WINTER 2014 ISSUE #10
MAGAZINE
Contents WINTER 2014 ISSUE #10
MAGAZINE
Publisher Paul J. Grimmer, Executive Director Orange Economic Development Corporation
Editors Mary Bialy Orange Economic Development Corporation Annemarie F. Sliby PEZ Candy, Inc. Paula Severino
Contributing Writers Annamarie Mastrangelo, Chris John Amorosino, Alyssa Davanzo, Philip Innes, Kimberly Kick, Daina Larkin, Terri Miles, Karen Singer
Contributing Photographers Steven Cooper, Philip Innes, Cassidy Kristiansen, Paula Severino, John Ulatowski
Cover Photo Steve Cooper S.M. Cooper Photographic Artist
Advertisement & Graphic Artist Paula Severino
Design & Production
Dale J Pavlik
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Printing RR Donnelly OrangeLife Magazine is distributed semi-annually by the: Orange Economic Development Corporation (OEDC) 605A Orange Center Road Orange, Connecticut 06477 Phone: 203-891-1045 Fax: 203-891-1044 www.OrangeLife.net | www.facebook.com/OrangeLifeMagazine
Submit your ideas and photos If you have an idea for a story you would like to see featured in OrangeLife Magazine, please submit them to: pgrimmer@orangeedc.com Also, we are always looking for seasonal photographs for our covers (June and December). If you have any winter or summer scenes, please send them to the email above as well. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the OEDC. The OEDC shall not be held liable for typographical errors or errors in the publication or for failure to publish an advertisement. For more information, email PGrimmer@OrangeEDC.com
On the Cover Roger Funk, along with sons Jim and Steven proudly display one of the many machines located at F & W Equipment.
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| MEET THE ORANGELIFE TEAM
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BUSINESS NEWS A Family Affair COMMUNITY NEWS This Old “Bryan Andrew” House ATHLETIC TRAINING Soccer Training with a Personal Touch BUSINESS NEWS More Than Just Comics HOUSE & HOME Hardwood Floors Make a Statement EDUCATION Yale School of Nursing Celebrates 90 Years HEALTH AND WELLNESS Healing Through the Power of Hypnosis HEALTH & WELLNESS Personal Fitness – Anytime RESTAURANT Delicious Sushi and Japanese Cuisine BUSINESS NEWS Don Jones – Serving Orange for a Decade COMMUNITY NEWS The Many Facets of Religious Life in Orange COMMUNITY NEWS Watch Town Government in Action COMMUNITY NEWS Girl Scout Memorializes Beloved Teacher COMMUNITY NEWS Orange Life in Pictures HEALTH & WELLNESS When Health Care is Urgent EDUCATION Focusing on Reading Readiness for Children CALENDAR OF EVENTS Winter and Spring Calendar LOCAL DIRECTORY Religious Organizations COMMUNITY BITS News and Milestones
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Publisher’s Letter OrangeLife Magazine was originally designed by the Orange Economic Development Corporation, with full support of the Town of Orange, to reinforce to the community how fortunate we are to live in, work in or simply to enjoy the Town of Orange and all of its many splendors. Five years later, OrangeLife Magazine has reached its 10th issue and has barely scratched the surface of this diamond we call Orange. During the past five years, we have had the pleasure of bringing forth a bevy of interesting stories and profiles, while shining the spotlight on many local businesses and members of the community. In this issue, we continue to celebrate the lives within the community. Once again, on behalf of the OEDC, I wish to thank: the Town of Orange for providing us the opportunity to serve the community, the Orange residents for their readership, and our advertisers for providing the financial backing which allows us to produce OrangeLife Magazine. We hope you have enjoyed reading the magazine, and we look forward to continuing this effort for many years to come. PAUL J. GRIMMER
Executive Director, OEDC
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
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| THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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A Family Affair BY: CHRIS AMOROSINO
F&W Equipment’s Roger Funk’s fun ride has never stopped.
Harold O. Funk, Founder
Orange’s 75-year-young F&W Equipment Corporation probably wouldn’t be the same today if it wasn’t for a certain 1961 dance in Boston. A family-run heavy construction equipment business founded in 1939 by Harold O. Funk, F&W has been built on hard work, perseverance and luck. Luck like the fortune that occurred at that dance. Harold’s son and F&W Equipment president since Harold’s passing in 1994, Roger Funk was a young college student in Boston in 1961. A friend talked Roger into going to a dance one Saturday night. By chance, Roger met a certain nursing student. At the evening’s end, he offered her and a nursing school friend a ride back to their campus. Roger’s offer received a no.
Minutes later Roger felt a tap on his shoulder. There was Mary, the nursing student, asking if the ride was still available. That dance and ride brought Mary and Roger together, beginning a relationship that led to marriage, four daughters and two sons. Both sons, Jim and Steve, work for F&W Equipment today. Steve heads up the sales department, while Jim runs the service department. “Without the luck of that dance and car ride, Jim and Steve wouldn’t exist,” says Roger. HAROLD’S INFLUENCE STILL FELT TODAY
Of course luck alone doesn’t lead to business success. The strongest success factor in the early years of F&W was the welding ability of Harold O. Funk. Although Harold passed away 20 years ago, his keen skills are still recognized today. One late August morning in 2014, Jim Funk spoke with a Woodridge man who had known his grandfather, Harold. “The man expressed admiration for Harold’s welding and repair skills,” Jim says. “The 1965 piece of equipment that my grandfather repaired for him several times over the years is still working today.”
Roger and Mary Funk with sons Jim and Steven Celebrating 75 Years. WINTER 2014
When World War II began Harold expanded beyond welding. He began meeting the high
demand for alloy and naval red bronze parts and equipment. Harold also worked with Electric Boat, earning an Award of Merit for his contributions to submarine technology. In the 1950s he recognized the need farmers and construction contractors had for more effective equipment. The company gained a reputation not just as a metal fabricator but also as a construction equipment dealer. The growing business moved to Orange in 1955. MILESTONES AND GREAT CUSTOMERS
One business milestone occurred in 1979. That year F&W sold a fleet of 580C loader backhoes to Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) [now merged with United Illuminating.] It was a huge sale at the time. Today, 35 years later, F&W still sells and services equipment for Southern Connecticut Gas Company. This ability to create and grow long term business relationships is a characteristic of F&W Equipment. Equipment from F&W helped Joseph Palmieri build his Bridgeport company, Connecticut Tank Removal. A majority of his entire fleet of 30 machines is from F&W. “F&W’s been part of our family since I started the company in 1994. They are a big support system for me.”
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a heavy equipment market leader in Connecticut in just a few years. By 1997, Samsung held 33% of the heavy equipment market in Connecticut. That’s not luck. Hard work and perseverance did that.” Bob Scinto, Chairman of R.D. Scinto, Inc. in Shelton became an F&W customer when he met Roger in 1975. In the last 39 years he’s bought millions of dollars of equipment and services from F&W. The equipment and service F&W provided helped R.D. Scinto become a leader in Connecticut corporate real estate with over 3.4 million square feet in 34 buildings. ROGER’S INFLUENCE SINCE 1963
It’s Roger who built the relationships with Joseph Palmieri, Bob Scinto, Southern Connecticut Gas and many other residential builders, small commercial builders, farmers, and landscapers. In 1963, two years after first dancing with Mary, Roger joined F&W. His college degree in metallurgical engineering helped continue and advance F&W’s emphasis repairing and servicing construction equipment. He also has a knack for spotting business opportunities and acting on them. For example, in 1992 Roger saw the opportunity to represent a South Korean manufacturer, Samsung. They were new to the heavy construction equipment line but had excellent products. By 1997, Samsung had 55 dealers throughout the United States with F&W Equipment being number one in sales and revenue. While Roger cites the Samsung relationship as another example of luck, Jim Funk begs to differ. “Luck may have put the Samsung opportunity in front of my dad but that opportunity was equally available to other dealers,” Jim says. “Not many dealers recognized and acted on that opportunity. My dad helped this unknown brand become 10
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Ten years later Roger saw another opportunity with another South Korean company, Doosan. Along with Case and Kubota, Doosan’s now one of F&W’s three main product lines. LESS PRODUCT, MORE SERVICE
But F&W isn’t a heavy construction product company as much as it’s a service company. F&W technicians excel at fixing broken equipment. They routinely extend the life of tractors, excavators, loader backhoes, wheel loaders and more.
Millie Pettella, Head Bookkeeper.
EMPLOYEES WHO EXCEL
Roger calls Service Technician Adam “a legend at fixing equipment.” He says another F&W technician, 22-year-company veteran Charlie, is a technical wizard. In the sales department, Dave Goulet joined F&W in 1989. Dave’s sold well over 1,000 machines. From the Anne to Karol; Jenn to Dave and beyond, the Funks rave about their employees’ work ethic, skills and customer service. Then there’s Millie. Roger calls Millie a “young lady” of 80 years. She works on site every Tuesday and has been with F&W for 35+ years. The quality of her work is so high that Roger’s promised Millie she’ll always have a job at F&W as long as she wants one. BACK TO 1961
Charlie Glazier, Craftsman
The F&W website calls its technicians miracle workers when it comes to bringing dead machines back to life and getting them running better than they have in years. The service and the mechanical miracles aren’t a credit to the skills of Roger or Jim or Steve Funk. They’re a credit to F&W employees.
For Roger the success of F&W Equipment still revolves around good fortune and that 1961 ride. “Mary’s coming back to ask if my offer of a ride after that dance was still open gets repeated many times each year,” Roger says. “My wife says she came back simply because her friend couldn’t make it back to their Cambridge dorm before curfew. But I kid Mary by insisting she came back because she could not turn me down. And I tell her that since that day some 63 years ago the ride has never stopped.” F&W’s business hasn’t stopped either. 쮿
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Bryan Andrew House, built in 1740 still stands at 131 Old Tavern Road.
