Howard Zinn Tribute @ Busboys and Poets, 2-15-10

-- Busboys and Poets photo posted Feburary 2009

Amy Goodwin, Dave Zirin
Among Speakers
Following Percussion Wake-Up,
Stage Clearing ...
... A Couple Minutes Of Mic Problems

Video Via USTREAM

Busboys And Poets

In Lieu Of Flowers, Organize

Howard Zinn, 1922-2010, Talks With Woody Harrelson, Connecticut Review

VIDEO, New: Yellow Ribbon Removed From Litchfield Town Green, 2-28-10

Video Via TalkOfCT

PSYCHOS ON PARADE, Again, In The Litchfield Hysterical District

Twitter@cooljustice

**** Another Big Rumble @ The Hartford Club

Facebook Event Page

WHAT:

Open Workout and Press Conference - PUBLIC WELCOME

WHO:


TONY "TNT" GRANO
2005 U.S. Nationals Champion
Hartford, CT
16-1-1, 13 KOs

Oak 2 Fall?

MIKE "Machine Gun" OLIVER
N.E. & EBA Super Bantamweight Champion
Hartford, CT
22-2, 7 KOs


DAVID BAUZA
New Haven, CT
2-0, 1 KO


EDWIN SOTO
Hartford, CT
3-0, 3 KOs

WHERE:

The Hartford Club
46 Prospect St.
Hartford, CT
860.522.1271

WHEN:
Friday, March 5, 2010

Workout: 12:00-1:00 PM / ET,
Press Conference: 1:30 PM / ET

WHY:

To promote the "Brace For Impact" pro boxing card, presented by Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., March 12 in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Tickets for "Brace For Impact," priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com, or in person at Foxwood's box office.

For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6:00 PM / ET, first bout at 7:00 PM / ET.

Contact Pat Sullivan (Pat@CESBoxing.com/401.724.2253) for information about a special CES KO ticket value package.


... THEN, AFTER WORKING UP AN APPETITE ...


WHAT:
Meet-and-Greet & Italian Buffet - PUBLIC WELCOME

WHO:

TONY "TNT" GRANO
2005 U.S. Nationals Champion
Hartford, CT
16-1-1, 13 KOs


VINNY PAZ
Retired 5-Time World Champion
Cranston, RI
50-10, 30 KOs

WHERE:
Italian Society of Middletown (dinner presented by Cantina Café Ristorante)
72 Court St.
Middletown, CT
860.347.5788

WHEN:
Friday, March 5, 2010 - 6:00-9:00 PM / ET

WHY:
Fans can meet and receive autographs from Grano and Paz, watch Grano fight highlights on television, purchase Paz' book and screen Paz' DVD, "Headstrong," and purchase tickets to Grano's next fight on March 12th.

The Italian buffet is $10.00 per person.

-CES-

CONTACTS:
Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482 (office), bobtfcp@hotmail.com
Lori A. Potter, Foxwoods, 860.312.4010, LPotter@foxwoods.com
Shannan McNair, Foxwoods, 860.396.6727, SMcNair@foxwoods.com

Bob Thiesfield Boxing Photos, Irish Ravi Shankar Narrative, Hartford Club, 1-15-10

The BOB THIESFIELD COLLECTION, Young Writers Triple KO Photos, Hartford Club, 1-15-10

Cooljustice@Twitter coverage / Bob Thiesfield Photos FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS MOHEGAN SUN 1-29-10

Twitter @ cooljustice

NEWSFLASH:Trainer For The Greatest, Angelo Dundee, Joins Mike Mike MachineGun Oliver, Tony TNT Grano / Top Card @ Foxwoods March 12

Prospect Mag: Hartford Boxers Past & Present

They Could Have Fought In A Phone Booth

CT Young Writers Shatter Entry Record

RECORD SHATTERED
nearly 800 entries
for CT Young Writers 2010

[ACTUAL total,
unofficial,
still being tabulated,
seems 2 b 795]
-------------------------------------



The Connecticut Young Writers Trust
is a non-profit foundation
classified by the IRS as a 501 C (3) Public Charity.

