Southwoods Magazine February 2014

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 1

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

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outhwick native Dick Cowles bought his first camera at Community Drug Store in the mid 1950’s. It was a Brownie point and shoot that he used to capture images around town. As a college undergrad in the sixties he became more serious about photography using more advanced equipment and learning darkroom technique. He was a photographer for the college newspaper and yearbook. In the seventies he was an active member of the Springfield Photographic Society where his work was recognized with several awards. “I learned a lot from other photographers at SPS, both amateur and professional” he says. After the kids arrived in the eighties his photography settled into documentary family life.

In 2012 Dick retired from a career in public education. As a retirement gift his wife presented him with a Canon DSLR camera and a couple of lenses. Dick and his wife, Lynne, make their home in Southwick. He now spends much of his retirement traveling the back roads of Western Massachusetts and Northwestern Connecticut with his camera. “We live in a beautiful corner of the world”, he says. “I love sharing what I see every day with others.”

You can see more of his work online at http://365.mrcowles.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ RichardCowlesPhotography.

in the towns of Southwick, Westfield, Agawam, Feeding Hills, Tolland, Granville and Northern Connecticut (West Suffield, Granby and beyond).

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INDEX February 1961 By Clifton J. (Jerry) Noble Sr.......................... 4 Pansies & Earrings By Tonie Ann White...................................... 6 Playing Hookey By Frank Houlihan.............................................. 10 Country Cooking By Christy Cox...................................................... 12 Southwood Web Links Compiled by Katelyn Santos............ 13 Winter Waiting By Bernadette Gentry......................................... 14 PTO Celebrates Joy of Reading........................................................ 15 Country Life - Chicken Coops By Dennis Cordy...................... 16 Mycardial Infarction By Ellen A. Latour....................................... 19 Southwoods Bulletin Board.............................................................. 20 Classifieds ................................................................................................ 27 Publisher: Carole Caron Editor: Lyssa Peters Layout/Design Artists: Lyssa Peters, Christy Cox, Martin Lee, Rachel Allessio, Katelyn Santos Advertising Manager : Christy Cox Advertising Consultant: Kris Sanders

This Month’s Cover: Photograph by Dick Cowles

P.O. Box 1106 • 610 College Hwy, Southwick, MA 01077 Office: (413) 569-0266 Office & FAX: (413) 569-5325 Email: magazine@southwoods.info www.southwoodsmagazine.com Advertisers should check advertisements the first day. Southwoods Magazine shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical errors or errors in publication except to the extent of the cost of the ad for the first month’s insertion. Adjustment for errors is limited to the cost of that portion of the ad wherein the error occurred. Our usual publication date is between the 3rd and the 7th of the month. To insure placement, ad copy should be submitted by the 20th of the month preceding insertion.

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February 1961

By Clifton (Jerry) Noble, Sr.

Monday, February 1, temperature is about minus ten.

Some have frozen pipes. Tom Cooney, my transitman phoned that he will come to work by bus.

Car won’t start.

Mrs. Dorothy Barnes or sister, Mrs. Virginia Loomis, will come to keep company and help my wife instead of Mrs. Bodendorf who went back to work for Robinson Reminder today.

Steve Bryda’s party is helping my three-man survey crew at backing in baseline for relocation of Route 57 in Agawam west toward Southwick. Hundred foot baseline stations are supposed to increase from west to east and from south to north. That’s why we are now at about station 170 (17,000 feet or a little over three miles from Route 10 in Southwick) and “backing ” to lower numbers.

“Resident” Construction engineers have finished their final records for the completed section of Route 57 to Suffield

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

Street, but the District Engineer has left their trailer field office and stove as a place for our party to make calculations, do book work and get warm! The telephone was removed today.

In Southwick Route 57 may get done under a separate plan leaving a gap of existing road in Agawam.

Minnie E, Noble, my mother, was nicknamed “Hester” by me in Fresno, California, in 1943 as being appropriate to her managing my earnings so well. She got herself a second floor, front room at Sarah Gillette (old ladies) home on Broad Street in Westfield.

By pushing we started and rescued Tom Cooney’s car from Sumner Ave., Springfield, where it spent the night. We got Nick Defalco’s going with jumper cables.

Friday, construction man, Harold Kallin brought our paychecks to the field office. Sweeping office dust gave me a sore-throat cold. My latest 8 mm. movie film came in the mail.

Saturday I cleared 18 inches of snow off driveway and paths. A mile north of our “schoolhouse,” the Watson/ place had a chimney fire. The Russell fire truck arrived there with the town plow ahead. My wife Elizabeth got potato, onions, hot dogs and fruit salad for dinner. She phoned Marian Cushman that my cold would keep me from playing organ at church tomorrow. I drink flaxseed tea with lemon. McQuat’s barn burned on Main Road, Montgomery.

