The Cheshire Citizen

The script flips on CHS in football semifinals

By Bryant Carpenter Record-Journal staff

NEW CANAAN The football gods giveth; the football gods taketh away.

In the span of six days, they gave the Cheshire Rams a hefty dose of each.

And as much as on this seventh day the Rams would prefer not to be resting, there is no choice. No. 8 Cheshire’s season ended Sun day in the Class L semifinals with a 23-13 loss to No. 4 New Canaan at Dunning Stadium.

Coming off an epic upset of topseeded St. Joseph on Nov. 29 sped by three interceptions and Aniston Marsh (17) and the Cheshire Rams get ready to take the field against New Canaan for Sunday, Dec. 4’s Class L semifinal.

See CHS, A9

Bryant Carpenter, Record-Journal

Y brings Healthy Habits program to Dodd

Record-Journal staff

Supported by a grant from the Newman’s Own Foundation, the Cheshire Community YMCA will debut its Healthy Habits pro gram at Dodd Middle School in January. The free, six-week course is designed to help stu

dents, along with their parents, with a special emphasis on healthy eating habits, along with a physical fitness component.

Registration is open until Dec. 9.

YMCA Director of Community Development Doug Levens se cured the funding and will spear

head the initiative. His interest in starting Healthy Habits began during the pandemic when it be came evident that young people were spending more time in doors and less time engaged in physical activity.

See YMCA, A5

STATE

Updated ‘red flag’ law used largely for suicide threats

By Dave Altimari, Andrew Brown and José Luis Martínez The Connecticut Mirror

A recent change in Connecticut’s “red flag” law which allows police to seize weapons from someone who is consid ered a risk to themselves or others has led to a sharp increase in the num ber of warrants issued, and documents show police are now using it more often to deal with threats of suicide.

But some police chiefs say their depart ments dealt with these cases more effi ciently before the change and that the new law is placing extra burdens on their investigations.

Legislators, believing that the 1998 law was underused, expanded the “red flag” law this year. The streamlined process, which went into effect June 1, allows family and certain professionals to ap ply directly to the courts for the order, rather than having to first go through police, to restrict a person’s access to firearms.

In the first five months of 2022, courts issued 96 risk protection war rantsthrough the old, more cumber some process that took time to imple

See Flag, A2

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ment and automatically re turned guns to a person one year after they were seized.

Between June 1, when the new law went into effect, and Nov. 3, there were 418 risk protection warrants ap proved by Superior Court judges, according to data ob tained by the CT Mirror.

Police chiefs say they plan to meet with legislators in Jan uary to suggest “tweaking” the law, according to Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe, who also is the cur rent president of the Con necticut Police Chiefs Asso ciation.

“One of our agenda items for the next legislative session is to meet with the Judiciary Committee to discuss the practical application of the new statute,” Dryfe said.

“We are overwhelmingly sup portive of the intent of the law. But we’re having some difficulties in applying it practically on the street by the working police officers who end up having to do these investigations,” he said.

The effectiveness of the newly streamlined law is in its speed: It places a per son’s name in a national computer database immedi ately after a judge orders an investigation into a com plaint that a person is a dan ger to themselves or others, flagging them in background checks as ineligible to pur chase firearms while their name remains in the database at least until a hearing is held, required within two weeks.

Dryfe said that change in the law means police now seek risk protection orders, or RPOs, even when they know someone doesn’t have a gun permit or owns guns.

“Before (June 1), you’d go to somebody’s house, and if they were suicidal, you sent

them to the hospital and asked them or their fami ly members are there any guns in the house,” Dryfe said. “Then you’d see if they had any guns registered to them or if they had a pistol permit, and if they didn’t, you were done.”

owned the 9 mm gun used in the shooting despite a his tory of mental health issues.

He killed four people before killing himself.

keeps From A1 Flag Dryfe See Flag, A13

The original law allowed of ficers to ask a judge to take away someone ’ s weapons when they posed an “ extreme risk.” Police would get a warrant from a judge and seize the guns.

But now, Drfye said, even if police are aware the person has no guns or a valid gun permit, they must still go to a judge and get a risk pro tection order, which auto matically enters their name into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

“So even if somebody doesn’t have guns, now you have to do the risk protec tion order so that they can be put into NICS and be pre cluded from from getting a pistol permit at that point,” Dryfe said.

“If you have reasonable cause to send somebody to the hospital for a mental health evaluation because you feel that they are a dan ger to themselves or others, then you have probable cause to apply for the risk protection order for that same reason, and that’s what I think is happening.”

But not all police depart ments in Connecticut are in terpreting the law the same way.

How the law changed

Connecticut was one of the first states to pass a red flag law, following a mass shoot ing inside the Connecticut Lottery’s offices in Newing ton in 1998.

The shooter, Matthew Beck, was a disgruntled lottery employee who was placed on leave after making threats against some of his supervi sors.

