Monthly Archives: March 2015

Eastern CT Chamber Announces Over $88,500 in Non-Profit Grants, High Hopes is a Beneficiary

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The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut Foundation announced last Friday, March 20, the distribution of $88,674 to 27 eastern Connecticut nonprofits that will improve the quality of life for thousands of children in eastern Connecticut.  One of the recipients is High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., in Old Lyme, which was awarded $3,000 to increase recreational and therapeutic opportunities available to individuals with disabilities in Connecticut during summer 2015.

The Foundation raised funds throughout 2014 with fundraisers including the Annual Bowl-a-Thon at Foxwoods in April and the Annual Holiday Gala held at Mohegan Sun in December.

“I would once again like to thank the community for its continued support of the Foundation’s Holiday Gala,” said Lou Ziegler, chairman of the Foundation’s board. “Once again you have come through in a time of need showing your generosity for those less fortunate.  A special thanks goes to the Mohegan Tribe and Mohegan Sun, not only for providing a venue that is second to none, but for going above and beyond in your efforts to make sure this event is successful.

“Thank you to all of our Sponsors, Committee Members, Volunteers, Foundation Board members and staff of the Chamber.  Putting this event together is a team effort, and everyone mentioned plays a critical role in our success,” said Ziegler.

Since 2002, the Chamber Foundation has donated more than $1 million to numerous local organizations that serve the needs of children. The Foundation’s goal is to support projects and programs that enhance and enrich education and economic opportunities in the Chamber’s service area.

This year recipients will be able to provide children and families with warm clothes for winter, toys and books for Christmas, summer camp experiences, help going to college, violin lessons, and car safety seats, among many other benefits. The full list of recipients is below.

In addition to High Hopes, the 2015 Chamber Foundation grant recipients are:

  • New London Community Orchestra: $1,000 to fund a summer program providing free violin lessons in conjunction with the New London Magnet Schools.
  • Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Norwich: $1,500 to purchase diapers and formula for children of low-income families.
  • Mystic Aquarium: $1,500 to fund the City Meets the Sea program which instills a sense of respect for natural resources for students in elementary schools in New London and Norwich.
  • Norwich Community Backpack Program: $1,500 to provide backpacks and school supplies to children of low-income families.
  • Norwich Human Services: $1,500 to provide uniforms for children of low-income families that cannot afford to provide them.
  • The Arc New London County: $1,500 to purchase iPads to use with young adults in the School to Work Transition Program.
  • Covenant Shelter of New London: $2,000 to provide support for an after-school tutoring and mentoring program and a summer program for children at Covenant Shelter of New London, as well as those who have moved into housing.
  • The Riverfront Children’s Center: $2,000 to replace broken, worn-out, and unsafe heating baseboard fixtures in the Polliwogs and Turtles preschool classrooms.
  • Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center: $2,500 to support the Center’s crisis pregnancy program, which provides medical and material support for women and teens experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.
  • Center for Hospice Care of Southeastern Connecticut: $2,500 to support their expressive arts program for children and teens grieving the loss of a loved one, helping them to manage emotions and learn coping skills.
  • New England Science & Sailing Foundation: $2,500 to provide a STEM education program at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London.
  • Public Library of New London: $2,500 to create a pilot project to encourage every preschool child in New London to experience one thousand books before starting school.
  • Mayflower Montessori School: $2,871 to install a CCTV door monitor system on the main door of their facility with lock releases in the administrative offices, preschool, and infant classrooms.
  • Madonna Place: $3,000 to fund a program that helps at-risk children succeed in school through home visiting services and creating action plans.
  • TVCCA (Thames Valley Council for Community Action): $3,000 to support the 20th Annual Santa Anonymous Winter Boot Projects, which would allow 100 pairs of boots to be distributed in Dec. 2015 to low-income children and families in New London County.
  • Higher Edge: $3,100 to continue the College Access Program and mentor low-income and first-generation college-bound students.
  • Read to Ride: $3,200 to encourage reading in schools in Norwich and Montville by providing the incentive of winning a new bike, helmet, and lock for grades K-3 or a $100 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card for grades 4-5.
  • Thames River Family Program: $4,000 to cover the costs of tuition, transportation, and clothing for 15 Thames River Family Program children whose mothers cannot afford to send them to camps this summer.
  • Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut: $4,300 to purchase and install 60 car seats for low-income families as a part of the Safe Kids New London Coalition.
  • Safe Futures: $4,703 to purchase a new wooden playscape and rubberized mulch for the Genesis House Emergency Shelter playground area.
  • Waterford Country School: $5,000 to be used for their adoption program for eastern CT.
  • United Community and Family Services: $5,000 to fund the addition of Case Coordination to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Center.
  • Vincent de Paul Place, Norwich: $5,000 to provide peanut butter and cereal to children whose families participate in the St. Vincent de Paul Place food pantry.
  • Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality: $5,000 to support their direct services for families with children at imminent risk of homelessness in New London County through their Homelessness Prevention Program.
  • Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board: $5,000 to fund their Summer Youth Employment Program, which prepares students to enter a career pathway model into Advanced Manufacturing.
  • Tommy Toy Fund: $10,000 to purchase toys, books, and gloves for approximately 5,000 children in eastern CT for the 2015 holidays.

