Tickets for Brookfield Film Festival “Shorts & to the Point” on Sale Now!

Pictured above, two nuns from the film “The Tailor.”

Get ‘em while you can! Tickets to the fourth annual Brookfield Film Festival, Shorts & to the Point, are now on sale. The festival is held at the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (TBTA) and has grown considerably over the last 4 years. Tickets sold out 2 of the 3 screenings offered last year, according to Mary Daniel, Chair of the BAC who is organizing the event along with a team of volunteers. Daniel said they are “well on our way” to selling out again this year.

Members of the Brookfield Film Festival (BFF) chose the collection of films to be shown. Volunteer Laura Schiavi said what makes the BFF unique in comparison to other local film festivals is its simplicity.

“You don’t have to choose from dozens of films because we choose the films for you.”

Daniel said their intention is to: “create a program that is representative of the best of the current crop of short films.  What is consistent about this genre of film art is the way a good short film immediately captures your attention, then puts you through an emotional gauntlet that leads you to an outcome that is frequently surprising.”

Bethel Resident & Team Walk to Fight MS

Danbury Travelers Walk MS 2012: Presented by North American Power

Mountain Movers: pictured: Kevin Geoghegan, Michelle Muentener, Peter Muentener, Jack Muentener, Steven Geoghegan, and Richard Geoghegan. Not pictured: Jean and Cathy Geoghegan. Photo contributed.

“Ellen my sister has MS. She was diagnosed when she was 28 years old when she was newly engaged to her husband Peter Muentener. We have been doing the MS walk for many years and our family has been walking faithfully behind her. Ellen is now 43 years old and on the medication avonex. She has a son, Jack, who also joins her for the walk. I’m hoping to raise awareness, donations, and requests for anyone who wants to join our team for the MS walk,” Jean said.

From their website: Having multiple sclerosis means that you may not be able to walk when you wake up. Or that you may suddenly have impaired vision. Or that your memory will fail you for no apparent reason. The symptoms of MS are different, and devastating, for everyone – the only certainty is that it will affect yet another person every hour of every day.

Why I Walk

I’ve registered for the MS Walk because I want to do something for the people who have been diagnosed – and because I want to do everything to prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.

Why You Should Sponsor Me

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will use funds collected from the MS Walk to not only support research for a cure tomorrow, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS today. Because we choose to walk for those who sometimes can’t, because we choose to donate to the MS Walk, we are getting closer to the hour when no one will have to hear the words, “You have MS.”

How to Cope: Help for Families Impacted by Addiction

The following was sent in by the Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism–

One  out of every four children under the age of 12 live in a home that is affected by addiction.

How To Cope is an intensive, seven session program to empower family members impacted by a loved one’s addiction. The program was designed to provide education, awareness and support while shedding light on the disease of addiction.

How To Cope teaches the family how the disease of addiction has influenced their lives and how the family can maintain a healthy lifestyle. The groups meet two nights a week for two hours, with a new series beginning each month.

Seven sessions to better understanding, strength and hope…

Session 1 – The Disease of Addiction

Session 2 – How Enabling Behavior Supports Addiction

Session 3 – How Addiction Affects the Family

Session 4 – How Addiction Affects You

Session 5 – You have Choices

Session 6 – You Can Make Decisions

Session 7 – You Really Can Cope

We also offer two additional programs for children and teens that offer emotional, social and physical alternatives to the fear and anxiety of living in a home interrupted by drug and alcohol addiction.

Please contact Danielle Sileo, LMFT, Director of Family Services at MCCA, at (203) 438-8680 or dsileo@mccaonline.com to register or for more information.

Program fee is $295 per person. Financial assistance available if needed.

MCCA (Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism) is the primary provider of substance abuse prevention, evaluation and treatment services in the greater Danbury area. How to Cope was developed by First Call and is recognized by the National Association of State Alcohol/Drug Abuse Directors.

Lee Bodkin
Director of Communications
MCCA, Inc.
90 East Ridge Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877

3^rd Annual Hops & Grapes, Toasts & Tastes To Be Held Saturday, April 14, 2012

WILTON, CT – March 19, 2012 – On Saturday, April 14th, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Connecticut Chapter will host Hops & Grapes, Toasts & Tastes for the third year at Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, CT.

Local restaurants, vineyards, and distributors will showcase a selection of appetizers, wines, and beers to over 250 people throughout the Fairfield County area. Tasting sponsors to date include: American Harvest Vodka, Back East Brewing Company, Barcelona Restaurant, Bartaco, Butterfield8, Cabot Cheese, Café D’Azur, Cake Suite, Chocolations, Cupcakes & Milkshakes, Dichello Distributors, Dina! A Restaurant & Bar, Ducky Life Teas, Karen Harvey Catering, Little Pub, New England Bread Co. & Wave Hill Breads, Nolet’s Gin, O’Neills Irish Pub & Restaurant, Opici Wine Company of CT, Pink Cupcake Shack, Pizzeria Rosso, Regatta Ginger Beer, S. Pellegrino & Aqua Panna, Savor, Star Distributors, Starbucks, Sweets By Stella.

LLS hopes to raise over $50,000 during this fun-filled evening.  A silent auction and raffle will also take place with raffle prizes donated by Hyatt Regency Greenwich, Capital Grille, Brewer’s Hardware, and The Rugg Family.

The event will run from 7:30 to 10:30pm. Tickets are $75 each, two for $125. VIP tickets are also available at $100 each or $175 for two and include a souvenir wine glass, LLS Relentless wristband, raffle ticket, and deluxe gift bag.  Call 203-665-1400 for information or reservations, or visit www.lls.org/ct/toastsandtastes for additional information

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^®, headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 58 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. LLS’ mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $750 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call LLS’ Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master’s level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

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Billy Michael Outraged Over Public Hearing

The following Letter to the Editor was sent in by Billy Michael, President of the Bethel Action Committee–

Dear Editor:

B.A.C believes that the rescheduled “Public Hearing ” is a sham. It is a power point presentation to justify a vote to demolish the building that has already been taken. The March 7  News Times story is proof that the Public Hearing scheduled for Wed Mar. 21 is just a formality to give the illusion of government by consent of the people.  Mr. Knickerbocker made it clear that they have already decided regardless of what the public hearing may reveal.

This administration revealed the same disregard for the citizenry  when the fees for the recycle center were raised without a public hearing and the Selectmen  scheduled a public hearing after the fees were already raised to comply with the Town Charter.
 

In Town Meeting form of government elected officials should hold public hearings that  measure public sentiment before they  act  instead of after  the fact. How  can they pretend to serve the public without consulting the public?  
 

The Dec. 2000  Town Meeting/Referendum  on the Library Renovation guaranteed that the Old Town Hall would remain and that parking to comply with zoning regulations would be found nearby off site.Does the  $70,000 “Handicap Ramp to Nowhere” come to mind? That ramp on the west side of the Municipal Center was supposed to be the beginning of additional municipal parking.

The municipal center has two handicap ramps neither of which are easily accessible by someone confined to wheelchair. Westside  municipal parking would justify the expense of a ramp that is yet to be truly utilized.

Finally if the  Bd of Selectmen wants to reverse the will of the Dec 2000 town meeting they need to call for a town meeting to do so.It cannot be reversed by a vote of three temporary elected officials.The old town hall is a permanent structure and asset of the town; the  demolition which deserves the involvement of the widest number of citizens possible.

In December of 2010  Mr. Knickerbocker was passionate about referring his multi-million dollar road plan to voters at referendum. vote; we hope he will be equally confident in the judgement of Bethel voters with the issue at hand.

Respectfully,

Billy Michael

President, Bethel Action Committee