Monthly Archives: May 2013

‘Dog Days’ Adoption Event Continues in Saybrook Today

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IMG_3925During Hurricane Sandy Dog Days put up kennels at the Old Saybrook High School evacuation center for people coming into the shelter with their animals … now the same kennels are going up to find 80+ shelter dogs loving homes.

Dog Days Adoption Events, a non-profit from Essex, Conn., is having another shelter dog adoption event in Old Saybrook on May 18 and 19 at 6 Business Park Rd.  More than 80 dogs and puppies will be waiting for an adopter with a new ‘leash on life.’

Every age, size and breed will be at the event and each one is a rescue from Connecticut shelters and rural shelters in the southeast of the United States.  All of the dogs have had all appropriate veterinary care, are spayed or neutered, microchipped, groomed and have been evaluated by a trainer.

Community volunteers will provide guidance through the adoption process and no adoption fees are over $385 and applications are online at www.godogdays.org.

These events are different from other adoption events because this organization believes in training a volunteer corps of interested community members to help manage events.  Often times families with parents, teens and younger children work side by side to care for the dogs and assist adopters.

To date, over 700 registered volunteers and more trained to help rescues and pounds find homes for the dogs in their care.  Training lasts for a day and participants learn how to care for shelter dogs at adoption events, learn how to network shelter dogs and how to help adopters choose the right dog for their personal circumstances.

Each year, Dog Days Adoption Events continues to advance its mission of saving shelter dogs from euthanasia by organizing and training community volunteers to manage adoption events around the state.  By creating a well-managed event with enthusiastic and well-trained volunteers, this organization helps rescue shelters and municipal pounds throughout Connecticut and those in poor, rural areas of the southeastern United States find responsible adopters for the dogs in their care.

Throughout the year, if there is sufficient funding, this group also provides medical foster care, municipal pound support and rescues dogs in desperate situations or with severe medical issues.

For more information, contact Lorin Liesenfelt at 860.575.0557 or visit www.godogdays.org.

Third ‘Music & More’ Concert in Chester Features Pianist Dalia Lazar

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Dalia - rgb

Classical pianist Dalia Lazar comes to Chester for the third Music & More concert on Sunday, May 19, at Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek.

Born in Croatia, Lazar began studying piano at an early age.  Her first piano teacher recognized her uncommon talent, and at the age of 16 she was admitted to Moscow’s P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory.  During her studies in Moscow,  Lazar performed throughout the then-Soviet Union.  Immediately after her graduation from the Moscow Conservatory, Lazar decided to continue her career in New York and London.

Lazar made her New York debut at Rubenstein Hall, followed by her Carnegie Recital Hall debut later that year.  Since then she has performed a broad repertoire as a soloist in concerts and recitals worldwide, including the United States, Russia, Venezuela, Israel, Switzerland, Croatia, Mexico and Romania.  Critics and peers have praised her artistry as “such noble playing,” “a profound sentiment,” “that rare combination of charisma, personality and terrific pianistic facility,” and “. . . an inspiring display of musical excellence.”

The performance takes place at the synagogue at 55 East Kings Highway in Chester.  It starts at 5 p.m., with a reception following the concert to meet the performer and enjoy refreshments, sponsored by the Lori Warner Studio/Gallery of Chester.

At the concert, a program book is distributed featuring local businesses.

Concert tickets are $25 each; and children under 16 are free.

For ticket reservations and purchases, call (860) 526-8920, or visit www.cbsrz.org. Look for Music & More on Facebook as well.

First Congregational Church of Old Lyme Appoints New Senior Minister

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Steven Jungkeit, the new minister of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

Steven Jungkeit, the new minister of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.

The members of The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, CT, announced the call of the Rev. Steven R. Jungkeit as their new Senior Minister following a “candidating” service last Sunday, May 12, in which he delivered the sermon.  This vote followed the United Church of Christ procedure in which the members cast a vote of affirmation on their senior ministers.

“This is indeed a historic moment for our church,” Bruce Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Deacons, said.  “Steve will be the 19th senior minister in the church’s 348-year history.  He will follow Rev. David Good, who retired in 2012 after serving as Senior Minister for 37 years.  We are convinced that Steve has the skills, vision, and collaborative spirit to lead the church for many years and we enthusiastically welcome him and his family to our church.”

In response to his appointment, Rev. Jungkeit said, “I first became aware of the First Congregational Church through a mutual friend.  After meeting with the search committee and learning about the church’s ongoing work in the world, I was more than a little intrigued.”