Formal Announcement
2 folo Monday, 3-1-10
From CSU System's Bernard Kavaler

Prior top total:
647,
In 2000
1st yr competition went statewide

BACKGROUND clips:

~~~ Hartford Club Mag Makes Pitch For CT Young Writers

WNPR'S PREVIEW OF THE TRIPLE KO EVENT @ The Hartford Club

-- plz forward this post @ will
UPCOMING
regional celebrations
@ CSU System campuses in April
annual celebration
site &date 2 b announced.

--
NOTE TO SPONSORS
TY 4 KEEPING THIS PROGRAM ALIVE
FOLLOWING THE DEATH
OF OUR FOUNDING / PRIMARY SPONSOR LAST FALL

-- 2010 PROGRAM SPONSORSHIPS R AVAIL AS FOLLOWS:

* biz card in program, $250

* county champion sponsor, $500

* state champion sponsor, $1,000

all donations greatly appreciated and publicly acknowledged

--------------plz send checks 2

CT YOUNG WRITERS TRUST
231 Beach St.
Litchfield, CT 06759


thank you thank you thank you

Connecticut Young Writers Trust Website

231 Beach St.
Litchfield, CT 06759

* 800-814-6931 * Fax- 860-567-9119
* tntcomm82@cs.com

ANDY THIBAULT
Chairman
Cell: 860-690-0211

Remembering Malcolm X

Via
DemocracyNow!

AMY GOODMAN: We wrap up today’s show with the words of Malcolm X. Last Sunday marked the forty-fifth anniversary of his death. He was assassinated February 21st, 1965, as he spoke before a packed audience in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom. He was just thirty-nine years old. This May 19th would have been his eighty-fifth birthday. This is an expert of a speech Malcolm X gave about [half a year] earlier. It’s called “By Any Means Necessary.”

Complete Article

Malcolm X, No Sellout

We R In The Future Of Journalism Now: NH Indie's Bass

h/t

Hartford Courant Refugees

New Haven Independent

Down Syndrome Actress Andrea Fay Friedman To Palin: My Mom Didn't Exploit Me Like U Exploit Trigg

-- Palin With Baby @ Whaling Festival In Alaska

Palin's
Boost
4
Family Guy





FRIEDMAN:

"I was making fun of Sarah Palin, but not her son ... "



"My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes."

NYT Article

HuffPo: Seth MacFarlane Talks Palin Controversy With Bill Maher (VIDEO)

MORONS

"We've bent over backward to try to be inclusive of everyone serving their country," board member Victoria Sansing said after the meeting. "Hopefully this puts the issue to rest for good."

Post @ Rep-am.com

PSYCHOS ON PARADE, Again, In The Litchfield Hysterical District

Anybody Here Remember The Phoenix Program?

Via
The Alex Constantine
Anti-Fascist Encyclopedia

Blood Sport:
CIA / Phoenix Program’s Rob Simmons
vs.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Ex-CEO Linda McMahon in Conn. Senate Race

Complete Article

Also, Simmons, With Straight Face, Apparently, Says CIA Does Not Torture

UK Guardian: School webcam spies in land of liberty?

Reports that a US school 'spied'
on pupils at home
teach us something
about what it really means
to live in this 'free' nation

"Connecticut is a shameful trailblazer"
abusing rights of students

By JENNIFER ABEL

First, the good news: even in these troubled economic times, there exist American public schools – like those of the Lower Merion district in the suburbs of Philadelphia – prosperous enough to distribute laptop computers to every kid enrolled in the high school.

Now the bad news: school officials could also afford to install webcams on those computers, and remotely activate the cams to spy on students and their families at home.

Complete Article

Is FBI Probe For Real?

DOUCHE BAG SCHOOL BOSSES BEWARE: When Students Stand Up, Justice Will Ultimately Prevail

Judge José A. Cabranes Drives Stake In Heart Of Douche Bag School Bosses' Phony Defense:

Avery Doninger, Standing Up For All Of Us

Tony, Mike Mike, Bauza & Soto: Connecticut Boxers @ Foxwoods March 12

-- TONY GRANO


-- MIKE MIKE MACHINE GUN OLIVER

Four Conn. fighters on
‘Brace For Impact’ card

Brown-Grano headlines March 12 show at Foxwoods

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 19, 2010) – The March 12th “Brace For Impact” pro boxing show will showcase four Connecticut boxers – Tony “TNT” Grano, Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver, David Bauza and Edwin Soto – in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

The 10-round main event is a rematch on “Brace For Impact,” Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment &Sports, Inc. (CES) show, between heavyweights Grano and the only pro to defeat him, Mark “Oak Tree” Brown. Brown (15-2, 7 KOs) overcame two knockdowns to knock out Grano (16-1-1, 13 KOs), born in Hebron and fighting out of Hartford (CT), in the eighth round of their WBF All-Americas title bout Sept. 27, 2008.

A 2005 U.S. National Championships winner and National Golden Gloves Tournament runner-up, Grano is coming off of a sensational, nationally-televised knockout of previously-undefeated prospect Travis Kaufman (18-0) this past September.

The 8-round co-feature pits Hartford super bantamweight Oliver (22-2, 7 KOs), the reigning New England and EBA champion, against Dominican power-puncher Jonathan Arias (9-6, 8 KOs), now living in Brooklyn, in a non-title fight.

Hartford middleweight David Bauza (3-0, 3 KOs), who trains in New Haven, faces Erix Quinteros (2-3, 1 KO), while New Haven super lightweight Edwin Soto (2-0, 1 KO) meets 19-fight veteran Joey Ortega of Lowell (MA).

Living legend, Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee will be a special guest at the “Brace For Impact” pro boxing show. Dundee, 88, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994, and he is best known as head trainer for Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Also slated to fight in 4-round bouts are Long Island (NY) light heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 New York Golden Gloves champion, vs. Dameon Marshall (1-2); Providence welterweight Kali Reis (2-0, 1 KO) in a rematch versus Alexsandra Lopes (1-1, 1 KO), of Marshfield; Brooklyn (NY) welterweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali (5-0, 2 KOs), a 2008 U.S. Olympian; and Marshfield (MA) super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (5-0-1, 1 KO) against opponents to be determined. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets for “Brace For Impact,” priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com, or in person at Foxwood’s box office.

For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6:00 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.

Contact Pat Sullivan (Pat@CESBoxing.com/401.724.2253) for information about a special CES KO ticket value package.

-CES-

CONTACTS:

Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482 (office), bobtfcp@hotmail.com

Lori A. Potter, Foxwoods, 860.312.4010, LPotter@foxwoods.com

Shannan McNair, Foxwoods, 860.396.6727, SMcNair@foxwoods.com

NEWSFLASH:Trainer For The Greatest, Angelo Dundee, Joins Mike Mike MachineGun Oliver, Tony TNT Grano / Top Card @ Foxwoods March 12

Iceman John Scully Dishes On Pascal Sparring, Potential Dawson-Pascal Bout

-- MONTREAL'S JEAN PASCAL


-- NEW HAVEN'S BAD CHAD DAWSON

Via
Examiner.com

Sparring Jean Pascal…

“It came about a few years ago, maybe five or six, when we both happened to be in the gym on the same day up in Montreal. Russ Anber's Ring 83. I sparred with both Jean and with Stephan Ouellet that day. I actually was talking to Jean and laughing with him on facebook not too long ago about that sparring session because it was a thing where we both started trash talking to each other after a couple rounds and it got kind of heated. We're all good now, though, it was just a typical gym thing.”

