November 1, 2018 · 2018-10-31 · Our Audit ﬁrm of Nanavaty, Nanavaty, & Davenport, LLP has...

FEATURE12 Artist of the Month

FEATURE5 Holiday Giving Fund

FEATURE12 CT Ballet to Perform

November 1, 2018

5

3November 1, 2018 • THE VILLAGER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Quality home care • Affordable rates • FREE in-home consultation • Special Oronoque residents discount

Peace of Mind

Call 203-870-9850

Owned and managed by a Village resident.

7

FEATURES:

NEWS DEPARTMENTS: 8 ANNOUNCEMENTS

9 ACTIVITIES

14 CALENDAR

Thank you to Gery Cuccaro for contributing the cover photo taken during a recent Pickleball Club party. (Pictured,from left, Joanne Sutphen, Bob Romatzick, Linda Libertino and Mary Ellen Pappas). Please see article on page 10. The Villager welcomes submissions for cover consideration. Submissions must be emailed as high-resolution jpeg images to [email protected]

4 Message From the OVCA President5 Reminder: Holiday Giving Fund Campaign5 Meet Employee of the Month Will Lesko7 Pletman Concert: Guitar & Mandolin Duo10 Pickleball Club Party11 Writers Group Presents “Poetry & Prose”12 Artist of the Month: Sam Levinson12 OV Arts Guild Presents the CT Ballet13 OVTD Security Seminar16 Fitness for Older Adults17 Updates from OCC18 OV Arts Guild Art Show Reception20 Writers Group Essays22 Club & Group Advertisements

By Bob Grosso

My heartfelt thanks and congratula-tions to the entire Village for your

interest and participation duringOronoque Village’s recent electionprocess. My understanding is that thiswas the highest voter turnout ever at

70.6 percent. I am truly humbled and honored that you haveplaced your trust in me for another term. Welcome to newly elected board members: District 3,Mike Hill; District 4, Bob Krakovich; District 5, Wendy Swain;District 8, Jim Deese.

On Oct. 11, we had our orientation meeting for OVCA dis-trict representatives, alternates and the executive board. Aspecial thank you to our board secretary for putting togetherthe workshop package that was well-received. Major topicsincluded: discussing the roles and responsibilities of districtrepresentatives; fiduciary responsibilities of the board to pre-serve, protect, maintain and enhance our Village; signing ofCode of Ethics; establishing the board’s goals and vision. As a result, the OVCA board determined the following arekey areas to focus on during this term:1. Update bylaws/rules/regulations and develop compli-ance process 2. Continue to develop and implement strong loss preven-tion/risk management program3. Review reserve study and develop budget plan4. Continue to improve maintenance by enhancing residentcommunications and timely execution of work orders5. Receive FHA status and reduce units in flood zone The following are new members elected to standingcommittees: Architectural Committee: Ellen Hyde Phillips Communications Committee: Wendy Swain, Chair;Harriet Liss; Judith Lessler; Lee Shlafer, Judy Waldeyer, VillagerLiaison Finance Committee: Ken Colman Human Resources Committee: Marilyn Ganis Insurance Committee: Cheryl Comen and Wayne Cotter,Co-Chairs Racquet Sports Committee: Peter Feick, Chair; AngelaAlvisi I am enthusiastic about the established goals and asso-ciated challenges that we have put forth for our Village. Wetruly have a team of outstanding OVCA board and standingcommittee members willing to work diligently in the interestof the Village. At our OVCA board meeting on Oct. 16, a discussion washeld regarding the use of live streaming and drones in ourVillage. Motions will be brought forward to the board at ourNovember meeting to address these topics. Please see Executive Director’s Message below for infor-mation related to maintenance matters.

ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENTSBy Fred Rodriguez

• Maintenance Updates: The UI Project Manager has in-dicated that we are on target for completion of the North sideelectrical upgrades by the first week of November (weather

THE VILLAGER4

A MESSAGE FROM THE OVCA PRESIDENT

This column originally was distributed to residents as an Eblast on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018.

Continued on page 6

• November 1, 2018

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November 1, 2018 • THE VILLAGER 5

The Oronoque Village Holiday Giving Fund offers resi-dents an annual opportunity to recognize the top-notch

service provided by our hourly-wage employees.Once-a-year Opportunity

Residents who are pleased with the experiences theyhave with the Business Office staff or with the MaintenanceDepartment personnel or with our Evening and WeekendBuilding Monitors, are encouragedto reward these workers with some-thing extra during the holiday sea-son. The Giving Fund is a one-time-a-year opportunity for our staffmembers to receive monetary re-wards.

No Tipping Policy

OVCA prohibits employees

from accepting tips; it is an HR pol-icy our staff members must follow.The reason? Past experience in the Village showed that res-idents who tip often get special attention. That breeds aninequitable circumstance.

Tipping is also unfair to the many hard-working hourly

employees whose jobs don’t put them in direct contactwith residents, and thus precludes their receiving gratuities. To remedy this situation, the Holiday Giving Fund wascreated. Residents contribute to a single fund that is dis-

tributed fairly among all staff members, eliminating any dis-crimination.

There are no annual bonuses at OV, but through dona-

tions to the Holiday Giving Fund, Villagers provide theequivalent of a bonus while showing their appreciation tothe entire staff for their tireless efforts throughout the year.

How the Funds are DistributedTo make sure that funds are distributed

equitably, a practical formula has been putinto effect: management evaluates thelength of time an employee has been work-ing with us as well as considers the scale ofeach employee’s wage. This way, it is ensuredthat a part-time employee who has beenworking here six months will be recognizedon a different scale than a full-time workerwho has been employed at Oronoque Vil-lage for a number of years.All funds donated to the Holiday Giving

Fund are distributed in time to brighten the holiday sea-sons of our workers and their families.

To make a donation, please submit a check payable to

“OVCA” and write “Holiday Giving Fund” on the memo line.Checks can be dropped off or mailed to the Business Office(600 North Trail, Stratford, CT 06614) or dropped off in theoutside payment slot at NCB. OV

REMINDER: THE HOLIDAy GIVING FUND IS ACCEPTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Will Lesko, whois a member of

the OV groundscrew, has beennamed Employee ofthe Month, in a newprogram launchedby Director of Main-tenance OperationsMark Rhatigan.

Maintenance De-partment staff willvote, monthly, on

the co-worker whom they feel should get the title of Em-ployee of the Month. As part of the recognition, the winnerwill receive a gift card as well as temporary possession of theOronoque Village Employee of the Month Trophy Belt, pic-tured at right. “It was an honor to be chosen,” said Will. “It’s nice that myco-workers think so highly of me.”

