by Don Church & Tony Schillaci

Although spring will be bursting out all over officially on March 21, make sure it doesn’t burst your waistline or other highly visible parts of your body.

Now we don’t mean putting yourself through an Olympian marathon at a local gym, or rowing yourself across the Sound to Long Island. No, no, no!  We’d rather stay pleasingly plump and slowly roll the lawn flat with our winter bulk than perspire ourselves into a state of exhaustion.  We don’t mean to demean gyms or workout places where you use repetitive exercises to get in prime shape, but there are other ways to look and feel your best this spring.

For instance, when you think spring, think FUN – lots of fun.  It’s variety that you should look for to keep as fit as a fiddlehead – physically and mentally.

Enjoying food – fresh, high-quality ingredients – is a good place to start self-improvement whether it’s a feast or a fast, but we don’t want to overdo or underdo it right now; we just want to get our share of delicious meals that will put a spring in our step and have mercy on our stomachs.  As the days get lighter, so should our meals. Spring greens, reds, yellows, purples help to make us feel full and shed excess winter weight at the same time.

We all know that exercise is good for us, but getting started can be a problem, so making it fun is the challenge.  There are a few painless ways to spring over that hurdle.

It’s usually too cold the last weeks of March and even early April to be ‘up and doing’ outdoors; so here’s the perfect time to warm-up for real exercising by tackling spring cleaning, refurbishing, indoor repairing, and hauling attic, garage and closet clutter off to the dump.

To brighten up your home, buy fresh-cut and potted blooming bulbs – daffodils, hyacinth, tulips and other spring blossoms. Putting just a few in each room will bring spring indoors while it’s still a bit too cool to play outdoors. The aroma therapy of the flowers contributes to your mental happiness!  And while you’re at it, open any sun-filled windows to let in the fresh air and remember to whistle while you work. (For the pucker-challenged, just hum!)

By the time you finish those projects, it’ll probably be time to head outdoors into a bracing spring day.  If you have gardening space, getting it in shape will put you in shape, too. If your farmin’ area is really small, try a gypsy garden – plants in rich soil in recyclable buckets with handles. If you move, your fleet-of-foot garden goes with you.

Once spring warms up, it’s time start walking which  can be less drudgery and more fun if you pick places that are interesting or eye catching or breathtaking or, if you’re an optimist, all three.  For instance, southeastern CT has many handsome small towns that offer off-the-beaten-walking, running, cycling routes.

Try Stonington Borough along Water Street to duBois Beach, and also along the Harbor. There are many marked public-access docks, paths and shaded side streets on the edge of downtown that offer beautiful homes and gardens of every style to ogle.  The same treats await in Mystic, Essex and Old Saybrook along its rivers and coves.

If you get lost remember that’s half the fun of traveling to new places.  The picture postcards in your eyes will make you forget you’re exercising.  And for those who love to exercise, it will double your pleasure.

Town and state parks abound in our area: Bluff Point in Groton is a one of the finest with it’s wide walking path from the large parking lot and picnicking area, past the Poquonnock River’s sandy beaches to the spectacular view at the top of the point overlooking Long Island Sound – about a 1 ¼ mile hike.

The same goes for the adjacent Haley Farm State Park. Other recommendations are Harkness Park in Waterford, Rocky Neck in Niantic, and so many other wide-open spaces along Long Island Sound, Niantic Bay, and the mouth of the CT River for walkers, joggers, cyclists, boaters and picnickers. There’s a different place to explore for almost every day of a month, including places north of I-95, starting with the magical Conn College Arboretum.

Public and conservancy properties offer wide open spaces and a chance to see wildlife in its natural habitat.  Just pack a bottle of liquid refreshment, a picnic or snacks to take advantage of the many places along the way to sit, sip and munch away surrounded by beautiful scenery.

For foodies, there are 87 farmers’ markets in the state. Leisurely roaming around them (with a recycled shopping bag), you’ll find that farmers sell damaged tomatoes and other veggies and fruits for a pittance.  (www.ct.gov/doag)

For seniors, 65 and older – who will admit it – get a Charter Oak Pass  for free admission to state parks, forests, Gillette Castle, Fort Trumbull, among other attractions. It admits a car load regardless of age, as long as one has the pass. Pick up your free-for-life card in New London’s Fort Trumbull Museum or the gatehouse at Harkness State Park in Waterford.

The active senior can also get a free-for-life fishing license. Even if you don’t fish, you can easily learn how to with all the free fishing publications that are available in your town hall where you can get your free license.  If you’re single, you never can tell who you might hook up with along the state’s rivers, streams and shoreline that could put an unexpected spring in your step. That’s good for your health, too.

There are nineteen vineyards that are easy to find by following the CT Wine Trail through some of the most beautiful countryside in the state. You’ll find them on www.ctwine.com/wineries where you get order a free brochure with maps and directions to the Shoreline and the Highland trails.  Not all have free tasting, so check before burning precious gas. Many of the wineries have wonderful picnic areas or you can tailgate surrounded by the vines.

Free passes to Mystic Seaport, The Mystic Aquarium Institute for Exploration, and other attractions are available in local libraries. If you don’t have a library card, it’s easy to get one – another free gift from your community.  This is another opportunity to do some steppin’ while being dazzled at these outstanding attractions.

To mix and mingle with old acquaintances and new friends, all the local parks and recreation commissions have pages of activities, including arts, crafts, entertainment and a lot more on their respective websites. Just Google the name of your town – any town – and add, “parks and recreation.”  The state tourism site www.ctvisit.com has more stuff listed than you could possibly do this spring.

Let the Resident know if you discover other ways to jump into spring that are fun, non-fattening, legal and qualify as self-improvement.   Your idea might be featured here next year!

