Fire destroys Compounce ride - Southington Library and Museum

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PAGE 6 PINI The Observer all parties, influenced by none. Published by The Step Saver, Inc A thouy L Urillo, pr tdent Frank J. Polrot, Editor-in-Chief News & Editorial PO Box 648.213 Spnng Street Southmgton. CT 06489 Telephone t203} 621-6751 N THE Kenneth DiMa ro, famdy hying editor Advertising & C rculat on PO Box i8, 213 Spnng Strvet u n n. ('T 0 89 lephone ,20,1 628- 5 Lobster: the latest contamination casualty Ahh, the delectable lobster. What New Englander hasn't feasted on the savory crustacean? But now, low and behold. 1:he lobster is the latest life-form to suffer sexlous damage from humanity's propensity for ocean dumping. And once again. Long Island Sound can be labelled the great swill, a setfling tank for American sewers. Putrid Sound indeed. The Connecticut Department of Health Services is considering issuing a health advisory against eating a portion of the lobster. That portion is the liver. better known to most New Englanders as the tomalley. The tomalley is a green organ found among lobster Innards, and though not always appealing to look at, many lobster lovers consider them a delicacy. But tomalleys might be food of the past They're tainted, scientists say, by cadmium. Cadmium is a heavy metal most often associated with battery production. And according to clinical toxicology reports, cadmlmn does not only accumulate in the livers of the tasty crustacean - but will also settle in yours. That event can cause your liver to stop working - and your kidneys to stop working - and it can effect bone development. Now. it's true that the health department has said that eating the flesh of the lobster is still safe. And Lf you're one of the many who wouldn't go within an arm's length of a tomalley except to get to the taft - well, you're probably cadmium free. or at least within tolerable levels. However. the health department in New York has already issued an advisory against eating the livers of crabs and lobsters because of other contamiaant , including PCBs. Olcay. so we take lobster livers out of the human food chain. What's the been There's plenty of other stuff to eat. But, for how long? flow many more life forms will humanity destroy within the great abyss? Scientists say that because rolatively few people eat the livers of lobsters, the problem Is not severe. Ahh. the delectable lobster. If he could only talk. Labor Day is a time to thank the workers of this country by Elizabeth Dole U.S. Secretary of Labor On Labor Day. Americans will again pause to thank working men and women - and there is much to be thankful for. indeed In farms and factories, mills and shops, America was butt by the hands, hearts, and minds of our working men and women. American workers have fed the world, united our cities with highways', and forged the free enterprise system which has made us the eeonomlc envy of the world. We can also be thankful that more Americans are working today than ever before. In the past seven years, we have created nearly 20 million new Jobs - two and one-half times the number of Jobs created by the next six largest indus- On this Labor Day, however, we must do more than celebrate the past and the present - we must also look to the future It's a future that provides us with an opportunity, together, to fulfill a Iong-awalted dream: That every man and woman who wants a Job. can have a Job - if they have the skills. Between now and the year 2000. our work trig-age population will grow more slowly than at any time since World War It. As a result, work ers wtil be in great demand. Many who have been at the end of the line - women, minorlties. the disadvantaged and the disabled, will have unprecedented opportunities for pro ductlve work In order to take advantage of this win dow of opportunity, we must assure that new workers have the education and skills needed to do the Job. And the Jobs created over the next I0 years will be more complex. They will demand better reading, writing, and reasoning skills Over half the Jobs will require education beyond high school. By providing the skills today for the Jobs of tomorrow, we will be able to compete in a rapidly changing global market. and we will ensure that America's economic recovery will continue. Moreover by providing these sldfls to our youth, we will also help to reduce the social ills of our time; for the self-respect and independence that a Job provides can go a long way towards combatting teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, alcoholism, crime, and those who are prone to drop out of school. Teddy Roosevelt once said that "The bdst prize that llfe offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." On this Labor Day, let us dedicate our selves to a future that will provide that chance to ev- ON AND OFF THE RECORD FROM A WOMAN'S V EW OBSERVER THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1989 The Democrats face a slugfest With the gu- and perhaps his own desire to be Con gressxnan will get a head start on the bernatorial elec neeticut's next governor. Democratic nomination. If O'Neill de- tlon more than a year away. an allout slugfest may be unfolding among state Democrats. The Democrats are the party in control of state government, and they have the incumbent - Will!ram A. O Nell] -- in the governor's office. But you wouldn't