Will worked at Oronoque Village for two consecutivesummers before joining the maintenance crew, year-round,last May. (He has not missed a day of work since!) Presently, residents can find Will busy with leaf cleanup.His work also includes reseeding and planting trees. A sports enthusiast, Will graduated from Stratford’s Bun-nell High School in 2015. During his senior year, he was cap-tain of the soccer team. He continues his love of sports as a part-time student atSouthern Connecticut State College, taking courses in sportsmanagement and marketing. OV

MEET OUR EMPLOyEE OF THE MONTH: WILL LESkO

From left, Fred Rodriguez, Will Leskoand Mark Rhatigan.

permitting). They have informed us that there will be plannedoutages for the cutting over to the new conduit on Oct. 30,Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. They will be sending out communica-tions to the respective homes that will be impacted. We willalso be initiating robo-calls and e-blasts to these areas oncewe have the specific information from UI. In the negotiationwith UI, we were successful in procuring 10,000 square feetof sod and approximately 8,000 square feet of hydro-seedingfor various areas throughout the Village. • Administrative Updates: Our team has been workingin collaboration with Philadelphia Risk Management and Peo-ple’s Insurance (our broker) on enhancing our existing lossprevention program. They are comfortable with the existingscope of our inspections and are working with the team tofurther augment our procedures. To date, we have completed the review of 41 residencesin the Village and are targeting 60 – 70 additional residencesfor completion by the first quarter of next year (in additionto the resale units). We are expanding our training on the program by includ-ing an additional two employees in the process. There werea total of 55 walkways that were identified as problematic andto date we have completed a total of 25 to date with a targetgoal of completing a minimum of 30 by the end of this yearand subsequently repairing the remainder of walkways in thespring of next year. Our facility operations have been reviewed by our under-writer and, in addition to changes in our workout facility andsaunas, the Maintenance building will also be restricted toresident access. We are exploring establishing a remote officeat SCB for our Maintenance coordinators in order to allowowners a safe environment for work order requests in person.(We will communicate this to the Village once it is estab-lished). Philadelphia has conducted two site visits and is sched-uled for a third in early November; they will be incorporating

thermographic imaging of the electrical distribution systemfor our buildings. We have engaged Monnit Services (basedon their inclusion in the Philadelphia plan), ADT and Unlim-ited Technologies who are currently evaluating the variousremote monitoring devices available for fire prevention, COmonitoring, water intrusion and changes in temperature. Weshould have proposals for the remote monitoring process byearly November. Our Audit firm of Nanavaty, Nanavaty, & Davenport, LLPhas completed the annual audits for the Village and Tax Dis-trict. Both respective finance committees have reviewed theaudits and we are pleased to report that no issues or concernshave been raised or identified• Roof Washing: To date, a total of 64 buildings have beencompleted and 11 units remain and are scheduled to be com-pleted by month’s end. This will achieve the 75 buildingsscheduled for this season in addition to the SCB.• Tree & Shrub Replacement: The program is presentlyunderway; we have procured a total of 28 trees and 12 shrubs(for common areas) all of which are scheduled for installationwithin the next week.• Four Corners Map: The roadside map on OronoqueLane has been refurbished; interior lights have been replaced,the structure has been cleaned and repainted and new fo-liage was installed.• Decks/Entry Update: To date, a total of 63 units havebeen completed on the North side. We have scheduled anadditional 46 units for completion this month, which willbring the project to an end for the season, with a total of 109units completed.• Glass Replacement: We have been working with Na-tional Glass subcontracting a significant number of work or-ders that have been backlogged on glass replacement. Atthis juncture we are projecting that the time allocation hasbeen reduced to 6 – 9 months. In our next cycle, working with National Glass, we are tar-geting reducing the scheduled wait period to 3-4 months. OV

THE VILLAGER6 • November 1, 2018

ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

- -

Continued from page 4


FEATURE

By Elisabeth Breslav

Judy Handler and Mark Levesque, of spring 2017 “!Fiesta!” fame, are returning by popular demand on

Sunday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. at NCB in “Rhythms of theWorld,” a program that includes music of many differentclassical traditions. The husband-and-wife team has performed over 2,000

concerts in the United States and Europe. Their sophisti-cated and expressive arrangements blend classical, Brazil-ian, Latin American, klezmer, gypsy, jazz, Celtic and folkmusic influences to create a unique and extraordinarysound which has won them a widespread enthusiastic fol-lowing. Their three CDs have been used by the GreaterHartford Arts Council as a gift to thousands of donors totheir United Arts Campaign in 2003, 2006 and 2009. Theyhave also been featured on numerous compilation CDswith other artists, as well as many radio and cable pro-grams. Judy Handler received a master of music degree in gui-

tar performance from the Hartt School of Music, a bachelorof music degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music,a diploma of merit from Accademia Musicale Chigiana inSiena, Italy, a certificate from Curs Internacional de Músicaat the Vila-Seca i Salou Conservatory in Spain and a diplomafrom the Aspen Music School. She is the founder of theConnecticut Guitar Society. Mark Levesque has performed on guitar (classical, jazz

archtop, 12 string, electric and gypsy), mandolin and cuatroin numerous ensembles throughout New England, most re-cently with the CitySingers of Hartford. He has played and arranged world, jazz, Latin and blues

music and has worked with synthesizer orchestration andstudio recording. His passion for guitar and mandolin musichas led him to research music from all over the world andhis creative ideas have been the stimulus for many of thearrangements performed by the duo. He currently teaches mandolin and guitar at a private

studio in Vernon, Conn. Mark has taken courses at CentralConnecticut State University and the Hartt School of Musicas well as private instruction with guitarists in a variety ofgenres. OV

PLETMAN CONCERTS FALL SERIES ENDS WITH GUITAR & MANDOLIN DUO


ANNOUNCEMENTSSAC NEW yEAR'S EVE GALA AT OCC SAC will sponsor a New Year's Eve party at the Oronoque

Country Club on Dec. 31. Thecost is $75 per person and in-

cludes a cocktail hour from 7p.m. to 8 p.m. with hot and cold

hors d'oeuvres. Dinner will be servedpromptly at 8 p.m. (There will be a choice

of one of four entrees.) Price includes two complimentarydrinks per person, champagne toast at midnight, dancingand more. A cash bar will be available. Reservations are a must. There will be a flyer in the Nov.15 Villager listing the meal choices and a form to submit fortable seating. Contact Sonya at 203-377-1515 for more de-tails.

SUNDAy VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR OV MONITOR PROGRAM The OV Monitor Program is seeking a volunteer to

contact its call-in residents on Sundays. This operation ispart of the Call In Program and needs to be performedafter 10 a.m. The program helps those residents whohave asked to be checked on to assure that they are safeand sound. The list is short and the task takes about 15to 20 minutes to complete. A list will be provided for the volunteer to check off

those who have been called. Volunteers also will receivefamily contact numbers should they get no answer totheir calls. For more information, contact Dave Schoennagel at

203-814-8351 (cell) or 203-870-6354 (home).

DISTRICT HOLIDAy PARTIES District 3 holiday party with Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5 atthe Oronoque Country Club on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m.Details and flyers to follow. For more information, contactSonya at 203-377-1515.

District 7 and District 11 will have a joint holidayparty on Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. at NCB. Flyers with full detailswill be distributed in the black boxes in each district.