Complete Article

Scully's Riveting Stories Noted In The Iceman Diaries

Photos: Scully Runs Exhibition @ Hartford Club 1-15-10 w/ Mike Mike Machine Gun Oliver, Pito Cardona, Chip Perez

NEWS FLASH:Trainer For The Greatest, Angelo Dundee, Joins Mike Mike Machine Gun Oliver, Tony TNT Grano / Top Card @ Foxwoods March 12

Watch
For Announcement
On Press Conference
In Hartford ...

HOF trainer Angelo Dundee
special guest at “Brace For Impact”
Brown-Grano headlines March 12 show at Foxwoods

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 18, 2010) – Living legend, Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee will be a special guest at the “Brace For Impact” pro boxing card, presented March 12 by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment &Sports, Inc. (CES), in Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

The 10-round main event is a rematch between heavyweights Tony “TNT” Grano and Mark “Oak Tree” Brown. Brown (15-2, 7 KOs) overcame two knockdowns to stop Grano (16-1-1, 13 KOs), fighting out of Hartford (CT), in the eighth round of their WBF All-Americas title bout Sept. 27, 2008. Grano is the 2005 U.S. National Championships winner and National Golden Gloves Tournament runner-up, and has won two in a row since suffering his lone loss as a pro to Brown, highlighted by a sensational, nationally-televised knockout of previously-undefeated prospect Travis Kaufman (18-0) last September.

Dundee, 88, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994. Best known as head trainer for Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, Dundee also worked the corner for George Foreman, Jose Napoles, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio and Luis Rodriguez.

“I’m looking forward to being at Foxwoods,” Dundee said. “I go way back with Jimmy Burchfield. When I first go to a city, I always look for a good Italian restaurant, and that’s how I first met Jimmy in Providence at his (former) restaurant (The Classic). I brought Sugar Ray Leonard there. I was in Providence two years ago for an Italian festival and Jimmy brought Vinny Paz and a lot of his good-looking fighters. It takes a lot of guts to promote today and Jimmy Burchfield is the reason boxing is still flourishing up there. He does it the right way with local kids. I’m thrilled to be a guest at his Foxwoods show.”

“My relationship with Angelo goes beyond boxing,” Burchfield noted. “We’re good friends. I don’t know if boxing will ever see anybody like him again in terms of what he did for his fighters. Not only does he know this business inside and out, I think he’s one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met. My relationship with Sugar Ray Leonard is thanks to Angelo.

“On of my all-time favorite fighters, Willie Pastrano, was trained by Angelo. I’m thrilled to be having my dear friend, Angelo, sitting next to me at ringside on March 12th. He has been as big a personality as his fighters. Angelo never turns down a request from fans for an autograph, or a favor from promoters. His presence at our show will top off a great night.”

Also slated to be in action on “Brace For Impact” are Hartford super bantamweight “Machine” Mike Oliver (22-2, 7 KOs), reigning New England and EBA champion; Marshfield (MA) super middleweight Manuel Antonio Lopes (5-0-1, 1 KO), Long Island (NY) light heavyweight Joe “The Irish Bomber” Smith Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs), 2008 New York Golden Gloves champion; Brooklyn (NY) welterweight Sadam “World Kid” Ali (5-0, 2 KOs), 2008 U.S. Olympian; and Hartford middleweight David Bauza (3-0, 3 KOs). All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Photos: Mike Mike In Exhibition @ Hartford Club 1-15-10 w/ Pito Cardona, Chip Perez

Tickets for “Brace For Impact,” priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00, are available to purchase by calling CES (401.724.2253/2254) or Foxwoods (800-200-2882), going online at www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com, or in person at Foxwood’s box office.

For more information contact CES (401.724.2253/2254/www.cesboxing.com) or Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com). Doors open at 6:00 PM/ET, first bout at 7:00 PM/ET.


Contact Pat Sullivan (Pat@CESBoxing.com/401.724.2253) for information about a special CES KO ticket value package.

-CES-

CONTACTS:

Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482 (office), bobtfcp@hotmail.com

Lori A. Potter, Foxwoods, 860.312.4010, LPotter@foxwoods.com

Shannan McNair, Foxwoods, 860.396.6727, SMcNair@foxwoods.com

Why do so many ads fail?

By John C. Peterson
The Peterson Group

That's a question I ask in several of the seminars I offer. The answers run all over the place but generally have a common thread.


Here's a sample:

· Lousy offer.

· Awful looking, 10 pounds of junk in a 5 pound bag.

· The ad was all logo.

· They only ran one ad.

The real answer the ad failed is, because somebody let it fail. That may be the ad rep or someone in graphics, but ultimately somebody didn't do their job.

Complete Article

Note To Community Newspapers: Advertisers have never needed you more ...

Rhymes With Right Blogger, A Teacher, Pushes Civil Rights For Young People

This Ought To Be An Easy One

Imagine if a bunch of students sat around at a party at one of their homes on a Saturday night, bitching about their English teacher. Would anyone in their right mind argue that the school could punish one or more of the students several months later for their speech about the teacher, even if it were deemed disrespectful? Would anyone accept the right of the principal to alter schedules and remove students from advanced classes as punishment – not to mention impose suspensions – over the criticism? I think the answer would be obvious ...

Complete Article

DOUCHE BAG SCHOOL BOSSES BEWARE: When Students Stand Up, Justice Will Ultimately Prevail

Want To Help In Haiti? Litchfield-Morris Rotary Speaker Cites Challenges To Be Overcome

Local resident and world traveler William Spear will discuss difficulties in getting aid to disaster victims in Haiti during an appearance Thursday [Feb. 18] at the Litchfield-Morris Rotary Club.

The club meets at noon at the Forman School in Litchfield. Members and their guests are welcome. For more information, contact Rotary Club President Cliff Cooper @ cliffordcooper@optonline.net
or
860-567-9876.

Spear is president of the Fortunate Blessings Foundation in Litchfield. He recently wrote about his experiences delivering aid internationally

at the Huffington Post.

Ravi Shankar's Voluptuous Bristle

Dear friends – just wanted to announce my forthcoming chapbook, Voluptuous Bristle, ready for pre-order at Finishing Line Press. It’s my first book in nearly four years and a peek into my upcoming manuscript of poems. Perhaps what I’m most pleased by though is the chance to use old friend Sonya Sklaroff’s painting on the cover. If you don’t mind wading, you’ll find it at Finishing Line Press.



