Cats on Tuesday: Happy Pansy

Pansy is not the most companionable cat. I seldom write about her because she doesn't really like me. But here in New Hampshire she has blossomed. She interacts with us, goes outside, sleeps with us, sleeps with the other cats, and even killed her first mouse! She adores John (because he sneaks food to her all the time!) and walks up to him for scratches. Her fur is thicker and glossier now, too. I'm sure these changes are due to there not being any beagly Vermont dogs here! Scout and Sophie are challenges to many cats (and people like me) and they intimidated Pansy. Her disabilities (deformed legs, hips and feet) make it difficult for her to move quickly out of the way of a bouncy dog.

Pansy was given to me by a student in Hartford, Connecticut. Jose came to school and told me that there had been a kitten on his roof that boys had thrown rocks at. Jose climbed to his roof, rescued the kitten, and cared for her overnight in his room. He thought Pansy's deformities were injuries and wrapped one of her tiny legs in an ace bandage around a Popsicle stick. Jose and I left school immediately, got the kitten from his house and took her to my vet. We returned to school where we and the rest of the staff and students waited for the vet to call. She called and gave Pansy a great report! There were no deadly diseases and no injuries. But the kitten did have significant birth defects.

None of Pansy's problems have stopped her from enjoying life. She requires extra protection and care. But she is doing great!

Pansy's Set on flickr

Thank you for stopping by!

To visit other participants, visit Gattina

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Contoocook Chicken Coop, Cumin & Curry

About three Saturdays ago, I went to Contoocook, New Hampshire to visit Faith. Faith, with whom I taught in Hartford, Connecticut years ago, was in New Hampshire skiing. But on this Saturday she was staying in to make chili for family that was skiing (and to visit with me!). We had hours of chatting, catching up, chopping up onions and peppers, and comparing teaching notes. I got a great chicken chili recipe that Faith had from the Barefoot Contessa. We went out on a walk while the chili cooked and found this chicken coop down the street. Contoocook is a heavily populated suburb of Concord, so I was pleased to find the chickens there. Hopefully, Faith and our friend Gerri will be back to visit the next time Hartford is on vacation (they are not having a February vacation this year!).

Chicken Chili (from one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks) 8 cups chopped yellow onions 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup minced garlic (or 8 cloves) 4 red bell peppers, diced large 4 yellow bell peppers, diced large 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 teaspoons kosher salt 4 28-ounce cans of peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained 1/2 cup minced fresh basil leavves 8 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on Freshly ground black pepper Cook the onions in the oil over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6-8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350°. Rub chicken with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 35-40 min. Cool. Separate the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into chunks and put it into the chili.

This is the recipe where John and I learned about cumin, which is the 2nd most popular spice in the world after black pepper. We have had bad luck finding brown curry powder in the store. But once John smelled the cumin, he knew that it was in curry. So now we have enough cumin to last a lifetime, but we still don't have a recipe for brown curry powder.



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Heads or Tails: September 11: Hartford to Washington DC

I was at school. The girls and I all lived and worked in Hartford, Connecticut. My son, Andrew, lived then (as now) in Washington, DC. He lived within sight of Capitol Hill and worked at a research facility near the Pentagon, taking the Metro to his job every day.

In Hartford, before first period, a teacher came out of his class and told us to turn on the TV because his wife had called. We couldn't get the TV to tune to a station without a metal coat hanger. At the moment we were able to tune a station, the second plane hit the Trade Center. We stood in a circle in awe and fear until I finally realized that somehow the US was at war with somebody.

We were told not to let our students know. All morning, we surreptitiously stole into the room with the TV and shared what we learned with the staff. I heard about the Pentagon attack and panicked. The principal arranged for me to call Andrew but the phone circuits were overloaded and I couldn't get through. I called the girls and told them to try Andrew's cell phone non-stop until they got him. I finally called a friend in Michigan who called Andrew. Somehow, Michigan got the call through and created a conference call for us.

Andrew's supervisor had locked all of his charges in the basement of the building near the Pentagon and they were going to stay there until the Army told them it was safe to leave. I told Andrew to get as much cash from the bank ATM as possible but he had already done that. I told them that we would drive down and get him and bring him home (that proved impossible: the roads from Connecticut to Washington were quickly all closed down).

