Monthly Archives: February 2012

American Red Cross to Honor DAWS Volunteer

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American Red Cross to Honor DAWS Volunteer

DAWS volunteer Bob Yost. Photo contributed.

The following was sent in from DAWS–

LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUER NAMED AMERICAN RED CROSS HERO OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT

Chosen for Saving More Than 1000 Dogs by Transporting Them From Kill Shelters to DAWS
Bethel, CT  February 27, 2012 – Danbury Animal Welfare Society (DAWS) volunteer Robert “Bob” Yost has been named a 2012 American Red Cross Hero of Western Connecticut for his work in animal rescue.
Bob has been a dedicated DAWS volunteer for many years. For the past five years he has given his time as a dog transporter, driving dogs from kill shelters in other parts of the country to DAWS so they can find their loving forever-homes. Since Bob became a Dog Transporter in 2006, he has personally saved the lives of more than a thousand dogs.  When he travels out of state to a surrendering shelter, his traveling companion is his own dog, Dutch.
People may be surprised to find that this animal-loving softie is actually a retired Marine who belongs to the American Legion Post in Carmel, NY.  A retired Putnam County school teacher, Bob is currently active in the Connecticut Animal Response Team (CART), Bethel Community Emergency Response Team, and volunteers at Masonicare Hospice in Newtown.
“Bob is a shining example of what our volunteers and staff do every day. His service to our animals, his unfailing energy, and the spirit of cooperation he brings to every effort have won him the respect of our animal rescue community” said DAWS President Cheryl Rykowski.
A special Red Cross Heroes Breakfast honoring Bob and award winners in nine other categories will be held on March 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury Connecticut. Tickets to the event are $35 and can be obtained from the American Red Cross of Western Connecticut. For tickets and information, contact Nicole Arsenault at (203) 702-1282 or email her atNicole.arsenault@ctredcross.org.
About Danbury Animal Welfare Society
Danbury Animal Welfare Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our community and beyond.
We promote responsible pet guardianship and the humane treatment of animals, and work toward ending animal overpopulation through education and a variety of programs. We take pride in the work we do – working to keep homeless pets safe, happy and sheltered. www.daws.org
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation’s blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.
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College Transition Workshop for Students with Disabilities & Their Families

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College Transition Workshop for Students with Disabilities & Their Families

Photo contributed

The following is reposted from  Dr. Kevin J. Smith, Superintendent of Schools–

An Invitation to Students with Disabilities and their Parents: A Workshop about the College Transition Process

The Bethel Special Education PTO and Bethel Special Education and Pupil Services Department are once again hosting the workshop:

Planning for Transition: Empowering Students with Learning Disabilities and their Parents in the College Transition Process

Monday, March 12, 2012, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Bethel High School Media Center

This workshop, specifically designed for parents of special education students with IEP’s and 504 plans, will outline the college transition process. Topics to be covered include:

  • Information for students and parents to help understand the transition process from high school to college
  • Levels of support colleges and universities offer
  • Types of post secondary programs
  • Accommodations offered for students
  • Role of parents, students and counselors in this process
  • Admissions process for learning disabled students

Our guest speaker is Sharon Brennan, Higher Education Consultant and Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management Emeritus, Southern Connecticut State University. Please RSVP to Denise Howe, co-president, Bethel Special Education PTO at 203.792.6864, denise.howe@comcast.net, or Fran Peters, Transition Specialist, Bethel Public Schools at 794-8600 x 429,  petersf@bethel.k12.ct.us.  Your future college student is welcome to attend as well!

BHS Lax Teams Plan Pancake Breakfast

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BHS Lax Teams Plan Pancake Breakfast

The following information was sent in by Janice Ferraro–

The Bethel High School Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams are hosting a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, March 4th from 9:00am – 11:30am at the Stony Hill Firehouse, 59 Stony Hill Road, Bethel. Come out and support your BHS Lax Teams. Prices are  $5 for students, $8 for adults or $25 per family. There will be raffles available as well.