Beck had a gun permit and

Lawmakers said there were other holes in the original law besides the requirement that guns be held no more than one year, so last ses sion, they decided to make more changes. The new law gives family members or medical professionals the ability to initiate the process of taking away someone’s weapons.

It eliminated the require ment that police officers need to prove that there are no other “reasonable alter natives” to taking away someone’s weapons. And it eliminated a judge’s discre tion in deciding whether to take someone’s weapons away in cases where there is probable cause that the per son is in possession of a gun and is a threat to themselves or others.

A “good faith” affidavit from family members or loved ones stating that the person poses an imminent risk re quires a judge’s order for an investigation, which police must conduct within a day, if reasonable.

The beginning of an investi gation also requires the per son’s name to be entered in the National Instant Crimi nal Background Check Sys tem, or NICS, immediately which should flag them in background checks as ineli gible to purchase a firearm.

If police in the course of their investigation find prob able cause that the person poses an imminent risk, they must tell the court.

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Storms leave hundreds without power in area

By Ben Baker Record-Journal staff

MERIDEN Heavy rain storms and high winds left multiple areas without pow er in the state on Wednesday night, Nov. 30, including three neighborhoods in Meriden and two in Cheshire.

Meriden saw outages on Brownstone Ridge, Crown Street and Loyola Road, leaving 870 customers with out power, according to Ev ersource. Cheshire experi enced power loss on Cedar Lane and Westmore Road, leaving 73 customers in the dark, according to Ever source.

Police in Meriden and Cheshire corroborated ac counts from Eversource and confirmed reports of several downed trees and power outages. A dispatcher from the Meriden Police Depart ment described “down pow

er lines across the entire city,” and Cheshire police had similar incidents. First responders in Wallingford and Southington did not re port any significant issues from the storm.

A fallen pine tree near the intersection of Crown and Olive Street damaged power lines and multiple parked vehicles, according to the Meriden Fire Department.

Firefighters on the scene said they were unsure at what point power may re turn to the area or Crown Street or when the road will be cleared, but anticipated clean up and power restora tion efforts would last until Thursday morning, Dec. 1. First responders described Crown Street as for many hours.

No law enforcement agen cies reported any injuries in either Meriden or Cheshire. bbaker@record-journal.com

State is home to 400-plus Christmas tree farms

From the Connecticut Christ mas Tree Growers Associa tion:

Did you know there are over 400 Christmas tree farms in the State of Connecticut?

Connecticut may be one of the smaller states in the na tion, however, with a total of

5,521 farms spread across 381,539 acres, our farmers contribute substantially.

Greenhouses and nurseries, such as Christmas tree farms, are the largest pro ducers.

Bottom line: There are plen ty of Connecticut-grown

Christmas trees to choose from.

Due to the drought in 2016, and climate change, the statewide selection of 8- to 10-foot trees is limited. However, you will find a tree!

You may need to compro mise in height and opt for a

slightly shorter tree, a differ ent species, or even visit a new Christmas tree farm this year.

Each farm is special and run by families that love what they do.

Remember, variety is the spice of life. New and excit ing experiences make life more interesting!

Some farms may sell out early, or require reserva tions.

Some will be open until Christmas Eve. Some close early December.

We encourage you to make a plan ahead of time.

Visit our list of farms at ctchristmastree.org to re search your options.

Our mission as Christmas Tree Growers is to grow a quality tree.

When choosing a tree this year, please consider that climate change has impact ed our trees, as with every other crop across the nation.

An average 6-foot-tall Christ mas tree takes approximate ly 5-to-10 years to grow.

During this time, the trees absorb CO2 from the atmo sphere, helping to offset cli

mate change and global warming.

The Real Christmas Tree Board recommends, “When you think you’ve found ‘the one, ’ be sure to check the needle retention. Gently pull or run your hand down a branch. It should feel some what supple in your hand. If brown needles or a few green needles come off dur ing this test, no worries. But if quite a few green needles come off, you may want to select a different tree.”

If you’re worried about the brown needles in the interi or of the tree, it’s important to know why this occurs.

According to Dr. Richard Cowles, a scientist at the CT Agricultural Experiment Sta tion, “Conifers usually drop one year of old needles about this time of year. Old needles in the interior be come shaded so much that they don’t provide any value to the continued growth of the tree. Just as with broadleaved deciduous trees, our Christmas trees recover as many resources as they can from these old needles be fore they drop.”

The Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers thank you for choosing a real Christmas tree. You are helping to make a difference.

BUSINESS HONOR

YMCA

From A1

The program can lead to long-lasting positive results for enrollees, according to Levens, who also said the intent is to contin ue Healthy Habits after this initial run.

As parents are a big part of grocery shopping and meal preparation, it was important to include them in the program, officials said.

Families that complete the Healthy Habit program will receive a free mem bership at the YMCA.

