Letters to the Editor - July 12, 2012

Generosity abounds in community

Our town is filled with generous and community-minded people. A huge thank you to one of them: Victor Trivelli, owner and chef at Manna Dew Restaurant. Last Friday night he hosted a barbecue as a fundraiser for the North East Community Center, serving gourmet chicken and burgers long after the restaurant normally closes. Wonderful musicians Jonny G, Mimi Harney and Dani Hill played for hours, and the serving staff even gave up their tips to help provide donations for NECC.

Over $400 was raised for our summer food service program, which provides free lunch to over 60 children every day. Thank you, Victor!

Jenny Hansell, Executive Director, NECC
Millerton

Working toward a common goal

When a community comes together, wonderful things can happen. The 15th annual Litchfield County Antiques Show, a fundraiser for Greenwoods Counseling Referrals, was such a gathering in Kent.

All of this was made possible by a cadre of dedicated volunteers too numerous to mention, but I would like to recognize Jane Kates for her efforts in dealer hospitality, gathering a group of volunteers for show support to help with the opening party, as well as a special thanks to Patsy Stroble for overseeing the physical set up and take down of the show at Kent School. In addition, thanks to the following people for their individual support of this fundraiser: The Fife ’n Drum, Kent Wine and Spirit, J.P. Gifford’s, Ledbetter Catering, Kent School, Kent Greenhouse, Jamie Reisch and the Antiques Council who vetted the show.

We are indebted to our supporters, private, corporate, the media and all the attendees who supported the gala preview party, as well as those who attended over the weekend.

Greenwoods continues to offer its services to everyone who lives or works in Litchfield County and to follow its mission to provide high quality affordable mental health care, education and related services in response to the needs of the citizens in our county.

Tom Sebring
Show Chairman
Kent

HVA’s Tim Abbott stepped in

Sometimes misdeeds offer an opportunity for good deeds. The recent defacement and attempt to burn down the sign at the Calhoun Cemetery and the leaving of an obscene note is just such a case.

Our neighbors at the Housatonic Valley Association stepped up, and Tim Abbott was able to repair the sign with a special product that was contributed by Northwest Lumber. On behalf of the Calhoun Cemetery Association, we want to express our appreciation and thanks.

 And if you have never taken time to stroll through our small cemetery, do! The headstone inscriptions provide fascinating insights into Cornwall’s early history.

Joanne Wojtusiak, Secretary
Calhoun Cemetery Association
Cornwall Bridge

Examples we set for students

Let’s look at what this year’s Housatonic Valley Regional High School graduates may have taken away as examples of adult leadership from the Regional School District One Board of Education and the Regional Schools Services Center (RSSC-Central Office) administrators. Here’s how I see it:

1. That you can, apparently, ignore written, approved and in force procedures and policies and do whatever you want with no accountability or accepted standards. An example would be the lack of proper monitoring and review by the board regarding expenditures at the high school and central office. Another would be failing to address the appropriate annual goals and objectives for the superintendent to pass on for consideration to the All Boards Committee of Regional School District One.

2. That you can, apparently, ignore parliamentary law and state statutes thereby stripping a board member’s right and those of the citizens he/she represents sabotaging self-governance. For instance, the representative of one town whose member acts as the chairman can, without the knowledge or consent of the rest of the board, decide what will be referred to the board’s attorney, who will be “allowed” access to the information/opinion and spend, apparently unchecked, taxpayer dollars for any issue he sees fit.

3. That, apparently, it’s perfectly all right to be intolerant of board members and openly lack common courtesy to the expression of ideas and opinions which may differ from you own. Note the actions of board members, particularly in February/March. Isn’t that called bullying?

4. That, apparently, it’s acceptable, after a graduating senior raises concerns to a local school board regarding bullying, for the superintendent of schools to appear to dismiss the student’s experience by saying in response to that concern: “Not all incidents are bullying, some are bad behavior.”

5. That regardless of plenty of evidence to the contrary, it seems acceptable to pretend that there are no concerns to be addressed thereby evading your responsibility and ignoring the school and board’s mission, while obvious problems fester and grow. Inaction by the board on what has become known as “The Pingpank Report” is an example.

6. That, apparently, certain employees and/or board members are not held to the same standard as the rest and are excused from being accountable for their actions. Note the “Aeron Watson”/FCC incidents.

