Middlebury Bee 122013

Bee IntellIgencerBee IntellIgencerInforming the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown

Volume IX, No. 45 Friday, December 20, 2013AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

FREE

Prst. Std. U.S. Postage PaidNaugatuck, CT

#27

“Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.” ~ Author Unknown

Adoptable Pets ............... 8

Book Review .................. 2

Classifieds ...................... 7

Community Calendar ...... 2

Fire Log .......................... 2

In Brief ........................... 4

Library Happenings ......... 2

Nuggets for Life ............. 6

Region 15 School Calendar ...3

Senior Center News ........ 3

Sports Quiz .................... 7

Varsity Sports Calendar ... 6

Inside this Issue

Published weekly by The Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Society, LLC - 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762 - Copyright 2013

Editorial Office:Email: [email protected]

Phone: 203-577-6800Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762

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send mail toP.O. Box 10, Middlebury CT 06762

203-577-6800Visit us at 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1

Pomper-aug boys’ basketball aims for winning season

page 6

connecticut choral society “candelight and carols” concerts What: Annual Christmas concertsWhen: Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Woodbury; Sunday at 4 p.m. in Danbury Where: Saturday at North Congregational Church; Sunday at First Congregational Church Cost: $25 for adults; $15 youth under 18 at www.ctchoralsociety.org or at the door

main street Ballet “the nutcracker” performanceWhat: Annual performance of “The Nutcracker”When: Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. Where: Pomperaug High School in Southbury.Cost: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 65 and older and children ages 7 to 12, and $12 for children 6 and younger. For information, call 203-263-5107 or visit mainstreetballet.com

Blue christmas serviceWhat: Service for those who find Christmas a difficult time; all are welcomeWhen: 4 p.m. Where: Roxbury Congregational Church at 24 Church St. in Roxbury, www.roxburychurch.org

saturday & suNday

dec. 21 & 22

suNdaydec. 22

The members of the Region 15 Board of Education (BoE) unanimously elected Patri-cia Perry as chairperson at their Dec. 9, 2013, meeting. Perry subsequently ap-pointed Jennifer Connelly of Southbury as board secretary. Paul Babarik of Middlebury was named treasurer.

Last month, Perry was re-elected to the BoE along with new members Marion Manzo (Southbury) and Richard Spierto (Middle-

bury). Incumbents Paul Babarik (Middle-bury) and Janet Butkus (Southbury) were also re-elected. Their four-year terms end in November 2017.

Perry appointed Babarik to chair the Board’s finance committee and Steven Suri-ani to head the policies and curriculum committee. She invited board members to contact her as to which committee they would like to serve on.

Perry is an experienced BoE member who has served under five Region 15 superinten-dents. She has chaired the policies and cur-riculum committee as well as the superin-tendent search held last year. She also has served on the negotiating committee and the building committees during renovations of six Region 15 schools.

Perry, a Southbury resident, has two grand-children in the Region 15 school district.

The members of the Region 15 Board of Education with their newly elected chairperson, Patricia Perry, are front, left to right, Sharon Guck, Jennifer Connelly, Perry, Janet Butkus and Marion Manzo and rear, left to right, Richard Spierto, Francis Brennan, Paul Babarik, John Cookson and Steven Suriani. (Karen Kirk photo)

BoE chooses perry as chair

MVFD Holiday Wetdown

Help the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) christen

its newest vehicle, a rescue pumper.

Saturday, Dec. 21, 12 p.m.

The public is invited. Light refreshments will be served.

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Newly-elected Middlebury Board of Fi-nance (BoF) member William Stowell wasn’t exactly received with open arms when he showed up for the Dec. 11 meeting. When it came time to elect a chairman and vice chairman for the current term, Chairman Michael McCormack told Stowell, “We have a problem.” He then questioned Stowell’s eligibility to serve on the BoF while he is employed by the town as a part-time admin-istrative manager in the finance department. McCormack said state statute does not allow this.

Stowell responded that town attorney Robert Smith had reviewed case law and determined Stowell’s part-time position with the town does not classify him as a salaried officer, the term used in the state statute.

McCormack told Stowell BoF members do not agree with Smith’s interpretation. BoF member David Cappelletti said the Con-necticut undersecretary of state said one cannot hold a fiduciary position and work as a town employee. BoF member Michael Kenausis suggested obtaining a written opin-ion from the state, and McCormack asked Cappelletti to contact the state for that opin-ion.

Kenausis then made a motion to table election of a chairman and vice chairman until the January meeting. His motion was unanimously approved.

Despite the question of Stowell’s eligibil-ity, he remained at the meeting and partic-ipated in it. He told BoF members that re-gional school districts where he worked for many years always returned unappropriated monies to their towns at the end of the fiscal year. Region 15 does not return money to Middlebury and Southbury, and Stowell suggested addressing this issue with the re-gion. Stowell also was appointed the BoF liaison to several town departments.

McCormack said Wednesday he allowed Stowell to participate in the meeting despite the question about his eligibility because the only vote that was to be taken (for chair-

man and vice-chairman) was tabled. He said he remains convinced it is a conflict of in-terest for Stowell to remain on the town payroll if he wishes to serve on the BoF. He said State Statute 9-210, “Incompatible with town offices,” applies. “It spells it right out,” McCormack said.

One sentence in the statute says: “No member of the board of finance of any town shall hold any salaried town office unless otherwise provided by special act.” Middle-bury has no special act.

“He has got to resign his position, which was supposed to be an interim position,” McCormack said. He said it’s either that or resign from the BoF. McCormack said he was told Stowell planned to resign from the town before the swearing-in ceremony earlier this month, but that didn’t happen.

Middlebury chief financial officer Law-rence Hutvagner confirmed Wednesday that Stowell works six hours a week for the town. He said, “He has not resigned and I don’t think he is going to because of Bob Smith’s opinion.”

McCormack said of Stowell’s nomination by the Middlebury Republican Town Com-mittee for the BoF position, “It didn’t make sense to me a town employee could be on the board and vote on his own salary and raises and so on.”

McCormack said he looked at the town charter and saw no prohibition there, so he asked town clerk Edith Salisbury if state stat-utes applied. She referred him to State Stat-ute 9-210, which is referenced in the town charter. Salisbury said she gave copies of that statute to McCormack, Stowell and town attorney Bob Smith.

Stowell said Wednesday Smith told him when Smith first looked at the statute it ap-peared to prohibit working for the town while serving on the BoF. But when Smith looked at case law, Stowell said, Smith found it was not prohibited, and he advised Stowell he did not have to resign from town employ-ment. Based on Smith’s advice, Stowell told the BoF he didn’t believe he had to quit his job.

McCormack said of Stowell’s part-time job, “I guess you could say (the job is) hourly and not a town office, but I think any normal person would say if you’re getting paid by the town for a job, you can’t be on the BoF.”

McCormack said the BoF members unanimously agree Stowell needs to either resign his job with the town or resign from the BoF. “The taxpayers expect us to be objective in the way we treat the town bud-get. How can you be objective in voting on the budget when the first selectman is pay-ing your paycheck? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

As for Smith’s legal opinion, McCormack said the BoF had been told by Stowell of Smith’s legal opinion but hadn’t received a written copy of it.

Asked what the BoF will do if the issue remains unresolved by the next board meet-ing, McCormack said there are a couple of ways the BoF could go, but that would be up to the board. “I’m just hoping it doesn’t happen,” he said.