know it by the way some Denmcrats are behaving O'Neill has been taking a few shots these days from people who say that he would leave ff the eh,tnon were held today That's the kind of verbal assault an incumbent governor expects from the other party. But this attack was launched by U.S.Rep Bruce Morrtson. who talks and walks like he wants to be Connecticut's n xt Governor. Morrtson has been shaking up the Democratic establishment with his criticism, of O'Neill. Morrison has flirted with running for governor and considering whether or not O'Neill could win again, basing his observation on polls Morrison may be right about his assertion that O'Neill may not be able to win if the election were held today For O'Neill. the mpqrtant thing is that the election is not going to be held today. The election is going to be held next November. A lot can happen in more than a year. And O'Neill has been down this road before Back in 1983. many political observers thought that O'Neill couldn't be elected for anything. However, he ran for re election in 1986 - and he was a landslide winner over Republican Julie Belaga. O'Neill has indicated he will run But until he makes it official speculation that he may bow out will continue Within the Democratic Party many insiders think that O'Neill will act like a candidate for re-election, but that he will decide on retirement. Morrison, for example, says he's close to making a decision about a gubornatorlal run regardless of vhat O'Neill does. But taking on an incumbent governor is no easy task. even for a popular incumbent congressman. If Morrison runs and then O'Neill decides not to seek re election, the con- cldes to run again, Morrlson has put his political career on the line. Toby Moffett, a former congressman md now a broadcaster, rolled the dice in 1986. He lost to O'Neill at the Democratic state convention. If O'Neill should consider retirement, someone llke U S. Rep. Barbara Kennelly most likely will be the first choice of the Democrats who support O'Neill. Others also may be in the Democratic gubernatorial battle. It all depends on what O'Neill does. With Morrison on the attack, O'Neill could be forced to announce his intentions earlier than planned. The longer he waits, the more speculation will be that he's planning to leave a winner and on top. It wouldn't be a bad way tn finish. Until he says. "No. thank you," however. O'Neill has to be considered an incumbent ready to seek re-election. Morrlson's attack on O'Neill is like snmethlng the Republicans are posod to be doing. It's a sign that. as in 1986. O'Neill's toughest opposition may come from within his own party Bob Douglas public-affairs commenrotor for Connechcut Public TelevL on Congress adjourns: budget issues dominate Before the first session of the lOlst Congress adJournbd for the annual August recess. several Im- lated measures saw action. Here's a run down of some of those bills, followed by a brief preview of additional legislation expected to see ac finn this fall Fiscal Year 199Q Anoronrtatlon : With some last minute hustle, the House passed all 13 appropriations bills, including seven in one week (a record}, while the Senate managed to approve only four All 13 bills must be agreed upon by both houses and signed by the president by October I. the beginning of the new fiscal year Don't hold your breath. Last year was the first year this was accomplished since 1976. and the first time since 1954 that Congress did not resort to a catch-all "contmuing resolution" to lump together funding (and hide special projects] for programs on which it couldn't agree separately. Fiscal Year 1989 Sunnlemental A_p_: orooriations: Earlier this year, but not before several months of disagreement programs for which spending estimates fell short of actual expenditures. This annual rite of spring guarantees budget pyrotechnics as congressmen try to load up the bill with pet programs and projects that didn't make the cut the first time around. Year Budget Reconciliation. To complete action on next year's budget. Congress must agree on $13 billion in additional savings and new revenues. Under the Gramm-Rudman • deficit reduction law. Congress must ensure that the deficit will not exceed $I I0 billion to avoid automatic cuts A singularly important spending measure, in which many issues and often fundamentally different approaches to government are debated, this bill is currently hung up over the capital gains tax issue Savings &__ an Bailout: Nearly six months after President Bush requested immediate action. Congress approved a $50 billion package to make good on its guarantee to protect the savings of millions of Americans. The delay in approving the funds, and enacting the reforms to prevent future mismanagement and fraud, cost the federal goveminent millions per month. LOOKING AHEAD TO SEFFEMBER and Community and maneuvering, the Congress passed __ ment: With severe housing shortages a stop gap measure to fund federal and through the roof real estate prices Women's equity day in many areas of the country. Congress will be looking to reform and strengthen programs for public and low- and moderate-income housing. Additional funding might be considered, but only a er a full investigation into the HUD scandal. Child Day Care: The House will take up major legislation to expand asslstance to working parents and families who need to purchase day care services for their children. Vsj{iaus bills provide up to $2 billion but ghar differences remain ove. ,4he optimum mix of grants and tax breaks. Clean Air ACt. President Bush's bold initiative - though in need of improvement in several areas - will be debated throughout autumn and I intend to focus on at least two key issues: the interstate transport of dirty air and strong tailpipe emissions standards to cut auto pollution. 