7. That, apparently, the board is inclined to dismiss contradictory evidence and apparent irregularities in procedure in a statutorily required nonrenewal hearing and render a decision in what seemed to be planned support for the administration.

Fortunately, a majority of what our students internalize lies within the confines of the classroom. If the words of the 2012 valedictorian, salutatorian and class president are examples of the depth of good teaching, learning and life-skills taught then there are positive adult role models and routine examples of integrity and civic duty in our students’ school life. The board and RSSC administrators need to follow that lead and act like responsible adults.

Patricia Allyn Mechare
Falls Village

Thanks to supporters

On behalf of the board of directors of the Housatonic Child Care Center, we would like to thank all the businesses, individuals and vendors who helped make our third annual Big Rig Event such a success. We saw many happy children (and adults) looking at, climbing on, sitting in and honking the horn of the big rigs. Without your generous spirit and gift of time the event would not have been possible.

Marianne Ostendorf and Barbara Peck
Event co-chairs
Salisbury

Heed Scalia and move on

The Lakeville Journal editorial (July 5) makes the usual self-absorbed, liberal assessment that a Supreme Court conservative ruling in their favor is “hopeful,” “less political.”

Smugness and snobbery aside, a true apolitical ruling on Obamacare would have had a justice from each wing switching sides. No one is in zombie-like lockstep like left-wingers. And instead of saying, “thank you, Chief Justice,” and going on your way, the LJ (and Mr. Piel, as well, in his column) take a cheap shot at Roberts on Citizens United. Must you folks have all the toys in the sandbox? Heed Scalia —“get over it.”

 Roberts’ opinion is a reasonable one. Unproductive, disappointing, but reasonable and construable as “conservative.” As far as the merits of Obamacare, there are none excepting “pre-existing” and “26.” That assessment jibes with the army of left-wing wags who have tried to “sell” Obamacare since its passage. The other 2,000+ pages are a mystery with a multitude of open-ended issues to be resolved by bureaucrats like Ms. Sebelius. Obama got together with Pelosi and built an unworkable Rube Goldberg contraption, threw up their hands, and said, “Let’s make up the rest of this shinola as we go along.” They lacked the guts to go for the only workable, alternative overhaul to the status quo which is single-payer — Medicare for all.

At the risk of being seen as uncaring (“caring” is such a bold, principled position), the primary crisis is cost, secondary is the uninsured. Obamacare does nothing for the first and confuses the second. But we can rest easy because, as Mr. Piel assures us, “Obama cares.” What he cares about is another question. From where I sit, he’s a narcissist in way over his head, and re-election is his only current concern. And he should be concerned.

Peter Chiesa
Kent

It’s a celebration every day at store

Recently the Cornwall General Store celebrated its one-year anniversary. This was noted in a Lakeville Journal article on June 14 and also recently at an open-house barbecue in the new picnic area adjacent to the store.

While the celebration and milestone are noted, the fact is we Cornwall folk and the general public get to celebrate the Cornwall General Store every day. We celebrate the clean and upgraded facilities, friendly smiling staff, beautifully presented and delicious deli fare and baked goods and the overall general store ambience provided by tables, a couch and the rocking chairs on the porch.

Thank you, Cornwall General Store. Thank you, Dana and Louise.

Richard Bramley
Cornwall

A town treasure

The Scoville Memorial Library has proved, once again, that it is one of Salisbury’s treasures. At a wine and cheese “Book Schmooze” on July 5, the library launched “Between the Covers!” its first reading program for grown ups. Standing elbow to elbow and bookshelf to bookshelf, book lovers exchanged reviews and made recommendations for their favorite good reads.

The goals of “Between the Covers” are not only to catch up on summer reading but also to provide reviews for each book read during July and August. These reviews will then be shared (anonymously) for everyone to read and expand their summer reading list. The program culminates with another “Book Schmooze” on Aug. 30 when three reviews will be drawn from the summer’s reading entries for three prizes, courtesy of the Friends of the Library.

“Between the Covers,” under the continuing leadership of Claudia Cayne, the library’s director, and her colleagues, gives all of us one more reason to grab our library cards and go to Scoville and indulge in what I imagine many of us loved to do in the summer — curl up with a good book or two in a quiet corner and enjoy whiling away the lazy days of summer.

Sarah Zarbock
Salisbury