Asked what he will do if he has to give up town employment or serving on the BoF, Stowell said, “I’m not quitting the board of finance. I would give up the town job. I think I am helping the town by working six hours a week … If I have to give up the job, I will go in and help on a volunteer basis. If they need my help, I’m willing to give back to the town.” He said he will make a decision on the matter by the first of the year.

He said other possibilities for conflict of interest exist on the BoF. BoF member Cap-pelletti, whose mother is the town’s senior services and social services director, could have a conflict of interest if he votes on any-thing to do with his mother’s job, salary or benefits.

Stowell said, “The only thing that has bothered me throughout this whole process is Mike hasn’t bothered to talk to me other than at the meeting to find out my views. He has never had the decency to come to me and talk to me and say he thinks it is a conflict. He has chosen to ignore me.”

BoF gives stowell chilly reception

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

In what might be described as a battle of letters, attorney Craig L. Manemeit, in-house counsel for the United Public Service Employees Union, which rep-resents Middlebury’s police of-ficers, has written a Dec. 5, 2013, letter to Middlebury town attor-ney Robert Smith. In the letter, he disputes statements Smith made in his Nov. 13 letter to Manemeit about the town mov-ing police dispatching to the Northwest Public Safety Com-munications Center (Northwest) in Prospect.

Smith’s November letter was a response to an Oct. 24 letter from Manemeit expressing con-cern for the safety of Middlebury police officers and Middlebury residents. That letter said the union asserts the dispatch switch has “created a more hazardous work environment” for the offi-cers and has “jeopardized the safety and well-being of Middle-bury citizens.” The letter listed a dozen dates and times since the switch was made when North-west gave officers incorrect in-formation after they stopped suspects.

Smith’s November response said many of the events Mane-meit mentioned in his October letter letter were related to in-jury/ambulance calls. Smith said Northwest has handled those calls “admirably” and “without objection or complaint” since 2004. Smith said of the errors Manemeit listed, “callers make mistakes and dispatchers at local operations also make mistakes.”

In his December letter, Mane-meit states Smith’s November response “is incomplete, inac-curate, unresponsive and, quite frankly, authored in reliance on facts supplied and/or considered by individuals who appear to have a limited, if any, familiarity with police work.”

Manemeit also took exception to Smith’s assertion the union’s complaints about safety with the new dispatch arrangement were meant to assist the former Mid-dlebury dispatchers (who belong to a different union). He said the union’s concern is it believes the Northwest dispatchers are in-

competent when it comes to dispatching police calls. He said this issue jeopardizes officer and civilian safety.

Manemeit said there have been additional failures of the new dispatch system since Smith’s November letter. In one case, it took dispatchers more than 10 minutes to a notify an officer on the scene that a vehicle the officer had stopped was sto-len. The Northwest dispatcher also informed the officer there were no outstanding arrest war-rants on the driver, but a Middle-bury dispatcher still working here at the time discovered an outstanding arrest warrant on the driver.

Manemeit said in another in-cident, the Northwest dispatcher didn’t respond to a request for outstanding arrest warrant in-formation, but a Middlebury dispatcher found lengthy crim-inal records, including criminal possession of a gun. He said the Northwest dispatcher never in-formed officers they were dealing with suspects who were con-victed felons.

Manemeit said the union had hoped the town would work col-laboratively with it to resolve “multiple deficiencies” in the Northwest police dispatch sys-tem, but Smith’s November letter makes it clear the town is “only interested in defending its deci-sion to subcontract police dis-patch services and not in ensur-ing … that its police officers are able to safely return to their fam-ilies at the end of every shift.”

He said problems with the new dispatch system continue to occur. First Selectman Edward B. St. John said Tuesday, “We know there are some issues and we are working around them. We will resolve the issues.”

Manemeit does not share St. John’s optimism. He ends his letter by saying it is unfortunate town officials will not meet with union officials to discuss officer safety and changed working con-dition issues. As a result, he says, the union is forced to seek an outside remedy to ensure its members have the safest work environment possible. He doesn’t say what that outside remedy will be.

Dispatch disputecontinues

2 Friday, December 20, 2013The Bee-Intelligencer

Avoid food safety mistakesANN ARBOR, Mich. — Americans seem to have a bit of a double standard regarding food prepa-ration and safety, according to a survey by NSF International, a global public health and safety organization. NSF International’s 2013 Kitchen Pet Peeve Survey found that four out of five Amer-icans (82 percent) have made at least one food safety mistake when cooking for others, such as forgetting to wash their hands before preparing food or serving something that fell on the floor. Yet most Americans (96 percent) find those same mistakes disturb-ing when others commit them.

For example, the survey shows that 76 percent of Americans are disturbed by seeing others “dou-ble dip” to taste food while pre-paring a meal. However, 36 per-cent admitted to doing the very same thing when preparing a meal for others!

In addition, 84 percent of re-spondents find it disturbing when people don’t wash their hands before preparing food, yet 20 per-cent said they have been guilty of that food preparation faux pas.

Perhaps some of these mis-takes are the reason why guests are leaving with more than just a party favor. In the survey, 43 per-cent of respondents report they have gotten sick or had an upset stomach after eating something at a dinner party or gathering outside of their home.

“Food safety behavior is typi-cally learned in the home by

watching friends and relatives cook, so it’s not surprising that there is confusion and misunder-standing around what constitutes proper food safety,” said Cheryl Luptowski, home safety expert at NSF International. “Whether it’s washing chicken or turkey in the sink or handling food while sick, Americans need to be educated about proper food preparation safety to avoid dangerous behav-ior and protect themselves and those they are inviting into their homes.”

The pet peeves don’t end at dinner. The survey shows 87 per-cent of respondents are almost as bothered by post-meal clean-up mistakes as by the behaviors of people when cooking. The most common annoyance is when oth-ers use the dish towel for tasks aside from drying dishes (66 per-cent). Other bothersome offenses include leaving the sponge or dishcloth lying in the sink (58 percent), using the same sponge or cloth to clean the dishes and wipe the counters (57 percent), and putting kitchen items or utensils away before they are fully dry (57 percent).

Other party manners to keep in mind this holiday season in-clude:

Keep your germs to yourself: Respondents are more likely to be disgusted by guests who cough or sneeze near food (84 percent) than they are by guests who dou-ble dip (78 percent). Seventy-six percent of respondents are re-

pelled by dinner party guests who put their hands on their nose or mouth and then touch the food.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold: Sixty-two percent of Americans say they are offended by hosts who leave perishable or leftover food sitting out for too long (two hours maximum time).

Don’t handle food while sick. Three-quarters (78 percent) of Americans are disturbed when other people who are sick handle food while cooking, although one-quarter (25 percent) of re-spondents have done so them-selves.

“It’s important to protect your-self and your dinner guests from unwanted germs and bacteria – and it’s very easy to do so,” said Luptowski. “By following simple steps, you can truly enjoy dinner parties and gatherings without having to worry about guests get-ting sick or offended.”

To keep yourself and your guests free from kitchen safety mishaps, follow these tips from NSF International:

Wash your hands frequently. Germs and illnesses spread easily from personal contact. Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds both before and after handling food, especially when handling raw items. Teach chil-dren the importance of proper handwashing at an early age. Tools and fun activities can be found at scrubclub.org.

Clean kitchen utensils with soap and water after each use. Utensils should be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water after each use. NSF’s Germ Study found Salmonella, E. coli, yeast and mold on common kitchen appliances such as blender gaskets, can open-ers and rubber spatulas because the items were not properly dis-assembled and then cleaned and dried before storage.