REMINDER: FEEDING SqUIRRELS IS NOT ALLOWED IN OUR VILLAGE! Squirrels may be cute to look at, but they pose dan-

gers to humans and human settlements because oftheir ability to act as carriers for rabies and other dis-eases. When you attract squirrels by feeding them, the

chances of parasites jumping onto you and your petsand setting up shop inside your house shoot up dra-matically. With squirrels roaming your yard, your home (as

well as your neighbors' homes) can turn into a rent-freepad for the animals. Squirrels can either sneak their wayright into your attic or eat their way in, ultimately caus-ing plenty of damage. Squirrels especially love enclosedareas in winter for the warmth. If their food source isalso right outside, that's even more reason to move onin. The problem is compounded when the populationof squirrels in your area grows out of control becausethat food has attracted so many.

CLOTHING DRIVE FOR THE HOMELESS Oronoque residents Jim and Mary Ann Weaver are

seeking donations of new or gently used blankets, coats,hats, gloves, scarfs, sweaters, socks (white) and any otherheavy warm garments. Donations will be distributed tothe homeless in New Haven. For information, contact Mary Ann at 203-530-9962

or Jim at 203-395-0134.

NOTICES:

CLUBHOUSES TO BE CLOSED ON SATURDAy, NOVEMBER 10

The North and South Clubhouses will be closedto residents on Saturday, Nov. 10, due to carpetcleaning.

ELECTION DAy TRANSPORTATIONIS AVAILABLE TO OV RESIDENTS

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Those on theSouthside vote at Chapel Street School, 380Chapel St., while Northside residents vote at Bun-nell High School, 1 Bulldog Lane. If you have ques-tions, call the Registrar of Voters at 203-385-4048or 203-385-4049.

Villagers who need a ride to vote or Villagerswho are able to provide election day transporta-tion to their neighbors, should contact Marge Hef-fel at 203-502-0275 / [email protected].

EDITOR’S NOTE: To ensure accuracy, information must besubmitted, via email, to Carol King at [email protected]. (Submissions must be typed, in upper andlower case.) The deadline to be included in the next issue ofThe Villager, on Nov. 15, is Nov. 2 at noon

CORNHOLECornhole , a bean bag toss game, is played on Thursdays•

at 10 a.m. at SCB. Everyone is welcome. Questions? Call Sueor Ralph Trapasso at 203-916-7156.

CURRENT EVENTSThe Current Events Discussion Group meets in SCB Card•

Room 1 at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays Nov. 14 and Nov. 28.Please bring a news article to the meeting.

DOLLCRAFTERSDollcrafters meets at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at NCB.•

LADIES BIBLE STUDyThe Ladies Bible study group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the sec-•

ond and fourth Fridays of each month in the NCB Library. Allladies are welcome. The next meetings take place Nov. 9 andDec. 14. (There are no meetings on Nov. 23 or Dec. 28.) Wewill be studying the Gospel of Luke. Questions? Call AngieMcKelvey (227-3222) or Tina Vermette (375-0291).

LINE DANCINGLine dancing takes place weekly at NCB. A beginner class•

is held at 9:30 a.m. followed by a class for all levels at 10 a.m.

MAINTAINING A HEALTHy LIFESTyLEHealthy Lifestyle Discussion Group meets in the SCB Back•

Card Room at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Please bring in-formation and be prepared to participate in discussions.

PICkLEBALL CLUBWeather permitting, round robins are held on Mondays,•

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m., Fridaysfrom 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. -12 p.m.Times are subject to change. Please visit us at https://holdmycourt. com/reserve2/ovpickleball for changes to sched-ule. For more information, contact Gery at [email protected] or Regina at [email protected].

POOL SOCIAL GROUPAnyone who enjoys summer socializing in and around•

the pools is invited to attend a get-together from 4-6 p.m. at

SCB on the second Thursday of each month. Come withyour favorite appetizer and/or beverage (or nothing) for re-unions and conversations. Call Sonya at 203-375-1515.

TEA, TALk & CRAFTSTea, Talk, and Crafts meets at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday after-•

noons next to the kitchen at SCB. Annual dues are $10.Questions? Call Cynthia Harms at 203-402-9083.

WALkING GROUPThe Walking Group meets weekly on Thursdays at •

9 a.m. in the NCB parking lot. The walks last about 30 minutesto 45 minutes. This is a relaxed, informal group and everyonetravels at their own pace.

OV WRITERS GROUPThe OV Writers Group meets alternate Thursdays at •

2 p.m. in the Card Room at NCB. All are welcome. The groupencourages its members to write, to expand their writingand publishing horizons and to find support in a trusting,respectful and professional environment. For information,contact Mary at [email protected]/203-767-9760.


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FEATURE

PICkLEBALL CLUB PARTyStory by Carole PlotnickPhotos by Gery Cuccaro and Peter Feick

The Pickleball Club is a special group of competitorsand friends on and off the court. Social events are

well-attended by club members, who enjoy each other’scompany. To celebrate the best season with many new members,

our third annual dinner party was planned by MaggieDunigan, social events chairman, and her committee. Fifty-five members and guests attended a dinner on Oct. 4. The committee did a great job bringing the group to-

gether for a fun social evening starting with cocktails, fol-lowed by a sumptuous dinner catered by Andini’sRestaurant in Orange, ending with Italian pastries. As the end of our season is approaching and members

head to warmer climates for the winter, we look forwardto our second annual holiday cocktail party in December. This will be the club’s last event before the start of next

season. If you would like information on the Pickleball Club,

please contact Regina Archazki at 203-915-0781 or GeryCuccaro at 203-556-3251. OV

Above, from left, Joanne Sutphen, Carole Plotnick, Marilyn Coffey, Regina Archazki, Gery Cuccaro, Jeanne Hartley and LoriHedman. Below, Karen Hahn, Judy Waldeyer and Barbara Minoff. Bottom, Dina Glantz, Mark Wu and Liz Kedan.

11THE VILLAGERNovember 1, 2018 • 11

FEATUREOV WRITERS GROUP PRESENTS POETRy & STORy READINGSStory by Mary W. von Ziegesar ~ Photo by Bill Tanski

The first Oronoque Village Writers Group (OVWG)event, titled “Poetry & Prose,” brought laughs and

tears to the NCB Library on Sunday, Oct. 14, from 4-6 p.m. The 35 attendees enjoyed cider, cookies, fruit and

hearing stories about robot calls and virtual reality, a phi-latelist/historian’s works on impactful letters, a reporter/novelist’s story about a heart transplant. There were tears and giggles and meaningful sharings

of poetry and prose. We were all reminded of elementaryschool plays, a person’s face, a kiss, a game of bridge, adeath, a bird-dog after butterflies and snippets of lifetimesof memories. The OVWG meets every other Thursday at 2 p.m. in the

NCB Card Room. For information, contact Mary at MvonZ@optonline.

net/203-767-9760. OV

Mitchell Fink reads from the introduction of his book,“Change of Heart -- A Black Man, A White Woman, A HeartTransplant and a True Love Story,” during the OV WritersGroup “Poetry & Prose” event on Oct. 14. (A Writers Groupessay by Mitchell appears on page 21.)