Andrew was scared. A friend he worked with had seen the Pentagon attack from her car on the Beltway. She was in shock by what she had seen and she (and hundreds of others) had simply abandoned her car on the highway and somehow walked to work where she was locked up with the rest. There was no food except for vending machines. They dismantled the machines in order to eat during the day. Andrew told me that the White House was on fire and related other rumors that were flying throughout the country.

Andrew's supervisor finally let all of the employees out at 10 PM that night. He personally made sure that each person got home safely. The Army was patrolling Washington, huge military helicopters were flying over head and anti-aircraft guns were stationed at most intersections. They stopped to eat on the way home. They had to walk from Arlington to Dupont in the dark, in fear, because the Metro had been shut down. But as soon as Andrew got home, he called. He said he could not sleep all night because of fear and the noise of the military activity all around, including the huge lights used by helicopters to light up the city below.

As if that was not enough trauma, Andrew was affected by the anthrax attacks. His post office was the huge Washington facility that was infected. His mail was confiscated and destroyed. He had to have his mail forwarded to another postal facility. We simply stopped sending him mail for a long time because he refused to collect it for months. He was in fear for weeks that he may have contracted anthrax in mail he had gotten before they knew what was going on.

Andrew and I have talked a few times about what to do "next time." He has an escape route planned and will not cancel his land phone account, which he considered doing at one time because he only uses his cell phone. I reminded him that cell phone service was shut down on that horrid day and that land phones were the only phones working.

I am grateful that this is the only way in which we suffered on that day. I pray that we find a solution to the anger and hatred in this world so that this never happens again here or anywhere else.

Technorati tags: September+11 9/11 Washington+DC Hartford+CT Heads+Or+Tail
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Photo Hunters: Music

April 1993: Placido Domingo Visits Hartford, Connecticut
In 1993 I taught a sixth grade of Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, African American, Jamaican, and Portuguese children. My husband (who died 13 months later), another teacher and I transported all who wanted to see Domingo on this Saturday. The event was empty except for us, some high school students, my own children, and the principal. It was a very informal meeting and we actually shook hands with this magnificent tenor and humanitarian. My Amelia photographed it for the Hartford Courant and my Andrew wrote the article. I scanned the article years ago and found it tonight. If you care to see, when you click the photo will be large and you will see that I have identified people in the photo. The text of the article follows:

The Metro Bridge (The Hartford Courant)
April 1993; page 7

Domingo Offers Song and Words of Wisdom

by Andrew --------
Metro Bridge Staff Writer

The maroon curtains of the stage were torn and ripped, and parts were missing.

At other schools the grand piano would be on the stage ready to be played, but at Bulkeley the piano was wrapped up and on its side next to the stage.

This was the scene when the world renowned tenor Placido Domingo visited Bulkeley High School. His visit was short and he sang only one song, without a piano. But the purpose of his visit seemed to be more focused on giving a message to the inner-city high school students than performing.

Hartford Mayor Carrie Saxon Perry and State Rep. Edwin Garcia were among those who attended the event. Winners from Bulkeley of the statewide foreign language poetry competition recited poems for Domingo in Italian and Spanish. Then the Bulkeley students asked Domingo questions.

One student asked how many languages he spoke. He listed many and added that everyone should be proud of his or her heritage.

He told the audience that it is important to keep the language of their ethnic backgrounds. He said that in today's society one cannot get along speaking just English.

The next part of his talk was directed at the Latino community. He told the audience he was born in Spain and is Spanish.

He said only people from Spain are really Spanish and if you are someone from a Spanish-speaking country you should not call yourself Spanish, but a Peruvian or Colombian or whatever country the person comes from.

After the questions, Domingo asked some of the children to dance. They came on stage in white dresses ornamented by red and green ribbons and tambourines.

They danced the tarantella, a dance native to Italy, while Domingo clapped to the music.

Then he sang a Spanish folk song a cappella called "Te Quiero Mucho." The crowd rose to its feet and cheered when he finished. Shortly after, Domingo made his way through the mob of fans that followed him to his limousine.

As Domingo drove away the audience applauded, still very excited. His visit was over, but his words were not forgotten.

The memories of that intense year are vivid within me. There were awful times but also these wonderful times. I am proud that I was able to get all my home and school kids to see Domingo.

Thank you for visiting. ClickPhotoHunt for more participants.

