The 17th annual Taste of Italy… Norwich Style will be held on September 6th, at the Howard T. Brown Park on the Norwich waterfront.  A huge turnout is expected.  All your favorite Italian dishes will be provided by 16 of the area’s finest restaurants.  Enjoy the food and entertainment all day long from 10 am until 9 pm.  Fireworks over the Harbor will be the grand finale at 9 pm.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation recently celebrated the 22nd Anniversary of High Stakes Bingo at Foxwoods.  This game is where the games began and Tribal member Michael Holder, VP Bingo Operations, was there helping to make it happen from Day Two.  Meet the Bingo Team Foursome on page 11.

Another achievement.  Mayor Ben Lathrop, Norwich, presented Marcy Vitagliano, owner, Morning Glories Floral Designs and Pottery, with the Rose City Renaissance 2008 Bring Back the Bustle Award.  Other honorees include:  Robert Oickle, executive director, YMCA of SE CT, Joseph Manfredi, owner, Billy Wilson’s Ageing Still and Richard and Joyce Morrison, owners, The Ice Cream Shop.  Hats off on page 6.

Thanks for reading the Resident, the Good News that Rocks! Please remember to patronize our advertisers as they’re helping to make the “good news”  happen.

For the third year in a row CorePlus Federal Credit Union works with Norwich Free Academy (NFA) to find interns of diverse backgrounds to work in the seven branches of CorePlus.  This year there are seven interns working at CorePlus.

“We  feel this is a wonderful learning experience for all involved; for the employees of CorePlus,  the students and our members of the credit union.  We have gained many new excellent  full time and part-time employees from the internship program over the past few years,”says Warren P. Scholl, CEO of CorePlus Federal Credit Union

The Mohegan Sun Cycling Races, sponsored by the Mohegan Sun, hosts two events: The Three Village Tour on Saturday, September 20, and the Rose Pedal Criterium on Sunday, September 21. This year, some 300 cyclists, including professional riders, are expected to participate in the races.

“The Mohegan Sun Cycling Races are important because they bring us together as a community,” says Margaret Carroll, resident of Norwich. “It gives the people of New London County the opportunity to shine as the great team that we are.”

The Third Annual Three Village Tour will be comprised of a 10-mile circuit that encompasses the three villages of the town Sprague, Baltic, Hanover and Versailles. The course is set in a countryside setting with rolling hills and parallels the beautiful Shetucket River. The proceeds from the race will go to benefit St. Joseph’s School of Baltic.

Presented by the YMCA of Southeastern CT, the Rose Pedal Criterium will feature cyclists of all calibers racing a 0.6 mile route in downtown Norwich. The challenging course will showcase the arts and entertainment district amidst the speeding colors and shapes. All proceeds from the race will go toward youth scholarships and programming for children.

“We seek to serve and respect the community of New London County by providing events with a positive, wholesome encounter which will accomplish community togetherness.  Cycling is a social, athletic and recreational activity and to watch the cyclists round the corners with grace and ease is a spectacular sight,” says Cheryl Hughes, Wellness Director, YMCA of Southeastern CT.

Bill Humphreys of Bike Guy LLC, recently characterized the growth of criterium racing in the United States, “Criteriums are historically run on short laps through city streets offering spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians, world and national champions up-close as they ride at top speed. This has made the criterium format the most spectator-friendly form of cycling entertainment and this day of racing will re-emphasize an array of connections within the community.”

The communities of Sprague and Norwich promote a spirit of tolerance and understanding in this partnership event and welcome all to come to both events, which are free.

“With the economy as it is, society needs to focus on our local events and businesses.  Take part, enjoy the activities right out your front door,” Cheryl says.

Competitive cycling continues to thrive and appeal to a number of contemporary trends and forces. It is photogenic and colorful, fast and exciting. Cycling is international in scope and environmentally sound in its presentation. It rings a bell for preventive health, personal fitness and energy conservation. Cycling allows everyone to participate, and they most certainly do.

For additional information on the races or to volunteer, please contact Cheryl Hughes, Wellness Director of the YMCA of Southeastern CT at 860.889.7349.

Most of us know that the motto of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is “Be prepared.” George Wollschlager, Troop 76, Mystic, took that to heart when it came time for him to earn Eagle Scout rank.

