The Observer - Southington Library and Museum

Page 8 LIVIN
Trio off r s musical montage
by C.S. Degener
staff r /te
For an hour Sunday at the First
Congregational Church three musSclans,
calling themselves Montage.
eve a sedate tapestry of song befitng
of their name.
Their program, which consisted
most entirely of original composins,
combined elements of chamber
•' sic with some improvisation in a
,ix the pianist, Tom Schmutzler,
"reed impressionistic and New Age.
Pe.-haps the most novel piece ,was
Ice Within the Turtle," written by
Sehmutzler and Peter Wortman. who.
except for this song. played the oboe
and English horn.
" On this somewhat melancholy
Music
REVIEW
ng. Wortman coaxed the Far Eastern-flavored
melody from a clay. toy
¢m'tle he had purchased in Mexico.
The reptile repllca proved to be a
instrument, as Wortman's em-
I uchure squeaked notes a tad fiat a
Nevertheless, the diversity was a
welcome relieL for if Montage has a
flaw. it's the over-reliance on Woriman's
double-reed instruments to
color the sound and carry the compositions.
Christopher Pegls" cello was
largely employed for harmonic purposes
and brief rhythmic passages.
Rarely was it given the spotlight.
Even the piano took a back seat to
the woodwinds, as Schmumler's role
seemed primarily to provide backdrop
arpeggios.
Yet, fans of so-called New Age
music -- which Schmutzler acknowledged
was a grab bag term for songs
that aren't exactly Jazz or classical -
may appreciate the cascading
chordal work that underscored
seemingly every Montage song. A er
all. it has a soothing effect, which is
one of the hallmark's of this genre.
Other memorable compositions
were Wortman's "Flight of the Pengum,"
whose melody evoked images
of the waddling polar bird, and "Voyage
to the Pleiades," whose composer
was r yt r ¢-l spiece,
Schmutzler made use of minor
chords to create an atmosphere that
would have been perfect for sei-fl
film shots of spaceships Irifting
through the void. At other times, he
also played a rap d, two-note motif,
which suggested the twinkling of
st rs.
About 40 people attended the
-performance. held in the chapel of
the church.
Husban< aavertises his love
by l arbara Pierce
for,,The Observer
: ome women mighl wistfully call
hi an incurable romantic, but AI Urso
Jr modestly claims he s "Just kind
of 6reative" when it comes to declaring
. ] eir edding two years ago In¢lud,ed
a ride in a horse-drawn buggy, and
was only a small indication of romance
to come Last year for their anniversa_ry,
Urso surprised his wife with a
dozen roses, followed by a limousine
ride to the "Bee and Thistle Inn" in Old
Lyme - billed by Connecticut Magazine
as "simply Connecticut's most romantic
restaurant."
• .Coming up with something Just as
rm aniic the second year might have
st mped some men. but nol Urso The
billboard message had occurred to h m
as he was looking over "the ve ' large
armivers wy cards You know. the kind
for seven dollars or more," said Urso
"_'.And [ thought, why not get her he
"Announce your
engagement
and wedding
in The Observer
zn your .area
are paying
too much for
homeowners
nsurance.
Fred out why many
eowners are switching
to Alistate It s easy
John Frame, .n,
76 No. Ma n St
$outhtngton
628-0919
€
largest card of all?" he said
Once he made his decision, Urso
got to work with the arrangements for
the billboard message He selected a
billboard on Rte I0, Plantsville. mainly
for ts avmlability
"Fhi're is a billboard right near our
house." Urso said. "but it was booked
up until January."
HavEng the billboard farther from
their home actually turned out to Ur
so's advantage As their annlvcrsar'y
drew near, Mrs Urso had difficulty repressing
her curiosity over the gift
promised by her husband She began
to ask for some klnd of hint
Urso admits he tried to throw her
off-track, without being d shonest.
"I told her it was m a different
town," Urso said. "Well, it was
Plants aile, not Southington "
Tuesday, October 17. was their anniversary.
On Monday. the billboard
was _up, and Urso told his wife they
THE
See HUSBAND, page 9
Happy
OBSERUF-R,
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1989
women's club is a driving force in town
by MarJorie Low
for The Observer
A driving force in perpetual motion
aptly describes the Southtngton Junior
Women's Club. With a mere 20 members.
their past. preseut m d future accomplishments
are staggering.
Nancy MastriannL president, and
Jeanne Boulay, vice president, work
closely with six other board members
from start to finish on each project.