Old Lyme’s Mentoring Corps Quietly Helps Those in Need

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MCCD founder Richard Shriver

MCCD founder Richard Shriver

Old Lyme resident Richard Shriver formed the Mentoring Corps for Community Development (MCCD) in June 2012 with an ambitious purpose in mind: he wanted to harness the experience of retirees who had been successful in their careers to give back to the community through free advice and consultations.

After writing a paper on the subject of retired people doing something to give back to their communities, Shriver met with three different individuals, each of them friends of his who did not know each other, but who had expressed an interest in this very idea. “I had three strangers who didn’t know each other, and I thought I would bring them together, have coffee, and see what happens. For that to grow into something useful is unlikely, but luckily for us, it did, and I think it’s a good thing for any community to have.”

A group of what has now grown to 12 MCCD board members has convened every Friday morning since its founding to meet with people and organizations about a variety of problems; MCCD’s work is all volunteer with no fees paid by the beneficiaries. The group’s areas of focus include humanitarian aid to those who have an illness or are in need; helping those with economic issues; assisting people with career changes; aiding companies, start-ups, and businesses that either want to expand or are in economic trouble; and mentoring students from 5th grade through high school.

A phone call is often how initial contact is made with the MCCD.

A phone call is often how initial contact is made with the MCCD.

As for how they actually help, Shriver summed it up by saying, “After the first contact is made by the person in need, we listen, and we react.” The process begins with an initial meeting where two members of the MCCD meet with the person(s) seeking help. Businesses send their business concepts in writing and may then be invited to a brainstorming session where seven or eight members of the MCCD critique the plan based on practicality, political soundness, administrative efficiency, and economic justification.

Shriver commented, “We discovered the power of  brainstorming,” adding, “Things come out that nobody would expect. This is one of the most powerful services we offer. Someone comes in with a plan, and we apply our 300 years plus of combined experience.”

Although the experience of MCCD members is diverse, occasionally people come to them with problems with which they are unfamiliar. When this happens, the MCCD looks for people to bring in to help. “It’s amazing what we find,” said Mr. Shriver. “People never say no to helping if they have time.”

Rather than offering to go out and raise money, the MCCD helps people to develop the tools to accomplish that for themselves. One of their major success stories occurred soon after the MCCD was founded in the fall of 2012. A single mother of three children still in school was struggling after Superstorm Sandy, and the entire group worked tirelessly on the problem for months to help her obtain aid from various sources including FEMA. She now volunteers with MCCD when she has the time.

An MCCD member works with students in New London on the new STEM program initiated by the MCCD.

An MCCD member works with students and their teacher in New London on the new STEM program initiated by the MCCD.

