The Willimantic River rushes over the dam at Windham Mills on Sunday. Photo by Marie Brennan

The northeast part of the state - as well as the rest of Connecticut - was still picking up the pieces after a nor’easter doused the state with rain and powerful wind over the weekend and into this morning.

Although local public works employees have been responding to downed tree limbs and other debris blocking roadways, the southwest corner of the state was hit hardest by the storm.

The Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross has responded to waterlogged Fairfield County residents without power by opening warming centers and emergency shelters in Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Westport.

Local residents still faced torrential downpours and reported wind gusts of nearly 35 piles per hour on Sunday. The wind was more powerful in southwest Connecticut, with near hurricane-level gusts reported.

Route 32 in Willington was closed, between Plain Road and Village Road, early Sunday morning due to a tree on power lines, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Staff at the Mansfield Public Works garage said this morning that crews have cleared a few downed branches, but there hasn’t been too much damage.

However, as of 8 a.m., more than 55,000 CL&P customers were reported to be without power. This is significantly fewer complaints than Sunday, when nearly 85,000 people had reported power outages, including residents in Ashford, Andover, Columbia, Coventry, Hebron, Lebanon, Mansfield and Willington.

According to CL&P’s Web site, approximately 211 residents in those towns were still without power this morning.

CL&P officials said it may take several days to restore power across the state. It has been working hard to address these outages but it’s going to take some time. A CL&P press release stated, “As we are in the process of determining the full magnitude of storm damage due to the significant rain and damaging high winds, we are not providing exact restoration projections.”

Posted March 15, 2010, as edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

The Task 9 Search & Rescue dogs are among the favorites returning for the 20th annual Hebron Maple Festival - now scheduled for March 20-21. File photo © by Brenda Sullivan – Hebron Maple Festival 2009.

The number of times the Hebron Maple Fest has been canceled due to bad weather can be counted on one hand - or maybe even just a few fingers. One winter, the event was called by the State Police who feared the roads were too slippery - and after all the vendors and civic groups had packed up to go home, the sun came out and everything melted.

This year, the 20^th annual Hebron Maple Fest has been postponed from March 13-14 to March 20-21 because of forecasts of heavy rains and wind gust of up to 50 mph.

This enormously popular festival normally draws thousands of people not only from around the state, but from as far as Massachusetts, Rhode Island and even that state famous for its own maple syrup, Vermont.

It is an old-fashioned, down home event where you can buy a box of Girl Scout cookies, enjoy a cheeseburger cooked over a flaming grill by a red-faced and smiling member of the American Legion accompanied by a bowl of chili made by volunteers from the VFW Post 8776.

You can catch up on your reading at the book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Douglas Library, and then begin your tour of the more than 40 events on the two-day schedule.

Of course, at the center of the whole event is the self-guided tour of the sugar shacks where visitors can see how it’s done, and if they like, purchase a supply of locally “brewed” maple syrup. Some of the sugar shack owners also will share their tips on cooking with the sweet brown stuff.

And there will be plenty of maple-this and maple-that to eat, from maple cotton candy to homemade maple cake with ice cream.

Among those events that regulars look forward to will be the Shack Out Back chainsaw carver, the Siberian Husky dogs, the quilt show at the Hebron Historical Society (the old town hall, next to the Douglas Library), the Task 9 Search & Rescue dogs, (as well as the greyhound rescue and the Fidelco Guide Dogs), the child ID program, the blacksmith demonstration at Country Carpenters and the ice cream-eating contest.

Local art studios also open their doors for tours.

New this year are free H1N1 vaccinations, “Intro to African Rhythm” presented by AHM Youth Services, a “buy-a-brick” scavenger hunt, a demonstration of “letterboxing” (another kind of scavenger hunt very popular with hikers), and a tour of historic churches.

A complete listing of events for both Saturday and Sunday, as well as a map and directions, can be downloaded from the Hebron Maple Festival Web site at http://www.hebronmaplefest.com/

Proceeds are used for program scholarships. Last year, three to summer theater programs and three to the Hebron Park & Recreation summer camp.

Posted March 13, 2010

Heavy equipment was called in on Friday to remove four train cars filled with ethanol that derailed in Willimantic in the early hours of March 11. Photo by Roxanne Pandolfi

Railroad and emergency crews were at work on Friday morning removing four train cars full of flammable ethanol that derailed in Willimantic in the early hours of March 11.