Technorati tags: Placido+Domingo Hartford+Connecticut Metro+Bridge Hartford+Courant PhotoHunt

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Heads or Tails: School

I used to teach and live in the inner-city in southern New England. It was a wonderful experience and I am grateful that I had the privilege to teach the children there. The gangs and crime did not bother me. But the substance abuse of the kids, the parents without any skills and/or resources to parent in a city that did not care, and finally, the deaths of my students drove me out. Two of my students were murdered. It took me years to recover from the last murder because he had been in my homeroom for two years and was responding positively to the mathematics I provided. He was 14 years old when he died.

The first year I lived in Vermont, that student's best friend was murdered on Christmas Eve. I can't forget how they would mess around and tease each other and the staff like kids do all over the world. They both worked hard when they were able. They wanted to have families and live lives like the rest of the world.

The photo above is of a mural that the students in my school created in their new lounge. Children always express hope for a better world.

technorati tags: Hartford, Connecticut, education

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Two Terrible Tales

Anna and Daisy on the porch of her new house in New Haven last October.

Anna (my oldest child) and I IM'd this morning for a long time. The language in the following conversation is (justifiably) bad. Anna lives in New Haven on Long Island Sound in a working class, heavily populated residential neighborhood. One of the following incidents was in her neighborhood and the other was in Hartford, Conn., where she works. I have let her tell these awful stories in her own words. I have added parenthetical comments to help understanding:

Anna: did u read about the accident (click to see the original newspaper report)
meeyauw: yeah that was awful. he was speeding; but i don't know your neighborhoods
Anna: they said 100 mph or more
meeyauw: god; near you?
Anna: the car went through a street sign, then a light pole, then BROKE through a 15 ft section of a telephone pole, THEN smashed into a tree where it finally stopped. he was my age. it makes no sense. it almost sounds like suicide]

meeyauw: makes sense if you are drunk; yeah but there are easier ways to kill self; but this way nobody KNOWS if you killed self
Anna: this neighborhood, there are always people walking and we had actually just got home less than an hour before and then walked daisy (Anna's chihuahua)
meeyauw: and it happened there?

Anna: it is only luck that he didnt kill anyone else; yes
meeyauw: thoughtless bastard
Anna: on howard avenue which is what my street is off of; it was just so strange. i cant stop thinking about it bc it makes no sense
meeyauw: too close to age to you
Anna: yeah, not a stupid little kid, you know?
meeyauw: it isn't going to happen to you
Anna: no, but just luck, you dont understand how he eassily couldve killed so many people u see how everyone walks the dogs here
meeyauw: well it's scared you for sure

Anna: i understand speeding but not that. minutes before he sped past the fire house they saw it; 11:55 AM; before that he was on another street and almost hit a cop; so it makes no sense – like he was out of his mind
meeyauw: with booze
Anna: to drive 100 and up on busy city streets for so long; they havent said yet (if drinking was involved)

Anna: and one day last week i was at work and heard a commotion outside looked out the window, saw a little little puppy and 2 teenage boys
meeyauw: ok; hartford now
Anna: then i saw one boy kick the puppy in the face and the puppy went flying; i opened the window and said "is that your dog?"
meeyauw: OHMY GOD; oh i feel sick now
Anna: bc if it wasnt i was going to run out and get it; thats how i felt; he said "yeah"; i said you cant fucking do that

meeyauw: good
Anna: and he started swearing and saying he can and he picked it up and threw it to make the point. no (it wasn't good that she said that to him) I dont know what it was (she doesn't know what kind of dog it was) bc it wasz such a baby it was a little smaller than daisy
meeyauw: he could've been arrested; what did you do; god i feel sick
Anna: i called the police and told them look, i know that you've got bigger things but this was really bad annd they are walking and you can get them
meeyauw: ok good
Anna: and the lady that anwered was reall nice and said she would and if i wanted a call back. i said yes
meeyauw: good

Anna: but, of course, its really up to the officer that it gets sent out to and nothing happened
meeyauw: well it would not have been safe for you to get the dog
Anna: and i got no call back
meeyauw: i'm sorry
Anna: and now i wish that after i asked if it was his dog (bc at that point he didnt even get that i was pissed_ i shouldve said "ohh can i see it!!" and run outside and gotten it from him and THEN called the police
meeyauw: aaahhhh