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Never let perishable

foods sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep cold items in the refrigerator un-til just before you serve them, and then place their dishes in bowls of ice to help keep the food prop-erly cooled. For hot items, always use warming dishes or slow cook-ers, or store them in the oven if possible.

Don’t double dip with either fingers or utensils. Double dip-ping can spread germs to an entire roomful of guests. Even though you may be cooking something warm, it doesn’t mean any germs you’re introducing to the food will be killed. Always use a different, clean utensil if you taste a dish while cooking, and never use your fingers to grab a sample.

Never cook while sick. When you are sick, coughing, sneezing and breathing around food can get your guests sick. Avoid the spread of germs and illness by calling a caterer or asking a friend or family member to take over in the kitchen. Also be sure to clean and sanitize your kitchen and home thoroughly if guests are coming over.

For more information on food safety tips, visit www.nsf.org/con-sumer-resources/health-and-safety-tips/food-safety-at-home-tips.

NSF International is a global independent public health and safety organization that helps protect consumers by certifying products and writing standards for the food, water, dietary sup-plements and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the en-vironment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to pro-tecting human health and safety worldwide. NSF International has been collaborating with the World Health Organization since 1997 in water quality and safety, food safety, and indoor environ-ments.

middleburyHoliday movies

The library is showing holiday-themed movies on its beautiful surround-sound dis-play this month. The final movie will be shown Monday, Dec. 23, at 1 p.m. Call the library at 203-758-2634 to find out which movie will be playing.

Holiday closingThe library will close at 3 p.m. Tuesday,

Dec. 24; be closed Wednesday, Dec. 25; and reopen Thursday, Dec. 26.

The Middlebury Public Library is at 30 Crest Road. The telephone number is 203-758-2634, and the website is middlebury-publiclibrary.org.

naugatuckAffordable Care Act questions

Have questions or are you confused about the new Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaC-are)? Tuesdays from 12 to 4 p.m., Richard Wood, a state-certified assister with CHOICES, Connecticut’s health and infor-mation assistance program, will provide information on Access Health CT, the state’s new health insurance marketplace. Do you need help with eligibility, signing up or de-termining the best plan? Ask Wood your questions. All discussions will be confiden-tial.

Library closingsThe library will be closed Tuesday, Dec.

24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.

Art exhibitThis month the library is featuring the

artwork of Watertown resident Susan Kelley Coppola. Coppola studied art at Southern Connecticut State University and Naugatuck Valley Community College and has taken additional courses with Tracy Walter Ferry at Artsplace in Cheshire. The subjects of her

landscapes suggest many different locales, including Cape Cod and the Maine coast. She is a member of the Watertown Art League and Phoenix Rising in Thomaston and has participated in a number of art shows. The exhibit can be viewed during regular library hours.

The Howard Whittemore Memorial Li-brary is at 243 Church St. in Naugatuck. For information, call 203-729-4591 or visit whit-temorelibrary.org.

southburyLego to the Library

The Children’s Department will offer “Lego to the Library” for grades 2 and up Friday, Dec. 20, at 4:15 p.m. The library pro-vides the Legos, and the kids provide the fun. Registration is required. Register in the Children’s Department or by calling 203-262-0626, ext. 3.

Library closingsThe library will close at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday,

Dec. 24, and will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 25. It also will close at 4:30 p.m. New Year’s

Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31, and will be closed New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

Photo exhibitPhotographer Steve Eazarsky’s exhibit,

“Changing Light, Winter Scenes” is on dis-play in the Gloria Cachion Gallery until Thursday, Dec. 26.

Eazarsky said of his exhibit, “The sun gradually gets lower in the sky. Shadows grow longer; days shorter. The warmth of fall turns to a crisp, still winter coolness. But the low sun angles and clean air make win-ter an ideal time to shoot. Come brave the weather and see what I see as fall fades to winter, and winter warms to spring, and a new year.”

Eazarsky, who is based in Bethlehem, Conn., is a chemist and self-taught photog-rapher. He has displayed statewide, been seen in numerous publications and recog-nized by National Geographic.

For more information, call 203-262-0626 or visit www.southburylibrary.org. The li-brary is at 100 Poverty Road in Southbury.

WoodburyPhoto exhibit

Photos by W. Scott Petersen, a self-taught fine arts photographer specializing in land-scapes and seascapes, are on exhibit this month. Petersen creates unique and distinc-tive photographic images of all kinds. His goal is to evoke an emotional reaction in the viewer by using his camera to paint with light.

He has a large collection of images of the boardwalk around Little Pond at the White Memorial Conservation Center. Many of these images illustrate the central theme of his work, which is to create a reaction in the viewer by “painting” with light. Other favor-ite subjects are local Connecticut scenes and images from the midcoast region of Maine.

For more information, call 203-263-3502 or visit www.woodburylibraryct.org. The library is at 269 Main St. South in Woodbury.

“Tintin: The Art of Herge”

by Michel Daubert”

(Abrams ComicArts, $45)Reviewed by Larry Cox

Georges Prosper Remi was born in Belgium in 1907. Under the pseudonym of Herge, he cre-ated the cartoon character of Tintin, the boy detective. The first strips in the series appeared in 1926 in the pages of a Boy Scouts’ weekly, and later as a children’s supplement for the newspaper “La Vingtiene Stecle.”

Since its inception, Tintin has captivated generations of chil-dren and adults alike through his thrilling adventures, from the wilds of the Congo to the even wilder streets of New York.

Michel Daubert, a journalist who is a frequent contributor to several international publica-tions, including “Le Figaro” and “Telerama,” has compiled an exceptional book about the art-work of Herge and how it evolved. The author offers fresh insight into the story of this

iconic character, with unprece-dented access to original source materials from the Herge Mu-seum in Belgium.

Daubert provides a nuanced look into how the artist Georges Remi became the world-famous Herge. This beautifully crafted book not only offers profiles on the beloved characters, it also features selections from the ar-tist’s earliest work, and has chap-ters tracing the development of rough sketches into nothing less than masterpieces.

This delightful blend of dy-namic narrative and visual art-work is a fitting tribute to the life and work of an artist who always worked and thought outside the box. This book is an absolute delight and one that is highly recommended.

(c) 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.

Book review

Library Happeningsmiddlebury volunteer Fire Department call Log

Middlebury Community Calendar

Trust & DignityMiddlebury Road (Opposite the Shell Station)

Open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. dailyAnthony Calabrese 203-758-2765

Local eggs. Fresh daily. $3.50 per dozenDeer Corn • Livestock & Poultry Feed

Bird Seed Headquarters

Kissing Balls • Pots of holiday decorated greeneryBlack Oil, Premium Mix, Sunflower Hearts, Niger Seed (thistle for finches)

Christmas Trees - Cut or PottedWreaths • Roping

PoinsettiasCemetery Boxes

Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013Christmas Eve - Town Offices close early - Call specific office to determine closing time.Library closes at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2013Christmas Day - Town Offices, Library, Transfer Station closed.

Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013Town Offices, Library, Transfer Station reopen

Calendar dates/times are subject to change.If your organization would like your event included in the community calendar, please email the information to [email protected].

Date Time Address/Incident12-09 16:56 1625 Straits Turnpike. Fire alarm activation.

