Owner ,plans to reopen care - Southington Library and Museum

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PAGE 6 PINI An :ndependent newspaper, open to all parties, nfluenced by none Pubhshed by T e Step Saver, Inc. EDITORIALS Is this another beginning? The great fear about a tumor is that t is malignant If it's caught soon enough, it can be fixed Doctors have been telling us that for years. With malignancy, however, comes an even greater fear - the cancer has spread. It gets into the bodys inIrastructure and re-surfaces somewhere else. When that happens, doctors often give the patient hTfle hope Chemotherapy is possible Last month developers toppled a structure along Queen Street that many residents considered a malignancy m Southmgton .Mr Lucky's. a bar that featured toples. danOng and became during its Instory a reputed haven for drug dealers and prostitutes, crumbled R - ldents standing nearby applauded as the irdamous nightclub folded into falling th:nbe s and dust. It was over, they thought The cancer was excised, and the town had taken a giant step toward sooal health Almost three years ago another structure met its fate during Halloween eve A truck smashed into the corner of the Thunderbird West Ca[e on Mount Vernon Road. sending the establishment, also of some ill acclaim, into a timely death And dead it has stayed Plans are afoot, however, to resurrect the Thunderbird, and at least one neighbor has express l due concerns about the maneuver to reopen the old bar, once a hangout for bikers, where lunch patrons could sit and watch their favorite stag film while indulging m a cheeseburger and a pickle The town planner has said that. in his opinion, reopening the Thunderbird West Cafe is extremely unlikely Cafe owner Joseph Salvatore has a different opinion. Salvatore said the town is not playing fair by denying his application to re-build the decaying structure, and he added. "I'm going to reopen it." At least Salvatore is up front about his retentions But we question whether Selvatore should ever be allowed to reopen the Thunderbird West under any cir eu mtance . The sa'ucture stands in a ¢esidenUal zone. And though SalvattLre .ban expressed interest in operating a "counu-y style restaurant', the history of the establishment might speak better Nothing substantiated links Mr Lucky s and the Thunderbird West Care - only that they'ce both gone - ouly that they could re surface. Consider this editorial a little chemotherapy We all know chemotherapy doesn't always worl . But we can't outlaw cancer - or can weo R.Q. What is affordable? Remember when catchup was termed a vegetable and considered a sultable sidedish for the federally funded school lunch program, during the Reagan Well those good old days are back A proposed condominium project for land in the rear of the Caldor Village shopping center was termed "affordable" by the developer's attorney m ins defense of the plan. The units, situated on quarter-acre plots, will range in price from $160.000 to $180.000 each. The Porsche and Ferrarl are affordable cars too. in this context "affordable" is a relative term. RelaUve. that is. to the area. the average sale price of a home in town and the average annual family income. according federal department Housing and Urban Development [HUD) guild HUD will insure a mortgage through a private lender if the potential buyer and home meets these requirements and don't exceed total monhay debt lirmts In Hartford County. of which Southington is a part. the average family earns $45.500 a year "['he median price of a home is around $155.000 So what's affordableo John Ertle. who works in HUD's Hartford office explained that the figure varies with every applicant. Their program is aimed at helping low to moderate income families trying to get out of the rent cycle The maximum limit for a mortgage under this program is $I01.250. he sa d. adding. "we feel it's low. very low for here in Connecticut." Applications for the mortgage program have been brisk. he said. but most of the applicants are looking into condominiums, very few houses. So what's affordable? The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has similar guide lines with higher limits. A new or existing home m Hartford County can not exceed $122.000. or $134.000 in New Bntaln. said Carol Montesi. a spokesperson for the seff-suslaining stale agency. Income limits are $37.000 for a single adult and $48.000 fr a family of four or more. she added. Clearly. affordable no longer means housing for those in our society who need it as a matter of shelter instead of life style Over the years the definltion has become warpped like a beam of light passing through a prism. • To term a $160.000 to $180.000 home "affordable" is offensive to those fam- Ilies struggling to make ends meet. As much so as catchup being called a vegetable during the Reagan years N THE FROM A WOMAN'S V EW OBSi IVER THURSDAY, AUGUST 17. 