I have just finished reading Louise Dickinson Rich’s We Took to the Woods aloud to E. Tuesday when I went to well house to start a fire in the stove I found the door ajar. Heard rustle upstairs. Suddenly neighbor’s tiger cat dashed down stairs and out door.

Thursday, February 9, have been staying home , but since honey and lemon lessened cold’s severity I went to work. Cut trees and shoveled snow. At noon showed men my movies.

Friday. I am great for going back to make sure all is left safely at field office especially for weekends. I unlocked door to recheck electric switches. They were okay, but there was my checkbook in the middle of the floor. What a worry it would have been to have arrived home and not know where it was.

God certainly sent me back.

Sunday, February 12, I composed medley featuring “Little White Church on the Hill” for choir prelude.1:30 p,m., Eliza-

beth and I went to dinner at Atwaters. Jim’s wife, Ginny, has new $12-a-week job for schools. 2:45 I went to Sarah Gillette home to take my mother to ride up East Mountain Road and around Hampton Ponds. She had tears in her eyes when she said “Goodbye.”

Route 57 (Gorge Road) in Granville is closed since the washouts. Harold Kallin needs the key to the Southwick gate.

Bryda will get it from Mulvaney at school tonight.

Tuesday, February 14. Morning news shows Wesley Monat was elected Montgomery selectman. In trailer guys looked up logarithms to help me figure slope distances of the baseline we measured from station 161+00 back to station 157+90,56. I brought a honey dew melon to E for Valentines Day since she can’t enjoy candy or flowers.

Wednesday, February 15. Got permission from property owners to trespass, and found mistakes on town assessors plans.

Al Cloutier confirmed news about four layoffs and ten demotions, My men went to church and got ashes at noon.

Thursday, had to relight oil stove at schoolhouse where my cat Fluffy stays Friday. We measured baseline back to station 152+. Planners need to know where water mains are. Ed Conner came out from Agawam water department with magnetic dip needle to mark them on road so we could locate them.

Saturday. Used hot water bottle on back. Did house accounts. It was an expensive month.

Sunday, February 19. After church Minister Shears wanted to talk about music program for summer, I followed him down the mountain and on a sharp curve found his compact car spun into roadside snow bank.

Monday. Telephone was out of order. Elizabeth rode to Westfield with me. I called phone repair from Atwaters. Outage had been reported and would be fixed by noon.

Tuesday. Big Steve Bryda is also chief of survey party. Last week he lost his reading glasses and offered a reward of two dollars. Today Joe Adams found the glasses but would take no reward so Steve bought sundaes for everyone.

February 22, Wednesday, Washington’s Birthday. We have holiday. I washed and waxed red, rubber floor tile in kitchen and hall. Walked out in sun with Elizabeth, and coaxed a chickadee to take piece of bread from my hand. E made a nice dinner. 12:50 p.m. I went to Westfield to take my mother to ride to Chicopee and South H adley, back over the new Meuller Bridge to Holyoke and Turnpike to Westfield. Studied some Spanish, Thursday. Collected guys from Loral coffee shop and worked on deeds and locating property lines. Plotted our baseline on big aerial plan. Vinny has sold his Plymouth for $450 and is trying to fight demotion.

Friday I took E to Dr. Wonson as she expects in April.

Saturday I wrote and mailed survey reports, brought account book up to date, and worked on scrap books.

Tired of reading Arundel aloud I switched to Anne of Green Gables.

February 28, Tuesday. We have baseline station stakes set back to 141+40 and control points tied in so they can be reproduced by anyone. At noon I went to Registry of Motor Vehicles in Springfield to renew my driving license. A line was waiting at the Capitol Theater to get in and see 101 Dalmatians.

A Wilbraham woman wrote the Governor about Mulvaney being on a 0,6 mile job since November! Wheels turned. He’s lost his party and equipment. Jim Constantino goes with Bryda, Fred Kaste with me and “Mo” himself with Louis Johnson.

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 5

T

here were strings of pearls, old Bulova watches, rhinestone pins and a tangle of necklaces. Amidst all the glittery jewelry in my mom’s tattered box were 2 heavy, pottery, triangleshaped Christmas tree earrings. As I held them, memories came flooding back.

They were the handiwork of my first grade teacher, Miss Bedrossian.

Miss Bedrossian was a teacher’s teacher or what I’d call a “Renaissance woman”. She was gifted in many ways and brought those gifts to those of us who were fortunate enough to have her for our first grade teacher. She transformed a classroom of green painted cinderblock walls and checkered green block linoleum flooring into a welcome place in a child’s life.

She displayed artwork, earthy colored glazed pots, real bird’s nests and real stuffed birds sitting upon real tree branches. Her taxidermist was good at his craft and those birds were fascinating and made a lasting impression. It was in her classroom that birds became an important part of my world. The names

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Scarlet tanager, Red-winged blackbird, and Baltimore oriole have stuck with me.

Her desk was usually graced with flowers that one of us would bring to her to share with our class.

