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Merced River as it flows out of Yosemite National Park. Photo by Lee Baxley Story on Page 3!
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"We're going to San Francisco and Yosemite, and that's your birthday present, so take it or leave it!"
See Front Cover Photo
By Lee Baxley I used to take vacations with my father all the time, but now that I'm an adult, it's hard making time for us to get together and travel somewhere. This year he said "We're going to San Francisco and Yosemite, and that's your birthday present, so take it or leave it!" Surprisingly, I had vacation time left so I took a week off from work and took an actual vacation for the first time in years. We flew out to San Francisco and then rented a car and drove to Yosemite. I'm going to warn you, if you don't like driving on windy roads; this is NOT the trip for you. Or find a friend who doesn't mind them. Fortunately, my dad did most of the driving on the trip, which is good, because the driver also misses out on the sights. There are a lot of beautiful scenic vistas in and around the park. They have frequent turnoffs on the road so you can pull over and take pictures. The highlight was going up to Glacier Point, which is 7,000 feet in altitude, and seeing the entire Yosemite Valley and Village spread out below you. We also got to see some wildlife, including the largest crows I've seen, some deer and a lot of squirrels. Unfortunately, we never saw a bear like we had wanted. The overall journey to Yosemite was very relaxing and fun. Our hotel was less than 100 yards from the entrance to the park, and our patio overlooked the beautiful Merced River. It was very pleasant to leave the window open at night and hear the water rushing past. Sadly, we had to leave and go to our next destination, which was San Francisco itself! What a change, with all the traffic and honking horns. The city itself was very nice. We traveled a lot to the Fisherman's Wharf area. There are a ton of shops and restaurants there. Our hotel was on Lombard Street, which is the street that's famous for having the very curvy part. It was about half a mile from Fisherman's Wharf so we walked there every day. San Francisco had some large hills though, so before we had a good feel for the layout, we'd do a lot of uphill walking to get to our destination. Then we'd eat lunch or dinner, and end up walking uphill back to our hotel, so at least we'd exercise our meals off! We got to see a lot of the famous destinations, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz (from afar, we didn't tour it), Pier 39, and Chinatown. We did a lot of walking, but it was a lot of fun and I got to see a lot of places I don't know if I'll see again. The vacation simply wasn't long enough! I'll add an additional fun fact that film geeks will like. We were going to drive to the coast, to the Point Reyes National Shoreline. We were driving north of San Francisco and we missed the turn to go towards the seashore, so we took the next road, which was Lucas Valley Road. I was fiddling around on my phone, checking what was nearby using Facebook's Check In feature and I gawked. I checked Google to make sure, but sure enough, we were right near Skywalker Ranch. After I saw the address, which included a picture of the gate, we drove right past that gate. I didn't want to bother my dad to stop to get a picture, but it was cool nonetheless.
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CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations Jordan! Lyman Hall HS Class of 2011 Love, Samantha V
The Maryheart Crusaders Bookstore Catholic Books * Religious Items Gifts * Church Goods
531 West Main Street in Meriden 203-238-9735 Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5 Sat 9-2
CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations Val! Lyman Hall HS Class of 2011 Love, Samantha V
Pasta Supper
The Civitan Club of Meriden/Wallingford will hold their17th annual pasta supper to benefit the physically and mentally challenged youth and adults in the area on Thursday, November 10th from 4:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. at St. Josephs Church, Rosary Hall, 22 Goodwill Ave. Meriden, Ct. Donations are $8.00 for adults, $3.00 for children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 years and younger. Tickets may be purchased at the door or from Elain Cariati at 203- 630-9805.
Oswald
1993 - 6/20/2011 My black cat Oswald turned about 18 years old this year. He filled my apartment with joy during a very difficult and confusing time in my life. He had a history of medical problems when he walked into my life in 1998; he had asthma, trouble digesting triglycerides, later developing diabetes and urinary tract infections. He passed away in the spot you see in the picture. I was petting him and he was purring. My veterinarian was kind enough to make a house call to perform this duty. He just fell to sleep in my arms while seeing only his familiar surroundings. R.I.P. my dear Oswald. You did super duper for the 13 years you've been with me. You managed asthma, triglyceride problems, and your sugar regulated perfectly except you developed bladder tumors. I wish I could have done more so you could have been with me longer. You were a real trooper; more than I could have been. 18 years was a long time, but not long enough. Good bye my dear friend. I can't believe you're gone. Thank you for all the love and joy. I will miss you forever.
