, especially at 3 a.m.

Life HappensBy Soraya Bilbao-Kuo

On the occasions that I’ve been the

one to pass by someone in need, I’ve thought in a

moment ofself-deceptionthat it didn’t

necessarily make me a bad person.

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Dr. James David Garrity, 80, of Stratford, a family practice physician in Monroe for more than 40 years, died Aug. 25, at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. He was the husband of Anne O’Neill Garrity,

Son of the late Walter and Mary (Bannon) Garrity, he was born Sept. 16, 1930 in Bridgeport.

Dr. Garrity was a graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School (winner of the first four-year academic scholarship), Fairfield University, and received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He served his country as a senior assistant surgeon for the U.S. Public Health Service at the Kiawa Hospital in Lawton, OK. He then was a family practice physician in Monroe for more than 40 years.

Dr. Garrity was an active member of the medical staff at St. Vincent’s, where he met his wife of 53 years, Anne, during his resi-dency and her nursing training. He was an assistant medical examiner for Fairfield and New Haven counties, police and fire depart-ment surgeon, town health officer, police commissioner, and physician for numerous school and town sports teams.

Dr. Garrity was a devout Catholic, and was a former member of St. Jude’s RC Church in Monroe. He also was a communicant at St. Mark’s RC Church in Stratford.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his chil-dren and their families, Bridget (Lawrence Sweeney) of Morris; Moira (Karen Takeda) of Bristol, Vt.; James D. Jr. (Nancy Juda) of Bethesda, Md.; Timothy of Atlanta, Ga.; Sheilagh (Lisa Rowley) of McBee, S.C.; Peter (Karen) of Wrentham, Mass.; and Christopher of Somerset, Mass.

Also, his grandchildren Celia, Connor, Christopher, Simon, Ruth, Timothy, Meghan, Peter, Sean, and Katy; great-grandchildren, Jake and Ben; sisters-in-law, Doris Garrity of Fairfield; Marilyn Garrity of Scituate, Mass.; Maureen O’Neill Kocher of Boca Raton, Fla.; Jean O’Neill of Stratford; brother-in-law, Peter O’Neill (Alice) of New Cumberland, Pa.; daughters-in law, Gail Marks of Willimantic, and Bonnie Norman of Bethesda, Md.; many nieces and nephews; the extended Garrity and O’Neill clan; and many friends.

He also was predeceased by his brothers, John, Walter and Joseph; his office assis-tant, Peg Dolzani; and his youngest daughter, Katie.

Redgate-Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and Gorham Place, Trumbull, handled arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark Church Organ Fund or memorial masses may be said for Dr. Garrity.

Online condolences: redgatehennessy.com.

Obituaries

Dr. James David GarrityGerald Edward “Jerry” Sacknoff,

54, of Naugatuck, formerly of Monroe, died Aug. 21 at home.

Son of Burton and Margaret Sacknoff of Brooklyn, formerly of Monroe, he was born May 5, 1957 at his home in Pomona, Calif.

Mr. Sacknoff graduated from Masuk High School. He worked for the Coca-Cola Company in Stamford, in charge of their computer support area.

He loved baseball and was an avid N.Y. Mets fan. He also enjoyed collecting sports memorabilia. He loved country music and other popular music.

Besides his parents, survivors include his sisters, Joy Mark of Storrs; Carol Coley and

her husband, David of Colombia, Conn.; Donna of New Orleans, La.; nieces and nephews, Molly, Brian, Adam, Rachel and Kelly; his girlfriend of many years, Roseanna Tan; his pets, Max and KC; and many friends.

Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, handled arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 306 Industrial Park Road, Suite 105 Middletown, CT 06457; or Mayo Clinic Department of Development, 200 First St., SW Rochester, MN 55905.

Light a virtual candle at gagnonandcostel-lofh.com.

Gerald Edward “Jerry” Sacknoff

Shirley Anne Beninco Ryan, 76, of Southbury, formerly of Trumbull, wife of the late Joseph M. Ryan, died Aug. 26, at St. Mary’s Hospital. Her son, Gregory and his wife, Rosemarie Ryan, live in Monroe.

Mrs. Ryan was born in Bridgeport, and was a longtime Trumbull resi-dent before moving to Southbury.

She was a Lauralton Hall gradu-ate. An avid bowler, she also was a member of the Bocce Club at Heritage Village. Her favorite pastime was spending time with her family and grandchildren, her family said.

Survivors include her children, Glenn and his wife, Sherry Ryan of Florida, Sharon and her husband, Richard Giardini Sr. of Shelton, Gregory and his wife, Rosemarie Ryan of

Monroe, and Claudia and her hus-band, Art Fiore III of Southbury; one sister, Diane and her husband Donald Smith of Trumbull and Ronald and his wife, Susan Beninco of Bridgeport; eight grandchildren, Richard Giardini Jr., Jillian Giardini, Kevin Giardini, Shaun Ryan, Katie Ryan, Artie Fiore, Jenna Fiore, and Nicholas Fiore; and many nieces and

nephews. Cyril F. Mullins Trumbull Funeral Home,

399 White Plains Road, handled arrange-ments. Burial in Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may made to the Melanoma Research Foundation, 1411 K. St., NW Suite 500, Washington DC, 20005.

Online condolences: mullinsfh.com.

Shirley Anne Beninco Ryan

Patricia Ann (Carey) Puskar, 78, of Fairfield, wife of the late Michael Puskar, died Aug. 24. Her son, Thomas Puskar, and his wife, Donna, live in Monroe.

Born in Bridgeport, she was the daughter of the late James and Catherine Kelley Carey.

During her life she worked as a bookkeeper in several businesses in Bridgeport before becoming the owner of Dover Tool, Inc.

Mrs. Puskar was a member of the Rosary Confraternity and St. Andrew’s Parish. She was active in her church community and choir for many years. She loved music, singing, and playing the piano.

Patricia was a wonderful person who lived a joy filled life surrounded by her family and friends, her family said. She opened her home to everyone including a number of foreign exchange students over the years. She spent time in her golden years enjoying the Gulf of Mexico from her beach home. Here again

kindness and generosity were her constant companions as she shared her many blessings with others.

Survivors include her son, Thomas Puskar, and his wife, Donna, of Monroe; her daughter, Cathy Switzer, and her husband, Wayne, of Stephens City, Va.; her son, John Puskar of Colchester, Vt.; three sisters, Lorraine (Kish)

Whipple, of Newport, Vt., Mary Lazo, of the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, Elaine Drawe, of Cummington, Mass.; six grandchil-dren; and many nieces and nephews.

She also was predeceased by two siblings, Kathleen Cole and Robert Carey.

Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, Fairfield, handled arrangements. Burial in Mountain Grove Cemetery of Easton.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice at Home- VNS of CT, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull, CT 06611.

Online condolences: leskopolkefuneral-home.com.

Patricia Ann (Carey) Puskar

Four Monroe residents have been named to the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County board of directors for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

They are Eric Stone, vice chairman; Mark Barnhart, secretary; Anita Gliniecki and Brian Griffin.

The local United Way serves 12 municipali-ties in Fairfield County, including Monroe. The nonprofit agency focuses its efforts on education, financial stability and health.