ARTIST OF THE MONTH: SAM LEVINSON

Sam Levinson has the ability to take an idea from his heador from a drawing and make it come to life almost imme-

diately. It is an amazing transition that impresses his peers. Sam and his wife, Sharon, have lived in the Village for 20years and have been active participants in the clubs andgroups that make up this community, especially Weekenders. They have three grown children and four grandchildrenall living in the area. Sam is a Connecticut native. He was born in New Havenand lived for a part of his life in Orange. He had his own meatbusiness and also worked for American Frozen Foods for 20years. With his background and knowledge, his work as a grillmaster at cookouts cannot be beat. Sam's advice to all newcomers in the art world is "do yourown thing." He enjoys filling his own day with the pleasure ofpainting and seeing what comes out. Sam recently had a kidney replacement and is verythankful that he is now in good health and to be living inOronoque Village. During the month of November, his work can be viewedat the North Clubhouse, outside of the Business Office. OV

FEATUREOV ARTS GUILD PRESENTS THE CONNECTICUT BALLET AT SCB

The OV Arts Guild is thrilled to sponsor the Connecticut Bal-let, which will perform excerpts from the holiday classic ,

“The Nutcracker,” on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 29, at 3:30 inthe SCB Auditorium.

The ballet company will bring professional dancers for a

“sneak preview” of “The Nutcracker,” which they will be per-forming in December at the Palace Theatre in Stamford. Brett Raphael, artistic director and founder of Connecti-cut Ballet, will narrate the performance and give us informa-tion about the company, which was founded in 1981. Therewill be a brief Q&A at the close and a chance to briefly interactwith the performers. Please note: The ballet company has another engage-ment at the Wadsworth Atheneum “Festival of the Trees” inHartford in the evening, so we will start promptly at 3:30 p.m.to allow adequate time for our performance and interactionafterwards. We will have a brief business meeting followingthe performance, after which refreshments will be served. Nophotography or video recording is allowed during the per-formance. Admission is free for members, $10 at the door for visitors.

We know you will enjoy this unique opportunity to have theConnecticut Ballet perform just for us. Friends and family arewelcome too. Membership Info: Arts Guild membership is $15 for theyear. To join, please fill out the brief form found on the tablein the SCB lobby and deposit the form with a check for $15(made out to OV Arts Guild) into the Arts Guild mailbox in theSouth Clubhouse located on the lobby wall near the moni-tor’s office. Questions? Call Barbara Stewart at 203 612-1373. OV


The Square One Theatre Company in Stratford presents“The God Game,” Suzanne Bradbeers' timely play about

politics and faith, marriage and friendship, choices and con-sequences. Performances take place through Nov. 18; showsare on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All performances are onthe stage of Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye St. Call 203-375-8778 or visit www.squareonetheatre.com.

~~

The Westport Country Playhouse presents the world pre-mier of “Thousand Pines” through Nov. 17. Nothing feels

the same since the day Thousand Pines Junior High Schoolwas on every news channel and in everyone’s hearts. Sixmonths after a student brought a gun to school and killed his

classmates, the families of the children who died strugglewith their need for answers and closure. This important andriveting new drama brings the national dialogue about gunviolence to the Playhouse stage. For information, visitwww.westportplayhouse.org or call 203-227-4177.

~

The Fairfield Museum & History Center presents “Flappers:Fashion And Freedom” through Jan. 27, 2019. The exhibit

examines the history and social impact of fashion and its re-lationship to the women’s movement of the 1920s. On theheels of World War I and the winning of suffrage, a rise of con-sumer culture included mass-produced images from movies,advertisements, and magazines in a way that had never be-fore shaped an era of American womanhood. Visit www.fairfieldhistory.org or call 203-259-1598 formore details. The museum is located at 370 Beach Road. OV

BEyOND THE VILLAGE

By Bill Tanski

On Thursday afternoon of Oct. 19, the OV Tax DistrictBoard sponsored a "Security Seminar" for residents. It

was held in the main room of the North Clubhouse. Ourspeaker was Detective Glynn McGlynn of the Stratford PoliceDepartment. The topic was "Telephone and Other Scams."

We're fortunate to live in a secure place at Oronoque Vil-

lage. The incidents of crime here are very low. But the world outside of OV may not be as secure. Our Tax District wantsour residents to be secure beyond the borders of our Village.Thus, we have partnered with the Stratford Police Depart-ment to present a series of "Security Seminars."In this inaugural seminar, Detective McGlynn discussed anarray of security issues. They included:

Telephone Scams•Grandchild Scams•

Money Wiring Scams•Identity Theft•

One of our "problems" (if you can call it that) is the moresof our generation. Per Detective McGlynn, we’re the "politegeneration" in that we were raised in an era when good man-ners and a polished appearance were norms. Scams commit-ted by criminals often mimic those norms. So, the scammerwill evoke those characteristics, to lull a victim into a trap.And, scammers will appeal to the emotions of a senior citizenas well. Here are a couple of scamming examples: Grandchild Scams: You get a call: "Grandma I needmoney for a medical bill." Or, it may be money for bail or someother kind of trouble. The caller will say it is urgent and tellyou to keep it a secret. But is the caller who you think it is? Scammers are goodat pretending to be someone they're not. They can be con-vincing: sometimes using information from social network

sites or hacking into your loved one's email account to makeit seem more real. And they may pressure you to send moneybefore you have time to think. Here's what you can do: 1. Stop. Check it out. Look up your grandchild's phonenumber yourself or call another family member. 2. Pass this information on to a friend. You might not havereceived one of these calls, but chances are you know some-one who may get one. Identity Theft: Scammers follow the headlines. When itis Medicare open enrollment season or when healthcare is inthe news, they go to work on a new script. Their goal is to getyour social security number, financial information or insur-ance number. If you get such a call, think before you talk. Do you reallyhave to get a new healthcare card? Is that discounted insur-ance really a good deal ? Is that "government official" reallyfrom the government? The answers to these questions is al-most always “no.” Here's what you can do: 1. Stop. Check it out. Before you share your information,call Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE), do some research and checkwith someone you trust. 2. Pass this information on to a friend. You probably sawthrough the requests. But chances are you know someonewho could use a friendly reminder. During the seminar, we also showed some residents howto block callers on their iPhones. It may not stop all those roboor scam calls, but it may reduce the volume of those calls. The OV Tax District intends to sponsor additional semi-nars conducted by the Stratford Police Department andwould like suggestions from residents about future topics.Please contact Bill Tanski with your ideas at 609-876-3520 [email protected]. OV

FEATURE: OV TAx DISTRICT SECURITy SEMINAR


For the latest on OV news and events, go to www.oronoquevillage.com or OVTV. OVTV is Channel591 for those with a cable box and Channel 121-591 forthose without a box. O=Open / C=Closed RSF=Racquet Sports Facility

THURSDAy, NOVEMBER 19:00 a.m. – Walking Group, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Cornhole, SCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Quilters, NCB, C/R (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Zumba Gold, NCB, Aud (O)•