I brought in a tulip blossom from our tulip tree. Daffodils, lilacs, pussy willows, forsythia, spring tulips and iris were brought in handfuls and found their place of honor in one of her hand-thrown pottery vases. We experienced the beauty of nature up close, right there in our first grade classroom at Consolidated School, at the top of the stairs, just past the mimeograph machine with its big crank and the strong smell of spirit master ink.

With large circles under her eyes, Miss Bedrossian would not be considered beautiful by the world’s standards. What she did possess was a strength in her distinctively Armenian face and a presence full of character and love. She made me feel safe and loved. Elementary teachers in the 50’s came to school wearing pretty, flowery dresses with matching earrings and necklaces. They smelled like roses, violets, or lily of the valley flowers. Miss Bedrossian wore simple dresses in autumn colors and her matching jewelry was made with her own hands. Her shoes were sensible. She was sensible. We respected her and held her in awe. We listened to her words. We learned by her actions.

Miss Bedrossian started the day reading from a Bible, usually a Psalm. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the singing of “God Bless America” or “America the Beautiful.” Next came attendance and the collection of

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lunch money and bank book money. There was a predictably safe routine that we enjoyed each day. Once in a while there was a special day when one of us celebrated our birthday. Miss Bedrossian hung a hurdy-gurdy with a bright red strap around the birthday child’s neck. They had the honor and privilege to stand before the class and crank happily away as the hurdygurdy plinked and planked the “Happy Birthday” tune. Music in her class was another time of privilege as she passed out shiny silver triangles, bells on red cloth hand straps and wooden rhythm sticks.

We were not just little kids making a pack of noise. We were Miss Bedrossian’s Band! She would play the piano and we would sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and we would clink and clank and jingle and tap our instruments and feel the joy of song bursting in our hearts.

Reading group was another time of young wonder. We sat on small wooden chairs placed in a circle near the back of the room with Miss Bedrossian as our guide to the new adventures of reading. As the sun poured through ceiling-high windows upon our little group, we worked hard to turn letters into words and words into sentences. We filled our minds with tales of Dick and Jane, Mother and Father, little sister Sally, Puff the kitten and Tyke the Spaniel. We learned to write with fat red wooden pencils and large Crayola crayons. We used colorful wooden rods to add and subtract. We worked on fresh damp school papers with purple ink that smelled so wonderful that you lifted your paper to your nose to take in a big whiff. We dipped our fingers into a glob of cold, white, minty smelling paste set out on a little square of math paper. We made heirlooms for our moms with thick, colorful construction paper that made a crunching sound when it was cut with our small scissors. We turned dull, grey, oily clay into ducks, dogs and bears. Miss Bedrossian set a rich foundation for learning day after day after day, experience after experience.

Fortunately for me, Miss Bedrossian wanted a garden that summer after I finished first grade. Her house on Hillside Road was surrounded with trees and rocks. With all those rocks, it wasn’t an easy task, but my dad managed to rototill the garden. After my brother and I tossed many, many rocks out of the garden, Miss Bedrossian told me to come with her. Along her driveway was a rock wall and it was topped with an abundance of pansies. She handed me a shoebox and told me that I could pick as many blossoms as I wanted and take them home. How did she know that I loved pansies? I slowly admired each blossom as I tenderly placed it in my box and couldn’t be happier.

It was a feast of velvety blues, purples and yellows. Even now, when my husband brings me pansies for my birthday, up from the past comes that warm memory of Miss Bedrossian’s pansies and the shoebox.

Our family was invited to have dinner at her house as a thank you for the rototilling job. She lived with her mother who had long white hair and was very tiny and very old. The inside of their house was open and modern and very different from most houses in Southwick at that time. It felt light and airy and artsy. It reflected her love for nature and beauty. Here were her plants and pottery vases that I had seen at school. We sat at a table with plates that Miss Bedrossian had made on her potter’s wheel and fired in her kiln down in their cellar. Among other things, she made homemade Armenian bread for us with those massive potter’s hands of hers.

Looking around her house, as we ate our dinner, high up on shelves were the very birds that she had brought to school to share with us. This was their home now, among the light wood paneled walls and earthy hued pieces of pottery. These amazingly beautiful birds had been preserved to show off their Creator’s handiwork and to be an up-close, rich, nature study for little children to see, to learn, to enjoy, and to marvel. Teaching for her was a natural extension of who she was. Miss Bedrossian opened our eyes to many things beyond the expected reading, writing and arithmetic. She was an inspiration to me and I thank God for having known her.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 9

Once Was Enough

Playing Hookey

By Frank Houlihan

Years ago, during the eight grade, a classmate and I had an idea to do something different and exciting. We decided to see what it would be like to play hookey. This was a spur of the moment idea and neither one of us gave much thought to what the ramifications might be.

We both told our folks there was no school on the given day, the following Wednesday. And since both of our parents were homebodies, they wouldn’t notice the school children on the street, so it made it easy to just take off and plan to get back before 3PM, like a normal school day.

