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Oct 02
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Small Items Make Soldiers’ Day
Guilford Courier – October 02, 2008
Small items that make a soldier’s day are sought by the Guilford VFW Ladies’ Auxiliary. The group hopes to send hundreds of items, from baby wipes to power bars, shampoo to snacks, to Connecticut troops in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
“They can really use the usual items like travel-sized shampoo as well as snacks, puzzle books, and other items to occupy their leisure time,” said Guilford VFW Ladies’ Auxiliary President Gayle Molloy-Barbour.
VFW Donations
Items collected will be sent to Connecticut Army National Guard members deployed from the 1109th AVCRAD (Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot) out of Groton, said Molloy-Barbour.
“The specific unit we’ll be supporting is the 1109th AVCRAD, though we will also be mailing to any deployed local troops we are notified of. If anyone has a friend or family member whom they would like us to mail to, they can contact us to add them to the list,” she said.
Donations can be left at the Guilford VFW building on Mill Road or at Madison Carpet Shop on the Boston Post Road (just over the Guilford/Madison town line). Madison Carpet Shop is operated by the (John) Fonda family, which has teamed with the Guilford VFW to run collection drives for local troops over the past several years.
“I can’t say enough about the Fonda family and their willingness to help the troops and the VFW,” said Molloy-Barbour. “Not only have they done these collections several times, but they’ve also joined our group in going to the West Haven VA hospital to run a recreational bingo game in the Blind Center there. Our veterans could use more families like this one, to give so unselfishly of their time and energy.” (…)
Care package items can be dropped off daily at the Guilford VFW on Mill Road from 1 to 9 p.m. or at Madison Carpet Shop during business hours, 26 Boston Post Road, Madison. To make a donation, checks made out to Guilford VFW Ladies’ Auxiliary can be sent c/o Gayle Molloy-Barbour, 11 Allen Place, New Haven 06512. For more info, call 203-467-2868.
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Aug 30
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Lawyer violated stream protection law, police say
The Daily Freeman – August 30, 2008
Mount Tremper, CT – A Mount Tremper man was arrested after operating a backhoe in a protected stream, despite repeated warnings from state Environmental Conservation Police to cease his activities, police said Friday.
Esopus Creek in Mount Tremper
On Aug. 6, Environmental Conservation Police received a complaint from the Shandaken Town Zoning Office about a backhoe in the Esopus Creek, which is protected by the state, off Plank Road. Police charged Algernon Reese, an attorney, with the misdemeanor of disturbing a protected stream, punishable by up to a year in jail or a $10,000 fine, and released him with an appearance ticket for Shandaken Town Court.
Police received another complaint on Wednesday, and found Reese again working at the stream with construction equipment and a small team of contractors. Police said Reese obstructed Environmental Conservation Officer Vernon Fonda‘s investigation, and was arrested.
Reese was charged with the misdemeanors of obstructing governmental administration, disturbing a protected stream, and violating a general prohibition against pollution. “The charges are pending, and he’s right back there 20 days later,” said Lt. Deming Lindsley. “The blatant disregard for what the law indicates makes us very concerned.”
When Fonda attempted to interview the contractors, Reese prevented him, saying he represented them as counsel and forbade them from speaking to him, Lindsley said. Lindsley said that it appeared that Reese was trying to control the stream and prevent flooding from reaching his property. His property lies in the Esopus floodplain.
“He’s put in concrete barries, built mounds, dug trenches,” Lindsley said. “He’s fighting against Mother Nature.” Lindsley said Reese had been “observed comitting violations” for nearly 10 years, but had used his skills as an attorney to fend off accusations. Reese was arrraigned in Shandaken Town Court and released on $5,000 bail.
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Aug 01
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Meeting shows support for a Prescott Valley YMCA
The Daily Courier – August 01, 2008
Prescott Valley, AZ – A future YMCA presence here enjoys strong support, judging by nearly 80 people who attended a meeting Thursday night in the Civic Center. However, supporters need to form a committee and raise an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 to sustain a new YMCA for three years, said Allan Klinikowski, executive director of the Prescott YMCA. More than 30 people filled out signup sheets expressing interest in hearing from YMCA representatives in Prescott.
Prescott Valley YMCA
The community meets at least one criterion that Klinikowski mentioned at the meeting: a population base of about 25,000 people. Prescott Valley has about 38,000 residents. (…)
“We have to decide who wants to lead the charge, ” Skoog said. He added YMCA supporters could meet in the Civic Center. Some audience members said they had ties with the YMCA dating to their childhoods. They included families, single mothers and senior citizens. At least two women in the audience said they formerly belonged to the YMCA in Prescott and canceled their memberships in part because of gas prices.
Gas prices cost $160 a month for five trips to the YMCA a week from Dewey-Humboldt, said Lynette Schauwecker, a website designer. That is nearly triple what she paid in monthly dues for her family of five. She said she “definitely” would join a YMCA if one came to Prescott Valley.
Ditto for Jennifer Fonda, a single mom who lives in Coyote Springs northwest of Prescott Valley. “And I would do what I could to help,” said Fonda, who is self-employed. YMCA board member Jim Atkinson, a Prescott attorney, said he was “very impressed” with the turnout. “We are very excited to work with this group.”