Handicapped child activated a pull station.12-12 07:20 I-84 West near Exit 17 ramp. Motor vehicle ac-

cident with injuries. One transported on basic life support by Southbury Ambulance.

12-13 07:25 Benson Road. Accidental alarm set off by elec-trician.

12-13 11:37 Route 63. Very minor fluid leak from motor ve-hicle. Windshield wiper fluid. Applied a small amount of Speedy-dry.

12-14 16:29 Lakeshore Drive. Wires down. CL&P notified.12-14 16:32 80 Burr Hall Road. Carbon monoxide alarm.

Nothing found. Problem with detector.

Winter warningsThe Middlebury Greenway

extends from Route 63 at Wood-side Avenue to Route 64 in front of the Little League Field. Please be aware there is NO winter maintenance. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Sledding - Weather permit-ting, the hill between Town Hall and Shepardson Community Center is available for sledding. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. No supervision is provided. Adults MUST accompany all children younger than 12. SLEDDERS ARE NOT TO PARK IN THE UP-PER PARKING LOT.

Ice Skating - Weather and temperature permitting, ice skat-

ing is permitted on the pond at Meadowview Park. Parents should contact the Recreation Department at 203-758-2520 for daily updates on ice conditions.

Here are some safety guide-lines:• NEVERskatealone.• Icethicknessisnotconsistent.

Water currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice.

• Bewareoficearoundpartiallysubmerged objects, such as trees, logs, brush embank-ments or dam structures.

• USEATYOUROWNRISK• Nosupervisionisprovidedon

the pond.

Middlebury Parks & recreation

ADvERtIsE yoUR nEW yEAR’s EvE EvEnts on A spEcIAL pAgE!

Great for gift stores, caterers, restaurants, bars, liquor stores, nightclubs,

limo services or any business with New Year’s services or products.

Call Diane at 203-565-3968 today to book your ad space

Our Dec. 27 issue will have a

“New Year’s Eve Party” page.

Ads stand out on special

pages!

Linda Boston will discuss creating art tiles like this one in January at the Woodbury Public Library.

Friday, December 20, 2013 The Bee-Intelligencer 3

Middlebury senior Center News

Better to Give AND Receive

Visit your closest locations at www.nardellis.com

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Celebrate the HolidaysCelebrate the Holidays

The length of time you might spend in the emergency room has gotten longer – and longer – as many Medicare patients are held under what’s called “observation status.”

AARP recently completed a study called “Rapid Growth in Medicare Hospital Observation Services: What’s Going On?” which shows the length of time patients are held that way has grown, sometimes to more than 48 hours.

If you’re a Medicare patient, you can be toting up out-of-pocket costs with every passing hour you’re held in this medical limbo. There’s no cost-sharing cap with these observation-status stays, not to mention that you might not re-ceive the level of care you should have. As an observation outpa-tient, you’re liable for the costs of tests and procedures.

Additionally, if you end up in skilled nursing, the observa-tion-status time you spend in the hospital doesn’t count for the Medicare requirement that you have three days as an inpatient. Your portion of the costs can sky-rocket, and you might even be denied skilled nursing care be-cause you weren’t in the hospital

long enough as an official inpa-tient.

Here are some specifics from the AARP study:• Observation-statusstayshave

increased 94 percent.• Patientstatus(observationver-

sus inpatient) is sometimes changed by the hospital after the patient is sent home.

• Theaveragecostforskillednurs-ing that Medicare didn’t cover

(due to being originally held in observation limbo) was $10,503.A number of senators in Con-

gress have proposed legislation that would require time spent in observation status to count as part of the three-day inpatient require-ment.

To read the full 25-page report, go to aarp.org and put the study’s title in the search box.

Matilda Charles regrets she can-not personally answer reader ques-tions, but she will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to [email protected].


Emergency-room stay can cost a bundle

Friday, Dec. 20GES Spirit Day

Monday, Dec. 23 - Wednesday, Jan 1

Winter Recess

Thursday, Jan. 2Classes and Events Resume

Region 15 website: www.region15.org

region 15 school Calendar

Storm cancellationsWhen there is inclement win-

ter weather, the Senior Center does not follow the local schools in determining if the center will close. Even though the schools may be canceled, the center of-fice will be open, and programs may be held.

To find out if activities have been canceled, please check WTNH Channel 8/19, WVIT Chan-nel 30 or WFSB Channel 3 on TV or WTIC 1080 AM, WATR 1320 AM or WWCO 1240 AM on the radio.

Cancellation means ALL ac-tivities for that day are canceled including exercise, nutrition, card playing, billiards, computer classes, Pilates, art programs, yoga, sewing as well as AARP meetings.

There will be no advance an-nouncement of cancellations. Wait until the day of your activity; then listen to or watch the above-mentioned channels or stations for cancellation information.

Operation FuelThe Middlebury Social Ser-

vices Department is taking ap-plications for Operation Fuel. For more information on this pro-gram for residents who need help with their fuel bills, call 203-577-4166, ext. 707.

Trips

Painted Pony restaurantAs part of the Senior Dine

lunch program, the senior center bus will go to the Painted Pony

Restaurant in Bethlehem Friday, Dec. 27. You must have a Senior Dine Card to participate. If you do not have a card, stop by the senior center office to get one. If you want to go to the Painted Pony, call 203-577-4166 to re-serve a seat.

Welcome in the New Year

Leave the Middlebury Senior Center at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30, to travel to a New Year’s mat-inee featuring “John Banker and his New Year’s Band” at the Aqua Turf Club. The price of $63 per person includes hors d’oeuvres, a full-course meal, a glass of wine, party favors, transportation and entertainment. Call 203-577-4166 to reserve your seat.

Middlebury Fire Marshal Jack Proulx has announced the win-ners of the 2013-2014 Annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Cash prizes were donated by the Middlebury Volunteer Fire De-partment (MVFD) and presented to the winners at an awards cer-emony held Dec. 9 at Middle-bury’s fire headquarters.

The $125 first-place winners are Sophia Nappi, a fourth-grader at Middlebury Elementary School (MES), and Samantha Grayson, a fifth-grader at Long Meadow Elementary School. The $75 second-place winners are Veronica Bogue, a fourth-grader at MES, and Morgan Pietrorazio, a fifth-grader at MES.

This year, students from both Middlebury Elementary and Long Meadow Elementary schools participated in the con-test, which yielded a total of 286 participants. The MVFD Poster Contest Committee coordinated and judged the contest this year. Firefighter Mike Proulx led the committee as chairperson and firefighters Doug Sanchez and Brian Proulx assisted him.

The posters by the fourth- and fifth-grade first-place winners from each participating town will

be submitted for judging at the county level. Four winners will be selected from each county, two from fourth grade and two from fifth grade, and each will receive a $200 savings bond.

The county winners will then become eligible for the state con-test. One of the 32 finalists will be selected as the state winner and will receive an additional $1,000 savings bond. The win-ning poster will be reproduced and distributed as Connecticut’s official Year 2013-2014 Fire Pre-vention Poster and will be dis-played at the State Capitol during October 2014 (National Fire Pre-vention Month).

The state winner will be an-nounced in March at the awards luncheon. All 32 finalists and their parents, teachers, princi-pals and fire marshals will be invited to the luncheon.

The annual Connecticut Fire Prevention Poster Contest is a cooperative effort of the Bureau of State Fire Marshal, the Con-necticut Fire Marshal’s Associa-tion, the Connecticut Public Fire Education Association and the Connecticut FAIR Plan. It is an annual event that attracts thou-sands of students throughout the

state. Last year, more than 30,000 students from more than 135 communities participated. The theme for the contest is “Fire Prevention Everyone/Everyday.”