Beyond earning the right number of merit badges and showing that you live by Scout Oath and Law, Scouts looking to earn the Eagle Scout rank must develop, outline, and execute a service project helpful to any religious institution, school, or their community. George said his idea for his service project came from “the thought of people losing their jobs. Unemployment rate is going up, and I keep seeing people on the side of the road begging for money and clothes. This is about making their lives better.”

George’s goal was to fill 50 backpacks with items that homeless people might need. These items include flashlights, clothes, toiletries, hand sanitizers, chapstick, ponchos, diapers, baby formula, and much more. But why backpacks? “The backpacks are much more durable. They are easy to carry, easy to travel with, and they hold a lot, too,” said George.

George even thought to create backpacks filled with items specifically for infants, boys, girls, and teenagers. The backpacks and items - and money to purchase more - were donated by Groton Walmart, Johnson True Value Hardware, Principal Bagniski and parents from St. Bernard’s School, Benny’s, Cash True Value Home Center, McQuade’s Market, Dr. Blefeld, and many others, including George’s neighbors and family. With all of the donations, George was able to fill 71 backpacks, which were brought to St. Vincent DePaul’s Place, a soup kitchen in Norwich, for distribution. “People go there, so hopefully they will get the stuff they want and need,” said George.

Between getting all of the “stuff,” as George calls it, and planning, the whole process took about a year to complete - just in time, because Scouts must complete their Eagle Scout project before their 18th birthday, which for George was the end of August.

Scouts must create a plan that includes a budget - and where funding will come from - how they will utilize 100 hours of service time, and exactly how the project will be completed - including contingency plans. If George wasn’t able to collect enough donations, his plan was to have a bake sale to raise money.

At the beginning of the process, George went before a review board to have his plan approved. At the end, he will present them with a detailed write-up of the project, from start to finish, including any changes. And to prepare him for college, and later the job market, he has to create a resume including his life goals and ambitions.

Today, I visited with Maxine Stowall Carlson, sitting comfortably in her living room surrounded by her beloved cats and dogs.  A long time Norwich and Ledyard resident, Maxine enthusiastically shares her unique life experiences and adventures.

It is her family travel adventures she speaks of the most. “Years ago, our family was vacation traveling in Alberta, Canada,” Maxine starts. “We stopped at some glacier, a beautiful spot.  It seemed so strange to see all of this ice and yet be warm wearing only light jackets,” she continues.  “I somehow got the idea to wrap our jackets around our bottoms and slide down this huge slope of ice.  Our family had a great time sliding.

“Along comes a Japanese sightseeing bus.  The Japanese observed what we were doing, and they began doing the same thing.  We were all sliding down the ice together, laughing and talking and having a good time!

“And then there is the bear story.  This time our family was camping in tents in Yellowstone National Park.  A bear came around at night and made grunting noises as he walked through the camp!  As we were leaving Yellowstone in our car, our son Greg saw a young bear on the side of the road.  We stopped so Greg could take pictures.  He carefully set up and adjusted his tripod as my husband Ray got out of the car to take some pictures of his own.  Suddenly the bear charged at them!  Greg and Ray flew for the car and the two doors banged shut, boom, boom!, almost simultaneously.  Greg got his tripod in the car just in time. ‘Do you always come back so fast after taking a bear picture?’ my father asked Ray. ‘Only when the bear is chasing me!’ answered Ray. As we drove away, I looked back and saw the bear sitting and licking its paws as if he were pleased that he had chased away the enemy.”

Maxine was born July 23, 1926 in Spokane, WA where she grew up.  She graduated from the John R. Rogers High School planning to go into nursing.  Unfortunately, her application for nursing training was rejected because she was married.

Yes, Maxine met Ray Carlson while at an ice skating rink at the age of 17.

“‘I’m going to marry you and take you back to Connecticut,’ Ray told me at that first meeting.  I just laughed and thought he was crazy.  I met him in May, and we married five months later with my parents permission!”  This was in 1943.

They did move to Ray’s home state and raised four children of their own, Rosalyn, Naomi, Gregory, Saralee, and two adopted children, Paul and Gayle, from India.

Maxine worked as a nurse, and at the Thermos Co. in Norwich.  Soon she and Ray will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary.  They are blessed with a long good life with plenty of happy memories.