UConn women bring home victory against Georgetown 80-61 and UConn men whip Providence 94-61

Coach Auriemma holds the top winning percentage of any active coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

It was a great day for UConn basketball – for the men and women’s teams – with both bringing home major victories.

The women’s team…

The No. 1/1 University of Connecticut women’s basketball team celebrates a 80-61 victory over Georgetown in BIG EAST Conference play at McDonough Gym in Washington, D.C. this afternoon [Jan. 31, 2009].

The Huskies stand 7-0 in the Conference and remain undefeated this year, with a 21-0 overall record.

UConn has now opened BIG EAST play a perfect 7-0 for the fifth straight season.

Georgetown falls to 3-5 in the Conference and 13-8 for the year.

Despite beginning the game with three quick turnovers and not connecting on a field goal until nearly three minutes in, the Huskies took a 15-point lead at the break after shooting .600 (15-of-25) from the floor, including 5-of-11 from three-point land.

Both teams had equal opportunities in the first half – the lead changed nine times in the first 13 minutes of the contest before the Huskies took control of the game.

The Huskies forced 15 turnovers from the Hoyas in the first half – while turning a one-point deficit with seven minutes to go in the half into a 15-point advantage – with a 13-2 run over the final 2:37 of the opening frame.

UConn opened the second half by out-scoring Georgetown 25-3 over the opening 8:57, en route to a 32-point lead, their largest of the game.

The Huskies finished the game shooting .466 (27-of-58) from the field while holding the Hoyas to a .412 (21-of-51) showing.

Today’s game marked the 800th in the career of UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who, after today’s win over Georgetown, boasts a record of 679-122. Auriemma holds the top winning percentage of any active coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

After today’s victory, UConn extends its winning streak against non-ranked opponents to 105 consecutive games, while improving its all-time series record with Georgetown to 40-6.

The Huskies now have won each of their last 23 games played during the first month of the year.

UConn women head back to the XL Center in Hartford for the first of two meetings with BIG EAST opponent Rutgers on Tuesday, Feb. 3 with an 8 p.m. tip that will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports. See PDF attachment at end of story for UConn women’s stats.

The men’s team…

Senior A.J. Price reached 1,000 career points and junior Hasheem Thabeet recorded a triple-double as the No. 2 nationally-ranked University of Connecticut men’s basketball team scored a 94-61 victory over Providence College Saturday afternoon [Jan. 31] in front of a crowd of 10,167 at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus.

With the win, the Huskies improved to 20-1 overall and 9-1 in the BIG EAST Conference, while the Friars fall to 14-7 overall and 6-3 in Conference play.

For the second time this week, a UConn player reached the 1,000 career-point mark.

Price joined an elite group when he hit his second three of the game, becoming the 42nd player in UConn men’s basketball history to score 1,000 or more points.

He finished with a game-high 19 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point range.

Thabeet recorded his first career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Thabeet’s triple-double was just the seventh in UConn history, and he matched his career-high and school-record tying 10 blocks for the third time. It is the most blocks in a single-game by one player in the NCAA this season.

Price scored his 1,000th point on his second three of the game at 8:47, giving UConn its second five-point lead of the first half.

The Huskies led by as many as seven points in a first half that saw 10 lead changes.

Providence tied the game, 34-34, with a Randall Hanke layup, with just over two minutes remaining in the first half.

Junior Gavin Edwards with the put back, regained the UConn advantage and the Huskies left the court with a 38-34 lead, after a jumper by Price with six seconds on the clock.

Providence called a timeout after UConn opened the second half with a 9-0 run that included baskets from Adrien, Price and Robinson for a 49-34 edge at 16:58.

Following the timeout, UConn extended its lead – the Huskies shot 51.3 percent from the field in the second half.

At 8:02, a long three from Price in front of the UConn bench saw the Huskies leading 67-51 – and never turning back.

During a scoreless stretch for the Friar’s, the Huskies shot 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, with senior Craig Austrie and junior Jerome Dyson each making four.

After almost four minutes without a basket, Friars’ head coach called a 60 -second timeout, with UConn in control 82-51, with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

The Huskies stretched their lead to as many as 37 points twice in the final three minutes of play before winning the game by the 94-61 final.

