Wed. Oct. 30
Blood Drive
DANIELSON --- The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church. 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Support Group
PUTNAM --- The Parkinson’s Support Group will present Diane Tryon, RD, speaking on nutrition and Parkinson’s from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the DKH RHF3. 860-774-6143.

Art Exhibit
POMFRET --- The Connecticut Audubon Society at Pomfret Center will present “Becorns: A Woodland World of Wonder” photo exhibit and sale by David Bird through Oct. 31 at the Grassland Bird Conservation Center on Day Road.  860-928-4948.

Art Exhibit
THOMPSON --- The Friends of the Library’s Art @ the Library series will present “With Love, From Kate,” artwork by Kate Gilman-Alexander, through Oct. 30 at the Thompson Public Library.

Sat. Nov. 2
‘Gone with the Wind’
PUTNAM --- The Bradley Playhouse will present the film “Gone with the Wind” at 3 p.m. $8. www.thebradleyhouse.org

Bottle Drive
KILLINGLY --- Pet Pals Northeast, a local animal welfare organization, will be collecting redeemable bottles and cans to help homeless and needy animals from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Killingly Town Garage on Rt. 12. Dry cat food urgently needed, Purina brands preferred. Cash donations always welcome. 860-317-1720.

Fall Fair
ASHFORD --- The Ashford Senior Center will hold a Fall Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tremko Lane. Lunch and bake table to purchase.  860-428-6502.

Take-out  Lasagna
BROOKLYN --- Federated Church of Christ on routes 6 and 169 will present a Take Out Lasagna Dinner (meat or vegetarian) from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. (or until it’s gone). $12.

Nature Program
POMFRET --- The Connecticut Audubon Society at Pomfret Center will present “Saw-whet Owl Banding” at 8 p.m. starting from the Grassland Bird Conservation Center on Day Road. Limited to 20 people. $15 for CAS members; $25 for nonmembers. Register: 860-928-4948.

Art Exhibit
N. GROSVENORDALE --- The Friends of the Thompson Public Library will present Art @ the Library, Fiber & Art Compilation by Hope Barton, Pat Ferguson & Cathey LaBonte through Nov. 30. Opening Reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 13. 860-923-9779.

Mon. Nov. 4
Call to Action
POMFRET --- “Biodiversity, Climate Change and the Sixth Extinction – A Call to Action” will be presented at 7 p.m. at the Connecticut Audubon Society at Pomfret Center Grassland Bird Conservation Center on Day Road. Free. Register at: 860-928-4948.

Wed. Nov. 6
Blood Drive
PUTNAM ---The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Putnam Elks Club on Edmond Street. Call 1-800-RED CROSS. .

Fri. Nov. 8
Nature Program
HAMPTON --- The Connecticut Audubon Society at Pomfret Center will present Beaver Moon Campfire and Walk from 7 to 10 p.m. at  Trail Wood on Kenyon Road. Free for CAS members; $5 for nonmembers. Cloud/rain date is Nov. 9. Register: 860-928-4948.

History Program
CANTERBURY --- The Canterbury Historical Society will present “Taylor McClure of the Connecticut Historical Society Discussing Connecticut’s 17th Century Witch Trials” following the 7 p.m. business session in the community room of the Town Hall. All welcome. Refreshments.

Sat. Nov. 9
Toy Collection
WOODSTOCK --- The Woodstock Fire Departments and Community Fire Station 81 will hold their 14th annual Toy Collection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring new unwrapped toy or a donation to the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Association on Rt. 169 (next to the Woodstock Town Hall).

Nature Program
POMFRET --- The Connecticut Audubon Society at Pomfret Center will present “Saw-whet Owl Banding” at 7 p.m. starting from the Grassland Bird Conservation Center on Day Road. Limited to 20 people. $15 for CAS members; $25 for nonmembers. Register: 860-928-4948.

Winter Bazaar
DANIELSON --- The Westfield Church on Main Street will hold a Winter Wonderland Bazaar and Craft Fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. WestfieldUCC.org.

Wine-Beer Tasting
PUTNAM --- Pet Pals Northeast, a local animal welfare organization, will hold a Wine and Beer Tasting fund-raiser from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Putnam Elks on Edmond St. Prizes, auction. 21+ event. $20 per person, at door or at Quinebaug Valley Veterinary Hospital, Danielson,  GriLiquors, Putnam, PAWS Cat Shelter, Woodstock. 860-317-1720.