The MCCD currently has about 30 projects, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program for the New London school system, with the goal being not specifically to educate, but rather to inspire students to take and excel in STEM classes in high school. ”I like to see people succeed, whether they are 8 or 80,” said Shriver. “That’s certainly my motivation. If they succeed through one conversation, that’s great; if I worry they won’t succeed, then I get passionate. I do my best to help them get on the right track.”

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Carina Using

Carina Using is the director of the Old Saybrook High School Internship Program that has placed over 300 interns at different job sites throughout the area for a combined total of 50,000 hours working in the community. She explained how the MCCD was a invaluable asset to her. “More than anything else, having them as a resource to help find internship sites, mentorship for students, and even advice for me on how to run things is incredibly valuable.”

She continued, “Without the support from our community and the amazing businesses that take our interns, as well as organizations such as the MCCD, our internship program wouldn’t be possible. The commitment of community  businesses and organizations is absolutely vital to the success of this program and really shows how they are investing in our students’ futures.”

Shriver said, “We like to help people at a crossroads. We’re interested in high school  and college internships because it’s an underserved area to help young people find careers. We are eager to help kids choose the right education, as well as provide inspiration to get the education.”

When asked if he had anything he’d like to say to people in the community, who might be considering contacting the MCCD for help, Shriver responded, ”Just give us a call, it’s as easy as that. Nobody should feel awkward or uncomfortable about needing help, Everything is private and confidential. Just go to mentoringcorps.org where there is contact information for getting in touch with us. It never hurts to have an initial discussion, tell us what you need, and see if the relationship works. We don’t say no to anybody about anything until that first discussion.”

Talking Transportation: Malloy’s Transit Land Grab

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Don’t look now, but Governor Malloy is trying to take your land, or at least control of the land around your local train or bus station.

When the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently tried to shove a private development down the throats of Stamford under the guise of, “transit oriented development,” in replacing the garage at the train station, city fathers were justifiably upset.  They voted through a zoning change giving them some say on the project, as well they should.

As revenge Governor Malloy is now proposing a statewide “Transit Corridor Development Authority” (TCDA) that would bigfoot the towns and cities, giving the state control over land, buildings and development within a half-mile of all transit stations.

Your favorite coffee shop across from your Metro-North stop could be torn down and replaced with offices.  Parking lots could be enlarged with fees set by the CDOT, not the towns where the lots reside.  If the state wants to erect a building taller than local zoning laws allow, too bad … they can and will.  As one critic described it, this is, “eminent domain on steroids.”

The TCDA would be run by political appointees, a majority controlled by the Governor and not answerable to the local residents whose land would be affected.  The agency could issue its own bonds financed by rents and taxes on the very structures they want built.  And the agency would continue with this power forever, under, “perpetual succession”.

The TCDA would have the power to condemn property that it alone claims it needs to further its goals.  Town and regional planning and zoning boards can just go pound sand, powerless to stop them.

Because train and stations are usually in the downtown of cities and towns, those municipalities would lose control of the development destiny of their very core.  The Governor’s bill would have us believe that Hartford, or this new agency of political hacks, knows what’s best for us, not our elected mayors and first selectmen.

It has been proven that the private developer chosen for the Stamford garage project just happened to have donated $165,000 to the State Democrats  before and after his selection.  Yet, there’s nothing in the Governor’s TCDA bill (HB 6851) to prevent such “pay for play” activities.

Were Dannel Malloy still mayor of Stamford, he would scream bloody murder if a bill like this were introduced in Hartford.  But as Governor, he seems to have no qualms at telling 169 towns and cities in this state that he knows best … that Hartford will determine if skyscrapers built by private developers should be plopped down in your town and mine.

“Transit oriented development” makes sense and should be encouraged.  We all need to promote housing and commercial growth focusing on our train and bus stations.  But this is a local issue, not a state right.

If we are to preserve the local identity and feel of our communities, we must stop the Governor’s land grab and keep control of our destiny.  Tell your State Representative and State Senator you oppose HB 6851 and Malloy’s land-grab.