Cheshire Chamber of Commerce presented Linda DiSilva, owner of Main Street Caffe, with the Business Woman of the Year award, on Dec. 2, at its Businesswomen’s Alliance Holiday Mingle. The gathering was held at 122 Elm Street Tavern at the Watch Factory Shoppes. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Linda,” said Cheshire Chamber President Yetta Augur. From left:, Phil Newtown, Allstate Insurance; Jaime Gianini, the Record-Journal; Linda DiSilva, Main Street Caffe; Fabi Giguere, Achiq Designs; and luncheonguestspeakerAlyssaTagliafromWTNH. Joy VanderLek, The Cheshire Citizen

CT Safe

Crisis network

Classes are scheduled to start Jan. 10, meeting after school at Dodd, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Feb. 16. Also scheduled is a trip to Stop & Shop to learn more about reading labels for nutritional information. A cooking skills session will be held at Cheshire High School’s culinary classroom. Each session will last approximately one hour (20 minutes of exercise; 40 minutes of learning about various top ics).

Dodd Assistant Principal John Perosino is facilitat ing the program for the school. He noted the prevalence of technology in students’ lives and the need to help them balance their lives.

Chesprocott Health Dis trict is helping to support the initiative and public health specialist Kate Glendon explained that participants in the pro gram will go on to teach their peers and parents what they’ve learned.

Stop by Colony Diner in Wallingford and pick up a coloring page that will be on display at the Magical Elf House!

In Brief

Holiday concert

The Cheshire Symphony Or chestra, under the direction of Dr. Hilarie Clark Moore, will perform its Family Holi day Concert Friday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m., at St. Peter’s Church in Cheshire. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for stu dents and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the door with cash or check.

For more information about the orchestra, visit cheshiresymphony.org or find the group on Facebook.

Wreaths Across America

On Saturday, Dec. 17, at noon, the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony will take place at the Veter ans Memorial Plaza in front of Cheshire Town Hall.

This national event is spon sored locally by the Cheshire Veterans Council, which consists of the American Le gion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Army Air Force Roundtable of Connecticut, Disabled American Veterans

and other veterans groups in Cheshire. The purpose of this event: first, to remember and honor our veterans through the laying of a Re membrance wreath at the Paradox monument for our country’s fallen heroes; and, second, to remember our armed forces presently serv ing who are away from home at the holidays.

The Dec. 17 event will be brief about 15 min utes and will take place rain or shine.

Adopt-a-Family

The Cheshire Human Ser vices Department’s Adopt-aFamily Holiday Program re turns this year, with a few

Popular retailers include Target, Walmart, Marshalls, Dunkin, Kohl’s, Amazon, and local establishments. To make a donation, or to in quire about assistance, call 203-271-6690 by Monday, Dec. 12.

Pajama Program

The Pajama Program pro vides new pajamas and books to children in need, many of whom are waiting to be adopted.

These children live in situa tions such as group homes, shelters and temporary housing facilities; and many have never enjoyed the sim ple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them

Pajamas are especially need ed for the winter months.

Artsplace is also collecting new children’s books.

Drop off items in the marked plastic bin outside the front door, under the purple awning, through Thursday, Dec. 15. Artsplace can be reached at 203-272-2787.

Energy assistance available

The Cheshire Human Ser vices Department is taking applications for the Con necticut Energy Assistance program, which provides support to income eligible households in paying for a portion of their heating cost

Cheshire High, once again, recognized for sportsmanship

Casciac.org

The CIAC proudly an nounces a list of 21 Con necticut High Schools being honored with a 2021-2022 Michaels Achievement Cup Award.

Schools that are part of the CIAC’s Class Act program can be considered for the Michaels Cup Award.

The Michaels Cup Commit tee recognized these exem plary athletics programs for their willingness to sub scribe to the Class Act Sportsmanship standards, empowering students to take an active role in their school climate, and their continued support for com munity service.

These 21 schools have made sportsmanship a pri ority in their district.

The Michaels Cup was cre ated in the early 1980s as the brainchild of Roy Michaels, the owner of Michaels Jewelers, in an ef fort to recognize outstand ing athletics programs.

The 2021-2022 Michaels Cup Award winners:

Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, Academy of Computer Science and En gineering, Academy of In ternational Studies, Acade my of Science and Innova tion, Bloomfield High School, Brookfield High School, Cheshire High School, Derby High School, Joel Barlow High School, Joseph A. Foran High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Masuk High School, New Milford High School, Newtown High School, Oliver Wolcott Technical High School, Shelton High School, Sims bury High School, Stamford High School, Waterford High School, Westbrook High School, Weston High School

Bloomfield, Oliver Wolcott Tech, Simsbury and West brook share the distinction of being honored for their sportsmanship efforts for the sixth consecutive year.

Brookfield and Cheshire are being recognized with a Michaels Cup Award for the fifth time in six years while Joel Barlow, Lyme-Old Lyme and Weston are being hon ored for the fourth consecu tive year.

Quality and Value.