011 Fund: After the recent disaster in Alaska. Congress will take up legislation to improve our ability to prevent oll spills and reduce the environmental threat to our waters and shores A $I billion clean-up fund is proposed, with the tab to be picked up by industry. These are Just a few of the measures likely to see action, but only if Congress can mop up the appropriations process in reasonably short order. by Susan Strand Starting with conversations in small tern of the United States was Just and took groups and then branching out to discus- action to change the status quo. On August 26, 1920 the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitu- sions with legislators, the women began marching and speaking to large crowds in Jennette Rankln worked long and hard to gain suffrage in he home state of tion was passed gMag women the right to vote. Just seventy years ago women could not voice their opinion on the ways in which the country should be run. They couldn't enter a votmg booth and support the candidate that agreed with their points of view ,They were forced to leave the declsion-making process up to their fathers, grandfathers, brothers and uncles with the obvious results that their opinions were almost totally disregarded. It was vocal and out-spoken women who finally forced congress into granting public places when it became apparent that they were continually ignored. Eventually huge crowds of women converged on Washington. D C. to protest the lack of attention to the issue of voting rights for women When the pressure of large numbers didn't move the members of Congress to action, many women took the drastic action of chaining themselves to the fence that surrounded the White House. They firmly believed that the President would respond quickly and in a positive manner with his support. Unfortunately that was Montana and when it was granted she was elected to represent her state in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. four years before women in the rest of the country could even vote. Amelia Jenl Bloomer began a newspaper for women which initially was primarily focused on the temperance movement, but gradually she embraced the suf- Wagist movement as well. She also was active in a dress-reform movement being one of the first women to wear trousers (later to be knowa as bloomers] in public. suffrage to women. Most men were extremely reluctant to allow any kind of power to the women of lhe eotmt y and it took marches on Washington. D.C. and the chaining of themselves to the fence surrounding the White House lawn to obtain their goal. The history of the suffragist movement is nothing shor of phenomenal when we think back to the position of women within the community and the travel conditions at the turn of the centmy. The movement first started during the years of advocating abolition of slavery The same women who became ardent suffragists first were active in the abolition movement, but quickly came face to fare with the reality that they could be expected to perform most of the not the case and many of these women These women brave pione who were dragged off to Jail. risked and felt the derision of the men in The deplorable conditions in the Jail their families and communities because appalled the suffragists and never being they knew their cause was Just. They ones to overlook a social wrong that could risked much so that women throughout be righted, they went on hunger strikes to the country could enjoy the right to vote. bring attention to the conditions in the They can be our role models. We still Jails. Many were force fed. a horrendous have social injustices that can be changed experience that resnlted in damaged vocal with the necessary amount of attention chords for a few and dedication. With the determination of These women also started their own our suffragist ststera we could chang the newspapers, wrote the Women's Bible. course of the feminlzation of poverty, we challesged the concept of correct clothing could have a major impact on the delivery for women and generally questioned the of health care in this country, we could re- functioning of the government without duco dru us sigrdflcantly by focu on their representation. Susan B. Anthony, the causative Issues of poverty and lack of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Jenks options, we could Insure reproductive Bloomer, Lucy Stone and Jennette Ranktn eholee for all women. menial chores, the men would make the decisions were women of courage and foresight who did not believe that the governmental sya- Gaining the right to vote was not an easy task: but it was accomplished. We