State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said the initial plan to remove ethanol from the cars was unsuccessful and a new method was being tried this morning.

Ethanol, which can be absorbed through the skin, is a flammable substance that can also cause eye, liver and heart problems and is potentially lethal.

The ethanol must be removed before transporting the cars and Schain said the DEP and other personnel at the scene were unsuccessful Thursday because they could not access pipes on the overturned cars.

Windham Fire Chief Jon Chapman speaks to the press about the March 11 derailment. Roxanne Pandolfi photo.

Windham Center Fire Chief Lloyd Niles said crews were going to make another attempt late this morning that, if successful, would likely take six to eight hours.

Marie Angelini, a spokesman for the Providence & Worcester Railroad, said the company expects the work to be completed today.

Because of the recovery operation, Plains Road and Lovers Lane were expected to be closed for most of the day today.

The area of the accident is so remote, construction crews were called in to take down trees to create a temporary access road to the site.

Why the delay?

The 86-car train operated by the Providence & Worcester Railroad was transporting liquid ethanol from the Midwest to Providence when four cars came off the track.

Three of the cars overturned on a portion of the track adjacent to Windham Sand and Stone, while the fourth car remained upright.

State and railroad officials have said no leaks occurred and no one was injured.

The derailment is reported to have occurred between 3 and 4 a.m., but it was hours before local officials were notified.

Fire and police said they first learned about the incident between 7:30 and 8 a.m., and they are now working with the railroad company to determine the reason for the delay.

Schain said the DEP will investigate the timeline further once the ethanol is removed.

Workers clear trees to get the site of the derailed train cars carrying ethanol. Roxanne Pandolfi photo

“Clearly time is of the essence and you want to know as quick as possible,” he said.

Angelini said Providence & Worcester Railroad “investigates all incidents like this,” but said the company is only required to report the incident if any leakage occurs.

Windham Mayor Ernest Eldridge said, “You’re always concerned when something like that happens and nobody’s called.” He also said he wonders if the train’s conductor did not know about the derailment until later.

Eldridge said he understands the railroad company’s wish to avoid creating a panic, but also noted circumstances can change. He said the ethanol can become very flammable if it reaches a temperature of around 50 degrees. “You don’t know how quickly things can change,” Eldridge said.

Town Manager Neal Beets said he also wants answers. “I think we have to find out why, if there were good reasons,” he said.

Posted March 12, 2010

An example of home-grown psilocybin mushrooms

It was a family affair for one Mansfield clan as four members of the Richard family, living at 1901 Storrs Road were arrested Thursday for operating an indoor marijuana-growing operation and mushroom lab.

Members of the East Field Office of the Statewide Narcotics Task Force - with assistance from the Mansfield Resident Troopers Office - executed a search warrant Thursday and netted four arrests. (Resident state troopers in Mansfield are from state police Troop C in Tolland.)

According to police, a large-scale marijuana cultivation operation and a lab for the hallucinogen psilocybin  mushroom were discovered in the home.

During Thursday’s search, police seized approximately 30 marijuana plants - at various stages of cultivation - an undisclosed amount of marijuana, hundreds of hallucinogenic mushroom spores, an undisclosed amount of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and numerous chemical components and materials used in the cultivation process of those drugs.

State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said today that the arrest of an entire family for a drug operation wasn’t something that happens everyday. “It is unusual, there’s no question,” he said.

He added that Thursday’s arrests were the result of “good police work.”

Vance said police always try to follow leads quickly so they are able to halt drug operations, especially when they are so close to the University of Connecticut and E.O. Smith High School. “There’s always concern,” he said.

The following were arrested during the search:

• Judy Richard, 48, charged with cultivation of marijuana, cultivation of hallucinogens, conspiracy to commit cultivation of marijuana/hallucinogens, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms with intent to sell and operating a drug factory. Her bond was set at $25,000.
• Justin Richard, 28, charged with cultivation of marijuana, cultivation of hallucinogens, conspiracy to commit cultivation of marijuana/hallucinogens, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms with intent to sell and operating a drug factory. His bond was set at $25,000.
• Brandon Richard, 17, charged with cultivation of marijuana, cultivation of hallucinogens, conspiracy to commit cultivation of marijuana/hallucinogens, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms with intent to sell and operating a drug factory. His bond was set at $25,000.
• Benjamin Richard, 22, charged with cultivation of marijuana, cultivation of hallucinogens, conspiracy to commit cultivation of marijuana/hallucinogens, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms with intent to sell and operating a drug factory. His bond was set at $25,000.