10:30 a.m. – House Committee, NCB (O)•

1:00 p.m. – Dominoes, SCB, C/R2 (C)•

1:00 p.m. – Ladies Mahjong & Cards, NCB, C/R (C)•

1:30 p.m. – Bridge, NCB, Aud (C)•

1:30 p.m. – Tea, Talk & Crafts, SCB, C/R (O)•

2:00 p.m. – Rummikub, SCB, Lounge (C)•

4:00 p.m. – Pickleball Round Robin, RSF (O)•

6:00 p.m. – Jerry’s Poker, SCB, C/R1 (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Arts Guild Movie: Frida, SCB (O)•

FRIDAy, NOVEMBER 29:00 a.m. – Low-Impact Exercise (Bring Weights), NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Table Tennis, SCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Pickleball Round Robin, RSF (O)•

10:00 a.m. – House & Garden Committee, NCB, B/R (C)•

10:00 a.m. – Staff Meeting, NCB Library (C)•

5:00 p.m. – It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, NCB (O)•

SATURDAy, NOVEMBER 3 9:00 a.m. – Pickleball Round Robin, RSF (O)•

SUNDAy, NOVEMBER 4: No events scheduled

MONDAy, NOVEMBER 59:00 a.m. – Low-Impact Exercise (Bring Weights), NCB (O)•

11:30 a.m. – Chair Yoga, NCB, Aud (O)•

3:30 p.m. – Arts Guild Planning Committee, NCB (C)•


6:45 p.m. – Bridge, NCB, C/R (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Beginner Bridge Group, NCB, Library (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Carp Poker Game, SCB (C)•

7:00 p.m. – Bulls & Bears, SCB (O)•

7:30 p.m. – SAC Committee Mtg, NCB, B/R (O)•

TUESDAy, NOVEMBER 69:00 a.m. – Yoga for Seniors, SCB, C/R2 (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Dollcrafters, NCB, Library (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Zumba, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – House & Garden Brd Mtg, NCB, B/R (C)•

10:30 a.m. – Watercolor Class, SCB, A/C Rm (C)•

2:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Cards, SCB, C/R (C)•


4:00 p.m. – Tennis Club Mtg, NCB, B/R (C)•


7:00 p.m. – Funseekers Board Mtg, SCB (C)•

7:00 p.m. – Meditation, NCB, C/R (O)•

WEDNESDAy, NOVEMBER 79:30 a.m. – Line Dancing, beginners, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Line Dancing, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Drop-In Sculpture Class, SCB, A/C Rm (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Communications Committee, NCB, B/R (O)•

10:30 a.m. – Hadassah Mtg, NCB, B/R (C)•

2:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Billiards, NCB (C)•


5:00 p.m. – Poker, NCB, C/R (O)•


CALENDAR

MEDITATION CLUB NOTICE Tuesday, Nov. 13, will be the last meditation

class for 2018. We look forward to starting up againin the spring of 2019. Watch for details to be published in The Villager

with the startup date and weekly day and time. Thank you for your attendance and we look for-

ward to next year’s sessions. You may contact us di-rectly (203-612-4442) if you would like to host ameditation at your home during the winter months. Thank you,

Tori Bensussan


6:30 p.m. – Men’s Poker, SCB, C/R (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Book Club, NCB, Library (O)•








2:00 p.m. – Writers Group, NCB, C/R (O)•


4:00 p.m. – Winter Pool Social Group, SCB C/R (O•


FRIDAy, NOVEMBER 99:00 a.m. – Low-Impact Exercise (Bring Weights), NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Table Tennis, SCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Pickleball Round Robin, RSF (O)•

10:30 a.m. – Ladies Bible Study, NCB, Library (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Movie: Mama Mia! 2 NCB (O)•

SATURDAy, NOVEMBER 109:00 a.m. – Pickleball Round Robin, RSF (O)•

SUNDAy, NOVEMBER 11: No events scheduled

MONDAy, NOVEMBER 129:00 a.m. – Low-Impact Exercise (Bring Weights), NCB (O)•

9:30 a.m. – Architectural Committee Mtg, NCB, B/R (O)•

11:30 a.m. – Chair Yoga, NCB, Aud (O)•

1:30 p.m. – House & Garden Meeting, SCB (O)•

4:00 p.m. – Maintenance Committee Mtg, NCB, B/R (O)•


6:45 p.m. – Bridge, NCB, C/R (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Beginner Bridge Group, NCB, Library (O)•

7:00 p.m. – Carp Poker Game, SCB C./R (C)•

TUESDAy, NOVEMBER 139:00 a.m. – Yoga for Seniors, SCB, C/R2 (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Dollcrafters, NCB, Library (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Zumba, NCB (O)•

10:30 a.m. – Watercolor Class, SCB, A/C Rm (C)•

2:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Cards, SCB, C/R (C)•


2:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Medicare Talk, NCB, Aud (O)•


7:00 p.m. – Meditation, NCB, C/R (O)•

WEDNESDAy, NOVEMBER 149:30 a.m. – Line Dancing, beginners, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Line Dancing, NCB (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Drop-In Sculpture Class, SCB, A/C Rm (O)•

10:00 a.m. – Current Events, SCB, C/R (O)•

2:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Billiards, NCB (C)•

2:00 p.m. – Movie Club: Mama Mia! 2, SCB (O)•


5:00 p.m. – Poker, NCB, C/R (O)•


6:30 p.m. – Men’s Poker, SCB, C/R (O)•




10:00 a.m. – Quilters, NCB, C/R (O)•





1:00 p.m. – Ladies Mahjong & Cards, NCB, C/R (C)•



7:00 p.m. – Men’s Club Bingo, SCB (O)•

Save the Date

Feb. 24, 2019: Cole Porter’s“Anything Goes” at CenterStage Theatre in Shelton at2 p.m. Funseekers has pur-chased a block of tickets forits members to attend theshow. Look in the Nov. 15 Villager for their flyer.

16

PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONSBy Ed Genga, MA, CSCS

Adults older than 45 years of age should consult with a li-censed health practitioner before engaging in a vigorous

exercise program, particularly if they have certain medicalconcerns. When older adults begin a weight training program, thegeneral process is essentially the same for that of younger de-conditioned novice. Most of the same rules apply with con-sideration of reducedrecovery ability and initialphysical condition of thetrainee. The basic principlesof adaptation will apply aslong as the health of the in-dividual remains intact.However, changes in thebody's physiology occurthat make the individualsomewhat less adaptive to an exercise. Exercise tolerance to a particular workout should be amajor consideration when training as we age. When begin-ning a weight training program, intensity should be quitemodest and the number of exercises and sets should be kept

to a minimum, to allow adequate adaptation and to preventaversions to excessive efforts at this early stage. Participantscan take several workouts to identify their beginning exerciseresistances. The muscles' ability to produce a force rapidly, serves asa protective mechanism when falling. One of the top causesof injury in the elderly are falls, which sometimes leads todeath. For this reason, improving muscular power should bean important training goal for the elderly. People over 50 years of age commonly have joint andmuscle discomfort after a heavy workout. Therefore, the fre-

quency of intense workouts shouldbe carefully programmed. If jointpain or stiffness is still experienced,then the frequency of heavy load-ing day must be further reduced orthe repetition training zones mustbe altered accordingly.