“This Old “Bryan Andrew” “House WRITTEN BY: KAREN SINGER
Visitors took a step back in time on October 19, 2014, during an open house at the town’s oldest dwelling, a small Cape style home at 131 Old Tavern Road that has been under restoration for14 years. built-in oven, historical society The smell of three working fireplaces permeated the air as Orange Historical Society President Ginny Reinhard led tours around the hall, parlor, buttery (pantry) and keeping room (kitchen) of the Bryan-Andrew house, pointing out 18th century furnishings and other artifacts. She and other historical society members and volunteers were clad in Colonialstyle garb, with colorful long skirts and white mob caps. The house was built in 1740 by Nathan Bryan, a farmer with eight children who was a descendant of Alexander Bryan, one of the founders of Milford. Inherited by Nathan’s wife and son, it was sold to Samuel and William Andrew in the late 18th century. Nineteen families lived there before the town purchased the property in 2000. “This is awesome,” Orange resident Barbi Harger said, after touring the house. Marianne Miller marveled at how much progress had been made since an open house in September 2013, including the addition of furniture and the restoration of a fourth fireplace. In a room with a huge hearth containing a beehive-shaped WINTER 2014
volunteers Francis Vadney and Janet Clarke stood near the fireplace embers, using Colonial period iron kettles and utensils to make mushroom soup and cranberry compote. “It will be even more fun when we can serve hearth-cooked food,” Vadney said. That will happen only when enough money is raised for an on-site commercial kitchen.” Over the years, grants, donations and bequests have funded roof repairs, a staircase removal and installation of a modern bathroom, among other restorations. Reinhard said another $100,000 is needed to make the BryanAndrew house a fully functioning museum. On her wish list is a double sink, stove, dishwasher and under-counter refrigerator/ freezer for the kitchen. The United Illuminating Company recently donated $500 for the Bryan-Andrew house, and Reinhard hopes other businesses will follow suit. The house can be rented for special events,
including family dinners, birthday parties, graduations, anniversaries and corporate meetings. A 2014 Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Maintenance & Repair grant of $13,000 is funding floors and plaster repairs by restoration expert Edd Oberg, who said the original plaster, made from ground seashells, sand and horsehair, would be replaced with modern plaster. “We don’t use modern lumber,” Oberg said. “Antique lumber costs three times as much.” The historical society is trying to restore the house, as much as possible, to the way it might have looked centuries ago. “You don’t redo it,” said Reinhard. The interior walls, for example, will be a blue shade similar to Prussian blue, Karan Oberg said, so they resemble the original color she discovered beneath multiple layers of paint. The open house raised $336 in donations and book sales. Among the more than 100 visitors was state Senator Gayle S. Slossberg (D-Milford), who promised to help Reinhard seek state funding to finish the restoration work. “It’s about making history come alive,” Slossberg said. Reinhard agreed. “This is the oldest house in Orange,” she said. “The children have got to get here.” 쮿
Janet Clarke, Orange Historical Society, stirs mushroom soup over an open hearth.
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Soccer Training with a Personal Touch BY: KAREN SINGER
Nicole Andreesen was teaching Emily Bouvier the finer points of head-butting a soccer ball. “Keep your eyes open,” Andreesen shouted, as she lobbed a ball over the back of a goal on the soccer field at High Plains Community Center. in Orange and got a job teaching AN EARLY START
Andreesen began playing soccer at age six with the youth soccer league in West Haven, where she grew up. “I played in fall and spring as a kid, and pretty much year-round once I got to junior high school,” she said. “I started (on the) varsity (team) as a freshman in high school, and I was recruited to play soccer at several colleges after graduation. But I got married instead.”
Nicole Andreesen, Coach & Mentor
On the other side, Bouvier, 11, waited for it to bounce before attempting to hit it into the net with her forehead. “Not bad,” Andreesen said. “Keep trying.” She threw more balls to Bouvier and two other girls practicing “headers” on a cool August morning.
Over the next several years Andreesen moved to Massachusetts, Maine, and New York with her husband, a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer. Along the way she had two children and earned a degree in early childhood education. Andreesen returned to Connecticut in 2010, as a single mom. She settled
preschoolers at Congregation B’Nai Jacob in Woodbridge. She also reconnected with her high school soccer coach, Joe Morrell, a physical education teacher at West Haven High School, and he hired her as a trainer for Elite Soccer Camps, which works with West Haven youth teams. A TIMELY RECONNECTION
“Nicole was one of the best kids I had,” Morrell said. “She was my soccer captain when she was in high school, and it was almost like having another assistant coach. She demanded a lot from her fellow players, and was the first to arrive and the last to leave. “Nicole is a very, very hard worker,” Morrell added. “And whatever she’s doing she wants it to be the best.” Other coaching jobs soon followed.
Andreesen, 32, owns and operates Academy Fitness, a company providing private soccer coaching and fitness, conditioning and strength training. A trim blonde with a warm smile, she’s a familiar figure at High Plains, where she spends most summer days intensely engaged with children, soccer balls and other paraphernalia. Although she primarily coaches soccer players, she also works on physical and athletic conditioning with students in sports other than soccer, and with adults. WINTER 2014
Nicole Andreesen instructs her students in the finer points of Soccer.
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soccer field. “As soon as I start working with them I’m an advocate,” she said. “All my kids have my cell phone and e-mail address, and I get back to them in a timely manner.”
From left to right: Jimmy D'Amato, Andrew Marinelli, Jaylee Zwann, Nicole Andreesen, Devan Wildman, Emily Bouvier and Hailey Cocca.
Andreesen became the junior varsity head soccer coach and the assistant to the varsity team coach at Lauralton Hall High School in Milford. She also trained area youth teams for Victory Soccer Academy. While coaching for Victory, Andreesen caught the eye of several soccer moms, who asked her to privately train their children. “From there I went off on my own, in 2012, and started ‘Academy Fitness,’” she said. “The High Plains soccer field happened to be a mutually good area for the very first kid I worked with, and it has become kind of like my little home. In the fall I break because most of the kids go to their primary teams. I coach for Lauralton, and I do volunteer work for South Central Premier soccer teams. “At the end of October, I start up private coaching again and will train outdoors, weather permitting,” Andreesen added. “I’ll train in January and February if there’s no snow on the ground. Things start to pick up in March, and summer is probably my busiest time because kids are trying to get in shape for their teams.” The growing popularity of soccer in America has been good for business. GOOD FOR BUSINESS
“Everybody wants their kid to be the best,” Morrell said. “There are so many training programs out there, and parents are looking for someone with the right temperament, attitude and desire to make their kid better.” Andreesen said her specialty is preparing individual soccer players “for the next level of competition.
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“Usually parents reach out to me by phone or e-mail, and I find out what they feel their child needs to work on and what their goals are,” she said. “When I meet with them, I have the same conversation with the kid, and I assess them so I’m aware of physical or medical issues.” A certified sports nutrition instructor and certified personal fitness trainer, Andreesen tries to instill good hydration and dietary habits in her students, along with instruction on proper warm up and cool down exercises and drills for agility, speed and accuracy. “Anyone I work with is going to have a base for taking care of his or her body,” she said. Sessions last an hour to 90 minutes. “I always tell everybody, ‘If you’re trying to change something, you really need at least six weeks,’” Andreesen said. “And I always give them homework, so they can build off the practices. “I usually don’t introduce more than one concept (per lesson), and I always want the kid to feel a level of success.” Andreesen reviews each session with parents and students, who keep a journal of their progress. PASSION FOR ADVOCACY
For her, coaching is not just about the technical and tactical elements of the game. “My first and foremost goal with every kid is confidence, work ethic and composure,” Andreesen said. “I tell them ‘I want you to be a positive member of society, advocate for yourself and be confident in all the things you do.’” Andreesen’s relationship with her students extends far beyond the
That kind of attention makes a big difference to students – and parents. “She makes me confident,” said Erin Greene, a former soccer player who focused on endurance conditioning and strength training for lacrosse last summer with Andreesen. “Having a girl coach they can relate to is important,” said Katie Wildman, whose 11-year-old daughter, Devan, has been playing soccer with Bouvier and Jaylee Zwann since they were tots. All three are teammates and train together with Andreesen. “She really cares about the girls,” said Bouvier’s father, Gene Bouvier. “What Emily gets from Nicole is what she does not get on her team, which is more individual attention on the little aspects of the game. MEASURABLE RESULTS
“Nicole is improving her individual skills as a player, everything from agility to speed training, and she’s getting better at defense and at striking and kicking the ball.” Hailey Cocca’s soccer skills also have become stronger since she started training with Andreesen. “I’m much better and much faster,” said Cocca, an agile sixth grader who studied dance before switching to soccer. “She has really given me positive reinforcement. Even when I am doing bad, she shows me how to fix it.” Andrew Marinelli has high praise for Andreesen. “My shot skills have improved, and she has helped me a lot with all of my ball work,” said the slim, 14-year-old who trained with Andreesen during 2014 to prepare for his fall freshman soccer team tryout at Notre Dame High School in West Haven. Marinelli’s hard work paid off. He made the team. So did every other one of the high school soccer players Andreesen coached privately this year. 쮿
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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More Than Just Comics BY: ALYSSA R. DAVANZO
“When I think of a comic book shop I think of a dingy hole-in-the-wall with boxes covered with spiders,” said Dean Volk, Orange resident and owner of Clockwork Comics for the past 18 years. “Here, it’s different.” Clockwork Comics is a lot of things, but “dingy” is not one of them. What sets Clockwork Comics apart from other independently owned comic book stores is its open, airy atmosphere. Located at 512 Boston Post Road in Orange, the store welcomes its guests with pulsating techno music and the organized chaos of comic and game collections. “My mother used to collect comics, but she only let me read them if I dug through her stuff and found them myself,” Dean said. “She really liked Marvel books, so I was a fan of superheroes early on.”
The store caters to the tastes of both past and present generations, with clientele ranging widely from high school teenagers, to fans in their 30s and 40s. Wednesday is “New Comic Book Day,” where customers can expect to find the most recent editions of their favorite books. Dean and his coworkers arrive at the store early each Wednesday to sort the latest shipment of comics. Customers can find older editions toward the back of the store, methodically organized by character and filed similarly to a record shop.
Dean Volk, Owner
LARGE AND LOYAL FOLLOWING
“I have a large list of subscription customers, which are called a “pull list” and a large percentage of them keeps current with comic book release dates,” Dean said. “If I personally think there is something new they will enjoy based on their other ‘pull list’ items, I will try to accommodate them and give suggestions.” Films based on comic book characters have dominated the box office since the dawn of the twenty-first century, bringing heroes like Iron Man, Batman and the mutants of X-Men to the silver screen. With superhero films holding six of the 12 highest opening-weekend box office grosses, it is clear that the phenomena will not slow down anytime soon. “A lot of superhero movies from five or six years ago did not have a huge impact on the comic industry because directors would not stay true to the fan base,” Dean said. “Marvel got their act together recently and has created their own cinematic universe by tying their comics together.”