All four were scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court this morning [March 12, 2010].

Posted March 12, 2010, edited by HTNP.com Editor Brenda Sullivan

Related links:

Psilocybin: Demystifying the Magic Mushroom

http://www.doitnow.org/pages/132.html

How Stuff Works

http://health.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom.htm/printable

There has been an extensive advertising campaign selling the urgency of having young women vaccinated to prevent HPV (Human Papillomavirus) infection and cervical cancer.

The introduction of this new vaccine has required parents, young women, doctors, health officials and legislators to assess individual healthcare needs, patient healthcare standards and overall healthcare policy.

The controversy prompted by this vaccine will be explored by Scott L. Wetstone, M.D., Associate Professor at the UConn School of Medicine’s Department of Community Medicine and Health Care at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 21 in the Biology/Physics Building, Room 130, on UConn’s Storrs Campus.

In his talk, Dr. Wetstone will demonstrate how using the basic tools of epidemiology can help each of us assess the true level of risk for any health issue and to help make prudent healthcare decisions.

This program is open to adults and children ages 10 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

The program is free. Advanced registration is not required.

For additional information about the series, visit http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call 860.486.4460.

The talk is presented by the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and UConn School of Medicine’s Department of Community Medicine and Health Care.

Posted March 12, 2010

Some related links:

Gardasil Web site

http://www.gardasil.com/

Legal actions regarding Gardasil – http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/gardasil_side_effects

Wikipedia entry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardasil

FDA and CDC information about safety of Gardasil

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/ucm179549.htm

Judicial Watch Investigates Side-Effects of HPV Vaccine

http://www.judicialwatch.org/gardasil

Public forums on options for Mansfield Schools began last year and have been well attended. File photo © by Brenda Sullivan

The Town of Mansfield School Building Committee invites you to an informational session on the proposed project: New Community PreK-4 Elementary School and Mansfield Middle School on Monday, March 15, 2010.

The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Mansfield Middle School, and will be followed by an opportunity for comments, questions, and answers.

More information is available at: http://www.mansfieldct.org/town/government/committees/school_bldg_com . See links on the Web site to submit questions or comments.

Posted March 12, 2010

According to Nora R. Dannehy, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Justin Edwards, 27, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a bank fraud scheme.

On Nov. 2, 2009, Edwards pleaded guilty to four counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2007 and March 2008, Edwards and Kyle Seibert of Canterbury stole balance transfer checks, also known as “convenience checks,” from residence mailboxes.

Edwards, Seibert and Timothy Taylor of Mansfield then opened several bank accounts at various Connecticut financial institutions, forged the stolen checks making them payable to themselves and deposited them into these accounts.

Edwards and Seibert then withdrew cash before the victim’s financial institutions discovered the deposits were fraudulent.

Through this scheme, Edwards and his co-conspirators deposited approximately $188,454 in fraudulent checks and were successful in defrauding the victim banks of $89,082.

Seibert and Taylor also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from their involvement in this scheme.

On Jan. 5, Taylor was sentenced to three years of probation.

Seibert awaits sentencing.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U. S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. McConnell.

Posted March 11, 2010

Focused on sustainable gardening, this day-long conference will offer educational opportunities for home gardeners at all interest and skill levels, from casual gardeners to certified Master Gardeners.

The program will include five speakers, plant and book sales and opportunities to earn Master Gardener credits.

The keynote speaker Rosalind Creasy is a noted author, photographer and lecturer. She will talk about her concept of edible landscaping, including tips on how to cultivate and cook with produce from “theme gardens.”

Other speakers include:

• Karen Bussolini, garden photographer and author, “Designing with Elegant Silvers”
• Steve Silk, photographer and travel writer,”The Crazy Mixed-Up Border: An Eclectic Approach to using Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, Tropical’s, Edibles and Perennials”
• Heather Crawford, environmental educator, “Gardening with Rain”
• Lois Berg Stack, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Specialist, “Twenty ways to Become a Greener Gardener.”

