[updated] Mother arrested in connection with son's drug overdose death

The death was considered “suspicious” because the post mortem examination conducted by the Office of the Chief State’s Medical Examiner revealed evidence of alcohol and drugs.

State Police have arrested Heather Specyalski of 216 Spring Hill Road in Mansfield in relation to her son’s death in August, 2008 according to a statement issued by State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance.

On Aug. 24, 2008 State Police detectives began their investigation of what they deemed the “suspicious” death of Specyalski’s 15-year-old son, which took place at their former residence, 170 Seckar Road in Ashford.

The death was considered “suspicious” because the post mortem examination conducted by the Office of the Chief State’s Medical Examiner revealed evidence of alcohol and drugs. The cause of death was ruled as an overdose.

State Police then investigated the source of the substances found in the teenager’s body and as a result of the evidence they uncovered, issued an arrest warrant application to Superior Court for Specyalski’s arrest.

She is charged with three counts of Risk of Injury to a Minor.

The arrest warrant was issued by the court and Specyalski surrendered herself to State Police at Troop C at 7 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2008. She was held on a $75,000 bond and will be presented in Superior Court GA-11, Danielson. No additional arrests are anticipated in this investigation.

Additional information released by police this week states that Brandon Specyalski died after drinking beer and vodka and snorting ground-up morphine tablets. Reportedly, his mother bought the beer that was shared by her son and two friends.

Police also say Brandon stole prescription morphine tablets from his mother’s purse while she was sleeping, and that she later failed to call 911 when she first became aware that her son was unconscious.

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/mother_arrested_for_sons_overdose.html

Elections provide a wealth of lessons for home-schoolers

Along with elections come phone calls. My kids got to see me with the headset on, list in front of my face, and pencil and ruler in hand as I proceeded down the list of names to call to encourage people to vote for me.

“What?” you say, “a home-schooler can learn about elections?” Well, I would say, “Yes, a great deal, in fact.”

Talk about some hands-on experiences.

Door-to-door…

About three years ago, I ran for a position on the Board of Selectmen in Willimantic. I discussed the possibilities with my family. They all felt that it was something they could support me in doing so, the signs went up and I threw my hat into the proverbial ring.

I decided that I would spend as many Saturday mornings at the local dump as possible, so I would be a familiar face to people who use a needed service. My kids saw me out there in rain or in shine.

My kids also came with me, rain or shine, when I went door-to-door to encourage people to vote for me. THIS was an education! What did they learn?

They learned that many people were not registered to vote.

They learned how their mom handled criticism (“you are so narrow minded to think that way!”), about our town and its demographics regarding parties (what are Republicans and Democrats and Greens and Liberals and…?), about statistics.

And through the conversations I had at people’s doorways, they learned about how people think when it comes to political issues, They were occasionally shocked at what people said and what they believed. And we talked about such things, as we went door-to-door.

Media, anyone?

I did a little cable channel publicity, and I appeared at various venues where I could further my goal of being recognized as a candidate. Jonathan was especially thrilled to come to the cable studios, where he could see all the technical equipment and be a part of a live production.

Working the phones…

Along with elections come phone calls. My kids got to see me with the headset on, list in front of my face, and pencil and ruler in hand as I proceeded down the list of names to call to encourage people to vote for me.

They heard my courteousness (most of the time, anyway), my conversational skills, and my abilities travel through the phone to people I didn’t even know.

Yes, this, too, was an education. How will they treat others they don’t know? What about the people who can be challenging – how will they respond?

Government in action…

At one time, I was part of a town committee. Guess who got to come to all my meetings with me? My kids, of course. They learned a boat load of stuff through those times; whether it was from discussions between people on the committee or conversations at home after meetings.

At one point, Jonathan wrote an open letter to the committee about some of the things he observed as a young person attending these meetings. I was so proud. I didn’t even encourage him to do this. He did it himself. And what a great letter it was!

What’s your sign?

We also did our share of sign holding, not just for my campaign when I ran, but for other candidates that we believed were good choices for the position they sought.

This gave the kids an opportunity to observe the people of the town they live in and see how they operate during election times.

This year especially, I found myself silently praying more than anything. Holding signs puts one in a vulnerable position, to say the least. It is putting grit behind your belief. Holding signs makes me feel like I am out there naked… but it also demonstrates courage. I want to raise courageous kids, don’t you?