1989 Congress should heed its own restraints Before adjourn tng to go home for the August recess. Congress werked at a fevered pace to complete its most .t basic function passing legislation to fund everything' the federal govern ment will spend money on m FlseaJ Year 1990. which begins on Octob " 1 From the Trideni submarine patrolling the North Atlantic to the stapler that sits on the desk of an IRS agent m Spokane. Washington. the federal government spends money m a mindboggling number of ways each year. And of course. Congress must annually approve funding to pay for ts own operations, which have come under increasing public serutmy For fiscal 1990. legislative branch operations will cost about $2 1 billion, though 40 percent of that amount funds non-congressional offices like the General Accounting Office. a respected watchdog over government programs, and the Government Printing Ofrice. which provides mdlions of valuable publications to Americans each year The actual operations of Congress itself are budgeted for $1 3 billion next year. or about $5 34 per cn en, which doesn't sound hke such a bad deal When the House recently considered next year's funding for the legislative branch, however. It blithely gave itself a whopping 10.6 percent increase - despite previous agreement with the White House that overall spending increases w uld be hdd to 4.5 percent. An amendment was offered to scale hack this selfindulgent largess to the 4 5 percent level and would have -saved" $97 million. Alas, the heroic amendment, which I supported and assumed would be suc- Meanwhile, the llouse leadership boasts of its success m holding the line on Congress s own budget, but to many of us who oppose their steady stream of budget antics, such action cleaHy represents fadure What's -successful" about Congress giving itself a l0 6 percent increase when federal spending overall is limited to a 4 5 percent increase? The double standard m outrageous and irresponsible Just think of what could have been done with that $97 mllllorL It would cover the amou_u_t appropria_ted in 198 for all programs under the McKlnney Homeless Act. which has been underfunded every year since its enactment. Or t could fund nearly half of the budget of the National institute on Aging. which is responsible for research on geriatric diseases such as Alzhelmer's. At the very least, it could be used in - yes - reduce the deflcifl Congress's reluctance to trtm $97 million from its own budget - saying, in effect. "we've cut all we can" - is a microcosm of the natinn's paralysis tn making the decisions needed for real progress on the deficit. Congress resembles the American people as a whole, who claim to r nt deficit reduction but are reliably reluctant tO see their own favorite spending Despite the persistence of $I00 billion-plus federal deficits, our society has yet to grasp the urgency of problem or the inherent coniradicUon of our own individual views Each year's inaction enlarges the problem like a snowball rolling down a hill. And each $100 million cut that falls only gives that snowball a little more momentum It would take over 1.000 amendmerits cutUng $100 million each ta solve the deficit. While there is no quirk and easy solution, if Congress is gotng to it is s rious about deficit reduction, it should have started with Its own budget and cut that $97 million. U S Re/:) Nor 'y Johnson (R-6/h D ) s a regular contnbutor to 1"he Observe poge Primaries are state's real story Several municv city. near bankruptcy and a feud amoag and. ff it remains broken, the city will pal mayoral prl maries will be the focus of political attention this ),ear They will offer elec tlon-watchers the only game in town until next year's gubernatorial and statewade elections Deme.craUc pn-nar,es m New Haven. Bridgeport and X ,hterbury will be getting specml atte uon from Democrats and Republicans because of the personahues revolved - and the s e of the cines The race to succeed New Haven Mayor Bmgio DtLleto has been on ever since DiLlelo announced hm retlrement The city could eleel its first black mayor, state Sen John C Darnels. who announced his candidacy earlier this year But the Democrats d dn t endorse Inm The endorsed candidate is John DeStefano. a D L eto rode Another contender for the job is Cohseum Director James Penllo A September pnmary will decide the issue The winner of that primary is expel'ted to be New Haven's next mayor Repubhcans also anticipate a primary. between Alderwoman R berta Pooley. and Tobm H tt. a lawyer. But in this city where Democrats enjoy a huge lead over reglslered Republicans. the Democratic primary usually constitutes the mayoral election In Bridgeport. Connecticut's largest By Susan Strand Democrats could hand Republicans a mayoral victory in November Mayor Thomas Bueei was endorsed again, but he may face as many as seven challengers