Homeschooling and Holidays go well together

While gifts are exchanged during the holidays, it's time spent with family and friends that make these days the celebration that they are. Photo courtesy of the Alumbaugh family.

The holidays bring us opportunities that cause us to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy as homeschoolers.  And the season also brings us an opportunity to enter into a time of celebration as some of our favorite family traditions occur during the winter months.

I’ve provided a few pictures of those things as visual aids to this column.

The day after Thanksgiving, we all go out for breakfast and then we cut down our Christmas tree.

My husband and I have been doing this all our married lives; 18 years to be exact. Sometimes we’ve had friends join us but this year, we didn’t.

Most people have “off” the day after Thanksgiving, so this is not too unique as far as homeschooling is concerned.

A new tradition is that Rosie, myself, and Aunt Kathleen get together on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and make tons of Christmas cookies.  This year saw us shaking and baking in Hebron, CT.

The day after Thanksgiving, we all go out for breakfast and then we cut down our Christmas tree. My husband and I have been doing this all our married lives; 18 years to be exact. Photo courtesy of the Alumbaugh family 2010.

This year, I helped organize a campuswide holiday concert at  UConn.  This required us to take a couple of days “off” so that we could load equipment, get technical things in order, do visuals for the concert, and a myriad of other details that go with doing a concert at a remote site!  We had the flexibility needed to do this, without losing too much sanity.

Since the kids are older, they can be entrusted to do their academic work even while I go to a rehearsal or do a few errands.  I check their lesson plans multiple times a day and also try to give them the day’s plans at a glance at the breakfast table so they know what’s going on.

We like to supplement our education with field trips and outings when possible.  Since we live in an educationally-rich area, that’s not too hard to do!

Preparing for concerts and a piano recital with my students, I needed to get things in order for that.  I have buckets in my kitchen of various kinds; the kids help me with loading and unloading the van.  They also have been immensely appreciated when we have to move the classroom to a different location so I can do what I need to do.  Homeschooling allows us to “take it on the road” when we need to.  It also makes it very easy to lose things along the way.  These are the challenges of being mobile!

It’s at this time of the year that we also shift our focus even more so, as we take our eyes off of ourselves and our wants/needs and think of others.

In addition, we focus on the Birth of Christ that is celebrated during this time of year. I realize that some of you may not share this belief, but our homeschool environment aspires to giving rather than receiving. We open our home for the holidays, do a neighborhood-wide Christmas caroling event, and have had an opportunity to share music this year with internationals at UConn through the Coffee Hours (the most recent one being a holiday “sing-a-long”).

In addition, this year, we are saving our pennies to attend a missions conference that we are invited to next June.  The kids are also invited.  Guess where it is?  Hong Kong!

We are thinking of this opportunity and hoping the necessary resources will come in for us to attend as a family, as well as possibly visit international friends along the way.  So we aren’t thinking of spending right now.

Truth be told, none of us needs a single thing.  I would rather be a good steward of what we have and also get rid of the excess, anyway.

My husband and I will have the opportunity to spend quality time with one another as a gift that Rosie gave me will come to fruition this week; she nominated and I was accepted as a “Ray of Sunshine” award winner in January. With that honor came dinner for two and free entertainment at the Mohegan Sun.

We will get to see the Nutcracker there, a sweet memory to share, as that was our first date 19 years ago.  Rosie’s gift of complimenting me provided us with a sweet opportunity.

And Jonathan received a gift card to a restaurant recently that he gave to us so we could have another date as husband and wife.   Hmmm…maybe they are trying to get rid of us? (smile!)

There are stresses during this time of the year, yes.  I have things I love to do and I love traditions.  But the greatest gift we give one another is the gift of time and attention.  And when we do that, we don’t have to worry about going here and there, buying stuff, and perhaps even being overindulgent. We can enjoy the season and not get “sucked” in to what we are told we need and what we need to do.

For us, keeping on track now, not taking lots of days off and saving those days for the future when we need them is like taking money to the bank.

We are happy to dim the lights, enjoy the music of the season, have a cup of hot chocolate (or good strong coffee for me!), a munchie or two, and a movie to relax and unwind.

Homeschooling won’t solve the problems of the world, but it will certainly make life rich and peaceful.  It’s a choice we are grateful to have made.

Rosie’s Blog

Homeschooling during the holidays… Hectic?  Yes.  Still have school?  Yup.  Get lots of presents? Don’t need ‘em.