A small sampling of the over 500 comics in stock. 18
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While a lot of comic book stores focus strictly on books, visitors of Clockwork Comics are sure to enjoy other entertaining merchandise the store carries. For instance, the popularity of tabletop futuristic and fantasy war games has heightened drastically. These games incorporate WINTER 2014
miniatures into play and deal with military operations, often reflecting historical events.
Though some may find it overwhelming to pick up a comic book for the first time, it is easy for readers to dive into the action-packed plots and become attached to the characters, as they would in a typical novel.
TOURNAMENT NIGHTS
Although there are always two large tables available for Clockwork Comics customers to play war games, Monday and Friday nights are specifically tournament nights. The three best-selling war games at the store include Warhammer, Warhammer 40K and Warmachine. Each game satisfies the likes of numerous types of players. While Warhammer 40K is a tabletop game set in a dystopian science-fantasy universe, Warmachine gives its players the chance to ‘cast spells.’ There is not a grid on the tabletop, so players have to move their figurines with a ruler and use inches to move their pieces. If one model hits another model during an attack, players can roll the dice to determine what their next move should be. “Playing on the tables is completely free, but I just ask people to support the store in any way that they can,” Dean said.
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Clockwork Comics located at 512 Boston Post Road.
The thousands of comics that Clockwork Comics holds on its shelves are timeless. The books distinctively vary from their vibrant, colorful artwork to the heroes themselves, who have overcome countless story arcs, character developments and nefarious villains.
“I think people may be intimidated by comics because these types of books are not necessarily for all audiences,” Dean said. “Mothers and fathers who grew up in the comic book world can bring their kids into my store to introduce them to the superheroes with whom they grew up. Grandparents, on the other hand, may not be able to relate excitement of purchasing and reading today’s comic book stories.” Whether a person is a lifelong Batman fan or a competitive gamer, Clockwork Comics offers something to quench everyone’s thirst for fantasy. 쮿
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WINTER 2014
Hardwood Floors Make a Statement BY: ANNAMARIE MASTRANGELO
Homeowners are constantly searching for the newest and most glamorous home decorations. Today, the New and Next fashion statement is hardwood flooring. Annamarie Mastrangelo, Owner, A.A.I. Flooring Specialists.
The New + Next in flooring today has become hardwood floors. The choices are endless and the options are fabulous. Today, consumers can choose from the “old school” sizing of 2¼ inch-wide planks to the basic 3¼, 4¼ and the amazing look of 5 and 7 inch-wide planks. Whatever hardwood style is chosen, the same results are obtained — durability, stability, value in your home, and lifelong attractive looks. The biggest dilemma is what species of wood to purchase — oak, walnut, hickory and exotics to name a few — all giving a different look in color and texture. My suggestion is to pay attention to the knots and grain pattern in the woods. Wood is a living species. When selecting styles, patterns, textures and colors; feel the wood, bring home samples and look at it in day lighting as well as in night lighting. Make sure it works in your home with your décor and furnishings. Take your time, be selective and speak to an educated salesperson to determine what works best in your home. Your end result will be enjoyed for a lifetime! 쮿
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Yale School of Nursing Celebrates 90 Years BY: DAINA LARKIN
Out of the Yale West Campus, the Yale School of Nursing celebrates its 90th anniversary from its new home in our Town of Orange. In the summer of 2013, the nursing school moved from its longtime location in New Haven to Yale’s recently purchased West Campus which sprawls across both Orange and West Haven. The massive 136-acre campus previously served as Bayer Pharmaceuticals’ grounds for manufacturing and research. The campus had 17 fully furnished buildings, including office buildings and modern research laboratories. Only seven miles from its previous home in New Haven, Yale purchased the grounds for $109 million in 2007. It took some time and renovation to transform the space into a school environment, but now the campus is bustling with student life.
teaching classes to the Peck Place children, introducing them to anatomy and other basic medical concepts. YSN feels proud to reach the 90-year milestone as the 55 staff and the 330 nursing students look back on the school’s major accomplishments and shining reputation. Frank Grosso,
Portraits of Past Yale School of Nursing Dean’s Adorn the Hallway.
the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, put emphasis on achieving 90 years of success. “The 90th anniversary is a big deal for us,” he said. “The school was founded in 1923, and we were the very first university-based school of nursing in the country.” YSN teaches a wide variety of graduate-level nursing programs, providing different levels and areas of degrees to students from master’s degrees, doctorates and beyond. Not only was Yale the first university to incorporate nursing into its studies, but in 1974, it became the first program in the nation to allow for non-nursing grads to study nursing specialties.
FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS
Some Orange residents are already familiar with Yale West Campus, the temporary home of Peck Place Elementary students while Peck Place underwent repairs last year. Yale transformed an office building (right next to the YSN building, in fact) into a functional elementary school, complete with cafeteria, gym, and outside playground. Some YSN staff enjoyed the opportunity 22
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Yale School of Nursing, 400 West Campus Drive, Orange CT. WINTER 2014
UNIQUE PROGRAM
Professor Linda Pellico has been with YSN for more than twenty years, and she works with the Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing program (GEPN). This program prepares students for basic nursing and advanced specialization, without requiring the students to come from a nursing background. “The only pre-requisite is a bachelor’s degree,” said Pellico. Students from all disciplines make up the GEPN program, with the majority being outside the medical field. “We have artists, musicians, people with rhetoric degrees,” Pellico commented. “They bring such a richness to the profession.” Pellico finds that the colorful range of degrees that makes up the GEPN program complement the nursing discipline and creates a unique academic environment. “Art brings this openness that science doesn’t necessarily have. Science is reductive and art is inductive,” Pellico examined. “And that’s nursing!” Pellico believes the perspective that artistic backgrounds bring to nursing is invaluable. The more holistic ways the students have been taught of think in their bachelor’s training provides a whole and healthy perspective to nursing, in Pellico’s experiences. The GEPN program includes this type of thinking in some of their teachings. Pellico described a method that taught students to interpret heart, lung and bowel sounds by using music. The results doubled heart and lung interpretations and tripled bowel sound interpretations, according to Pellico. “The results were incredible,” she said. This method has seen continued use in the program thanks to its overwhelming success. Pellico is enthusiastic about applying artistic philosophy to medicine. “Looking at paintings is transferable to diagnoses,” she said. “What you can observe in the painting helps you observe your patient.”
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Students listen attentively in newly designed lecture room.
The GEPN program takes these students from varying backgrounds and starts them off, essentially, from an empty slate. Students and staff alike celebrate the distinctiveness of the GEPN program. GEPN student Leah Chasm-Velaso describes her experiences in this unique learning atmosphere. “Last year the GEPN program brought 72 citizens into a building and committed to transforming the lot into nurses,” she explained. “I would have never met people like my classmates if I had gone to a different program. Students that lead interesting and curious lives prior to nursing school give credence to an education designed to wholly care about patients as people and their unique needs.” Student Kristen Green is a candidate for a Master’s of Science in Nursing for 2016 and also came from the GEPN program. She appreciates how every student in the program has something unique to offer. “It’s amazing to hear the various journeys that brought people from all backgrounds to this one profession,” she said. “In a lot of ways, we’re all starting from scratch as we begin our nursing education and, as daunting as that is, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and grow as a cohort.” Most students graduate the GEPN program in as little as 3 years, in which time they are given all the
skills needed to perform efficiently as nurses as well as bring their nursing to a specialized practice. “Here at Yale we believe we have the confidence to teach you everything you need to know to become a good nurse practitioner,” Pellico said. “You don’t need to spend extra time and money on that before you come here.” It takes, however, a great deal of effort to transform these students in their 3 years. “These students are so energizing, but it’s a lot of work,” Pellico said. “But I can’t imagine a more rewarding job.” BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP
The other programs, such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP), consist of students from nursing backgrounds. The DNP program is conducted mostly online, with students convening on campus once a month. Students from all over the country participate in this program, so they must travel to Orange each month. Pellico believes this provides a boost to Orange economy, as the students usually stay in local hotels and visit Orange restaurants. In general, the students really enjoy being in Orange, considering the nearness to other interesting cities, as well as the shopping centers the town has to offer. “Yale West Campus is a great home for the nursing school,” Grosso said. “The students and staff enjoy it here.” 쮿
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Healing Through the Power of Hypnosis BY: ALYSSA R. DAVANZO
What does a person watching a movie have in common with a person daydreaming during a long, solo car drive? Both individuals experience hypnosis and Fern Tausig helps others overcome their limitations. “Hypnosis is an altered state of mind that moves past the conscious part of the brain in order to reach the subconscious,” said Fern Tausig, Orange resident and certified hypnotist at her company, Healing Hypnosis. “People drift into hypnosis right before they fall asleep every night.” FOCUSED MISSION
The explanation behind a human’s physical and emotional troubles lies in their subconscious. For the past nine years, Fern has made it her mission to help her patients access the knowledge stored in their subconscious minds in order to reduce their stress levels and eventually get relief from their own limitations. When putting someone under hypnosis, she helps slow down their brain activity by relaxing them so that they are in alpha or theta brain waves. When a patient’s racing mind relaxes, they are more capable of taking in suggestions. A person can control their thoughts by rejecting, deleting or changing them, since their thoughts create feelings and their feelings create behaviors. If they want to change the way they behave, they first need to change the way they think. “When someone repeats something over and over again in their heads, it becomes their belief,” Fern said. “People who win the lottery often end up poor again because they’re
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poor in their brain. They believe that they’re poor and they ultimately become poor.” IMPRESSIVE EXPERIENCE
Over the years, Fern has used hypnosis to help patients of varied ages relieve stress, control anger, improve their confidence and sleep more soundly. Fern taught health education for 35 years, covering a variety of topics including alternative medicine, communication skills, nutrition and holistic wellness. She implements all of her past wellness lessons into her hypnosis practice. “Every hypnotist has their own different approach, and I like to think that I bring a lot of unique things to the table,” Fern said. In August, Fern presented for the first time at the 2014 National Guild of Hypnotists Annual Convention in Massachusetts. Her program focused on weight loss and was incredibly well-received among other hypnotists at the conference.
Fern Tausig, Certified Hypnotist.
“I was the last weight loss speaker, and after my presentation three people came up to me and asked for hugs,” Fern said. “I was very touched by that, especially because most of the conference attendees were professionals, and I felt like just a baby as a hypnotist of only nine years.”
“At one point, I did not think that I could be effected by hypnosis because I am very analytical. I was having a conversation with a hypnotist at the second conference I ever attended and I shared with him that no one had ever been able to hypnotize me,” Fern said. “He took me into the next room and tricked my mind right into it through confusion induction.”