Stone is a regional vice president of Enterprise Rent-a-Car in Wilton. He over-sees 45 Enterprise offices and locations in Fairfield, New Haven and lower Westchester (N.Y.) counties. He served two consecutive years as United Way campaign chairman.

Barnhart is community and economic devel-opment director for the town of Fairfield,

working on business development, neighbor-hood revitalization and affordable housing. He also co-chairs the local United Way’s Community Impact and Investment Strategy Committee on Income.

Gliniecki is president of Housatonic Community College. She previously was dean of nursing at St. Clair Community College in Michigan. Gliniecki also serves on the United Way’s Education Panel.

Brian Griffin is vice president of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, where he oversees programs, communications, market-ing and operations.

The local United Way works to help people secure a quality education that leads to a sta-ble job, income that can support a family, and good health. Learn more at unitedwaycfc.org.

Monroe residents join United Way board

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carry all of your stuff and you aren’t allowed to have any help from anyone.”

Giannini grew up in Monroe, attending Chalk Hill and Fawn Hollow schools, and then Fairfield College Preparatory School. His parents still live in town; his mother’s family owns McGowan’s Pizza.

The Tour Divide takes riders on Great Divide Route, going from Montana to New Mexico and near the Continental Divide.

He took the ride with a friend. Although they weren’t allowed to ask for help from anyone that other riders didn’t have access to, he was just glad to have company during the 2,700-mile trek.

It took him 17 days, leaving on June 10. He averaged about 155 miles a day during this time, riding about 16 hours. He followed a map given out by the race officials.

“It was definitely far harder than I had imagined,” Giannini said.

The bicycle he rode was a professional mountain bike, and his gear — which includ-ed a sleeping bag and down jacket — weighed 50 pounds. He said it was almost impos-sible to train for the ride — but they tried to do three- to four-day trips, averaging about 100 miles a day.

“I’ve raced bikes in one form or another all around the world for the majority of my life,” Giannini said.

Journey of discoveryThis race was different than

anything he had done before. “It’s really a journey ... of discovering yourself and how you can survive without sup-port.”

Although he rode alongside someone, neither one of them could offer help to the other — that was part of the rules. He said it was good to have company, just for someone to talk to, or when it was time to camp outside, to have another set of eyes and ears.

“One of the last nights we were chased by a mountain lion,” Giannini said. “This was essentially the last night that we slept.”

The mountain lion was spot-ted nearby and the two chased the animal off by yelling at him.

It wasn’t just a physical race, it was a mental race. Almost every day he thought about stopping.

Even eating wasn’t always fun. Since he was riding a bicycle, he had to load up on carbohydrates

“Every day of the race — in one way or another — was the worst moment of my life,” Giannini said. After his 10th Snickers bar, all he wanted was a salad.

It also helped that he was raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that donates money to children’s hospitals. Someone he knew was recently affected by can-cer, and sought help from the network. He saw firsthand how the organization was helpful to its patients.

Giannini said eventually he might be talked into doing the race again. As the weeks go by, he forgets the difficult challenges and just remembers the good things, so it might happen.

For more information about the Tour Divide, go tourdi-vide.org.

Bike –Continued from page 1A

Monroe Parks and Recreation7 Fan Hill Road

Monroe, CT 06468monroerec.org203-452-2806

Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays — Last home game of the season, Sunday, Sept. 18. Bus departs Chalk Hill School, 375 Fan Hill Road, at 10 a.m. and returns at 7:30 p.m. Seats are in the Grandstand 7 Section. Tickets will be organized according to the number of tickets sold per family. If number of tickets sold is less than 15, then the pickup will be either in North Haven or Stratford; participants will be notified prior to the trip. Cost is $95 for residents, $105 non-residents and includes ticket and transpor-tation.

Fall adult tennis — Four-week sessions Sept. 7-28 for ages 16 and older; rain date is Oct. 5. Clinics will be held at Wolfe Park. Low Intermediate classes, 6-7 p.m. Player is starting to keep the ball in play, learning to serve, vol-

ley, and court positioning. Cost is $99 per ses-sion for residents, $109 for non-residents. Inter-mediate classes, 7 to 8 p.m.; player can keep the ball in play, can hit with some spin, can serve, volley, and rally consistently. Cost is $99 for residents, $109 for non-residents.

Participants need their own racquet; racquets available for sale through instructors. Call 203-640-1724 or 203-414-9453; online registration at monroect.org.

Baby-sitting training — Red Cross instruc-tor teaches students 10 to 15 years old how to take care of infants and children, make deci-sions, solve problems, handle emergency inju-ries and illness, handle accidents, and learn the tools of becoming good role models, Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Chalk Hill School. Students should bring a snack and/or lunch that does not require refrigeration; $95 residents, $105 non-residents.

Various ages fall tennis — Wednesdays, Sept. 7-Oct. 19 (five-week session), Wolfe Park. Weather-related make-up, Oct. 26:

Pee Wees, ages 3-5, 3:30-4 p.m., $69*

Juniors, ages 6-8, 4- 5 p.m., $99*Juniors, ages 9-11, 5- 6 p.m., $99*Minimum of 3, maximum of 20Adults, low intermediate, 6-7 p.m., $125*Adults, Intermediate, 7-8 p.m., $125*Minimum of 3, maximum of 10Low intermediate: Player is starting to keep

the ball in play, is learning to serve, can volley, and learning court positioning.

Intermediate: Player can keep ball in play consistently, hit with some spin, can serve, and volley consistently.

All participants need their own racquet or racquets available for sale through instructors.

Monroe Parks & Recreation welcomes Greg Sansonetti and his adult staff in his first season. Based in Fairfield County, Sansonetti has over 15 years worth of tennis teaching experience.

On tennis programs, call Lorraine at 203-640-1724 or Greg at 203-414-9453. Online reg-istration is available at www.monroect.org.

*Non-resident fee is additional $10 per course.

Recreation Notes

Robert Giannini

Students from the GAMES program in Monroe presented a workshop at the 25th National Council on Problem Gambling conference in Boston on July 1.

The presentation by members of Gambling Awareness of Monroe through Educating our Students, titled “Generation Z: A Youth to Youth Model of Gambling Awareness,” received a standing ovation from the audience.

The conference highlighted the latest innovations in the problem gambling prevention field and was attended by some of the nation’s most prominent problem gambling experts. It has been described as “the largest conference on problem gambling in the world.”

Student presenters included Molly Chirunomula, Emily Gutelius, Chloe Johnson, Clark Johnson and Jasmine Pierce. Their program was prepared under the guidance of Laura Ferrante Fernandes and Jan Laster, founders and advisers of the GAMES program.

During the presentation, GAMES members recounted the highlights of 11 years of work, including visits to the Monroe Senior Center, assemblies

for freshmen health classes featuring a gambling addict in recovery, the inte-gration of GAMES principles into stan-dard Board of Education curricula, and various projects with state’s Problem Gambling Services division, Connecticut Lottery and other organizations.

The new local Web site gamblinga-wareness.org has been launched, along with a video created to encourage other school systems to create programs simi-lar to GAMES.