You know you need to read a poem about a painting that begins “Giddy up pigment!” Ravi Shankar is a postmodern flâneur. He wanders the world’s real and fictional gridded cities (or perhaps his astral body swoops high above them) and reports back. Using x-ray vision, a snappy vocabulary and considerable intelligence he hones in on what’s flaunted and hidden, the understated and the gaudy, the modest and the excessive. Each poem is a tiny stage on which miniature dramas ignite, in all their cunning, vivid, mutating detail. Visual art, music, and politics; the sensual and the ornate all percolate here. Voluptuous Bristle gives voice to a mind readers will be happy to spend time inside.
-Amy Gerstler

Scroll To Order

Also, check out the new issue of Drunken Boat, with an interview with US Poet Laureate Kay Ryan and a Sound Art Folio, among other goodness.

Drunken Boat

Ravi, Co-MC, Hartford Club, Jan. 2010

Ravi, Driving While Brown, @ NYPD Hostel

Civil Liberties Warriors Panel Re-Sked 2 Nite

Postponed to February 17 - Civil Liberties in the 21st Century Courageous Convictions A panel of five plaintiffs who have demonstrated courageous convictions will discuss the court cases they pursued to ensure citizens' civil liberties.

Complete Post

DOUCHE BAG SCHOOL BOSSES BEWARE: When Students Stand Up, Justice Will Ultimately Prevail

Cops: DaSilva just smiled and shrugged and said, “What do you want me to say?”

Via
Alfonso Robinson Blog

From The Arrest Warrant
Danbury, CT
Landlord / Tenant Homicide

DaSilva just smiled and shrugged and said, “What do you want me to say?”

It was explained to DaSilva that detectives were investigating a complaint by two (2) men that he assaulted when while making them leave his property at 58 Town Hill Ave. DaSilva just smiled and shrugged and said, “What do you want me to say?” He was then asked if it was possible that these men got rough with him and maybe he was defending himself. DaSilva stated “No, I wasn’t there at all.”

Complete Article With Documents

The Strange Death Of Luis Encalada Bueno

DOUCHE BAG SCHOOL BOSSES BEWARE: When Students Stand Up, Justice Will Ultimately Prevail

BRAVO,
KATIE EVANS & LEGAL TEAM

Via
Miami Herald

Judge:
Student's Facebook rants
about teacher
are protected speech

A teenager's venting about her teacher on a social networking site falls under the umbrella of the First Amendment, a federal judge ruled.

A student who set up a Facebook page to complain about her teacher -- and was later suspended -- had every right to do so under the First Amendment, a federal magistrate has ruled.

The ruling not only allows Katherine ``Katie'' Evans' suit against the principal to move forward, it could set a precedent in cases involving speech and social networking on the Internet, experts say.

Complete Article

Judge José A. Cabranes Drives Stake In Heart Of Douche Bag School Bosses' Phony Defense:

Avery Doninger, Standing Up For All Of Us

"There has been a lot that happened and we need to get the truth out ..."

It has been suppressed
in the Woodbridge area --
that is why I was arrested

Jan Smolinski Talks With WTNH ABC8 About Her Arrest, Investigative Report Airing Tonight

Trust Betrayed By Police Negligence / Malfeasance, Jan & Bill Smolinski Turn 2 Rep. Chris Murphy As They Establish Legacy 4 Billy

Why Trail Got So Cold In The Smolinski Case

Trust Betrayed By Police Negligence / Malfeasance, Jan & Bill Smolinski Turn 2 Rep. Chris Murphy As They Establish Legacy 4 Billy

-- PHOTOS & Story
by John Murray, Waterbury Observer

Angry At A System They Trusted
To Help Find Their Missing Son,
Jan and Bill Smolinski Seek Federal Reform

Complete Article

Why Trail Got So Cold In Smolinski Case

PSYCHOS ON PARADE, Again, In The Litchfield Hysterical District

Facebook Group: Keep Yellow Ribbons In Litchfield

WHERE
IS
THE
LEADERSHIP?


-- Via
Litchfield County Times,
with commentary
in
BOLD
ITALIC
UPPER CASE

On the Ribbons in Litchfield, Stay Tuned
Thursday, February 11, 2010

By Daniela Forte

Litchfield County Times

NO
COMPROMISE
ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH, ASSEMBLY

LITCHFIELD—Angered residents gathered at the Litchfield Center School last week to learn how the Litchfield Borough’s Board of Warden and Burgesses would resolve the controversy over its move to ban, or limit, yellow ribbons being tied to trees on the green as a show of support for American troops. They came, they listened, and most of them left shaking their heads over another disappointment.

One Flag, Three Ribbons

In the end, the board, which oversees the green and other infrastructure in the square-mile borough, opted to embrace the display of a light blue flag that says “Support Our Troops” and lists the five branches of the military at the bottom. Also approved was the display of three ribbons on the green to signify the borough’s support of troops. The flag was given to the borough board by resident Rod McAlpin.

IT'S NOT
A PRIVATE CLUB

THE GREEN
BELONGS
TO ALL PEOPLE
NOT JUST
THE [SELF] CHOSEN FEW

“We felt what we did Wednesday night offered a nice compromise. Obviously people don’t feel comfortable with it, and we want to go back and refine it to meet the needs of the residents,” said Burgess Victoria Sansing. “We really feel at this time we need to clarify last Wednesday’s vote and get control of this issue to accommodate the needs of the community.”

Mrs. Sansing said the borough board is working to schedule a special meeting to clarify and modify last Wednesday’s vote. A date had not been set as of Wednesday.

“The reaction to the flag has been very positive; the flag itself will fly five ribbons for each branch of the service,” said Mrs. Sansing.

Residents in Litchfield have rallied against the decision by the borough board late last year ordering the removal of the yellow ribbons tied around trees. In December, the board said the ribbons had become unsightly and also had the potential to damage trees.

The borough is a square-mile district in the center of town with its own layer of government that is responsible for overseeing the green, along with sidewalks and streetlights in the center of town.

Mrs. Sansing said that one of the issues is that the green is not private property, and, unfortunately, any person can affix what they want to the trees and monuments.

THEY ARE
MERELY
CUSTODIANS
ENTRUSTED TO SERVE

HELLO, IT'S TIME TO READ THE CONSTITUTION

IGNORANCE
AND
ARROGANCE
ARE UNFORTUNATE

ARE THERE BRANCHES
OF THE BURGESSES
IN
IRAN?
CHINA?

“It’s public property entrusted to the Board of Warden and Burgesses to maintain in a fashion that is acceptable in a fair and balanced way to all the public, and therefore any individual displays should come through the borough board,” said Mrs. Sansing.

In the spring of 2003, after the war in Iraq began, resident Leslie Caron, Probate Judge Diane Blick and resident Betty Eisenhaure came up with the idea of putting ribbons on trees, accompanied by a ceremony.

Mrs. Caron, whose son Mark and his wife Dulce are serving in the Air Force, said the ribbons have been changed and maintained a couple times a year, and that she changed her own two every couple of months.

In early October of last year, the borough board said the ribbons looked shabby and took them down without notifying and of the families, Mrs. Caron has said. At a borough meeting Nov. 10, the board said the group could put up one ribbon and a controversy began that eventually drew national press attention.