Some may have their doubts about their own ability to experience hypnosis, but anyone with willingness and the competence to understand simple directions can be hypnotized.
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Hypnosis Works... Change Your Mind to Change Your Life! Fern Tausig (203) 283 4567 www.myHealingHypnosis.com
Comfortable and safe environment helps to aid in the relaxation of clients.
With society growing progressively more fast-paced, stress plays a major factor in individuals’ day-to-day lives. In Fern’s eyes, the only ones who don’t have to worry about stress are dead people. “The things that cause people stress are the things that define them,”
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Fern said. “People tend to cloud their minds with negative thoughts and most of the time their problems are not even about stress, but about what they do with it.” It is impossible to predict how many hypnotherapy sessions a person will need in order to achieve their goals, but Fern generally recommends her
patients to attend a minimum of three sessions to see real results. “The truth is that everyone wants to be happy, and I work with people to get them there,” Fern said. “I make positive, significant changes in people’s lives, and that is what makes this job so amazing.” 쮿
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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Personal Fitness – Anytime! BY: DAINA LARKIN
People wouldn’t describe most gyms as welcoming. He or she will enter, sign in at the front desk and go about their business. Clients are mostly left alone, and leave when their workout is complete, making sure to be out before the place closes. Anytime Fitness takes that idea of a gym and turns it around. It’s a high-end fitness club, as the name suggests, that operates for 24 hours a day. Jared and Murray Krinsky, a father-and-son duo, bought into the franchise a year ago last November. In this past year, their business has grown tremendously. Anytime Fitness staff make it their mission to help you meet your fitness goals. The staff, made up of certified personal trainers, assess members’ dietary needs, specific goals, and physical condition to help them create the most appropriate exercise routine, the one that will produce results.
not about the size of the building nor the number of members—it’s about quality equipment and service. Because of the gym’s 24-hour schedule, members can come and go at their leisure and not feel pressured to fit it into a certain time. If a member has a fear of missing out on business during gym time, all of the cardio machines have access to email, Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Owners Murray and Jared Krinsky.
“A lot of people think of going to the gym as downtime, a time they could be working. We try to eliminate part of that concern by giving them access to the internet during their cardio workouts,” Jared said. SAFETY AND SECURITY
A major focus of Anytime Fitness is safety and the franchise owns the safest gyms in the fitness industry. Customers who prefer to work out at 3am can enjoy the same amount of security as those who arrive during the day. With 16 security cameras, theft is essentially nonexistent; Jared recalls a time when a member left a brand-new tablet at the gym.
“At other gyms, you don’t get assistance to help get you to the next level,” Jared commented. “It’s like giving a person keys to a car but they don’t know how to drive. Good luck!” QUALITY AND VALUE
The idea is to get more for your money at Anytime Fitness, the largest network of gyms in the country with 2,600 clubs. At first, the size of the gym might come across as surprising, but as Jared and Murray believe; it’s WINTER 2014
A look inside the Orange Anytime Fitness facility.
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Members can also use their keys to access a tanning booth, virtual classrooms, and a hydro-massage bed. The virtual classrooms contain all levels of different types of exercise; there are also regular live classes every week, at no extra cost to members. Each member has access to an optional login account so trainers can track their progress at any time. A MINI-COMMUNITY
Anytime Fitness located at 560 Boston Post Road.
“He came back the next day to find it right where he left it,” Jared recounted. “The tablet spent the whole night in the gym--untouched.” The doors of the gym remain locked at all times, opened only by a member’s key. People seeking to join, must arrive during business hours and will be buzzed in. Jared or Murray will give personal tours to anyone interested.
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A FAMILY AFFAIR
The father and son do everything in their power to make everyone feel welcome at their gym. Facilities are meticulously cleaned and all bathrooms are private. “Members must use their membership key to open the bathroom,” Murray explained. “There’s a shower and changing area and it’s as clean as a hotel.”
“We know everyone here,” Jared said. “We want this experience to feel like a private club to each member in any way that we can.” His office is right next to the main entrance, and he greets each person entering or leaving by name. Since its opening a year ago, the rise in membership has been exponential; but there are still rarely as many as 15 people in the gym at a time, thanks to the 24-hour schedule. “It’s like a mini-community,” Jared said. “We’re all here for the same purpose, and we help each other every way we can.” 쮿
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Delicious Sushi and Japanese Cuisine BY: PHILIP INNES
Some restaurants are intensely local, belonging almost exclusively to the neighborhood or town they inhabit. Others transcend local popularity, gaining such a reputation they belong to their metropolitan area, county or even state. 10th anniversary in April of 2015. Wasabi, located in the small plaza next to TGI Friday’s that also includes Ola, is the latter kind of restaurant. Connecticut’s sushi aficionados will tell you it ranks among the best in the state, and they’ll stop in from distant parts when they get the chance. Many feel there is no better sushi within its price range in the Nutmeg State. And yet, Wasabi’s not even the only Wasabi around. There are unrelated Wasabis in North Branford and Kent. I’m sure they’re fine, but no sushi lovers confuse them. There’s a certain irony in the name Wasabi. The better sushi is, the less likely true cognoscenti are to apply wasabi that green spicy condiment derived from the Brassicaceae family of plants that includes cabbage, horseradish and mustard. In Japan,
sushi chefs apply — or don’t apply — wasabi to their creations as they feel is appropriate, and any extra wasabi given should be ignored if you want the chef to give you his best fish. Some chefs may also brush your sushi with nikiri, a proprietary soy sauce blend, obviating your need to add soy sauce, too. WASABI IN THE UNITED STATES
In the United States, much of the wasabi sold is actually a mixture of horseradish, mustard, starch and green food coloring. With sushi of Wasabi’s caliber, I add no wasabi to my soy, not wishing to mask the clean flavor of the fish, so the only way wasabi gets into my sushi is if the sushi chef applies it himself, as some traditionalists here used to do. If you insist on adulterating your sushi at Wasabi, allow me a couple of suggestions: request the restaurant’s real wasabi, which is often available for a minimal charge, and apply soy sauce to your sushi sparingly. Wasabi — the restaurant, that is — will celebrate its
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Owned by Tom Ke and his wife, Grace, it’s a relatively small joint of just 60 or so seats including its sixseat sushi bar, its interior attractively but modestly finished with Ikea drop lights and Japanese prints. Before their two boys were born, Grace managed the front of the house, but now is seen less frequently. There are usually three sushi chefs lined up behind the counter, with Tom occupying the leftmost position. Traditionally, the rightmost position is reserved for the head sushi chef, but Ke needs to be able to escape to the kitchen when cooked items are called for. JAPANESE CUISINE AS WELL
Although one of Connecticut’s top sushi destinations, its Japanese food prepared in the kitchen is also quite good. Wasabi’s lunch specials ($8.95$13.95) are affordable and generous, whether one is in the mood for hot food, sushi or some combination of the two. At dinner, there are soups (try the miso soup, $2); salads (try the mango and crabmeat salad, $8.95); kitchen appetizers (try the baked black cod with miso sauce, $10.95, the tempura vegetables, shrimp or chicken, $7.95, or the baked eggplant with miso sauce, $7.95); and, served with soup or salad, kitchen entrées (try the teriyaki Chilean sea bass, $20.95, pork katsu, $14.95, seafood udon $16.95, or a dinner box special, $19.95). At one time or another, I’ve succumbed to all of these temptations. WINTER 2014
Crystal Rolls.
But stunningly good sushi is still the primary reason to come to Wasabi. Ke, who hails from Fujiang Province in China, trained under first-rate Japanese chefs and has worked in some of the top sushi joints in Westchester County, where they are supported by a wealthy Japanese clientele. He has become a star in his own right. It’s said that great sandwiches start with good bread, and sushi starts with just the right rice cooked with just the right amount of water and just the right hints of vinegar, sugar and salt just long enough to achieve just the right flavor and stickiness. Most important of all, Ke says, is maintaining just the right temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius, which is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit—or body temperature. QUALITY OF THE FISH
But even more fundamentally, sushi is about fish. From the get-go, Wasabi’s is obviously superior to most—scintillatingly fresh tasting, sparkling in appearance, slippery to touch and odorless. It’s not only ideally sourced but perfectly cared for and expertly sliced. Yes, Ke has a gift for fancy sushi roll combinations that probably exceeds that of any sushi chef I’ve encountered, but the real measure of his sushi is his sashimi, where no fault can be hidden amongst other ingredients. His sashimi, nigiri sushi, hand rolls, maki rolls and fancy rolls are gorgeous and artistic—truly edible works of art. As my date and I are seated at the sushi bar in front of the tip jar, we WINTER 2014
are given warm wet towelettes, as if we had just taken off in an Asian airlines. Our drink order is fulfilled—it’s a 300-ml bottle of extra dry Chokara sake ($13.95), the bottle set upon ice after our glasses are filled. Ke sends us the Japanese equivalent of an amuse bouche, in this case ikura (salmon roe) served over grated daikon radish in ponzu sauce and topped with wisps of scallion, the saltiness of the eggs countered perfectly by the sweet acidity of the ponzu. Are our appetites ever whetted! We divert briefly from sushi with a couple of appetizers. From the specials board, we enjoy golden leaves ($9.95), which turn out to be spicy crab, shrimp and avocado mixed with wasabi sauce and served in sweet chili sauce over wonton chips. We also relish beautifully seasoned rings of panko calamari ($9.95) served, in a line, with sweet chili sauce. But soon, we’re back on course for sushi. Containing no rice, a gorgeous disassembled “spring roll” ($10.95) has avocado on the outside, spicy tuna, spicy white tuna and tempura flakes on the inside, and is served with a yuzu dipping sauce. Each bite melts in our mouths like butter. Avocado is reprised in a special tuna and avocado appetizer ($10.95) showcasing thinly sliced pieces of tuna rolled around slices of avocado with a wasabi-yuzu dressing laced with sesame seeds, mustard seeds and shiso leaf. Its name deriving from its dramatic appearance, a tiger’s eye special ($8.95) features squid wrapped around asparagus, smoked salmon and tobiko. Sheer elegance, a special sashimi appetizer ($10.95) presents gorgeous slices of yellowtail, even more gorgeous slices of medium toro (tuna
belly) and pieces of seared albacore topped with spicy eel sauce and fried onion. The crispy tuna roll ($9.95) proves to be a spicy tuna, shrimp and avocado roll that has been dipped in tempura batter and briefly fried, then served disassembled with tobiko, scallion, eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise. We end with a personal favorite, the crystal roll ($13.95), which includes tuna, salmon, yellowtail and avocado on the inside, white tuna and four different colors of tobiko (flying fish roe) on the outside. Throughout our culinary voyage, our flight crew keeps things moving nicely, clearing plates in anticipation of fresh treats, refilling our water glasses and replacing our bottle of sake. DELICIOUS DESSERTS
Asian restaurants sometimes pay insufficient attention to desserts for American tastes, but Wasabi offers a nice selection. In addition to the more commonplace ice cream ($3.25), mochi ice cream ($4.50), tempura ice cream ($5) and tempura bananas ($5.50), Wasabi also offers green tea mascarpone cheesecake ($5.50), almond cream cake ($5.50), chocolate mousse ($5.50) and, our favorite, Asian sticky black rice pudding ($5.50) in a crème brûlée sauce with a little diced fresh mango. In the end, we’ve been taken to wonderful exotic destinations without ever leaving our seats. We’re thrilled to fly Wasabi Airlines any day! 쮿
Sushi Chef’s preparing Sushi Meals.
