A8 • Friday, December 30, 2011 PUTNAM VILLAGER P.O. Box 196, Woodstock, CT 06281 TELEPHONE: (860) 928-1818 FAX: (860) 928-5946 WWW.VILLAGERNEWSPAPERS.COM EDITORIAL The year of the storm Well, we made it. If I had one word to use to describe 2011, I would probably use the word “messy.” Think about it — our little area of the country saw a tornado cut a swath into southern Massachusetts, a THE MINOR DETAILS ADAM MINOR FRANK G. CHILINSKI PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER ADAM MINOR EDITOR hurricane/tropical storm wreak havoc, and a freak October snowstorm smashing into our already weary area with a vengeance — and all the subsequent power problems and issues that followed. It certainly was not a year that anybody planned on having. Nevertheless, we look back on 2011, and all the storms, and turn toward 2012, ready (here’s looking at you National Grid and CL&P) for the challenges ahead. The storms are over for now, and rest assured, we will see many more in the days to come, but taking what we learned over the past few months, how can we not be ready now? I remember being in the newsroom in June, staring in horror as footage of the tornado in Springfield, Mass. Sucked up the Connecticut River and headed my way. In the evening hours, convinced I shouldn’t go home as the storm approached. I poked my head out of the front door and gazed toward Sturbridge, watching as the funnel cloud roared its way over Interstate 84, Route 20, and into <strong>Southbridge</strong> and Charlton. The winds were howling, and moving in all directions. Later, I would learn that the cloud I was watching, was, at that moment, tearing up houses and businesses along Route 20, just killed a woman in Brimfield, and caused environmental damage that looked like it was digitally created for a Roland Emmerich movie. I was grateful it moved away from where I was, but prayed hard for the people it did affect and still continues to affect today, nearly seven months later. Then came Aug. 28, two days after bringing my home from the NICU at UMass, after two weeks there, and Irene comes home with him. I can always say to my son that he brought a hurricane (well, technically, a tropical storm) home with him, and maybe that will develop into a nickname? We’ll see. But although the winds were rough, the branches came down, and power went out for a week, we somehow made it through OK. And then, proving once again that everything bad comes in threes, Alfred reared his ugly head, plunging the area, again, into darkness, only this time, the temperature wasn’t as favorable. Many sought shelter elsewhere besides their homes, as heating became a major issue. My family was fortunate to seek refuge with a neighbor with a woodstove, but many families were not so fortunate. Being the editor of a newspaper, I heard so many stories of struggle, not only with staying warm, but with staying fed, as food went to waste, and shelters struggle to accommodate the increasing need. Power companies felt the brunt of everyone’s anger and frustration, whether it was deserved or not. Yet, here we are, at the end of the year, three major storms behind us, and looking dead into the eye of another winter some saying may be even more brutal than last year (as if 2-3 feet of snow wasn’t bad enough last year!). I say all this not to depress my readers, I say it to offer hope to everyone as we enter the new year. Although Mother Nature decided to vent a little, we here in our little news outlet witnessed innumerable acts of kindness as we recovered from the storms. Food and money donations, fundraisers and anonymous giving — we may have seen the worst of people in 2011, but we also saw the best, and as we head into 2012, I have no doubt it will continue. To all our readers, thank you for sticking with is, and we promise to always stick with you. Happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2012! Adam Minor may be reached at 860-928-1818, ext. 109, or by e-mail at adam@villagernewspapers.com. OPINION Opinion and commentary from the Quiet Corner LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Sweetnam: Responding to ‘Love and marriage’ To the Editor: Mark Ashton’s essay on love and marriage in last week’s Villager identified a real social problem but included a myth that this Christian needs to bust. Marriage rates are down and his essay blames popular culture. There is no TV in our home, so my only exposure to popular culture is the magazine covers assaulting me in the checkout lines. The sensationalism of high-profile infidelity and divorce can’t be denied, but shouldn’t be so overstated, either. The TV depictions of marriage from my childhood were sweet and till-death-do-us-part but no more representational of real life than those magazines. Idealizing Donna Reed was never a good way to find, judge or stay with your mate. Mark’s happiness with his wife left me thinking warmly of my own fortunate