on primary day Buccl and Bridgeport had to turn to the General Assembly fro: a $35 mdllon bailout to keep the oty fi-om going under The city's financial mess has hun the two-term incumbent. If tile Democrats bleed enough, the Repubhcan nominee. former mayor Leonard Paoletta. could win and put Bridgeport in the GOP column Bueei m F htmg for his polincal life The fact thai Ins opposition includes two Democratlc state representatives and a former Democratic mayoral candidate underscores a peree|ved vulnerability In Waterbury. Democrats are the underdogs Republican Mayor Joseph J Santopletro was first elected m 1985 in an upset wctory over former Democratic Mayor Edward Bergin Santopletro is favored to repeat this year Waterbury's other, the inside fighting Is far from over. That is an asset for Republicans. Waterbury Democrats have nominated a surprise candidate, state Rep. Elizabeth Brown. Her nomination has not brought peace to the feuding Democrats. She faces a primary challenge from Antony Casagrande. a corporation counsel under former Mayor Edward Bergin Waterbury's Democratic Party is in shambles continue to offer safe haven for Santopletro If Republicans pull off a victory in Bridgeport and retain the Waterbury mayor's office, state Republican leaders will promote those victories as a sign that the GOP Is on the comeback trall as it heads into the 1990 election. Other towns and cities- In New Britain. whose politicians may have invented the primary, incumbent Democratic Mayor William J. McNamara was denied his party's endorsement He will challenge the endors :l candidate. Donald J DeFronzo McNamara has been down that road before. The man who has been New Britain's mayor for more than a decade can avoid an ambush by winning the primary Bristol Mayor John J Leone Jr. appears to be headed for a fourth-term victory He faces a primary from Lynn Rossk a former councilwoman in search of a following Republicans in Bristol were saved from embarrassment when Rosemary Nesei-Benolt stepped forward to be their last minute candidate. Former Mayor Frank Longo is a petitionLng candidate. Leone could lose if Democrats fall asleep or leave town. In all of these munlclpallties, the primary looks like the main event. The dec- Ion looks llke an aftermath. A ma=i=r6 of exercising our power At then" recent annual convention the members of the National Organization for Women called for the formation of a third political party one that would address the needs of women The National Women's Political Caucus recently held its annual meeting and the focus was on electing pmchoice women candidates Starting a third party isn't the answer to the pobtlcal dlsenfranchtsement of women, neither ts the old time concept of putting in long years on the envelopestuffing lines to earn your credentials so that you might have a chance to into the upper echelons of political power. The first concept wall fragment our efforts. The issue is not only repreductlve fi'cedom, but also the femlnlzanon of poverty, addressing the InaBequactes of day care. the providing of adequate health care to all our citizens and the establishment of peaceful negotiations instead of warmongering. These are issues that are of concern not only to women, but tO all people who care about the well-being of other people. The second concept, of long yea of internship in order to build credibility. simply not acceplable because It takes too long and it. also. perpetuates the male domination of the political parties. Women must learn to recognize their talents and the value of their intelligence and knowl- as narrow as it may sound. Those people edge. who support the r aoval of our freedom of This is not gained while stuffing envelopes It Is gained from observing the ebbing and flowing of political fortune. from being attuned to the undercun'ents of meaning of statements by the electorate` and from relying on intuition when mak- Ing certain campaign decisions. Most of this Is foreign to the male segment of our population, and particularly to those In power within the political parties We must first value our talents and then insist that they be recognized and utilized within the parties of our choice. We must begin to question the potential candidates and insisi on nominating those that will represent feminist and humanist interests. Even when not active in a political pan'y, we must also begin to show our political power by speaking up and asking those tough questions of the candidates. The compulsory pregnancy people do not have any difficulty with this concept: but until the recent Supreme Court ruling. most pro-Iffers have not been very vocal. It is time for us to show the candidates that we really ate In the majority and that we vote. It Is time for us to show the candidates that. while we prefer not to vote on a single Issue. we will not support a candidate who does not support our fight to