Anna: so now i know that the little fucking dog is still being tortured
meeyauw: well he was a dangerous person so I'm glad you didn't
Anna: it was awful
meeyauw: yes
Anna: he was like 16
meeyauw: somehow we have to keep perspective: there are thousands of tortured animals everywhere
Anna: but i could have saved the poor dog
meeyauw: but your Daisy is safe, and mine are safe, and millions of others are safe
Anna: yeah
meeyauw: you can't beat yourself up; YOU are safe from that man

Anna: but it was just soooooo awful to see that ;i mean the dog was tiny; and whimpering
meeyauw: i know; i feel sick just hearing about it
Anna: and just getting the shit beat out of it; and i couldve gotten it if i thought more strategically
meeyauw: how are you going to forget it? you have to put it behind you; ok listen; he WILL be walking by again (Hartford is a very small city so the same people hang in the same neighborhoods)
Anna: oh well, i guess
meeyauw: you can plan a strategy with help from people at work with that "oh what a cute dog" thing

Multiply these incidents by thousands all across the country.
What would you have done? People like this are dangerous and I am sure he would have attacked Anna if she had rescued the dog at that moment.

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Cats Tuesday: Pansy

Baby Pansy

Like all my cats, Pansy was rescued. Truly rescued. I was working in Hartford, CT in the innercity when one morning a student told me that he had rescued a kitten from his garage roof. He said that some students had tossed the kitten up there and had been throwing rocks at it. He climbed up and got the cat down and put it in the house. But his mother wouldn't let him keep it. He was worried because he was sure that the kitten's leg was broken. In fact, he had taped half of a Popsicle stick on the kitten's little leg to set it!

Jose and I left school and went to his house to pick up the cat. She was a funny looking cat and her leg looked wrong. We drove directly to my vet for her blood tests and exam. I got a call later that afternoon: Pansy was fine! No awful diseases, and no broken bones. But she did have many birth defects. So I took Pansy home where she has been family ever since.

Young Pansy

Besides bent legs, Pansy has the wrong numbered toes on each foot. Where cats will have four toes on the front and five on the back, Pansy has 4 toes in back on one, 6 toes on another, and 5 on each front foot. The vet and I were reluctant to spay Pansy because, the vet said, the rule of thumb for birth defects is "1 on the outside and 3 on the inside." But we took special precautions and she had no problems.

Adult Pansy with pals.

Pansy does not socialize with humans: only cats. She is cared for by them. They know it is difficult for her to get around and they watch over her. Nobody ever picks on her, not even those nasty boys Buddy and Charlie. She sleeps, eats, and plays with anybody she chooses. Her favorite of the bunch for some reason, is Buddy, She is never part of any hierarchical or territorial dispute. Just goes to show that cats take care of their special citizens!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope spring is beginning where you live. Have a great week!

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Photo Hunters: Architecture

Hartford Municipal Building
Hartford, Connecticut

This building replaced the Old State House as the seat of city government when it opened in 1915. The design is of the Beaux-Art style, constructed of brick and faced with white Bethel, Conn. granite, with a copper and tile roof. All of the entrances are bronze. The 3-story central atrium is 25' wide by 150' long, decorated with panels depicting scenes from Hartford's history.

I took these photos when I lived in Hartford. I love this building and many others in Hartford. Hartford was the center of great architecture in the Golden Age, when Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe lived there.

I made a movie of these shots which can be seen HERE.
Thank you for stopping by! I can't wait to see the other posts!
For more photos, click "Read More" below.


Hartford's Municipal Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://hartford.omaxfield.com/munibldg.html

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Hartford Municipal Building, Hartford, Connecticut

A short video (1:07) I made of still photos of Hartford City Hall when I lived there.

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Hartford is the Worst Again

This is a school, SAND (South Arsenal Neighborhood Development) Elementary, at which I taught in Hartford, Connecticut. It has since been demolished in order to discourage gang activity. There were shoot-outs in the school yard. There was no recess outside because of the danger to the children. This is also the school where I found Sammy and Matilda.

Now Hartford has another "worst": cafeteria food safety (from Center for Science in the Public Interest):

Of the 20 jurisdictions evaluated, Hartford, Conn., received the lowest score, 37 out of a possible 100. Hartford had the highest number of critical violations, including multiple cases of dirty equipment and utensils, inadequate hand-washing facilities, and poor personnel hygiene. Hartford also had infrequent inspections (on average, one per year, violating the federal requirements for two inspections), poor access to inspection reports, and a weak food code. Other jurisdictions with failing scores include the District of Columbia, with the lowest inspection frequency; Rhode Island; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Hillsborough (includes Tampa) and Dade (includes Miami) counties in Florida. Montgomery County, Md., barely passed, as it has the most outdated food code.

