On Saturday, July 27, 2019 I had the privilege of spending the day, and I mean the whole day, from 8 AM – 4 PM with 60 or so of the most selfless people I have ever met.

I attended the Region 4 Disaster Training Day held at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, CT. It was primarily for the Red Cross volunteers and the Medical Reserve Corps volunteers and a few of the other organizations of volunteers who appear like magic when help is needed at fires, accidents and other natural disasters such as hurricanes,tornadoes, and floods.

Organization and communications were the key to keeping everything and everyone occupied, interested and moving right along. Registration was simple and straight forward. If you pre-registered your schedule and name tag were already printed and waiting for you. If you were registering that day please print your information clearly and quick as a wink you had a name tag and a schedule. Pens were available if you hadn’t brought one.

The Welcome/Introductions were on time spoken with clarity and kept short and to the point. My ever grateful thanks for that and before I forget. Caution tape was strung from back rows to the center so attendees were encouraged to sit at the front of the auditorium without any of the usual begging and pleading that goes on.

Sheltering Updates were spelled out to everyone clearly. There was absolutely none of the “When you are at this level you need this information but not at this level.” Everyone was told of the changes, when they went or go into effect and the reasons why, even if they really had to guess at the reasons, they told us that too.

Active Aggressor Training was a speaker and two films. The first was slightly older than the second but it was explained why the speaker showed each. Do you know what to do in case of an active aggressor in your school? How about were you work? When you are out to lunch or dinner? What actions can you take to protect yourself, family, friends or others caught in a situation with you? How close do you really want to get to an Active Agressor? What are the other options to keeping a gun handy in a house with children? I wonder if anyone else added extra cans of Wasp and hornet spray to their shopping list for this week. 25 – 40 feet sounds like a good distance to be way from an aggressive person. I can hurt what I can reach but the further I can stay away the better. OK, film two had a couple of minor flaws keeping it from being politically correct but we all got the points being made.

The next four sessions split us into group rotation so this is a description of my rotation.

Setting up a shelter is all about being prepared and ready in the midst of chaos. Everyone is welcome in a shelter. This is not the time or the place for prejudice. A shelter is a refuge of safety for everyone. Red Cross assistance is provided at no cost. Names and numbers are taken to help make connections and for accountability. Has everyone in the building that burned been heard from? Are they safe? Have all the people in the evacuated area been accounted for? How long are people expected to stay? Do they have what they need to survive? Eastern Connecticut has ten regional shelters and a volunteer staff prepared to help you.

What exactly do you get at a Red Cross Shelter and who is welcome? Everyone is welcome. Service Animals (Small horses and dogs, Check with FEMA) are wlcome but pets may have a different shelter. Workers will do their best to accommodate any specific equipment, supplies, food, cultural or religious requirements. Family and Friends can know you are safe by registering on redcross.org/safeandwell.

Food, medical, and emotional support are all available but you are expected to be aware of the shelter schedule for meals, shower times, quiet hours, your children, checking in and out during the day, housekeeping, etc.

Setting up cots has a trick or two and we learned a few things should the need arise. If I ever have to evacuate I hope I can remember to bring my own folding lounger or a blow up mattress.

Snacks are always available but meals may be a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) great for the military experienced but the lessons in how to follow the microscopic print were very helpful. The sanitation rules are very different than those in a house or even a restaurant. What remains safe after how long and “when in doubt , throw it out!” I now have a printed list to tack on the door in my pantry.

The health and sanitation rules are fundimental and strict . Hand hygiene is tops with environmental measures following EPA and manufacturer’s directions. Scrape, wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry.

Many thanks to American Ambulance for their “Stop the Bleed” presentation and exercise. I hope never to have to use anything that I learned. Learn about the program at Bleedingcontrol.org

The American Red Cross will install smoke detector alarms free of charge in your home. Just ask! Contact sue.bolen@redcross.org

It was a well executed great day! by Sue Rochester-Bolen, Red Cross Deputy Regional Disaster Officer, Connecticut and Rhode Island Region, 1031 Route 32, Uncasville, CT 860.625.0825. Thank you for all that I learned and have high hopes of remembering.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

My apologies to the universe at large because the heatwave covering such a large part of the planet is essentially all my fault. Yes I am responsible for the heat wave. I have been doing so much lately to annoy the multi-rulers, lords, Gods and celestials that rule not just the planet earth but all the rest of at least eleven of our and the surrounding solar systems.