I guess you could call those Frequently Asked Questions and frequently answered questions.

Being a homeschooler, it’s a tough season with the no-snow-day thin, but it’s also a great time for fun.  I even made a version of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” that starts with “I hear three bells on Christmas day that said ‘come and eat chocolate cake.’”

Ruth and Rosie during a holiday baking blitz. Photo courtesy of the Alumbaugh family.

It seems that a lot of people think that homeschoolers don’t have a social life.  But Christmas, on the contrary, is just about the most social time of year.

We get to go to random houses in our neighborhood and carol; we get to go to our friends’ Christmas Eve party, we get to do school.

Okay, the last one was a bit of a downer.  But the point is, that we do a lot of great social things that are in this season.

In this season, two things must happen:  1. I think good thoughts of my brother (rare) and 2. Being sneaky (easy!).

Now sometimes (or most of the time), I think that my brother is annoying.  But in this season, it’s OK to be nice (weird, huh?).

Being sneaky is easy because of all the practice as a little kid trying to figure out what my mom wanted for Christmas so I could tell my dad what to get.

It’s a wonderful and social season for me and I love snow!

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!  This was an inside look at my Christmas season.  I hope that you and your family have a good season, too.

Jonathan’s Blog

During the holidays, we have the freedom to do whatever we want. For instance, at the beginning of December, we took a couple of days off of school to set up for a concert my mom organized.

We also have a lot of things going on at our house and in our neighborhood that we wouldn’t be able to do unless we were homeschooled.  Since we’re home schooled we could just make the school part of the day longer to make up for the school we missed.  I really enjoy the type of freedom that we have because we’re homeschooled during the holidays.

Almost every year I can remember, we have had Christmas carolers at our house.  My mom would organize an event and we would invite all our friends, and when they got here, we would all wrap up in our warmest clothes and go and knock on all our neighbors’ doors (at least a few) and ask them if they want us to carol.

And of course if they say yes, we sing them a song of their choice.

Then later on, we come home and have dinner and dessert and play games and have an all round great time.

I really love Christmas time, because we get to see most of our friends all in one place at the same time, and we have a great time talking with everyone and eating all around our house.

And especially if it snows, we go outside and have snowball fights and then after we are thoroughly cold and soaked, we tramp back in and have some more hot food.

Posted Dec. 31, 2010

Police ready for New Year's Eve

Local and state police advise individuals to exercise caution when driving during the New Year’s weekend – especially tonight – a holi­day associated with revelry and drinking.

Driving under the influence arrests will be the focus of police efforts over the weekend. Many departments started patrols Thursday.

Police said New Year’s, falling on Saturday this year, is a holiday more commonly associated with drinking than Christmas.

Willimantic Police Capt. Cliff Spinner said while Christmas is a fam­ily holiday, New Year’s is more of a celebratory event.

He said the number of accidents in the city last weekend was lower than it has been during past Christmas weekends and nobody was arrested for driving under the influence or other motor vehicle viola­tions.

“New Year’s may be a little different because people are out celebrat­ing,” Spinner said.

The Department of Consumer Protection issued a press release warn­ing people of the consequences of drunken driving and informing them of extended closing hours for businesses serving alcohol.

The release states businesses holding a café liquor permit or a tavern liquor permit must be closed and vacated of all customers by 3 a.m. New Year’s day, as opposed to the usual 2 a.m. closing.

Restaurants, hotels and other places serving alcohol may continue serving until 3 a.m. as well.

Retail sales of alcohol at package stores and grocery stores is permit­ted until 9 p. m. today, but state law does not allow retail alcohol sales on New Year’s Day or Sundays, the release states.

Those who do decide to drink Friday and Saturday should heed cau­tion. According to the AAA Foundation for Public Safety, an average of 80 people, nationwide, are killed in alcohol-related accidents on New Year’s Day.

Police advise individuals to get a designated driver if they plan to drink. Another option for those drinking is “Care Cab,” a free transpor­tation service offered by AAA. “Care Cab” is free for callers 21 years of age and older in the Greater Hartford area and is available for anyone in need of transportation.

Spinner and State Police Spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance advise drivers to call 911 if they see someone they suspect is driving under the influ­ence. Suspicious behaviors include erratic driving and speeding.

“Your call could be the one that saves someone’s life,” Spinner said.