There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been! ~Percy Bysshe Shelley
Your photo and message or news can easily be shared by emailing them to celebrations@peoplespressnews.com and now you can post it on our Facebook wall - The Peoples Press and we will take it from there. No matter if its a birthday, holiday, anniversary, wedding, birth announcement or just to make someone feel special, its always FREE to share your Celebrations in The Peoples Press! They will appear in our print version and of course online at www.peoplespressnews.com.
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The Wallingford Garden Club hosted an informative program on Tuesday, October 11 on Live Birds of Prey. Speaker, Julie Anne Collier, of Wingmasters held the audience in thrall for over an hour with her witty talk and five gorgeous birds. Collier is an experienced bird rehabilitator and is extremely knowledgable about the animals in her care. She presented a Merlin falcon who has come back to Massachusettes to live and hunt. Next, a young Red-tailed hawk, Nipmunk, came out of her cage. The majestic Golden Eagle named Lakota, was exhibited and the audience could appreciate why this is Collier's favorite. This 17 pound female with brown feathers and gold highlights on crown, chest, and wings was spectacular. The audience delighted in the small screech owl that nuzzled up to Colier's face. The final bird shown was a barn owl whose hearing acuity is second only to that of a bat. It was a special opportunity to see these magnificent creatures up close and the lecture was thoroughly enjoyed by club members and the many guests in attendance. The Wallingford Garden Club is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of CT and the National Garden Clubs Inc. In Photo: Julie Anne Collier with Nipmunk
We are proud to be celebrating our 107th year in the fruit growing business! 1904-2011 2 Find out why by stopping by!
Honeycrisp and Macoun Apples are here! Explosively Crisp and Extremely Delicous. Everyones Favorite
141 Blue Hills Rd., Wallingford
NEW at Blue Hills! Take a Hayride through the beauty of our farm! Every Sun. at 1pm through October 31st! Youll love it!
New Hours Fri, Sat from 10-6 Sunday from 11-4
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WA L L I N G F O R D
*Leading Economic Development and Creating Jobs *Modernizing Government *Providing a Great Education for Our Kids *Ensuring Public Safety Visit www.vinnietestaformayor.com for everything you need to know and why Vinnie WILL make a difference for Wallingford, or feel free to email him at vtesta@comcast.net
Paid for by Vinnie Testa for Mayor. Gail Scribner, Treasurer. Approved by Vinnie Testa.
Halloween House
It's a nice cool fall night and Rachel and Jason want to go to the park. On the way, Joe tells me that there is a house further down on South Elm Street, about a mile down from Doolittle Park and the YMCA, that has Halloween decorations. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and now, next to Christmas of course, it is my kids too. So, of course we had to take a quick ride and check it out before going to the park. Well, we never made it to the park, because we stayed for over one hour. To my pleasant surprise, this was no ordinary house with a few decorations, this was I would aptly like to call 'The Halloween House'. It is nothing less than AWESOME!! Never in my life have I ever seen so many Halloween decorations at one home. So here I am just trying to do a quick drive by and there is a bright orange sign that says "PARK IN THE YARD AND TAKE A LOOK. TAKE PICTURES". At the same moment, shouting over to me is the owner of this home and the man responsible for this awesome sight, John Mercier. He happily welcomes us and insists on me parking in his driveway. When we all get out, he has a large basket filled with lollipops and offers them to the kids. Which of course the kids go crazy over. Then John tells us to take our time to walk around and have fun. He tells me to take as many pictures as I liked. The front and side yards are filled with huge and colorful air filled pumpkins, ghosts, witches and more. My favorite was the grave yard, complete with a Vampire that comes out from his coffin every few minutes, to the headless horseman on a life size, yet fake, horse and my favorite are the gravestones, which someone with a good sense of humor wrote some of their own words to make the adults laugh. Every where you turned, there was something else even more spooky, freaky, interesting or simply cute. Rachel and Jason's favorite by far is the enclosed back porch, which they kept calling 'The Haunted House' and visited several times during our hour long stay. It really isn't a haunted house, but for a 6 & 3 year old it might have well been. Everything in there either flies, screams, shakes or bites that would be the candy dishes. It is filled with the largest selection of scary, spooky and freaky motion censored Halloween things I have ever seen and even my little ones LOVED IT!! They just could not get enough. When I asked John what inspired him to create such a marvel to share with his neighbors, he said "It started out small, just a few decorations. Then little by little and over the years, they would buy some new ones and people would donate to their collection as well. We have been doing this for 11 years now." So they just kept finding new and interesting ways to display everything for all to see. Every year John, his wife Linda, friends and neighbors all work hard for a whole month, before October 1st, to create, organize and arrange these phenomenal displays. Linda Mercier says "We do it for the shear joy and excitement it brings to the kids, big and small." So if you LOVE Halloween as much as my kids and I do, then you HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT and bring your camera, because you don't want to miss out on some spooky Kodak moments with the kids. Hey get some great shots and you already have your Christmas cards done. Better yet, John and Linda also the same marvelous things at Christmas time too. Michelle Trenchard-Scianna
Time to Make the Pierogis for the MOST DELICIOUS HOLIDAY FAIR
Also, join us for a great time on our famous hay rides to enjoy the foliage and see near and far with Wayne!