Indeed, I got too smart for britches and needed to be taught a few lessons. I spent a few extra hours at the library and put a few months worth of blog ideas onto a flash drive. I zipped the flashdrive into a section my purse. I did not immediately put it away because I was staying at a friends home caring for her two large dogs while she recovered from surgery. One day I spilled my purse and the flashdrive has disappeared. Not even a prayer to St Anthony has brought it back. Lesson: Put your things away where they belong immediately if you truly do value them.

Cars. I have a 1995 Volkswagen. I take care of my cars. Fluids, tires, engine checks and changes made regularly. I go to another friends house to pick up her recyclable newspapers for a project I am working on. A three minute, perhaps, errand. Nope. The ignition key refuses to turn and requires a AAA visit from Colchester. Then another stop and the car refuses to start. At all. Another AAA visit this time from a company from Whethersfield and a tow to Firestone in Norwich. Trying with all their might its still refusing to start in this heat. Lesson: Don’t brag about the trustworthiness of your transportation. It will then be forced to prove you wrong.

Computer. I had a Lenovo. It was nice. It worked. Not the best certainly but it was doing its job. Received one of those midnight updates and immediately seized up. Messaged Microsoft to be told oh yes, lot of complaints about the last update. You have to make an appointment to bring the computer to Danbury (Three hours away) and they will install the patch to make the computer work again. There may be a slight charge for the installation of the patch but not for the patch itself. So who should I bill my time, fuel and mileage to? Lesson: Just because something can be installed onto the computer from the clouds, does not mean it can be repaired from the clouds or even returned to its working condition before the last installation.

I thought I’d be helpful and help a friend do some weeding. I brought extra gardening gloves, tools and even those huge paper bags they sell in stores for the disposal of leaves and grass. “Wear the gloves.” I say, “Don’t worry. Don’t need them.” says she. “Ouch!” when she tries to pull a pretty plant whose flower looks like Queen Annes Lace with thistle-type leaves. I couldn’t say I told you so when she had to go to the emergency room and be treated with a blast of antibiotics for the blisters that formed on her hands to the point that she couldn’t close or use her hands. She put the gloves on after she pulled the weed so they need to be cut up and thrown away as the oil from that plant can survive for as long as a year and infect the next person who who wears the gloves. Lesson: Wear gloves to garden and wash with oil releasing soap frequently. Plant oils can transfer easily through sweat and cause lasting damage to sensitive areas such as eyes and nostrils.

Phone. I have a land line. Its primarily for the answering machine/voicemail and robo-calls. I didn’t notice when it stopped working but when I did I called Frontier to report it. Seventy-two minutes later and mostly on hold listening to their machine tell me how important and valuable my call to them is, their system disconnected me. Lesson: I am not really important to Frontier and my only value to them is the check I am privileged to write them every month.

Utilities. I knew I would be away so I wrote out and mailed my monthly checks early. How silly is that? I should have known that NPU would get the check early and then send it back to me so I could put it back in the mail to them so they could charge me a late fee. What on earth was I thinking to even imagine paying them in advance?

Cooking. I like to eat and do get bored eating prepared food and the same foods on a regular basis so I try to kick it up a notch with new recipes and even the ocassional cooking class and you never want to let me near restaurant menus of places I have never been or that serve foods I have never tried.

I am taking a Japanese Cooking class and I admt I am adoring some of the new food introductions I have been making. Long beans and green beans are becoming even more of a favorite than they have ever been. So where is my new supply of sesame cooking oil, black sesame seeds, dried mushrooms etc. Yup. You guessed it. They are still in the trunk of my car. While my new recipe is in my kitchen.

Lesson: Check the trunk before you leave your car at the garage for repairs. I am certain they are safe but I am not certain that they will not be affected by the heat if the car is left outside.

I am not certain about what I did to annoy all of the celestial bodies and rulers but if I promise to do my best to not ever do it again can everything please return once again to its convenient and working condition? Pretty please? With a cherry on top? Thank you.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs.

Towards the end of September, on a Sunday evening, Sacramento, CA closes the bridge over the Sacramento River to vehicles. The bridge is swept and power washed before long garlands of greenery festooned with tiny lights are hung and long tables are set with elegant place settings to become a beautiful farm to table restaurant for almost 1,000 guests.

The evening begins with music and a cocktail hour followed by a four course meal with an underlying theme of gratitude for water, land, sky, field with dessert and coffee served on the nearby riverfront promenade. Advance tickets used to be $200 and I can’t imagine what they are now,

What if there was an organization or perhaps a few organizations joining forces for a similar type of fundraiser. Perhaps on a much smaller scale not set on an active bridge but perhaps on a walkway above a waterfall. Maybe catered by six different restaurants each choosing a specific course around an agreed upon theme.

The number of people would depend on the bridge but I would begin with a plan for 100 and if the advance tickets go well the number, with the cooperation of the restaurants. could go higher. The sponsoring organizations would be in charge of the ticket sales.

Norwich, CT is not Sacramento, CA. Everything is the same but different. We both have beautiful scenery that we are proud of. We both have local farms with wonderful produce. We both have wonderful restaurants.

It is long past time for Norwich, CT to do something different. Something that has not been done a hundred or more times before. Norwich, CT residents are clamouring for something new to the area. Something that can be made our own. Talk about this with your group, church or organization.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

The days are getting warmer and while I was waiting for a meeting to begin I was flipping through a copy of the January/ February 2019 Food Network Magazine. There was an entire page dedicated to having a yogurt bowl for dessert. The pictured bowls looked delicious and simple enough for me to not only make and enjoy but expand on easily.

When I was invited to a dinner I thought about that page when it was suggested I could bring something for dessert. An old adage is “Know your audience,” or in my case its, “Know your host.” In this case my hosts live a healthy life style with lots of fresh food and exercise.

I don’t bake. The only pie I make with any regularity is filling a store bought cookie crust, with a cool whip, yogurt, unflavored gelatin and fresh fruit filling that I learned to make in college. I have expanded that filling into parfaits, a frozen treat, and a surprising buffet hit by putting the mix in orange peel halves.

Anyway, with grateful thanks to a local supermarket I was able to make a great Banana Split. In a pretty bowl (a gift to the host), I put in a layer of vanilla yogurt (I added some real vanilla bean to boost the flavor), slices of banana dipped in lemon water (so they wouldn’t go soft and discolor) went in next with a little fresh grated lemon rind, freeze dried strawberries added flavor and crunch just before serving with a generous amount of chocolate sauce. There was none left in the bowl at the end of dinner. Light and refreshing and almost healthy!

I can’t wait for my neighbors children to start school so I can surprise them one day with banana splits for breakfast.

What pies, dessert flavors and sweets do you enjoy? Now visit grocery stores to discover their available available yogurt flavors and don’t hesitate to experiment with different ways to serve throughout the day.

The following came from the article I read but mix, match and make what you like.

Pumpkin Pie – Swirl pumpkin butter into vanilla yogurt and top with crushed gingersnaps. For variety try apricot butter.

Tiramisu – Layer coffee yogurt with lady fingers drizzled with amaretto and coffee syrup. Refrigerate overnight and top with toasted and crumbled ladyfingers and more coffee syrup. If you can’t find coffee yogurt make it by adding instant coffee to plain yogurt.

For the holiday Ambrosia fans. Don’t wait. Mix coconut yogurt with mini-marshmallows, shredded coconut, and diced colorful fresh fruit. If it looks too bland use colored marshmallows.

Baklava was not nearly as complicated as the real thing although finding all the ingredients can be a bit tricky. Stir in a few drops of rosewater into raspberry yogurt. Top with chopped salted pistachios and crushed palmier cookies and drizzle with honey.

In the original recipes they don’t say whether to use regular or Greek yogurt. I prefer to use Greek yogurt because I prefer a thicker and richer texture but you should use what you prefer. I read another recipe that dissolved flavored gelatin in water before adding to the yogurt and refrigerating. I can’t stop thinking of glistening little squares of gelatin in the ambrosia. Sorry I was distracted from my other hint- unflavored gelatin dissolved right in the yogurt adds firmness without distracting from the flavor and no, it does not remain grainy and crunchy.

Yogurt has come a long way since the gooey and sour tasting stuff I recall as a girl. Enjoy it and have fun with it. Play with your food.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

By reading this blog, even only occasionally, you know that I spend a ridiculous amount of time perusing the old copies of other newspapers and the Norwich Bulletin. What no one has mentioned to me, is what I don’t write about.

One of the things I don’t write about are the deaths of children. Those under the age of fifteen. The needless and senseless deaths that were written about in the newspapers with more than necessary detail. Possibly the detail was also to be a warning to others to not make the same mistake. To not take the same risk. But I have still never read a story that did not affect me or disturb me in some way.

Of course there were accidents. There have always been accidents and there always will be but every spring in every paper from the 1700’s on there are the drownings. (There are stories in earlier papers but they are not in my usual reading) It was always a hot and sunny day. The children were just looking to cool off. One child dared another to take a leap into the water. The child was walking on the edge and slipped. No one heard the train, the bus, the car, or the carriage until it was too late. The water looked clear and shallow. No one realized how quickly it was running or how slippery the rocks were. One child slipped and another went into the water even though he didn’t know how to swim or was not a strong swimmer. So many stories of a single family losing two children because one fell in and the other tried to save him. The stories in such detail broke my heart and disturbed my already restless slumber as my mind gave vision to the details of the story.

For a while the residents of the City of Norwich understood that part of our collective responsibility for the future is to prepare, teach and train the children for the unknowns of the future. Water was a huge part of their present. Sailing on boats, warehousing, shipping, traveling, living on or near the water. Its beauty and invitation were always present. From the mid 1800’s to the mid 1900’s there were swim classes in Norwich, for boys of course. But they were free, available and probably just skirted around the basics of being able to float and a stroke or two the classes still may have saved one or two lives. The girls, I suspect learned from the boys when they were playing together.

We need to have basic swim classes that are free of charge. For children and adults that did not grow up around the water. Not lessons to become competitive swimmers but the lessons of what to do if you fall in the water. For example: how to float, breaststroke, and dog-paddle. How to breathe. How to signal for help. How to make a chain in the water. How to plant your feet in moving water. A basic half hour of time to save countless lives.

Basic swimming lessons are more than an investment in the present, they are an investment into the future of us all.

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .

“The Mayor calls attention to the fact that the City of Norwich has buried itself the last year in repairing and putting into first class shape all of the walks abutting its property; and then very properly calls attention to the execrable condition of private walks, and if he did not express the hope that the civic pride of the owners would prompt them to go and do likewise, he doubtless thought that a hint would be better than a kick in calling attention to an undeniable duty of good citizenship.

There is nothing that gives a city a poorer name than neglected sidewalks, and there is a good advertisement for any place in clean and level sidewalks. Where negligence of this kind prevails as a rule no amount of advertising can overcome its effect.

There are too many neglected walks in “The Rose of New England,” and they did not help the sale of the property when it is on the market, or aid the town in keeping property values up.

Nothing makes a street more inviting than good walks and nothing speaks more plainly for the character and enterprise of the owners of owners of the property therein.

The Bulletin hopes private owners of property will follow the good example set them by the city.

The previous was published in the Bulletin May 26, 1911. Is anyone else feeling our City of Norwich is in a bad version of the movie “Ground Hog Day” where the same series of events are repeated over and over and over again until a lesson is learned. When will we learn that a successful city does not just fund making repairs when it can only be rebuilt but performing maintenance routinely serves to maintain its strength, safety and character.”

Thank you for reading and sharing my history and Norwich Community blog freely with your family or friends or anyone you think might be interested or in a position to take on some of the suggested projects. Don’t hesitate to contact me for further information. I am happy to pass along anything I can. Together we can make a difference. Email comments on this blog to berylfishbone@yahoo.com View my past columns at http://www.norwichbulletin.com/section/blogs .