Vance said there were more than 400 accidents reported by state police during the holiday last year, two resulting in fatalities.

Spinner said his department will have DUI patrols during the “hours of darkness,” starting at 7 or 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. These patrols will run till 3 or 4 each morning.

“If we have to, we’ll extend those hours,” Spinner said.

Patrols in Willimantic will be funded by a grant of more than $18,000 the department received from the Department of Transportation approximately three weeks ago for traffic enforcement efforts, he said. Vance said state police will have sobriety checkpoints and target patrols throughout the state beginning today and running until midnight Saturday, Jan. 1. “We know it’s a drinking holiday,” Vance said.

Although drunken driving will be the focus of police departments during the holiday weekend, they will look for other violations.

Those interested in utilizing Care Cab should call AAA at (800) AAA-HELP. The phone line will be active beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday and will end the same day at 6 a.m.

Posted 12-31-2010

2010 in review: UConn saves best for last

Susan Herbst stands before the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees after being named the new president of UConn on Dec. 20. Photo: Roxanne Pandolfi

The University of Connecticut generated plenty of news in 2010, just as the state’s flagship univer­sity does every year.

But UConn, and specifically its board of trustees, saved the biggest news for the end of the year when it named the first female president in school history.

Trustees unanimously appointed Susan Herbst as presi­dent on Dec. 20, ending a search that began when former President Michael Hogan abruptly resigned in May.

Herbst, who had been serving as the executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer for the University System of Georgia, will take over as president in July.

In the meantime, Philip Austin, named acting president by trustees in June, will continue to hold the position.

While Herbst will not take office until the summer, UConn spokesman Michael Kirk said the university is glad to have a decision before the end of the year.

“You always want to have a president sooner rather than later,” he said.

Hogan shocked local, state and university officials when he announced in May that he was leaving for a similar position at the University of Illinois.

He was president for less than three years. He was appointed in September 2007 to replace Austin, who served as president for the previous 11 years.

Both Austin and Herbst will have plenty on their hands for 2011, including issues that will carry over from the past year.

One ongoing issue that may have reached its peak this past year was Spring Weekend, typically the weekend before the last weekend of classed at UConn.

Spring Weekend has long drawn the ire of local residents and offi­cials for the large gatherings of both students and non-students at off-campus apartment complexes. For years, the parties featured large crowds and debauchery that mostly created a public nuisance for area residents, but a student was killed this year in an alterca­tion during Spring Weekend.

Jafar Karzoun, a UConn junior from Milford, died after he was punched by Edi Rapo, an East Hartford resident who is current­ly facing a second-degree man­slaughter charge.

UConn officials have long sought ways to curb the partying during Spring Weekend, which is not a university-sanctioned event, and are currently looking at addi­tional measures since Karzoun’s death.

UConn even created a Spring Weekend Task Force, com­prised of UConn administrators, Mansfield officials and members of the public. The task force has even discussed seeking a morato­rium on Spring Weekend.

Kirk said the task force expects to submit its report around the time when students return to cam­pus in mid January, and discus­sions will continue right up until April.

He also said, “it seems like a lot of people on campus,” including student leaders, “have an open mind” about how to handle Spring Weekend in the future.

One Spring Weekend hot spot, X- Lot, is no longer UConn prop­erty. The university’s lease on the site has expired.

Most people know of the lot as a one of the sites for partying, but UConn leased the lot as parking for students and university events, including graduation ceremonies and football games when the team played at Memorial Stadium.

UConn will also be dealing with budget issues as officials, like others dependent on state fund­ing, prepare to deal with expected cuts in state spending because of a projected $ 3 billion state budget deficit.

Officials held a town- style meeting in October to notify those associated with the univer­sity that they anticipate a drop in state funding, but are looking at other revenue sources in hopes of neutralizing the drop.

Trustees, meanwhile, agreed in November to hire a consultant, at $3.9 million, to find as much as $50 million in savings and addi­tional revenues for UConn.

Kirk said everyone at UConn knows the next fiscal year will be “exceptionally difficult,” but the university will not know the total impact until the state budget is unveiled.

But Herbst will not only have to look at efforts to cut spending and reduce off- campus partying, as the campus continued to expand this year.

The Korey Stringer Institute opened in April and has been studying the heat’s impact on the body, and has received sup­port from the National Football League and others.