Bookmark to:

photo & story
by Amy Pjura

During a press conference on March 4th, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT announced that the 59th Annual Citizen of the Year is Angela Arnold, Director of Marketing and Business Development, CorePlus Federal Credit Union. The Citizen of the Year Award honors an individual for their contributions to the community.

Angela’s 32 year involvement in the community is greatly appreciated among community members and business partners. To name a few contributions, she currently holds positions on numerous Boards of Directors. Some of those boards include the American Ambulance Service, Inc, United Way and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT. Angela is involved in the American Heart Association and was the first woman president of the Montville Rotary Club in 1996.

Angela and her husband Michael reside in Ledyard. They have one daughter, Dr. Sarah Arnold, who lives in Clinton. When Sarah asked her mother how she does “all that she does,” Angela responded, “Michael is the ‘how’ I can do it.” Michael stands by Angela’s side throughout many volunteer events and supports everything that she does in the community.

As a past recipient, Robert Reed, Station Manager, Hall Communications, commended Angela for her long list of contributions, “She is there and getting it done.”

Angela is pleased and humbled to be the 59th Citizen of the Year. An award dinner will take place May 5th at MGM Grand at Foxwoods to honor Angela. For more information please visit www.chamberct.com.

Bookmark to:

The Stop & Shop Supermarket store donated $1,194 to assist the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center (PNC) in its various food programs. Stephen Russo, Store Manager, Stop & Shop, presented the check to Vicki Anderson, Executive Director, PNC.

“It’s a pleasure to present this donation as part of our Food for Friends campaign,” Stephan said. “It’s something we’ve done here for 12 years because we believe it is important to support the PNC in its effort to alleviate hunger in our community.  It’s part of a commitment Stop & Shop has to give back to the community.”

In accepting the donation, Vicki thanked Stop & Shop and its customers, pointing to the store’s long-standing commitment to help feed the hungry as proof that Stop & Shop cares about people.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in the request for assistance of all sorts, particularly food in these difficult economic times,” she said. “Our motto is neighbors helping neighbors, and we work hard to do that, but we can’t succeed without the generous assistance from Stop & Shop and many others in the community. I just can’t thank Stop & Shop and its customers enough for this generous donation.”

The PNC operates an emergency food locker, runs a weekender backpack program for local youth,  provides holiday food baskets and runs lunches for senior citizens.  “Addressing hunger in our community is a very big part of our work,” Vicki said.

Stephan said, “The money was collected here over several months, and company-wide at stores throughout the Northeast. Stop & Shop has more than 500 stores and plays a significant role in local fund-raising for non-profit groups throughout its service area.”

Carl Schlicker, President & CEO, Stop & Shop, said “Food for Friends is an important part of Stop & Shop’s commitment to giving.”

“During these difficult economic times we are working harder than ever to fight hunger in our communities. According to our food bank partners, food insecurity issues are expanding across the country. The new face of hunger could be a neighbor or a friend. Stop & Shop customers and associates have always stepped forward to help those less fortunate.”

This year, Food for Friends was held in conjunction with Stop & Shop’s Turkey Express program, which donated more than 20,000 turkeys to food banks throughout CT, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Maine and Rhode Island.

Food for Friends involved the sale of paper turkeys at checkout for $1, $3, $5 denominations. If they desired, customers put their names on the turkeys, which were displayed throughout the store. One hundred percent of the money was donated to the local hunger relief effort.

Bookmark to:

story & photo
by Roger Zotti

What Bradlee Height said he found most challenging about writing his first novel, “Close” (Xlibris), “was definitely trying to figure out how to present the story. I have the main characters actually writing the story, not telling it.” Bradlee explained he’s read many books in which the main character is writing his or her story. “When I read ‘Flowers for Algernon,’ I saw the misspellings,” he explained. “So in my book I left in some misspellings to make it seem more realistic.”

Also, working on “Close” was an education because it taught Bradlee writing is, he said, “a constant learning process. Even writing my second book, I’m learning new things every day.” At the same time, the Higganum, CT resident has always enjoyed writing: “Ever since I was a kid, it’s one of the things I always wanted to do.”

“Close”  traces the lives of Dave and Angie. “The story follows the last five months of Dave’s life in his senior year in high school. With the Angie character, we learn about the last five or six years of her life,” said Bradlee. He added if readers take away a positive message from his book, “it would be great.”

Dave and Angie are troubled souls. At times, Dave thinks he and his world are  falling part. Near the end, however, he has several epiphanies that illustrate he has matured.  For instance, about Angie – from whom he has learned courage and perseverance, and who is the instrument of his maturation – he writes, “It choked me up inside to think about her … miserable existence … Angie showed me the best of things that there are in life, which she did by showing me the worst of all things.” And about himself, he says: “My problems, my depressed look on life was nothing at all … The way feelings affect you are decided by the way you choose to handle them. I know enough now that I just have to weather the storm … although it can be bad at times, you know that it will have to pass eventually.”

Exactly how low Angie has sunk is found Chapter 20. “Why should I pull myself from more sleepless nights and step out into the world that always seems to be bad and meaningless?” she writes, “I am tired. I am alone. Eighteen going on ninety…Why should I go out into that fear that has taken over what feels like my whole life?” Does Angie conquer and rise above her despair? I’m not going to give away too much, but know that Angie, though frightened and battered,  is a battler.

Bradlee Height plunges the reader directly into the soul, heart, and mind of Dave and Angie.  And it’s quite a compelling trip. Always honest, Bradlee never sugarcoats their often intimate and painful experiences.  That he makes the reader care about them is an achievement of the highest order. I look forward to his second work.

Bookmark to: