Pancakes for Parkinson’s is a fund-raising supper at Chip’s Family Restaurant, 321 Boston Post Road, Orange, open to the public from 5-9 p.m., Tuesday, April 24. Price is $10 each. There will also be a raffle.

Chip’s is donating all the food for the mouth-watering meal, which includes three pancakes, bacon or sausage, two eggs, and coffee or tea. The Milford Bank, the Rotary Club of Milford, ShopRite of Milford, and the McInnis Companies are major sponsors of the event.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month nationwide. Proceeds from Pancakes for Parkinson’s will be matched dollar for dollar, thanks to a $50 million challenge grant from Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, and his wife Ann Wojcicki, a co-founder of 23 and Me, a personal genetics company.

Pancakes for Parkinson’s host is Team Fox member Jody Culmone, a Woodbridge resident and Milford Rotarian who was diagnosed with PD in 2004. Proceeds will benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to help find a cure for the millions suffering from the disease.

Business card ads at $35 and corporate sponsorships up to $1,000 are being sold. For their support of Team Fox, supporters will receive tickets and recognition in an ad book. Donations are tax deductible.

Meal tickets may be pre-ordered or purchased at the door. Checks for tickets, sponsorship, and donations should be made out to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, a non-profit organization, and sent to Team Fox/Jody Culmone, 65 Peck Hill Road, Woodbridge, CT 06525. For more information, please call 203-387-4182 or email jvculmone@optonline.net.

The 6th Annual Milford Yacht Club Police & Firefighter Chili Festival to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut will take place on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Milford Yacht Club, 131 Trumbull Avenue, Milford. Teams representing departments from Milford, Orange, West Haven, Fairfield and Stratford are expected to participate. The event is being organized by Officer Jeff Nielsen and members of the Milford Police Department. To purchase tickets in advance, become a sponsor or to find out more about the event, contact Officer Nielsen at 203-783-4739 or cpu@ci.milford.ct.us. Tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets are $10.00 each for adults and $5.00 for children 10 years old and under. (Children 5 and under will be admitted free of charge). All are welcome. Guests will sample each original chili recipe served by the areas finest and bravest and have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. A panel of local chefs and Special Olympics athletes will also serve as judges for the competition. The Milford Yacht Club is generously donating the venue, staffing, soft drinks and the main ingredients for the chili recipes for all participating teams for the event, for a sixth consecutive year. Milford Bank is among this year’s sponsors.
Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competitions for over 13,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and Unified Partners (their teammates without disabilities). Through a myriad of initiatives throughout the state and the world, Special Olympics is a movement that’s changing attitudes and changing lives by inspiring inclusion, understanding and respect for people of all abilities, in all aspects of life. (www.soct.org)

Milford, CT (February) – Women with United Vision (WUV), the Women’s Leadership Initiative of the United Way of Milford, plans to collect 10,000 diapers during the month of March as part of their Healthy Baby Diaper Drive. The diapers will be distributed to local Milford families through United Way agencies and the Department of Human Services.

“Many struggling families cannot afford sufficient quantities of diapers for their children,” Darcy Ellis, co-chair of WUV said. “And since daycare facilities require parents to supply their own diapers, lack of diapers becomes an obstacle for working parents. Diapers cannot be purchased with food stamps or through the WIC federal program and can cost families an average of $100 per month.”

Melissa Wunder, chairperson of WUV’s Healthy Baby Diaper Drive and PTA Council Vice President, has been working to involve Milford area schools in this project. “We are thrilled to have so many schools participating,” Wunder said. “The principals and PTAs are committed to helping Milford families in need.”

Additionally, several local businesses have agreed to serve as collection points and to encourage their employees and customers to contribute. Diapers can be dropped off at the following locations:

• ShopRite of Milford,
• Stop and Shop on East Town Road in Milford,
• Woodruff Family YMCA,
• GE Credit Union,
• IKON Office Solutions,
• Sand Castle Learning Center,
• Trixie Salon, and
• Milford Public Schools.

For more information or to become involved in the Healthy Baby Diaper Drive contact the United Way of Milford at (203) 874-6791.