Since older individuals may havediminished ability to deal with in-creases in muscle and blood acid-

ity, rest between sets should not be reduced quickly. Payparticular attention to adverse reactions such as nausea anddizziness when reducing length of rest periods in all partici-pants, especially to individuals over 50 years of age, due toreduced buffering capacity. The natural breath holding (Valsalva maneuver) duringheavy lifts can result in an undue raise in blood pressure. Thisis a particular concern for those with cardiac problems, a fam-ily history of cardiac problems or unstable left ventricularfunction. Older participants should be advised to avoid orminimize momentary breath holding during lifts. It can be dangerous for older trainees to perform an ex-ercise to failure (unable to complete an exercise with the cur-rent weight). Trainees should never hold their breath whenperforming an exercise. Holding the breath during exercisecan cause someone to pass out. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recom-mended a repetition range for individuals older than age 50-60 years of age or frail persons is 10 to 15 repetitions. Yourone-rep max (RM) is the most weight you can lift once for anexercise. Although more advanced and healthy older adultscan perform lower repetition ranges with heavier weight (80percent of 1RM or higher) for greater strength gains with rel-atively little risk of injury.

Ed Genga is an Oronoque Village resident and a fitness professionalwith more than 35 years of experience in a wide variety of industry dis-ciplines including club management, corporate wellness, group fitness,college-level athletic coaching, personal training, phase 3 cardiac re-habilitation and exercise for cancer patients. You may submit questionsabout exercise to Ed at [email protected].

OV

FITNESS FOR OLDER ADULTS

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SUBSTITUTE MONITOR

Welcome to new SCB substitute monitor, MaryAnn Weaver. Mary Ann joins the following group ofsubstitute monitors: Edgar Bouthton, Sonya DeBi-ase, Joanna Donofrio, Doris Emerick, Ellen Guion,Mary Haynes, Irene Keating, Bridget Matthews, An-gela McKelvey, Irene Sanzone, Linda Schoennagel,Diane Strassburger, Lenny Toigo, Lorraine Allfanoand Marina Verrilli. Our regular monitors are Celeste Jardim, Ralph

Trapasso, Kathy Wells, Michael Minoff, Carl Stahnke,Anne Hart, Cynthia Harms, Betty Hugus, SusanMonk, Joe Donia, Kevin Walsh, Patricia Leadem,Veda Barrett, Kathryn Lukens, Joe DiPronio, LeeShlafer, Dick Knopf, Nancy Wilson, Vangie Wales,Connie Murawski and Dee Tuozzoli We all appreciate the help of our resident volun-

teers, who provide assistance at SCB for a few hourseach week.

-- Dave Schoennagel,Monitor Program Coordinator

THE VILLAGER • November 1, 2018


UPDATES FROM OCCBy Nancy BlagysOV Representative on the OCC Board

Oronoque Country Club (OCC) is pleased to an-nounce the hiring of Matt Stewart from Alabama

as general manager. He will start on Nov. 1.

Dustin Haddad, the head pro at OCC, has left us for

a position in Tampa, Fla. His wife is from Florida andwants to be near her family. We will miss him. ZackHappy and Nick Hamed, who worked under Dustin thissummer, will be taking over his duties. LeAnn Battey, sous chef, is back at OCC and is incharge of the food in Traditions Grille. There is a newmenu at the Grille , which we hope will encourage Vil-lagers to enjoy breakfast (Friday to Sunday), lunch ordinner. There are also specials of the day and dinner en-trées. A reminder, if weather is inclement call OCC at203-377-6307 to make sure the Grille is open. All are welcome to come to Trivia Night, which isheld every other Thursday starting Nov. 8 at 6 p.m.Youwill have a chance to win a gift certificate to the Grille.Maximum is four people to a team. Walking on the cart path is allowed before 7 a.m.and after 8 p.m. We still find many OV residents andneighbors walking on the paths during the day whilegolfers are playing. It is dangerous to the walkers anddistracting to the golfers. Reminder, when using thecart path at the allowed times, the greens and fairwaysare always off limits to all. The last tournament of the season was held onOct. 7, and the following were winners from OV: NancyBlagys, Jim Deese, Chas Desiena, Joan Jalbert, KarenKiely, Cathy Rapaport, David Rhieu, Sue Schettini. A special congratulation goes to AllisonDanzberger for getting a “hole in one” on the 7th hole. OV

Call Sandra or Michele to schedule your visit today!

203.493.4345Welcome Center:

70 Beard Sawmill Road | Shelton

COMMUNITY OPENING JUNE 2019

30 Beard Sawmill Road | Shelton, CT 06484

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | DEMENTIA CARE

Visit our Welcome Center and see how Brightview Shelton’s carefree lifestyle,

24-hour services, and support will make lifeextra bright for seniors next June.

Meet Shelton’s Brightest Senior Lifestyle

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Visit our website atwww.oronoquevillage.com

Story and Photos by Ray Vermette

Over 50 residents gathered in the SCB lobby on Sun-day, Oct. 7, a sunny, summerlike afternoon, for the

opening reception of the fall art exhibit, themed “The WayWe Were.” Photos dating from the early 1900s to about 1970 de-

picting family members, events, activities and childhoodexperiences were submitted by 28 Arts Guild members fordisplay on the Galerie OV wall through the end of Decem-ber. There was a large response to the solicitation for thisexhibit and several photographs, unfortunately, could notbe displayed due to space limitation. The chosen photographs were submitted by: Ulla

Adema, Fred Bridgsche, BB Brown, Virginia Brown, JeanetteCaron, Tom Carew, Pat Carton, Sonia DeBiase, Lois Foster,Carol Guglielmino Mary Haynes, Cora Hubbard, BettyHugus, Betty Mulholland, Joan Pappas, Bahin Samimy, Jef-frey Sells, Wallace Sloves, Pearl Spodick, Barbara Stewart,Diana Strassburger, Maria Szalontay, Lynette Thompson,Bonnie Usinger, Ray Vermette, Kathleen Wells, Karen Zim-merman and Renee Zinn. Each photo, interesting by itself, tells a story about a

cherished moment in the personal life of the exhibitor. Bar-bara Stewart introduced the exhibiting members, andthose present shared their experiences and personal reflec-tions represented in their photos. It was an afternoon of sharing and honoring the mean-

ingful moments in the exhibitors’ lives. The display was or-ganized and installed at the end of September by Bob

Collins, Betty Mulholland, Nancy Gloh-Rosenthal, PearlSpodick, Barbara Stewart, Diane Strassburger, Ray Ver-mette, Wendy Swain and Maria Szalontay. All residents areencouraged to view the exhibit and cast a vote for a pho-tograph of interest. Pearl Spodick -- who was recognized as the People’s

Choice Award winner for the summer art show for her pho-tograph, “Ode to My Neighbor’s Emerald Green” -- was honored with a certificate and a stipend. The People’sChoice certificate was created and made by Bob Swain. Pearl’s award-winning photograph will be on view in

the SCB lobby through December. A photograph of “A Win-ter’s Night at Home” by Renee Zinn won second place, andWallace Sloves was recognized as third-place winner by thevoters for his oil painting, “3rd Tee at Oronoque GolfCourse.” Before the display’s unveiling, everyone enjoyed social-

izing and snacking on a variety of appetizers, cold drinksand wine. The refreshments were prepared and served byAngela Alvisi, Claire Carew, Mary Haynes, Nancy Gloh-Rosenthal, Wallace Sloves, Pearl Spodick, Barbara Stewart,Bonnie Usinger and Tina Vermette. Judith Lessler providedthe flower arrangements. The winter exhibit, starting in late December, will be

devoted to “Scapes” -- such as, landscapes, snowscapes, es-cape trips, fire escapes, seascapes, etc. We invite all resi-dents to consider participating by submitting a painting,photograph, collage or a special craft that reflects thetheme of the upcoming exhibit. OV

OV ARTS GUILD: FALL ART SHOW RECEPTION

Barbara Stewart with Pearl Spodick, at left, and with Wallace Sloves, at right.

