By: Laura Desiral, National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter Intern
Dorothy Beswick of Seymour has been named to receive the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s, 2012 Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Scholarship.
Beswick, 46, has been accepted to Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury where she will pursue an associate’s degree in health care administration.
For more on this story, visit: Local Woman, 46, Receives MS Scholarship – Oxford, CT Patch.
By Ann DeMatteo, New Haven Register
HAMDEN, Conn. — Frederick Joseph Miller, a World War II veteran, didn’t think he deserved the attention Saturday, but they gave it to him anyway.
The ones who knew they knew better were a crew of volunteers working for the Connecticut chapter of House of Heroes, who cleaned out Miller’s house, painted it, built a new front stoop, installed a new picture window and upgraded his home’s electrical and plumbing systems. He got new smoke detectors and ground fault protectors, and new outlets and also will get a new front door and new back steps.
House of Heroes volunteers were in Hamden, Meriden and Stratford Saturday to renovate and repair homes for three veterans who can no longer do such things for themselves, a fitting way to spend Memorial Day weekend.
For more on this story, visit: Group honors veterans by repairing homes for free – News – Stripes.
West Haven – Carl MacLeod lives in West Haven, CT with his wife and six children. He is a retired army vet with Gulf War Syndrome. His symptoms are similar to MS and ALS. Carl was in the process of renovating his home for his family when he was diagnosed. He lost his job and disability pay. His father, a Vietnam-era vet, had a massive heart attack and Carl’s mother was too frail to care for him. Carl needed to move his mom and dad into his home as well. Now three people in the home required handicap living accomodations.
Henry Racki, Founder of PALS Built, LLC and an Air Force Vet, wanted to help. He donated the first PALS™ unit ever to be installed to the MacLeods. It was installed at the end of 2010.
PALS Built www.palsbuilt.com. PALS stands for Practical Assisted Living Solutions.
For more on this story, visit: Company helps disabled veterans keep their homes.
Tommy Edison knows you’ve got questions about blind people — because people have been asking him those questions all his life.
Do you see stuff in your dreams?
And: How do you count your paper money?
And: Do you think you could hit a golf ball?
Actually, that last one was a question Edison had and decided to answer, along with the others, in a online video series he calls “The Tommy Edison Experience.”
The videos are shot and edited by his buddy Ben Churchill, a documentary filmmaker, and share a website with a series called “Blind Film Critic.”
For more on this story, visit: Blind movie critic Tommy Edison educates the masses – USATODAY.com.
May 16 Bloomberg — Two people paralyzed by strokes were able to control robotic arms by using their thoughts, a medical advance that may lead to more-sophisticated prosthetic limbs.
One patient, a 58-year-old woman, used a robot arm to sip a drink on her own for the first time since her stroke 15 years before, according to a study published today in the journal Nature. The woman and a 66-year-old man grasped foam targets using the limbs in the clinical trial.
The researchers are seeking to mimic the spinal cord’s ability to send signals to paralyzed limbs, said John Donoghue, director of the Institute for Brain Science at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Monkeys have been able to manipulate the artificial arms in studies, and this trial brings the ideal of human use one step closer, he said.
For more on this story, visit: Robotic Arms Give Paralyzed Patients Ability to Grasp Objects | Bloomberg.
2-1-1 has information on more than 150 farmers’ markets that are beginning to open in Connecticut. To find one near you, dial 2-1-1 or visit www.211ct.org, enter your town and “farmers markets” under Search by Service Keyword. Visit the 2-1-1 eLibrary for information on the WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today directed Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL) Commissioner Glenn Marshall and Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Roderick Bremby to begin implementing their planto bring targeted services to individuals and families who are losing their unemployment benefits as a result of the state’s declining unemployment rate. The plan will coordinate communications to affected residents, improve access to social service programs and increase awareness of workforce development programs.
Malloy also announced that the United Way 2-1-1 will serve as a first point of contact and service connection for Connecticut residents losing unemployment benefits.
“While a lower unemployment rate is good news overall, for residents in jeopardy of losing their benefits, we have a clear obligation to make sure they are aware of the assistance that’s available,” said Governor Malloy. “Starting today, our Department of Labor and Department of Social Services have a clear mission – to make sure that our state’s safety net is in place and helping residents during this difficult time.
“The best thing we can do for the long term is to make sure we continue to create jobs,” added Governor Malloy. “But for those residents facing the loss of benefits, I urge you to call 2-1-1 and take advantage of all the resources that are available. I want to thank Commissioners Bremby and Marshall for their work on this issue.”
According to federal guidelines, Connecticut became ineligible for Extended Benefits when the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.7%. Residents can still access 26 weeks of state benefits and 47 weeks of Emergency Unemployment Compensation. Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a decline in the number of unemployment claims filed in Connecticut of more than 1,000 – the third most significant decline in the country.
The commissioners’ report outlines several key points, in addition to mapping out the areas of the state that will be the most affected by the loss of benefits. For instance, roughly 60% of people who have already exhausted their benefits have not yet accessed DOL’s One Stop Employment Services. In addition, the report estimates that 22% of exhaustees – nearly 3,000 individuals – may qualify for assistance from DSS if given the opportunity to apply.