Countless Experience

Don Walsh began his career in the jewelry industry over 40 years ago as a teenager. In 1982, after achieving a degree in Business Economics, he started at Michaels Jewelers. Within 2 years he received his Graduate Gemologist title from the Gemological Institute of America. He went on to became one of the first Certified Gemologist Appraisers in the country. During his career at Michaels, Don was the lead gemologist and managed the appraisal department and estate division as well as lead many management training seminars. He has built a strong reputation for honesty and integrity in all of his business practices. Because of his vast appraisal background, he has served as an expert witness for numerous cases for

state of Connecticut and various police departments. He was a guest lecturer on Estate Jewelry for the American Gem Society Conclave. He has spoken before a number of civic

More Local Coverage

two blocked punts, Cheshire saw the gospel flip on Sun day. A fumble, a blocked field goal and a crucial penalty all went against Big Red this time around.

And while three moments from an 82-snap afternoon may not seem monumental, they indeed were against a perennial state contender that never trailed, did not turn the ball over and con verted on all its scoring chances with two touch downs and three field goals behind quarterback/kicker Ty Groff.

Cheshire sophomore quar terback Aniston Marsh had a terrific game, completing 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to senior wide receiver Luke Wiedemann.

The second came with 1:28 to play at the end of a 90yard, one-minute blitzkrieg that offered one last ray of hope on this early December afternoon.

But once New Canaan recov ered the ensuing onsides kick, the Rams of the FCIAC were 11-1 and heading to Saturday’s Class L champi onship game against Mal oney and the Rams of the SCC, playing in their first state semi in 13 years, were heading back to Cheshire with a final mark of 7-5.

“You can’t mistakes against good teams; they expose it,” said CHS coach Don Drust. “When you turn the ball over and do things like that, it’s hard. It’s an uphill battle, es pecially against a team that’s well-coached and is a good football team.

“I’m really proud of the ef fort; I’m proud of how hard we played; I’m proud of so many things,” Drust added. “We didn’t stop; we played as hard as we could for 48 minutes. Sometimes games like this come down to a mistake here, a mistake here and a play there, and that’s what this one came down to.”

These were the Big 3: New Canaan blocked Mic ah Galloza’s 30-yard field at tempt with just over three minutes left in the first half to protect a 10-6 lead born of a 20-yard TD run by Mack Seelert 3:34 into the first quarter and a 26-yard field goal by Groff 1:31 into the second.

Both scores were set up by good punt returns from Cooper Smith that set up NC just outside the Cheshire 35. In between, CHS got a 17yard TD connection from Marsh to Wiedeman with 5:13 left in the first quarter, but missed the PAT.

In the third quarter, Cheshire fumbled on a handoff exchange after a 44yard screen from Marsh to Wiedemann had carried the Rams to the NC 24 on their first possession of the sec ond half.

New Canaan, up 13-6 at that point on a Groff 23-yard field goal to start the third quar ter, converted the turnover into three more points when Groff drilled a 33-yarder on the first snap of the final frame.

Cheshire, driving in re sponse, saw a 20-yard gain down to the NC 5 on a screen from Marsh to Matt Jeffery erased by a holding call.

Worse, Jeffery, Cheshire’s top playmaker, was hurt on the play, left the game and did not return.

Two sacks and a penalty lat er, Cheshire was punting on a fourth-and-37 at midfield.

And while the punt team downed a beauty of a ball from Galloza inches from the goal line, New Canaan wound up driving 99 yards behind Wildcat QB Luke Reed, who shook the shad ow of the goalposts for a 55yard gain, then later rambled home from 15 yards out for an insurance score that made it 23-6 with 2:27 to play.

Three plays and at least 13 points of difference in a game settled by 10.

Said New Canaan coach Lou Marinelli, “If we had done that today, we wouldn’t have won either.”

Cheshire did not go meekly. Taking over at their own 10 after a penalty on the kickoff that followed the Reed TD, the Rams went 90 yards with Marsh completing five of seven passes to Wiedemann (5-87 on the day) and junior Lucas Chymbor (4-56).

An 11-yarder to Wiedemann in the back of the end zone cut it to 23-13. New Canaan running back Hunter Tele sco, who led the home team’s ground game with 100 yards on 18 carries, got his last touch securing the ensuing onsides kick.

“They’re a solid team; they played probably the tough est schedule in Connecticut,” Marinelli said. “They’re a good team, a real good team well-coached, classy kids, the kind of team you want to play. Even towards the end, if they get the on sides kick, you never know.”

As in any game, there were

questions going into this one.

Would Cheshire junior run ning back Jeffery Gonzalez, who was battling an illness, be able to go?

He warmed up in pre-game, but was clearly too sick to play.

Cheshire slotted back up Nick Miller into the back field and the sophomore got after it along with Jeffery, but New Canaan, which is led by its defense, was sim ply too stingy against the run.