Jim Cameron

Jim Cameron

About the author: Jim Cameron is founder of The Commuter Action Group, and a member of the Darien RTM.  The opinions expressed in this column are only his own.  You can reach him at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com   For a full collection of “Talking Transportation” columns, see www.talkingtransportation.blogspot.com

SECWAC Hosts Presentation Tonight in Old Lyme on Arabs, Israelis and Military Force

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Jeremy Pressman

Jeremy Pressman

Jeremy Pressman, Professor of Political Science, Director of Middle East Studies, University of Connecticut, will present, “Arabs, Israelis, and the Limits of Military Force” on Monday evening, March 23, at the Old Lyme Country Club.  This event is hosted by the Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC)

The reception begins at 5:30 p.m.  followed by the talk starting at 6 p.m.  A dinner follows immediately after the presentation for a limited number of Members and Guests.  Making a dinner reservation is required.

Professor Pressman (PhD, MIT, 2002) is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Middle East Studies at the University of Connecticut where he studies international relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Middle East politics, and U.S. foreign policy.  He has held fellowships at Harvard University, the University of Sydney, and the Humanities Institute at the University of Connecticut.

Pressman previously worked at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Milt Walters, SECWAC’s Chairman expressed his gratitude that, “Professor Pressman with his extensive Middle East experiences would provide our Members with his first hand insights in these volatile times.”

He has published extensively in academic journals such as Diplomatic History, International Security, and International Studies Perspectives, and appeared on the WNPR program “Where We Live” in 2014.  He has written two books, Warring Friends: Alliance Restraint in International Politics (Cornell University Press, 2008) and Point of No Return: The Deadly Struggle for Middle East Peace, with Geoffrey Kemp (Brookings Institution Press, 1997).

Pressman is currently writing a third book, tentatively titled “The sword is not enough: Arabs, Israelis, and the limits of military force.”  Pressman also writes for Beacon Reader and is on twitter @djpressman

Call 860-912-5718 or emailinfo@secwac.org to make a reservation for this event. On confirmation send a check for $35 for each reservation to: SECWAC, 914 Hartford Turnpike, Waterford, CT 06385.

Please respect others.  Seating and meals are based on actual reservations.

The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council is a regional, non-profit membership organization affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America and foster an understanding of issues of foreign policy and international affairs through study, debate, and educational programming. Its principal activity is to provide a forum for nonpartisan, non-advocacy dialogue between our members and U.S. policy makers and other experts on foreign relations (http://www.secwac.org).

Guests are welcome to call 860-912-5718 or emailinfo@secwac.org to reserve a guest pass.

Upcoming Program:  Dorothy James, PhD, Professor of Government and International Relations at Connecticut College will speak on “The Art of Chinese Politics and the Politics of Chinese Art” at the Student Center, Connecticut College on April 16.

Old Lyme Land Trust Hosts Annual Meeting Today, All Welcome

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saving_deciduous_forests_by Robert_AskinsThe Old Lyme Land Trust (OLLT) is holding its 49th annual meeting on Sunday, March 22. Members of the OLLT Board of Trustees will describe the Trust’s activities during the past year and share plans for 2015. One of the highlights of the meeting is the presentation of OLLT’s highest honor, the Landsavers Award.

After the business meeting, there will be a a guest speaker: Dr. Robert Askins, Katharine Blunt Professor of Biology at Connecticut College. Dr. Askins teaches courses in ornithology, animal behavior, ecology and conservation biology at Connecticut College, and is nationally recognized for his research of the ecology of migratory birds and the impact of forest fragmentation on their populations.

His talk is based on his new book “Saving the World’s Deciduous Forests,” about the challenges faced by deciduous forests on three different continents – East Asia, Europe and North America.  Dr. Askins is an engaging and stimulating speaker, and sure to present a fascinating talk

The meeting is from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Lymes’ Senior Center, 26 Town Woods Road, Old Lyme. Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.