We took the train to a small lake in the upper west side of Manhattan where we had decided to do some fishing.

Back then we had no fishing poles and reels but instead used six pound test drop lines, with stinkers of six ounces and a couple of hooks on each line, with a worm on each hook for bait. The

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

worms were bought near the lake.

No sooner had we started fishing from shore when the sky started to cloud up. At first we paid no attention to the weather but the sky soon opened up and it started to pour rain. We took shelter under a large elm tree hoping the rain would soon subside. Of course that didn’t happen, and in no time we were both drenched.

We waited a time and then decided enough was enough.

The fish population was left in tact, and we headed back to the train to return home. The left-over worms were left for the birds. We passed a candy store and decided to have lunch, a couple of Clark bars and an egg cream. We had just enough money left for carfare to ride the train home. Two candy bars did little to squelch the pangs of hunger. Good thing we got rid of the worms or we might have found out how they tasted with an egg cream.

The train was empty of passengers, but being soaked to the skin we decided to stand and hang on to a train strop hanger, it felt better than sitting in our wet clothing.

We arrived back in the neighborhood before 3 PM and spent some time in our local candy store hangout to dry out a bit. Finally, we went home. Little or no questions were asked by our parents. And now that we were home the rain was subsiding.

Next day we both went back to school and knew our teacher would ask questions about where we were the previous day.

We both decided to state truthfully, “we took the day off.” As punishment we were kept after school for one hour for the next three school days. NO questions were asked by either of our parents upon getting home late on those three days, for we had mentioned we had a project to work on.

Soon we were pestered by our classmates about our day off. Questions arose such as, what did we do? where did we go? how much money did we spend? Were our parents concerned and did they know? etc.

We tried keeping our answers short and on a negative plane aiming to imply it wasn’t worth doing. We got soaked, were constantly hungry, caught no fish, paid for worms we didn’t use, and had to stay late at school for three days. It was not a wonderful event. Hookey never entered my mind again.

My name is Twila.

I am a 4 year old spayed female that has been at the shelter since 2012. My mom died and I didn’t have anywhere to go. I love to play, give rubs and get scratches. I get along well with other cats and don’t freak out about dogs. All I want to do is have a forever home and be loved. I am neg/neg and up to date on my shots.

Hi! My name is Dash, and yes, I am a Pit Bull Terrier. I’m a 1 year old, neutered male, up to date on my shots and heartworm neg.

I am housebroken and would benefit from some training. I truly want to love and be loved and I promise I will try very hard to behave and learn. Please don’t overlook me because of my breed. We really are great dogs.

My name is Oreo. I am a 6 year old neutered male that just loves to be sassy and fun. I play with toys, cats, and people and enjoy racing around just to have fun. I’ve been at the shelter for over a year. Some people say I have attitude, but I like to call it “catitude”. I really am a big love that just wants a lap to curl up on. I’m a very big boy tho! I’m up to date on my shots and am neg/neg.

My name is Harley. I’m a Catahoula Leopard Dog mix. I’m 1 ½ year old spayed female that is up to date on my shots and negative for Heartworm. I have a few issues and I need training in every aspect of the word, but I want to try in the worst way, I really do.

I’m sweet and loving. I don’t really like cats and am scared of other dogs but I think if the right dog is around I’ll be ok.

Area Pet Shelters Include: Dakin Humane Society, Springfield, MA 413-781-4019 Westfield Animal Shelter, Westfield, MA 413-564-3129 Westfield Homeless Cat Project, email: westfieldhcp@aol.com Paws4Rescue, North Granby Ct, www.paws4rescue.org Thomas J. O’Connor, Springfield, MA 413-781-1484 SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 11

Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Chocolate Chips 3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)

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Visit us at WWW.southwoodsmagazine.com LOCAL RETIREMENT ADVISOR RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD Suffield’s, Enrique Alvarez, to be featured in Connecticut Magazine for awarded professionals The Retirement Doctor, LLC, otherwise known as Enrique Alvarez, has been helping clients locally and in surrounding areas for over forty years. Located on Mountain Rd. in Suffield, Enrique, The Retirement Doctor, was recently nominated for The Five Star Award for Professionals and was featured in December’s issue of Connecticut Magazine for his accomplishments.

Each year Five Star Professionals filter through the thousands of professionals in Connecticut as a part of their selection process.

No more than 7% of wealth managers in the market receive the Five Star Award and Five Star Professionals have strict requirements for award winners. These are included but not limited to: having worthy credentials, active employment as a credentialed advisor for a minimum of five years, five year client retention rate, education and professional designations, etc. Alvarez is very proud to represent Suffield in earning this award and will continue his hard work. He states, “I will continue my education so that my clients will get the best advice available to them.”

PAGE 12

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

The Retirement Doctor has a Master’s Degree from The American College and holds and maintains the following professional designations: Registered Health Underwriter, Chartered Advisor for Senior Living, Registered Employee Benefits Consultant, Chartered Financial Consultant, and many more.