Volunteering at the polls…

I’ve worked at the polls a couple of times; working at the polls is an opportunity to serve the town we live in. It also makes for some pretty funny stories about people. I have shared stories about my experiences with my family and we have a good laugh. They also know that I love my town and am happy to serve. I want to raise kids who love to serve, don’t you?

Out with the old…

When the kids were younger, I took them with me to vote in the booths. I showed them the instructions that one should read and how to use the voting booth. One year, I even did a write-in for a candidate and they saw how to do that.

This year, they got to see the new machines and how the technology works.

They’ve always left with an “I Voted” sticker since the days they were babes in arms. They have seen changes. And how people react to change – negatively and/or positively.

The larger lesson…

Whether our favorite candidate wins or loses, or whether we agree or disagree, we still have lives to live. We have responsibilities to fulfill. And we have children who watch our every move. Home-schooling makes me clarify why I do what I do and focus more on what I feel is important.

My children learned that the people who support the ones who serve in our government are important.

This year’s Presidential Election was an especially exciting one in which to educate my children – keeping up with everything through reading newspapers, and other publications and doing research on the Internet – and for learning about this part of the process of how our country runs.

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A Part of my History Lesson

by Jonathan

History can be made anywhere – from a little house in the country, to a huge podium in Chicago. History is made every day, and I believe that on Nov. 4, 2008, a lasting part of history was made. The world will not soon forget the outcome of the 2008 elections. What decisions that are made here and now impact the future in a huge way.

My prediction of the 2008 elections, before the count, was that Barack Obama would win (I predicted right! ).

I also predicted that a lot of people would sigh with relief as soon as he was announced the winner (I’ll bet I was right about that, too).

I participated in someone’s campaign this year. One of the thoughts going through my mind while I held up a sign outside one of the polling areas was, “Boy, do I feel conspicuous!” (I don’t enjoy doing things that put me in the spotlight).

And not only that, but there were some loud people that were kind of annoying, too. And after an hour I was pretty ready to go home.

Anyway, here are some of my thoughts on the election:

a) (before the election) I wonder who will win?

And

b) (after the election) whoa, McCain got slaughtered !

One of the things I thought was interesting, was that people in other countries were actually betting on who would win the election. The news said that one company in the UK, I believe, would be making somewhere around 5,000,000 £ (or about 8,000,000 US. Dollars) in bets! And these people aren’t even bordering America!

I learned a few things during this election, about how we elect people to elect the president, and how that is called the electoral college, and all sorts of other confusing stuff.

All in all, I would say that the whole ordeal was pretty confusing, though. Hope I don’t run for president any time soon!

———–

Rosie’s view of the elections

My mom asked me some questions about the [Willimantic and Presidential] election. Here are my answers:

1. How did I feel about the election? I felt that anything that happened was going to be a close call.

2. Who did I think wold win and why? I don’t want to offend anyone, but I think Dan Lein will win.

3. What concerned me about the election? I hoped that nobody would riot.

4. How did I pray for the election? I prayed that God would choose the right people.

5. What did I read about the elections? I read stuff with Obama and McCain in political news stories.

6. What did I think about Barack Obama’s acceptance speech? I think his speech was bogus and I wonder if he will keep his promises.

7. How did I feel about holding signs for a candidate? I felt proud.

8. How I did I feel about the people around me who were also holding signs and campaigning? I felt their behavior was embarrassing.

I don’t think I’ll ever be involved in politics. I don’t like they way things work.

Rosie

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/homeschool/122408home-schooling_and_elections.html

Have you met our columnists?

Enjoy learning something new about home-schooling, or about the issues surrounding the not-so-small matter of getting rid of all the stuff we throw away.

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If you find yourself with some quiet time on your hands after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I invite you to check out our columnists.

Ruth Alumbaugh (and her children) share their experiences with combining living and learning through home-schooling.

And Mansfield’s Recycling Coordinator Virginia Walton tackles a number of topics, some of them controversial, having to do with the issue of what to do with all the stuff we throw away – and how those choices affect the rest of our lives, from the air we breathe to how much trash disposal adds to the town budget.

By the way, if you are an expert – or have expertise to share – in a particular area and would like to contribute a column, please contact me and we can discuss it. You can write to me at mansfieldeditor@htnp.com , and please include your phone number and the best time(s) to call.

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/122408check_out_our_columns.html

The Story of Stuff

Six months after we Americans buy something, only 1 percent of those products are still in use.