During a prevention showcase after the presentation, GAMES members were invited to work with other schools on prevention programs and to attend future conferences, including one at Disneyland in California.

They were approached by conference attendees from Delaware to Singapore during the showcase. They made other professional contacts by touring the other exhibits at the event.

GAMES students from Monroepresent workshop at national conference

Members of Monroe’s GAMES student program, including adult advisers, at the National Council on Problem Gambling conference in Boston.

Lorraine Wilson of Monroe is chairing the committee orga-nizing an Oct. 2 fund-raiser for the Mercy Learning Center, a nonprofit agency that focuses on literacy education.

Pat McGettigan of Monroe also serves on the event com-mittee.

“A View of the Harbor” will take place at the Country Club of Fairfield, overlooking Southport Harbor. It will include a cocktail party, live and silent auctions, a presentation about the center, and an opportunity to socialize.

Proceeds from the fund-raiser will benefit the Bridgeport-based Mercy Learning Center’s literacy and life skills pro-grams, which serve more than 500 women and 150 children a year.

The center, now in its 25th year, focuses on educating and empowering low-income, undereducated women from the greater Bridgeport area. Call 203-334-6699 for details.

Monroe women helporganize literacy fund-raiser

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will have its annual Apple Festival on the Monroe Green on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be fresh apples, apple cider, caramel apples, apple crisp a la mode, apple friets, apple pies, and other apple-related items.

The festival also will fea-ture more than 60 crafters; mum and aster plants; two Moonbounces, face painting and games for children; and Country Kitchen with pies, tarts, jams and baked goods.

Raffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win a hand-made quilt, a weekend get-away at a home on Cape Cod, and an Apple iTouch. The City South Steel Drum Orchestra performs Saturday. Details at 203-268-4265.

Apple Festival is Sept. 10, 11The Monroe Parks and

Recreation Department is offering karate classes for those age 4 to adult. Fall ses-sion begins Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the Monroe Elementary gym. Instructors from Superior Karate; call 203-783-9768.

Karate classes

The Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA has opened Connecticut’s first outdoor Parkour Center and the Parkour Program will begin the week of Sept. 5 and run for 14 weeks.

Parkour began in 2009 at the Lakewood-

Trumbull YMCA in the gymnastics facility and transitioned to an outdoor setting at the Y’s Camp and Outdoor Center. Parkour is the “flight” aspect of any martial art.

Intro to Parkour and Intermediate/Advance

Parkour meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satur-days at various times at the Lakewood-Trum-bull YMCA Outdoor Center off Route 59. For program details and times call 203-445-9600; register at lakewoodtrumbullymca.org.

Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA’s outdoor Parkour Program to begin

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��• Come Tour Our School

• Flexible Enrollment Options• Computer/Spanish Classes Available

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Join us at our Monroe studio OPEN HOUSE September 10 10:00-2:00

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Homegrown tomatoes, Homegrown tomatoes;

What would life be without home-grown tomatoes?

Only two things money can’t buy;That’s true love and homegrown

tomatoes.Sung by John Denver,

lyrics by Guy Clark

Ahhhh, the mouth-watering, meaty magnificence of homegrown tomatoes. Fresh from the vine, homegrown tomatoes are one of my great loves and truly the heartthrob of the summer garden.

Have you ever experienced the full, frontal flavor of a tomato plucked straight from the vine? Those lucky enough to have their own garden can get out there and take a big bite!

The juices will run down your chin as you revel in the dazzling explosion on your tongue. The sun, the rain, the moon, all the natural forces joined together to create this extraordinary taste experience that is such a symbol of summer.

I can scarcely wait to make my first tomato sandwich of the season. In the dead of winter, I often dream of the sun warmed sweetness of this simple, yet sweep-me-off-my feet snack.

Cut thick slices of your favorite

tomato; for me, it’s the luscious pinky red Brandywine. Spread your favorite bread (very lightly toasted sourdough) with a bit of mayon-naise, season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt and take a giant bite.

There are at least 10,000 varieties of tomatoes, in a rainbow of colors including black, green, pink, scarlet red, yellow and glowing little orbs of orange. Sun golds, the current darling of cherry tomatoes, is a per-fect blend of sweet, sugary flavor and glorious orange color.

Tomatoes are so good for you — good for your heart, your brain, your soul and your health. Bursting with lycopene, a super charged anti-oxidant, tomatoes are an excellent source of fiber and vitamins A, B and C. Tomatoes can help repair smoke scarred lungs, combat heart disease and save vision.

So, eat your homegrown toma-toes, tomahtoes, anyway you say it, tomatoes are one of the most delightful ingredients when prepar-ing a delicious life!

Arts & Leisure BriefsArts & Leisure

Award-winning political cartoonist Jimmy Margulies will speak at Sacred Heart University as part of the Gottlieb Memorial Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Department of Communication and Media Studies.

Margulies has been at The Record in Hackensack, N.J., since 1990, and his work is distributed nationally to more than 425 newspapers and magazines, including The

Washington Post, The New York Times, Time and USA Today.

He has won the National Headliner Award and Fishetti Editorial Cartoon Competition, and also the Barryman Award from the National Press Foundation.

When the National Rifle Association placed Margulies on its blacklist, he considered it a badge of honor.

The author of two published

collections of cartoons — My Husband is Not a Wimp! and Hitting Below the Beltway — he appears regularly on network and local TV news programs.

His talk takes place at Sacred Heart University’s Schine Auditorium, 5151 Park Ave., Fairfield, on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.

National political cartoonistto comment at Sacred Heart

Jimmy Margulies

As the summer months come to an end, we all begin thinking about the cooler weather, the fall foliage and, of course, fall family tradi-tions such as weekend trips around the state.

And as my family gets back into the busy school year and all the kids’ lacrosse and hockey games, we enjoy supporting our local farms. Throughout the fall we take time to visit local farms to pick apples, drink cider, wan-der through corn mazes, or experience a hay ride. These trips are a fun way to enjoy the fall season, and an even better way to support our local family farms, businesses and economy.

Like me, I am sure many of you also make one of our state’s fairs an annual family tradition where you can enjoy food, rides, games, animals, music, art, local crafts and Connecticut culture.

Additional information about upcoming fairs and local farms can be found

at the state Department of Agriculture Web site, ct.gov/doag.

Information about other family activities and adven-tures in Connecticut can be found by visiting www.CTvisit.com or calling 1-888-CTvisit. CT Visit is a site created by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism to help residents find fun in state activities and travel deals.

I hope that you and your family find this information useful. Enjoy the local farms and fairs.

Sen. Kevin Kelly repre-sents the 21st District, which includes all of Shelton, most of Stratford, and parts of Monroe and Seymour.

Connecticut fairs and farms

Time for homegrown tomatoes

Fantastic Tomato SaladAssorted tomatoes in assorted colors, use any

flavor or varietyFresh basil, mincedFresh parsley, mincedExtra virgin olive oilBalsamic vinegarSea saltFreshly ground black pepper

Slice or chunk your tomatoes and arrange on a large platter. If you picked up sun golds or other cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and scatter over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with good bread.

Gild the lily by adding minced garlic, chopped cherry peppers, olives, crumbled goat cheese or sliced fresh mozzarella.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a food and wellness enthusiast who earned her certi-fication in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College.