The season continues with a 7 p.m. match-up with the University of Louisville Cardinals on Monday, Feb. 2. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/sports/01312009_uconn_men_women_bball.html

'Suits & Sneakers' raises awareness of cancer research programs

NABC members take part in ‘Coaches vs. Cancer’

The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in conjunction with the American Cancer Society invites coaches to join in the “2009 Coaches vs. Cancer – Suits and Sneakers” awareness weekend, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2009.

The NABC encourages member coaches and their staff to wear sneakers with their suits at games held this weekend all across the country to show support for the “Coaches vs. Cancer” program.

One-third of cancer deaths could be prevented with proper diet and exercise, according to the American Cancer Society. Obesity has been shown to increase the risk for many forms of cancer – including breast, prostate and colon cancers.

So, the idea behind “Suits & Sneakers” is to encourage college basketball audiences to think about the importance that nutrition and physical activity play in reducing the risk of cancer – and to encourage team effort to promote research towards a cure and educational efforts for early dtetection.

Since the inception of “Coaches vs. Cancer” in 1993, high school and basketball coaches across the United States have raised nearly $45 million to support the American Cancer Society’s efforts.

For more information about “Suits and Sneakers,” visit cancer.org/coaches or contact Jim Satalin at jim.satalin@cancer.org or 315-433-5620.

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/sports/01312009_uconn_suits_sneakers.html

Celebrating taxes? IRS kicks off 'EITC Awareness Day'

The new formula for the Earned Income Tax Credit could mean larger refunds for millions of taxpayers, many of whom may be eligible for the first time because of the difficult economy.

The Internal Revenue Service and community partners nationwide today [Jan. 30] kicked off “EITC Awareness Day” to promote a tax credit that could be a critical financial lifeline to many Americans this year.

The EITC “awareness day” is tied to the deadline for employers to send workers their W-2 Forms, which is used to file tax returns. Also, more than half of all EITC claims are filed in February.

The credit was created in 1975 in part to offset the burden of Social Security taxes and to serve as a work incentive. The amount of the credit varies but it is generally determined by income and family size.

The agency also announced many of its Taxpayer Assistance Centers will be open on some Saturdays in February to help taxpayers who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Last year, nearly 24 million taxpayers received approximately $48 billion from EITC. The average EITC amount was $2,000.

Difficult economic times may mean more people are eligible for EITC, because of reductions in their income last year.

Many Americans experienced financial hardships last year. People may be eligible for EITC for the first time and really should check out their eligibility. This is a significant credit that can make their lives a little easier,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

IRS research indicates that even in better times, one in four eligible taxpayers failed to claim Eaterned Income Tax Credit.

Eligibility factors

Eligibility requirements can be complex. Those missing out include people who have earned income but may not have a filing requirement, non-English speaking workers, non-traditional families, the homeless, childless workers and rural residents.

For example, people over age 65 usually are not eligible. However, if they are raising a grandchild who meets certain requirements, they may be eligible for EITC.

Workers who do not have a child or who do not live with their own child may be unaware that they still are eligible for a credit.

Military families also have the options of calculating combat pay or leaving it out, whichever may be more beneficial.

For the 2008 tax year, the maximum EITC is $4,824 for a family with two or more children; $2,917 for a family with one child and $438 for a childless taxpayer. (Please see Fact Sheet 2009-9 for all eligibility requirements.)

Generally, to be eligible for EITC, your earned income and adjusted gross income (AGI) each must be less than:

• $38,646 ($41,646 married filing jointly) with two or more qualifying children;

• $33,995 ($36,995 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child;

• $12,880 ($15,880 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children.

The maximum amount of investment income is $2,950 for tax year 2008.

For families, there also are certain requirements that must be met for child residency and relationship.

Also, unemployment benefits are considered in adjusted gross income (AIG) calculations, but are not considered earned income.

“The IRS wants all eligible taxpayers to claim this important tax credit. We also want people to know that free help is available. There are thousands of volunteers staffing free tax-help sites nationwide. And many professional tax preparers donate their time and services to low-income taxpayers,” said Shulman.

Tax Assistance Centers opening Saturday

The IRS will open 172 Taxpayer Assistance Centers beginning Saturday January 31. The special Saturday assistance also will be available on Feb. 7 and Feb. 21.  A list of centers for EITC Awareness Day is available at IRS.gov, under “Contact My Local Office.”