“I’m not happy with the vote at all. We are still pushing to keep our five ribbons up,” Mrs. Caron said about last week’s vote.

She added that one of the burgesses agreed with resident Doug Parker’s suggestion of putting a ribbon up for each person who is stationed or deployed out of the country and then taking it down when they returned.

“I’d be more than willing to head it up and work with it,” said Mrs. Caron. “I think that the five ribbons on the trees are very important. With what our kids are sacrificing, five ribbons are nothing.”

“It’s insane,” she added of the borough’s reluctance to do the right thing and to let the controversy continue. “It’s giving the town of Litchfield a bad name.”

“I just really hope that this is resolved and resolved positively because everyone is getting tired. All we are trying to do is give special visual recognition to our service people and rightfully so,” said Mrs. Caron.

WE CAN'T HAVE THAT
THAT WOULD BE
EVEN MORE FREE EXPRESSION

One published report about last week’s meeting said borough officials were concerned that allowing many ribbons to be displayed on the green would mean that anti-war protests would also have to be allowed.

Mrs. Sansing clarified the concern by saying that if the borough board were to allow one person or one organization to have a private display that expressed a personal statement, they would have to allow everyone to do so.

“We are reminded of the Vietnam War and the negative statements that were made to soldiers coming at that time, and we just really want Litchfield’s statement to be a positive one,” said Mrs. Sansing.

She said the board has received requests for displaying 3,000 black ribbons for the victims of 9/11, or pink ribbons for breast cancer, among others.

YOU'RE
DOING
SUCH
A
GREAT
JOB

“I don’t think people understand the pressure the burgesses are under to keep the green dignified,” said Mrs. Sansing.

Ms. Sansing said it’s very important for the center of Litchfield to handle this issue appropriately and comprehensively because of its patriotic past.

DID YOU EVER
HEAR
OF
THE BILL OF RIGHTS?

“Maybe it’s right that we are leaders in this ‘show your support’ movement as we have been in the last seven years, because we are a cradle of patriotism,” said Mrs. Sansing. “We have been remiss not to take the lead more aggressively; we should thank Mrs. Caron and her group for pointing out that we should take the lead because Litchfield is an historic town.”

Resident Laurie Parmentier said the new flag is nice, but added that people may not realize that the troops being honored are all volunteers. “Back in Vietnam you got drafted; if you didn’t want to go, you went to Canada, then you came home and got spat on,” said Ms. Parmentier, whose son, Liam Dwyer, is in the Marines.

Those joining the military now know that chances are they are either going to Iraq or Afghanistan.

MANY SOLDIERS BELIEVE
THEY HAVE FOUGHT
TO PROTECT
THE BILL OF RIGHTS

“Why can’t our community say we support the men and women who are putting their lives on the line for us,” said Ms. Parmentier. “What’s the problem with ribbons that mean so much to us.”

Ms. Parmentier added, “I just think the flag—although their intentions are good—[lacks the visual effect]. For those of us who have been through the holidays without our kid’s home, especially when you know they’re in harm’s way, you don’t get the same feeling from it.”

When Yellow Ribbons Attack

free speech thing can be such a pain

THEY'RE
SO
ON
TRACK
THEY
DON'T
EVEN
NEED
A
MEDIATOR

The population of Litchfield is 8,316 people. About 100 of them attended the recent yellow ribbon meeting. Seven of them signed up to speak; I was one of the seven.

None of the speakers were rude or unruly. All were emotionally powerful, but polite, civil and respectful. When the meeting was declared over, four audience people shouted various objections that were resonded to in a calm and respectful manner by the elected borough folks. (By the way, the borough board has a veteran and spouses of veterans on it.)

How then does the local newspaper justify a headline that says “Tempers Flare over Yellow Ribbons in Litchfield” and where did its reporter, and other reporters, hear a “shouting match” when only one side of four shouters was heard?

I guess we are in the new age of neo-journalism where the inflammatory trumps the factual. Let me set the record straight. First, Litchfield has four boroughs. (Two are unincorporated.) The Litchfield borough contains the first historic district in America. Residents pay an extra tax to the borough which is run by an elected board of burgesses charged with, among other things, the management of the Town Green.

It is notable who was not present or speaking at the borough hearing on the yellow ribbon subject. None of the town’s selectmen, Republican or Democrats, were participants. No official from the American Legion or V.F.W. participated, nor did anyone from our active armed forces.

This meeting was not about whether we should support our troops or not. Every one of the 100 present, and hopefully all 8,316 of us support our troops, including me.

Rather, the issue was how to show our support. One vocal view was that five ribbons was the only way to show our support for our troops. Frankly, the rest of us who wholeheartedly support our troops were faced with folks who pretty much were saying it was their way or the highway. That is unquestionably their right as Americans. Other Americans also have rights to their opinions. “Our way only” posturing does not bode well for effective democratic decision making, not for our community or, in the long run, for our troops.

There were many other avenues to explore in finding a resolution of this matter so that we could leave the fighting to our troops and not to their supportive community.

I had several ideas that were discussed by me with high-level military leadership. Unfortunately, both the Litchfield Borough Board and others rejected my offer of free mediation and the loud reaction by the four speakers was inevitable. How sad.

Charles D. Gill
Litchfield
Cool Justice Editor's Note: Gill serves as a Superior Court judge / referee.

--

AN HISTORIC TRADITION
OF
IDIOCY & ARROGANCE
AGAINST

* SYNAGOGUE

About The Blonde Nazi

Let's Get Hysterical

It's A Very Big Shame

The Synagogue That Will Not, And Should Not, Go Away

* BEECHER HOUSE

* BLACK SANTA


From Law & Justice
In Everyday Life
Chapter 9
Interesting People
I Have Met



Lady Brickload And The Pretenders



Up the road a ways from the Litchfield town green, about 190 years ago, there lived a precocious and free-thinking girl who would make history.

She grew up to write the first American protest novel. "She is as odd as she is intelligent and studious," wrote her father, the renowned preacher, Lyman Beecher. "I would give a hundred dollars if she was a boy ..."

Harriet Beecher was 11 years old. Today, control over the legacy of Harriet Beecher Stowe is fought on a fierce battleground; it's a mini civil war in a small New England town governed by town meeting. The combatants reveal the underside of small town politics. Money, influence and government by whisper of the Power Elite are lined up on one side against an upstart band of preservationists.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," shocked the reading public with its portrayal of Negroes as intelligent and caring individuals. Worse than that, the book dramatized damage done by slavery to souls of masters. It also sold an unprecedented 10,000 copies during its first week of publication, maintaining a solid pace with 300,000 sales by the end of 1852. In the entire 19th century, only the Bible sold more copies. Upon meeting Stowe, President Lincoln said, "So this is the little lady who made this big war."