For more information, visit www. ladybug. uconn. edu/ gardening/2010conferencerelease.htm.

The Garden Conference is sponsored by UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, including the Ornamental Plant Extension and the Home Garden and Education Center.

To register, contact Richard McAvoy at ( 860) 486- 0627 or richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu.

Posted March 11, 2010

Jacquie Fernandes, a graduate of Stonington High, and Kaili McLaren, on right, are a happy pair of seniors after winning the Big East title. Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

The UConn women’s basketball team’s 60-32 win over West Virginia to capture Connecticut’s 16th Big East Championship underscores why head coach Geno Auriemma has been so successful in his stint at Storrs.

Even as the Huskies extended their record-setting winning streak to 72 Tuesday night at the XL Center in Hartford, the reason why this team is so good is because it is just that – a team.

While Maya Moore and Tina Charles are without doubt the brightest stars in this stellar collection of players Auriemma has assembled, the dynamic duo was held to a total of 22 points by the Mountaineers – including an uncharacteristic 3-for-17 combined shooting percentage in the first half.

The Mountaineers likely thought shutting down this pair of All-Americans would no doubt ensure West Virginia’s victory. But Kalana Greene and Tiffany Hayes filled the offensive void created by their concentration on Charles and Moore. Each netted a game-best 15 points.

“Every game we go into, we understand how difficult it’s going to be for us to just get Maya and Tina whatever shots they want,” Auriemma said after the win over West Virginia.

“I mean, the better the teams you play against, the more difficult it’s going to be to get your two best players open shots. That’s why they’re good teams.

UConn's Senior guard Kalana Greene (32) was named the 2010 Big East Championship tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

“So somebody has to step up and make plays, and I thought all year long Kalana has been really consistent in providing that for us, whether it’s a defensive spurt or an offensive spurt or a rebounding spurt, there’s been numerous times where she’s provided whatever it seemed like we needed at that time,” Auriemma said.

Most Outstanding Player

Greene not only led in scoring (hitting all of her first seven shots) but also hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds. And what better game to snag a season-high number of boards and turn in your ninth career double-double?

“In this whole tournament I just wanted to come in and just help my team win in whichever way possible, rebound, play defense and knock in a couple shots,” Greene said.

For her back-to-back 15-point performances in the final two games of the tournament and for taking up the rebounding burden when Charles was no longer in charge under the boards due to Mountaineers double- and sometimes triple-teaming her, Green was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“Kalana is just great,” Moore said. “She’s a critical part of our team. She can do a lot of different things on the court. She has stepped up and been that constant leader for us by example.

L-R, UConn’s Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey and assistant coaches Shea Ralph and Marisa Moseley are all smiles after the UConn women’s team’s win over West Virginia in the 2010 Big East Championship tournament. Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

“She is kind of like our safety net. She sometimes doesn’t get the credit she deserves, and it’s just great that she’s being recognized for all the intangibles that she brings to our team,” Moore said.

Moore joined Greene and Charles on the All-Tournament Team along with Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and two West Virginia players, Liz Repella and Sarah Miles.

Second time up against West Virginia

Interestingly enough, Greene is the only Connecticut player to have appeared in the 2010 Big East title game and the 2006 conference championship game, coincidentally also against West Virginia, both won by UConn.

Greene was able to pull off this double play of sorts because she would only play in eight games in 2007-08 before suffering a season-ending knee injury and receiving an NCAA medical redshirt.

Attesting to her longevity, the 5-foot-10 guard from South Carolina set a school record Tuesday, playing in her 151st game and thereby breaking the tie she had shared for one day with Renee Montgomery.

Kalana also moved into 21st place on Connecticut’s all-time scoring list.

She says entering her fifth and final year at UConn offered her a chance to reflect on how she might improve her game.

“I think this year, I brought a different approach in practice, and it prepared me for games,” Kalana said. “I just wanted to play hard and just leave it all on the floor and build a lot of momentum going into the tournament.”

The tournament she refers to is the NCAA Tournament where the Huskies look to get to San Antonio and defend the crown they won a year ago in another saintly city – St. Louis.