EITC claimants are eligible for free tax preparation services provided at nearly 12,000 volunteer sites nationwide. They can also use Free File through IRS.gov if they wish to prepare their own returns. Free File offers a choice of free tax preparation software or fillable forms and free electronic filing but only through www.irs.gov.

Nearly 70 percent of all EITC returns are prepared by a third party or tax professional. Tax preparers and taxpayers can find a wealth of information at EITC Central, which includes statistics, online tools and marketing products. Both also can use the EITC Assistant, which is an easy-to-use interactive tool to help determine if the taxpayer is qualified for EITC. The EITC Assistant also is available in Spanish.

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/areawide/01302009_irs_eitc_awareness_day.html

B as Cnnectd as Ur Kids R!

iParent Network – a ‘virtual town square’ for Mansfield, Ashford and Willington – to be launched in September 2009.

iParentNetwork, a Web site currently in development, plans to offer 21^st century technology tools to get parents talking to one another, and providing support and encouragement to each other, to help kids grow up in safe and healthy ways.

One of the goals also is to bridge the “digital divide” between parents and their children, who are often much more experienced with the new communication technologies.

The iParentNetwork is funded by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and is one part of an initiative to create a prevention framework for young people. A Steering Committee coordinates the development of this Web site and other initiatives.

This project began with a committed group of parents, teachers, professionals and other community members who came together to brainstorm ways to collectively help keep kids safe and healthy.

They collected information and spoke to many others in the community, and discovered that the tri-town area of Mansfield, Ashford and Willington has a substantially higher rate of alcohol and substance abuse than the state average. They wanted to know why, and to find ways to make changes.

They also learned that parents have many other concerns they want to talk about with other parents.

The three towns share a regional high school, but parents said they find it difficult to make new connections with other parents once their child reaches high school.

After researching this topic for a year, the committee determined that the best way to bring about meaningful and lasting change is to give parents a way to feel – and in fact, to be – more connected to each other, and provide access to information and resources on a range of topics of interest to parents.

The i-Parent Web site is meant to create a “virtual town square” where members of the three communities can meet and “talk” to one another about the challenges of being a parent; compare tips and strategies with others and learn from experts; get information about what’s happening in town; find a babysitter or a play group; talk about curfews – and much more.

The iParentNetwork will be a living Web site connection that will grow to become what its members want it to be.

Interested community members can visit one of the next meetings, which are held on the third Thursday of the month. Or contact the Project Coordinator Ruth Freeman at PositiveParent@earthlink.net.

Or you can join the iParent Network and to stay informed about its development and launch, by sending your email address to postitiveparent@earthlink.net.

for more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/news/01302009_i_parent_network.html

Our new columnist shares tips on 'Creating color in the winter garden'

To use conifers as accent plants or specimens in the landscape, look for an interesting shape or colorful foliage. Colors can range from dark green to light green, blue-green, gray or silvery-blue, and into the brighter color of golden yellows or creamy white hues.

[Editor's note: Please welcome our new columnist, Cheryl Pedemonti, who will contribute items periodically in which she shares her expertise and her passion for gardening. You'll also see she's a wonderful photographer- Brenda Sullivan ]

Most people think the gardening season ends with the first freeze here in New England, but I disagree. With careful planning, your landscape can include a colorful garden throughout the winter months.

We spend the cold winter days inside the house, looking out at the garden through the window. I suggest you begin your winter garden design from the inside looking out and place your garden where it can be seen from strategic windows, such as the family room or dining areas.

And entry areas should always include plants that offer four seasons of interest.

What makes a good candidate for the winter garden? There are many plant attributes to consider, such as colorful stems and bark; ornamental grasses in a variety of heights; persistent fruit; and trees or shrubs with interesting branching patterns or shapes.

Evergreens with colorful foliage add interest to the garden year round, but will become especially important during winter.

If your garden looks good during the barren winter months, you know it will look exceptional the rest of the year when everything is in bloom!

Evergreens serve many uses in the garden

When planning your garden, it is important to have a 50/50 mix of evergreens and deciduous plants (those that lose their leaves in winter).

The deciduous plants will offer flowers and colorful foliage, fruit and stems throughout the different seasons.