marriage, but concerned for those to whom marriage is denied, and saddened that religion should be the reason for that denial. Mark believes that “...marriage is ordained of God as the sacred union of a man and a woman...” but I see that there are two institutions here, marriage and holy matrimony. Marriage in an institution of the society, through the state, to offer rights and benefits to couples who make a contract between themselves and the state to take care of each other and the children that may result from the union. There are many marriages performed by state officials, with witnesses dragged in off the sidewalk that have endured and enjoyed all the benefits conferred by the laws of our state and federal governments. They have rights of access to each other in hospitals or other institutions, tax advantages, the right to share insurance, pension and Social Security benefits, inheritance rights, legal recourse in cases of abandonment and hundreds of other legal rights. The other is what Mark describes as “ordained of God as the sacred union of a man and a woman.” That’s what I know as Holy Matrimony, which is a sacrament of religion. Every religious group has the right to deny its matrimonial blessing, whether because of previous divorce, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation. But no couple needs, or should need, any religious blessing to have their civic rights. What concerns me, as a deacon of my church is that, though they attack gay marriage on the basis of a few out-of-context and misunderstood biblical quotations, Christian literalists will not stop the progress we are making towards including support for those unions and the children in them. They merely slow that rising arc of love and justice and remind the many spiritual but unchurched how unloving, how unGodly, religious people can be. That drives people away from any established religion. The myth is that same-sex marriage is the enemy of “traditional marriage” in any way and that all religious people oppose it. There are two churches in Woodstock, and others in towns that receive the Villager, which declare themselves Open and Affirming, who say “There are no outsiders in a community guided by God’s will.” Two of the long-term members of my Hill Church family, who had been together, unmarried, for 18 years, were united in Holy Matrimony soon after the State of Connecticut’s new civil rights laws came into force. There’s another married couple for you, Mark, I hope you’re as happy as we are. I hope you’ll also join the movement to rescind the misnamed Federal “Defense Of Marriage Act,” or DOMA, which denies my newly-married friends access to each other’s Social Security benefits, joint Federal tax filing, or hundreds of other national rights that my wife and I and our child enjoy. Let us give legal support to the loving marriages of all our fellow citizens. That’s what helps make marriage more than a fragile, romantic ideal, but the kind of marriage I’m so glad that you are blessed to enjoy. New Year’s Eve problem solvers The holidays are winding down, and most of us are looking forward to the New Year ahead. While many yuletide pressures have subsided, the festivities and rituals associated with New Year’s Eve take center stage this week. Unfortunately, so do the hassles that come along with the annual event. From the amount of wine you’ll need at your annual bash, to choosing a resolution you’ll really stick to, this week’s column features a roundup of New Year’s Eve problem solvers to help you ring in the new year loud and clear! Happy New Year! *** Party Pointers: Here are some party tips and ideas sure to liven up the big event. Best of all, you can prepare these ahead of time: • Edible Stirrers: Cut strips of lemon and lime rinds, twist them around a swizzle stick. Or, skewer small green and red grapes on a swizzle stick. • Party Favors: The perfect New Year’s Eve souvenir can be created easily and inexpensively! Supply each guest with a nice fluted champagne glass and pass around a few metallic silver and gold permanent marking pens. Encourage guests to decorate and collect signatures for their souvenir glass, creating a future heirloom! You might want to elaborate on this idea by holding a contest for the most imaginative, artistic, or silly glass decorations. • Time Capsule: Any holiday tin can serve as a suitable 21st century time capsule. Take advantage of “after Christmas” sales and pick up some festive tins to pass out to guests at your New Year’s Eve party. You can either plan a group capsule project, or individuals can bury personal mementos themselves. *** Realistic Resolutions: According to Jeff Davidson, author of “The Idiot’s Guide to Reaching Your Goals,” you should only make New Year’s resolutions that are “challenging but reachable.” And he suggests you give your goals a specific time line. Davidson advises going public with your goal. He also advocates