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Don Jones – Proudly Serving Orange for a Decade BY: DAINA LARKIN
In a plaza alongside the bustling Boston Post Road, the unassuming UPS store sits neatly tucked away between its neighbors. This year, owner Don Jones celebrates 10 years of business. UPS Stores offer a surprising variety of services that go beyond selling boxes and preparing parcels. Printing and copying, laminating and binding; even taking passport photos. UPS Stores don’t, however, deliver packages. No big brown trucks here. In fact, the UPS delivery company and the UPS Stores operate independently, and all UPS Stores belong to private owners. Jones, who comes from a background of working in shipping, bought into the franchise to fill a niche in the town of Orange. “I always wanted to run my own business,” he said. “So I opened one that was needed.” Even in times of gloomy economy, the services that
UPS stores provide remain necessary, providing Jones with steady business for these ten years. More and more UPS stores are cropping up across the state as the franchise finds success. “People will always be shipping, they will always need boxes,” Jones explained. One of his greatest challenges has been gaining enough exposure. Though Jones’ store is on a highly traveled road, signage is minimal, and the modest UPS storefront doesn’t necessarily draw attention. “There are a lot of laws when it comes to putting up signs,” Jones said. “If you just stick a sign in the grass outside, it’s going to be removed.” The state requires
UPS Store, 554 Boston Post Road colorfully and comfortably welcomes patrons. WINTER 2014
Don Jones, Owner
permits for most advertising signs not within the immediate vicinity of the business, taking into consideration such factors as distances from parks and highways. In addition to advertising, Jones wants to spread the knowledge that UPS Stores are locally owned. Jones, an Orange native, uses his store to support the community. He hires local people and supports organizations within the town. Jones donated 500 booklets to the Church of the Good Shepherd for its annual gala. “I could donate a hundred dollars to the church, or I could print 500 booklets for them. That’s about one thousand dollars’ worth of printing,” he estimated. In the past, Jones donated money to cystic fibrosis research. Jones does not suffer from a lack of customers, but many people may not know the extent of the store’s services. “One thing many people don’t know is that we can come to their home and pick up their packages for delivery,” Jones said. Jones himself has even traveled as far as Rhode Island to pick up a package for a customer. “We come right to your doorstep or business,” Jones said. “Our purpose is to make it easier for you.” 쮿
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The Orange Congregational Church has played a pivotal role in the lives of Orange Residents since 1810.
The Many Facets of Religious Life In Orange BY: KAREN SINGER
On July 6, 2014, during opening ceremonies for the Chinmaya Saraswati Ashram on Racebrook Road, First Selectman James Zeoli welcomed members to a town brimming with religious diversity. That was a very exciting day,” Zeoli recently recalled, “Certainly for Orange and for the region, where there had been no Hindu place of worship. We’re very fortunate to add another new faith to the community, which probably has more than a dozen.” The ashram joins the ranks of a wide array of religious and spiritual beliefs that have ebbed and flowed here over centuries. Before the advent of European settlers in the 1600s, this area was part of the Paugussett Indian tribe’s homeland. One of their favorite ceremonial sites seems to have been “the place where the Race Brook joins the Wepawaug (River),” according to the “History of Orange” by Mary Rebecca Woodruff. “Unlike what most people think, the Native American belief systems were not simple; they were extremely complicated and sophisticated,” said Lucianne Lavin, Director of Research and Collections at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut. “Spirituality 38
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pervaded every aspect of their life. They not only believed in a creator, but also in numerous other spirit beings, who they elevated in an annual round of festivals and private types of ceremonies.” THE PURITANS ARRIVE WITH A VERY DIFFERENT MINDSET
The Puritans came to America with a radically different mindset. “The ones in Connecticut were of the Congregational variety,” said former Milford historian Richard Platt. “They were Calvinist in their theology, believing in a very strict God, and that we were all sinners, who could only be saved by the grace of God.” The Puritans called the Indians “devil worshippers,” Lavin said, and tried to convert them in some parts of the state. Apparently not in Milford, where Platt described relations between the natives and settlers as “fairly peaceful.” In 1639, a group of Puritans from the New Haven Colony purchased a tract of land from a Paugussett chief for
their settlement, and formed the First Church of Milford. As the Puritans expanded, they needed approval from the General Assembly, Connecticut’s legislative body, to establish Ecclesiastical Societies to manage religious matters within defined geographical areas. Ecclesiastical societies were “the principal social and religious focus for people from the 17th century, 18th century and into the 19th century,” explained former Connecticut state historian Christopher Collier. “There was a parallel town organization of ecclesiastical and civil society. But the ecclesiastical was more powerful.” In 1804, settlers in the north part of Milford, citing the hardship of traveling at least four miles each way to attend compulsory Sabbath services, successfully petitioned the General Assembly to become the Ecclesiastical Society of North Milford. On February 24, 1805, Erastus Scranton, a Yale Divinity school student, started preaching at a small meetinghouse built in the early 1790s at Bryan’s Farms. Ordained several months later, he became the North Milford Ecclesiastical Society’s first church minister. Work was completed in 1810 on a much larger meetinghouse built on property donated by Samuel Treat on the northern end of what now is the Orange town green.
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ORANGE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH ESTABLISHED
After Orange was established in 1822, the meetinghouse became the Orange Congregational Church. In 1961, its congregation voted to join the United Church of Christ. During the church’s 200th anniversary celebration in 2005, members dressed in Colonial garb re-enacted the long walk of their predecessors to worship in Milford. In its early years, the Orange Congregational Church played a pivotal role in town life. In addition to calling parishioners to prayer, its bell tolled for fires, deaths and other important announcements. “The church was the center of social and even political activity,” Collier said. “People loved going to church on Sunday. They’d stay all day and visit with family and friends.” Which must have been a welcome break from a morning and afternoon sermon lasting two to three hours each in churches rarely heated until the mid-19th century. THE GREAT AWAKENING
The religious landscape in Connecticut began to change in the 1740s with the Great Awakening, a religious revival movement based on emotional appeals by ministers instead of dry, rational, Calvinistic sermons. Many churches split, and “allowances were made for Baptists and Methodists,” Collier said. The first Episcopal bishop of Connecticut was consecrated in 1784. The Congregational Church, however, remained the established religion in Connecticut until 1818, when the state constitution was adopted, formally separating church and state. More religious groups arrived in Connecticut in the 19th century, brought by waves of immigrants including Catholics, “who came in the 1830s to dig the Farmington canal,” Collier said. In Orange, Woodruff notes, one of the “outstanding events” of 1843 was a “great revival” led by a Baptist minister, the Rev. Mr. Waterbury, which filled a schoolhouse and WINTER 2014
“a large tent added to accommodate the crowds.” The gathering was interrupted when “a great comet blazed from the zenith to the horizon and terrified the hearts of the congregation.” (This likely was the Great Comet of 1843, which a space.com columnist recently included on his list of ‘The Nine Most Brilliant Comets Ever Seen.) Also in 1843, the Connecticut General Assembly enacted legislation providing “that Jews who may desire to unite and form religious societies, shall have the same rights, powers and privileges which are given to Christians of every denomination.” In 1916, a Bishop Nilan created St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Parish, according to Woodruff’s book. Thirty years later, the parish purchased the former home of Isaac Platt Treat on Orange Center Road for a Catholic Community House. Most of the current religious organizations in Orange came in the latter half of the 20th century (see timetable). OTHER CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES ESTABLISHED
These include Holy Infant Church, which opened in 1951, Chabad of Orange/Woodbridge, which established a religious school in 1969 and a synagogue in 1992 and St.
Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, which arrived in 1987. As religious groups have come and gone, their property sometimes was repurposed for different faiths. The building at 378 Spring Street has undergone several such transformations. Originally constructed as a schoolhouse, it opened in 1874 during a short-lived housing boom sparked by the building of the New Haven and Derby Railroad, and its railroad station in Orange at Tyler City (across from 80 New Haven Avenue). The housing development was on land now part of the Orange Hills Country Club. Over the next two decades, a Tyler City picnic spot called Victoria Grove “became something of a liberal soapbox and rallying point” for governors, mayors, religious leaders and ‘subversives,’ according to www.tylercitystation.info/track-1--tyler-city.html, a website run by Robert Joseph Belletzkie, a local historian who specializes in Connecticut trains. In 1890, Tyler City made headlines as the site of a “Ten Days Jubilee in the Wilderness,” sponsored by a New Haven-based church that reportedly was “the only colored congregation” in the New York East Methodist Episcopal Conference.
The Holy Ark at Congregation Or Shalom and its sacred Torah Scrolls decorated in Holiday White.
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“The clergy in town realized we need to be talking to each other,” said the Rev. Ann Ritonia of the Church of the Good Shepherd. “We do come from different backgrounds, and yet we are still in a relationship with one another. And I think that’s important, at a time when civil discourse is at an all-time low.” Ritonia is the ‘convenor’ of the group of seven leaders, who meet monthly. The other members are from Congregation Or Shalom, Temple Emanuel, Orange Congregational Church, Zion Lutheran Church, Holy Infant Church and St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.