For more information please contact  Palma at 203-730-1371 or giannone07@comcast.net

Old Town Hall Debate Continues- VOTE on Bethel Buzz's Poll!

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Old Town Hall Debate Continues

Rosemary Donofrio, member of the Bethel Action Committee, holds sign at B.A.C.'s protest of the demolition of the Old Town Hall at their President's Day protest. Photo Credit: Pam Bujese.

On February 22, the Bethel Public Library sent out the following email to those who voluntarily subscribed to their newsletter. (“OTH” refers to Old Town Hall)–

Please, consider attending the Public Hearing on the demolition of the Old Town Hall.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 7:00 pm

Bethel High School Auditorium

Read on for further information from the First Selectman’s office.

  • The Library currently has 24 parking spaces.
  • An additional 16 spaces will be required to complete the second floor addition, bringing the total to 40.
  • The Millone and McBroome study indicates a library of this size should ideally have 60 spaces.
  • If the Old Town Hall were to be sold for private commercial use, the building would need 40 dedicated parking spaces.
  • The Old Town Hall and Library together would require 56 new dedicated spaces (in addition to the 24 already assigned to the Library).
  • There is insufficient space near the Old Town Hall to obtain new parking spaces. Wells Fargo Bank property adjacent to OTH has only 24 total spaces in its back lot. To obtain 41 parking spaces, the Town would need to acquire at least half of the Wells Fargo lot plus most of the adjacent Volpintesta property next door to the bank.
  • Parking near the Library is already crowded and problematic. Library patrons have improperly used parking spaces across the street at Boylan Chiropractic clinic. It is unrealistic to expect patrons to park more than a block away to use the Library, either in the Volpintesta lot or a new lot that could be constructed on the west side of the Municipal Center.
  • The current value of the OTH is $489,000 for the building and $189,000 for the land.
  • Renovation costs, including lead and asbestos abatement and full code compliance, runs from a minimum of $676,000 or higher, depending on scope of work and modifications. An architect’s plan prepared in 2003 to renovate the OTH as a teen center totaled over $1 million.
  • In the event the OTH is removed, 100% of the cost of demolition and reconstruction of the parking lot is covered by a STEAP grant. No funding by the Town will be needed.
  • Demolition of OTH will result in 24 additional parking spaces, more than enough to satisfy Planning & Zoning’s requirement of 16 new spaces for the Library.

Demolition of OTH also will release badly needed sewer allocation that could be applied to the Transit Oriented Development project. Upon reading the above email from the

On Monday, February 20, the President of the Bethel Action Committee, Billy Michael, organized a public protest in front of the Old Town Hall on President’s Day. Upon notification of the Bethel Public Library’s above newsletter email, Michael sent the following response to Bethel Buzz– 

“This notification is a PERFECT example of taxpayer resources being used to advocate a political position on a Town issue. The only people to my knowledge who received this email were Library users or politically connected insiders. In addition, every book that is checked out of the library has one of these flyers inserted under the front cover. 
 
Excluded from this “friendly reminder” is any Bethel taxpayer who is not directly connected to the Library. I am one of those people.
 
This is EXACTLY why we are pursuing the All or None Notification Ordinance. This is a TARGETED email to a CHERRY-PICKED GROUP of Bethel Voters paid for by ALL. However, ALL are not privy to these communications. 
 
Imagine these scenarios:
1. A new police department has been proposed. With every ticket written, the officer includes a flyer saying “Support a New Police Station in Bethel.”
 
2. All participants in Park and Rec programs receive an email with their schedule that also includes a reminder to attend a public hearing on the proposed community swimming pool.
 
3. The Superintendent of Schools sends the School eNewsletter out from his home computer urging recipients to vote for the School Budget so that they can keep critical programs in place for their children. (Oh wait, that already happened so no need to imagine it!)
 