I am thrilled to hear of Zuppardi’s Apizza being victorious as the best pizza in Connecticut. This family run pizzeria has earned the title of Best Pizza in Connecticut by the Destination Guide from the Travel Channel.

The Zuppardi family is known for having deep roots in West Haven but what most people do not know is that Cheryl and Lori, the Zuppardi sisters have deep roots in Orange as well, raising the next generation of pizza makers in our town.

I encourage everyone to sign onto the You Tube link listed below. They need the most views over a 30 day period to win a national commercial package. Each of us can help them with the contest by watching the You Tube segment:

Go to : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGwSxAQ2_E8 or go to www.zuppardisapizza.com and view it on their web site.


Thanks,

Jim Zeoli

First Selectman of Orange

Here's how to chart a course for the class

MILFORD — USCG Auxiliary 24-3 is offering a charts, navigation and GOS course 7-9:30 p.m. March 13-15 at the Flotilla 24-3 Training Center, 1 Helwig St.
The course ties together electronic navigation and the method of plotting a course on  a paper chart.
Students will learn basic satellite navigation and its functions and how to interpret and use information printed on charts as well as chart a course using that information and navigation tools.
Cost is $60. Register at http://a0142403.uscgaux.info or on the first day of class.
For more information, call 860-663-5505 or email skperrone@hotmail.com.

For his Eagle Scout project, Teddy Boynton is creating a library at Boys & Girls Village in Milford for the children with special needs who use their services. For those of you unfamiliar with Boys & Girls Village, it is an agency in Milford that provides special education, counseling, foster care and adoption, adolescent psychiatry care, emergency shelter for children removed from their homes and many other important services for both kids and families.
To fill the library, he is conducting a book drive and looking
for gently used books (both fiction and non-fiction) appropriate for kids 5 to 17 years old. He’ll be collecting them from 6:15-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, at St. Agnes Church Hall on Merwin Avenue.
If you have books to donate and can help, it would be much appreciated.

Hartford – State Representatives Kim Rose (D-Milford), Richard Roy (D-Milford), Chair of the legislature’s Environment Committee and Paul Davis (D-Milford) today hailed passage of House Bill #5302 that clarifies a 2006 statutory amendment that was interpreted by the Superior Court to relinquish municipal control over zoning laws applicable to solid waste facilities.
The legislation asserts that municipalities retain the authority to enact and implement zoning laws that regulate safety issues, such as fire and traffic concerns, at solid waste facilities in their communities. Without this legislation, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection would have sole regulatory authority over these facilities with little local control over zoning decisions. This clarification allows applicants to be informed early in the process of all the conditions they will be expected to meet in order to construct or expand a given facility.
“I have been listening to concerns about this important issue during the last five years and was determined to find a solution to alleviate this burden not only for our town, but towns across the state,” Rep. Rose said. “This is an important step forward in helping us address our local issue and in allowing towns to regain local control over infringements on quality of life. I am pleased we were able to work on this in an expedited manner.”
"Defending the right to participate in regulating any solid waste operation within the community is critical to addressing health and safety concerns," said Rep. Roy. "If this court ruling were to stand, Milford and the other 168 municipalities in our state would have no ability to protect its residents."
“This was a Milford’s delegation teamwork effort,” said Davis. “I look forward to continuing to work to protect the interests of our community.”
Milford has been dealing with a local recycling firm seeking expansion approval for their waste facility.
The bill moves to the Senate Wednesday for consideration.

MILFORD —The Junior Woman’s Club of Milford Inc., in conjunction with the Panel of Common Good, is seeking candidates for the 2012 Milford Living Treasures Award. 
The award will be bestowed upon a candidate whose community service has enriched Milford and made it a better community. Candidates must be 65 years of age or older, a current resident and lived in Milford for a minimum of 10 years.
To nominate a candidate, submit (1) your name, telephone number and email address; (2) nominee’s name, address, telephone number, email address and date of birth and (3) a statement as to why you consider this nominee a living treasure. The statement should include a detailed resume of accomplishments and contributions and that the nominee made to the city of Milford (e.g. volunteerism, organizations, awards won, club memberships, offices held, etc.).
Nominations must be mailed, post marked no later than Feb. 28 to Jerilyn Shannon, Milford Living Treasure Program, Jr. Woman’s Club of Milford, 91 Todd Drive, Milford 0646.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

State Representative Kim Rose (D-Milford) announced today that Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) has appointed her to serve on the legislature’s Select Committee on Children.