Success would have to come through the air. Enter Marsh, who gave Cheshire a fighting chance, and then some, throwing darts through tight windows. “He’s a great quar terback; he’s money, ” said Wiedemann. “He stepped up big time. He led us to that win last week against St. Joe’s. Having him run our of fense, be a leader a leader of our offense, is a privilege even though he’s younger than us.”

CHS was also without senior captain and linebacker Charles Kurtz (elbow). Did these key absences make a difference?

“I don’t know. We’re confi dent in all our guys,” Drust replied. “Listen, we’re miss ing some important guys you’d love to have out there. But, again, I don’t think it was lack of effort or lack of anything from anybody else that was out there. I’m really proud of the guys that did everything they could. Even the guys that weren’t able, they did everything they could to help us prepare.”

Town Council honors scouts for Bronze Award projects

By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen

The Town Council wel comed Cheshire Girl Scout troop 60302 to its Nov. 15 meeting to acknowledge the scouts’ work and their recent accomplishment, earning a Bronze Award, the highest honor for Girl Scout Juniors in grades 4 and 5.

The Girl Scout award is giv en after completion of pre requisite requirements and a “Take Action” project.

Goals required for the Bronze Award include work ing with a community group, determining a need in the community, and completing a project that addressed the need.

Troop 60302 is comprised of 18 girls from Norton and Highland elementary schools, and is divided into two groups. Each group completed a separate pro ject.

Samantha Roth, Ruth Gar ner, Elizabeth Voong, Evelyn Hu-Voong, Audrey Grabulis, Alexis Pensiero, Taylor Keil ing, Kamilah LaSelle, Laysa Josyula, Jo-Leigh Denzel, and Neva Patel chose to partner with Where the Love Is, Inc. Dog Rescue, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organiza tion dedicated to rescuing animals from high-kill shel ters.

The scouts made improve ments at the shelter by cre ating a garden and new sig nage. In addition, the troop made an educational video, with an animal nutritionist, on how to take care of dogs.

The Cheshire girls also worked on a promotional program pilot, with a writer for the shelter, to promote dog adoptions.

Bronze Award, A17

Left photo: Working on the ice cream social for Kid Buddy are, from left, Girl Scout Troop 60302 members Maggie Catanese, Ashley Celone, Meaghan Desmond, Aubrey Peco, Lily heavens, and Lilly-Kate Montgomery. Right photo: Cheshire Girl Scout Troop 60302 members are shown at the garden they created for the non-profit, Where the Love Is, Inc. Dog Rescue. Front row: Alexis Pensiero, Neva Patel, Kamilah Laselle. Back row: Taylor Keiling, Ruth Garner, Jo-Leigh Denzel, Evelyn Hu-Voong, Audrey Grabulis, Samantha Roth, Lasya Josyula, Elizabeth Voong.

A safeguard in suicide cases

Police are increasingly using the new law in cases where there is a threat of suicide.

“Anecdotally, from across the state, we've had some homi cidal threats, like somebody says they're going to kill somebody else. But I would say probably in excess of 90% of the orders are suicide threats where a person is saying they are going to harm themselves," Dryfe said.

A review of the 28 RPOs is sued at Middlesex Judicial District court since June 1 shows that in 24 of those cases, the police were re sponding to a possible sui cide. In 18 of those cases, there were no weapons in volved, according to police affidavits.

University of Connecticut police at Storrs have ob tained 12 risk protection or ders from September to ear

ly November after respond ing to calls of students threatening to kill them selves, according to police affidavits filed in Rockville Superior Court.

UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said most of their cases have been stu dents who experienced men tal health challenges that re quired immediate interven tion and for which they were transported by ambulance to off-campus care.

"Our interpretation of the public act’s provisions led us to enact the risk protection order request processes as an additional attempt to safeguard their health and well being," Reitz said.

She said UConn police have acted "based on what the department believes is re quired under the public act."

"We have not received feed back from the Connecticut Judicial Department or Rockville Superior Court that suggests they have concerns about the numbers of cases originating from UCPD or questions on our interpreta

tion of the statute," she said.

“The expansion of applying for a protective order was developed as a way to possi bly prevent mass shootings, but it has always been an important tool for prevent ing suicides,” said Jeremy Stein, executive director of CT Against Gun Violence.

Stein said research has shown nationally that for ev ery 10 protective orders is sued, one life is saved. “So, by that measure, we’ve saved over 40 lives since June,” Stein said.

A longer version of this story was originally posted at ct mirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror.

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Send submissions to news@thecheshirecitizen.com.

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EDITORIAL: A season to reflect and celebrate

Hello December, it’s time to unpack those lights and bring on the cheer. That’s ex actly what’s happening in our local towns and it’sa welcome sight after all the weariness of the pandemic, politics and a painful econo my.

Who can stay Grinchy when so many volunteers, resi dents and faith communi ties, along with town and business entities, are pulling together to help create a sea son that represents joy, hope and a touch of magic.

Christmas and Hanukkah are the two major celebrations coming right up, but there are many others, including the solstice and Kwanzaa all bringing good cheer and many featuring the beauty of lights along with the symbol ism seen in chasing away the darkness.