Paschal (Easter) Services performed at Saint Barbara’s Church, 480 Racebrook Road, Orange CT
More than 10,000 people attended the event, among them “Freemasons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and other fraternal associations invited to its many church services and Biblical expositions.” Among the speakers were Timothy Thomas Fortune, a freed slave who became the editor and co-owner of several influential African American newspapers, and the Rev. Phebe Hanaford, a Universalist pastor who claimed she was the first woman ordained in New England. A popular preacher and prolific writer, Hanaford was “an outspoken advocate of abolitionism, temperance, suffragism and equal rights for blacks, women, and the working man,” according to Belletzkie’s website. A RICH AND CHERISHED HISTORY
The Tyler City schoolhouse became the Chapel of the Good Shepherd in 1912, when a mission started two years earlier in Orange as an offshoot of the Christ Episcopal Church in West Haven purchased the property. The chapel later fell into disrepair until 1951, when it was renovated as part of an effort to establish an Episcopal Church in Orange. Services were held there until 1959, when the Church of the Good Shepherd opened on Racebrook Road.
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Thirteen years ago, 378 Spring Street became Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel, a traditional Catholic Church. “We bought it from the Mormon Church, which had been there 45 years and had about six parishioners left,” said Father Bernard Champagne, who celebrates masses in Latin. In 1983, Zion Lutheran Church purchased the former Cavalry Baptist Church on Grassy Hill Road for its congregation. The Chinmaya Sarawati Ashram is on a site previously used as a Legionaries of Christ seminary. At least one religious institution in town has allowed other faiths to worship in its space. Since 2010, the Orange Congregational Church has rented its chapel to Agape Pentecostal Church, a Romanian congregation. In the 1960s, the church did the same for the Orange Jewish Community Center, a small group of local families that also met at the American Legion Hall. At one point, the late “borscht belt” comedian Joey Russell led the services, recalled Barry Goldblatt, a member of the group and father of former Orange first selectman Mitchell Goldblatt. In recent years, religious leaders have fostered a cross-pollination of ideas through the Orange Interfaith Clergy Fellowship, which they formed more than two decades ago.
“It is a wonderfully diverse group of sensitive, thoughtful colleagues who always look for ways to work together,” said Temple Emanuel Rabbi Michael Farbman. “After the Newtown shooting, we came together very quickly and put together a service at the (High Plains Community Center) gazebo,” said Orange Congregational Church Senior Redevelopment Pastor Suzanne Wagner. The fellowship hosts an annual Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service and an interfaith scholar program in spring focusing on topics such physician-assisted dying, Jewish mysticism, Islam and Violence in American Culture. Divine inspiration was the impetus for the arrival of Harbour Light Baptist Church in Orange in 2000. “This is where the Lord directed us,” said Pastor Dale Schwarz. Padma Reddy, president and founder of the Chinmaya Mission, Fairfield-New Haven, said its members spent almost four years searching for the right site before finding “exactly what we were looking for” in Orange, where she has lived for 21 years. One of around 300 Chinmaya mission centers in the world, the Orange ashram is named for Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and the arts. First selectman Zeoli regards the opening of the ashram as a milestone for Orange. “I’m very happy they are here,” he said. “It shows people we are open to many beliefs, and a supportive community to all.” 쮿
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Ron Davis Films Orange Governmental Proceedings Live
Watch Town Government in Action BY: ALYSSA R. DAVANZO
In the time it takes to click a television remote – or a computer keypad – an Orange resident can transport from the comfort of their home to a Town Council meeting. Since the launch of its first video in 1999, Orange Government Access Television (OGAT) has fostered transparency in government by making local government open and more accessible to citizens.
Initially, it took a while for people to realize they could actually watch what was going on in Town Hall from their living rooms. As time went by, the program became bigger, faster and better equipped.
“I was told that there was a committee to organize a potential TV station at the end of 1998,” said Sol Silverstein, Chairman of OGAT. “I volunteered because I wanted to learn about the technology involved so I was appointed to be a part of the committee. By August of 1999, we were broadcasting directly from Orange Town Hall.”
Ron Davis, coordinator of OGAT and owner of Video Lab, located at 200 Boston Post Road, has contributed tremendously to the programming since its start in 1998. He has witnessed firsthand the advancement of technology over the past 16 years.
Not only does OGAT broadcast government meetings, but it also displays a bulletin board that lists upcoming occasions and covers special events in town, such as the annual Fireman’s Carnival and the Orange County Fair. LEADING THE WAY
Orange set a precedent, for it was the first of six towns covered by the local Cable advisory that established its own government access television station. The program’s ad hoc committee was active in helping surrounding towns like Woodbridge, Milford and Fairfield to build the bridge between their government and the public. 44
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Watch on Cablevision Channel 79, AT&T Uverse Channel 99 and Streaming at orange-ct.gov “When OGAT first started I found out that I could run four VCRs worth of material, and run it all night,” Ron said. “I am the first in this area to make DVDs at my business, and I was able to bring that technology to OGAT. We kept improving, and before long we were running multiple DVDs on multiple DVD players. We have been shooting live since 2000 and are now on the web 24/7.” OGAT runs eight-hour segments of information three times per day. Even
Ron Davis managing OGAT Productions.
if someone misses a live showing, they can stream the program online from anywhere in the world. “For example, a committee member was on a business trip in Florida, and he was able to tune into OGAT to watch what was going on in Orange from his laptop,” Ron said. PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Continuous improvement is the philosophy of the OGAT committee, which is composed of seven members who hold monthly meetings to discuss the station’s content and the enhancements that could be implemented. “Every year, we try to do something better than the year before,” Sol said. “There have been instances when a topic is discussed during a meeting that’s of interest to the people who were watching it on TV, and those people have actually come down to Town Hall. This indicates that we are accomplishing our purpose because we’re changing the way people interact with the government.” OGAT is broadcast on television only to Orange residents on channel 79. For more information about how to volunteer, please visit www.orangect.gov/govser/ OGAT.htm 쮿 WINTER 2014
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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Girl Scout Memorializes Beloved Teacher with Beautiful Butterfly Garden BY: KAREN SINGER
Helen Ruckes never will forget her second grade teacher, Jane Bove, a compassionate woman who adored butterflies. Ruckes is making sure other people remember her teacher too. The inscription on the blue plaque For a Girl Scout Silver Award, Ruckes created an 8 x 20 foot butterfly garden near the High Plains Community Nursery School and dedicated it to Bove, who died in 2012 after a 39-year career in Orange public schools. “I wanted to do something for her but I also wanted to do something for the community,” says Ruckes, now a 16-year-old junior at Amity Regional High School. THE HIGHEST HONOR
The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout in 6th, 7th or 8th grade can earn for a civic-minded project.
their identities labeled for visitors. The project took nearly two years to finish, with the help of her parents, Nina and John. Nina is the leader of Ruckes’ Girl Scout troop. Ruckes says the project improved her communication skills and taught her “how essential it is to keep everything organized.” Perhaps the biggest lesson of all was the importance of family and friends. “I really learned that when we had the dedication of the garden everyone was so grateful and moved by it,” Ruckes says.
attached to the fence outside the butterfly garden reads: “In fond memory of Jane Bove, Orange educator who loved her students unconditionally.” A PROUD LEGACY
Bove’s 92-year-old mother, Elaine Capecelatro, attended the May 31, 2014 dedication of the garden. “I know my daughter made an impression on lots of children,” says Capecelatro, whose late husband, Ralph E. Capecelatro was a former Orange First Selectman. “She was very interested in butterflies and ordered them for her students.”
Ruckes’ project involved designing the garden and researching, purchasing and planting the vegetation, among other steps. “The biggest obstacle was raising enough money to complete it,” Ruckes says. Her proposal attracted grants and donations totaling around $1,400 from the Orange Foundation’s Olga Fund, the Orange CT Lions Club, the Rotary Club of Orange, the Orange Community Women, the Orange Parks and Recreation Department, and the Garden Club of Orange. The butterfly garden contains more than two dozen native plants, with 46
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Charles Bove, Nina Ruckes, John Ruckes, Helen Ruckes and Elaine Capecelatro Celebrate the Opening of the Jane Bove Memorial Garden. WINTER 2014
Bove was astonished to hear about Ruckes’ garden, at a time when he and several friends had been trying to establish a butterfly garden in her memory at several locations, including the Case Memorial Library in Orange. “Out of the blue, I received an e-mail from Helen saying Jane was always her favorite teacher and she was doing her butterfly garden as a project for the Girl Scouts,” he says. “This was really incredible.”
Helen Ruckes Enjoys the Spring Blooms.
Ruckes remembers raising butterflies in jars, under Bove’s tutelage, and releasing them in a garden outside her classroom at Peck Place school. “This was sort of a biological workshop and a part of Jane’s lessons about the cycle of life,” says Charles Bove, Jane’s husband. “She was very much into the butterfly stuff and saw them as a symbol of eternal life.”
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“Here’s a 16-year-old girl who did all of this stuff that we in our 60s couldn’t get done. She even made arrangements for other Girl Scouts to take care of the garden. It blows my mind that a kid could be that thorough,” said Bove. ANOTHER DEDICATION
In September 2014, Bove and his friends dedicated their own Jane Bove butterfly garden at The Church of Saint Stephen in Hamden, on the side of an entrance near a play area for second graders. These days Ruckes is going for the Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest achievement, which motivates high
Helen Ruckes, Girl Scout Troop 60095.
school students “to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions with their communities,” according to the Girl Scout website. “I’m going to do an afternoon cooking class with some second to fourth grade students to teach them about healthy eating,” she says. After high school, Ruckes wants to study nursing or forensic science. 쮿
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Orange Life in Pictures WRITTEN BY KAREN SINGER
The corridor walls at High Plains Community Center are adorned with 35 photographs of familiar places and events. “I always carry a camera,” says Ulatowski, who has self-published six books about Orange and 12 more, mostly filled with nature images, on www.blurb.com As a child, Ulatowski spent hours poring over books featuring work by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Life Magazine staff photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt and other photojournalism giants. He bought his first camera while in high school.
There’s the Orange Congregational Church on the green, with its towering steeple. Fireworks bursting over the fairgrounds. Horses and ponies munching hay at Mapleview Farm on Orange Center Road. All the photos were taken by John Ulatowski, the Youth Services Coordinator for the Orange Community Services Department.
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“I think I had an appreciation, early on, of trying to create something that’s lasting,” Ulatowski says. “When you take a photo, it’s a blink of an eye. You only have a split second to react and capture something that could last centuries. There was something inside of me that wanted to hold onto that moment, capture it and give it to someone. It’s something I have to do, and something I love doing.”
John Ulatowski, Chronicler of Orange Life.