Evergreens serve a utilitarian role such as creating backdrops, windbreaks, hedges or using them as “filler” plants between deciduous shrubs in the foundation planting.

You can use a mix of broadleaf evergreens (Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, Holly, etc.) and needle-leaf evergreens (conifers) to complete the 50 percent ratio of evergreens in the landscape.

The term “conifer” refers to a needle-leaf evergreen that produces cones such as Pine, Spruce and Hemlock.

If you want to use conifers as accent plants or specimens in the landscape, look for something with an interesting shape or colorful foliage. Colors can range from dark green to light green, blue-green, gray or silvery-blue, and into the brighter color of golden yellows or creamy white hues.

The foliage color may change with cooler temperatures and may darken to shades of bronze, maroon, orange or yellowish green.

Junipers are useful for their alternating foliage color depending on seasonal temperatures.

Shape can be as interesting as color

Evergreens come in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit every purpose, thereby creating a lot of interest in the winter garden. When snow covers the evergreen foliage, it will amplify the shape of the plant or create additional textures in the garden.

Use small, mound shaped evergreens near entryways or patios to better appreciate their shape when blanketed with snow.

Low growing, prostrate shrubs can be used as groundcovers or to add interest to hillside plantings or draped over the top of a retaining wall to soften the edges.

Upright pyramidal evergreens become accents in the mixed border or use these shrubs on the corners of the house foundation.

You will find many ideas for your own garden by looking at photos in gardening books and magazines, or by visiting public or private gardens.

A fountain of grass

Don’t forget to leave room in your garden for ornamental grasses. They come in different colors and sizes, so you are sure to find one you really enjoy. A few favorites include ‘Yaku Jima’ Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and ‘Hameln’ Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides).

Ornamental grasses create movement in the garden and make a rustling noise with the slightest breeze. They will turn a warm wheat color in cold weather and makes a nice contrast to the evergreens in the landscape.

Thank you for reading my gardening column! I look forward to offering you inspiration to create a four-season garden that will look wonderful all year long.

Upcoming articles will give you ideas for low-maintenance landscapes and plant profiles on my favorite perennials, shrubs, and trees for the four-season garden.

If you would like to read about something in particular, please send email to cheryl.pedemonti@yahoo.com or leave your suggestion in the comment section below my article.

Happy gardening!

For more details: http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/columns_gardening/

01312099_pedemonti_gardening.html

Homeschooling: learning from the pro's at the Culinary Olympics

In the future, we will use the published recipes that we got from the competition for our own cooking class at home.

For our Home Economics/ Cooking class, I decided to take the kids to the annual Culinary Olympics at the University of Connecticut [held on Jan. 15].

We have gone to this event a number of times before. In the past, we would just show up, watch, taste and talk about the event during breaks or on our way home.

This time around, I developed a bunch of questions for the kids to use during the morning part of the event.

Here are some of the questions and directions:

When appropriate, ask questions; write down people’s answers.

1. Name some of the recipe contest recipes. Are any interesting to you? If so, why? How many portions are there per recipe?

2. What is a tapa?

3. What will the recipes be judged on?

4. What will the cake decorating contest be judged on?

5. What did you learn from the Chef Demonstration with Richard Moriarity?

6. What did you enjoy about the cake decorating contest?

7. What is your favorite event?

8. Was there anything inspiring that happened? A conversation that you had, something you saw?

9. Who/what recipes would be your first place picks?

10. Interview a chef if you can and tell me what you talked about.

As you can probably see, the questions included

• simple answers,
• required the student to pay attention to the presentation,
• required advance reading to answer some of the questions (I pulled some information off of the UConn Web site for these),
• interaction/interviewing with contest participants,
• opportunities to express their opinions/thoughts,
• and later, required a follow-up reading from a local newspaper that had information about how the contest went.

In a way, this was a small example of a unit study.

The kids have to write down their answers in their own handwriting so they even get a chance to practice their penmanship skills. Talk about killing a few educational birds with one proverbial stone!

Some more hands-on education…

In the future, we will use the published recipes that we got from the competition for our own cooking class at home. We would probably make the quantity in the recipe – or even double it – because I like to use cooking class at home as a time to practice math skills, too.

When we double a recipe, we have some to either share and/or freeze for another time when it’s tough to cook from scratch, which is what I prefer. Then we know what is in the food we are eating!