Fire continues to be a leading cause of death and injury in the U.S. Every 2½ hours, someone is killed in a home fire, and thou-sands more are injured each year. Children are often victims of res-idential fires that most often happen at night. Through fire prevention education and com-munity participation, many of these fires can be prevented.

Children are likely to retain a fire safety message. They are a valuable link in the chain of com-munication as they take the les-son home and promote fire pre-vention measures to the family. It is hoped that fire safety and prevention awareness will be increased through this educa-tional program.

Fire Marshal Proulx and the poster contest committee thank Region 15, Principal Moretti, Prin-cipal Feltz, the fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, and all the partic-ipating students for their enthu-siastic artwork and creative think-ing in this very important fire prevention awareness program.

students create winning posters

The 2013-2014 Fire Prevention Poster Contest winners are, left to right, Morgan Pietrorazio, Saman-tha Grayson,Veronica Bogue and Sophia Nappi. (Submitted photo)

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In Brief

Bee IntellIgencerin•tel•li•gencer:n.Onewhoconveysnewsorinformation

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed.

Issued by:The Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer Society LLC

Bee-Intelligencer Staff:Editor-In-Chief/Publisher: Marjorie Needham

Contributing Writers: Mary Conseur, Terrence S. McAuliffeArt & Production: Mario J. Recupido

Advertising Consultant: Diane M. Brousseau

- Submit press releases in person, by mail or email -

The Bee-Intelligencer welcomes news, press releases and advertising from all surrounding communities

Editorial Office:2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1, Middlebury, CT 06762

Direct mail to P.O. Box 10.Telephone:203-577-6800•Email:[email protected]

Advertising Information:Telephone: 203-577-6800•Email:[email protected]

Copyright © 2013 by The Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer Society, LLC.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Deadlines:Display Advertising: 5 p.m.

Friday preceding publicationClassified Advertising: 5 p.m.

Monday preceding publicationEditorial/Press Releases: Noon Monday preceding publication

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Middlebury congregational church, The United Church of Christ, The Green, 1242 Whittemore Road, Middlebury CT

203-758-2671

Luminaries on saleThe Middlebury Lions Club is selling

holiday luminaries as a fundraiser to support local scholarship and community assistance funds. Luminaries are customarily placed along driveways and walkways at dusk on Christmas Eve and also can be a fun addition to a New Year’s Eve celebration.

Each $6 luminaries kit has 12 white bags and 12 10-hour candles. Luminaries can be purchased at Sullivan’s Jewelers, Larry’s Wine and Spirits, Vaszauskas Farm, and the Town Parks and Recreation department.

Main Street Ballet The Main Street Ballet will perform “The

Nutcracker” Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. at Pomperaug High School in Southbury. Tickets at $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 65 and older and children ages 7 to 12, and $12 for children 6 and younger will be available at the door. For information and reserved tickets, call 203-263-5107 or visit mainstreetballet.com.

Choral Society concertsThe Connecticut Choral Society will

present three Candlelight and Carols concerts, Saturday, Dec. 21, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at North Congregational Church in Woodbury and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Danbury.

Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, the ensemble will present a wide-ranging repertoire, including “African Noel,” “Gloria” (composed by member Rick Ryan), “Believe” (from Polar Express), and an aria from Handel’s “Messiah.” The audience is invited to join in singing selected carols. Tickets ($25 – adult, $15 – youth under 18) can be purchased online at www.CtChoralSociety.org or at the door. For more information, call 888-927-2933.

Blue Christmas ServiceThe Roxbury Congregational Church,

UCC will sponsor a special “Blue Christmas” Service Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. at the church at 24 Church St. in Roxbury. While Christmas is known as a season of joy, festivity and celebration, some may find the so-called “Christmas spirit” elusive. Christmas can be a difficult time due to concerns about the world situation, struggles with depression, addictions, grief, personal troubles or memories. The service will provide an opportunity to acknowledge our feelings with people who understand what we are going through.

Everyone, regardless of religious background, is welcome. The short service will be followed by a time of light refreshments and fellowship. For more information call 860-355-1978 or visit www.roxburychurch.org.

Quilts that CareQuilts that Care, an organization that makes

quilts for people who undergo cancer treatment, will meet Monday, Jan. 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center at 1075 Chase Parkway in Waterbury. Donations of fabric shop gift cards, 100-percent cotton fabric, quilting materials and gallon Ziploc bags are being accepted. Volunteers are welcome. For information, call Deb at 860-945-0184 or email [email protected].

Sunday knitting sessionsFlanders Nature Center & Land Trust will

hold a series of Sunday afternoon knitting “workshops” starting Sunday, Jan. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Studio at 5 Church Hill Road in Woodbury. All levels of knitters are invited and are welcome to bring a project, enjoy each other’s company and share ideas and experiences.

For those new to knitting, information and instruction will be offered to get them started on this rewarding and creative hobby. Future knitting gatherings will be held at the same time the third Sunday of each month through April. Dates are Feb. 16, March 16 and April 20. Tea and cookies will be served. A donation to Flanders of $5 a person for each session would be welcome. To reserve a place in the Jan. 19 group, call 203-263-3711, ext 10.


BERLIN, Conn. — Scams target-ing utility customers nationally continue to affect Connecticut Light & Power customers, with the most recent version targeting Spanish-speaking customers. The scam involves prepaid “Green Dot” VISA credit cards. Callers claiming to represent CL&P contact customers, tell them their service is scheduled to be shut off and then advise them to make a payment by pur-chasing a “Green Dot” VISA card. Customers are then asked to call another phone number where information is obtained from the credit card and the monetary value is removed from the “Green Dot” VISA card.

Spanish-speaking customers have been the most recent target of these individuals who call and falsely tell customers the com-pany is detecting excessive amounts of electricity being drawn from their home and it must be fixed immediately – for a price – to prevent a fire. In this scenario, customers also are told that, in order to make a payment, they must purchase an untrace-able prepaid debit card such as the “Green Dot” card.

“If a customer gets a call of this nature, they can verify that it is CL&P by asking for some basic information about their account. Our customer service represen-tatives will always be able to pro-

vide the name on the account, the account address and the exact past due balance,” said Penni Conner, chief customer officer at Northeast Utilities, par-ent company of CL&P. “If the caller cannot provide that infor-mation, the call is not from one of our employees.

“In this case, customers should not provide any type of payment or financial informa-tion and should call Customer Service immediately at 1-800-286-2000, and local law enforce-ment, to report the incident,” Conner said.

Customers who are scheduled for disconnection due to non-payment receive written notice

that includes the actions they can take to maintain service. They also can find their account status, including past due balance, at www.cl-p.com, or by calling and using the company’s automated phone system. CL&P does not require customers to purchase any type of prepaid card to pay their bill. Customers have several payment options, including di-rect debit, credit card and per-sonal check.

Incidents such as these are important reminders for con-sumers to always remain vigilant for potential fraud or identity theft, and protect their personal information. CL&P offers the following tips: • Don’t give out information

such as your Social Security number, account number or mother’s maiden name unless it is truly necessary to complete a transaction and you have verified you are speaking with an authorized company rep-resentative.

• Whenusingonlineandmobiletechnology, use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers or sym-bols, and don’t give your pass-words to anyone.