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UCC Synod

Click on Let It Shine above to open a new window to the UCC Synod site.

Confirmed Guests as of today:

Bill Moyers, Voice of the Pacific, Marian Wright Edelman, Ricardo Esquievia, Rabbi Naameh Kelman, Ingrid Mattson, Rachel Barton Pine, Still Paint Theatre Collective, Chung Hyun Kyung, Davey D, He Qi, Kim and Reggie Harris, Valerie Jutson, Leonard Pitts Jr, John Hockenberry, Maria Otero, Ray Kurzwell, Susan Brooks Thistlewhite, Kevin Phillips, Marilyn Robinson, Walter Brueggemann, Phil Porter, The Children's Orchestra Society, Harry Knox

See You In Hartford!
click on the headline to open a new window to the UCC synod info page

Welcome and we are delighted that you may be joining us in Hartford for The Twenty-sixth General Synod which will be part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the United Church of Christ. Our members in the Connecticut Conference are working hard to make our 50th anniversary Synod one we will all long remember. Given this anniversary Synod, those who have attended Synods before will find some changes as part of our time together will be devoted to celebration activities as we both look forward to who we are as the United Church of Christ and explore who God is calling us to be and to become in the next 50 years. So come prepared to worship, to study, to fellowship, to celebrate and to Let It Shine!!

When and Where Is General Synod?
General Synod will officially convene on Friday afternoon, June 22nd and will adjourn on Tuesday evening, June 26th following the closing worship. Synod is in downtown Hartford, Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center. It's an arena designed primarily for sporting for events, but it will be our home for five days and we'll have the usual exhibits, worship, music and workshops. The good news is that the Civic Center seats over 14,000 people , so we have plenty of room to make this the biggest Synod ever.

What about Registration?
Registration will open for visitors on December 1st. and everyone must register. The Civic Center staff will be on hand each day to check registrations and they will only allow those who are registered in the facility. We have convinced them that Sunday worship must be open to any and all who wish to attend and they have agreed to allow this for our community wide worship on Sunday afternoon only. Other than Sunday afternoon, registration is required for all. There are a variety of registration options depending on how long you plan to be at Synod; they are listed below:

• General Synod registrants delegates, associate delegates, and visitors attending all five days: $150
• Seminarians and Youth attending all 5 days, $100
• Those attending only Friday, Saturday, Sunday, $100
• Those attending Saturday only, $50
• No registration required for children under 12 (note: child care is available, there is a cost for child care, see other needs form, pre registration is required for child care)

You will register online by visiting ucc.org, clicking on General Synod registration and following the instructions. If you are a voting delegate or associate conference delegate, your conference will have registered you, so if you have questions, give them a call. DO NOT re-register.

If you are planning on coming just for Saturday, note that there's a registration amount for you too!! We suggest that everyone register in advance, but if you don't decide until the last minute to come, there will be onsite registration in the Civic Center, so don't let that stop you from coming to the party!

Where Do I Stay?
There are a number of housing options and a wide range of costs, including University Housing which we are holding exclusively for youth until March 15th. If the beds are not filled by youth by March 15th, we will open it to others. After you register, you will be able to go into the link for the UCC Housing Bureau where you will see all of the hotels designated as General Synod hotels. We have negotiated special rates for these hotels and the General Synod shuttle will service these hotels. A description of all of the hotels as well as the room rates is included in this document. Please DO NOT call the hotels directly, if you do you may not receive the negotiated rate and your stay will not be included in our room block. Please help us manage our budget by using the hotels contracted for Synod. If you choose to go outside the Synod block (good luck as we have about every hotel in Hartford) but if you find one that is not on our list, you will be on your own for transportation to and from the Civic Center. We have significantly increased our room block, so there should be enough hotel space for all. We will monitor this carefully and if it looks like our rooms are filling up, we'll contract for more, so don't panic?but also please don't wait until April or May to register and select housing. Again, registration and housing opens December 1st. You won't be able to get housing without first registering. Voting Delegates: your conference will have already made housing arrangements for you, so please do not make additional housing arrangements. If you have questions about this, call your conference office.

