Dec08part1.qxd:NOVNCN.qxd
11/30/08
10:27 AM
Page 1
PRST-STD U.S. Postage Paid Palmer, MA Permit #22
December 2008
Free
www.thenorthcentralnews.com
A Visit with Santa Claus Zach Evensen (l) of Tolland, Avery Johnson (center) of Tolland and Santa Claus of the North Pole enjoy a moment during the St. Luke Christmas Bazaar at the St. Luke Church in Ellington on Nov. 22. Photo by David Butler II
Heating Help Out There for Those Who Need It – Just Ask By Margo Van Kuren While residents of the Northeast are breathing a collective sigh of relief as heating oil prices drop, the dismal state of today’s economy means there still will be plenty of people requiring help with their fuel bills this winter. And area service
In This Issue • SANTA VISITS: A guide to where to see Jolly Old St. Nick ...................p. 3 •PEOPLE: Seven decades with the Ellington Women’s Club .................p. 4 • ELLINGTON: Referendum will decide fate of fire equipment ......................p. 5 • ELLINGTON: Students bring drama to life on school stage..................p. 6 • ELLINGTON: Torch Parade a big part of 2008 Winterfest ..........................p. 7 • FOODSTUFFS: Somers Inn cele-
agencies hope that people who need help will ask for it. “With all the programs that are available, there is no reason anyone should have to be cold this winter,” said Doris Crayton, Director of Ellington Human Services.
brates its 30th anniversary ........ p.9 • SOMERS: New senior housing opens to acclaim ..................................p. 11 • STAFFORD: Town examines new emergency call system ....................p.21 • STAFFORD: Hungry get help .......p.23 • CLASSIFIEDS: ..................pgs.30-31
*NEXT ISSUE Editorial/Advertising Deadline: DEC. 24 (860) 698-9328
The state offers heating assistance to both renters and homeowners in the form of the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). CEAP provides up to $925 in winter heating assistance to “vulnerable” households—those with a member who is over 60, who has a disability, or is under the age of 6. Those households may also qualify for additional Safety Net Assistance of up to $625. Households not considered “vulnerable” may receive up to $885 of fuel assistance and, if they qualify, an additional one-time benefit of up to $565. Last winter, the state (with help from the federal government) provided energy assistance to 86,257 households at a cost of about $70 million, according to the Department of Social Services (DSS). This year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell has set aside $84 million for the program. There are income and asset guidelines that must be met in order to qualify for CEAP. For details, visit the DSS website at www.ct.gov. Applications for CEAP can be made through the town social service agencies listed at the end of this article. Local social services agencies are work-
ing to provide energy assistance to those households who may not qualify for CEAP, or who have exhausted their CEAP benefits and are still in need of help. In Stafford, a newly formed, non-partisan citizen volunteer committee called the Stafford Alliance for Food and Fuel (SAFF) is raising money so that existing agencies won’t run out of resources. SAFF has already raised almost $5,000, according to Stafford Selectman Michael Waugh. The donations go to the Stafford Food and Fuel Banks, which are administered through Stafford Family Services and Safe Net Ministries, Inc. “SAFF has been a godsend,” said Karen Troiano, social services director at Stafford Family Services. Troiano said her office has seen an unprecedented increase in requests for both food and fuel this year. “I just processed our 198th energy assistance application,” Troiano said recently. “That’s a huge increase from last year, when we had a total of 272 applications for the entire winter season, through the month of May.”
HEATING HELP/page 14