and take your pick from the freshest veggies and more at our farm store. Pick your own pears too!
Every year with the change of seasons, the "The Pierogi Elves" come out from their summer retreats and gather together to start making pierogi's at Saint Peter and Paul Church in Wallingford, for the "Polish Kitchen" at their annual Holiday Fair. Every Monday night and Thursday morning, many generations of parishioners gather together to make between 60 and 100 dozen of cheese, sauerkraut, potato, and prune pierogi's. The dough and the fillings are prepared from scratch and assembly lines are formed to roll the dough, fill the dough, cook the pierogi's, and they will finish up by preparing the pierogi's to be packaged. This tradition at Saint Peter and Paul Church is a wonderful opportunity that allows the pierogi makers to form new relationships by helping with such a worthwhile cause and everyone gets to have a lot of fun making the pierogi's! The Holiday Fair will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the PNA Park on 171 North Plains Industrial Park Rd., Wallingford.
Citrus Fundraiser
The Central Connecticut Civic Youth Orchestra is holding a citrus fundraiser to raise money for scholarships and music. We are selling 10 and 20 lb boxes of oranges, red grapefruit and tangelos. The fruit is being supplied by Indian River Citrus in Florida and will be fresh picked the day it is shipped. For more information, please call Katrina Axelrod at 203-235-7445 or bkentfamily@yahoo.com for a order form. Order soon as fruit will be delivered around November 15th. Fruit can be ordered and shipped so please remember it a great gift for family and friends and you will be supporting a great cause.
December 28th - January 2nd Fly with us to the UK for a holiday getaway. Stay in a charming manor house - tour WelshVillages in scenic countryside filled with castles, stately homes, fascinating history and then experience a Special New Year's Eve Gala.This is a King TravelWays Special Event for only $1120 and airfare.
Making their annual gift to the people of Connecticut, the state's nurseries, landscapers, and garden centers will install new landscaping Wednesday, October 12 for the new Agriscience Center at Wallingford's Lyman Hall High School as part of the annual Plant-Connecticut program. The Center is of the state's 19 vocational agriculture high schools that recently opened an entirely new building. The project, organized each year by the Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association (CNLA), is designed to focus attention on the value of Connecticut-grown plants and encourage planting around the state, said Bob Heffernan, CNLA executive director. Estimated value of the project will exceed $10,000. Every year since PlantConnecticut first began in 1950, the nurserymenwomen have picked a different nonprofit site around the state to do their complimentary planting and landscaping. A volunteer crew of about 15 nursery/landscape workers from up to a dozen companies from all over Connecticut will spend Wednesday, October 12 installing over 20 different varieties of plants outside the vo-ag building. The plants will be donated by many of the state's nursery growers. The production of plants and flowers is Connecticut's biggest agricultural segment at over $1 billion annually. Connecticut's residents, because of their affluence, spend more per capita on flowers and plants than people of any other state. The Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association represents more than 400 companies in the business.
A True Story....