Aside from managing his clients’ wealth in the office, Alvarez also enjoys discovering the outdoors and traveling outside of America. This summer will be his eighth time traveling to Africa with his wife.

To receive the Five Star Wealth Manager award, individuals must satisfy a series of eligibility and evaluation criteria associated with wealth managers who provide services to clients. Recipients are identified through research conducted by industry peers and firms. Third party rankings and recognitions from rating services or publications are not indicative of past or future investment performance. For more information please visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Retirement Doctor, LLC , a Registered Investment Advisor. Retirement Doctor, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated.

Any questions on The Retirement Doctor’s services or The Five Star Award can be directed to 860-668-9700 or www.retirementdoctor. com

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This website also give you fun facts as well as new tips on how to loose weight up to quizs about, first impressions, good or evil, love flaws, what galaxy do you belong in, or dessert personality test.

If you’re looking for information you can trust about kids and teens that’s free of “doctor speak,” you’ve come to the right place. KidsHealth is the most-visited site on the Web for information about health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years KidsHealth is more than just the facts about health. As part of The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, KidsHealth also provides families with perspective, advice, and comfort about a wide range of physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect children and teens. They provide unbiased, reliable information to help you and your family pursue good health and wellness for a lifetime.

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Never had a garden before and want to learn how to start?

The Master Gardeners of Western Massachusetts are volunteers that are passionate about gardening, and love to share their knowledge to help area gardeners grow beautiful and productive home gardens.

Visit the website to find out how you can sign up for Spring gardening workshops in Western Massachusetts. Also,

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Winter Waiting

By Bernadette R. Gentry

As I walk on the frozen ground,

my heart longs for springtime flowers.

I know that they, too, like me,

wait for the sun’s rays to warm them.

The birds flock ‘round me as I scatter the seeds.

The chickadees always seem to thank me for my efforts--companions and friends, I share this winter day with them.

Together we wait for the days to lengthen.

Minute by minute they do.

Are we the only ones that notice this slow, step by step progress?

I ask them, “How soon will the back of the winter be broken”?

“Patience” they seem to tell me.

“Be like us, one with Nature.

See the Beauty of the winter world that surrounds you.

We, and it, are all part of God’s creation.”

And I think I understand.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

W

oodland Elementary School PTO invites you to join us at our 3rd Annual Barnes and Noble Book Fair, a night to celebrate our One Million Word Readers, enjoy our own Student’s Art Show, listen to our Guest Readers during Story Time and more! Hundreds of students, families and friends attend this event yearly.

When: Friday, February 28, 2014 at 5:30 pm, culminating with our One Million Word Reader Ceremony at 7:30 pm.

Location: Barnes and Noble at Holyoke Mall, 7 Holyoke Street, Holyoke MA For the 4th year, the Woodland Elementary PTO will be celebrating the joy of reading and reading excellence with their One Million Word Reader Ceremony!

The students at Woodland Elementary School in Southwick, MA utilize a program called Accelerated Reader (by Rennaissance Learning) to monitor their independent reading. This is a K – 12 program that has proven to be very successful in motivating students to read and challenge themselves.

Teachers and students set independent levels that are “just right” for each child. As books are finished, students take comprehension and vocabulary quizzes on the computer AR program. The number of words read is just one small piece of data that teachers can access from this technology.

Research shows that the more students read, the better readers they become with improved fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. The WES PTO has been financially supporting this academic endeavor for the past decade. Four years ago, the One Million Word Reader program was created to highlight the students’ hard work and achievement. It was the brainchild of the students themselves. Along the way to reading a million

words, students are recognized for the milestones of 100,000 words, 250,000 words, a half million words, and 750,000 words.

There are many 2nd through 4th grade students who have achieved these goals just this year!

The PTO hold 2 One Million Word Ceremonies each year, the first is held during the Barnes & Noble evening, and the 2nd will be in June during the annual Family Picnic. In the previous 3 years, there have been over 75 students who have read over one million words, and many have gone on to read 2, 3 and even 4 million words!

Visit: BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 2/28/14- 3/4/14 by entering Bookfair ID 11276367 at checkout.

A percentage of your Barnes & Noble purchases will benefit Woodland Elementary School to purchase books for teachers and the school library.

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By Dennis Cordy

S

o you fancy keeping some backyard fowl? I have to say I think that’s a terrific notion. So how to start? The most important job on your list - other than getting those lovely chickens of course - is to discover plans for chickens coops that measure up to your needs. The determining question is, what precisely are your needs?

Are you searching for chickens for personal enjoyment in a small garden? Do you want just a couple of eggs a day for you and your other half? Or enough for a bunch of folks? Do you think you might like to get a couple of different varieties of chickens? Could be you’re thinking of selling what’s left over? Maybe you’re thinking to get some chicken coop plans and create your own design of coops for sale? Not a bad idea that - plenty of individuals have done well with it.