Off to Philly

UConn fans won’t be able to watch any opening round games on UConn’s home courts, either in Hartford or Storrs because for some inexplicable reason, those games are being played in Pittsburgh this year, a move that doesn’t seem to make sense financially. If there is any hotbed of women’s college basketball, Storrs is surely the place.

“Sometimes you’re better off not being the home team because you get more calls,” Auriemma mused. “They figure if you’re the home team, you don’t need those calls.”

This year the field includes Tennessee, Auriemma’s team you love to hate, a team that lost early in the 2009 tournament but is ranked fourth nationally right now and would seem to be dead set in the Huskies’s path en route to a second straight national title.

“We’re going to start the NCAA Tournament trying to win the national championship, and we’re going to have to play whoever is in our way to get there,” Auriemma said. “If it’s them, great; if it’s not, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it either way.”

Posted March 10, 2010
UConn Coach Geno Auriemma talks about his winning team (Vito. J. Leo video clip)

The victorious UConn women's basketball team. This is the Huskies’ 16th Big East tournament championship. Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com Sports

Tonight, UConn is celebrating an overwhelming victory against West Virgina, 60-32, and the Huskies’ 16^th Big East tournament championship.

Kalana Greene scored 15 points to help top-ranked UConn rout No. 9 West Virginia, for the team’s 72nd straight win.

Greene also made her first seven shots and grabbed 12 rebounds to earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament.

Caroline Doty was in her customary place in the starting lineup despite suffering a scary head and neck injury during the Huskies’ NCAA-record 71st straight victory Monday night [March 8].

The sophomore guard was inadvertently elbowed in the head by Notre Dame’s Ashley Barlow, with 50 seconds left in Monday night’s game.

Doty didn’t show any outward signs of the injury, but was ineffective in her 16 minutes, and scored just one point

Picking up the offense

With All-Americans Maya Moore and Tina Charles having off-games, Greene and Tiffany Hayes carried the offense.

Hayes finished with 15 points. Charles had 12 and Moore 10 – but they combined to make just three of their first 22 shots.

UConn improved to 14-0 against top-10 opponents, winning by an average of 26.3 points.

The Huskies have now won the last 22 meetings with West Virginia, including an 80-47 rout at the XL Center on Feb. 2. In that game the Mountaineers played tough for 25 minutes before succumbing to the Huskies.

West Virginia was making only its second trip to the championship game.

Putting up a fight

On Tuesday night, it looked like UConn would once again blow past West Virginia.

The Huskies, who have won every game during its record streak by double figures, used a 20-4 early run in the first half to turn a one-point lead into a 27-10 advantage with 6:42 left.

But the Mountaineers wouldn’t wilt, and used their tenacious defense – which allowed only 51.5 points coming into the game – to stick around.

West Virginia answered with a 18-6 spurt of its own, spanning the half, to close to 33-28 on Natalie Burton’s free throw with 15:32 left in the game.

Liz Repella had eight points during the burst – including a 3-pointer from the top of the key that hit the front rim, bounced straight up and then in – that made it 33-27 UConn. She finished with 10 points to lead West Virginia (28-5).

On a run

The Huskies then went on one of their typical runs. UConn scored 27 of the next 29 points and ended any hopes West Virginia had of an upset.

The Huskies held West Virginia without a point for nearly the final 11 minutes until a meaningless layup with 28 seconds left.

Greene had six points during the spurt, and also a nifty pass to Moore for a layup off an offensive rebound that made it 49-30 with 8:51 left.

Charles, who had missed seven of her first eight shots, hit three foul line jumpers and a layup during the burst.

The Huskies, who have won both the regular season and conference tournament title the last three years (and 14 times in school history), held West Virginia to the lowest total in a Big East championship game.

Will they bring home another win?

The Huskies have won five of the last six conference tournament titles and enter the NCAAs unbeaten for the fifth time in school history.

UConn went on to win the national championship in 1995, 2002, and 2009.

In 1996-97, they lost to Tennessee in the regional final.

UConn (33-0) also stands six wins short of becoming the first team to go through consecutive seasons unbeaten.

The Huskies surpassed their own NCAA record for consecutive wins on Monday night [March 8].

Posted March 9, 2010 as edited by Brenda Sullivan, HTNP.com Editor