KSI is named after former NFL player Korey Stringer, who died from a heatstroke in 2001. The center was founded with the help of his widow, Kelci Stringer.

A U. S. Department of Agri­culture- funded facility to test vac­cinations on livestock and a water reclamation facility are also in the plans for the future.

UConn officials hope the rec­lamation facility will help them address water shortages, especial­ly after they had to issue a Stage III drought advisory, the highest level since a new water plan was instituted in 2006.

Kirk said UConn’s “research portfolio continues to grow” as the new buildings continue to provide more resources to various academic programs.

He noted UConn was once again ranked the top public university in New England in the U.S. News & World Report college rankings, and this year’s freshman class had the highest average SAT score in school history.

Herbst will also take over as president at a time when UConn’s athletics programs continue with a high level of success.

The women’s basketball team won its second consecutive nation­al title in April, seventh overall, and its winning streak reached 90-straight victories Tuesday, the most ever by a college basketball program.

The football team, meanwhile, won a share of the Big East title for the second time in school his­tory and this time clinched its first berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

As a result, the Huskies will face the University of Oklahoma Sooners in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Saturday.

Posted 12-31-2010

Mansfield town council to vote on project agreement

Storrs Center Concept Plan 2010

The town council appears ready to vote next week on a proposed agree­ment with the developers for the first two phas­es of the Storrs Center project after reviewing the latest version Wednesday.

The council will hold a special meeting Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Office Building, when it could vote to autho­rize Town Manager Matt Hart to sign the document.

The agreement would spell out the respon­sibilities for the town, Leyland Alliance and Education Realty Trust, or EDR, in phases 1A and 1B of the $220 million mixed-use project.

Leyland Alliance, the sole member of the Storrs Center Alliance, is the project’s master developer and has hired EDR to build the 290 rental units included in the first portion of the project.

The council, which had to reschedule its regular meeting from Monday to Wednesday due to the weather, reviewed the latest draft Wednesday after raising concerns earlier this month.

Town attorney Dennis O’Brien said Wednes­day the concerns, including ones about poten­tial tenants in the apartments, were good, but he felt revisions would prevent any issues.

Some councilmen pointed to EDR’s history of building student-oriented housing near other college campuses and said that was not the intent of Storrs Center, a concern also raised by residents.

They asked for additional language in the contract to address those concerns, and O’Brien told the council Wednesday he was “impressed” with EDR’s response, as well as its history of property management.

The agreement now includes language requiring EDR to mar­ket the apartments to the general public and not just undergradu­ate students at the University of Connecticut.

It also would require on- site management during regular busi­ness hours and on-call manage­ment 24 hours daily for emer­gency purposes.

Leyland Alliance Executive Vice President Howard Kaufman said the on- call person would either live in the complex or in a nearby home and would have a beeper to allow for immediate contact.

The latest draft also states the EDR would lease the apartments by the unit, and not by the bed or bedroom, for one-year peri­ods, although EDR has the right to issue shorter leases if it has vacancies.

EDR must also follow “best management practices” to main­tain a “first-class” complex, and O’Brien said the town could use experts to define those practices should legal action be necessary.

“That’s a commitment to us, it’s a commitment to SCA,” he said of EDR’s agreement to the “strong language.” Kaufman, meanwhile, said both Leyland Alliance and EDR were ready to sign to the lat­est draft if approved by the town.

O’Brien, who has represented both tenants and landlords in the past, also said he was impressed with EDR’s record of enforcing leases and managing behavior of tenants in other complexes.

O’Brien said the latest drafts also allowed the town to have more control over the town square, where it can hold weekly farmer’s markets and other events.

Councilman Meredith Lindsey did raise a concern that the agree­ment did not include a land de­scription for a $3 million tax abatement.

Kaufman said he would try to have one ready in time for Tuesday’s meeting, but other councilmen said they did not think the description was neces­sary because abatement is just on the 290 rental units, and not on any land.

O’Brien, meanwhile, said the town could approve the authoriza­tion Tuesday with a condition that the council approve a description in the future before Hart can actu­ally sign the agreement.

Lindsey also questioned the town consultant’s fiscal analysis of the project, noting projections for town expenses were signif­icantly lower than an analysis completed in 2008.

But Kaufman and Hart said the consultant did a more thorough analysis, while current plans for the first phase of construction are smaller than previously expected. The council cannot vote on the agreement before Tuesday because is waiting on a recom­mendation from the planning and zoning commission, which meets Monday.