She specializes in teaching healthy cook-ing classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness work-shops for many local organizations.

For more information go to theconscious-cook.net, call 203-393-1037, or http://con-fessionsofaconsciouscook.blogspot.com.

The Conscious CookBy Robin Glowa

[email protected]

From the CapitolBy Kevin Kelly

• Goshen Fair, Sept. 3-5, goshenfair.org • Haddam Neck Fair, Sept. 2-5, haddamneckfair.com • Taste of Litchfield Hills Food & Wine Festival, Sept. 3-5• Woodstock Fair, Sept. 2-5, woodstockfair.com• Bethlehem Fair, Sept. 9-11, bethlehemfair.com• Granby Grange Agricultural Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.

com/subgrangepage.asp?GrangeID=185• Hebron Harvest Fair, Sept. 8-11, hebronharvestfair.org• Ledyard Fair, Sept. 9-11, ledyardfair.org• Killingly Grange Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.com/subgrang-

epage.asp?grangeid=47 • Meriden Grange Fair, Sept. 10, ctstategrange.com/subgrang-

epage.asp?GrangeID=192 • Monroe Apple Festival, Sept. 10-11, stpetersonthegreen.com• North Haven Fair, Sept. 8-11, northhaven-fair.com• Wapping Fair, Sept. 8-11, wappingfair.org• Four Town Fair, Sept.15-18, fourtownfair.com• Guilford Agricultural Fair, Sept. 16-18, guilfordfair.org• Orange Country Fair, Sept., 17-18, orangectfair.com• Wallingford Grange Fair, Sept. 17, ctstategrange.com/sub-

grangepage.asp?grangeid=84• Cheshire Grange Community Grange Fair, Sept. 24-25, ctstat-

egrange.com/subgrangepage.asp?grangeid=26• Durham Fair, Sept. 22-25, durhamfair.com• Hebron Renaissance Fair, Sept. 24-25, ctfaire.com• Beacon Grange Fair, Sept. 26, ctstategrange.com/subgrangep-

age.asp?grangeid=17• Berlin Fair, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, ctberlinfair.com• 155th Harwinton Fair, Oct. 1-2, harwintonfair.com• Portland Fair, Oct. 7-9, portlandfair.com• Riverton Fair, Oct. 7-9, rivertonfair.org

Connecticut fairs

Curtain Call falls victim to hurricane Joanne Rochman lives in a hard-hit neighborhood where power went out early Sunday morning and is not likely to be re-stored for up to a week. As a result, to her regret, she was not able to produce the Curtain Call column this week but reassures readers that they can expect to find it in next week’s edition.

Free Shakespeare Elm Shakespeare Company pres-ents Measure for Measure Thursday-Sunday, 8 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 4, Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven; elmshakespeare.org; 203-393-1436. Bring a blanket or chair. Picnics encouraged. Free with suggested donation.

Gala and auction To benefit the Elm Shakespeare Company, Thursday, Sept. 1, 5-8 p.m., followed by perfor-mance of Measure for Measure, Edgerton Park, 75 Cliff St., New Haven. Gala tickets: $125; elmshakespeare.org.

Benefit dinner Massaro Community Farm fund-rais-ing dinner Saturday, Sept. 3, farm tour at 4:30 p.m., cock-tails at 5, dinner at 6, outside on the farm, 41 Ford Road, Woodbridge; catered by Antonio’s, featuring Massaro farm produce. $100/person. RSVP to Melissa Waldron at [email protected].

Carnival For the benefit of muscular dystrophy, Saturday, Sept. 3, 11-4, home and yard of Bob and Margie Schulman, 3 Layayette Drive, Trumbull. Rain date: Sept. 4. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza cotton candy, magic show, games, arts & crafts, bounce house, and dunk tank with First Selectman Tim Herbst; 203-261-2248.

Tag sale Sunday, Sept. 4, 8-4, Congregation B’nai Torah, 5700 Main St., Trumbull. Clothing, small applianc-es, electronics, furniture, art, toys, sporting goods, house-hold items. Funds raised benefit educational programs; cash only; 203-268-6940; [email protected].

Free concert Tony Reno performs dance music Tuesday, Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Trumbull Town Hall gazebo. In case of rain, concert held in Trumbull Library community room.

Arts & crafts fair Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-4, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1734 Huntington Tpke., Trumbull. Jewelry, floral arrangements, crafts, bake sale, children’s activities, book sale, plants and more. Lunch on the grill available. Free admission.

Civil War Living History Day Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-4, grounds of Shelton History Center, 70 Ripton Road, Shelton. Everyone from Army privates to President Abraham Lincoln will be on the grounds. $5/person; $15/family. Proceeds benefit the Shelton Historical Society; 203-925-1803; sheltonhistoricalsociety.org.

Apple Festival Saturday, Sept. 10, 10-5; Sunday, Sept. 11, 10-4, hosted by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, on the Historic Monroe Green, Route 111. Sunday service will be conducted at 9 a.m. on the Green; the church bells will be rung to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 203-268-4265; stpetersonthegreen.com.

Acting classes Long Wharf Theatre’s Education program offers Adult Acting I, Saturdays, Sept. 10-Oct. 8, 10:30-noon, $225; and Off the Cuff Improvisation II: Middle School, Tuesdays, Sept. 13-Oct. 11, 5:30-7 p.m., $195, Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven; longwharf.org; 203-772-8262.

Live Green Connecticut, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18, Taylor Farm Park, Norwalk. Exhibits, speakers, local food, children’s activities, money saving tips and green education; livegreenct.com.

Healing gatherings Sticks & Stones Farm, 201 Huntington Road, Newtown, Sundays, 9-11 a.m., Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. Walk of reflection and a closing meditation. Information: e-mail [email protected].

Arts festival Hosted by Trumbull Arts Commission, Sunday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine on the Town Hall Green, 5866 Main St. Handcrafted items with 60 artists and crafters; photography and sculpture for sale. Children’s Creative Center, live entertainment, food ven-dors. Free admission; 203-452-5065.

Singers sought Harmony on the Sound (HOTS) Chorus invites women who love to sing to come and learn holiday music in four-part harmony beginning Wednesday, Sept. 21, and then sing in holiday show. Visit harmonyon-thesound.org or call 203-881-1477.

Fallen Heroes tribute Fallen Heroes Memorial Tribute — Remembering military service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, Saturday, Sept. 24, 12:15 p.m., Indian Ledge Park, 307 Indian Ledge Park Road. U.S. Air Force Colorguard and U.S. Marine Corps as escorts. Performances by The United States Navy Band, Northeast, and the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights. Free and open to the public.

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AngelsJoin us for a study of God's word about...

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" ~ Psalm 91:11

Hosted by the Trumbull church of ChristWednesday Nights � 7:00 - 8:00 pm ��September 7,14, 21 &282 Drew Circle ��Trumbull, CT 06611 ��203.261.5201

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The Monroe Senior Center is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Transportation by appointment. Call 203-452-3771.

Thursday, Sept. 1 — 9:30 a.m. ceramics, bridge, chess; 10 a.m. poker, mah jongg; 11:45 movie and pizza; 12:30 p.m. duplicate bridge.