“I am thrilled to have been named to serve on this committee, along with my friend, colleague and House Chair of the committee, Rep. Diana Urban,” Rep. Rose said. “Advocating for and supporting children’s issues is important to me, my constituents and the state. I am excited to join all the committee members in this endeavor.”

“I’m very pleased that Kim will be joining the Children’s Committee. She has been a tireless advocate on behalf of children since arriving at the legislature last year and I’m looking forward to working with her,” said State Representative Diana Urban(D-North Stonington & Stonington) , who Chairs the Select Committee on Children. “And she also understands the link between cruelty to animals and future violent behavior particularly domestic violence and child abuse. She is a welcome addition to the Committee.”

The Select Committee on Children members are appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. They may conduct public hearings; issue reports raise and review any bill concerning children.

Rep. Rose represents the 118th Assembly District in Milford. She is also a member of the Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, as well as the Environment, and Planning & Development Committees.

Find out more at the library 

Fairfield gets into the reading spirit in March with the "One Book One Town" with "The Watch That Ends the Night:  Voices from the Titanic," according to a statement.  

"Thirty lively and varied lectures, programs and activities are offered for all ages as we discuss the book and commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic," the statement said.

"The One Book One Town program will culminate with a visit from 'The Watch That Ends the Night' author Allan Wolf" at 7 p.m. March 26, at the Regina A. Quick Center, Fairfield University, the statement said.  

 Wolf is a writer, poet, educator and dynamic performer, the statement said.  "He is sure to bring the voices of the Titanic to us as vividly in person as he has in his remarkable novel," the statement said.  

 Register soon as seating is limited. 

"Copies of the book have been flying off the shelves of the Libraries, and are also available for purchase at the Fairfield University Bookstore," the statement said

The Fairfield Public Library’s 2012 One Book One Town program is sponsored by community partners:  Pequot Library, Fairfield Museum and History Center, Fairfield Public Schools, Fairfield University and Fairfield University Bookstore.

All programs at the Fairfield Public Library and for One Book One Town are free.  For more information visit www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org, or call 203-256-3160. 

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

MILFORD — The Recreation Department has begun team registration for its spring volleyball leagues, which are scheduled to begin in early April.
Three coed divisions (A B & C) will be offered.  The A and B divisions play Monday nights and the C division plays Wednesday nights.
Entry fees for all leagues are $50 per team. Nonresidents or former residents pay an additional $10. Milford companies are also eligible to register as an “industrial” team.     
All games will be played at the Parsons Complex Gymnasium. The registration fee and coaches contact information will secure a team’s spot in the league.
The League Director must receive these items by March 14.
Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis until leagues are full. Completed roster will be due at a later date. For more information, contact Patrick Austin at 203-783-3390 or paustin@ci.milford.ct.us.

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.

The program asks youths to create presentations on the dangers on drunken and distracted driving

MILFORD — The Law Offices of Carter Mario Injury Lawyers is holding its seventh annual “Arrive Alive” Scholarship Program.
Applicants have to prepare a presentation on the dangers of drunken driving, as well as distracted driving by teens using cellphones while behind the wheel. The presentations, which can be essays, videos, PowerPoint presentations or informative brochures will be judged by Connecticut’s Injury Lawyer, Carter Mario and his staff.
The firm will award $1,000 a piece to 10 high school seniors in the state attending a four-year college or university in the fall.
Applications are available at www.getcarter.com or at school’s guidance departments or guidance counselors. All entries must be postmarked no later than March 26.
For more information, visit www.getcarter.com and click on the “Arrive Alive” logo. 

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.