The kids learn kitchen science, too, by seeing how different ingredients can interact with one another.

When they pick a recipe to cook, they will make up the grocery list, prepare the ingredients and then cook the food for a meal.

I love that Jonathan mentioned in one of his answers to a question about what he liked – which was how the food smells – that it “wafted through the room.” Cooking is a pleasure for all the senses, isn’t it?

I hope that gives you an idea for how a simple event can become a point of educational focus. An even’t’ questions can be easily tailored to the grade level of the student.

And one important detail that I probably should have mentioned earlier is this; this event is FREE and open to the public. How cool is that!?

———–

Rosie’s Blog

On Thursday, I went to the Culinary Olympics at the University of Connecticut. They had tons of people there! I have been to two other Olympics in addition to this one.

My favorite part besides the appetizers, the entrees, and the desserts for the contest was the cake decorating contest. It was awesome. The theme of the contest was U-Conn. Sports. A lady named Angela Clarke made a cake with a boat on it for the sailing team at U-Conn. It was really cool. It had a mast and everything! I think she did really well. She won second place.

The first-place winner was Donna Kay. She made a cake that looked like a football field. It was pretty cool. She had little cheerleaders that looked just like real ones. They were made with fondant. Fondant is like a sugary dough that you can shape, roll, color, cut and write on.

The third-place winner was Frank Cameron. He made three cakes, each with a different theme. The biggest one was a football field made with fondant. The second one was a soccer field. And the third, a hockey rink. He had a bunch of hockey sticks made out of frosting. They were about a foot high for each.

My assignment during the competition was to take lots of pictures and to interview people.

I was also supposed to fill out a paper that had bunches of questions on it like, “What is a tapa?” A tapa is a small food or an appetizer. I didn’t know that before I went to the competition.

Someone made a huge ice sculpture that looked like Jonathan the Husky. You can see a picture of it in one of the pictures I took.

And we saw Richard Moriarity do a demonstration about curry and rice. We even got to taste it! It was yummy. I learned that you can peel ginger better if you use a spoon to remove the skin.

We had lots of fun and got to have lots of food. Food is great and I love it! It’s so much fun to make yourself. Even professional cooks said that cooks are like kids; you have to have fun to make something GOOD.

- RG OUT

———-

Jonathan’s Blog

Today, for a “field trip,” I went to the Culinary Olympics at U-Conn. The Culinary Olympics is an event created for the staff (who are a part of U-Conn’s cafeterias, bakeries, and the like) to show off their cooking (or baking) skills.

There are a number of different events, such as U-Conn’s takeoff on “The Iron Chef,” which is called “Boiling Point.”

The contestants this year were twelve teams of three chefs. Each team got a box with an assortment of ingredients in it (each team gets the same ingredients). This year’s “mixed box” of ingredients included edamame beans, honey, blueberries, empanada shells, shrimp, and roast chicken.

One of the chefs said that it didn’t seem that any of the ingredients went together.

The members of the winning team of the Boiling Point contest were three people: Scott Chapman, Lisa Charbonneau and Charlie String. Their entry was mini Cajun shrimp cake with honey remoulade and micro greens (whatever that is), smoked chicken stuffed shrimp with edamame puree, mushroom brandy sauce, and mixed fruit empanadilla with honey glaze.

And the winners are…

Another event was the cooking contest. The entries fell into one of these three categories: appetizers, entrees or desserts.

The first-place winner of the appetizer category was Derek Carlsen, with his petite lamb chop with whiskey foam.

First place for the entrée category was Lisa Charbonneau, with her lamb shank tagine with almond couscous.

First place in desserts was Jim Buell, with apricot cannoli cake.

My favorite dessert entry came in second: Gary Marshall with chocolate truffles. I tasted them (they made extra for the people attending and put it on a table for everyone to try).

The last event was a cake baking contest. There were only four entries in the cake decorating contest. We weren’t able to try any of these unfortunately.

One of the entries was a round cake with two tiers, and a boat made of pound cake and covered in fondant on top. The boat was blue and white, with a mast that was about nine inches tall sticking out of it. It also had a doggie foot print on the front. That one was my favorite, but it came in second.

There were two football fields. One had very lifelike little cheerleaders on it. That one was nice, too. Donna Kay (with the cake with little cheerleaders on it) won the cake decorating contest. Three of the four cake entries took home a medal.