Friday, Sept. 2 — 9:15 a.m. Easy Does It; 9:30 a.m. trip registration; 10 a.m. knit and crochet; 10:15 a.m. exercise with Augustina; 12:30 p.m. beginners mah jongg, hairdresser; 1 p.m. mah jongg; 1:30 p.m. Wii Bowling, local shopping.

Monday, Sept. 5 — Labor Day, center closed; no transportation.

Tuesday, Sept. 6 — 9 a.m. yoga; 9:30 a.m. trip registration; 1:30 p.m. Red Hat meeting, Wii Bowling.

Wednesday, Sept. 7 — 9 a.m. TRIAD Walkers; 9:30 a.m. Pinochle; 10:30 a.m.

bingo; 1 p.m. Canasta; 1 p.m. quilting, book club; 2:30 p.m. support group.

Thursday, Sept. 8 — 9:30 a.m. ceramics; 9:30 a.m. Bridge, chess; 10 a.m. poker, garden club, mah jongg; 12:30 p.m. duplicate Bridge; 1:30 p.m. Polish panies/pans.

Friday, Sept. 9 — Mohegan Sun Casino; 9:15 a.m. Easy Does It; 9:30 a.m. trip regis-tration; 10 a.m. knit and crochet; 10:15 a.m. exercise with Augustina; 12:30 p.m. beginners mah jongg, hairdresser; 1 mah jongg; 1:30 p.m. Wii Bowling; local shopping.

Trips

Sept. 13-15: Boothbay HarborSept. 14: Rock and Roll at Villa BiancaOct. 4: “Putting on the Ritz”Oct. 11: Friesians of MajestyOct. 12: OktoberfestNov. 9: Salute to our veterans

Senior News

Spotlight

Friday, Sept. 2Farmers’ market — Held Fridays through Oct. 21, 3-6 p.m., Mon-

roe Green near Town Hall. Available are Connecticut-grown fruits, vegetables, farm-raised meats, and homemade baked goods. Activities include a children’s coloring station in the gazebo; Market Master Sue Muro, 203-520-9449 or monroefarmersmarket.org.

Cruise night — Classic Nights Car Club’s cruise night, 6:30-9 p.m., Village Square Shopping Center, Route 111. Free and open to the pub-lic.

Wednesday, Sept. 7Movie screening — The film Race to Nowhere, 7 p.m., Masuk High

School auditorium. Race to Nowhere is about the cheating epidemic in schools and ways to help youth handle it. For $10 advanced tickets go to http://rtnmhsamonroe.eventbrite.com; tickets also sold at door for $15. A discussion of the film will follow. Proceeds will to the Masuk Parent Teacher Council.

Friday, Sept. 9Textile sale — Monroe Historical Society holds new, used and vin-

tage fabrics sale, 1-6 p.m., Beardsley Homestead, 31 Great Ring Road. Also Sept. 10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sept. 11, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. There will be linens, craft supplies, yarns, and a barn full of donated items; 203-261-8554 or e-mail [email protected].

Comedy play — Town Players of Newtown, 18 Orchard Hill Road, Newtown, presents Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. It’s 1904 and 25-year-old Albert Einstein runs into 23-year-old Pablo Picasso. Play also runs Sept. 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25. Starts 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets $20 for adults, $10 for children under 10. Reservations at 203-270-9144; details at [email protected].

Saturday, Sept. 10Garden Club — Meets at 10 a.m. at the Plumb Memorial Library,

65 Wooster St., Shelton. Following the business meeting, Barry Bonin of Twombly Nursery in Monroe will present a program “My Favorite Perennials.” Meeting open to the public; call Charlotte at 203-929-1530. Apple festival — St. Peter’s Episcopal Church’s annual Apple Fes-

tival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monroe Green, Route 111, also Sept. 11, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. There will be fresh apples, apple cider, caramel apples, apple crisp, apple pies, craft vendors, plants, children’s activities and a raffle; 203-268-4265, stpetersonthegreen.com.

Masuk ‘61 reunion — Masuk High School Class of 1961 holds its 50th reunion at the Stone Barn; Reunion Committee looking for missing classmates and e-mail addresses of all classmates; contact [email protected] or call 203-611-1061.

Dog owners/lovers festival — Trap Falls Kennel Club’s Respon-sible Dog Ownership Days event, “Applause for Paws,” 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., the Riverwalk, Shelton. Free to the public and leashed dogs. Get how-to’s of training, communicating, health, and feeding of a dog; includes contests, and micro-chipping clinic offered at reduced cost. Attendees are asked to bring pet care items for Presents 4 Pets, an orga-nization for pets in animal shelters.

Sunday, Sept. 11Flag retirement — Sutter-Terlizzi American Legion Post 16 of

Shelton will be holding a flag retirement ceremony at 1 p.m. Persons having flags to be retired may drop them off at the American Legion, 295 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton. A metal red, white and blue flag deposit box is under the front porch of the post.

Thursday, Sept. 15Golf classic — Monroe Rotary Club’s Safe Harbour Golf Classic at

Whitney Farms Golf Course, 175 Shelton Road, with 9:30 a.m. regis-tration. Open to the public and golfers of all levels; format is foursomes. Entry fee is $175 per player, with box lunch, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinner, silent auction and awards. Cost is $50 for buffet dinner only; 203-261-4260.

Friday, Sept. 16“Bourbon, Beer, Cigars” — Fund-raiser to help Project Warmth,

7-10 p.m., Whitney Farms Golf Course, 175 Shelton Road. Includes bourbon, beer, cigars and food. Presented by Washington Lodge No. 19 Fellowcraft Club. Donation of $35; purchase tickets at GlenRo Spirit Shoppe, 487 Monroe Tpke., 203-261-6166.

Saturday, Sept. 17Mines and Mills tour — “Mines and Mills of Old Monroe” tour,

bus departs Monroe Senior Center, 235 Cutlers Farm Road, 9:30 a.m., returns to center at 3 p.m. Tour, open to public, covers six historic sites; participants bring bag lunch. Cost is $10; seniors 65 and older, and students, $5. Event organized by Monroe Historical Society. Par-ticipants can examine relics up close; Ed Coffey, town historian, will provide commentary. Lunch stopover at Twombly Nursery. Register at [email protected] or 203-521-4453 or 203-452-3771.

Baby-sitting training — Students 10-15 years old will learn how to take care of infants and children, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Chalk Hill School. In-structor from Red Cross. Training in decision making, problem solving, handling emergency injuries and illnesses and accidents, and learning the tools of becoming a good role model. Students should bring a snack and/or lunch that does not require refrigeration. $95 residents, $105 non residents; 203-452-2806, Ext. 4.

Sunday, Sept. 18Library concert — Daniel Corr will present an afternoon of clas-

sical guitar music, 2 p.m., Edith Wheeler Memorial Library, 733 Mon-roe Tpke.. Hartford Courant calls Corr “a guitarist for music lovers to catch”; free to public, presented by Friends of the Library.

Karl Witalis, president of the old Monroe Fields and Woods Association, has been elected president of its successor, the Monroe Land Trust and Tree Conservancy.