Much to consider then. You also have to consider the space

of your back yard. Fowl are quite easy to keep and don’t need huge amounts of space, but there’s a limit to how many you can get in a given plot and still keep them healthy (and productive). There are small, medium, and large plans for the chicken coops, each of which takes a certain number of chickens.

Then there are stationary ones and there are the wheeled sort.

People can get very creative, taking a regular design for a chicken coop and then adding all manner of stuff until they get something that looks like a Dutch barn, or a mansion house, or a castle... all types of things.

Then there are folk who don’t bother with chicken coop plans at all and just use an old shed, or even an old sedan. Rather funny some of them, and fine so long as underneath everything there is what your fowl need for good health and security.

The biggest mistake people make is building a chicken coop too small. As far as materials are concerned, there’s not

See CHICKEN COOPS, page 18

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CHICKEN COOPS Continued from page 16

a lot of difference in cost between a small coop and a medium one. If you can afford it, and you have the space, always build bigger than you think you might need. Your hens will be better for it, you’ll get more eggs and you’ll have space to expand because I’ve got to warn you, chicken keeping can get addictive!

There’s no way to provide a size for each chicken - or how many fowl you’ll need to feed a particular group of people.

Some of that has got to be determined by how much you love eggs! Different fowl varieties vary in size and the number of eggs they lay. The US Department of Agriculture states that the average bird lays 260 eggs each year, but I never heard of an average chicken yet. Usually a chicken produces a single egg each day - but will often miss a day and occasionally a whole week. That doesn’t indicate there’s something out of sorts and, if you’ve got a group, you’ll never know which isn’t laying. If you’re like us, a handful of eggs a day, on and on, takes time to get through - so you’ll have plenty to share.

Sorry, got a carried away there. They are all considerations though in deciding the area of coop you need. Cash might be a factor, but you are going to be saving a good deal by building your own chicken coop so there won’t be a considerable difference unless you construct one that’s really enormous. You

can always sell over-production to locals to offset money spent.

Make your eggs less expensive than the nearby store and those around will normally be interested!

Let’s not forget that fixed or moveable question? The fixed one is usually going to be a more durable building. If you build it solidly it will last you longer. Doing that with a portable chicken coop can make it unnecessarily heavy - which is kind of pointless. The thing with a fixed coop is that the your ladies will eventually turn the area into a bare patch of earth. They will peck and scrape at bugs, grass and weeds until there’s nothing left. That’s not a concern for the birds, but if you want to keep the wear spread out, a mobile coop is the best option. The other thing to think about is predators.

If you have large predatory animals, etc then a portable coop might be too easy for them to get at. Alternatively, if it’s an urban area, with just a handful of birds, a moveable coop can be a very nice addition to your garden.

Plenty to mull over, isn’t there. The best step now is to take your time because mistakes made in the choice, the style and the construction process are invariably expensive to alter afterwards. Read through a few websites with designs for chicken coops and choose one that looks like it supplies an amount of choice. That way you’re only Shelling out for one set of chicken coop plans that can give you a number of different sizes or appearances. You also want to make sure they’ve got material lists so that you can work things out first (planning should be done to keep costs down).

Just about anybody can build a chicken coop. It really doesn’t need a lot of knowledge, just patience and a few ordinary tools. Choosing well formed, professionally created plans for chicken coops should only cost $30 or less and you’ll have all the instructions you need to put up a home for keeping healthy, happy hens - and all the tasty new eggs you could eat!

Country Life

Ed note: Here are some interesting websites for anyone thinking of raising chickens: www.backyardchickens.com www.thecitychicken.com http://howtobuildachickencoopmanual.com article source: www.articlecity.com

Real estate 35 Years Selling Homes

Tonga York Call: 413-237-4277 PAGE 18

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

Ellen A. Latour, DNP

Myocardial infarction (MI) or Heart Attack is the irreversible death of heart muscle. The heart is a muscle that needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood so that it can function properly and effectively. When there isn’t enough oxygen flow to the heart muscle, its function begins to suffer (Angina). Block the oxygen supply completely, and the muscle starts to die (Myocardial infarction). In the United States approximately 1.5 million cases of MI occur annually. Research shows that more women are dying of heart disease today than men and that cardiac symptoms are not always the same in women as in men. Symptoms may occur a few days preceding the event or may occur suddenly, without warning. The textbook symptoms for a heart attack are: Intense and constant chest pain/pressure for 30-60 minutes that radiates up to the neck, shoulder, and jaw and down to the left arm Usually described as a substernal pressure sensation that also may be characterized as squeezing, aching, burning, or even sharp. Has been described as feeling like an elephant is standing on your chest.

• Some patients have symptoms of indigestion or of fullness and gas • Heart rate is often increased and may be irregular • Shortness of breath • Sweating • Nausea Many women however will report a hot or burning sensation or even tenderness to touch that may be located in the

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back, shoulders, arms, jaw, teeth. Often women do not have actual chest pain at all. Women having a heart attack often experience sudden and extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat and/or light-headedness or sudden dizziness. Women are also more likely than men to have a silent heart attack that does not produce any acute symptoms. Studies have found that women complain less about cardiac symptoms then men. Women also often times ignore symptoms and therefore do not alert their providers to symptoms that should not be ignored.

Angina is a type of chest pain/discomfort that occurs when there is not enough blood flow to the heart muscle. Symptoms of angina include chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest. Some people feel pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.

There are two types of angina: Stable Angina has a typical pattern. You can likely predict when it will happen. It happens when your heart is working harder and needs more oxygen, such as during exercise or working out in the yard. Your symptoms go away when you rest.

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To include your event, please send information by the 20th of the month. We will print as many listings as space allows. Our usual publication date is within the first week of the month.

Send to: Southwoods Bulletin Board, Southwoods Magazine, P.O. Box 1106, Southwick, MA 01077, Fax: (413) 569-5325 or email us at magazine@southwoods.info.

Fur-Bowl to Benefit Homeless Cats Bowlers of all levels are invited to a Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, February 22 from 7 – 9 PM at Canal Bowling Lanes at 74 College Highway in Southampton.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

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cat and kitten rescue. This purrfectly fun evening will include pizza, snacks, prizes, raffles, and more.

The $15 admission includes shoe rental and three strings of candle pin bowling. Contact Paul at 413-244-2468 or email westfieldhcp@aol.com Tickets are available at the door.

Grief Support A weekly bereavement group for those who have lost a loved one to cancer meets once a week on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at the Cancer House of Hope 1999 Westfield St. W. Springfield, MA. This free community support group offers helpful topics and discussions for those seeking help and guidance after a loss. Newcomers are welcome! Please call 413-733-1858 for more information or visit www.chd.org/cancerhouseofhope

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Doo Wop Show March 14th The New England Doo Wop Society will present its 10th year anniversary show on Friday, March 14, 2014 at the Cedars Banquet Hall, 375 Island Pond Rd., in Springfield, MA. Acts will feature the Whiptines, Tribunes, YesterDaze & Tony Middleton & the Willows. Best dressed costume contest, special t-shirts and more. Tickets are $35 with optional buffet for $15. Showtime is 7:15pm. Call Bob at 786-1929 newenglanddoowopsociety.org.

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Please Help Us Feed Our Community!

Southwick Food Pantry Items Always Needed: • Pasta • Pasta Sauce • Cereal • Canned Tuna • Peanut Butter & Jelly • Canned or Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at: Southwick Post Office, Southwick Big Y, or Southwick Food Pantry.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 21

PAGE 22

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

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Indoor/Outdoor Tag Sale and Flea Market The Rotary Club of Southwick will host its ninth annual indoor and outdoor Tag Sale and Flea Market on Saturday, March 29, from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. The sale will be held at Southwick Florist’s new Greenhouse, 636 College Highway, Southwick.

The Club is now receiving donations of tag sale items at the Southwick Florist Green House, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.until 4:00 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9:00 am. until 12:00 noon. Deadline for delivery of such items is Friday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m. No electronics will be accepted.

Anyone interested in vendor space will be assessed $25.00 per space. For information or a reservation, please call Bob Fox at 413 569 5962.

Proceeds from the sale will support community and youth-oriented Rotary projects.

Henrietta’s Thrift Shop The Southwick Congregational Church, 488 College Highway invites you to visit Henrietta’s Thrift Shop which is open on Wednesdays from 9-1:00 PM, Fridays 9-1:00 PM and Saturdays 9-1:00 PM. The shop has gently used household items for sale at very reasonable prices. They have also added a Craft Corner which has handmade scarves, hats and quilts.

PAGE 24

SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

Participants of the annual Youth Speech Competition from left to right: Breanna Castor, Erik Rizzo, Maryanne Margiotta, Emily McKinney, Nabilah Khan, Aubrey Winiarski

Public Speaking Celebrated The annual Youth Speech Competition was held on November 25th, 2013, at the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School for the Southwick student participants.

The contest is held yearly and is open to 76 Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hamden county schools for students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. These schools are located within the boundaries of Lions District 33Y. The program embraces the art of public speaking and helps build confidence and self esteem. This year’s topic was “How Do I Want to be Remembered”.

The Southwick Lions Club was proud to sponsor five students from the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District. Under the direction of English teacher Maryanne Margiotta, students Breanna Castor, Erik Rizzo, Emily McKinney, Nabilah Khan, and Aubrey Winiarski competed.

Members of the Southwick Lions Club attended the speeches, and also assisted in procuring outside judges who met the strict criteria for the event.