State statutes require agree­ments involving town ownership of land to be referred to the PZC so the commission can determine if they fit with the town’s plan of conservation and development.

O’Brien said Monday’s meeting is the last PZC meeting within its timeframe to make a decision, and state law states  a failure to vote would result in an automatic recommendation from the PZC.

But if the PZC votes to not recommend that agreement, the council would need a two-thirds majority to approve authorizing Hart to sign it.

The council hopes to have a vote before current Deputy Mayor Gregory Haddad, elected as state representative in November, re­signs once he is sworn into office Jan. 5.

A few residents addressed the council Wednesday, saying the council should take more time to review the agreement before reaching a decision.

They said the agreement as written is not in the town’s best interest, raising specific concerns about the parking garage, which the town would own and operate.

Opponents raised concerns that a parking garage built by Leyland Alliance on UConn-owned land nearby would compete, but Kaufman said the two sides are rewriting the lease to prohibit a second garage.

Some residents also said the agreement left the town with all of the risk, and one even urged the council to hold more public discussions with residents before making a final decision.

Posted 12-30-2010

‘Jazz’ is Huskies' 12th man as they take on Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl

Former UConn player Jasper Howard, wearing the now very familiar number 6, brings down a North Carolina ballcarrier a few weeks before his death in the fall of 2009. File photo © 2009 by Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports.

The University of Connecticut football team is in the desert right now, not exactly wandering, but perhaps wondering what might have been if cornerback Jasper Howard hadn’t died some 14 months ago.

Head coach Randy Edsall has led his team to the BCS promised land in Arizona, although down deep he probably wishes the Huskies were headed to the Deep South, to Miami. Not because palm trees are prettier than a cactus plant; not because beaches are more enjoyable than a desert. And that old dry-heat versus humid-rain debate isn’t really relevant in this first week of winter.

No, the reason Edsall wishes his team had been invited to the Orange Bowl rather than the Fiesta Bowl is because one of his favorite player-sons was born in Miami – and murdered in Connecticut.

Jasper Howard was stabbed to death during a campus fight in October 2009, but he is still a very big part of this over-achieving football team.

“We think about him all the time,” said wide receiver Michael Smith, who was holding his pal and teammate as he lay dying in front of the student center.

“We know that, ultimately, this would have been his last game as a Husky so we are going to go out there and try to do it for him. He is always here with us, though,” Smith said of his friend “Jazz” who was taken away in the autumn of his junior year.

In the euphoria of the post-game celebration following that dramatic 19-16 win over South Florida that gave UConn the Big East’s automatic BCS berth, Edsall was swarmed by reporters, one of whom asked him if he had a preference between the two possible destinations, Arizona or Florida.

He replied that if he had a choice – which he knew, of course, that he didn’t – he would definitely choose the Orange Bowl, “because that’s where Jazz is from and it would be a fitting way to end this season, playing right there in Jazz’s backyard in front of his family and friends and former teammates.”

Instead, Edsall and his Huskies await their showdown in Arizona. The nationally televised game on New Year’s Day (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) pits the Huskies against the formidable Oklahoma Sooners, a fitting opponent for UConn’s first trip to a BCS Bowl which came much “Sooner” than anyone, perhaps even the head coach, could have expected.

“It is a tremendous opportunity for us, for our program to only be seven years in the Big East and nine years as an FBS school, to get here this quickly and be in our first BCS game,” Edsall said upon his arrival in Glendale.

“(This) is something that these young men have dreamed about since they started playing the game. To get this opportunity and to know that because of team work, taking one game at a time and being able to fight through adversity, which they had to this year to get here, makes it that much more rewarding,” he added.

Opportunity

“It says so much about the kids, our program and the university. It is really hard to imagine that this has happened this quickly,” he said.

Too quickly, in the opinion of sports pundits who say UConn’s lackluster 8-4 record is not worthy of one of the 10 coveted BCS berths.

But Edsall believes there’s more to football than just X’s and O’s or W’s and L’s.

Jasper Howard. Courtesy photo

“I think the bigger message is about what this team has accomplished and what opportunities college football can give kids,” he said. “This to me is something that people should focus on, giving these young men the opportunity to go and get an education and play football.”

