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

Bright idea – electric rates to drop in January 2011 says DPUC

You may see a $10 drop in your monthly electric bill beginning this New Year, according to an announcement made today (Dec. 29) by the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC).

This announcement comes on the heels of a sharp increase in the number of Connecticut residents and business owners choosing to buy their electricity from alternative companies.

DPUC Chair Kevin M. DelGobbo says that 2010 saw “a significant migration of customers to competitive electric suppliers.”

Those choosing competitive suppliers grew from 18 percent to 36 percent, he says, the equivalent of more than 500,000 residential and business customers.

“Customers that have made the switch to competitive suppliers have realized additional savings over standard service rates for CL&P and UI.  The DPUC estimates that the competitive supplier market resulted in more than $200 million in reduced rates for those customers in 2010,” DelGobbo said.

To see what competitive suppliers are currently offering to Connecticut customers, look for “Choose an Electric Supplier” at  www.ctenergyinfo.com

For those who have not changed suppliers, DelGobbo said the DPUC has approved lower standard service electric rates for both Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) and the United Illuminating Company (UI).

DelGobbo says that effective Jan. 1, 2011 residential customers of CL&P can expect an overall reduction of 7.8 percent. This means a savings of approximately $10.41 a month for a residential customer who normally uses 700 kWhs a month.

For UI customers, the rate drops 1.5 percent. This means a savings of approximately $2.51 a month for a residential customer who normally uses 700 kWhs a month.

DelGobbo notes that rates have been dropping since January of 2009.

He says that a CL&P residential customer with monthly consumption of 700 kWhs in 2009 paid approximately $141.89 per month.  That cost per month decreased to approximately $134.27 in January of 2010.  With the approved rate changes, effective January 2011, the cost per month will further decrease to approximately $123.85, a 13.7 percent decline from 2009 rates.

And a UI residential customer with monthly consumption of 700 kWhs in 2009 paid approximately $167.42 per month.  That cost per month remained the same in January of 2010.  With the approved rate changes, effective January 2011, the cost per month will decrease to approximately $164.94.

Posted Dec. 29, 2010

Editor’s note: I switched to a competitive supplier this past year and have saved between $10 and $20 a month. Have you had a similar experience? Tell us about it in the comment section following this story.

Self-proclaimed Nurse of the Year sent to jail

Graphic courtesy of wpclipart.com

A Danbury woman who worked as a registered nurse and staged a dinner honoring herself as “Nurse of the Year” was sentenced Dec. 28, 2010 to serve nine months in jail for practicing nursing without a license.

Betty A. Lichtenstein (also known as Betty A. Trudel and Betty Ann St. John), age 57, of Triangle Street in Danbury, pled guilty in Norwalk Superior Court on Aug. 18, 2010 to one count of Practicing Nursing Without A License and one count of Criminal Impersonation.

According to court documents, in March of 2009 a patient of Dr. Gerald B. Weiss, M.D., complained to the State of Connecticut Department of Health that a nurse in Dr. Weiss’ office had acted unprofessionally.

Subsequent investigation disclosed that Ms. Lichtenstein was never licensed to practice nursing, yet had been administering injectable medication, writing prescriptions and giving medical advice to Dr. Weiss’ patients.

Dr. Weiss and the other employees in his office believed that Ms. Lichtenstein was a registered nurse, a belief furthered in November of 2008 when she received the “2008 Nurse of the Year” award at a dinner supposedly hosted by the “Connecticut Nursing Association.”

However, subsequent investigation found that Ms. Lichtenstein paid more than $2,000 of her own money to stage the dinner and the “Connecticut Nursing Association” does not exist.

Ms. Lichtenstein also pled guilty to one count of Forgery in the Second Degree in a related case in which she forged several narcotics prescriptions for herself on blank forms she obtained from Dr. Weiss’ office.

The Honorable Judge Bruce P. Hudock sentenced Ms. Lichtenstein to a total effective sentence of five years imprisonment, suspended after nine months served, and three years probation with special conditions.

The case was prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.

- State of CT Division of Criminal Justice

Posted Dec. 29, 2010