• Researchonlineentitiessoyouknow who they are.

•Makesureyoucheckyourwebbrowser and virus protection software regularly for updates. The website, www.cl-p.com,

provides more information on how to protect personal infor-mation. Consumers also may visit ftc.gov/idtheft to learn what to do if their identity is stolen or their personal or financial infor-mation has been compromised.

If one of your goals for the year ahead is saving money wherever you can, take a close look at Am-azon Prime.

With Amazon Prime, you have a good chance of saving on both single items and those you use on a regular basis. With Amazon Prime, you don’t pay shipping, and your order is delivered in two days. The Prime program costs $79 per year, but if you use it enough, the price can be more than worthwhile.

Finding items eligible for Prime: When you search for a specific item at Amazon.com, be sure the Prime logo is checked in the left column. If you change your search parameters, be sure you’re still under Prime.

Get even more savings with the Subscribe and Save program. With repeating orders of prod-ucts you use all the time, you save between 5 percent and 15 per-cent, depending on the number of items in your monthly deliv-ery, bringing your cost well be-low that of big-box stores. To get the full 15 percent discount, you must have a minimum of five items scheduled for delivery that month.

A few suggestions of items you might put on Subscribe and Save:• Vitamins,coffeeandtea,pasta,

bath and beauty, dishwasher detergent, and pet food.

• Cereals:Savingsforcerealscanvary widely and be sizable or nonexistent. Compare your store prices to those at Ama-zon. Be prepared to buy mul-tiple boxes at a time and sched-ule delivery every two or three

months, if necessary.• Paperproducts:Priceshere

also will vary widely, and you’ll need to buy in quantity.

• Replacementfilters:Schedul-ing deliveries of your furnace, air conditioner or faucet filters is a good reminder to change those filters regularly.An additional benefit of Am-

azon Prime is the unlimited streaming of thousands of TV shows and movies. Depending on your tastes, this could take the place of Netflix, if you have that. Compare the Amazon offerings with those at Netflix; there will be plenty of duplicates, but not everything on one is on the other. Beware, however, that Prime’s pricing changes, even after a movie or TV show is in your watch list. Before clicking any to view, verify that it’s still free un-der Prime. Sometimes deleting it from your list and re-adding it will bring it back to free.

And if you read Kindle books, you’ll be able to borrow one free book per month with your Prime account.

david Uffington regrets he can-not personally answer reader questions, but he will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to [email protected].


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cL&p renews customer warning

Churchhelps SantaStar Tree Chairwoman Les-lie House holds one of the gifts members of the Mid-dlebury Congregational Church are donating to 100 children ages 6 months to 16 served by Wellmore Behavioral Health in Wa-terbury. Church members choose a star that lists the child’s age, gender and re-quested gift, then buy and wrap the gift and affix the star to it. Wellmore picks up the gifts and distributes them to the children. (Submitted photo)

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Friday, dec. 20, at 8:30 p.m. - ugly sweater party!Pictures with our own ugly sweater guy. Raffles, prizes and four

limited Sam Adams releases. Be the first to try Backwoods Porter and Cherry Chocolate Bock.

saturday, dec. 21, at 6 p.m. Michael Weed benefit/birthday bash.

Mike & Bobby Rock at 9 p.m. Part of the proceeds from every Weed pint sold will go to the Weed family.

saturday, dec. 28 - Corkscrew band live

tuesday, dec. 31 - new year’s eve party

happy holidays!Join our events


By KEN MORSE

In the first two seasons after head coach Dave Yachtis took over the Pomperaug High School boys’ basketball program, the Panthers thrived, putting up a 31-16 ledger and extending a streak of qualifying for the state tournament to seven straight seasons.

Then the Panthers were hit hard by graduation, and the re-building process began. The bottom dropped out in 2012, when Pomperaug lost about 90 percent of its scoring players through graduation and strug-gled through a 3-17 season.

Last year, Pomperaug was much more competitive at 6-14, falling just two wins shy of mak-ing it back to the post season. They made progress as they held opponents in the 50s or fewer in 10 games. The Panthers could have used a little more offense to turn around seven decisions they lost by seven points or less as they averaged just 54 points a game.

A 4-4 start on the season showed some promise Pomper-aug had turned the corner. But that was followed by a sev-en-game slide that brought the realization the growing pains

were not over. Two of those losses by just four points showed the Panthers were headed in the right direction.

“We had a lot of close games last year,” said Yachtis, who is entering his fifth season at the helm. “We just didn’t have that senior leader and go-to guy down the stretch to hit a crucial basket or come up with a big de-fensive stop late in the game.

“This year we are a little older with six returning seniors, and we have a lot more depth than we’ve had over the past two sea-sons. I’m very optimistic that we can be a more competitive team this year with the goal of return-ing to the state tournament.”

Pomperaug will be guided by four senior captains led by All-Colonial Division power forward Lucien Fortier, who scored 18.8 points per game last season, along with center Nico Rosa, shooting forward Sam Rubin-stein and point guard Tyler Har-rington.

Senior Cooper Mooney will round out the starting five as the shooting guard with senior Alec Nord adding depth to the for-ward position. Junior Ryan Jo-hannes at center and sophomore Grant Wallace at forward give the Panthers a reliable bench along

with freshman guard Chase Belden.

“Nico started every game last year and is going to be our big guy under the boards,” said Yach-tis. “He won’t be cleared to play due to a football injury until the first of the year, so Ryan will fill in his spot for the first few weeks of the season.

“We have a strong group of forwards, and we have a little more depth that was missing last season. Lucien will be the key to jump-start the offense, and he also averaged 12 rebounds a game last year so that will also help us on the boards.”

Juniors Jon Bedard and Drew Gabelman add to the returning experience, and the progress of sophomores Rich Pugliese and Steve Walsh, along with fresh-

man Jake Mendicino, allows the Panthers to go 14 players deep as they make a run to get back to the postseason.

“We have played three scrim-mages, and so far we have looked good and we are coming together as a team,” added Yachtis.

“Bunnell is the returning league champions, and they are going to be strong again. Masuk is always tough, as are Fairfield, Kolby, Stratford and Notre Dame. But I can see the progress we are making each day, and we are getting better and heading in the right direction.”

Pomperaug opens the season today, Friday, Dec. 20, at Mid-dletown and will host Newtown Monday, Dec. 23, for its home opener at the Panthers’ den.

Breathe. Relax. What you’ve done so far is perfect. Let go of things you cannot control. Con-trol your emotions because you can. Control your thoughts be-cause you can. Ignore the masses who believe more is more. Buy into simplicity instead.

Allot five full minutes three times each day to pick up, tidy up and speed clean to keep order and beauty in your environment. This gets your blood flowing, burns quick calories, positively influences your mind and lifts your spirit to feel light and airy from having accomplished easy maintenance.

For those who do Christmas, let the festivities begin. Have ex-tra chunks of cheese, boxes of gourmet crackers, a jar of stuffed olives, a bag of small pears and apples, a tub of hummus and pita chips as well as a few bottles of Perrier and good bottles of red and white wine on hand for un-expected guests and last-minute invites as well as easy nibbles for your family. Also, a few extra boxes of inexpensive little lights in your theme colors help the scene if one burns out and you don’t want the hassle of figuring out which one by going down the line light by light.

Get to bed as early as you can the nights you’re not out or hav-ing people in. Smile and be happy for all the wonder in your life.