What's the Schedule
The schedule isn't complete, but here's a thumbnail sketch:

Friday afternoon, opening hearings and organization of Synod
Friday evening, opening worship
Saturday, Synod in the City (see description below)
Sunday morning, (planning still in progress)
Sunday afternoon Community Worship
Sunday evening, Delegates in Committees, visitors welcome
Monday Morning, Delegates in Committees, Visitors welcome
Monday afternoon, plenary, keynote and business
Monday evening, plenary and worship
Tuesday morning and afternoon, plenary and business
Tuesday evening, Closing worship

Synod in the City
This is after all, not just any Synod ,it's our 50th Anniversary Synod, so we're going to dispense a bit with business as usual and a good deal of Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been set aside for the celebration of our past and a conversation about our future. The opening worship on Friday evening will kick off the celebration. On Saturday, delegates and visitors will all have a chance to be a part of Synod in the City. It's a day long festival of worship, Bible Study, workshops, lectures, concerts, etc. There will be a number of simultaneous events, so you won't be able to see or hear everything, you'll have to make choices, but we expect to have something for everyone. We'll begin Saturday morning with worship in the Civic Center and a keynote address, then we will fan out in the downtown area for a host of other events; you choose what you want to go to, space will be available on a first come, first serve basis, but there will always be something happening in the Civic Center and there's plenty of room there!! We'll end the day back together in the Civic Center for a grand celebration.

What about..FOOD!!
As exciting as we think the program will be; you still gotta eat!! There will be a lot of people to feed, so we have alerted the hotels and restaurants to be prepared. There will also be vendors in the downtown area during Synod in the City and we have asked the Hilton Hotel (the headquarters hotel) to be prepared to sell boxed lunches for Saturday. There will be the usual sponsored meals on Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; these are meals sponsored by a Covenanted Ministry or other group. The list of sponsored meals will be posted at registration and you can purchase tickets for these in advance. Remember, tickets for sponsored meals must be purchased in advance and they are non refundable. There are only tickets available on site if the sponsor has purchased additional ones to sell at their booth; tickets for sponsored meals will not be sold at on site registration.

Youth Program
50 4 50 1000 Strong!! We hope you are planning on bringing a group of youth to Synod!! Check the General Synod website for the 50 4 50, each conference is encouraged to bring at least 50 youth to Synod in celebration of the 50th Anniversary. DaVita Carter McAlister in Local Church Ministries and Ken Brown in Justice and Witness Ministries are working on a program that will be geared for youth, but will overlap with the General Synod program as well. Check the website and click on 50 for 50 for more details.

New and Updated Information
We'll post information as we have it available, but we suggest that you check the website after the 15th of each month for updated information, including more details on preparing for Synod, where to pick up registration materials when you arrive in Hartford, detailed schedules for Synod in the City, business to be considered by Synod, information on keynotes, worship and ongoing program details.

If you have questions, you may call or email

Registration
Denise Shimell
shimelld@ucc.org
216-736-2133

Destiny Shellhammer
shellhad@ucc.org
216-736-2149

Housing
GSHousing@ucc.org

Sponsored Meals
Heather Iriye
iriyeh@ucc.org
216-736-2105

Exhibits
Valerie Smith
smithv@ucc.org
216-736-2104

Synod Business
Lee Foley
foleyl@ucc.org
216-736-2192

Youth Programs
DaVita Carter McAlister
mccalld@ucc.org
216-736-3871
Ken Brown
brownk@ucc.org
216-736-3727

Girl Shot Walking From School

The mayor of Hartford and all the other officials are always so busy trying to get businesses to invest in the city and to get well-off people to move back in. Why bother? The city can't even take care of its own and the kids are still being shot. I'm disgusted.

15-Year-Old Refused To Give Up Jewelry, iPod
By RACHEL GOTTLIEB, TINA A. BROWN
And STEVEN GOODE Courant Staff Writers

February 2 2007

A 15-year-old sophomore who had stayed late at Bulkeley High School to finish a test was walking home alone Wednesday afternoon when a teenage boy wearing a ski mask jumped out of a silver car and demanded her iPod and jewelry.

"I'm not giving it up," the girl told her assailant in Spanish.

"I'm not joking," he threatened again and again.

Then the assailant raised his hand as if he meant to hit the girl in the head. She raised her arm to defend herself.

That's when he shot her, said Bulkeley Principal Miriam Morales Taylor, repeating the story Thursday that the girl told her from Hartford Hospital, where she is recovering.