19November 1, 2018 • THE VILLAGERTHE VILLAGER

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THE NESTBy Hinda Wolf

The hanging begonia was in full bloom when we ar-rived at our cottage. It sported a mass of vivid red blos-

soms in a joyous display. As we brushed by it on our wayto the front door, a small undistinguished bird flew pastus. It stayed nearby, hovering with what I determined wasanxiety. As we and our guests traipsed into the house car-rying luggage and food supplies, the bird was alwaysnearby. Its behavior mystified us until the person who wa-tered our plants enlightened us: The bird had built hernest in the begonia plant and had proceeded to lay twoeggs in it.

My first reaction was to condemn the stu-pidity of the mother bird. Why choose thebegonia to construct her nest when all aroundwas an abundance of trees and shrubs, safefrom human contagion. But as Iobserved her indomitable spiritand bravery, I became very pro-tective, a surrogate mother. Itried to minimize our comingsand goings through the frontdoor. I lowered my voice and asked theothers to do the same. My husband and I had intense dis-cussions about whether to move the plant to a less busylocation, I in favor, he opposed. The plant and its inhabi-tants stayed where they were.

At the same time I was transported back in time to whenI was engaged in active mothering. Troubling questionsreared their ugly heads. Had I always been there for my chil-dren when they were in need? Why had I not visited ourdaughter when she was an intern for a semester in Cincin-nati? Why had I not spent a night in the hospital with ourson when he faced surgery in the morning? Feelings ofguilt began to sprout like weeds. I dredged up lapses and

mistakes that had occurred years ago. I tried to console my-self with the fact that I had always been there, trying to easetheir hurts and celebrate their successes, despite occasionalmistakes. Even human mothers can make mistakes.

Days passed and the bird and the humans achieved akind of modus vivendi. She was always nearby, giving off asmall clicking noise in complaint or anger. Then the unex-pected happened: Two days went by with no sign of themother. Had she given up in frustration at our intrusionsand abandoned the nest? Were the eggs no longer viableand so she left, facing reality? I was seriously bothered. Ibegan to struggle with my own feelings of abandonment.

All of our four children had flownthe nest and scattered to distantparts of the U.S. Where would they

be when I might need them in myold age? But again I was rescuedfrom these depressing thoughtsby the reality of my husband, astrong provider of love and sup-port.

When it came time to return toConnecticut, I decided to look into

the nest for the first time. I had re-frained from doing this to minimize

human contagion. I got the stepladder and peeked in. Tomy surprise a pink blob moved. At least one bird hadhatched despite my fears. And there nearby was themother and several other identical birds, perhaps the fatherand aunts and uncles come to celebrate the birth. I was de-lighted that the mother would now be able to nurture thenewborns in peace and quiet until we returned. I wishedher success in her mothering and hoped that by the timewe returned mother and offspring would have found a newhome so I could abandon my role of surrogate parent. Itwas too painful. OV

WRITERS GROUP ESSAyS


FOR JAkEBy Mitchell Fink

Afew months ago, before we moved to Oronoque, I wassitting on a wooden bench at a perfectly manicured

green field in another part of Connecticut. No one wasaround. A tiny brass plaque attached to the wood indi-cated that the bench was dedicated by a family, probablyas a way of celebrating the life of one of their own, nodoubt deceased, but surely someone who in life found agreat deal of happiness at this very spot. This field gave me a great deal of happiness too. I was

there every day of the week, in any kind of weather, after acrippling snowfall or on warm days when the air was filledwith flying creatures, big and small, swooping recklesslyaround and about, grateful, I suppose, if insects feel grati-tude, that they didn’t have to dodge someone’s fly swatteror butterfly net. For me, I was there every day because thiswas where Jake liked to poop. A chocolate Lab mix, Jake was named by my wife, Lois,

after she rescued him nearly twelve years ago from a fatenone of us would want to imagine for ourselves. Gettingused to a new pet can take some time, and it took me awhile to realize that Jake didn’t really relish the idea of hav-ing to poop anywhere remotely close to where he slept.Hearing Lois call out, “He needs to go out,” multiple times aday, and me taking him out again and again, often withoutmuch success, ultimately required me to become more ad-venturous. At first, I’d drive Jake a few blocks away hoping he

might poop near someone else’s yard. Don’t get me wrong,I always picked up after Jake. Anytime we left the house I’dstuff my pocket with the same blue plastic bag that hadbeen used earlier that day to protect the New York Timesat the end of our driveway. But that didn’t work well be-cause I started feeling a little like a criminal, parking my caron nearby street and wishing only for a quick getaway be-fore someone started yelling at me through an open win-dow. And then we found this place. Situated directly adja-

cent to a private golf club, the field provided Jake with anunusually massive outdoor space to do his business. Some-times he’d be so happy he’d poop twice. I grew to love itthere too, especially on days when club members whowould never remind anyone of Tiger Woods unfurled thesewildly errant tee shots that sailed out of bounds over a highfence and landed right where Jake and I were walking. Notonly did I pick up after Jake, but over the course of anygiven season I collected a few dozen golf balls, many withbarely a scratch.

In the house, we referred to the field as the farm. “I’mtaking him to the farm,” I would say. Jake heard the wordfarm so often that he soon got the idea and ran to the door.I even started saying, “I’m taking him to the F-A-R-M,” buthe figured that out too. But on this one particular day he didn’t seem right. The

ride to and from the farm had been uneventful, but nowhe was lethargic. His breathing became heavy. When Loiscame home, she saw the same thing. Since it was a Sunday and our regular vet was closed,

my son, Brian, and his wife, Kelly, suggested that we takeJake to the same emergency veterinary facility where sheand her family had once taken their black Lab, Hobie, whenhe was in crisis. Jake hates going to the vet. Usually he becomes so

unglued he has to be sedated before leaving the house.This time, however, he did not fight us. Even he knew hewasn’t right. The staff at the vet center could not have been nicer.