"She spoke for motherhood and the flag and apple pie, but made her readers uncomfortable eating that pie unless others were eating it too," wrote Stowe's biographer, Joan Hedrick of Trinity College. This message is too much for some to take.

Stowe's childhood house, used for many years as a dormitory at a private school, was slated for demolition last year. The local Historical Society and anyone who pretended to be interested in history missed the opportunity of a lifetime to buy the Beecher House for $1. An antiques dealer and restorer stepped forward to fill the breach.

He meticulously dismantled and preserved the structure, earning tributes from experts in the field. But alas, he was a newcomer, and not on anyone's A-List of the socially acceptable. In an unintended tribute to George Orwell, prominent keepers of taste would use Historic District regulations to try to keep the house out of the center of town. Now they are spitting bullets and blood because Chandler Saint is not part of their tribe, he does not welcome busybodies, he does not kow-tow.

Leading the charge against Saint is Lynne Brickley of the Litchfield Historical Society and Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust. Brickley denies "sour grapes" on behalf of the society, but says: "It should be turned over to an impartial group of professional experts who would determine how the house would best be used." Translation: Power To My People; We Can Still Get It Back; Never Mind His Property Rights. The Hartford Courant calls Brickley a "Grande Dame." Saint's supporters call her "Lady Brickload."

Push came to shove this month when a Superior Court judge granted intervenor status to supporters of Saint's lawsuit against the board of selectmen. Selectmen had denied a petition for a town meeting. The town's legal counsel said the petition -- a proposal to acquire town land -- was legitimate. "I'm not sure they say that now, though," First Selectman Jerry Zinn told me. The town meeting, however, was a legitimate device when it acquired the land in question.

Officials also seem to forget that they don't own the land -- citizens own it. Another lawsuit looms, this one a civil rights action in federal court over denial of voter rights. After the petition was denied, Zinn was reported to have said, "We really stuck it to 'em."

"A lot of things are going around," Zinn said. "I don't know. It's not something I would have normally said."


Black Santa: Back Of The Bus



Symbols are important. Santa Claus, statues of military heroes, Columbus -- they all say something about the values of our society.

The day Black Santa came to virtually all-white Litchfield, values and fears were played out in a most curious way. It all started when Paul Mordecai Rosenberg, a self-described Jewish atheist, brought a plastic, three-foot-high, black Santa Claus to town hall. Rosenberg said he was giving the town a chance to show it was not bigoted. Top officials had been under fire because they refused to allow a town meeting on a proposal that would honor the great abolitionist and best-selling author of the 19th century, Litchfield's own Harriet Beecher Stowe. There seemed to be a methodical attempt in town to downplay Stowe. Stowe was rarely, if ever, honored by the local historical society or town officials. Some owners of the big mansions talked openly about the prospect of declining property values should the Stowe house be restored in a prime downtown location. Others whispered and trembled at the possibility that busloads of black kids would be coming to town to see the childhood home of the woman who wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

For two days, Black Santa sat happily under a Christmas tree. Then he disappeared.

It seems a few people were quite upset. "Everyone knows Jesus was white," one town official was reported to have said.

Someone handed First Selectman Jerry Zinn a memo complaining that this Santa was, well, "inappropriate." No one ever explained how or why.

And so Black Santa stayed tucked away in the back of Jerry Zinn's office for Christmas. Connecticut's TV stations came to see. Even CNN ran a story. Zinn said he liked being on TV.

I asked Zinn for a copy of the memo. He told others he tore it up.

Because this memo -- from one town employee to another -- was a public record, I asked Zinn to produce it or reconstruct it in accordance with Connecticut's Freedom of Information law. The FOI Commission advised me that destruction of public records is a serious criminal offense, a Class A misdemeanor, Sec. 1-240, and that the State's Attorney should be informed. Penalties include fines of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail. The State's Attorney's office advised me to report such an incident to the state police, and I did.

I also asked Town Assessor Harold Doucey if he had written the memo or if it came from his computer. Doucey responded, "I don't know the source of it. It could have been computer-generated. It didn't come from my computer." When Doucey was told by a citizen that Zinn had given him up to others as the author of the memo, Doucey stated, "I believe in putting everything in writing."

Tourism is the top priority in Litchfield's plan of development. Some communities would be proud to have the Stowe House. How can this Board of Selectmen turn their backs on a no-brainer?

"It would be nice," said Dorothea DiCecco, a University of Connecticut biology professor and a local proponent of the Beecher House, "to show the world that Litchfield is not racist, that Litchfield welcomes everyone."

DiCecco is right. It would be a shame to let Litchfield get away with this.

Find the Book:
Law & Justice In Everyday Life by Andy Thibault at Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Why Trail Got So Cold In Smolinski Case

-- Photo via CBS
Without A Trace

Many Layers Still 2 B Unraveled
Discovery Channel
Program Monday
Should Help

NH Reg Story 2 Day

WHERE
IS
THE
OUTRAGE?

Jan Smolinski's Shocking Testimony Before Congress 1-21-10

More Bizarre Twists And Leads In Smolinski Case

Cool Justice Story, July 26, 2006

Shocking Bomb In Smolinski File

Buried Secrets

GONG XI FA CÁI / HAPPY NEW YR!

MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND...

May the Year of Tyger (to use William Blake's spelling) bring you all the good fortune, good health, and happiness too!

Peace and prosperity to the world!

PS:

This is what they say about the Tiger (or those who are born in the Year of Tiger -- the third in the Chinese 12-animal zodiac):

The Tiger is said to be lucky, lively and engaging. One attribute of the Tiger is his incredible bravery, evidenced in his willingness to engage in battle or his undying courage. Maybe he’s so brave because he is so lucky....

Bysiewicz: Guilty Of Being Ambitious, Creative & Innovative

Via
Orient Lodge

Freedom of Information and Political Campaigns