Which, of course, is exactly what Jasper Howard was doing. He had fled the so-called “hood” of northwest Miami for the supposedly kinder, gentler atmosphere in Storrs, Connecticut.

Even now, as the players practice in Arizona, Howard’s accused killer, a 21-year-old resident of Bloomfield who did not attend the university, languishes in a Connecticut jail cell.

He is awaiting a trial at the end of which, the foreman will render a verdict based on what the jury believes happened on Oct. 18, 2009 only a few yards from Gampel Pavilion.

Since that tragic night, the Huskies have been playing with a 12th man of their own, Jazz, of course, always there in spirit.

Family

After their teammate’s untimely death, the Huskies struck out three times – against West Virginia, Rutgers and Cincinnati – trying valiantly to win one for Jazz, a goal they finally achieved with a double overtime victory in South Bend.

Fullback Anthony Sherman, one of the team’s four captains this season, said Jazz’s death served to bring the players even closer together than football teams have to be to operate efficiently.

Sherman says that Howard’s death “brought us together last year, because that was our family. We’re one big family now, definitely a close-knit group,” said the senior fullback who still vividly recalls the sad events of the week following the homecoming win over Louisville a year ago.

“I don’t think you ever overcome it. You put it in the back of your head and you use that for fuel or in a bad situation. You look at it and you’re like, ‘You know, we’ve been here before,’ or ‘We can do this for Jazz.’ That’s the biggest thing this year. This is all for him that we wanted to do last year, but it didn’t work out as well as we had hoped. This year’s definitely his senior year, so we wanted to go out on top for him.”

On top

And UConn is on top right now – atop the Big East standings and very near the summit of the entire college football mountain, with Oklahoma/Everest staring them squarely in the eye.

And the Huskies aren’t about to blink in the face of Oklahoma’s vaunted gridiron history, at least not if defensive stalwart Kendall Reyes has anything to say about it. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman has never backed down from a fight and sees no reason why the Huskies can’t finish the season with their sixth straight win.

“We are definitely excited. We are pumped. We have been practicing for this game forever, and we feel like we are ready. We just want to go out and play Saturday night,” he said.

And come midnight Saturday evening, win or lose, it will be the final game for several seniors, including a couple of homegrown products who grew up not far from the UConn campus.

Zach Hurd, for one, from Waterford, has developed into a 6-foot-7, 325-pound bohemeth, anchoring the offensive line.

He’s not Hurd a word of all that disrespect aimed at Connecticut as they prepare for the biggest game in the program’s history.

“It doesn’t matter what anybody else says. It doesn’t matter what the media or anybody else’s opinion is. It is the opinion of the players in our locker room and our coaches and the supporting staff,” said Hurd. “They are the ones that know what we have sacrificed and put into this program. Now, everything has fallen into place for us.”

A veritable young boy’s fantasy come true, according to another native Nutmegger, linebacker and captain Scott Lutrus of Brookfield, Connecticut.

“This is awesome. Every kid dreams of being in this position. It is not something I ever could have imagined, being part of this as part of the UConn football team,” Lutrus said. “The success we have had over the past five years I have been here, it has been awesome. I wish this week would go on forever because it’s my last game [and] I don’t want to leave this program, this team.”

“We’ve got one more game to play and one more game to win,” he said.

And don’t be surprised if they do just that in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. And wouldn’t that be the ultimate tribute to their departed friend, doing all that, Jazz, all that just for you.

Posted Dec. 30, 2010

Mansfield looks at its plans for future

The past year saw town officials and residents start or continue a number of initia­tives they hope will improve the town in the future.

Storrs Center, a proposed $220 million mixed-use project, for ex­ample, achieved many milestones and town and project officials hope to break ground in the spring.

The Mansfield Downtown Partner­ship, the nonprofit organization overseeing the project, received let­ters of intent from two more busi­nesses this year. Tailoring by Tima, in February, and Insomnia Cookies, in July, joined a list that also includes Pom­fret’s Vanilla Bean Café, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Storrs Automotive, Wings Over Storrs, Travel Planners, Campus Cuts, Body Language and Cosimo’s Italian Restaurant.

Also in July, the Downtown Partnership received a $4.9 million grant to build an intermodal hub to accommodate buses, bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as motorists.

In September, Leyland Alliance, the project’s master developer, selected Education Realty Trust (EDR) to build 290 rental units included in phases 1A and 1B, scheduled for ground breaking in the spring.

