Woodstock CT Café

The Villager posts the crime events of the week each week and I have often noticed that there is little or no activity in Woodstock compared to surrounding towns. Usually if crime shows up in Woodstock, it’s a DUI or minor traffic violation. Last week, however, we had these incidents on September 3rd, 4th, and 5th possibly the tip of the iceberg. No incidents were reported on August 30th, 31st, September 1st, and 2nd. We will have to wait until next week’s Villager to find out if anything happened on the 6th (Monday). Could the Woodstock Fair have anything to do with this?

Woodstock Artist and Conservator RICHARD MCELROY has a group of his paintings being shown in the Atrium from September 8th through October at Sochor’s Gallery, Arts and Framing, 112 Main Street, Putnam, CT (Montgomery Ward Building).  Open Wednesday through Sundays 11 to 5.

RICHARD MCELROY (b 1928)    Over the years, Richard has completed some fine portraiture and realistic rural scenes, well composed, gentle and full of country light.      By the 1990’s his imagination began to come more into play, and he produced whimsical scenes of people at the beach and shore. His unique stylistic figures convey relaxed and playful moods, full of bright color and vision. Some pieces even reach into a world of mythical fantasy.

 
  “Artist Self Portrait” (28by21)                         “Sea Watch” (31by20) 

           Recently, Richard has produced a series of canvases depicting the Quinebaug River in nearby Putnam, CT. The river flows there, over and through the Cargill Falls with both the serenity of the mill pond and turbulent action of it’s cascades and falls.  This series explores different views, moods and seasons of the river and the old mill town, which has now settled into it’s post-industrial time, while still retaining the lively Falls.

                
“Putnam Mill Pond from Church Street” (18by24)                           ”Fall Cascade” (18by24)

   There will be an Artist’s Reception at the Sochor Gallery in Arts and Framing -  Meet Richard; Sunday, September 19th from 1 to 4. 

    Come, browse, and enjoy Richard’s attractive art.
 
    Sheri and Peter McFarlin
 
    Putnam show sponsored by Sheri Sochor’s Art Gallery   www.artsandframingputnam.com/

    Richard McElroy is represented by McFarlin Fine Art.
    To see more McElroy art, go to;  www.mcfarlinfineart.com/
 

 See the full analysis at JenRan Realty.com. You have to register to read Jennifer Esposito’s monthly news letter which contains a monthly Northeastern CT housing market analysis.

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Please see the Pomfret Times online: http://www.thepomfrettimes.org/

Daryl Hartman designed this website and I was impressed with the simplistic and easy to use format. This newspaper has been in existence for about 14 years, and is published once a month.  It has a lot of good information about Pomfret, and from time to time, has information about our whole area.

On page 2 you will see campaign statements by Bill Loftus, Leah Shad, and Steve Adams and an endorsement of Bill by Jim Rivers.

Page 3 has an article on the Neccog Animal Center for Northeastern CT and some wrenching pictures of pets that I would adopt if I could.

John

See Sarah Hamby’s article published today in the Reminder News.

“ I’m pro-school anyway , ” she said , “ and I enjoy it . I enjoy the kids . I enjoy having conversations with them and watching them deal with life … throwing ‘ em reality bombs every once in a while when they have problems . I just try and give them a different way of looking at stuff . ”

from the Norwich Bull

“A state report recently released shows that of the 1,125 complaints against outdoor wood-burning furnaces filed between 2005 and 2010 with the state Department of Environmental Protection, 317 of them were from Brooklyn, the most of any town.

Ashford had 57 complaints and Woodstock 29. Thompson, Putnam, Plainfield, Killingly and Sterling each had 20 complaints.”

“In Brooklyn, more than 300 of the complaints have been against one furnace, at 30 Tatnic Hill Road, Girard said. Public records list the property owner as Carl Meshanic. “

I pick up a coffee at Dunkin Donuts on Route 44 in Ashford. I’m often joined by another coffee lover who has a platform over the passenger side seat of his pickup truck for his two pet Guinea Hens. John

Chicken  lovers, beware: Taking man’s best friend for a ride could be risky.