If everyone consumed the way Americans do, we would need 3 to 5 planets to support us.

When we look at all the resources we use for production – air, water, land, plants and animals – American-style consumption is not sustainable. This isn’t immediately apparent, because when we look at the products we hold in our hands, what goes into manufacturing them is invisible to us.

Welcome to an introduction to the ‘invisible stream’ of stuff that lies behind the things we buy.

New can vs recycled can

Let’s begin with extraction, which means digging up minerals, consuming water or cutting down trees – taking resources from the earth to make the basic components of a product.

One third of the planet’s natural resource base has been used to the point of depletion.

And extraction is very energy intensive. For instance, the making of pure aluminum from a naturally occurring ore called Bauxite uses a tremendous amount of electricity. Recycling aluminum cans, aluminum trays and foil eliminates this step and the electricity needed.

100,000 synthetic chemicals

Materials that have been extracted (or collected for recycling) then move into production.

Pure aluminum is molded into cans, foil, and trays at this stage. The production process requires a lot of input – energy, chemicals, water – and usually creates a lot of toxic waste and water as a by-product.

For instance, in order to make paper from trees, caustic chemicals are needed to convert the lignin (cellulose which makes the tree rigid and dense) to a supple fiber. Bleach is added to make the paper white. Clays, coatings and sizing are added, depending on the end use of the paper.

It is estimated that there are 100,000 synthetic chemicals used in production. We tend to think they’re tested and safe, but that’s not true. And in fact, none of the chemicals used today have been tested for their synergistic health impacts – meaning, what happens when synthetic chemicals are combined?

One common chemical we are exposed to is brominated flame retardants, which are used on computers, pillows, furniture and many other household products. If you have a house fire, these items will be resistant to fire. Sadly, brominated flame retardants are neurotoxins.

What about that cell phone?

The next stop in the invisible stream of the things we buy is distribution, which is all about getting the product into the stores, as well as keeping the prices as low as possible.

Because much of the cost of products is externalized, we do not pay the total cost of the stuff we buy. Rather the people in the places where the natural resources are extracted or where the product is produced pay through degradation to the environment and low wages.

Consider the example of a cell phone. Coltan, a metal used to make cell phones, may have been extracted from the Congo, where gorillas and their habitat are being destroyed for this metal. Other metals may come from South Africa. The plastic components may have been made in China. The oil for the transportation may have been extracted from Iraq. And all the cell phone components may be assembled in Mexico. Is it possible that a $70 cell phone covers all these costs?

More stuff, less happiness

And then there’s consumption, which is the engine that drives extraction, production and distribution.

Six months after we Americans buy something, only 1 percent of those products are still in use. It’s interesting to note that our consumption rate has doubled since 1950, and yet polls have shown that our “national happiness level” peaked in the 1950s and continues to plummet.

Two things keep consumption going: planned obsolescence, which means products are designed to break after a certain amount of use and cannot be repaired so we have to buy new ones; or perceived obsolescence, which means marketers convince us that we have to stay in fashion – they get paid well to persuade us to believe that we need the latest model of their product.

Another way of looking at it – Americans are targeted with 3,000 advertisements per day aimed at making us unhappy with what we already have. To all outward appearances, marketing strategies seem to be working.

Where does it all go?

The last part of the life of a product that is outside of our field of vision is disposal. For every can of trash that we produce, there were 70 cans of waste produced upstream.

Most of our trash, by the way, gets incinerated, and that has air pollution associated with it – dioxin, a carcinogen, and mercury, a neurotoxin, to name two. Half of the mercury in Connecticut’s lakes and streams is from our incinerated waste.

What’s the solution?

Buy less and better quality products. Shop around for something that’s durable and/or that can be repaired. It may cost more money up front, but is a better value because it will last longer. Ask the question “Do I really need this?”

Recycle. Mansfield has an extensive recycling program. In Mansfield, residents recycle about 36 percent – it could be well over 40%, but off-campus student housing has driven this percentage down. If you interact with college students, then why not exercise the power of example and become an advocate for recycling.

By recycling, the extraction step is eliminated, so less energy and waste is produced in the life of the product.

Lastly, look around. I mean, really look around. Recognize all that you do have. Cultivate gratitude and you will have out-witted the marketers.

For More Information

http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/Recycling—V.Walton/122408invisible_waste_stream.html