He continued, ” Indeed, it was the church’s engagement with the world in ways both local and global that attracted me the most.  In a world desperately in need of a little good news, and in which church communities struggle to find their voices, this church beckons with its unwavering commitment to sharing the good news of the gospel in some of the most vulnerable places in the world.  I look forward to helping foster that work.”

The church’s 12-member Search Committee, chaired by Donald Gonci, selected Rev. Jungkeit from an outstanding pool of 103 applicants.  Candidates were recruited from the United Church of Christ website, ads in non-denominational publications, and member and friend referrals.  While the pool clustered in New England, other candidates came from as far away as New South Wales.

Gonci explained, “We were particularly attracted to Steve because of his superb preaching talents, his strong belief in religious involvement in the social issues, his friendliness and engaging spirit, and his wonderful family,” adding, “The Search Committee was immediately taken by Steve’s ability to connect with all generations, including students and young children,”

Gonci noted.  “The church looks forward to the next chapter in our long history and the continuing inspiration that will come from the pulpit.”

In addition to Steve, the Jungkeit family includes his wife Rachel, and children August (age 1), Elsa (3), and Sabina (6).  The Jungkeits will move into the parsonage across Lyme Street from the church.  Both Steve and Rachel are long distance hikers and runners.  Rachel is an accomplished pianist and teaches piano.

Jungkeit served most recently as guest minister at the First Presbyterian Church in New Haven while that church’s co-pastors, Rev. Maria LaSala and Rev. Bill Goettler, were on sabbatical.

Steven and Rachel Jungkeit both graduated from Messiah College in Pennsylvania, he in 1996 and she in 1995.  He subsequently went to Yale Divinity School, from which he graduated with an M.Div. in 2001.   He later received an M.A. in 2005 in religious studies, an M.Phil. in 2007 (religious studies), and a Ph.D. in 2010 (systematic theology) from Yale University.

Last October his book, Spaces of Modern Theology, was published by Palgrave Macmillan.  His ministerial experience includes a summer ministry at the United Church of Newport (VT), a resident in ministry at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church (PA), and a residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Bridgeport Hospital.

He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in 2010.  He will seek entry into the UCC by acquiring a “dual-standing” designation.

Rev. Jungkeit is currently a lecturer in religious ethics at the Harvard Divinity School.   He also served as a teaching fellow for several years during his studies at the Yale Divinity School.

One of his references described him as “empathetic, clear-headed, perceptive, patient, trustworthy, consistent, and an excellent listener.”

Welcome, Rev. Jungkeit!

Old Lyme VNA Donates Wheelchairs or Transport Chairs to Variety of Town, Civic Organizations

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The Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. will present either a wheelchair or transport chair to a number of civic and nonprofit organizations  in the Town of Old Lyme over the next few weeks.

When Superstorm Sandy caused the cancellation of the Association’s annual Health and Wellness Day fair last November, the group decided to explore another project that would have a health related beneficial effect in the community.  At the suggestion of a board member, a survey was conducted about the availability of wheeled transportation for members of the public in need of such assistance.

At the Town of Old Lyme Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, May 20, at 4 p.m., chairs will be presented to the Town of Old Lyme, as well as to Christ the King Church, the Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and the Lyme Art Association.

Presentations to additional recipients, including the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, and Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church will be made on other dates.

Letter to the Editor: Linares, Gun Control and the NRA — More Transparency Needed on ‘No’ Vote

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To the Editor:

The LymeLine (May 4) quotes Senator Linares at length in remarks before a recent seniors’ luncheon of the Estuary Council explaining why he voted against the Newtown gun control law.  In my opinion, Mr. Linares’s remarks are unconvincing.  They set a standard of glib analysis that hopefully will not characterize his future votes in office. Equally important, Mr. Linares’s remarks leave me wondering whether he has told us the whole story of his “ no” vote. The LymeLine reports that he did not volunteer his explanation, but only responded to questions after having  “consented” to a discussion.  Mr. Linares’s web site does not mention his vote.  Why is that, on an issue of such importance to his constituents?

Mr. Linares is quoted by the LymeLine as saying he “did not have a chance to read the bill.”  This is hard to credit.  The new law is largely the work of the Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety established last January – of which Mr. Linares was a member from the beginning.  The Task Force took extensive testimony, and legislative proposals began to emerge from it as early as the beginning of March.  The members of the Task Force then reportedly met behind closed doors to negotiate the legislation for two months before emerging in early April with a bipartisan proposal. Is it possible that Senator Linares was still clueless after participating in such a process?