All of our students performed well and were a delight to hear. We are pleased to announce that our own Aubrey Winiarski was the First Place winner in the Southwick section and will compete in the next tier which includes other area schools. We congratulate her and all the students who competed this year and look forward to working with our local students for next year’s competition.

VFW Post 872 Events

Free Boating Skills and Seamanship Classes The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Springfield MA, will be conducting a nonprofit Boating Skills and Seamanship Class starting Wednesday, February 26, from 7-9 PM and will run for 12 to 13 weeks.. Classes will be held at Lake Lorraine, Environmental Police Headquarters, 44 Lake Drive, Springfield, MA 01151.

The course content includes - type of boats and equipment, trailering and boat handling, rules of the road, inland boating and safely, chart work and tools, boat motors, lines and knots, basic weather and communication. This course is designed for adults as well as children from the seventh grade and up. A certificate will be presented after passing the final exam. This can be presented to your insurance company for a possible reduction on your boat insurance. This course satisfies all U.S. state requirements for licensing including Connecticut.

All classes are taught by qualified U.S. Coast Guard instructors (no instructor fees). For information about the boating courses in your area, go to, www.cgaux1n.org. Click on classes.

Or call Bob Hassett at 413-787-6720 for more information.

A textbook is available from the instructors on the first night of classes. This is a non-profit activity conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Western Massachusetts.

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We have two upcoming events to start the year. FISH FRY Friday, February 28. 4-7 pm, featuring a hearty helping of Fried Fish, Clam Chowder, Cole Slaw, and French fries.

Adults $12, Children 6 and under $6. March 8th we will have St. Paddys Day Corned Beef and Cabbage 4-7 pm Adults $12. Kids under 12 $6.

The post is looking for new members with good ideas that will take the facility and make it more attractive to the community. The facility has a full kitchen and Bar. The Banquet Hall will seat 100 plus people and the outside pavilion will accommodate up to 300 with full bar, outdoor kitchen, and bathrooms.

Families of vets are eligible for the membership, including women’s and men’s Auxiliary. Meetings are the first Sunday of each month at 6:30. All are invited. Anyone interested is asked to please call George Fedora, Post Commander, at the VFW 413569-9022 or you can call George direct at 413-374-7229.

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HEALTH INFO Continued from page 19

February 2014 Dear Friends, I wanted to bring you up to speed on recent goings-on at the State House. The House recently approved a $12.7 Billion Transportation Finance Legislation package, including $300 Million for Local Aid. I believe that the unanimous vote reaffirms our commitment to investing in loBy State Representative cal aid and transportation.

The legislation will assist MassachuNicholas Boldyga setts’ communities in paying for local transportation-related projects. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the House has either raised or level-funded Chapter 90.

Historically, Chapter 90 funds have been fundamental to providing stability and prompting economic growth in Massachusetts. That growth starts at the local level, which is why the House has been a huge supporter of enabling our communities with this type of aid. The bill helps to repair our hometown roads and bridges, especially during these hard winter months when much of our infrastructure is compromised. Having the opportunity to help ease our commute, lessen damage to our vehicles and overall improve transportation infrastructure is very important. I’ve always strived to bring our tax dollars back to the district and will continue to do so.

During the nearly 12-hour session on Wednesday January 29th, I was successful in securing an amendment to the Transportation Bond Bill. During the debate, I put forward an amendment that included $500,000 for the repair and improvement of North Westfield Street in Agawam. The Town of Agawam is tasked with maintaining North Westfield Street but they will be able to apply for this additional funding to repair and improve the road. My office received quite a bit of input about the condition of this road. Unfortunately, due to winter weather conditions, the road is in much need of paving and repair and in its current state is not a very pleasant road to travel.

There are a lot of roads in our district that are in need of repair and this is a small step in the right direction.

The legislation will also improve and modernize the state’s infrastructure system through projects including: $2.97 billion for state-wide roadway and bridge projects; $350 million in investments for Regional Transit Authority improvements; The bill is now slated to go over to the Senate where it will need a favorable vote.

Thank you for allowing me to proudly serve as Your Representative. Please visit my office to discuss any concerns.

I’m always available!

Sincerely,

Nicholas A. Boldyga Representative Please visit my website www.NickBoldyga.com for more information

Nicholas A. Boldyga is completing his second term as Representative, serving Agawam, Granville and Southwick. He is the Ranking Member on the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014

If you are having active cardiac symptoms that are not relieved with rest and /or nitroglycerine, last longer than 20 minutes at rest or are associated with dizziness or passing out. 911 should be called immediately. The person having the cardiac symptoms should be brought in by emergency medical services personnel. Do not drive yourself or have a family member or friend drive you. If you have nitroglycerine for chest pain you should sit down and rest and put one small nitroglycerine tablet under your tongue. If no relief is experienced 5 minutes after the first dose, repeated doses can be given every 5 minutes for a maximum of 3 doses total. If by then the symptoms have not yet fully resolved call 911.

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014 PAGE 27

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SOUTHWOODS MAGAZINE February 2014