Some residents have raised con­cerns about EDR and its history of building student housing in other college towns nationwide.

But supporters hope a pro­posed agreement between Leyland Alliance, EDR and the town, first unveiled publicly on Dec. 1, will help ensure EDR targets a broader range of residents.

Mayor Elizabeth “Betsy” Pater­son said the agreement, which was recently revised, and the Storrs Center project in general, are just two of many issues the council is examining as the calendar rolls over into 2011.

“There are a lot of things devel­oping,” she said. Among other issues, the council is “earnestly looking” at possibilities for a school building project.

The council is hoping to have a referendum in May, but must first decide if it wants to build one new elementary school, two smaller ones or renovate the three exist­ing schools. All three projects would also entail renovations to Mansfield Middle School.

A school building project com­mittee recommended the one­ school option, but the school board supported the two-school option, and the council has been examining all the factors, includ­ing cost.

Another possible project in­cludes Mansonicare, the town’s preferred developer for an assist­ed- living complex for seniors.

A number of seniors raised con­cerns to the council about delays in the project, but the company voted in October to continue pur­suing the project, which could be located on Maple Road.

Paterson said another issue like­ly to receive attention is an ongo­ing police study, which is examin­ing options for police services in town in the future.

Along with partying by Uni­versity of Connecticut students during Spring Weekend, typically the weekend before the last week of classes, resident troopers have had to deal with large crowds dur­ing fall weekends.

State police reported dealing with thousands of students on weekend nights from late August through the end of October.

Town officials have said they want to examine all of the town’s policing needs, but also said par­tying among off-campus students will likely be a major factor.

Paterson said each of these ongoing issues will likely see plenty of discussion during the early part of 2011. “When you have that many important issues on your plate, there’re going to be a lot of meetings,” she said.

The council will also need to welcome a new member next year after Deputy Mayor Gregory Haddad was elected in November to replace state Rep. Denise Merrill, D-Mansfield.

Merrill, currently the House majority leader, is leaving her post after she was elected secre­tary of the state, and both will be sworn into office Jan. 5.

But not everything in town will result in further discussion by municipal boards, as some things actually meant the end of ongoing efforts.

E.O. Smith High School, for example, will have a new track and synthetic turf field after the Regional School District 19 school board’s $2.17 million pro­posal passed at a September ref­erendum.

Residents in Ashford and Will­ington, which also sends students to the high school, rejected the proposal, but Mansfield voters supported it by a large enough margin to approve the project.

School officials had been say­ing the track was no longer safe for use, but had to scale back work to other fields after voters rejected a $3.95 million proposal in February 2009.

The case of Suzanne Listro, who ultimately was found not guilty of first-degree manslaugh­ter and risk of injury to a minor, attracted statewide attention.

Listro, a former state Depart­ment of Children and Families employee, was accused of shak­ing Michael Brown Jr., an infant foster child placed in her custody, and killing him in 2008.

She waived her right to a jury trial in February, and Rockville Superior Court Judge William Bright found her not guilty in late March after a 15-day trial.

Despite the final verdict, state officials have pointed to the case as part of the many reasons dem­onstrating the need for major changes at DCF.

Posted 12-30-2010

Robert Dunnack, Sr. July 4, 1927 – Dec. 22, 2010

Robert Ashton Dunnack Sr.

Robert Ashton Dunnack Sr., 83, of Mansfield, died peacefully surrounded by his loving family, Dec. 22nd at Hartford Hospital after a long valiant fight with heart and lung disease. A stroke was his final struggle.

Bob was the 10th of 11 children born to William H. and Dorothy H. Dunnack, at the family homestead on July 4th, 1927 and lived his entire life at his beloved farm.

Upon returning from WWll in Italy, Bob and brothers Del, Ray, and Jerry were all signed to contracts to play minor league baseball. Bob played in the Evangeline League in New Iberia, Louisiana, part of the Pittsburgh Pirates system.

New Iberia is where Bob met and married his loving wife of 62 years, Jessie, and where their first child, Debby, was born.

Upon the end of his baseball career, Bob brought his family back home to the family homestead to care for his elderly parents and begin a new life in CT. Shortly after, his mother passed away, so Bob and Jessie purchased the homestead and cared for his father until his passing at age 93 and raised four more children.

Bob was employed for 24 years at UConn as a mason, until heart issues forced retirement.