Jake gave himself over to them, and they responded inkind. An ultrasound they performed revealed a significantamount of fluid in his abdominal cavity. It was most likelyblood, they said, and probably caused by a canceroustumor either on his spleen or on his liver. They could perform surgery, they said, at a cost to us

of thousands of dollars, but it was their experience that incases like this a dog might linger for another two monthsafter surgery, three at the most. But Jake’s quality of lifewould never be the same. Hobie had the same surgery andlasted only a short time afterwards. We made the decision to put Jake down. We’ve done this a number of times over the years with

other pets, and it’s always excruciating. They simply don’tlive as long as us, and while I can accept that as fact, eachtime we go through this it seems to get worse. I cry morenow, which some say comes anyway with advancing age.All I know is that of all the pets I’ve ever had, losing Jakehurt the most. And this field had a lot to do with it. He wasalways so excited to be there, and even more excited whenwe returned home. Lois swore he had a smile on his faceafter every trip to the F-A-R-M. So there I was a couple of months ago, sitting on that

bench with him next to me. Only it was his remains in a tincan following his cremation in Rhode Island. I knew it mightbe illegal, but I sprinkled his ashes all over that field. I felt itwas where he belonged, where he was his happiest. The irony, of course, is that if only he could’ve hung on

a little longer, he’d never again have to be driven to a per-fectly manicured green field adjacent to a golf course. He’dbe living on it, here at Oronoque. OV

Don’t forget to thank our advertisers and tell them that you saw their ads in The Villager!


OV Wine Club: Grape Expectations!Join us for a Holiday wine tasting journey across the USA; “fromAtlantic to Pacific, the wine is terrific.” Once again Len Gulino“The Wine Tutor” will be our tour guide. While California’sNapa Valley and Sonoma still reign supreme as the top wine regions in the USA, there are many wine regions across the country

that are rapidly growing in prominence.So hop aboard the OV wine train as we sample wines from California, Washington,

Oregon, New Mexico, New York, and Connecticut. We invite you to kick off the holiday season tasting these fine wines coupled with festive holiday snacks and treats.

When: Friday Nov. 16, 7-9 PM. @ NCB. Attendees limited to first 40 respondents. Cost: $25ppYour check to OV Wine Club is your reservation. Deposit checks in OV Wine Club

“Grape Expectations” mailbox @NCB. RSVP no later than Nov. 11.Contacts: Charlie DiGiovanni 203-375-0054 or Bill Tanski 203-540-5389.

Wine

The event will include:Entrance wine

Informative commentary by LenTasting 6 wines (both red & white)

Holiday snacksPost-tasting holiday treats by Dorothy Tanski

The Movie Club Presents Mama Mia! 2

Friday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m. at NCBWednesday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. at SCB

$1 admission includes popcorn

This is a follow-up to the 2008 film Mamma Mia! The film featuresan ensemble cast, including Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Chris-tine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Andy García, Do-minic Cooper, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Jessica KeenanWynn, Alexa Davies, Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan, Hugh Skinner,Cher and Meryl Streep.

Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of thefirst film, and also features flashbacks to 1979, telling the story ofDonna Sheridan's arrival on the island of Kalokairi and her firstmeetings with her daughter Sophie's three possible fathers.The Movie Club was founded by Len Learner

and is sponsored by Marcia Klein, Dee Tuozzoliand innumerable volunteers.


OV Karaoke Club

No fees or dues No commitments Just fun!

Join us for our November event on Friday, November 30 in the South Clubhouse Auditorium from 7-9pm.

No need to RSVP...just come on over, grab a seat, and either watch or join the fun by

putting in a song or two! Hope to see you all then. Oh... and tell a friend who has never been to check us out.

BYOB and refreshments

House and Garden Club Welcomes Back Leona Lane from City Line FloristOn Monday, Nov. 12, at 1:30 P.M. AT SCB.

City Line Florist is celebrating 100 years as a family business. Leona has beenwith them for 36 years! Now the store manager, she helps us to celebrateevery occasion and every emotion a joy, and everything in-between.

Her message is home and family togetherness, especially at this time of year.

Always a talented and knowledgable speaker, Leona will show us how tomake Fall and Winter flower arrangements. Two Fall arrangements and oneWinter Holiday arrangement will be raffled

The raffle tickets will be sold before the meeting for these arrangements:1for $1 or 3 for $2.

Dessert and coffee or tea will be served after the meeting. Guests are always welcome for a small fee.


Oronoque Village Men’s Club Presents:Medicare Seminar by One Source for Senior Living

(a registered nonprofit):

Medicare open enrollment (October 15- December 7) is thetime to see if you need to make any changes in your

Medicare plans. Learn and decide what is best for you.

Find out the answers to these questions:What is covered by Medicare?•

Should I keep my group health coverage?•Will my pre-existing conditions be covered?•

What is Part C and Part D?•How do I know which Medicare plans are right for me?•

Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2018Place: South ClubhouseTime: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

??? Call Sandy Lunt: 203-377-5833.

The Oronoque Village Book Club meets at 7 p.m.on the first Wednesday of the month at NCB.

All Villagers are welcome.Need a ride or information? Call Hinda at 203-385-3855.

The book for Nov. 7 is Anything is Possible ... An unforgettablecast of small-town characters copes with love and loss in this newwork of fiction by #1 best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winnerElizabeth Strout.

The book for Dec. 5 is The Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The book is a meticu-lously researched account of an appalling widespread conspiracy against the Osage Indian na-tion in Oklahoma. The story centers on an Osage family that died, in ones and twos, of causesranging from the odd and ambiguous to the obviously violent. FBI meticulously researched thecase and eventually helped to arrest three white men who were responsible for crimes.The FBIcounted this a great success, and “a showcase for establishing the modern bureau.”


OV ARTS GUILD PRESENTS FRIDAON NOVEMBER 1, 7 PM, AT SCB

ADMISSION IS $1

Frida is a 2002 American biopic drama film di-rected by Julie Taymor. It depicts the professional and private life of the surrealistMexican painter Frida kahlo. It stars SalmaHayek in her Academy Award-nominated por-trayal as kahlo and Alfred Molina as her hus-band, Diego Rivera.

The cast includes Ashley Judd as Tina Modotti, Antonio Banderas as David AlfaroSiqueiros, Edward Norton as Nelson Rockefeller and Diego Luna as Alejandro Gon-zalez Arias.

JOIN US FOR“IT’S 5’OCLOCK SOMEWHERE”

ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH AT NCB at 5 P.M.

BYOB * Relax and Mingle * Drop By With AnAppetizer to Share

Hosted by SAC

We hope to see you on Nov. 2

27

Bingo: Presented by the Men’s ClubThursday, November 15

at 7:00 pm at SCB

Come and bring your friends. Cost: $2.50/card

Questions? Call Sandy Lunt203-377-5833.

Refreshmentswill be served

Open to all

MEN’S CLUB TRIP TO MOHEGAN SUNMONDAY, NOVEMBER 19

DEPARTING REAR OF SCB AT 1 P.M. LEAVING CASINO AT 8:30 P.M.COST PER PERSON: $25

A check made out to Oronoque Village Men's Club is your reservation. Please place check in the Men's Club box in the North

Clubhouse. Questions? Call Sandy Lunt: 203 377-5833 or Jerry Brown: 203 378-7781

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