"We work very hard and are proud
of our accomplishmems," says Mastrianni.
"Many are spu] of the moment,
such as Blood Mobile Day, when the
Red Cross requested 300 sandwiches.
At election time we always help out
with civic Jobs."
Ongoing projects have been "Bread
for Life" to which members donated
food for St Paul's meals program, one
Thanksgiving Basket each year for a
needy family in town. the Children's
Fair on the Green every June and the
Book a Baby Program Each time a
member has a baby a book is donated
to Southlngton Library m the name of
the new baby.
Plans are underway for a 25th-year
celebration for June 199 . There are 72
membership ranging Item six to I00 in
the various towns.
Seventy- to eighty percent of Junior
Women's Club members throughout
the state hold full-tmw positions and
still find the me to volunteer energy
and deas. Basically a service-orlented,
charitable organization, the club also
instigates new pro.]eds, to benefit the
commumty at large.
Friends of the L brary, one group
instituted by the Club. s thnwng And,
m 1983 the member ofJWC presented
an idea to the Souihmgton Police
Department to fingerprint all school
children as a precaunon against kidnapping
and other crunes against children
Junior Women s Club members
were trained by the Pol ce to use exact
methods of finger-printing This was
mlplemented town-w de at no cost.
The club has donated funds 9 I. €
Police Dept.. the Firb Dept.. arid-the L|b
-ary A TV and VCR were also donated
to the Library.
In June 1989 they contributed
$100 to the All Night Senior Prom at
Southington High School. Town merchants
participated in this event by do-
Any school
or coflege
news?
Call The
Observer,
621-6751.
Board members from the Junior Women's Club include, from left to right,
President Nancy Mastrianni, Vice-President Jeanne Boulay. Program Chairperson
Apres McLaughlin, Secretary Anne Timko Baldwin, and Home Life Chairperson
Carolyn Donlon.
nating cars and televisions and other
prizes to Students Against Driving
Drunk (SADD). Some Junior Women's
Club members gave their time to operate
the gaming tables or chaperone the
event.
Joyce Anisman Saltman, a national
lectqrer, is being featured by the club
on Oct. 27th at Southington High
School in "Laughter RX for Survival."
sing carols at Domlcus Amoris in
Plalnville, a home for multl-handlcapped
children. Every May they give
these same children a Happy Birthday
Party. It is everyone's birthday on the
same day.
Every two years, a State Project
Fund-Raiser is chosen by the Junior
Women's Club of Corm From June
1988 to June 1990, the project is "Spe-
Tiffs is a fund-raiser for a $500 schoI: cial Wishes fo 5 terminally ill c hTI:a
- a lly-t - dre to-b rm'rted 3 w sffe -fr E flu[Is
graduate of any high school, technical
or trade school.
"We hope to increase the scholarship.
or possibly awm'd two," said Mas-
The Children's Fair on the Green,
which takes place every June, offers
games, crafts, food and entertainment.
Proceeds also go to the annual scholarship
award.
For Christmas 1988, the Junior
Women's Club supported Mothers
Against Driving Drunk (MADD) by cutting
and distributing red ribbons for
residents to tie onto their autos. Currently
they are cutting ribbons for
SADD for the upcoming holidays.
"Seat Belt Safety Buckle Bear," another
JWC safety program, has been
taught at local nursery schools to presehoolers.
The Juniorette Club, which is for
JWC members ages nine to eighteen.
supplies woman-power every Spring at
the Arts and Crafts Show fund-raiser at
DePaolo Junior High School. The young
members also assist at the Children's
Fair on the Green.
Each Christmas the 18 Juniorettes
Brady's Kitchens c&. Bathrooms
Enoch Brady, C.K.D.
! r eg # I[133 6
, Kall Anytime
'"' Kitchens ,,
• Designs Dedgn Idem St°It Herell
it tokes skilled craftsmen to install the above Now ll lre'l o bCllhtub thor
We hove them. turnl on the Ilghtl, lunsl In
to Disney World.
Members of all 72 clubs interview
the children whose names are submitted
by their doctors or families Club
members interview the children and
bring a Special Wishes Stuffed Bear.
trademark of the program, to each patient.
Governor O'Neill has desigrmted
October as Special Wishes Month.
Over the years other two-year pro-
Jsets have been directed at the handicapped
(a van was donated) and the
University of Connecticut Children's
Cancer Fund, for which they donated
equipment for bone marrow transplants.
The JWC also made donations
toward the Walk A Then for Juvenile
Diabetes, held Oct. 14.