recording your goals on paper, claiming the mere act of logging your aims is a reinforcing progress. The key points to successful resolutions? • Choose only one or two realistic resolutions and don’t make them too difficult. • Be specific about what you want. Say, for example: “Save $10 a week,” rather than simply vowing to “save money.” • Remember, a detailed plan to reach your goal will dramatically increase your success rate. • Reward yourself each week for sticking to your plan. *** Toast the New Year: Not sure how much liquor to buy for your bash? Here’s what the experts advise: On average ten people will consume 20 drinks at a cocktail party. Increase this to 40 if it is a long affair that also includes dinner. A liter bottle of hard liquor will yield approximately 22 cocktails. A 750 ml bottle of wine will serve about five drinks. For beer drinkers, experts advise buying five six-packs for 10 people, based on a 12-ounce serving. *** Safe Drinks: With many party-goers opting for an alcohol-free celebration, the following beverage recipes are sure to be a great hit at your New Year’s Eve party: New Year Quencher: 3 ounces of concord grape juice; 3 ounces cranberry juice cocktail, 6 ounces TAKE THE HINT KAREN TRAINOR G. LESLIE SWEETNAM WOODSTOCK chilled Perrier. Combine ingredients in a pitcher and pour over ice. Serve with a lemon twist. Makes two drinks. Better yet, multiply the recipe and store in the fridge until party time when you can fill up a punch bowl and offer all guests a delicious alternative to alcoholic drinks. Mock Champagne: 1 bottle (64 oz.) white grape juice 1 2 liter bottle of Sprite. Mix the juice and sprite in equal amounts. Garnish with orange slices, maraschino cherries, or strawberries. Imitation Wine: Combine two cups unsweetened grape juice with 1 cup sugar or Equal equivalent to that amount. Chill. Just before service, stir in two cups sugar-free fruit flavored soda and four cups ginger ale. Add ice cubes. *** Hangover Helps: Planning on ringing in the New Year? If alcohol is part of your responsible partying, a hangover could still result. There’s no cure for a hangover, but thankfully, the symptoms last only about 24 hours. Meanwhile, here are a few simple home remedies that really do help: Dehydration causes most of the physical symptoms of a hangover, including headaches. So drink lots of water and juices, tomato juice is the best if you have it. Skip the coffee — the caffeine can cause further dehydration and misery. Also, sports beverages, such as Gatorade, or a cup of bouillon can help replace depleted salt and potassium. Try eating a tablespoon of honey, or put it on crackers. It’s been said the fructose in the honey helps flush the alcohol out of your system. A hot cup of tea infused with thyme has even been touted as an effective hangover cure. If all else fails, take a “Hangover Bath.” Add four drops Juniper, three drops ginger, and two drops each fennel and Rosemary to a tub of hot water. Why not prevent the misery of a hangover by planning ahead? Avoid carbonated mixers, sweet tropical drinks or sugary foods that can make your head spin later. And take a water break between drinks. You’ll save calories, cash, and a headache! Some say taking a B-complex vitamin before you go to bed helps ward off a hangover. *** Win Dinner for Two at the Publick House — Your tips can win you a great dinner for two at the historic Publick House Historic Inn in Sturbridge! Simply send in a hint to be entered into a random drawing. One winner per month will win a fabulous dinner for two (a $60 value) at the renowned restaurant, located on Route <strong>13</strong>1 across the town common in historic Sturbridge. Because I’m in the business of dispensing tips, not inventing them (although I can take credit for some), I’m counting on you readers out there to share your best helpful hints! Do you have a helpful hint or handy tip that has worked for you? Do you have a question regarding household or garden matters? If so, why not share them with readers of The <strong>Southbridge</strong> <strong>Evening</strong> <strong>News</strong>? Send questions and/or hints to: Take the Hint!, C/o the <strong>Southbridge</strong> <strong>Evening</strong> <strong>News</strong>, 25 Elm St., <strong>Southbridge</strong>, MA 01550. Or e-mail kdrr@aol.com. Hints are entered into a drawing for dinner for two at the historic Publick House Inn. For more great hints, tune into Take the Hint! one minute snippet tips aired twice daily on ORC FM 98.9. And for more tips and talk, be sure to listen to my live hour-long show from 9 to 10 am. each Friday on WARE 1250. Looking back on the year that was Year-end columns are summaries of the best and the worst, the memorable and the forgettable. It is so quintessentially human to want to assess the evidence, come to a conclusion and wrap it up in a nice tight package. A few NANCY WEISS resolutions to improve, adjust and reform and we are ready to face 2012, or may be not quite. 