I was envying the judges while we were watching them. They got appetizers and entrees and desserts. Maybe next year.

For more details:

http://mansfield.htnp.com/columns/homeschool/01292009_homeschooling_culinary_arts.html

Bells, flutes and the rich sound of an a Capella choir combine to lift the spirit

Among the high points of this mini-festival was when Jackson and Adams joined their voices for a moving piece, “You Raise Me Up.”

Parishioners and visitors to the Haddam Neck Covenant Church were treated to a rich and eclectic blend of music Sunday, that ranged from a famous ballad from the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, “Jesus Christ, Superstar” to stirring spirituals performed by guest soloist, soprano Tiffany Jackson and the church’s own talented baritone, Christopher Adams.

Interspersed throughout the musical performances were words of inspiration and enthusiastic welcome from Pastor Shelly Timber delivered to a group of about 80 music lovers who helped further one of the goals of the event by making a free-will offering that will be donated to the East Hampton Food Bank.

Rev. Timber also performed in the flute ensemble – which she first gathered together in 2008 with several other flutists in the area with Covenant Church connections. The ensemble had some audience members humming along to “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Standing on the Promises.”

The audience later  was invited to join in the singing, accompanied by the very spirited and richly-voiced Haddam Neck Covenant Church a Capella Choir, for a rendition of “You are Holy (Prince of Peace).”

As the offering was taken for the Food Bank fund, the polished and impressively synchronized HNCC Bell Choir performed.

The event also featured special guests – bassist Mike Asetta, pianist and composer Rex Cadwallader, and percussionist Arti Dixson – who contributed original jazz-flavored compositions.

Among the high points of this mini-festival was when Jackson and Adams joined their voices for a moving piece, “You Raise Me Up.”

East Haddam High School student, 16-year-old MaryCallie Wilson also stands out for her lovely singing of a complex composition, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” accompanied by 12-year-old Corey Chang, who has been a student at New Haven’s Neighborhood Music School since the age of 5 – and has since gone on to win several competitions and write his own compositions.

Also enriching the afternoon’s program with their talents were soprano Carol Vincuilla, and performing on the bass, Wayne Visintainer.

The music festival was inspired and organized by Ray Mulligan, along with HNCC Minister of Music Jan Ulanowicz, and was followed by a reception where guests enjoyed a multitude of delicious baked treats and caught up on the latest news with old friends –  or even made a new acquaintance or two.

For more information about the Haddam Neck Covenant Church, call 267-2336. Or send an email to officehncc@sbcglobal.net. Or visit the church’s Web site at www.hncovenantchurch.org

Wear your heart on your sleeve – or your hat – or your tie…

A heart-healthy breakfast, a chance to share your experiences and win a $50 gift card, and more are part of Windham Hospital’s “Go Red for Women” 2009 event.

Red is the color of the day on Friday, Feb. 6 – the annual “Go Red for Women” event at Windham Hospital. And everyone who takes part in this special event is encouraged to wear something red — a tie, a hat, a shirt, socks, lipstick or even a complete outfit created around the color red.

Originally conceived by the American Heart Association as a way to promote heart health for women, “Go Red for Women” has become an annual event across the country.

Windham Hospital’s celebration will include a luncheon featuring cardiologist Dr. Anthea Woodley as a guest speaker, an essay contest entitled “Conversations from the Heart,” free cholesterol screening, tours of the new neurology lab and the recently upgraded cardiac rehab and the radiology departments at the hospital, music, a recipe exchange and a free heart-healthy breakfast.

The event starts with a cholesterol screening and breakfast bar at 7 a.m., and ends with the luncheon-lecture at noon. Dr. Woodley’s lecture will address “Guarding Your Heart.”

The essay contest is open to everyone in the Windham region, including community members, caregivers, and the staff of Windham Hospital.

Suggested topics include how heart disease has affected the essayist’s life (either directly or indirectly), or a personal heart-health/ heart-disease story – or other related topics.

The winning writer will receive a $50 gift card, and the winning essay will be displayed at the luncheon.

Pre-registration is required for the tours and luncheon.

For more information, visit the hospital’s website at www.windhamhospital.org, or call 456-6700.

Posted Jan. 26, 2009