• Kathleen SchurmanPatch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge

  • Bethwood, CT

<strong>Email</strong>: Kathleen.Schurman&#64;patch.com

<strong>Phone</strong>:(203) 394-1144

My husband David Melina and I moved from Milford to Bethany 10 years ago so I could finally have the pony I&#39;d been wishing for since I was two-years-old. In an exaggerated case of, &#34;Be careful what you wish for,&#34; I  now have several dozen horses and a slew of other animals on our farm, Locket&#39;s Meadow, where we teach riding to able-bodied and special needs individuals.

After spending most of my adult life teaching drama to children and writing plays I attended a workshop with my childhood idol, author Judy Blume, who told me the story I&#39;d submitted to her for critique made her wonder if I should limit myself to writing plays. &#34;Some people really should just stick with one kind of writing.&#34; Never one to hang my head and submit to defeat, I enrolled in at Quinnipiac University and earned a masters in journalism; I would attack each &#34;kind of writing&#34; with a vengeance until I had proved Ms Blume wrong.

I then wrote for and edited several community newspapers and loved every minute of it, but after a back injury I took a break to focus on rehab and physical therapy, during which time I wrote and published a few children&#39;s books as fundraisers for the rescue that our farm had become, saving horses from slaughter and rehabbing them to become therapeutic riding horses.

Today, I am lucky enough to be an editor/reporter for Patch.com, covering the Bethwood area, which is my own town of Bethany and adjoining Woodbridge. It&#39;s a fascinating area populated by a unique mix of Yankees and Yalies, both of whom I am very familiar with (I married a Yalie, grew up a Yankee.)

<b>Beliefs: </b><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible and human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal certain key beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject these beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will force us to be ever mindful to write, report, and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you, the user, ever think you see evidence that we failed in this mission, we wholeheartedly invite you to let us know.</i>

<b>Politics</b>

<i>▪ How would you describe your political beliefs?</i>

I look forward to the challenges I will encounter while writing stories about this diverse group. As a vegetarian-animal-rescuing-bleeding-heart liberal, it seems I might be unqualified to address many of the more rustic and conservative aspects of the area. However, I grew up the daughter of a hard-core conservative Republican and lost much of my hearing from spending so much time at target practice on the rifle range (I had my NRA certification within days of turning 12) and am the niece of the woman who founded the ProLife Council of Connecticut. I understand both ends of the spectrum and my life is filled with people of these extremes as well as many who lurk in the middle.

<b>Religion</b>

▪<i> How religious would you say you are? Casual, observant, devout, non-religious?</i>

While I can&#39;t say I&#39;m religious despite a strict Catholic upbringing, I am extremely spiritual and find God everywhere, in everything and in everybody. I also find most religions to be very beautiful and love to learn about them and experience different forms of worship. Political party? I finally registered as a Democrat, but only because I wanted to vote in the last presidential primary. Until then, I was unaffiliated. In almost 30 years of voting, I have never voted party-line and split my ticket in every election.

<b>Local Issues</b>

▪ <i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community? Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

As far as what I see as issues in my local community, at the top of the list are land conservation and education. No one wants to see the Bethwood area developed to a point where it loses its rural charm. I would, however, as a citizen of Bethany, LOVE to see a downtown or village area, with a general store/post office, antique shop, restaurant (that&#39;s NOT a diner or pizza place - I want to be able to order a nice bottle of wine with dinner!) that kind of thing. I know, I&#39;m a newbie, and still don&#39;t understand the total aversion to change, but I am happy to go with the flow as I love my adopted hometown and am very happy here.

And as far as education, Yankees and Yalies alike agree that better  . . . is better. My children are grown and finished with college, but I am still an education junkie; learning is living, living is learning, and if we don&#39;t teach this to our children we have failed them. Of course, with a nod to my Yankee heart, we have to do it without breaking the bank!

I am lucky enough to be a person who wakes up every day excited to be alive and looking forward to every challenge. My favorite fortune cookie reads, &#34;Happy is a state of mind,&#34; and I realize that every minute of every day I must choose to love my life. My glass is not just half-full . . . it is overflowing!

All this with a nod to Judy Blume, who will probably never know exactly how much she infuenced my life . . .

Posting Activity

Bethwood|News|

SOLD!

Here&#39;s the run-down on recent property transfers.

SOLD!
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Thai Stories tells a tasty tale.

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Yet One More Roof Problem

Credit union roof being evaluated for structural soundness in Woodbridge

Yet One More Roof Problem
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Blizzard Watch!

Possibly a foot or more of snow predicted for Bethany and Woodbridge area

Blizzard Watch!