Other officers elected to the land trust board through April 1 are Aaron McGoldrick as vice president, Deborah Heim as trea-surer, and Marven Moss as sec-retary.

Witalis was empowered to pro-ceed with plans to incorporate the trust as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

organization, which would enable people to receive tax deductions for financial and property dona-tions, among other benefits.

Also approved at a recent land trust meeting was a mission state-ment saying the organization will work “to enrich the quality of life in our community by preserv-ing our tree canopy, open spaces and watersheds while creating opportunities for recreation and study.”

A fee structure was adopted for annual memberships. The cost

will be $15 for regular; $30 for family; any level donation for youth, student and senior; $100 for Trailblazer and corporate; and $300 for Guardian.

Membership is open to any-one interested in contributing to Monroe’s bucolic character and outdoor heritage. The next meet-ing is Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Town Hall.

Learn more from Marven Moss at 203-268-2961, or [email protected].

Witalis becomes Monroe Land Trust president

Karl Witalis

The Trumbull Monroe Health District (TMHD) has the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, available for residents age 60 and older.

The cost is $210, with payment in cash or check. Medicare currently doesn’t cover the vaccine’s cost, but Medicare Part D may par-tially cover the cost.

People should check with their provider prior to scheduling an appointment. A note from a physician is not necessary. Receipts will be provided.

Shingles, also called Herpes Zoster, is a viral infection of the nerve roots. It is a painful rash, often with blisters. The rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and last two to four weeks. The rash appears in a band, a strip, or a small area. A case of shingles usu-

ally heals within a month.About one out of five people will continue

to feel pain long after the rash and blisters heal. This is called postherapetic neuralgia.

The most common and debilitating symp-tom of shingles is pain. Other symptoms include headaches, chills, upset stomach, and sensitivity to light, itching or tingling.

Shingles is most common in adults age 50 or older, people who have medical conditions that weaken the immune system, or people who receive immunosuppressive drugs.

To schedule an appointment or for informa-tion contact Heather Henning, RN, at 203-452-5195. The TMHD is at 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 116, Trumbull (just off Route 111).

Health District has shingles vaccine

The Monroe Social and Senior Services Department is updating its emergency evacuation database for Monroe residents, of any age, with special needs who would require assistance during an emergency or evacuation.

Individuals with special needs would include, but is not limited to, hearing or sight impairment, bed con-finement, wheelchair depen-dent, life support device, use of TDD/TTY, and transpor-tation needs or other con-ditions that would prevent prompt evacuation.

This confidential list is compiled by Social and Senior Services and updat-ed annually, or when cir-cumstances change, and is shared only with the Monroe Emergency Operations Center. Current information will ensure that appropriate services are provided in an emergency or evacuation situation.

For information or to register, call town Elderly Services Coordinator Kimberly Cassia at 203-452-3771, ext. 3.

Town seeksto update

evacuation list

Former Monroe resident and Monroe EMS leader Gregg Barratt has been appointed assis-tant state captain of the Patriot Guard Riders.

The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization provides support ser-vices to veterans and first respond-

ers at the request of families or government agencies. This can take the form of escorts, funer-als, troop send-offs and welcome-home events.

Barratt spent more than 20 years as an active EMT with several vol-unteer organizations, and is a cur-

rent member of the Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Team.

Professionally, he is an assis-tant vice president with Frontier Communications in Stamford. His sons — Grant and Jake Barratt — attend Masuk High School.

Former Monroe resident appointed to volunteer position

Gregg Barratt

The Monroe Rotary Club will present the 16th annual Safe Harbour Golf Classic on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Whitney Farms Golf Course.

The event includes lunch, shotgun start, cocktails, buffet dinner, awards, raffle and silent auction. The fee is $175 per player. Proceeds go commu-nity program grants and schol-arships. Call Phil Lindstrom at 203-459-0031 or e-mail [email protected].

Rotary Club golf classic Sept. 15

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SportsThursday September 1, 2011 A

Monroe Courier

Sports BriefsSunset Run update

Due to Hurricane Irene and surrounding weather, the Sunset Run For the Warriors was postponed until Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3:15 p.m. Registration will carry over to this date and the Kintera site will remain open. Those unable to attend the race on Oct. 9 may consider their registration as a donation or may request a refund. To learn more, visit hopeforthewarriors.org.

Fall skills clinicSudden Impact Basketball Skills Clinic for boys and

girls ages 6-12 will be held Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Parsons Complex gym. The fee is $45. For informa-tion, contact coach Schuler at 203-641-3450.

Boating course offeredThe Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is offering a Safe

Boating & Personal Watercraft course on Sept. 17.Offered in a convenient one-day format, the class is

perfect for new boaters and longtime seafarers who would enjoy a refresher.

Topics include safe and correct boating techniques, navi-gation rules, legal requirements, safety at sea and more.

Completion of the class earns participants a safety cer-tificate required by the state of Connecticut for the opera-tor of any motorboat or sailboat over 191/2 feet..

The class runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $85 per person. Advance reservations are required. Call 203-852-0700, ext. 2206.

Lordship 5K kicks off seasonThe 18th annual running of the Lordship 5K will be held

Saturday, Sept. 10. The USTAT&F certified course is flat and provides both youngsters, teams and traditional cat-egories views of Long Island Sound. Runners will be met at the end of the run by a food fest supplied by Lordship Community Church, the event sponsor.

Teams from local running clubs and high school track teams gather for the beginning of the fall racing season.

Each registered runner receives the traditional Lordship Run-About tee shirt, and trophies are awarded in all classes and categories.

The Kids Fun Run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K race at 9 a.m. Late registration on race day begins at 7:30 a.m. Register through the Lordship Community Church office at 203-377-6568 or call Vivian Caserta at 203-268-1913.

SportsNight tickets on saleTickets for the seventh annual SportsNight awards din-

ner are available at a discounted price until Sept. 16.SportsNight is Monday, Oct. 17 at the Hyatt Regency

Greenwich at 6 p.m.The six new members of the Fairfield County Sports

Hall of Fame will be inducted that evening. The 2011 honorees are: John Bagley (Bridgeport), Bennett Salvatore (Stamford), Joe DeSantis (Fairfield), Ceci Hopp St. Geme (Greenwich), Charlie Bentley (Bridgeport) and the late Albie Loeffler (Westport).

Dinner tickets are priced at $115 and will be raised to $125 after Sept. 16.

Tables of 10 seats are priced at $1,150 and will go up to $1,250 after the 16th.

For more information, call Tom Chiappetta at 203-984-4806, email at [email protected] or visit fairfieldcoun-tysports.com.

NFL bus tripA bus trip is planned for the Dallas Cowboy NFL foot-

ball game with the New York Jets scheduled for Sept. 11.The bus will depart from the Route 8 commuter lot

in Trumbull at 2 p.m. The trip costs $250 and includes Charter Bus transportation, tickets to the game, soft and hard beverages and a tailgate party (drinks, hot dogs, sau-sage and peppers, burgers, pasta and chicken). For further information, visit GoOnTheScene.com.