Nearly 60% of chicken owners have driven while distracted by their birds as passengers, according to a new survey by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chickens (ASPCC). Only 17% — about one in six — ever use bird restraints, which can prevent these pets from being a distraction and protect them and other occupants in a crash, the survey finds.
 
In crashes, unrestrained chickens pose an unintended threat to the driver and other passengers, says Minorca La Fleche, manager of traffic safety programs for chickens at AAA.

She says an unrestrained 10-pound chicken in a crash at 50 mph will exert 500 pounds of force on whatever it strikes; an 80-pound chicken (or turkey) in a crash at just 30 mph will exert about 2,400 pounds, she says. Unrestrained chickens also can prove distracting by climbing onto the driver’s lap, interfering with the ability to steer or crawling onto the foot pedals. Read the rest of this entry »

See the Norwich Bull article “Teacher preserving 1955 flood memories“.

from Becki 

I started the summer off with an eleven day visit to my family on the west coast. Once I returned my focus was on what I should do on my daily respites from eldercare.

We have someone who comes in every weekday morning from 8 to 10 to look after the rheumies and again someone else in the afternoon between 1 and 5. Sometimes I have stayed at home and taken advantage of the time to quilt, but not on humid days (the living room is the only place we have AC and the sewing machine is in the bedroom).

Sometimes I used the time to get supplies. Today was my monthly excursion to requisition a month’s worth of canned cat food. I was able to get to that after my morning walk at the track at Bentley Field, which is how I’ve been spending a lot of my morning respite time.

However, the greatest discovery I’ve made this summer has been the Thompson Library and Community Center… especially appreciated on those mucky humid days for its AC.

Click to enlarge. They have Internet access which, if you know me, is a definite plus. There are computers there for patrons’ usage, but I just bring along my laptop. There are even electrical outlets to use. You have to have a library card to sign on and need to register it with the front desk before you can sign on, but after the first time there isn’t anything more rigorous than a log-in page to slow you down.

The wonderful selection of audio books has allowed me to load my player with some great selections so I have something to listen to while I do chores at home. I’ve been listening to the Outlander Series and have been able to log on to the library’s site and request copies that have been out on lend. The librarians have been most efficient at notifying me when whatever I’ve requested has come in.

The library’s environment is open and airy; well-lit, of course. It is relatively quiet, unless you’ve headphones on (which I usually do). There is ample seating both at tables and otherwise. There is even a couch, though it is regularly occupied by a man who seems always to be encamped upon it reading voraciously (sometimes accompanied by a bit of muttering, though not at all distracting).

There seems to be a fairly large selection of games available. Since the only games I play are on Facebook or my phone, I have no way of vouching as to their focus, but I’ve seen a fair number of kids of all sorts taking them home. There are movies as well, but I really haven’t  even made enough of a foray to vouch for them either.

The staff is friendly and quite helpful, the restrooms clean and all in all it has been quite a nice place to be able to hang out.

Missing Thompson vote:
Judge of Probate
Leah Schad 141
Kathleen Murphy 399

Judge of Probate
Steven Adams 115
Mary Ann Champney 180

Probate Race figures now include Thompson’s results

The first number next to the candidate is voting in Woodstock only. The second number is voting in the Probate Judge district (Thompson votes have not been posted) or statewide. Thirty-three percent of the registered voters in Woodstock voted (994 voters).

*Endorsed Candidates

Judge of Probate - Woodstock, Putnam, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Ashford, Eastford, and Thompson (Thompson not added yet).

Republican Nominees

Stephen J. Adams* - 260 and 882 997- winner in all towns except Putnam, Thompson and Woodstock

Mary Ann Champney - 274 and 521 601

Democratic Nominees

• Leah Shad* - 346 and 1485 1626 - winner in all towns, except Thompson

Kathleen J. Murphy - 101 and 548 947

Governor

Republican Nominees

Tom Foley* - 234 and 49,493 (95% - 99% precincts in)

Michael Fedele - 183 and 45,637

Oz Griebel - 101 and 21,753

Democratic Nominees

Dan Malloy* - 227 and 101,354

Ned Lamont - 221 and 73,875

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There is an element in Woodstock who will do anything to attack and undermine their neighbor who is running for office. We’ve seen this in past years from a small few who have failed miserably. We even have such people coming to the Cafe but you will never hear from them.