So you are aware, the Bethel Action Committee has a request pending from Lynn Rosato, the director of the library, asking they will also include our Opposition Statement regarding the demolition of the Old Bethel Town Hall in all outgoing library books, so that both positions are equally represented to library patrons. She has agreed to make our opposition arguments equally accessible to library users.
 
We are working very hard with this petition to put all Bethel voter/taxpayers on an even playing field.“

Billy Michael 

President, Bethel Action Committee

Photo credit for slideshow photos below, Pam Bujese.

Cheerleading Injuries

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Cheerleading Injuries by Dr. Russell D. Caram

Photo contributed.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Russell D. Caram is one of our local sponsors who shares weekly articles on Bethel Buzz. Material in this article is meant to provide information about Chiropractic but is not a substitute for professional health care.  The opinions represented in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Bethel Buzz or its editor.

Cheerleading used to be very basic years ago when compared to today’s standards, but it has now evolved into an intense competition. This was also sensationalized by the 2000 movie, “Bring It On”, where 2 rival cheering squads competed against each other, even stealing each other’s routines. Over the past 10-15 years, it has gained national attention thru cheerleading competitions, increasing its exposure on networks such as ESPN, ESPN 2, and NBC.  College-level cheerleading, and the National Competitions are amazingly competitive, well timed and coordinated.  The squads have to be in great physical shape or someone can get horribly hurt – considering how high the stunts are off the ground.

Not surprisingly, over the course of the past 7 or 8 years, one of the leading causes of injury to present to my office in high school- and college-aged girls isn’t field hockey or girl’s basketball, it’s cheerleading. This sport is becoming more and more competitive at younger and younger ages, and the stunts are becoming trickier to coordinate and perform right away. A Live Science article in 2008 stated that cheering was “the girls’ most dangerous sport”, and has the statistics listed even higher than what I’ve posted through my office and 21 years of experience. Just Google ‘cheerleading injury statistics’ and you’re bound to come up with pages of publications that have drawn attention to these staggering numbers. Even with training and proper form, basket tosses are uneven, pyramids lose stabilization, and spotters miss catching a falling girl.  The resulting injuries are a bit more involved because the cheering squads typically wear no padding – and this causes more bruising, joint sprains and fractures.

So, what do you do if you get injured? Most often the injuries seen in my office are shoulder sprains, muscle strains, knee sprains, hip and thigh strains and contusions, sprained ankles and wrists (from overextension). Occasionally, an errand elbow will hit someone in the head causing a concussion, a headache or even a whiplash!  But treating these injuries is what the office excels in – joint and muscle sprains and strains of the spine and extremities – and getting the girls back on the squad quickly and able to perform the stunts again, just like getting a football player back in the game so he can play at his full capacity. It’s really no different.

But another benefit from chiropractic care is addressing the symmetry and balance of the individual in order to get them to perform at their greatest level. Being able to perform a walk-over with either leg forward, the splits – bilaterally, or reverse-walkovers to either side – is a sign of symmetry and is a great asset to a cheering squad – should the routine require a one-sided symmetrical performance.  Often times, just having the ability to do these things ONE way is great…but wouldn’t BOTH ways be INCREDIBLE??  My office works to improve stability and coordination by balancing the structure (frame) of the individual.  Spinal adjustments achieve this by restoring lost joint mobility, while addressing other health concerns that may be contributing to the loss – like scoliosis, sway-back, hyper kyphosis and uneven leg lengths.

So get back AT the game, and make sure you use chiropractic care to improve YOUR balance and function like the on-field athletes do!!

Dr. Russell D. Caram’s office is located on 182 Grassy Plain Street, Bethel, on Route 53. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

To find out more about Dr. Caram and his practice, click here.

“Like” his Facebook page by clicking here.

Call 203-748-2499 for an appointment.