Baseball lessons availableRoberto Mena, former professional baseball player, is

now at The Batter’s Box in Hamden.With a bachelor of science degree in Exercise Science

and Sports Studies from the University of Tampa, Mena offers strength and conditioning, speed and agility train-ing, fielding and hitting lessons.

Private and group lessons are available.Contact Mena at 203-583-2766 or rmenatraining@yahoo.

com. Find The Batter’s Box at 21 Marne Street in Hamden.

Fourteen practices required before startThe CIAC has received numerous calls from member

schools and the media questioning if the requirement to complete 14 days of mandatory practices prior to first day of competition will be waived or altered.

The mandatory practice day requirement has been in existence for over 30 years and CIAC believes these days of practice are necessary to prepare teams for competi-tion.

Consequently, the only adjustment that will be making to the regulation is to allow schools to count practices held on Sunday toward the required 14 days.

Schools may count both Sunday practices held previ-ously and those to be held from this point forward toward reaching the 14-day requirement.

Sunday practices have always been allowed, but could not be counted towards the requirement.

As always, the holding of Sunday practices will be at the discretion of the local school district.

Any team that has not conducted 14 days of practice prior to its first scheduled game must postpone and reschedule all games until it has satisfied the requirement.

Schools are reminded that rescheduling of postponed games are not subject to weekly limitation rules.

School districts are encouraged to allow teams to con-tinue to practice when it is safe to do so, even if school is not in session.

The CIAC will continue to monitor the situation and assist member schools in their effort to meet the require-ment.

The Monroe Lion defense, led by Nick Lebinski and Peter Cosmedy, shut down Aspetuck offense.(Submitted photo)

The Monroe Lions’ sixth-grade AYF football team picked up where it left off last year, defeating the Aspetuck Wildcats by a score of 33-8.

The Lions are the defending New England champions and were the national runner-up last season. Monroe quickly showed it is a team with many weapons, as five Lion players recorded touchdowns.

Monroe struck early, as its swarming defense — led by Jack Duignan and Nick Lebinski — held the Wildcats offense in check and forced a punt.

Matt Hersch and Ryan Shaw

executed a reverse on the punt, with Shaw catching the punt, running left, and handing the ball to Hersch.

Hersch then raced 52 yards down the right sideline untouched for the Lions’ first score.

Peter Cosmedy, Mickey Zuk and Curtis Swain had key blocks to spring Hersch.

Monroe’s offense was hit-ting on all cylinders, as it ran up a 33-0 lead in the first half.

Hersch, the Monroe quar-

terback, was near perfect, hit-ting on 5-of-6 pass attempts for 151 yards and two touch-downs.

Zuk and Shaw were the recipients of those touchdown throws, as Zuk went for 39 yards and Shaw for 37.

Nick Lorusso hauled in a key fourth-down catch on fourth-and-long to keep a drive going and David Allen hauled in a Hersch pass that went down to the two-yard line.

From there, Allen ran it in for another Lion touchdown.

The Lion running game was also sharp, as it put up 174

yards of offense in the first half alone.

Max Szabo (54 yards), with an eight-yard touchdown run, led the charge.

Also piling up rushing yards were Hersch (20 yards), Shaw (22 yards) and Lebinski (56 yards).

Monroe’s offensive line of center Swain, Cosmedy, Duignan, Sam Nalaboff, Max Mirizio and Cam Falcone were the key to the Lions’ vic-tory according to head coach Steve Christy.

The Lions play host to Norwalk on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Wolfe Park.

Lions wallop Aspetuck in openerYouth football

The Connecticut Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame announced its newest members for the Hall’s Fast Pitch Wing.

Players Joe Plagesse and Mary Schneider, along with umpires Joseph Auwood and Ralph Moreo, will be honored at the CASA Hall of Fame awards dinner, Sunday, Sept. 25 at Costa Azzurra Restaurant in Milford at 4 p.m.

The Slow Pitch Wing honor-ees will be announced soon.

Joe PlagessePlagesse, who now resides

in Hammonton, N.J., played for many of the top fast pitch softball teams in the state for over 10 years.

A New Haven area native, he was a pitcher and first base-man for the Raybestos Hawks in Stratford from 1961-63.

He then joined the Waterbury Bombers for two seasons, where he played with his brother Joe, who was inducted into the CASA HOF last year.

A solid hitter with tremen-

dous power, Plagesse con-cluded his career with a two-year stint with the Norwalk Eagles.

He spent his last two sea-sons from 1968-70 with Mar Parks of New Britain.

Mary SchneiderSchneider was a standout

college and summer league player in the 1980s.

She was the starting catcher at the University of Connecticut for four years, and was named three consecu-tive years (1981-1983), to the New England Intercollegiate Softball All Star team.

During her senior year, she was named co-captain of the team, and earned the University Medallion for out-standing athletics-academic achievement.

Schneider was also a two-year starter on the varsity soc-cer team.

She helped the Huskies to a third-place finish nationally in

the 1981 season. During the summer, she

played with the top teams in Fairfield County, starting with leading the Danbury Debs to a state championship in 1980.

She also starred for the Stamford Flames, and finished her fast-pitch career with the Norwalk Mariners.

Schneider played two seasons with the Raybestos Brakettes, both national cham-pionship winning teams in ‘82 and ‘83.

Schneider, who grew up in Sherman and now lives in Orange, also had an accom-plished 10-year slow-pitch career playing in three nation-al tournaments.

Joe AuwoodAuwood has been an ASA

umpire for nearly 30 years working high school, college and ASA games.

On the college level, he umpired Division III games, and also worked in many junior college games and tour-naments in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Auwood was a regular ump doing fast-pitch games involv-ing the Waterford Mariners in the Eastern Women’s FP League.

A Waterford resident, Auwood worked 15 high school state tournament cham-pionships from Class S to LL.

He has also served as the NFHS and ASA rules inter-preter for the Eastern CT Board of ASA Umpires.

Ralph MoreoSixty years have gone by

since Moreo first put on a mask and became an umpire, under the tutelage of Bernie Iassogna, the legendary Bridgeport-area umpire.

Moreo worked Raybestos Brakettes and Cardinals games, and also umpired in ASA regional tournaments in Vermont and at Raybestos and Penders fields in Stratford.

The Bridgeport resident also did college and high school games.

He still active doing slow-pitch games for the Trumbull Slow Pitch ASA League.

ASA selects fast-pitch HOF members

The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame has selected six sports figures into its three wings.

The Hall of Fame, which is overseen by the Fairfield County Sports Commission, Inc., will honor the newly elected Hall of Famers with an induction ceremony at the Commission’s 7th annual Sports Night awards dinner, Monday, Oct. 17 at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. With the six new inductees, the Hall of Fame has now recognized 45 county sports legends.

Two Hall of Famers were selected in each of the three HOF Wings: Jackie Robinson Professional, James O’Rourke Amateur and J. Walter Kennedy Community Service. In the professional category, the new inductees are John Bagley (Bridgeport)) and

Bennett Salvatore (Stamford).The amateur wing selections

are Joe DeSantis (Fairfield) and Ceci Hopp St. Geme (Greenwich).

Community service win-ners are Charlie Bentley (Bridgeport) and the late Albie Loeffler (Westport).