Forget Salem - Winfred Benham was the Witch of Wallingford and not only tried once but thrice! Winifred King (daughter of John King and Mary Hale Baker) was born 1639 in New Haven, New Haven, CT, USA, and died date unknown in Wallingford, CT. She married Joseph Benham on 15 Jan 1657, son of John Benham I and Mary. Winifred was thrice accused of being a witch in the infamous New England Witch Trials. During one such accusation, her husband, Joseph, burst into the court room and threatened to shoot Winifred's accuser. On the map from 1670 - you can see the Benham's homestead lot right between 2 Hall Brothers. Each lot was 6 acres so the property would have been somewhere between the corner of Center Street/Main Street and down a ways towards Ward Street. On the map - Main Street is known as Long High Way and Ward Street is known as Cross High Way. The Burial Ground remains where it is today. We are going to showcase where the property exactly was in our next issue. Rumor has it that Joseph was not the nicest of neighbors and instead of going after him and his well known family - they chose to go after his wife several times, but you never know if it was true or not - do you? Each of her trials was as a result of a different individual or individuals accusing them. She was even given the water test twice and survived. Their daughter, Winifred Jr., was even accused of being a witch in the last of her mother's trials in 1697 at the tender age of 13. AMAZINGLY - Winifred's final trial was the LAST WITCHCRAFT TRIAL in New England Now, when I read this from one website - well, I just couldn't believe it but then I checked over 15 websites and it was starting feel confirmed. I was totally convinced when I read a chapter from "A History of Meriden," with the early history by George Munson Curtis and all else Compiled and written by C. Bancroft Gillespie in 1906. To read the entire book - go to www.peoplespressnews.com and enjoy. Chapter XV from A History of Meriden as noted above When Wallingford was a frontier town of three or four hundred inhabitants and New England was almost an unbroken wilderness, when a journey from Hartford to New Haven was an event to be contemplated with concern, and the forests were the abode of wild beasts and savage Indians, it is not surprising that imagination should have been active in conjuring unknown terrors and that the belief in witches, which from time immemorial had been the common heritage of the people of all lands, should have been particularly prevalent in the towns of New England. It is difficult in this age of wide education and altruism to understand this superstition, and still harder to realize that Wallingford had its acute attack of this mental phenomenon. Hardly anyone is acquainted with the facts in the case; indeed, the occurrence is barely mentioned in the "History of Wallingford and Meriden", and even then the name of the accused family is given as Denham. Some facts relating to his case have come to the attention of the writer, and they are sufficiently interesting to be given to the public. It is best to give the names as they appear in the records, because no descendant can possibly object to such a course. It is no disgrace to have had as an ancestor one who was suspected of witchcraft. Three reasons present themselves as probable causes of suspected cases of witchcraft. Sometimes it was the unconscious homage which stupidity paid to superior ability, in other cases, the unfortunate martyr was simply a victim of a conjunction of circumstantial evidence, and, again, the results were brought about by the devious and tortuous workings of unprincipled and malicious persons. The unhappy family, which was the center of the witchcraft excitement in Wallingford, was thoroughly respectable, and we can only conjecture as to why it was the victim of this morbid superstition. However, the witchcraft trials of Connecticut did not result in such tragedies as those of Massachusetts, which culminated in the horrors of Salem in 1692. A list of trials and executions in Connecticut can be found in Orcutt's History of Stratford and Bridgeport, p.156. New Haven County seems to have escaped without one of these legal murders. Among the first planters of Wallingford in 1670 was Joseph Benham, son of John Benham, an immigrant at Dorchester, Mass., in 1630. John was undoubtedly the ancestor of all the Benhams' in this part of the country. Joseph married in 1657 Winifred King, of Boston, and when the homestead lots we reassigned in Wallingford in 1670 he received one a little below what is now Center street, on the eastside of Main street. We know little about Joseph in his relations to his neighbors and townsmen until 1691. He seems then to have had some disagreement with the selectmen, which caused him, so far, to forget himself that he was guilty of some rather strong expressions regarding the fitness of these gentlemen for their official positions. In those days, speaking lightly of dignitaries was not permitted; in fact, our present free and easy manner of criticizing the acts of our public servants would have been looked on with horror and as something not to be tolerated. At the County court held in New Haven June15, 1691, Joseph Benham was presented for trial. It is better to let the records tell the story in their own quaint phraseology: "Joseph Benham of Wallingford presented for speaking words in reproach against ye townsmen (selectmen) of Wallingford that they were no more fit for townsmen than dogs which was upon ye last Tuesday in April and was now proved against him in court by three witnesses and ye substance of ye accusation confessed by himself for which he was fined to pay 5 shillings into ye County treasury before ye 1st of November next for his soe traducing and vilifying said townsmen." We are not enlightened by the records as to why Joseph so far forgot himself as to make possible so serious a charge and punishment. He may have been a man of violent temper, or he may have been provoked beyond endurance by the acts and gossip of his neighbors and subsequent investigations by the "townsmen." It is somewhat difficult today to realize the condition under which our ancestors lived in these early Puritan days. To us now it would be intolerable. The organization of each community was aptly described by the old Puritan gibe, "The world belongs to the saints, and we are the saints, and woe is tide the poor unfortunate who had fallen under the ban of his fellow church members." "Considerations of the methods of interpreting scripture and of theological theories which were in credit will suggest Continued on Page 11
AVANTI!