Stony Hill Area Welcomes McGuire’s Ale House

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Stony Hill Area Welcomes McGuire’s Ale House

The stretch of road on Route 6 between exit 9 in Newtown, up past the Stony Hill Four Corners in Bethel, has seen lots of development over the past few months. The newly renovated plaza across from Big Y has a new Dunkin’ Donuts. Right around the corner, For Pete’s Sake Deli opened a larger store and just across the street another new restaurant opened.

Something unique has come to the Bethel/Newtown area; authentic Irish fare and drink. McGuire’s Ale House opened on January 30th in the former location of Hot Shots Grille at 130 Mount Pleasant Road, Route 25 in Newtown. Offering great food and drinks at an incredible value, the newly renovated tavern welcomes everyone from singles, to couples, to families and businessmen and women.

The owners said the restaurant was “designed to attract a broad variety of customers by focusing on food quality, freshness and value.” The menu offers a wide range of traditional Irish fare, as well as pub food, steaks, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Check out their vast selection of authentic Irish dishes and other savory menu choices by clicking here.

The bar boasts one of the largest collections of HDTVs around with a state of the art sound system for their jukebox, live bands, DJs and karaoke. The bar offers 8 beers on tap, as well as favorite bottled beer choices, a full wine list, and premium liquors. Wi-Fi is also available for their patrons’ convenience.

Monday through Friday from 3:30-6:30 p.m. customers can enjoy “Irish Happy Hour” from 3:30-6:30p.m. with $1 off bottled beers and well drinks.

Tonight McGuire’s welcomes a live DJ for their first of many Thursday karaoke nights. Beginning at 9:00 p.m. American Idol wannabes will get their chance to belt out their favorite rock, pop, country and oldies tunes. Come early to pick your songs, sample the menu and enjoy drinks.

For more information on McGuire’s Ale House click here or become a fan on Facebook.

"Fairfield After Dark" Brings Savings to Foodies, Fun Seekers & More

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“Fairfield After Dark” Brings Savings to Foodies, Fun Seekers & More
If you want to know where to find the best Micro Brews in Fairfield County, Connecticut there’s just one place to go;           FairfieldAfterDark.com.  From wine tastings to singles nights, from karaoke and trivia nights to band info, Fairfield After Dark has been busy keeping Fairfield County revelers informed and in synch with local happenings.
The brainchild of Danbury resident Pam Dufour, the site  has been keeping Fairfield County informed and saving money for two-and-a-half years.  Dufour, a local nightlife enthusiast, said she created the site “to bring Fairfield County’s dining, nightlife and entertainment into one easy to use site. No searching through newspapers, random websites and dozens of Facebook pages to find something to do.”
Participating business owners like the site, Dufour said, because  it helps get their message and menu out there to the public. “Sometimes, we are more accurate than the restaurant’s actual websites.  Restaurant owners like the fact they don’t have to worry about the content getting old.  Some of their websites were designed so long ago they don’t allow current social media integration, video, large file photos, and the restaurant owners know they can use FAD for those reasons instead of paying lots of money and wasting time trying to upgrade their sites,” she said.
“We have coupons on there, plus we do contest give-a-ways for places like The Ridgefield Playhouse.”
During the past two years the website has grown by leaps and bounds– so much so that Dufour has added a second site, AfterDarkDeals.com. The website started in February “to make FAD even more current and exciting,” Dufour said.

If you are a wine enthusiast, trivia junkie, Karaoke King or Queen or party seeker, click here for the most current information about happenings all over Fairfield County!

Come meet Pam this Thursday night at 9pm at the newly opened McGuire’s Irish Ale House in Newtown. They are kicking off their brand new Thursday  Night Karaoke with DJ Wendipoprock. Enjoy great Irish,imported and domestic beers on tap and an awesome traditional and Irish pub menu. Click here for details and directions.

If you are a local bar, restaurant, band or DJ looking to get more exposure for your business, email Pam at pamafterdark@aol.com or call her at (203) 917-9388.

For more information about Fairfield After Dark follow them on Facebook or  Twitter.