Variety Show
PUTNAM --- Day Kimball Healthcare will present a family-friendly variety show, “DKH Goes Live for 125,” at 6 p.m. at Putnam Middle School. $10 per person; kids 12 and younger admitted free. Snacks and beverages to buy. 860-928-7141.

Yuletide Fest
PUTNAM --- The Daughters of Isabella will present the St. Mary Church Yuletide Festival & Pictures with Santa from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church hall. Crafts, refreshments, lunch.


...
 

Truthfully, there are few emotions better for your well-being, than hope.  Hope is not only a wish for something that may actually happen, but it is also a window of opportunity for dreams. And our dreams are the foundation for our success, fulfillment and, ultimately, our happiness.
Hope is an emotion we begin to experience at a young age and continue to experience throughout our lives; We hope for a bounty of gifts at Christmas, or for acceptance into a particular university, or for a loving family, or a healthy child who grows up to be an independent and fulfilled adult or for a long healthy life of our own. Individually, we also hope for more personally specific things like a particular promotion at work, a winning bid on a great house, or, simply, a mild winter with little snow to shovel. In a nutshell, the ability to have hope keeps our ability to have dreams alive!
Recently, I applied for a month-long writer’s residency program in a beautiful and exotic country, halfway around the world.  The opportunity presented itself without restrictions, and, since it is my dream to work solely as a writer, I submitted an application.  I am certain that many hundreds, if not thousands, of other aspiring or well-known writers, also submitted applications, yet, I am hopeful that I will be the one who stands out and is selected.
So far, I have not yet received a rejection, so my hope remains high and my dream appears obtainable, which makes me excited.  An opportunity like this will pave the way for a career in writing because if I can experience an environment where the day-to-day stresses of life are eliminated, and live (for one month) in a beautiful hotel, in a beautiful place, then I will be free to focus on my craft and produce a truly creative and inspiring piece of work.  It is exactly what the program was created for.  I AM exactly who this program was created for … I just HOPE that those that are on the selection committee, feel the same way ;-)
Yes, I am sharing with you a very specific and personal example of my dreams but, I am hopeful that it inspires you to remain hopeful, not just about hitting all of the green lights on your way to work, but to continue to follow YOUR passions and YOUR dreams.
When the lottery jackpot reaches a hundred million dollars, or even fifty million dollars, buy a ticket, hope that you win and dream, for a day or two, about what you would do with the money; you might find that you give away more than you thought you would.  When a big storm roars in, hope that the power goes out for a few hours so that you can light a candle and read a book or have a personal conversation without the distractions of electronics; you might find that you learn something new about something or someone you love.
And, when an opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, do it and hope that you are successful because, always remember, you can’t have hope if you don’t “buy the ticket”!
DREAM…DREAM…
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

..
 

caption:

Honored
Left to right: Jean Pillo, ECCD Watershed Conservation Project Manager; Michele Witham (Thompson); Bill Scalise (Pomfret); Jonathan Gradie (Woodstock); Laura Miller (Killingly); and Bill Jorsz, ECCD Board chairman. Courtesy photo.



WOODSTOCK — The Roseland Lake Monitoring Team received special recognition for its efforts to help conserve and protect soil and water.
At the annual meeting of the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District (ECCD) gave team members Bill Scalise (Pomfret), Laura Miller (Killingly), Michele Witham (Thompson), Jonathan Gradie (Woodstock), the ECCD Watershed Workhorse Award, for their dedicated volunteer service collecting water quality data from Roseland Lake in Woodstock on a biweekly schedule from April through September.
Other award winners include: Sid Ames, Rich Eccleston & Canterbury Public Works Crew were given a “You Made it Happen” Award for support provided during the installation of a rain garden at the Canterbury Elementary School, a site that presented special challenges; and Larry Fritch, Department Head of Bioscience Environmental Technology at the Ella T. Grasso Regional Vocational Technical High School, received an award for engaging students in hands-on education through the installation of four rain gardens in southeastern Connecticut.
People re-elected to the Board of Directors through 2022 include: Charlie Hobbs of Ledyard, Matt Peckham of Woodstock and Jimmy Moran of Mystic.

.