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While there’s always a bit of controversy around how to wish people a happy holiday or whether or not a particu

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lar display is OK too reli gious, too tacky, or some thing else most of us take it in stride. The traditions of many cultures and religions are on show at this time and what a wonderful expe rience to cherish our own and appreciate what is meaningful to others.

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It’s also a time when even warring factions will call a ceasefire for a “Christmas truce.” In these polarized times, we can take note of that and put aside differ ences for a short while and offer good tidings to all. After all, did anybody ever ask “did a Republican or a Democrat put up those lights?”

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We enjoy the effort of holiday displays and believe they are there for all the right reasons with no hidden agendas.

Still, the big winter holiday season can be tough. Some may have recently lost a loved one, Covid brought ad ditional damage on that front. Money is tight for many; food and gas and heating our homes has hit household budgets hard. Seasonal affective disorder is in full bloom for those who are susceptible to the trials of fewer hours of daylight and plummeting temperatures.

In Bristol especially, but also seen in nearby towns, many homes and businesses have chosen to decorate with strings of dark blue lights in tribute to the memory of two young police officers who died in the line of duty.

Officer Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy were killed Oct. 12 responding to a call. Officer Alec Iurato also was shot during the incident, he survived and killed the sus pect. Those blue lights stir up complex feelings of grief along with a yearning for peace.

These real situations and concerns can’t be mini mized. And yet, one purpose of lighting our towns and our homes is to provide hope

based on centuries of tradi tion that better days are coming and we’ll get through this together.

Here are a few snippets from recent Record-Journal re ports regarding efforts going on right now in area towns that show people are ready to embrace the upcoming season.

Events in Cheshire include the Second Annual Holiday Stroll and Third Annual Wreath Auction at the Watch Factory Shoppes, held last Saturday, complete with a toy drive sponsored by the Salvation Army, Santa, and the Cheshire Voice Choir and the Bell Choir. The Cheshire Garden Club is, once again, holding its annu al Holiday Door Decorating Contest.

In Plantsville, the Plantsville volunteer fire department on West Main Street reports that their Maine-grown pine trees are “selling like crazy.” The fundraiser helps the depart ment and also other local causes.

The Barnes Museum in Southington is offering holi day programs, including Tea with Santa, Dec. 17.

And of course, Meriden is home to the fabulous Festi val of Silver Nights at Hub bard Park, now through Jan. 2.

While there’s a lot of volun teerism and dedication that goes into the holiday hoopla, it seldom receives the atten tion other acts of good will get, but the effort is far from frivolous.

In order to continue delivery to your home or business, we need to have each resident or business let us know that, by filling out our on-line requester form at myrecordjournal. com/cheshire-requester

Or, you can call us at 203-634-3933 and we can mail you a postage paid postcard to fill out and return. Without the necessary requester information, delivery of your Cheshire Citizen to your home or business, will end.

Bringing light and lightness to the gloomiest days of the year is important in innu merable ways. It brings us to gether as a community, lifts our hearts and opens up our generosity towards others, invoking a spirit of possibili ties that can melt even the most cynical among us.

Previously published in the Record-Journal.

Sienna Skinner, 2, of Southington, left, and her sister Madelyn Skinner, 5, right, explore the light displays during the Festival of Silver Lights at Meridens Hubbard Park on Nov.23. Daniel Passapera, special to the Record-Journal

100th anniversary event planned for Federation of Democratic Women

The Connecticut Federation of Women has scheduled a 100th Anniversary Holiday Celebration on Dec. 11 at the Chowder Pot Restaurant in Hartford from 1 to 4 p.m.

Organized in 1922 by founder and first president, Fannie Dixon Welch, the Connecticut Federation of Democratic Women is the oldest Federation of Demo cratic Women’s organiza tions in the United States.

Special Guests for the event include National Federation of Democratic Women’s President Gail Buckner, who is coming from Georgia for the event, and Connecticut Lt. Gov Susan Bysiewicz.

The purpose of the Con necticut Federation includes supporting the principles of the Democratic Party, help

ing to elect Democratic women and men supporting women’s rights, and pro moting awareness of wom en’s issues.

Today, the federation has five branches throughout the state (Cheshire, East Hart ford, Greater Hartford Pro gressive, Eastern Connecti cut, and Shoreline) along with a general option for state-wide individual mem bership.

The only criteria to join is being a registered Democrat.

For further information about the organization go to cfdw.org, message the group on Facebook at CT Federa tion of Democratic Women, or contact Joyce Petteway, president, at jhpetteway@ gmail.com.

St. Bridget student publishes book

New author Yzabella Latoril la, a St. Bridget School sev enth grader, has written, il lustrated and published her first book, “Ollie and the Cool Wisp.”

The book began as a school project, however, Latorilla went on to publish her work, a children’s book.

Latorilla said she “wanted to create a story that included magic and animals as the main characters.”

“Ollie and the Cool Wisp” tells the story of a young person’s personality devel opment, emotional chal lenges, spirit and road to maturity, through the char acters of Ollie and his friend Bailey, two dogs. The spirit is called “wisp” and is illustrat ed as a unique aura.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon and is featured in the St. Bridget School library.

St. Bridget School student Yzabella Latorilla has written, illustrated and published a children’sbook. Contributed

Special programs

To register for any of the fol lowing programs, call 203272-8286 or email LGravel@ cheshirect.org.

Nelson Hall shows:Sign up today for shows at Nelson Hall Performing Arts at Elim Park. Tickets are $40 and in clude round-trip transporta tion provided by the Senior Center. Payment is by check only, made payable to the Cheshire Senior Center.

NOTE: Proof of vaccination and face masks are required for all Nelson Hall events.

December programs

Holiday party Friday, Dec. 9.

The Boogie Boys New Year’s dance party Thurs day, Dec. 29.

Weekly programs

To register for any of the fol lowing programs, call 203272-8286 or email LGravel@ cheshirect.org.

Technology help with Jared Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Jared from the Cheshire Library returns to the Senior Center to help with computer/tablet/cell phone technology questions. Appointments are recom mended.

Golf card game Fridays at 10:30 a.m. on the lower lev el. Weekly fee to play is $3.

Advanced conversational Italian Fridays at 11 a.m. Spend some time speaking Italian with Dea, Kimberly and friends. Registration is required.

Bridge Fridays at 12:30 p.m.

Setback Fridays at 12:30 p.m. The group is always looking for more players.

Line dancing Mon days from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Drop-ins are welcome to this free, relaxed instructional line dancing class.

Senior Activities

Move & Groove Workout

Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Drop-ins are welcome at this low-im pact DVD exercise class.

Moderate exercise Tues days and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. This is now a drop-in class.

Nickel, nickel Wednes days at 11 a.m. (new start time). Playing fee is 11 nickels and one quarter per-person, per-week.

Walking group Walking is a wonderful way for old er adults to stay physically and mentally active. Call Marge at 203-272-3316 for more information about the group.

Transportation

Call Coleen in the Trans portation Office at 203-2720047 for information and reservations.

Transportation is available for medical appointments in the service area, grocery

shopping, pharmacy, visits to the Cheshire Senior Center, and personal ap pointments based on avail ability.

Masks are required on all public transportation, in cluding Senior Center minibuses.

Ride requests are accepted two weeks in advance. Any request made after 11 a.m. the day before the ride is needed is subject to avail ability.

Bus drivers accept cash do nations each time a rider steps on the bus.

Suggested donation is $1 each way for in-town rides, and $6 round trip for outof-town appointments.

Schedule for out-of-town medical appointments: Monday Meriden, Tues day North Haven and Hamden, Wednesday Wallingford, Thursday New Haven, Friday Southington.

Bronze Award

From A12

Girl Scout Troop 60302 members who worked on a Kid Buddy program were Lily Heavens, Lily Guiliano, Meaghan Desmond, Ashley Celone, Aubrey Peco, Lilly-Kate Mont gomery and Maggie Cantanese.

The scouts in this group partnered with Cheshire Parks and Recreation Therapeutic Coordinator Barbara Costello to create a series of events, held over the summer, for young children of all abilities. The troop members created a story time reading and craft event, a hiking event, and an ice cream social.

To acknowledge the work done by the troop, scouts received a special Certificate of Recognition from the Town Council.

Welcome

TOP CASH PAID For any Toyota any condition, running or not, crashed okay. Will take other makes and models. (203) 600-4431.

TOP CASH PAID

For Junk or unwanted vehicles, Toyota’s etc. Please call Mike @ 203284-8562 8am-5pm.

TREE LENGTH FIREWOOD CALL FOR DETAILS 203-238-2149

1,2,3 CASH FOR AN TIQUES - Call Todd Shamock, 203-4941695.

AARON’S BUYING

Old Machinist Tools, Lathes, BenchTools, Hand Tools & more. (203) 525-0608.

ALWAYS BUYING CASH PAIDVintage Electronics, Musical Instru ments, Amps, Ham Equipment, HiFi, Radios, CB, Gui tars, Audio Equip ment, Antiques. 860-707-9350

ANTIQUES - Always buying old; Toys, military, jewelry, art, watches, musical instruments, signs, arcade games, cameras, pre 1970 sports memorabil ia, plus more. One item or entire estate contents. Call 860718-5132.

BUYING ALL - Costume Jewelry, Old Watches, Gold Jewelry, Silver Jewelry, Gold & Silver Coins, Sterling Flat ware, In Any Condition. Please Call Jude M. Dichele @ (203) 8681816.