Over the last couple of decades, Ulatowski has exhibited his photos at libraries throughout New Haven and Fairfield Counties. The idea to put Ulatowski’s work on the High Plains Community Center walls came from Dennis Marsh, the town’s Senior Services Coordinator. “John has been taking photos around Orange for awhile,” Marsh says, adding a popular presentation Ulatowski gave on his photos and poems at the senior center a couple
Ulatowski recalls taking his very first photograph in a wooded area on a rainy day. “I saw a ray of sun had broken through the clouds,” he says. “Right there was a beautiful monarch butterfly and the sun like a beam of light was on it. “Things like that happen all the time. I’m not a great photographer but I’ve been led to great photos. I try to look for things every day, and try to catch them.”
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of years ago was the impetus for the new exhibit, which opened in September 2014 and will be permanent. “We all get a kick out of seeing our town,” Marsh says. “I asked him, ‘How do you feel about blowing up the photos and hanging them on the wall?’ He sent me jpegs this spring. I had ’em blown up and framed, and we hung them after the kids’ summer came was over.” Ulatowski views his passion for pictures as a gift that should be passed on. “If people want a copy, I’ll e-mail it or print it out,” he says. “I’ve never sold a photo. I don’t want to make it financial.” Ulatowski prefers hearing reactions from people who view his work. In recent months, he has gotten plenty of positive feedback, especially from Orange seniors, about the community center exhibit. “They tell me it moves them,” he says, “and they feel really good about the town.” 쮿
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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When Health Care is Urgent BY: KAREN SINGER
Five years ago, discussions between two doctors about the dearth of after-hours immediate medical care led to the establishment of an urgent care center at 109 Boston Post Road. “We felt there was a need for an intermediate place between the physician’s office and the hospital emergency room,” says Sanjay K. Aggarwal, an internal medicine specialist. The center did so well he and his business partner, pulmonologist Jasdeep Sidana, started a second one in North Haven. Their company, 203 Urgent Care, now operates seven centers in Connecticut, including West Haven and Waterbury. INCREASED AWARENESS
“People are just not aware of what an urgent care center can deal with,” Sidana says. “We are meant for nonthreatening medical conditions and can do anything and everything doable in an ER (emergency room); including the flu, upper respiratory infections, colds, coughs, falls and other injuries that might require suturing or applying a splint. We also do physicals for schools and camps. “Another advantage we have is every place we work we’re connected with local emergency rooms and local doctor offices, who send us patients after hours or on weekends.” Additional services available at the Urgent Care Center are blood tests, electrocardiograms (EKG) and a variety of vaccinations. 50
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COST AND CONVENIENCE
According to the American Academy of Urgent Care, there are around 9,300 urgent care centers in the United States, and 50 to100 new clinics open every year. Urgent care centers offer lower cost as well as convenience. “Our prices are at least one fourth lower than emergency room fees,” Sidana explains. “If someone comes in with the flu, we do vitals, check them for influenza in a nasal swab, and a practitioner or assistant sees them. If someone is paying out of pocket, our charges are $130 to $150, compared to upwards of $600 if somebody went to the ER.” The self-pay price list includes $135 for a new patient office visit, $150 for a regular physical and $200 for a simple suture of the face, ears, nose or lips. A 2012 Connecticut Health Project Policy report advocates “alternative provider resources, including urgent care centers and retail clinics,” saying they could “safely” handle between 14 and 27 percent of all emergency department visits at less than half or one third of the cost for “emergency departments with comparable quality.” Sidana says the 203 Urgent Care Centers accept all health insurance plans and only charge for co-payments. The urgent care centers are staffed by medical assistants, X-ray technicians and a doctor or physician’s assistant, says regional coordinator Kristin Choszczyk.
Sanjay K Aggarwal, M.D. (standing) and Nanik Manchandani, M.D. at Orange Urgent Care Center.
On weekdays, 30 to 40 patients visit at the Urgent Care Center in Orange and on weekends, between 25 and 35 patients come in, according to site coordinator Magda Krysiuk. LOCAL SPONSORSHIP
The company occasionally sponsors special events to benefit local nonprofits. On October 4, 2014, a food truck festival at the Dock Shopping Center in Stratford marked the opening of 203 Urgent Care’s newest location. Although the partners have advertised extensively, the 203 Urgent Care centers have grown mainly by word of mouth, according to Aggarwal. “When you provide good care,” he says, “patients will come back and tell their family members.” HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Reflecting on the fifth anniversary of the Orange Urgent Care Center, Sidana says, “It's a sense of fulfillment of a vision that we had of providing convenient, accessible and highquality health care in a timely manner. Despite multiple changes in the healthcare delivery model; not only have we thrived, but also have now become a much more affordable option in comparison to hospitalowned walk-in clinics, and of course ER visits. 쮿
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Focusing on Reading Readiness for Children BY: KIMBERLY KICK, GODDARD SCHOOL
Many parents look forward to announcing that their child can read, but the truth is children are reading long before they can interpret the pages of the book. As with most things in life, reading requires the proper building blocks before it can begin. • Describe everything; name colors, Reading begins with language and how it relates to your child's world. Creating a language-rich environment will help your child's vocabulary grow. Language develops with every interaction you have with your child — infants begin by reading their parents' facial expressions, while older children develop their vocabulary by listening and eventually repeating what their parents say. Verbalize your child's world and he or she will begin to repeat sounds and syllables — be sure to pause, speak and alter conversation style. A print-rich environment may also help prepare your child for reading by making the connection between your child's world and the symbols we use to communicate, so make your home an active learning environment. Start labeling household items with pictures and words so your child will learn to associate everyday items with their symbols. Lead by example and let your child see you read often. Teach your child to respect books — while pages will rip and bindings will break; your child will learn that you value books and their content if you set a high expectation for their care.
The following are easy-to-follow steps for your child when it comes to reading:
shapes and sizes.
• Verbalize and describe your child's actions (e.g., "That's the blue ball. Uh-oh, it rolled away. I'll roll it back to you. You caught it.")
INFANT TO ONE YEAR
• Play appropriate music; it leads to •
• • •
acute sound discrimination used later in letter sound discrimination. Read simple board books with one picture per page, contrasting colors or simple pictures, and point to the items on each page. While reading to your child, make faces – it's fun and your child will notice subtle differences. Offer choices and name options. Watch your child's eyes and hands for favorites. Allow your child to point and turn book pages.
FIRST STEPS (12-18 MONTHS)
• Read longer stories to your child
• • • •
and allow him or her to interact with the book – pointing, turning pages or even turning the book upside-down. Name objects as your child points. Sing and give characters of books funny voices. Offer opportunities for discrimination. Talk about the stop light (e.g., red circles mean ‘stop,’ green circles mean ‘go’).
Remember, it takes many interactions with the alphabet and phonemic awareness for reading skills to develop. While it may be difficult to remain patient, be assured that reading will happen when your child is ready. 52
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• Show your child speech in the written form. Ask your child what he or she would like to buy at the grocery store and add it to your grocery list together, write notes to Dad or make "to do" lists. PRE-KINDERGARTEN (48 MONTHS +)
• Read with your child. Take turns • •
• Play with objects that are similar
• • • •
and point out the differences (e.g., cow versus horse, blankets with subtle pattern differences). Make noises! Imitate cars, animals and eating sounds during play. Speak to your child in a normal tone to demonstrate accurate sound recognition. Enunciate words of interest like M-M-Mommy. As syllables start to represent words, such as "juice" and "more," expand upon them (e.g., "apple juice," "Would you like more apple juice?").
PRESCHOOL (36 MONTHS+)
• Read words and point to each one as you read it, moving your finger from left to right, top to bottom. • While grocery shopping, ask your child to find an item that starts with a certain letter or find a particular cereal. Have these items on your grocery list for comparison. • While in the park, ask your child to bring you nature items one at a time. Write the word for each item and then write a story with these words.
•
•
•
reading pages, modeling intonation and punctuation cues. Make up silly rhymes and alliterations. Play "Going on a Hike." Start by picking a letter and saying. "I'm going on a hike and in my back pack I have a …" Take turns repeating the sentence, naming the previously listed words and adding new word that starts with the chosen letter each time. Help your child cut large letters from old magazines. Talk about words that begin with each of these letters. Ask your child to get something in the pantry that he or she would not recognize by sight; provide the beginning letter sound of the item and ask him or her to search for it by reading the letters. While driving, ask your child to help you find a particular street sign. 쮿
TODDLER & GET SET (18-36 MONTHS)
• Read everything — signs, labels, toys and your child's name.
• Take cues from your child —
• • • •
interested, not interested, read or just look at the pictures, read more or stop before the end of the story? Sing and give characters of books funny voices. Find and point out shapes and symbols in your home or community. Recite rhymes and alliterations; pause to allow your child to fill in the last word or phrase. Play games such as Candyland® where symbols lead to action (e.g., two orange squares on the card means to move two orange spaces).
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Winter and Spring Events BY TERRI MILES
Mark your calendar for these upcoming, fun filled, and family friendly events. ROTARY CLUB TURKEY TROT 5K
The Second Annual Rotary Club Turkey Trot steps off at the High Plains Community Center on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, at 8 a.m. Cost for the Trot is $20 for the 5k race and $10 for the 2 mile fitness walk. You may register for the race at www.fasttrackcoaching.com HOLIDAY FESTIVAL — CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
The Annual Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting takes place on and around the Orange Town Green on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 3 to 6 p.m. All activities are free of charge.
• Tour the Stone-Otis House to experience what a Victorian Christmas was like. • The Academy Building and the antique shop will be open as well as the Orange to Derby line model railroad in the lower level. • The Orange Congregational Church Bell Choir will perform a hand bell concert and carol sing.
• The Annual Gingerbread Contest will be featured in the Clark Building and an ice carving demonstration will take place on the front lawn. The Tree Lighting will take place at 5:30 p.m. Immediately following, Santa Claus will arrive at the Town Green for a visit with the children. The Festival ends at 6 p.m. AMITY TEEN CENTER CHILLY CHILI RUN
The 18th Annual Chilly Chili Run steps off at the High Plains Community Center at 10:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1. The event is a showcase for 90 year old and older runners. Special $22 early registration fee for runners and $12 for kids 12 and younger by Dec. 20. After that, $27 for adults, $15 for kids. Visit www.hitekracing.com/chilly/ for information and to register.