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 14:37

Saturday’s Hartford Courant has an article about a complaint that Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz used public data for private use. After a brief investigation, I find that The Friends of Susan 2010 has used public data as part of their campaign. In fact, just about every campaign legally uses public data in their campaigns. What is different about The Friends of Susan 2010 is that they used public data in a creative and innovative way.

Complete Article

Free Speech, Good Conduct, the School to Prison Pipeline and the Educational Imperative

Via
Orient Lodge

Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:25

Recently, there has been a fascinating discussion concerning free speech and learning going on online that I wanted to explore and comment on. Last week, David Drury wrote an article in the Hartford Courant about teens facing fines for swearing at Windsor High School.

Andy Thibault posted a letter from Jon Schoenhorn to the Hartford Courant entitled Swearing In School Is Not A Crime.

Complete Article

Breaking the School-to-Prison Pipeline

What Would Lenny Say 2 Dip-Shit CT School Boss Russell Sills?

Dip-Shit Principal Russell Sills In Mission Ridiculous / Costly [4 taxpayers] Crusade

What Would Lenny Say 2 Dip-Shit CT School Boss Russell Sills?

Maybe,
“If something about the human body disgusts you
complain to the manufacturer.”




The Official Lenny Bruce Website

The only website approved by Lenny Bruce’s daughter Kitty

Dip-Shit Principal Russell Sills In Mission Ridiculous / Costly [4 taxpayers] Crusade

Dip-Shit Principal Russell Sills In Mission Ridiculous / Costly [4 taxpayers] Crusade

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
HARTFORD COURANT
Swearing In School
Is Not A Crime

February 7, 2010

link 2 letters page

Once again, school officials are foolishly trying to use the police to enforce good manners [Page 1, Feb. 5, "This Talk Is Definitely Not Cheap"].

Windsor High School's principal [Russell Sills]* will request that police ticket and prosecute students who are caught using profanity in school. This is in addition to five-day suspensions. How ridiculous.

Apparently this principal doesn't understand that constitutional free speech protects bad manners and language in criminal prosecutions, unless the intent of the speaker is to annoy and harass, or unless the language constitutes "fighting words" — that is, words likely to provoke a violent reaction.

Doesn't he know that students can plead not guilty, and then school officials and police will be forced to go to Enfield Superior Court as witnesses at these students' trials? What a waste of taxpayer money and courthouse resources.

Jon L. Schoenhorn, Hartford

•The writer is a lawyer who specializes in criminal and civil rights cases. He is representing former high school student Avery Doninger in a free-speech case against Lewis Mills High School.

The Benefits Of Qualified Immunity For Despots

Judge José A. Cabranes Drives Stake In Heart Of Douche Bag School Bosses' Phony Defense:

Avery Doninger, Standing Up For All Of Us

Russell Sills In Da News

* Wonder What
The School Board Legal Counsel
Is Doing Besides Collecting Retainer ...

The Strange Death Of Luis Encalada Bueno

Landlord Visits Tenant,
Tenant Dies
In Danbury, CT, USA

EDITOR'S NOTE: Political activist / online journalist Alfonso Robinson, founder of the online news site HatCityBLOG, has been following this case closely.

Property Searched

Ecuadorean who died of apparent beating left wife, nine children

Hartford Club Mag Makes Pitch For CT Young Writers Trust

click on images
for FULL VIEWS



Text
In Image Below


FROM THE EDITOR
A Young Writer's Worth

... the Young Writers Trust has awarded more than $182,000 to Connecticut teenagers. More than 5,000 young poets and writers have competed in the program ...

With Irwin's passing,
the program finds itself
desperately short of private support ...

BY VINCENT MICHAEL VALVO

Over the course of more than 35 years in the field of journalism, I've had an opportunity or two to talk to students about the art of writing, including rare moments here and there when my own children would listen to me as they were trying to compose essays for school. The most basic advice I give is this: good writing comes from good thinking. That is, the art of writing is not grounded exclusively in the creative arts; it is also wedded to the arts of reason, logic and science.

Stories have to have structure. Articles must follow a path to bring a reader to a conclusion. We have all reveled in a good story that is taut, compelling and enrapturing. And we've all labored to get through prose that meanders, that's disconnected, frustrates and enrages. The former happens when writers bring discipline in addition to creativity to their craft. The latter happens when they don't.

That's why I also tell English majors that the degrees they hold will serve them well not just in the liberal arts, but also in the business world. Critical thinking, creative problem solving, good communication skills and a willingness to explore the works of others are all traits that employers value highly in employees, and which most employers will tell you are scarce among most of the workforce.

In this issue, Connecticut's official demographer, Fred Carstensen, paints a bleak picture of the Nutmeg State's economic outlook. We are hemorrhaging jobs. Our political priorities are undercutting our business base. And our base of young talent is fleeing the state. It's a series of problems linked by the issue that we must do something to encourage talented and skilled youth to grow in this state, and to want to stay here.

Which is what brings me to the Connecticut Young Writers' Trust.

Since 1998, there has been a statewide literary competition for high school students. The program began as a mirror of a famed international writing competition, the Impac Literary Awards given out each year in Dublin, Ireland. The founder of that competition, James Irwin, lived in Litchfield, and he poured his personal fortune into a junior version just for his home state. Irwin believed that when a person was enriched by writing, lifted by literature, his horizons as a valuable member of society were greatly expanded.

[A few years ago, the Connecticut State University System became the umbrella sponsor of the program, which reaches out to high school students in every county.] To date, the Young Writers Trust has awarded more than $182,000 to Connecticut teenagers. More than 5,000 young poets and writers have competed in the program.

Irwin himself died last year. But his legacy lives on in the Trust, which continues to operate passionately under its chairman, Andy Thibault. Himself a writer and former writing coach for the Hartford Courant, Thibault is a resourceful, irreverent and inventive promoter of the program and its goals: get students to write, get them to think, encourage and reward them for being good at it, and not only will they prosper, we will, too.

With Irwin's passing, the program finds itself desperately short of private support. In January, the Young Writer's Trust held a full day of workshops for teachers and students in prose and poetry, gave prominence to several young musicians of talent, and even staged a boxing demonstration to show how words can often do battle better than brute force.