reproductive freedom. This statement is not choice, frequently also advocate the removal of other freedoms as well. They obvlously do not view women as fully functlanlng human beings, but as a membex of the species who's biology is their destiny. All people who believe that the decision to have an abortion is one that is extremel'y persanal, who believe that It is inappropriate to forte one group's religious belief onto an unwilling recipient, must begin to be visible and vocal. We must seize this opportunity io show the extent of our numbers so that candidates will understand that It would be politically mere advantageous to their careers to be prochoice. We must back those candidates up at the poles We cannot ask them the Important questions and then not support them with our votes. The time for action is now Forming a third political party is not the answer. Becoming vocal and visible, asking the hard questions, insisting on the right answers and backlng the candidates up with our financial support and our votes will Insure that our freedom of choice will remain intact and that other Issues that we consider to be Important will be addressed. Suson Sfrand Is a free lance columnist who lives in Torflngton
THE OBSERV R, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 19,89 M The coming of the harvest is now "The Comlnl of the Harvest Now is th name of a song wrote severs years ago on a night much like the ones we've experienced late- It was late summer. It was damp and muggy. The moon was full and big in the sky. The changing weather ushered a sense of urgency and reflection to Ufe. It seemed automatic to check for growth. ARer all, if the garden was changhng, weren't we all? Not that long ago, the kids lovingly planted annuals, and threw pumpkin and marigold seeds upon the ground. The tiny ,g pe leaves were tightly wound with a slim chance of every unwinding to fill the patio with green. With barely a blink of the eye. cherry tomatoes are ripe on the sprawling plants. The grape leaves hide their plump, purple fruit. The bright orange flo ,ers have given way to miniature pumpkins. Heavy stalked gladioli tilt their flowers down to the ground. "What happened to the summer?" [keep asking myself j 'lend Sally Rlnald/ had a theory that the end of the summer was the right time to check for growth. She explained how she set goals for her children in the summer. One yem- her 5 year-old daughter practiced tieing her shoes. By September she mastered the task. I like to check for growth too. This year it's occurred from the ankles down. Each of the children has outgrown perfectly good leather shoes, waiting for the summer to end. Three pairs of cheap canvass shoes show the wear and tear of a season too. They are ready for the garbage. I'm not certain at this point a sudden flurry of activity would y/eld few if any. changes before fall. The book I hoped one child would read is not yet dog-eared. The other daughter read an assigned book and then realized she would not be taking the class. "You mean I read it for nothing? How depressing." she remarked. You see. it had not been a book of choice. A few summers ago. realizing the girls had spent all their vacatlon money early. I offered a $2 a book incentive deal. Seventy dollars later. I knew it was a poor decision. But that was then. At mld-August it is too late to set reading goals. I admit, l've read only one book this summer. "P pa. My Father: A Celebration of Dads" by Leo Buscaglla. Instead,l've worked in a frenzy trying to complete two manuscripts. Both are children's books looking for a publisher. Always in the back of my mind are the lyrics of an impatient song, "The Coming of the Harvest." I'd like to make a banner of that phrase for church. I'm not certain I'll complete that or any of the other tasks I've procrastinated about these last few months. I'm not about to measure growth beyond the garden. But I keep humming are the words to that song, "The days are short. The night Is soon upon us. The coming of the harvest Is now." EN PAGE Taking a spin Stanley Zolynsky, of Sun City, Fla., enjoyed an afternoon in Recreation Park recently ith his grandmm John Ireland, of Plantsville. # h , When it's more than just kids' I got into enterprise at an early age. I invented a scheme with my friend Arnie, and together we renovated an area of the old barn be- " hind our house. We built cupboards and shelves and a counter, and we used blocks of wood for stools. And we opened Dick & Arnie's on a shoestring'. We printed up fliers - "Dick & Arnie's. now open for business, and serving the best food on our road Come one, come all Breakfast 5 cents. Supper I0 cents. Closed for lunch, so you'll have to get your own. Fish fry Tuesday." With that. Dick & Arnle's became a functioning, viable establishment cut into the back of my father's barn. It had a country atmosphere and a downhome flavor. Arnie and I made sure the chickens stayed off the counter, and we nailed up cardboard so diners couldn't see Grunt, the yearling porker being fattened for slaughter. And though evidence of Grunt's close proximity did drift in thick, eye-watering clouds through the dining room, diners never did pretest. The grand opening was to be the fish fry on Tuesday, and Tuesday morning at sunrise, Arnie and I headed down to the creek below the barn to Dear Senator Liebc mm: I am a single. 