Archives for August 2014

With severe flooding affecting the area, the nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)® reminds residents to Turn Around, Don’t Drown!®.  Eighteen to 24 inches of moving water can wash an SUV off of the road.  More deaths occur due to flooding each year than from any other thunderstorm or hurricane-related hazard.  Many of these casualties are a result of careless or unsuspecting motorists who attempt to navigate flooded roads.  FLASH and the National Weather Service warns anyone who comes to a flooded roadway, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”

Follow these safety rules when flooding occurs in your area:

1. Get to higher ground. Stay away from flood-prone areas, including dips, low spots, valleys, ditches, washes, etc.
2. Avoid flooded areas or those with rapid water flow. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream. It takes only six inches of fast flowing water to sweep you off your feet.
3. Don’t allow children to play near high water, storm drains or ditches. Hidden dangers could lie beneath the water.
4. Flooded roads could have significant damage hidden by floodwaters. Never drive through floodwaters or on flooded roads.
5. Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly when threatening conditions exist.
6. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.
7. Monitor NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio or your local media for vital weather-related information.

To learn more about how much flooding can cost you, check out this cost of flooding tool provided by FloodSmart. For more home and family safety tips visit the Protect Your Home in a FLASH blog or FLASH.

About FLASH
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)®, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. FLASH collaborates with more than 120 innovative and diverse partners that share its vision of making America a more disaster‐resilient nation including: BASF, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Florida Division of Emergency Management, The Home Depot®, International Code Council, Kohler® Generators, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, RenaissanceRe, Simpson Strong-Tie®, State Farm™, USAA® and WeatherPredict Consulting Inc. In 2008, FLASH opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and gain access to its free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org or calling (877) 221- SAFE (7233). Also, get timely safety tips to ensure that you and your family are protected from natural and manmade disasters by subscribing to the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH.

With International Homeless Animals Day just around the corner and pet ownership in the U.S. at an all-time high, the leading personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an analysis of 2014’s Best & Worst Cities for Pet Lovers.

To help animal lovers enjoy the company of their pets without breaking the bank (which can rack up to about $2,000 in annual expenses), WalletHub compared the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest cities in the United States. We did so by using 14 key metrics such as veterinary care costs, the number of pet-friendly restaurants per capita and the number of dog parks per capita in each city.

Key Stats

• Veterinary care costs are 2 times higher in Boston than in Milwaukee.
• Dog insurance premiums are 2 times higher in Mesa, Ariz. or Chandler, Ariz., than in St. Paul, Minn.
• The number of veterinarians per capita is 70 times higher in Cincinnati than in Newark, N.J.
• The number of pet businesses per capita is 45 times higher in Anaheim than in Laredo, Texas.
• San Francisco has 81 times more pet-friendly restaurants per capita than Detroit.

• Plano, Texas, has 36 times more pet-friendly trails per capita than Detroit.

For the full report and to see where your city ranks, please visit:
http://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-pet-lovers/5562/

Friday, September 12 • 2014 • Harp & Dragon Function Room

Norwich Harbor is one of the best-kept secrets until now. It is one of a few locations on
the East coast that has sport fishing for striped bass and the opportunity to fish 365 days a
year.
The Norwich Harbor Commission works on maximizing utilization of this natural
resource for tourism, recreation, and overall community enjoyment – for people of all
ages. It is our intent to expand on the opportunities for boating, kayaking, canoeing,
walking trails, summer concerts, festivals, and other community related events that
promote the harbor as a premier destination for a variety of activities.
Currently we are focused on our upcoming fundraiser on September 12th 2014, to be held
at the Harp & Dragon function room. The goal of this event is raise awareness of the
many facets of our harbor while generating funds for harbor projects and endeavors.
We hope to see and spend time with you on September 12th at this second annual
fundraiser. Join us for a delicious buffet, cash bar, entertainment, a silent auction and
more.

Second Ad of Trigger the Vote Campaign Features the Effort’s Honorary Chairman

Today the National Rifle Association’s Freedom Action Foundation (NRA-FAF) released the second video of its 2014 “Trigger the Vote” voter registration campaign, featuring the effort’s honorary chairman Chuck Norris. The video can be viewed here. 

The video addresses a cause close to Chuck Norris’s heart — protecting our Second Amendment rights — and counts down his top ten reasons to register to vote in both humorous and serious tones.  The individual reasons have been broken down into fifteen-second ads and will run online as part of a 7-digit paid media buy by NRA-FAF.

The first ad of the 2014 campaign, “Father and Son,” has already been viewed by nearly 700,000 people online and has been running on nationwide television since July 23.  That ad can be viewed on the official Trigger the Vote website: www.triggerthevote.com.