MATERIALS

DISTRIBUTION

Screened Topsoil $25/ per yd; Sand-$18 per yd; Millings-$22 per yd; Screened Millings $30 per yd; $100 minimum delivery. No pickup truck service. Minimum 16 yd pickup at our yard. Call Jim @ 860-982-4819 for delivery

PREMIUM

SCREENED

TOPSOIL

$25/yard delivered, 3 yd, $100 min. delivery Call Jim 860-982-4819

TORO 11 HP - 32” cut, riding mower, very good condition, $350 o.b.o. (203) 213-5204 for details.

BUYING MACHINIST TOOLBOXES - Tools & tooling, contents of machine shops, home workshops and small lathes. Call anytime 860-985-5760

COSTUME

FREE - 32” TV (not smart); 4 shuffle board sticks. Call 860-3012862.

GRASSY HILL AUC TIONS, - an Estate Sale, Liquidation, Attic & Basement Cleanout Company is Always Buying and providing services all over Con necticut. These are just a FEW of the things we are looking for: An tiques, Collectibles, Old/ Vintage Toys, Mu sical Instruments (Sax ophones, Trumpets, Vi olins, Flutes, Clarinets, Trombone & SO MUCH MORE) Advertising Items, Wristwatches (Broken or Not), Pocket Watches, Tools (Ma chinist, Woodworking, & MORE) Doorstops, Clocks, Oil Paintings, Old Signs, Old Pho tographs, Old Post cards, Brewery Items, Hunting & Fishing, PEZ Dispensers, Costume Jewelry, Broken Jewel ry, Gold & Silver Jewel ry, Gold & Silver Coins, Military Items, Swords & Bayonets, Helmets & Patches, Medals & Uni forms, Pocket Knives, Lighters & Pipes, Foun tain Pens, Mechanical Pencils, Fraternal Order Items, Religious Items, Industrial Items, Win chester Items, Sikorsky Items, Pratt & Whitney Items, Colt Items, Na tive American Items, Vintage Electronics, Slot Cars, Toy Trucks, Matchbox & Hot wheels, Barbie’s, Folk Art, Statues, Bronzes, Trains, Cameras, Mid Century Modern Fur niture, Straight Razors, Shaving Items, Political Items, Comic Books, Sports Cards & Auto graphs…& THE LIST GOES ON! So please give us a call at your earliest convenience. Grassy Hill Auctions 203-868-1816 - Grassy HillAuctions.com

TIMELESS TREASURES

ESTATE AUCTIONSIs looking to purchase estate contents. From single items to entire estates. Clean-out ser vices available. Call Bill (203) 494-2496.

More ways to move

& FINE ES

TATE JEWELRY WANT ED - New, Old, Napier, QVC, Gold, Silver, etc. “I Pay Top Cash For Your Grandma’s Cos tume Jewelry Stash”. I’ll come to you. 36 yrs exp. Julie Rees-Gor neault, 203-443-9602.

WANTED Individual firearms, collections & estates including military & related items.Federally licensed firearms dealer. Gunsmith, appraisals, Richard Pleines, (860) 663-2214.

CONTROL ROOM OPERATIONS

DISPATCHING

The Town of Wallingford Electric Division is seeking qualified candidates for the position of System Operator/Dispatcher for a municipal electric utility serving 25,000 customers. Coordinates electric system switching and places equipment in and out of service during routine and emergency operations. Requires HS diploma/GED with 2 years experience in the operation of Distribution SCADA equipment and/or switchboards used in the distribution of electricity or other qualifying experience in a related field. Experience and train ing may be substituted on a year for year basis. Must maintain valid system operation certification from Connecticut Valley Exchange (CONVEX) or other approved agency or be able to obtain the same within 90 days of hire. Must possess and maintain a valid State of CT Driver’s License. $34.63 - $41.15 hourly plus an excellent fringe benefits package to include a defined benefit pension plan. Apply to: Department of Human Resources, Town of Wallingford, 45 South Main Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. Application materials can be emailed to wlfdhr@wallingfordct. gov . Application forms will be mailed upon request by calling the Department of Human Resources, (203) 2942080 or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web Page. Fax #: (203) 294-2084. Closing date will be December 29, 2022. EOE.

HOME DOCTOR - 48 yrs exp. Odd jobs & remodeling, former US Navy, 15 yrs, #640689, 203.427.7828.

BRADLEY’S PAINTING203.715.0771. 30 years in the business. Watch our video at bradleys housepainting.com

*FALL YARD Clean-ups* FREE ESTIMATES. LIC & INS. DUMPSTER RENTALS 203-535-9817

JT’S LANDSCAPING LLC - FALL CleanUps, Call today, for free quote. 203-2136528. Lic. #616311.

PATIOS, WALKWAYS, Stonewalls, Steps, Concrete, Repairs, Etc. Free Ests. #0648556 203.808.6886 arnoldsmasonry.com

CARPENTRY Repairs, Decks & Porches, Sheetrock & Taping Water Damage Repairs. Free Est. Ins. MC & Visa. Call Bill (203) 901-2136. CT. Reg. # 0647093

TEC ELECTRICAL Service LLC