This state prides itself on its educational mastery. But as can be seen in Prof. Carstensen's provocative essay, more still needs to be done. Here's a start: give a donation to the Conn. Young Writer's Project. It's easy. Just contact Andy Thibault by email at tntcomm82@cs.com. He'll tell you what to do. You can also find more information at the Connecticut State University website, www.ct.edu/initiatives/ctyoungwriters.

Good writing, after all, is the result of good thinking. And if there's one thing our state could use more of, it's good thinkers. Getting them isn't just the job of our governmental leaders. It's also up to us.

Vincent Michael Valvo
Editor & Publisher



The Connecticut Young Writers Trust is a non-profit foundation classified by the IRS as a 501 C (3) Public Charity.

Sponsorships listed in 2010 program:
County finalist, $250;
County champion, $500;
State champion, $1,000
All donations noted publicly & appreciated.



Make checks out to CT Young Writers Trust and send to:
Connecticut Young Writers Trust
231 Beach St. Litchfield, CT 06759

Federal TIN: 31-1635811
tntcomm82@cs.com
http://www.ct.edu/initiatives/ctyoungwriters

Bob Thiesfield Boxing Photos, Irish Ravi Shankar Narrative, Hartford Club Young Writers Event, 1-15-10

EDITOR'S NOTE: Entries for the 2010 competition are being tabulated and entered into databases at the four CSU System campuses. Early returns indicate this year's total number of entries could be the largest in the competition's 13-year history. Last year, there were more than 580 entries, the third-highest total; in 2000, there were 647 entries, the highest total.

ECSU Academic VP Rhona Free To Young Writers: Get Those Entries Postmarked Monday, Feb. 1, 2010

Young Writers Trust Website

Hartford Club Website

Photo, J.D. Salinger Haunt ...

The Windsor Diner.
The J. D. Salinger haunt after Nap's Lunch closed.
-- Photograph from the Sarah Heath Archives.

Who wants flowers when you're dead?

Who wants flowers when you're dead?

Catcher In the Rye: The Movie

Boy, when you're dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody.

-- Holden Caulfield






The
Real
J.D.

If you could survive meal after meal at Nap's, you would be hermetically preserved from anything any alien germ could unleash ...

By FRANZ DOUSKEY
The Cool Justice Report
Feb. 2, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: This essay is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com


Outside of Cornish, New Hampshire, Jerry Salinger was a ghost, a recluse, someone impossible to find. For years I lived a half mile from J.D. In Cornish distance terms, he was my next door neighbor. My wife and I saw him several times a week walking on St. Gauden's Road. We're talking dirt roads.

Five days a week, you could bump into Jerry at the Windsor, Vermont post office. He'd get there around 11:30,pick up his mail, throw out what he didn't want and head over to Nap's Lunch. Windsor is just across the Connecticut River from Cornish, New Hampshire. Six miles from J.D.'s house to to the center of town. Windsor has one traffic light, one hardware store, a lot of empty storefronts. To get to and from Windsor, J.D. drove his goddamn green jeep. Aimed is a better description. He drove like a maniac. Out of his way. Didn't the rest of the world know it was the great, wild Toad of Toad Hallat the wheel.

J. D. would sort through his mail at Naps, eating an impossible Nap's Meatloaf Special drowning in a greasy liquid that sort of oozed iridescently. If you could survive meal after meal at Nap's, you would be hermetically preserved from anything any alien germ could unleash.

After lunch, J. D. got back in his green jeep and headed back to Cornish.

For years he made this trip alone. Then we saw him less often. This would be around the early 1970's. When we did see Jerry, he was often with a very pretty, very young woman. The Cornish rumor mill had it that this young woman was studying writing with J. D. That would be Joyce Maynard. Forty years younger that Salinger. They were studying something.

Years later, Ms. Maynard wrote a book about her years with J. D. Salinger was outraged, tried to have the book iced. Someone had invaded the Magic Kingdom, and slayed the Salinger mythology.

A lot of anger and pain, but outwardly Jerry was the same, a little more wrinkled, losing his hair and going deaf. He stuck to his daily Windsor routine, driving his green jeep until it wore out, spewing so much blue smoke you could tell where J.D. had been and surmised were he was going before he got there.

People would make their pilgrimage to Cornish, as though the town was a shrine, and J.D. was a literary God. He hated these aimless followers inspired by his writing. J. D. was practicing Zen, trying to become dispossessed of everything the outsiders thought he was.

Then we didn't see much of J. D. There was the occasional sighting, but he seemed to fade into the woods surrounding his house like a hunter wearing camouflage.

We knew he was sick and getting sicker. Couldn't walk, then couldn't get out of bed. Then yesterday the phone started ringing. Calls from Cornish, then calls from friends, then calls from newspapers, and then weekly magazines. They wanted the news. The inside story. Problem is, there is no inside story. Jerry lived humble like most of the good people of Cornish. They don't like outsiders either. You've got to live in Cornish through blizzards, drought, show up at town meetings and support the Cornish Fair for maybe 30 years, before you're trusted, one of them.

Jerry's gone. Up in Cornish, it was earth-shaking news. J. D. had always been there. Outlived most of the people he knew. So, we thought he just might live forever. Now the rummaging will begin. Like the last scene in Citizen Kane. But there will be no snow globe with Franny & Zooey snowbound inside. No carpenter's tools to raise anything high. Just an old guy, gone from the Cornish Hills, like Orville, James, Arthur, Conrad, and everyone else before him and those to come.

Franz Douskey -- a founding board member of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust -- has published in The New Yorker, The Nation, Rolling Stone, Down East and Yankee Magazine, among several hundred others publications. He has read from his writing at Harvard, University of Arizona, the New School for Social Research, Donnell Library, and Yale University, where he taught creative writing for five years. He is President Emeritus of IMPAC University, Punta Gorda, Florida. He produces and co-hosts Once Upon A Bandstand on WQUN, Quinnipiac University.

Douskey Website

Young Writers Trust Website

Rand, Colin Quick On The Draw

NYT Reporting Echoes Douskey

****** 4:49 PM postmark 2DAY last call CT Young Writers 2010 Competition

Via
NH Register

Teenage writers of prose and poetry from across Connecticut, ages 13-18, are being encouraged to submit original entries to an annual literary competition that awards winning entrants with cash prizes and an opportunity to have their work published in the literary journal of the Connecticut State University System, CT Review.

Complete Article

ECSU Academic VP Rhona Free To Young Writers: Get Those Entries Postmarked Monday, Feb. 1, 2010

2010 YOUNG WRITERS ENTRY FORM

Young Writers Trust Website