Malloy’s plan calls for:
Intensive Communication and Outreach:
Improved Access to Social Service Programs:
Increased Awareness of Workforce Development Programs:
“We are working with community partners to make Connecticut’s safety net services, including food and medical assistance, more accessible to citizens who become eligible after losing unemployment benefits,” said Commissioner Bremby. “DSS, along with DOL, will be directly contacting residents affected by the benefit losses and asking them to call United Way 2-1-1 for one-stop information and referral. Special application assistance is being arranged at Community Action Agencies statewide, including by outstationed DSS workers.”
“Our Employment and Training staff and our CTWorks partners will be prioritizing Extended Benefit exhaustees with an emphasis on engaging the 62 percent of the affected claimants that we have determined have not yet taken advantage of the free workforce services offered through the one-stop employment system,” said Commissioner Marshall. “These specific individuals will be encouraged to meet with career counselors, work with résumé writing professionals and take part in a new workshop geared toward those that have exhausted benefits.”
Richard Porth, President and CEO of the United Way of Connecticut, said, “United Way 2-1-1 is ready to assist those who are facing the loss of their unemployment benefits. 2-1-1 call specialists will screen these callers for eligibility for SNAP/food stamps, health care coverage, child care assistance and other benefits. 2-1-1 call specialists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist Connecticut residents find the help they need. Our 2-1-1 database can also be searched online at www.211ct.org.”
Dr. James Gatling, president of New Opportunities Inc. and board chair for the Connecticut Association for Community Action, said, “Connecticut’s network of Community Action Agencies will offer one-on-one assistance expressly for individuals losing unemployment benefits. Staff of our agencies will help prepare applications for DSS services, and coordinate closely with DSS staff and offices. We will also work closely with Infoline/2-1-1 to make sure people are assisted in navigating the system as conveniently as possible.”
**Attached: Dept. of Labor & Dept. of Social Services Report on Unemployment Insurance Exhaustees
Connecticut’s disabled veterans are being offered free lifetime passes to the state’s parks, forests and recreation system, authorities say.
For more on this story, visit: CT’s disabled vets get free open space access | Hartford Business.
Betty Beekman, Interim Executive Director announced today that the company is returning to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and will retain an office in the historic Monte Cristo Cottage in New London, Connecticut. The company will continue to operate the Little Theatre of the Deaf in West Hartford.
Monte Cristo Cottage is known as the Summer House of Nobel-Prize winner Eugene O’Neill and is located on Pequot Avenue along the Thames River in New London, Connecticut.
via National Theatre of the Deaf Announces Move to Eugene O’Neill’s Monte Cristo.
Special Olympics Connecticut will hold its annual Summer Games, presented by United Technologies Corporation, Friday through Sunday, June 8, 9 and 10 at Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, and Hamden Hall, Hamden. More than 2,300 athletes and partners from across the state are expected to compete in track & field, cycling, gymnastics, aquatics, soccer and tennis events. In addition to the competitors, 600 coaches and over 2,500 volunteers are expected to come out and support the event. Summer Games competitions and awards presentations will take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday (June 8), 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday (June 9) and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday (June 10). For more information, detailed schedules, maps, and parking information, visit www.soct.org and click on Summer Games, email [email protected], or call 203-230-1201. Spectators are welcome.
Summer Games events are free and open to the public, including Opening Ceremonies which will take place Friday night (June 8) at Jess Dow Field on the Southern Connecticut State University campus at 7:15 pm. Connecticut law enforcement officers will help kick-off the event, after collectively running over 530 miles through more than 100 Connecticut cities and towns June 6-8 to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics as participants in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, an activity that annually precedes Summer Games.
Summer Games is the culminating event for athletes who’ve trained for a minimum of eight weeks in their respective sport and have completed trials and preliminary competitions at regional events. The event aims to showcase skills and inspirational sports performances of Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners (those without disabilities who train with their peers with intellectual disabilities); portray good sportsmanship and teamwork; and inspire an atmosphere where there’s respect and recognition for individuals of all abilities. Summer Games, for many, also offers the chance to reunite with peers, forge new friendships and demonstrate, publicly, what can be accomplished through their training. Of Special Olympics Connecticut’s more than 75 annual sporting events, Summer Games is the largest.
In addition to sports competitions, health screenings – that check teeth, feet, eyes, ears – will be conducted throughout the weekend to promote wellness as part of the Healthy Athletes initiative. An elaborate line-up of entertainment and social activities are also planned. Athletes and guests can also visit, Olympic Town, an area on the Summer Games campus where all can enjoy educational, cultural, interactive and creative activities.
For a third consecutive year, Special Olympics Connecticut is also partner with the organization Athletes for a Fit Planet to “green” Summer Games and reduce the environmental impact of the event through recycling and sustainability efforts.
In addition to United Technologies Corporation, sponsors include the Knights of Columbus, Alstom, Team ESPN, TD Bank, and Campus Customs – gold sponsors; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Foxwoods Resort Casino and HCC Global Financial Products – silver sponsors; Geico and Mercer – bronze sponsors; and the Walter Camp Football Foundation and American Legion – contributing sponsors.
Media sponsors are NBC Connecticut, the New Haven Register, and Clear Channel Community Access Radio (The River 105.9, KC101, KISS 95.7, ESPN Radio 1410, ESPN 1300, Country 92.5, and 960 WELI).
For more on this story visit Over 2,300 athletes to participate in Special Olympics Connecticut in June