The LymeLine quotes Mr. Linares as saying that the legislation “could create a black market” in guns. So what?  A black market in heroin “could be” the result of existing laws prohibiting that substance.  Mr. Linares does not, I assume, favor legalizing heroin. Taxes on cigarettes and regulatory restrictions on the production of pharmaceutical products arguably have fostered black markets in those products.  Does Mr. Linares support eliminating cigarette taxes or allowing the production of prescription drugs in substandard facilities? The answer to black markets is to enforce laws against them – not cave in.

Mr. Linares’s thought process in explaining his  “no” vote is so obscure he sometimes seems to speak in riddles.  He is quoted as saying, for example, that his concern was for police officers.  He reasons that taking guns away from common citizens could have the effect of being “dangerous to law enforcement officers.”  What does he mean by this?  How can it be good for the police, let alone the rest of us, to allow every Tom, Dick, and Harry, irrespective of mental instability or terrorist proclivities, to have access to military style weapons?  Mr. Linares does not explain.

Mr. Linares claims that “most guns are used for self defense”. This seems doubtful. I would guess that “most guns” are used for hunting or target practice.  Still, if Mr. Linares is correct that ”most guns are used for self defense,” perhaps it is because folks are returning fire — in which case it might also be true that “most guns are used in violent crime.”  In any event, Mr. Linares’s observation is irrelevant because the legislation does not ban “most guns” in Connecticut, but only a small subset of them, specifically some 100 types of assault weapons and large capacity ammunition magazines.

Few would contest Mr. Linares assertion that citizens should have the “right to defend themselves.”  However, that is not the issue presented by the Newtown legislation, which leaves intact an individual’s access to a huge variety of guns.  The issue presented by Newtown is whether we as citizens also have a right to gather in public places without the nagging fear of being attacked by an unstable, violent few bearing arms of such great destructive force that they properly belong in the military for our collective defense.

A few weeks after he voted “no” on the Newtown legislation, Mr. Linares posted a piece on his web site entitled “what I’ve heard in my first 100 days as State Senator.” There is no mention of Newtown.  Instead, Mr. Linares speaks forcefully against fiscal irresponsibility and wasteful government spending.  Is it not wasteful to spend scarce taxpayer dollars on the compensation of elected officials who do not have the  time to read important legislation and yet proceed on the basis of superficial analysis to vote against it?

In the meantime, well over a month after the enactment of the Newtown legislation, Mr. Linares still has not posted on his official website an explanation of his reasons for voting no.  I respectfully call upon him to do so now.  This is important to the transparency of his position.  All of Mr. Linares’s constituents have the right to know his reasoning, not only those who happened to attend the seniors’ luncheon at the Estuary Council.

In the context of such disclosure, it would be helpful if Mr. Linares would also clarify his dealings with the National Rifle Association.  According to the non-partisan voter education organization “Project Vote Smart”( www.votesmart.org), Mr. Linares last year was accorded a 92% approval rating by the political action committee of the National Rifle Association.  This entity, known as the “NRA Political Victory Fund” (NRA PVF), is the campaign finance arm of the NRA.  The 92% approval rating given Mr. Linares apparently was the highest accorded any member of the Connecticut General Assembly (shared with only a distinct minority of his colleagues). The NRA PVF website in turn states that it “ranks political candidates – irrespective of party affiliation – based on voting records, public statements and their responses to an NRA-PVF questionnaire.”

Since Mr. Linares had no voting record on gun control at the time of his 92% ranking in 2012, and his public statements on this issue have in my experience proven elusive, it would be reasonable to assume that Mr. Linares’s stellar NRA ranking was the result of his answers to their questionnaire.  Those answers in turn hold the key to understanding what standard Mr. Linares applied when he told the seniors’ luncheon that the Newtown legislation “ went too far and was too extreme.”

The issue now is whether Mr. Linares will be as forthcoming to his constituents as he apparently has been to the NRA.  Towards this end, I call upon Mr. Linares to publish on his web site his responses to the NRA questionnaire together with any other information he has provided to the NRA that would shed light on his gun control views.  This would help his constituents understand whether it was the Newtown legislation, or Mr. Linares’s own position, which was “went too far and was too extreme.”

Sincerely,

David Harfst,
Essex