With four of the honorees being recognized in the sport of basketball, it is the first time in the Hall of Fame’s history that there has been that number of recipients for the same sport in one class of inductees.

Bagley played 11 seasons in the NBA, the first five with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made him their first draft pick and the 12th overall in 1982.

When the 6-foot point guard was traded to the New Jersey Nets in 1987, he left as the Cavs’ all-time and single sea-son assist leader, as well as

averaging a team record 9.4 assists in 1985-86.

The Harding High great played two seasons with the Nets, averaging a career-high 12.0 points per game in his first year, and then spent three years with the Boston Celtics before ending his career in Atlanta in 1993.

He sat out the entire ‘90-91 season due to injury, and aver-aged 8.7 points and 6 assists for his NBA career.

A member of the Boston College Hall of Fame, Bagley played three years for the Eagles, twice averaging more than 20 points per game.

As a sophomore in 1981, he led BC to the Big East regular season title and the NCAA Sweet 16, earning Big East Player of the Year honors.

Bagley, inducted into the New England Basketball Hall

of Fame in 2004, helped the Eagles reach the NCAA Elite Eight in his junior campaign.

Heading into his 30th year as an NBA referee, Salvatore is one of the premier offi-cials in pro basketball. He has worked 25 NBA Finals games, 228 playoff games and over 1,650 regular season games.

The Stamford Catholic graduate began his NBA offi-ciating career in 1981, after spending two years working in the CBA and 10 years of high school basketball.

Salvatore has two All-Star game credits (1993 and 2002) on his resume, and worked international tournaments for the NBA in Germany (‘93), Mexico (‘97) and China (‘04).

A three-sport scholastic ath-

Softball

New class set for Sports Night induction

- see Sports Night on page 10A

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lete, Salvatore was an all-state quarterback in 1967. He is the son-in-law of the late NFL Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli, also a Stamford native

DeSantis was one of Fairfield University’s all-time great bas-ketball players.

A four-year letterman from 1975-79, he completed his collegiate career with 1,916 points, then the school’s all-time leading scorer and now currently second. He aver-aged 18.4 points per game for his career and his 667 assists are also second on the Stags’ career list. In the 1977-78 sea-son, DeSantis led the Stags to one of their best seasons ever with a 22-5 record and an NIT appearance.

He was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the sec-ond round of the 1979 NBA Draft before playing in Venice, Italy, for one season.

The Bronx, N.Y. native com-pleted his professional play-ing career in the Continental Basketball Association.

In 2004, DeSantis was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Tolentine High gradu-ate also had an accomplished coaching career with 26 years of Division I experience.

He played a crucial role in elevating the Quinnipiac pro-gram from the Division II level to a respected Division I mid-major during his 11-year stint as head coach.

The Trumbull resident kept

close ties with his alma mater, gaining his first coaching experience as an assistant at Fairfield from 1981-88 and is now the radio color commenta-tor for Stags basketball games.

One of the best female dis-tance runners in U.S. history, Hopp St. Geme has been a top level competitor for more than 30 years.

She made her name as a scholastic star at Greenwich High, winning the National Cross Country championship in 1980 and following up with a National title in the 3,000 meter run as a senior.

She still owns four FCIAC outdoor records and two state milestones.

Hopp St. Geme continued her success as a collegian at Stanford, by winning the NCAA 3,000 run as a fresh-man in 1982 with a time of 8:57, still an American Junior record.

In 1992 & 1996 she qualified for the Olympic Trials in three events, while winning the USA Track & Field national cham-pionship in the 5,000 meters event in 1994.

Hopp St. Geme, who graced the cover of Runner’s World magazine seven times, remains one of the top female Masters runners and is active in 5K runs. She has been the assis-tant cross country and track coach for the past nine years at Corona del Mar High in Newport Beach, Ca.

For 33 years, Bentley has been the head coach of one of the country’s top high school basketball programs at Harding High, where he coached 2011

FCSC Hall of Famer John Bagley.

During his tenure the Presidents have made 14 state title game appearances, win-ning nine championships, including five straight from 1983-87.

He also has won 16 confer-ence crowns, 11 in the MBIAC and five FCIAC. His total of 645 victories is second all-time in the state.

Bentley’s accomplishments have been recognized numer-ous times in his illustrious career, including being named to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), awarded a Gold Key by the state sports writers’ alliance (2007) and election to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association HOF (2009).

He also was the long-time cross country coach at Harding.

Loeffler was the legend-ary soccer coach at Staples High, but his impact on soccer there and across the country was more than just as a mere coach.

Loeffler came to Staples in 1952 and originally coached basketball (12 years), baseball (11 years) and track because the Westport school did not have a soccer team.

He founded the program in 1958 and shaped it over his 20 years as head coach into one of the nation’s finest. When he retired in 1978, he had amassed a then national high-school record 314 wins and was twice named National Soccer Coach of the Year.

Sports Night –Continued from page 9A

Five swimmers from the Shelton Monroe swim team recently competed in the International Age Group Meet in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The swim-mers who participated are (front row l-r) Michael Riina, Simona Visinski and Gracie Gustinis; (back row) Emma Baker, coach Dan Zeek and Kanu Caplash.

(Submitted photo)

Locals compete in Florida

10A

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15A


in her hand.“It’s my favorite kind of

food here,” Shannon said recently at the St. Jude Italian Festival. She also was looking forward to getting on the Zero Gravity ride again.

“I’m really hungry,” said Alexandra, adding the annual festival is a great chance to see everyone from her class at school before the end of sum-mer. “You run into everyone you know here,” she said.

On Friday night, the Italian Festival was packed. People patiently waited in line to get their pizza fritta (fried dough), eggplant parmigiana, sausage and peppers grinders, and fried calamari.

The lines also were long for many rides, with parents joining their young children in anticipation. Lots of teenagers were hanging out together, rel-ishing the nice summer night.

Patricia Majewski of Monroe was helping to run the raffle ticket booth. For $5 a ticket people could win a trip to Disney World, Apple iPad or flat-screen TV. Sales were brisk.

“It’s going well because we have great prizes,” said Majewski, a longtime St. Jude member. “It’s a great way to support the parish.” Proceeds benefit capital projects at the church and parochial school.

Majewski has volunteered for 10 years at the festival. “I feel it’s a way to give back,” she said. “The church is here for us, so it’s important that

we do this.”Pat Grasso, standing near

the dining tent, was admiring all the people at the event.

“It’s fantastic,” Grasso said. “There are so many people and families here. I like the music, the porchetta, and the broccoli and cavatelli in garlic sauce.”

This was the 21st year for the festival, which had to be cut one night short this year because of the hurricane. It went from Aug. 24 to 26, and included rides, food, music, games of chance and skill, and 50/50 raffles.

“It’s like a big Italian cook-out in the backyard,” said Pete Lucia, festival chairman and longtime St. Jude parishioner. “It’s about family, food and fun.”

Italian –Continued from page 1A

Above: Youngsters on a ride at last week’s St. Jude Italian Festival. Below: A fam-ily getting some thrills on another ride at the festival. See more festival photos at MonroeCourier.com. (Photos by Wayne Ratzenberger)

16A

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16A

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