RACE BROOK SCHOOL FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL
Race Brook School comes up with some of the most innovative fundraising ideas and the monster Food Truck Festival is one of them. Although it rained for the inaugural event in 2014, the 15 participating food vendors did well, families had a good time and the covered pavilion and the cafeteria in the High Plains Community Center were available for dining, as they will be this year. The 2015 Festival is scheduled for Friday, May 22, 4-9 p.m. Admission is free and 10% of all sales from each of the vendors goes directly to Race Brook School. CINCO K DE MAYO ROAD RACE
The Orange Chamber of Commerce Cohen and Wolf Cinco K de Mayo Road Race will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2015. There will be a 5K race and 2 mile walk. Race start is 8:30 a.m. at the High Plains Community Center. Cost is $25 in advance, $30 day of event. You can register for the race at www.active.com RELAY FOR LIFE
The Annual BOW Relay For Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is scheduled for Saturday, May 30 - Sunday, May 31 at the Orange Fairgrounds. Luminary bags will be sold for $10 each in advance and throughout the day.
• Opening Ceremony begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
• The Solemn Luminary Ceremony will begin at 9 p.m.
BOY SCOUT CONNECTICUT JAMBOREE
From Friday May 15 through Sunday, May 17, the Orange Fairgrounds will be hime to thousands of Boy Scouts from across the state as they gather for the Conn Jam event. Most of the boys camp over the weekend, while others come for a day or two to participate in the fun and educational scouting activities.
• Closing Ceremony will be held at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 31. RACE BROOK ROCKIN' ROAD RACE — JUNE 6, 2015
The 6th Annual Race Brook School Rockin’ Road Race will take place on Saturday, June 6, 2015. This event includes a 5K Race, 2-Mile Walk and Kids Fun Run. To register for this event, please visit www.hitekracing.com
You can always count on an exciting time at the Jamboree.
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Directory of Religious Organizations BY MARY BIALY
CCRN
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Pastor Raul Feliciano Pastora Emma Feliciano 260 Bull Hill Lane Orange, CT 06477
Reverend Ann Ritonia 680 Racebrook Road Orange, CT 06477
(203) 795-4083 Ccrnweb.com
(203) 795-6577 TheGoodshepherdorangect.org
Create a positive atmosphere of fellowship, brotherhood and unity in biblical and apostolic foundation. Providing our resources to support all pastors, leaders and members of the International Apostolic Network CCRN, to fulfill the purpose of God in their ministries. Provide anointing of multiplication, expansion and by all Ministries of the Apostolic Network.
We invite all into a diverse, welcoming, Christian community, seeking to nurture deeper relationships with God and each other. Choosing a foundation of worship, prayer and study of God’s Word, we strive to serve Christ through our care of all people and creation. We accept our mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, endeavoring to restore all people to unity and wholeness in God.
CHINMAYA SARASWATI ASHRAM
CHABAD OF ORANGE SYNAGOGUE
Rabbi Shea Hecht Director 261 Derby Avenue Orange, CT 06477 (203) 795-7095 Chabadow.org The philosophy of Chabad-Lubavitch, the world’s largest Jewish educational outreach organization. Chabad-Lubavitch is a vibrant, dynamic force in Jewish life, and its programs touch the lives of millions of people and directly or indirectly affect Jewish life in every community.
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Swami Tejomayananda 393 Derby Avenue Orange, CT 06477 (203) 553-9593 Chinmayafairfield.org The vision on Chinmaya is to support The inner transformation of individuals through knowledge of Vedanta, spiritual practices and service to society, resulting in a happy world around them. The mission is to provide to individuals from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become positive contributors to society.
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HOLY INFANT CHURCH
Father Eugene Charman 450 Racebrook Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 799-2379 Holyinfantchurch.org
CONGREGATION OR SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus 205 Old Grassy Hill Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 799-2341 Orshalomct.org To serve as a vibrant center for the practice and teaching of Conservative Judaism. To create a spiritual and social atmosphere in which congregants feel part of a larger synagogue family.
We are a worshiping community of Roman Catholics under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Hartford. We are a people called by God the Father to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus his Son in Sacrament, in Scripture, in Community Life, in Witness, and in Service through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joining with others who share Jesus' historic mission of preaching the Kingdom of God among us, and with all others of good will who by their lives worship the same God, we collaborate to bring God's Presence into our local community and outreach programs. Following this way of life in the spirit of Christian Stewardship, we proclaim the Gospel message as reflected in the theology of the Second Vatican Council. And thus, as individuals and families, we work to build up the Lord's Kingdom of Peace, Justice and Holiness.
KINGDOM HALL OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
210 Old Grassy Hill Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 799-1508 Jw.org We want to honor Jehovah, the God of the Bible and the Creator of all things. We do our best to imitate Jesus Christ and are proud to be called Christians. Each of us regularly spends time helping people learn about the Bible and God’s Kingdom. Because we witness, or talk, about Jehovah God and his Kingdom, we are known as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
HARBOUR LIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH
Pastor Dale Schwarz 380 Boston Post Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 795-0570 Harbourlightbaptistchurch.org Our Mission is The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20.) Going and winning people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, teaching and edifying Believers, training leaders and establishing churches.
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SGI
Daisaku Ikeda President 518 Boston Post Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 799-0512 SGI-ct.org Based on the teachings and philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism, which places the highest emphasis on the sanctity of life. Members seek, through their practice of Buddhism, to develop the ability to live with confidence, to create value in any circumstance and to contribute to the well-being of friends, family and community.
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ST. BARBARA GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
Reverend Peter Orfanakos 480 Racebrook Road Orange, CT 06477 (203) 795-1347 church@saintbarbara.org Saintbarbara.org The mission of the Saint Barbara Parish is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian Faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the Greater New Haven Area and State of Connecticut according to the Orthodox Christian Faith and Tradition. website for the latest list of programs, activities and educational opportunities for the entire family. www.templeemanuel-gnh.org ORANGE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Reverend Suzanne E. Wagner Senior Redevelopment Pastor 205 Meetinghouse Lane Orange, CT 06477
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH
Pastor Timothy Boerger 780 Grassy Hill Road Orange, CT 06477
(203) 795-9749 Orangecongregationalchurch.org Today, our life and worship reflect the diversity of our members, who come to us from many different denominational and religious traditions. The manner in which we worship celebrates our shared love of God and our common commitment to live as children of God, with “heart, soul, strength and mind.”
(203) 795-3916 Zion-orange.com
TEMPLE EMANUEL
Rabbi Michael Farbman 150 Derby Avenue Orange, CT 06477 (203) 397-3000 Templeemanuel-gnh.org
OUR LADY OF SORROWS CHAPEL
Father Bernard 378 Spring Street Orange CT 06477 (203) 795-5076 Teachings of Traditional Latin Mass
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Temple Emanuel is a warm, caring, and open Jewish community, a little shul with a big heart. As a small Reform synagogue, our members have the opportunity to know one another and to have meaningful input into how our synagogue operates. Temple Emanuel is a participatory, diverse, non-judgmental, and intellectually vibrant congregation with a strong penchant for music. We welcome Interfaith families. Our kids LOVE Hebrew school! Come celebrate Shabbat with us, join us for High Holy Days or simply check our
Firmly rooted in the Holy Scriptures and committed to the Christian faith as taught by the ancient ecumenical creeds and the 16th-century Lutheran Confessions, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church is, by God's grace, a little outpost of Christ's Holy Church — a local gathering of people from many different backgrounds who have been reconciled to God and joined to one another and to all Christians everywhere as one family in Christ Jesus. 쮿
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Community Bits
Edison Road, which connects Prindle Hill Road to Marsh Hill Road was completed in November 2014. The United Illuminating Company Corporate Headquarters is pictured in the background.
Sal DeLucia, Paramedic, American Medical Response; Rev. Suzanne Wagner, Orange Congregational Church and Maria Biondi, LPN, Orange Visiting Nurse pose for a picture at a public outreach meeting in Chip's Restaurant.
EDISON ROAD OPEN TO TRAFFIC
OVNA PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM
It is official! Edison Road is open for traffic. After several years of planning, design and accumulating nearly $1.5 million dollars in State and Federal Aid, Edison Road is now open to traffic.
Maria Biondi, LPN, OVNA Community Liaison has engaged public groups, to promote wellness in the community, while marketing the services of the Orange Visiting Nurse Association.
2014 was a big year for the following businesses celebrating milestones: The Cuzzocreo Family, owners of Orange Fence & Supply Company, 205 Boston Post Road will celebrate their 85th anniversary in business in 2015. In 1930, the Cuzzocreo family set out to create beautiful, custom fences so everyone could have their dream home. Today, they are known throughout the region for quality products, installation, and customer service. Jim Kaoud, owner of Kaoud Oriental Rug, 463 Boston Post Road, is celebrating 60 years in business. Jim learned the business from his father and shares his expertise with customers, offering only the finest quality Oriental rugs as well as broadloom rugs. Unlike big box stores, Kaoud is not bound to package 62
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deals. Quality materials and customer satisfaction is what drives business. Another big milestone worth shearing is Rocco Formica’s 50th year as a barber. He is the owner of the Orange Country Squire Barber Shop at 661 Orange Center Road and has been cutting townspeople’s hair, including First Selectman Jim Zeoli’s since August 1964. Doreen Brown, at Pottery Plus, 185 Boston Post Road, is celebrating her 30th anniversary this year. Pottery Plus is a handcraft gallery and gift shop that carries a large collection of beautiful pottery and other handcrafts made of wood, metal, glass mixed media and a wide selection of artist jewelry including: Alex and Ani; LORIBONN, and Trollbeads and the largest selection of Vera Bradley items in CT. Co-owners Bob Potter and Jonathan Bara, of Prime 16 restaurant at 464 Boston Post Road, celebrated their 1 year anniversary in May.
The business has seen great success, offering great food, selection and service. The Clam Digger, recently opened at 153 Boston Post Road boasts the best Fried Seafood in all of Orange. Ask Rock though, and he will tell you that the only thing they take Serious at The Clam Digger is the Food. You may also get baked and grilled seafood as well as various treats for land lubbers. Saxon-Kent, which has been a presence in New Haven for the past 70 years will be downsizing and refining their focus to serve women who have undergone breast surgery, those who need compression garments as well as those suffering from hair loss and requiring a wig. Betty Golomb, said, the new store will be right next door to its current location in Hitchcock Plaza. We will continue to serve women with the same professionalism, competence and compassion as we always have done. 쮿
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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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605A Orange Center Road Orange, CT 06477
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 44 MILFORD, CT 06460