In 1981, Bob and Jessie purchased LUCKY STRIKE LANES and still operate and enjoy promoting the game of Duckpins to young and old; Bob took great pride in keeping Lucky Strike a family environment. He wanted it to be a place where young and old could have fun in a family establishment.

Bob was the athlete most wished they could be. He was naturally talented at multiple sports. Bob and his brothers played in the Willimantic Twilight Baseball League on The Ridges team, named for the area of Mansfield where they grew up. The legacy continues after almost 60 years with sons, cousins and nephews having played on The Ridges team over the years.

Bob also played ice hockey with brothers Jerry, Ray, and Del, loved his duckpin bowling, enjoyed a good round of golf as well as hunting and fishing in the great outdoors.

Robert and his wife Jessie were inducted into the National Duckpin Hall of Fame in 1998 for their meritorious service, something Robert was very proud of.

Bob set the highest standard of sportsmanship by never getting angry, never arguing an umpire’s call and always giving his best. This was the same example he leaves as a legacy to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Bob was truly the most humble, unselfish, hardworking husband, father and grandfather. His family is blessed to have him as the patriarch of this huge family. Bob was a quiet man of few words, but when he spoke, it was always something important.

Bob always did the right thing. He was the most moral person and set the best example for his family. Family always came first-always! Some times were difficult for Bob and Jessie, but they always kept going forward and their work ethic is a marvel and greatly admired by their family.

After raising their own large family, Bob and Jessie then gave up their retirement years to raise three grandchildren, but they considered it a blessing, not a burden.

Beside his devoted wife, Jessie, Bob is survived by his 5 children Deborah (Douglas) DelMastro of Columbia, Robert Jr. of Coventry, Edward of Willimantic, Richard (Janet) of Columbia, and Jodi (James) Ouelette of Chaplin; grandchildren Christopher, Justin and Ryan DelMastro, Robbie, Colin, Kelly, Kevin, Kaitlyn and Jesse Dunnack, Tyler Rowett Jr, Melisa Garcia, and Julie Potter. Bob also leaves 8 great-grandchildren and 2 more on the way.

He leaves his brother Del of Andover, and sister Lillian Mason of Tolland, sister in laws, Jennie, Betty, Alice and Belle Dunnack and many nieces and nephews.

Bob always considered himself a lucky man in spite of numerous health and family struggles but his surviving family are the lucky ones having him as their hero. His loving memory will live in our hearts forever.

Calling hours were Tuesday, Dec. 28 at Potters Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., Willimantic and the funeral was Wednesday Dec 29, 2010 with burial at the New Willimantic Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Robert’s name to a charity of the donor’s choice and the family requests that friends consider becoming an organ donor.

Posted Dec. 29, 2010

Lena Mary Looman March 30, 1912 – Nov. 26, 2010

Lena Looman of Storrs/Mansfield passed away on Nov. 26, 2010 at the Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation.

Born March 30, 1912 in Schenectady, NY, the daughter of Andrew and Rose Renyak, she lived in Schenectady, Princetown and Minaville NY before moving to Storrs in 1967.

She worked as a secretary, a factory worker, in retail sales and as a nanny.

Lena loved to bake, do needlework and spend time with her family.

She was active in the Grange for many years, a member of the Storrs Congregational Church and the Parish Piecers Quilt Group.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband Leroy, her brother Joseph Renyak and his wife Maxine, a sister Elizabeth Bergeron and her husband Cyril and a granddaughter Kathleen Brand.

She is survived by a daughter Elaine Brand and her husband John; a son L. Leslie Looman and his wife Marianne; two grandsons, Mark Brand and his wife Jessica, Andrew Brand and his wife Michelle; three granddaughters, Lisa Looman, Karen Looman and Jill Looman; five great grandchildren, Evan Brand, Christopher Brand, Lindsay Brand, Caleb Brand and Taylor Looman; and special friends Richard, Corinne and Thor Norgaard.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation for their loving care of Lena.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011 at 11 a.m. at Storrs Congregational Church, 2 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT (on the UConn campus). Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

Memorial donations may be made in Lena’s name to the Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Recreation Fund, 100 Warren Circle, Storrs, CT 06268 or Storrs Congregational Church – Memorial Room Fund, 2 North Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06268. The Potter Funeral Home, Willimantic assisted with arrangements www.potterfuneralhome.com

Posted Dec. 29, 2010