2011 was a rotten year for weather. Remember last winter? It snowed and then it snowed some more. The ice was the worst. Outside my backdoor was a skating rink where once there had been a driveway. Many people had ice dams on their roofs. One day I couldn’t open my kitchen door because the snow was so high. As the dogs crossed their legs in anxiety to get out, I thought about calling Southwest airlines and booking the next flight to Florida. Who knew that by late fall, I would think I had moved to the Carolinas because it was suddenly so temperate. We, Yankees, love to talk about the weather, so it is worth recalling that once the snow melted, summer brought record shattering heat. From one day to the next, it was sweltering. At a wedding ceremony in elegant St. Mary’s Church in Putnam, two hundred people madly waved paper fans to cool themselves in the simmering heat of late July. As the bride and her proud father strolled down the aisle, any feeling of discomfort melted at the sight of them. When the happy couple were swept away in a vintage convertible for the reception, every bystander felt as cool as if the wind were rustling our hair as well as theirs. Perhaps in the end, even temperature is relative... In 2011 too many friends were diagnosed with or died from cancer. I hate the disease. Our region is as generous as any in the country in raising funds for research for a cure, but it is painfully slow. I read, there is progress and excellent treatments close by, but the diagnosis of cancer is deeply upsetting and the beginning of a complex journey. Perhaps 2012 will be different… We became more wired and less present in 2011. When I stand in line at the grocery store, I read the news on my phone rather than eavesdrop on the conversation of the crabby couple in front of me. In the spring walking on a weedy path behind a Massai warrior in Tanzania, I felt brave and removed from civilization until his cell phone rang, breaking the silence. His grandmother was calling about dinner. In 2011 I traveled more than ever. I was in deeply unfamiliar places. I learned that we need to travel as soon as we can. It is tiring and we don’t get livelier or more flexible with age. So, if there is a chance to go, take it. I’ve never been anywhere that didn’t offer a new perspective. In 2011, I met a number of new entrepreneurs. In every instance, I was impressed with their enthusiasm and hard work. Factors need to fall in place for them to succeed, but they have much to offer. Perhaps in 2012, more doors will open on new area businesses. 2011 showed weather comes and goes. Life is filled with the sorrow of loss and the glory of new beginnings. As 2012 begins, we can only be sure that no matter what happens, it will be different. Like New England weather, our inner lives will soar and dip sometimes of our own volition and sometimes by chance. Through it all, we can appreciate where we live and how we care for one another.
PUTNAM VILLAGER Friday, December 30, 2011 • A9 JULY Amy Franklin with a hot rod at the eighth annual Cruisin’ for Cancer Care to benefit the Deary Memorial Fund. From left, Georgette Coderre of Putnam and Pamela Watts, Day Kimball Healthcare director of Development. Coderre was recognized for achieving <strong>13</strong>,000 volunteer hours to Day Kimball throughout the years. Lisa Mixer, of Plainfield, blows bubbles with her daughter Alicia Nisbet during Putnam’s Fourth of July Celebration. A few thousand people came to Putnam on Saturday, July 16 to enjoy Putnam’s River Fire and Motown Al Fresco. From left, William Reid, TLGV Director of Outreach Programs & Chief Ranger; Lois Bruinooge, TLGV Deputy Executive Director; Thomas A. Borner, Putnam Bank Chairman & CEO; Lynn K. Brodeur, Putnam Bank Sr. Vice President & Branch Administrator. The bank donated over $1000 to TLGV’s Walktober campaign. RIGHT: Pangaea Wine Bar server Josh Tate serves one of the many wine flights at Pangaea. Fireworks blast off at the Putnam fireworks celebration. Members of the Cargill 64 Knights of Columbus Chapter honored 10 Daughters of the Holy Spirit for a total of 515 years of service to the Church and the Civic Communities. Locally Owned & Operated out of <strong>Southbridge</strong> 8 yd. - 10 yd. - 15 yd. - 30 yd. Roll Offs We’ve got a dumpster for all your needs! Residential Pick-up with single stream recycling - Roll Off • All Sizes - Containerized Service - RECYCLING: Commercial, Industrial, Residential Toll Free 1-800-242-7655 • 508 764-6677 THE GREAT GARAGE BAND EVENT To benefit KHS HBA Students January 7th 7:30-10:30pm The Elks Downtown Danielson Tickets are $20.00 Catered by Mickey G’s Clam Shack Chicken Strips & Fries or Clam Cakes & Clam Chowder Dinner: 6-7:30pm Tickets available at: Killingly High School, Chace Building Supply, Zip’s Diner, & Friendly Spirits
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