AVANTI
203-440-9990 4 9
Continued from Page 10 explanations of the morbid vigilance" exercised by every church association. "In those days New England men meant as they professed. Their convictions, covering the whole length and breadth of their creeds, laid a wide basis for imagination and emotion." Everyone felt at liberty to spy upon the acts of his neighbor, and that this was thoroughly done no one will doubt who has made an examination of early church records. What today is considered the act of a scandal monger and busy body was then felt to be the part of a conscientious man's duty. It can easily be imagined that life in such a community was not pleasant. They were a sturdy lot and thoroughly lived up to their lights. The next appearance of Joseph and his family was under decidedly distressing circumstances. Of course, we cannot tell whether this situation was the result of underhanded work of malicious persons, or simply an explosion of the pent up emotions and morbid imaginations of persons sincerely believing what they reported. Let us again turn to the records: "At a meeting of ye authority of New Haven July 25th 1692, Joseph Benham of Wallingford appeared according to summons before ye authority this day and being examined upon complaint and evidence being brought against him that he had lately threatened to charge his gun with two bullets and shoot Goody Parker if she came into his house about such matters or things upon which examination ye said Benham confessed ye said threatening words in part being as he was provoked by ye said Parkers casting some reflections (in her speech) about witchcraft upon his wife yet not intending mischief to said Parker and blaming himself for his passion and such threatening expressions. The authority having considered ye case and finding (besides his partial confession) ye said threatening words clearly proved by two witnesses Sarah How Senator and Abigaile Atwater did order ye said Joseph Benham to acknowledge himself and his estate bound in a recognizance of 50 shillings to ye county treasury that he shall keep ye kings peace towards all their majesties subjects especially ye said Joseph Parker and Hannah his wife and their family. And his said recognizance to stand good against him until November county court next and then he to appear for his release as ye court shall see cause and in the meantime to pay just fees for the persecution." Evidently, Joseph did not relish the conscientious motives of his neighbors in seeking to show that his wife was in league with the devil and guilty of the monstrous crime of witchcraft. Conscious of her innocence and resenting this prying into his domestic affairs, we can easily understand the wrath of the outraged husband and his desire to plant two bullets in the body of the overanxious Goody Parker. This Joseph Parker (whose wife was Hannah Gilbert) was a son of William Parker, of Saybrook, ancestor of all the Parkers in this vicinity. But the gossip regarding Winifred Benham had now grown to the proportion of a great scandal, and was the subject of anxious solicitude to Rev. Mr. Street, pastor of the Wallingford church, who, no doubt, was greatly disturbed to think the devil had gained possession of the body and soul of one of his flock. At this same court, viz.25 July, 1692: "The Rev. Mr. Street appeared before authority, along with Mrs. Street, Deacon Hall and Goody Parker who mentioned many peculiar things as grounds of suspicion of witchcraft reflecting upon Goody. Winifred Benham then also present where upon the authority desired and advised Mr. Street and others of Wallingford concerned to consider of ye matter being weighty and to prepare such evidences as could become at for ye further discovery and conviction of ye property suspected of guilt or clearing of innocent and ye said suspected person being a member of their church 'twas left with Mr. Street that he and ye church should consider what did or might belong to them hoping God would direct them on their seeking council from him or words to that purpose and so ye matter was dismissed and left till next county court." Doubtless the time until the November session of the court was anxiously spent by the Benham family. The whole of New England was stirred up by the terrible tragedies taking place at Salem and other towns. It was fortunate for Winifred Benham that the trial was postponed until November, for by that time a great revulsion of feeling had occurred, and ministers and magistrates were repenting bitterly the awful horrors enacted in Massachusetts. Poor Winifred was on hand and in New Haven in November, and the record is as follows: "A county court held at New Haven the 2nd Wednesday in November, 1692. Those present were Robert Treat Esq. Gov., William Jones Esq. Dep. Gov., Andrew Leet Assist. Capt., Moses Mansfield and Mr. Thomas Trowbridge County Commissioner. Winifred Benham of Wallingford being summoned to appear at this court for examination upon suspicion of witchcraft was now present. And ye witnesses were called to testify what they had to say in the case and accordingly gave in their testimonies in writing which were read in ye hearing of the said Winifred. And she being called to say what she had to say for herself her general answer was that she knew