The bullet went through the girl's arm and lodged in her torso. As she fell, the masked teenager, who police described as a Hispanic youth with blond hair, jumped back in the car and sped off, leaving the girl bleeding on Shultas Place, her iPod still in her possession.

Police said early Thursday that no one had been arrested, and later Thursday department officials were unavailable to comment.

The girl immigrated to Hartford from Peru less than a year ago and had stayed late at school to finish a Spanish exam.

Shultas Place is about a block from Bulkeley High in Hartford's South End. Morales Taylor said the girl told her there were no other pedestrians and no witnesses nearby about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when she was attacked.

But a Shultas Place resident saw the girl pick herself up from the ground only to stumble and fall again.

The resident, who declined to give her name because she feared for her safety, said she was waiting for a cab in the lobby of her building Wednesday afternoon when she saw the girl staggering down the street asking for help.

She said the girl fell on her face in the middle of the street, and she went outside to help her.

"What happened?" the woman asked the girl, who started to pass out and fell on her face again.

"I asked her what happened again, and she said somebody shot her. She said she was shot because they were trying to steal her jewelry."

The woman asked a neighbor to call an ambulance after the girl said her arm and hand were burning. The woman removed the girl's coat and discovered a lot of blood, she said.

"She was dozing off. I thought this kid was going to die right there. I kept hitting her in the face to keep her awake."

The girl underwent surgery at Hartford Hospital, and Morales Taylor set off to find the girl's mother. She didn't want the mother to get the news from police.

"They came to America looking for a better life," Morales Taylor said. "Now the girl is terrified of coming back to school. Her mother wants more police patrolling around the city. She wants to make sure this doesn't happen to another child."

The girl's surgery was successful.

"She was lucky," said Morales Taylor, who stayed at the hospital through her surgery. "The bullet didn't damage any organs."

On Thursday, Morales Taylor spoke to students over the school's intercom.

She told them what happened on Shultas Place and reminded them of the importance of walking in pairs and taking care to know who is around them.

"I tell them all the time when I see them wearing their gold chains and carrying electronics not to have them visible," the principal said.

She told the students to be careful on the streets and not to display their gold chains or electronics such as iPods.

But if anyone demands their belongings, she said, she tells the kids, "be smart and give it up. You have a better chance to survive."

The woman who found the girl and made sure she was taken to the hospital was happy to learn Thursday that the girl is going to survive. The girl sent her a message through the principal.

"She told me that the girl said she wants to meet me," the woman said.

Contact Rachel Gottlieb at rgottlieb@courant.com.

Courant Staff Writer Helen Ubiñas contributed to this story.

Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant

Chaz Booth

My last student to die . . . one year ago today:

Chaz Lamont Booth

CHAZ LAMONT BOOTH (BIG CHILLY) We Love you Chaz, miss you so much. We keep you alive in our hearts and memories, every minute of the day. You are our Angel in the sky who watches over us day and night. The hearts you touched, the love you showed us, is priceless. We love you Son, Brother Chaz. Forever, until we all are reunited... Rest Baby Rest. Love Always, Gone but never forgotten Mommy, Moe-Moe, King David, Amy


Published in the Hartford Courant on 12/24/2006.

David Spicer

ONE OF DAVID SPICER’S favorite things is teaching children — as young as 5 — the “great biblical truths through music.” Spicer is the organist and choir director at The First Church of Christ in Wethersfield. Tonight, about 3,000 people are expected to attend one of the church’s four candlelit services. (TIA ANN CHAPMAN)

Dec. 21, 2006
Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant

accompanying article:

Organist Devoted To Spiritual Notes

Many Respond To His Longtime Ministry

By ANN MARIE SOMMA
Courant Staff Writer

December 24 2006

WETHERSFIELD -- For two decades, David Spicer has played sacred music at Sunday services at The First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, calling the faithful closer to the Lord in the largest Congregational church in New England.

While churches around the country are struggling to find replacements for organists reaching retirement age, The First Church of Christ's music ministry is thriving under Spicer's direction as minister of music and the arts.

Tonight, Spicer will lead the music as about 3,000 people are expected to show up at one of the church's four candlelit services.

"You can't find many people that are talented musicians and devout Christians - he's a combination of the two," said Bill Dean, a choir member who sat on a search committee that hired Spicer.

As the church organist and choir director, Spicer has directed everything from a 22-piece orchestra performing George Frideric Handel's "Messiah" to a small children's choir during his long and musical career.

