The heavy rain on Sunday played havoc with a couple scheduled events in Woodbridge.  At nine in the morning Chris Loscalzo had planned to lead a bird walk around the Massaro farm. It was canceled because of the rain, and won't be rescheduled because of the holidays.  However, Mr. Loscalzo hopes to lead several bird walks on the farm in 2011. The dates have yet to be set, but will probably start in early spring. Mr. Loscalzo regularly leads walks for the New Haven Bird Club and has occasionally led walks in Woodbridge and Bethany, including a trek at the Fitzgerald property in Woodbridge last…

For over two years, nine year old Fiona Hynes, and her father, yours truly, have produced an Internet based radio show, aptly named Fiona's Radio Show, just about every Sunday evening.  Often it is just the two of them discussing the topics of the week.  Sometimes, family or friends call in, and on various occasions special guests have called in.  Previous guests have included Governor-Elect Dan Malloy, Secretary of State-Elect Denise Merrill, Comptroller-Elect Kevin Lembo, State Representative Themis Klarides as well as Marc Garofalo who ran against Representative Klarides in 2008.  …

The Fitzgerald property off of Beecher Road and Center Road is often called the cornfields by the locals, even though there hasn't been corn grown there for several years.  It is a popular gathering place on Saturday mornings for people to walk their dogs, run, or simply go for a stroll with friends to catch up on the week's news.  It is perhaps as close as we get in Woodbridge to 'common ground'. There is a different piece of town owned property, the Alegi property off of Pease Road over which residents are finding less common ground, and it is this property that brought about some …

Friday, State Trooper Samatha McCord, a detective with the Connecticut State Police crimes and electronic evidence laboratory, spoke with seventh and eight grade students at Amity Middle School in Bethany about Internet Safety.  It is an important issue that is getting much more consideration these days.  The Internet has changed a lot over the past few years, but school policies haven't always kept pace. The issue is also being considered by teachers, school board members and parents in Woodbridge.  At the request of the school board and the administration, a technology policy review …

"What would it take to change the world?" That is the question that Rotary International asks to start the section of their website that describes who they are. They answer by talking about 33,000 clubs worldwide with more than 1.2 million total members. These members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and provide many other great services, living out a motto of "Service Above Self". In Woodbridge, the Rotary Club meets every Friday at 12:15 p.m. at Coachman Square, 21 Bradley Road, Woodbridge.  Except they probably won't be …

This afternoon at 4:30, around fifty people, mostly kids, gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven to celebrate the start of Chanukah.  Long time JCC staffer Andy Sarkany led the Hebrew prayers and lit the first candle of the menorah.  Participants gathered around the piano as Richard Gans led the group in Chanukah songs. There will be four more public Chanukah candle lightings on December 2nd, 6th, 7th and 8th at 4:30 pm in the JCC lobby.  There will be also be a special Shabbat Friends on December 3rd at 11 am with Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus at the JCC family center and a …

Like most newspapers, the Bethwood Patch has an obituary section.  The obituaries are typically around one hundred and twenty words long and sound like they came straight from the funeral home.  The deceased is typically listed as well-beloved and died either unexpectedly or after a short or long illness.  The next of kin are listed as are funeral arrangements.  That's it.  All nicely tied up so we can have closure and move on. Except that isn't really what it is like when someone dies. The next of kin are bereaved. Mourning takes time. People who were not as closely connected to the …

Last Friday, I set out in search of the Woodbridge Black Friday experience.  I ended up spending a lot of my time talking with the Boy Scouts and my column on Friday morning ended up being all about that.  Perhaps this reflects a problem that we face here in Woodbridge.  We see one or two of the things that makes Woodbridge special to us, and overlook others. Maybe shopping in Woodbridge is one of them.  I probably shouldn't be the one to write this particular column because as a general rule, I detest shopping.  On the other hand, if I could have a pleasant experience visiting some of the …

With trepidation I set out in search of the Woodbridge Black Friday experience.  You see, I normally have a modest allergy to shopping, but a day like Black Friday is likely to incapacitate me.  Nonetheless, I had a sense that Black Friday in Woodbridge would be somehow different.  I was right. My first stop was at the old Firehouse, where Boy Scout Troop 63 was selling Christmas trees, wreaths, balls and other decorations.  The only thing getting trampled here was some of the grass around the Christmas Trees.  Five scouts and a few adults stood around getting ready to serve the next …

  This holiday season there are many great opportunities to get out and celebrate.  It can be a wonderful chance to get to know our own traditions a little better, and perhaps even learn about other traditions.  The annual ecumenical thanksgiving service celebrated Tuesday evening at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Woodbridge has helped set the stage for the holidays.  In addition to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in Woodbridge, First Church of Christ Woodbridge, Trinity Evangelical Free Church of Woodbridge and …

"I don't know how I'm going to make it through the holidays."  It is a common refrain for people struggling with alcoholism or problems overeating.  It is a concern for families trying to make ends meet and still find a way of joyfully celebrating the holidays.  For that matter, it is a concern for anyone simply trying to keep track of all that is going on in Woodbridge and Bethany this holiday season.  Fortunately, we live in a community that draws together to help one another out and there are many places to find help. For those struggling with alcohol, Alcoholics Anonymous meets every …

Almost ten years ago, when my wife and I were expecting the birth of our child we sat down with a genetic counselor to discuss our family health history.  Were there markers in our family trees of health issues we should look out for? I was embarrassed to admit that I did not know as much about my family health history as I would have liked.  My grandmother died of cancer, yet I don't know what form it was.  There had been relatives with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's but I didn't know much more. Thanksgiving Day, 2004 was designated by the U.S. Surgeon General as national Family …

Every Friday and Saturday night around half a dozen bands perform at the Amity Teen Center, 10 Selden St, in Woodbridge.  The Amity Teen Center was founded in 1987 in provide a safe alcohol and drug free space for the kids of our community to express themselves. Besides the weekend concerts with a band stage and dance floor, there is a recording studio, a basketball court, PC and video game rooms.  The 5000 square foot facility is available for parties. It was at a party at the Amity Teen Center, where the Bethany based band, The Foresters, made their debut on November 20th.  Fans rocked …

Octogenarians Lawrence Luciani and Ann Adamovich nee DeVito have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. They are both long-time residents with deep family roots in Woodbridge and they are regulars at the Senior Center events. On Tuesday, the Woodbridge Police Union sponsored a special Thanksgiving lunch for Larry, Ann and over a hundred other seniors.  Deputy Chief Ray Stuart, along with four other officers helped with the meal as the seniors gathered around tables set up in the Senior Center Cafeteria and shared stories. At Larry's table, seniors told stories about Luciani's farm and…

 They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but not all words are equal.  The same applies to photographs.  Some of the images taken with my cellphone may mean a bit to me, but probably not a thousand words' worth.  On the other hand a good camera in the hands of a well trained and skilled photographer can be worth hundreds of thousands of words. This is the case with the photographs of long-time Bethany resident William Guth.  His exhibit, "In the Footsteps of Georgia O'Keefe, Photographs from New Mexico's High Desert" will be on display at the Prospect Public Library, 17 Center St, …

Thanksgiving is more than just a day that comes around once a year when we eat turkey, watch football and think about our ancestors who came to this land in search of freedom.  Thanksgiving is a way of life practiced and celebrated in many different ways in Woodbridge and Bethany. Woodbridge recreation department yoga instructor, Diane King invited her students to special 'Yoga for Gratitude' sessions on Monday at The Center.  The class was free to participants, but just as Ms. King was giving back to the community, she encouraged her students to give back as well by bringing food donations …