An email has been circulated that makes wild accusations about some area candidates. From my own knowledge I can say that this email is completely fabricated with UnTruths. The cowardly email comes from an ‘untraceable’ service provider (domain) and tells UnTruths in an attempt to embarrass children and other innocent people as well.

In the past the Café exposed one character that used this approach but I don’t think this is the same individual, at least alone.

I am quite confident that no candidates or political party are responsible for this email. If you have received this email show your distaste by voting for the candidates who have been attacked.

And for the perp … we are on to you.

Republican Candidates
Democratic Candidates

Randy was generous to us this morning and kindly offered this watermelon. It’s a perfect specimen.

from Newcomer

(I have) a completely different experience that poses what I feel is an interesting question about human behavior in our society. Hopefully others here will find it interesting as well.

It might be akin to what Becky was referring to in her post #6 above when she says, “To wax philosophical for a moment… our culture has, for the better part of the last half century, bit by bit, instilled in each of us how ’special’ each of us are. Special people needn’t bother with the rest of us. Not only is everyone special, we have also done almost everything we can to avoid explaining how things work in real life. There is no awareness of how each of us fits into the fabric of life - the structure of society.”

My family, like so many others, is having to tighten up the wallet in these tough economic times (not whining, just setting the scene here). About a week ago, a very close relative emailed me a video about a business opportunity. I dragged my feet and didn’t watch it until yesterday when her persistance got the better of me. To me, it sounded like a pyramid sales scheme veiled as a “MLM” (multi level marketing) model. I do not have a business background so I only had a vague idea that such things exist, but did not know particulars. I googled and researched these terms in an attempt to educate myself.

I came upon a very interesting article in which the author first educates the reader as to what these “business models” are and how they work. But at the end of the article, the author discusses how they are illegal and are being allowed to permeate our society anyway from politics to Wall Street, to the average Joe on the street.

Here’s the link to the article if anyone else cares to read it:

http://www.falseprofits.com/MeaningofPyramids.html

Here’s a link to the author’s website also:

http://pyramidschemealert.org/category/news/

So yesterday, as I was settling in back home after being out on a long road trip out of state for a legitimate job interview, this “too good to be true” offer falls squarely into my lap. My relative tells me how she’s making money hand over fist because she got into this early and very near the top of the pyramid. Two men co-founded the MLM in question and my relative is close friends with a friend of theirs so my relative is probably in the second or third tier of the pyramid.

So here I am, minding my p’s and q’s, trying to get a job the old-fashioned way, the kind where I get paid an honest wage for an honest day’s work, and then this whole MLM thing comes out of nowhere and clubs me in the head.

I have decided not to participate.

So the question is, what would you do if you were me? And more for public discussion, what do you think most people in my shoes would do? If you had a chance to get in to a business opportunity early, when there’s still money to be made, but you know it’s probably shady and immoral, do you toss your values and principles aside in favor of keeping a roof over your head? Or do you hold tight to your values, even if it lands you in the poorhouse?

These pyramid schemes, dressed up as legitimate business opportunities (in the form of MLM’s) are becoming mainstream. Yet the only ones who profit are those at the top few tiers and those few profit at the expense of others’ losses. Amway has been cited as one example of this kind of company. Is the founder of Amway the successful business genius he’s purported to be, or is he a carnivorous criminal? What about Usana vitamins? I know someone right here in town who got sucked into selling those and is in debt to the person one tier above her to the tune of $800.00 while the CEO’s sitting pretty.

Our culture has evolved with a “kill or be killed” mentality toward survival. So am I an idiot to take the moral high ground and not jump into this scheme near the top where I can profit off others’ investments? Am I a whimp for not getting into this dog-eat-dog scheme when I’m near-guaranteed to be the predator and not the prey? I hope I’ll at least get brownie points toward Heaven for this!