This week’s nuggets for life of-fer three last-minute holiday tips to help you enjoy the season more. 1. Spend 30 minutes absolutely

alone each day to be with your amazing self. Acknowledge all

the great stuff you’ve done to create an awesome holiday. Journal, paint, do a little yoga, dance or meditate your way to a place where you feel com-plete in that very moment.

2. If you fret, fret about what mat-ters, like finding and creatively making time for 30 minutes of all-out exercise seven days a week and drinking a glass of warm water before each meal so you eat less, eliminate more and feel better. Keep raw car-rots and celery with you to munch when hunger pangs strike to quiet temptations of the rich and caloric kind.

3. Family gatherings are full of pings and pangs. Be mentally strong by knowing life isn’t fair and spending time being upset or resentful disturbs your joy. Dress comfortably. Let go of the past and enjoy the celebra-tion, remembering what it’s really all about.I believe if you follow these tips

you’ll glow with the grace and joy of the season. Enjoy this beauti-ful, merry, dreamy white winter wonderland. Abundant blessings of peace and love to you all.

de Pecol is a yoga instructor, Reiki master and life coach who lives in Washington, Conn. See lifecoachingllc.com or email [email protected]

By CYNTHIA DE PECOL

nuggets for Life

Last-minute holiday tips

Pomperaug High school Varsity Games

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Dec. 20 to 28, 2013Boys’ BasketballFriday, Dec. 20 ....................Middletown (A) ..................................... 7 p.m.Monday, Dec. 23 ................. Newtown (H) ................................... 7:15 p.m.Friday, Dec. 27 .................... Northwestern (A) .................................. 7 p.m.Saturday, Dec. 28 ................ Jonathan Law (A) .................................. 5 p.m.

Girls’ BasketballFriday, Dec. 20 .................... Brookfield (H) ....................................... 7 p.m.Friday, Dec. 27 .................... Plainville Tournament (A) .......................... TBASaturday, Dec. 28 ................ Plainville Tournament (A) .......................... TBA

CheerleadingFriday, Dec. 20 .................... Brookfield (H) ....................................... 7 p.m.Monday, Dec. 23 ................. Newtown (H) ........................................ 7 p.m.

Ice HockeySaturday, Dec. 21 ................ Trumbull (A).......................................... 6 p.m.

Boys’ Swimming and DivingFriday, Dec. 20 .................... Bunnell/Stratford (H) ........................... 5 p.m.

WrestlingSaturday, Dec. 21 ................ Pomperaug Tournament (H) .................. 9 a.m.Saturday, Dec. 28 ................ Frank Chavez Invitational (A) ................. 9 a.m.

(H) Home (A) Away

pomperaug boys’ basketball aims for winning season

This year’s Pomperaug High School boys’ basketball senior captains are, left to right, Lucien Fortier, Tyler Harrington, Sam Rubinstein and Nico Rosa. (Ken Morse photo)


DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have to trot to the bathroom many times during the day and many more times at night. Is this due to my prostate gland? I’m 74 and wasn’t bothered by bathroom visits a year ago. Does this mean surgery for me? How do I know if this is prostate cancer? – R.R.ANSWER: Odds are you have benign prostatic hyperplasia, the official name for a large prostate gland. In their 40s, a quarter of males have a gland that’s larger than normal. In their 70s, 80 per-cent of men have an enlarged gland. Not all these men have symptoms like repeated trips to the bathroom, a hard time start-ing the urinary stream and a de-crease in the force of the stream.

The prostate gland lies directly below the urinary bladder, and the bladder’s drainage tube, the urethra, runs through the gland. A large gland presses on the bladder and obstructs the ure-thra. That’s why many men with a large gland have to run to the bathroom so often – they cannot completely empty their bladder.

You don’t have to jump to sur-gery right off the bat. Medicines often solve the problem. One class of medicines stops the forceful bladder contractions that signal an urgent need to void. Uroxatral, Flomax and Ra-paflo are examples of this drug family. Their effect is seen within a week. Another family of drugs shrinks the gland. Avodart and Proscar are two such medicines. Their effect isn’t seen for up to six months. Combining both classes of drug is another method of treatment.

If medicine therapy fails, a variety of surgical procedures can remedy the problem.

You don’t know if an enlarged gland has cancer cells in it. The PSA blood test, flawed as it is, provides some evidence for can-cer. Biopsy of the gland is the ultimate cancer test. A urologist will solve this problem for you.

The booklet on prostate en-largement and prostate cancer deals with these common male

problems in detail. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Do-nohue – No. 1001W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son is 43. When he was 20, he started getting lumps, which the doctors called lipomas. He has them on his whole body in varying sizes, except for on his face. No one else in the family has them. What can be done besides cutting them out? – M.F.ANSWER: Lipomas are mounds of fat encased in a tough covering material. They range in size from a golf ball to two or three times that size. They’re soft, and they are not painful.

Surgical removal, at present, provides the best results. If your son has too many for total re-moval, a select few, the most bothersome ones, can be ex-cised.

Research is ongoing to find a substance that will dissolve these fatty tumors. Injection with cor-tisone medicines can shrink them a bit, but it doesn’t totally get rid of them. The results are somewhat mixed, and it isn’t a popular treatment.

dr. donohue regrets he is un-able to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853–6475.

(c) 2013 North America Synd., Inc.All Rights Reserved

1. Name two of the three major- league players to be Rookie of the Year one season and a Most Valuable Player the next.

2. The New York Yankees have won the most World Series titles. What is the second- highest-ranking A.L. team when it comes to World Series crowns?

3. Who was the last linebacker to be taken No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft?

4. When was the last time a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball team se-cured an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament?

5. Which was the first American franchise in the NHL?

6. Of the past 40 men’s tennis grand slam singles events (2004 to 2013), how many have NOT been won by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or No-vak Djokovic?

7. In the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans race, what was the high-est finish by a car other than a Porsche?

Answers

1. Cal Ripken Jr. (1982-83), Ryan Howard (2005-06) and Dustin Pedroia (2007-08).

2. The Oakland Athletics fran-chise, with nine.

3. Aundray Bruce, by Atlanta in 1988.

4. Miami of Ohio, in 1999.5. The Boston Bruins, in 1924.6. Five.7. Ninth.


This publication does not know-ingly accept advertising which is deceptive, fraudulent, or which might otherwise violate the law or accepted standards of taste. However, this publication does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods or services advertised. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly in-vestigate all claims made in any advertisements, and to use good judgment and reasonable care, particularly when dealing with persons unknown to you who ask for money in advance of de-livery of the goods or services advertised.

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PIANO INSTRUCTION for all ages: Professional, dedi-cated, experienced. Through music, enhance your life and the lives of those around you! Performance opportunities, theory/performance exams through the Royal Conser-vatory Music Development Program available. Special- needs students welcome! Beate Neblett 203-598-0854, www.middleburypianostudio.com. Member MTNA, piano faculty Neighborhood Music School New Haven.

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Classified Advertising Cost: $10 per week, up to 40 words. 25¢ each additional word.

Submit ad with your name, address, telephone number and payment to: Mail: Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762

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(Kathleen Brown-Carrano cartoon)

This is our first year in a house with a work-ing fireplace, but we’ve never used one before.

We’d like to have a crackling fire during holiday get–togethers and throughout the winter, but so far I can’t get one to light. I just get a lot of smoke in the room and no flame. Any tips? – Dale C., Madison, Wis.