nothing of ye matters testified and was not concerned there in. She also gave some testimonies for herself which were read." "The court having heard and considered all ye evidences against ye Winifred Benham and not finding sufficient grounds for conviction or further prosecution (at present) of ye said Winifred do therefore at this time dismiss ye business yet advising the said Winifred Benham solemnly to reflect upon ye case and grounds of suspicion on given in and alleged against her. And told her if further grounds of suspicion of witch craft or further evidences should appear against her by reason of mischief done to ye bodies or estate of any supernatural acts proved against her she might justly fear and except to be brought to her trial for it." Presumably Joseph and Winifred breathed more freely on their return journey as they thought of the peril she had escaped. But her life in Wallingford could not have been pleasant thereafter. Her neighbors looked at her askance and every act and word must have been scanned and twisted to suit the desires of those who sincerely believed she spent her nights riding on a broomstick in company with the devil. Joseph and Winifred had a daughter, with whom they name Winifred. Little Winifred shared much of her mother's unhappiness, which put a strain on the situation. This continued for five years with no outbreak. At last human nature could not stand it any longer and her neighbors are convinced that all their misfortunes are due to Winifred's intimacy with his satanic majesty. Unfortunately, poor little Winifred, at the age of thirteen years old was now believed to ride tandem on the broomstick with her mother on her nightly peregrinations with the devil. Just try to fancy what a life this poor child must have led! On August 31, 1697, all her neighbors are again in New Haven, determined that Winifred and her daughter shall surely pay the just penalty of their monstrous crimes and persecutions. "A special county court by order of the Governor held in New Haven on the 31st of Aug 1697. Present, Robert Treat Esq., Gov. William T. Jones Esq., D. Gov. Major Aloses Mansfield Assist. "Complaint being made to the authority by Ebenezer Clark, Joseph Royse and John Moss Jr., all of Wallingford against Winifred Benham Sr. and Winifred Benham Jr., her daughter that Sarah Clark, daughter of Ebenezer Clark, Elizabeth Lathrop and John Moss, son of ye said John Moss Jr., were frequently and sorely afflicted in their bodies by ye said Benhams, mother and daughter or their apparition and as they strongly suspect by their means or procurement by ye devil in their shapes. Therefore, we desire ye authority as Gods ordinance for their relief strictly to examine ye said suspected persons, in order to a due trial of them so that a stop may be put to their sufferings; prevention of such mischiefs among them for the future." "The court having seriously considered the accusations and information, based on good testimony against Winifred Benham Sr. and Winifred Benham Jr., upon suspicion of them for witchcraft, they or the devil in their shapes afflicting sundry young persons above named. As formerly accused and suspected in ye year 1692. And finding clear and sufficient grounds for suspicion against them after strict examination of ye said persons apart and severally see just cause to bind over the said Benhams, mother and daughter to appear at ye next court of Assistants. in October in Hartford for further examination and trial personally. And the husband of said Winifred Sr. gave 40 shillings recognizance for their appearance accordingly or that they be secured in person for their said trial. And said Benham to pay ye charge of this county court charges 21 shillings exemption granted for said 21 shillings. Also ye Death of said________ young child to be inquired in to with what appeared to be spots on said child and ye like spots on said Benham quickly vanishing." What transpired between the date of this court and that in Hartford we do not know; but mother and daughter were quickly released when the case came to trial, as appears by the following extract from records in the office of Secretary of State in Hartford: "At a court of Assistants held in Hartford October 7th 1697, Captain Daniel Clark also at this (court) as attorney on behalf of our Sovereign Lord the King appeared in court and accused Winifred Benham Sr. and Winifred Benham Jr., both of Wallingford for having familiarity with Satan the enemy of God and mankind and by his aid doing many supernatural acts by mischievously hurting the bodies and goods of sundry persons of Jao Mosse Jr, Joseph Royce and Ebenezer Clark with Divers others to the great damage and disturbance of the public peace, and etc. This bill of charge with the testimonies relating there unto being referred to the consideration of the grand jury, they returned upon the bill ignoramus." That is "not proven." Fortunately, a more enlightened feeling had grown up in the colony, and for this reason mother and daughter were hence forth not publicly persecuted, but doubtless the memory of these terrible experiences never for took them. From the late Dr. Charles J. Hoadley, state librarian, the writer had the assurance that this was the last witchcraft trial in Connecticut.