To learn more about Trigger the Vote and how you can be a part of it, please visit www.TriggerTheVote.org .

-NRA-
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalRifleAssociation and on Twitter @NRA.

Greg Sherrod has playing clubs between Connecticut and Rhode Island for over 35 years and is now embarking on a journey to create a new CD and travel on a European adventure in early 2015. Greg spent many years involved in musical theater starring in many productions like Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas), Nunsense (Sister Hubert), and Dandelion Children’s Theater productions. He has also supported, or played with, acts like: Tower of Power, John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band, King’s X, Deep Banana Blackout, E.C. Scott, K.D. Bell, George Porter, Jr. of The Meters, James Montgomery, and Booker T. Jones from Booker T. and The MG‘s.
In 2007, Greg was selected to Michael Bolton’s New Haven Choir on Clash of The Choirs. Clash Of The Choirs was a reality special shown Live on NBC. Greg performed on the show on which five celebrities went back to their home towns to select a twenty person choir and take them to New York City to compete live on national T.V. Greg was also selected to the special sight reading and fast study group hand-picked from each choir to perform live on NBC’s “The Today Show” which featured Gloria Estefan. Greg sang on stage with Patti LaBelle, Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Nick Lachey, Blake Shelton, and Michael Bolton. Greg also performed as a back up singer for Michael Bolton’s performance of When a Man Loves a Woman.
Greg has performed at The Fairfield Theater Co. in Fairfield as a part of the very popular Band Together Charity concert series. He has been the featured singer in the most popular wedding and function band in Connecticut and Massachusetts Mass Conn Fusion, He has been regular performer at both Mohegan Sun Casino and Foxwoods Resort Casino. Greg enjoyed great success in residence at The critically acclaimed Blues Night at The Owl Shop on The Yale University Campus every Tuesday night for three years.
In October of 2013, Greg and his band were personally picked by Peter Salovey, 23rd President of Yale University, to perform at two major events of his Inauguration. The Greg Sherrod Band has been the “go to” band for many different departments at Yale as a music provider. 2014 has been a very good year for The Greg Sherrod Band. WPLR radio (New Haven) and WESU radio (Middletown) have been playing tracks from the CD Blues For Carrie regularly. The Greg Sherrod Blues Band was a featured performer at 2014’s Mystic Blues Festival. The Blues band supported Johnny Winter on his last U.S. tour date before his passing. On August 3 Greg performed with The Disco Biscuits on the main stage at The Gathering Of The Vibes Music Festival in Bridgeport along with Bill Kruetzman and Mickey Hart of The Grateful Dead.
In addition to a wonderful evening of entertainment, Greg is also embarking on his European tour. For information on this project, visit: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/greg-sherrod-s-new-cd-journey-to-europe/x/8299866
Event Details: Mystic Yachting Center, 100 Essex Street, Mystic . September 25th • 7-10 pm
$75 per person in advance, Tickets available at Mystic Shipyard. $100 per person at the door
For more information, please contact Courtney Moore, courtney@cmbcreativegroup.com

Jonah Bascle was born with Muscular Dystrophy, and has spent much of his life in a wheelchair.  At age nineteen, he was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy, a life threatening heart complication.

Many people with Jonah’s challenges would be overwhelmed with grief, anger and resentment.  But Jonah chooses to play the cards he has been dealt with a Biggie-Size dose of humor.

Jonah is a stand-up comedian, visual artist, advocate and former mayoral candidate of New Orleans.  He sees himself as neither a victim nor an inspirational force.  Rather, Jonah uses humor, art and grand gestures to communicate his life situation while challenging stereotypes associated with Muscular Dystrophy.

Jonah’s humor and activism attracted the attention of documentary storyteller Hannah Engelson.  “Jonah’s story is really remarkable and aches to be shared with a wider audience” says Engelsen

“Jonah is a developing artist, comedian and activist who is both inspired and constrained by his Muscular Dystrophy and related heart complication.  His attitudes and insights can help so many people with similar life struggles, so I’ve made it my mission to do everything possible to share his heartwarming story.” continues Engelsen.

Jonah and Hannah have recently launched a Kickstarter program to raise $8,000 which will be used to help cover the costs associated with the documentary.  The Kickstarter program has already raised half of their goal so far, and will close on August 28^th.  Donors receive a range of rewards for assisting, ranging from original artwork by Jonah to documentary photo sessions.

To view the kickstarter campaign and/or contribute, visit www.kickstarter.com and search for “Jonah Stands Up” or go to http://kck.st/XoT5DG.