It can be a little tricky to get a nice fire going in the fireplace if you’ve

never done it before, and there are some safety tips you need to follow as well.

First, be certain the fireplace is safe to use. If it was inspected and cleaned when you moved in, you’re good to go; but if it hasn’t been, or you don’t know when it was last inspected, con-tact a chimney cleaning service.

Make sure the area around the fireplace is safe: move furniture, rugs, boxes, paper and other flammable items several feet away. If you don’t have a fire ex-tinguisher nearby, get one and place it in an accessible spot.

To light a fire, you’ll need sev-eral pieces of wood in various sizes, along with old newspaper or a firestarter stick. The small

bundles of firewood sold in gro-cery stores and home–improve-ment stores are expensive, but they’ll do for a first–time fire, as they’re medium–size and usually cut to fit most fireboxes. You should also go out for a walk and collect an armful of fallen, dry twigs and small branches.

With your fuel ready, it’s time to get started. Open the fireplace damper fully – this flap is located at the top of the firebox (the area in which the fire burns) and when opened allows air to flow up the chimney and outward. It’s probably the reason your house was filling with smoke when you tried to light a fire before.

Twist a half–sheet of newspa-per into a cylinder. Holding it inside the firebox, light one end. Hold the burning end a few inches underneath the damper for about 30 seconds or until you see smoke from the burning pa-

per flowing freely upward into the chimney flue.

Stack your firewood prior to lighting the fire. Opinions vary on how to build the stack, but it’s important to make sure air flows freely among the logs. I prefer stacking four small- to medium–sized logs in a square or triangu-lar pattern. Tuck an assortment of twigs, shredded newspaper and small branches between and underneath the logs. Don’t go overboard – the kindling can flare up too high when lit.

Carefully light the kindling, starting near the back of the log stack and working your way for-ward. Once the initial flame has died down somewhat – but be-fore it disappears – carefully feed in more twigs and branches. Properly seasoned logs should catch within a few minutes, but don’t be disappointed if you have to repeat the process.

Once a good fire is going, make sure the protective screen is in place. Remember to never leave a fire unattended. And once the fire is out, don’t remove the cinders until they are completely cold, and dispose of them in a fire–resistant container, away from the house or garage.

Send your questions or home tips to [email protected]. My new e–book, “101 Best Home Tips,” is available to download on Amazon Kindle! Pick it up it today for just 99 cents.


By SAMANTHA MAzzOTTA

Fireplace tips

Avoid burning pine logs in your fireplace. They can cause cre-

osote, a sticky substance, to build up in the chimney more quickly, creating a fire hazard.

Q:

A:

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leGAl notice

TOWN OF MIDDLEBURYLEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Motor Vehicle Supplemental tax bills on the Grand List of October 1, 2012 plus the second install-ment of Real Estate and Personal Property taxes become due and payable January 1, 2014. The last day to pay is February 3, 2014. Taxes become delinquent February 4th and draw interest at the rate of 1-1/2% per month from the due date. Minimum interest is $2.00. Failure to receive a bill does not invalidate the tax, interest or penalty.

Payments may be made by cash, check or money order. Credit card payments may be made online at www.officialpay-ments.com or call 1-800-272-9829. For telephone payments use Jurisdiction Code 1763. A 3% fee is charged to the taxpayer for this service.

Return one copy of the bill with payment. If a receipt is re-quired return all copies plus a self-addressed stamped enve-lope. The tax office is open Monday-Friday, 9am to 5 pm except for legal holidays. Please call 203 758-1373 with any questions.

Jean Dawes, CCMCTax Collector, Middlebury


DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I’ve heard over and over that it’s dan-gerous for dogs to eat chocolate. My friend told me they shouldn’t eat grapes, either. My dog Rascal snapped up two grapes that fell off of a party tray at a recent event I held, and he is just fine. Was my friend wrong? – Carla in Laredo, TexasDEAR CARLA: Your friend isn’t wrong – a number of foods that are safe for humans shouldn’t be consumed by dogs. Cats are at risk from certain foods, too. Ras-cal didn’t suffer any visible ef-fects from eating a couple of grapes, but that might not be the case next time.

Eating grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. Chocolate is toxic to dogs – it can affect their nervous system. Sug-ar-free candies containing xylitol can cause dogs’ blood pressure to drop and in large quantities can cause liver failure. Onions, garlic, macadamia nuts and av-ocados all can be toxic, accord-ing to the ASPCA.

Most of the above foods also affect cats negatively, as do caf-feine, tomatoes and mushrooms. Keep cats away from house-

plants, especially lilies. Plants popular around Christmastime, such as holly and poinsettia, are toxic and need to be placed out of reach.

Because the holidays are a hectic time, include a plan for keeping your pets safe during

get-togethers and parties. Don’t let dogs and cats roam freely dur-ing a party or while gifts are being unwrapped. Place them in a quiet room with food and water until wrapping, food crumbs and other dangers are cleared away and you have more time to pay attention to them.

Send your questions or com-ments to [email protected]. did you know mosquitoes can transmit heartworm larvae to dogs, but fleas don’t? Find out more in my new book “Fighting Fleas,” available now on Amazon.


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Adopt A Rescue pet

Your pet could be featured as “Pet of the Week” in this picture frame. Send us your pet’s photo by email to [email protected] regular mail to P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 along with your pet’s name, your last name and your town.

Send in your pet photos

Barney Janesky lives in Middlebury.

PETS OF THE WEEK

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TSB 2014 Holiday AD for Middlebury BEE-Intelligencer • December 20, 2013Size = 3 col, (5.75”) x 7” Color

Thomaston Savings BankCommitted to Community

Happy Holidays

Member FDIC

May the beauty of the season fall softly around you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in 2013.

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celebrate with us…cHrISTMaSeVe SerVIceS5 pm Family Service11pm candlelight Service

Middlebury congregational church, The United Church of Christ, The Green, 1242 Whittemore Road, Middlebury CT

203-758-2671

Ferrari’s Appliance

We sell & serviceAll brands

160 rubber Ave.naugatuck, Ct

(203)723-7230

Visit us on the webwww.andhowhearing.com

Howard Raff, BC-HISBOARD CERTIFIED IN HEARING INSTRUMENT SCIENCES

678 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708 • 203-754-2200

Do you want to hear better?

JOSEPHINAThis 4-year-old beauty has a calm demeanor

and is just a sweet girl to meet! She was brought to our shelter because her owner no longer could keep her and wanted the absolute best for her. She loves the treats and playtime she receives. We know a home would make this sweet girl the hap-piest cat in the world!

For an application and time to meet her, please email us!

AUTUMNAutumn is a gentle and sweet girl who was for-

tunate enough to be found by one of our volunteers and brought here to our shelter. She came in as pregnant as can be and had two wonderful, healthy kittens. Autumn is looking for her new forever home where she will be adored for her lifetime!

For more information on these animals, as well as others at Meriden Humane Society (MHS), email [email protected]. MHS is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and volun-teers can be available to meet with you through an appointment. MHS is at 311 Murdock Ave. in Meriden.

May the peace and joy of the holiday season lift your spirit.

(FUNERAL HOME NAME)(ADDRESS)

(PHONE NUMBER)

Proud Member 2013

May the peace and joy of the holiday season lift your spirit.

(FUNERAL HOME NAME)(ADDRESS)

(PHONE NUMBER)

Proud Member 2013

Family Owned • Serving the Greater Naugatuck Valley Since 1936

Middlebury Bee 122013

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