Fall Social
Organized for you enjoyment by the Friends of Troop 10 Boy Scouts!
A gathering of Fellowship for the fall season with all tips benefiting Troop 10.
Heaven on Earth!
Make a wish for the perfect cake and we will come true!
Best known for fresh cannolis and whipped cream cakes with fresh strawberries. We are the home of delectable Italian cookies and pastries, fresh baked breads, rolls, danishes, mini pastries and cakes. Stop by today!
On Friday, Sept. 16, the third graders at Nathan Hale School were treated to a visit from Meriden Police Officer D. Buck and his dog, Anouke. This followed a story they were reading called Office Buckle and Gloria. Officer Buck told the children all about Anouke's training and showed them how she can use her keen nose to assist the police department in solving crimes. The children were all able to pet Anouke and hold a sample of a bullet proof vest the department hopes to buy. The children showed their appreciation by contributing to a fund that has been set up to buy Anoukea a vest. Meriden has been without a canine for a few years, so they are in need of buying a bullet proof vest to keep Anouke safe. The third graders were very excited to present Office Buck with a donation to help buy the vest. We want to express our appreciation to Officer Buck, Anouke, and the Meriden Police Department for allowing this wonderful presentation to take place. Thanks Officer Buck and Anouke!! In Photo: Mrs. Erasmus and her class pose with Anouke.
Diary of a Cat!
CELEBRATIONS
Troy picks out his first Halloween pumpkin, with the help of his mom, Keegan.
Now A ccepting R egistrations f or Classes - K inderart & Y oung A rtist Programs & A dult!
Try our Adult Art Classes at Easel Works & soothe the stress away. Youll love it.
EASEL WORKS
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A SPOOKTACULAR EVENT!
It seems like only yesterday when the new-kid on the block came to town. He carried a large leather bag, a pen, a notebook, and a dream -- a dream to bring the world to the doorstep of each and every person living in the Central area of this great state of Connecticut. And, here we are in the midst of the 11th year of Andy and Dawn's creation -- The People's Press. We have been presented with some of the most interesting articles, stories, poems, recipes, and all kinds of current events and happenings in and around the area. The People's Press has shared oodles and oodles of wonderful photos from its readers and, of course, Andy's own unique pictures. The Reynolds family has worked diligently and admirably to present us with one of America's truest forms of news -- news that is informative, and well received, by all who have picked up an issue and perused the pages of this respected icon. I, for one, have been a loyal fan of this noble institution, and I can say that I am happy to be able to escape the bonds of the uninformed with each new addition that is there for me -- and besides all the glamour and glitter within, the one factor that makes it my newspaper is --IT'S FREE. My thanks go out to Andy, Dawn and his family for their persistent quest to bring us the best of the best. George Arndt
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The Organizer In Me
JoAnne M. Grabinski It happened quite suddenly with an email that said, "Your grant request has been approved." I sat staring at the screen not trusting the words in front of me. Then it slowly started to sink in, "We got the grant! We got the grant!" How exciting, how wonderful! One heartbeat, then two. Then it hit me, "OMG, we got the grant and we have a ton of work to do!" It was late August and we had to get everything in place for the Fall. Only a few months to plan, organize, publicize, recruit and execute the QRWA 3M Rapid Bioassessment grant. Essentially this is the program in a nutshell: we train everyday people or 'citizen scientists' to gather samples of micro invertebrates or bugs, which are in the water. The micro invertebrates are sensitive to the pollutants in the water, some more that others, so depending on what type of creatures you have in the various sample locations, can be a relatively good indication of the ecological conditions of that part of the Quinnipiac River. This program does not test the drinkability of the water. So doing this over a period of time can give the DEEP a pretty good idea of what's going on in the water. If something seems out of whack, they the DEEP can look into the matter further, we're providing them the data in the form of samples, which they call vouchers. And the more representative our vouchers of the various locations are, provides an accurate picture of the health of the Quinnipiac River. Ok, now it was time to PLAN and get ORGANIZED. First things first, a major planning session with Becky to get our bearings and get going. Becky was the inspiration for the grant. She had participate in this CT-DEEP program and thought it would be a good fit for the QRWA, I just found an organization to help us make it happen, many, many thanks to the 3M Foundation. The good thing was that the State had an existing plan for this Rapid Bioassessment for Volunteer Monitors, or RBV for short. We went to a training class, got an overview for what needed to be done, then went out in the fiend to participate in an actual sampling. Mike Beauchene