57 year old professional with over 30 years of corporate experience. But due to the recent sale of the corporation I currently work for, I was forced into early retirement. I don't want to retire! I want to work, and yet. when I complete Job applications, inevitably the age factor rears Its ugly head. Please exercise your effort, expertise and position to be a voice for middle age Amerleans who have vast experlence, loyalty, hard-working ethics and years of experience. We're mlddle-aged and qualified profesalonalsl snag the main course The best fishing had always been just down stream from the point where the barnyard runoff entered the creek Catfish and chubs were a plenty. We caught eight catfish and a pailful of chubs, and we set out to skin them and clean them behind the barn. Everything was h deed grand - and the grand opening promised to be a whopping success. Only a few accoutrements were missing and Arnie and wIth t a pe ' ,y for operating ext43.' ' '(P"te r nfront the accoutrement dilemma We pinched a loaf of bread from my mother's Mtchen. and we pinched a stick of butter, and we pinched salt and pepper, and we ran a hose from the back of the house so our diners could wash down the melt-ln-your mouth dinner we had planned - and to put out any fires that might erupt from our makeshift stove And we borrowed fnat Jars for glasses and plates from a collection Mother had sent to the cellar Arnie cooked the fish to a turn Five diners showed up My brothers Marry and Terry were there, and raved about the meal And two of the Mattson sis ters showed up' and Arnle's brother Paul came late and ate the last of the fish Arnie and I were excited. It had been a success. We grossed 40 cents and an l O U from Paul it looked llke we would escape th some real spend ing money - unnl a spark from our stove lit the barn door on fire and the Age discrimination M . D.F., Sta iford Age discrimination in the work force Is one of the most serious problems facing older Americans and it is an issue that must be addressed by Congress. Senator Howard Metzenbaum (D- OH) has introduced the Age Discrimination in Employment Waiver Protection Act of 1989. This legislation would prevent employers from forcing their employees to waive the rights guaranteed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The bill should come to the Senate floor for a vote in the near future. I am committed to helping older Americans lead the lives they deserve to lead I will support all legislation de signed to eliminate age discrimination Remembertn Pearl Harbor Dear Senator Liebennan: I recently read an article %hich, stated that a proposal was made to dis play a Japanese ubmarine next to the U.S.S Arizona at Pearl llarbor [ was stunncd o. flnd that some mindless government official would even consider th Apparently memoties are short The- Is an insult to all Americans. especially our veterans I sincerely hope you vifl do whatever you can to prevent tht-. , utrage Mr D. .. ltart,ford Dear Mr. D.M.: I agree that tins proposal Is dis tasteful and dls c',pectful The Pearl Ilarbor bombing txrs many emotions both for thoqe v,h remember it. and for those who have been born since t 'ten. We owe our eterans respect and admiration for the service they gave to their nation, not an inconsiderate memorial. [ will contmne to investigate this "proposal and do whatever I can to stop it. barn became filled with smoke. We put out the fire vmh the hose and doused the stove at the same time - and my father came out. pulled from hls easy chair by Grunt, whose squeals erupted in protest to the premature smoking we were giving him. My father wasn't happy about the charred barn door. and he made us pay for the bread and butter and other accoutrements we had pinched. And Just llke some meddling consumer advocate, he closed down Dick & Arnle's the magnificent repast we'd served up: and Arnie and l ended up in the hole after all our hard work. Where's the Justice? That was 30 years ago. and I m wondering how much things have changed While George Bush was extolling the merits of 30,000 Boy Scouts at a jamboree in Bowling Green, V rginla, five kids in a Lebanon, Pennsylvania park were selling phony drugs out of a fishing tackle box. Was It marijuana? No. it was yard clippings. And it wasn't cocaine, but sugar Now, it's safe to say that snorting sugar and smoking dried Kentucky blue grass can't be healthy. But police in Lebanon suspect that