Under Spicer, the church stages a concert series with year-round performances in contemporary, traditional and sacred music. The concerts are free and open to the public. There are Christmas and hand bell concerts, biblical music dramas and even a puppet ministry. Under Spicer's direction over the last decade, the church has hosted the annual Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival, a national competition for young organ students that provides scholarships to study the organ.

Spicer presides over an Austin pipe organ made in Hartford that also has non-winded, digital voices. He describes sacred music as "explosive and vibrant."

"Music is my life," said Spicer, who will turn 60 the day after Christmas. "I'm able to combine music and the Christian faith. Those are two powerful forces."

When Spicer was a child, his father prayed that he would grow to serve God - a prayer Spicer didn't know of until he was in his 30s. But by that time Spicer had begun a career in church music, graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Philadelphia.

Spicer moved to Wethersfield from Lincoln, Neb. Many of Spicer's seven children have sung in the choir. One of his favorite things about his job is teaching children - as young as 5 - the "great biblical truths through music."

"They sing songs from the Psalms and the Old and New testament. When you sing, it makes a deeper impression on the brain," Spicer said.

"The thing that makes him unique is that when you show up for choir rehearsal, you don't know if you are going to get a rehearsal, or a bible study, or a music appreciation class," Dean said.

Spicer's concert hall is the church's historic meetinghouse, where George Washington worshipped on May 20, 1781, while in Wethersfield to confer with the Count de Rochambeau, the commander of the French army in America, about the Battle of Yorktown, according to church historians. John Adams also worshipped there.

William Burke, whose two teenage sons are in the adult, youth and hand bell choirs, said Spicer is an inspiration.

"He has inspired several generations of youth to follow his path of celebrating great music in a church setting," Burke said.

Spicer said he'll remain at First Church as long as they want him.

"Reverend Schuller once said, `You bloom where you are planted.' As long as we are planted, we'll still make beautiful music," Spicer said.
Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant

Hartford: Fastest Flush In New England

Hartford viewed from the Charter Oak Bridge

I found this 1998 article from the Hartford Courant in my files. I took the photo above when Marcia and I rode the bike trail over the bridge years ago.

Hartford: Fastest Flush In New England

by Jim Shea, Courant Staff Writer
The Hartford Courant, Friday, 3/20/98, B11

There is great temptation to relay the region's latest coup in terms of sophomoric cliche.

To say, for example, that we are flush with success, or bowled over, or we all have to go sometime.

But this would be immature. Why not just come right out and state the facts: People from the Hartford area go to the bathroom faster and less frequently than anybody else in New England.

According to a survey just released by Florida-based Ulrich Research Services, the average Hartford area resident makes an average of 5.1 trips to the bathroom during a 24-hour period, spending a total of 36.7 minutes.

In comparison, people in Portland, Maine, spend more time in the bathroom (46.2 minutes), and make more trips (7.2) than other New Englanders.

The other regions surveyed -- note the absence of talk about bringing up the rear -- were: Boston (39.4 minutes, 5.8 trips), Providence (42.5 minutes, 5.9 trips), and Burlington, VT (35.9 minutes, 5.7 trips).

In general terms for the region, the survey also found that women frequent the bathroom more than men (6.7 trips daily to 4.5) and spend about 15 minutes more per day.

The Ulrich report was commissioned by Linters Inc., a Seattle company, which is launching a new bathroom tissue made from cotton.

Nancy Ulrich, whose company did the 500-person, $10,000 survey, said one of the reasons for the differences between Hartford and Portland might be traced to setting.

"This is just a personal observation, but I think people in more urban areas have less opportunity and time to go," Ulrich said. "People in Hartford may spend more time commuting, have less time at home."

Deborah Cook, president of the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce, offered another example for her community's superior go-to-it-ness.

"I don't know if there is a connection or not, but Maine has the highest number of reading groups in the country, " Cook said. "Of course, no one is sure which came first, the number of readers or the frequency of trips."

The research lends support to Cook's view.

According to the survey, more Portlandites (36 percent) said they read books in the bathroom than those from any of the other regions.

Overall, the preferred pastime publication by a wide margin was the magazine, followed by the newspaper.

Although Portland leads the region in the books-read-in-head category, Hartford was No. 1 in overall bathroom readers (40 percent).

Given the rate at which Hartford folks go about their business, this statistic might also suggest we are also New England's fastest readers.

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