from the DEEP provided us with a ton of information, more than enough to have Becky do train-the-trainer sessions. A definite plus was asking other people there what worked for them and were they willing to share their documents. This resulted in a number of things that jump started our plans, checklists, letters and releases were one less thing for us to do. I felt it was important for us to have our own 'intention statement', just a few sentences of what we wanted for this program, our personal goals to make this successful. In part it reads, "The intent of the program to provide the CT DEEP with the highest possible quality voucher samples from as many locations within the Quinnipiac River basin during the sampling events. We want everyday people who have an interest in the health of the Quinnipiac River to be able to participate in a positive, safe and fun learning opportunity as citizen scientists." This was then followed by a bulleted list of the things that we thought we needed to do to accomplish our goal. Everything from, "be a fun, enjoyable and informative event for all participants" to "create a master schedule so others can run the event" to "provide a timely and accurate progress report". We each had our own tasks; Becky was to purchase all the items for the kits: the nets, buckets, trays, sieves, magnifying glasses and tweezers, while I focused on the more practical items, a small first aid kit, clipboard, gloves, hand sanitizer and such. We labeled everything and let me tell you I LOVED that part, I really, really did. Then I laminated a bunch of documents Becky had compiled, the macro invertebrate identification cards, the logic chart and the quick reference sheet too. I laminated little tags for the buckets and the bags, so all the equipment would be easy to identify and keep together. We even created car placards so others would at least have an inkling that the cars that are parked at the side of the road were there for a reason. We did our due diligence, that's for sure. We visited each of the ten sites the DEEP wanted to sample to confirm the location and to see if it still accessible and if they were any hazards like poison ivy or brambles. Each team leader will receive directions and a map to the site, along with our comments of where to park and what to watch out for. Additionally, they'll have a letter stating the project if they are any landowners questioning what they are doing. We are trying to be as prepared and proactive as we possibly can. Safety is a concern for us, as we want all our volunteers to be safe while they are conducting the RBV sampling. Our tee shirts are a very bright neon yellow, we've ordered safety vests and cones and Becky stress the pitfalls of being in the rumbling water during her overview and hands-on training sessions. To that end we put together a list of emergency numbers that will include the cell phone numbers of Becky, myself and all the team leaders along with 9-1-1. Throughout our planning process the underlying question we want to answer is, "What do we need to do to make sure the samples are good quality while providing a fun, safe and educational experience for our volunteers?" I like to think we have thought though things enough to make sure the goal is met. We've bounced ideas off each other to see if the make sense, are practical and add value. Of course, we created a little survey so the volunteers can provide us with feedback, which will help us to make sure we improve for the next time. Because that is our ultimate goal, to get continuous funding so we can do the RBV program for years to come. Editors Note: JoAnne M. Grabinski goes above and beyond in all of her efforts not only to benefit the QRWA but to so many others as well. She is a true LocalMotivator and deserves special recognition for the difference she has made for our communities. I look forward to so much more from her in the future. No pressure JoAnne. When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Attorney and Wallingford Town Councilor Craig Fishbein Dear Friends and Citizens of Wallingford, My first term on the Wallingford Town Council has been filled with many challenges, but has also been quite rewarding. There have been many issues: from the 2009-2010 budget to the Wallingford VNA, from the American Legion Building to the Wallingford Housing Authority, from the North Farms Firehouse to the 20112012 budget, there has never been a dull moment. I thank everyone (once again) who made my first campaign for public office a success. I hope that I have served you well during my first term, and respectfully request the permission to do so once again. As with my last campaign, if elected, I will strive for lower taxes, attempt to bring a more common sense approach to government, and fight for less government intervention into the lives of our law-abiding residents. I respectfully ask for your vote on November 8, 2011. Sincerely, Craig Fishbein I believe that it is not the governments responsibility to give us handouts or to tell us what to do. It is not the government's place to regulate and/or to tax us to death. As a member of the Wallingford Town Council, I will strive for smaller government, low taxes, and less interference in the day-today affairs of our law abiding citizens.
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