the phony drugs weren't sold for actual consumption. It was the "drug deal" that fasclnated these underworld neophytes. Arnle and I promised fish and we de- Ilvered. The restaurant business - well. we did that badly But it was kid's stuff. and that. I think, is the difference. Dear Senator Lieberman: I use the Connecticut mass transit system everyday I believe the buses are entirely too old and allow dangerous fumes to permeate the interior of the bus This endangers the health of all passengers since we are exposed to toxic fumes that make us ill And who knows what the long term effects of inhaling these fumes will be. Mr. J.R., Middletown Dear Mr. J.R.: It's true, that we must not allow our aging fleet of buses to have an adverse effect on the health of the passengers who use them as a primary source of transportation. In recent months. I have been working with the Urban Mass Transit Association flghttng for further funding for the Connecticut transit system. For example. Norwalk recently received more than $2 million to replace Its fleet of buses, addition. I will to restore funding to towns and cities In Connecticut that need similar grants to replace aging transportation systems. ff you hove a quesho ot comment fo' Senator ttebem'K n, you can write to him at this o clress 502 Hart Senate Office 8¢ ngWo, ngt n, D C 20510. aim "Ask Senoto¢ bebe mon " 7 ...And a good time was had by all It was t.hat type of day which, had we planned it for w eks, could not have been more enJ oyable. The impromptu call from one of my brothers on Thursday the third was casual enough: "Maybe we'll take a ride up over the weekend." Sunday morning brought to my door four of my brothers from New York. one brother's fiancee and another brother's one and a half year old son. After making quick work of a dozen Dunkin Donut , my brothers eyed my husband and Issued the challenge for some friendly basketbaU. Not one to sist. Tom took up the gauntlet tossed. My brothers donned the appropriate gear. having come fully prepared for a very casual visit, and a swim somewhere in Southington on an over degree day, Lugging a water Jug. fresh fruit and some tuwela, we all set out for al Park on Woodruff St.reeL My bcothers were notably Impressed by the facility. especially when we explained that Southlngton's recreation areas are open to all Town residents - paid for by taxes. This was a new concept for my them to grasp since all of the "town" beaches, pools and parks on Long Island require an additional fee per family for seasonal use. We quickly staked claim to the entire basketball court at the Park. since no one else was playing in such unrelenting heat. I'd by the ot my way rom the playgrmmd ¢m eral oeeasinns, but didn't reallze how wel/ kept the nets and playing surfaco were. Same with the adjoining termls courts. My husband's and brothers" comlnent8 were the similar. After several games of two-on-two. with the extra man rotating in after each seven point victory land tw toddlers disrupting play at every chancel, we made a circuit of the grounds. My young son and nephew sat to the lltde league bleachers, accompanied by their fathers/uncles leading make believe play-by-play A few minutes of cheering on imaginary teams {very nice playing fields for 11tile lcoguel} and we headed toward the swings, and our u|timate destination: the pools. Memorial Park is really the perfect family facility While my brother's girlfriend denny and 1 waded with the the toddlers in the baby pool, the rest of our group swam and relaxed in the adult area on the other side of the fence. When the young boys w re tired. we spread a blanket and towels under the trees so they could nap. while all around us were Morns. Dads and ktds at picnic tables getting ready to cook on the open grflls. We were not surprised to see several of our neighbors among this crowd. ! can't remember the last time I "hung out" with my younger brothers - certainly not in the past few y ars. Spending the day at Memorial Park was a great way to do this, and it didn't cost us a cent. Peg Donohue writes a weekly column for The Observer on ospects Of life in Soumington The Observer welcomes letters on matters of interest to the Southington community. The Observer's Opinion/Editorial pages are intended to be an open forum for the residents of Southington. Letters must be signed and include address and telephone number for verification. The Observer reserves the right to edit and shorten text. Send letters to the editor to: The Observer P. O.Box 648 Southington, CT 06489
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Page 13 and 14: A touch of class Thursday, August 1
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Page 19 and 20: THE OBSF_.RVER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17

Owner ,plans to reopen care - Southington Library and Museum

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