THE OBSERVER ITIURSDAY AUGUST 31 ]989 EN If students Rainbow of were horses ' " balloons over b= rouldanyo e/el st ::s tsS" I Southington 1 began to ,' a ntdhe a lt oftft at ', the Saratoga aaee BY $ANDRA C: MAINERI track last Monday. If students were graded the way horses are, what could parents and teachers expect? Would our children be the ones that make a move at the eighth pole and come in to win by a nose? Or might they be in the lead throughout. only to die in the stretch? Knowing the child and his or her performance could make it easier for both parent and teacher to gage and encourage success. Using track Jargon might add a sporty touch to a report card, while relaying important information in a more acceptable way. Consider the horse that runs well with blinkers, This beast is easily disturbed by activity around him or her. The blinkers help filter out the noise and commotion. They keep the animal "on track'. To some thoroughbreds the blinkers are the gimmick that let them win. "Runs well on a sloppy track" shows a horse that weathers the weather well. When things get tough. It makes no matter the size of the animal or whether it's legs are tapped and wrapped. The most surprising wins come from the most unusual animals. Of course some credit must go to an able Jockey and the direction of a the parent, the h-ainer the teacher. Did you ever notice how some horses run llke crazy with the tap of whip, while others refuse to respond? It's up to the Jockey to decide how to ride the animal. The trainer adds sensitivity. Some trainers actually saddle the horses themselves. A great trainer knows the animal personally. He knows how to relate to the skittish personalities of thoroughbreds. He brings out the best. If kids were horses would we treat them a little kinder? Would we be more careful about their food, housing, exerclse and sleeping patterns? Would we appreciate the investment of time and money we had put into each? Of course all this is speculation. Our children are a whole lot more than dumb animals. But each should be challenged to reach a full potential. Unlike the ownem, most of us don't need to think our child will finish first. second or third to be happy. But the idea is still there. Life in some ways is a race. Students do compete for top slots. They llke looking good. They like to show their stuff. They need to know their are of value. I like the races. I like to watch the horses run. If school offers the s&me excitement as Saratoga. let the races OUR TOWN My husband and I w e awakened early last Saturday morning by our . very alert toddler calling out to us: leisurely day at ¢ "Mommy. Mommy, Daddy! Mommy. A walk in the park A couple enjoyed the meditative scenery from Walsel Reservol¢ Saturday. under clear sides. A study re cently published in the New England Journal of Medicine arrives at an interesting time in current American history University of California San Francisco re searcher Dr. Paula Braveman discovered that babies of parents with no health insurance are almost 30 percent more likely to die or be seriously ILl at birth than those born to insured parenta. The study concludes that the poor health and death are at least in part connected to poor access to medical The data and conclusions of the study arrive when our country: grapples with the issue of national health insurance, experiences discord over a wsman's right to have an abortion, and Dear Senator Liebennan: I'm sure you will agree that we are faced with many disturbing issues in America. I'm convinced that much of the crime in our country is due to the acts of violence in television shows and at the movies. Too often, the villains are pictured as heroes. Shouldn't this somehow be controlled? Mr. R.J., Plainfield I agree. We must do something about the violence and crime in television programming. As the father of a young daughter who has many years of television viewing in front of her, I am very concerned about the quality of children's progrmmnmg. I am strongly in favor of maintaining, and ff possible, increasing the funding levels for PBS. the primary source of quality children's programming. In addition, I also favor strict enforcement of truth-in-advertising laws to protect children who are the most vulnerable and likely targets of misleading advertising. Dear Senator Lieberman; We have entered a now era in pollties. The past Administration was a travesty, and I hope that now, the parties will work together with the Bush Administration to clean up the fiscal mess from the past eight yeaJ . you give serious consideration on • tree neax L 8 t to discontinue further development . &: Babbling and baby talk has a newly-elected president who purports to favor a benign nation. Braveman's study reviewed the records of 146,000 births in the San Francisco area in 1982. '84 and "86 The number of children born to parents without health insurance increased from 5.5 to 8 percent with the largest increases occurring among Hispanics and Asians. That these ethnic groups are posting the largest increases Is not surprising. in California, they probably represent the largest groups of immigrants One would suspect the same pattern in other parts of the country. If that generalization proved to be true, it would make our nation's failure to institute a national health care plan tantamount to genocide. The study also calls attention to the pious mouthings of the so-called "prollfe" movement, if this group is as devoted to the preservation of human life as it professes to be, a study llke Braveman's should spur some orga- ASK SENATOR LIEBERMAN Television violence De.at-Mr. E.C' 1 am opposed to the Strategic Defense Initiative for two important reasons. First, SD[ trades the idea of deterrence for the misconception that a nuclear war could be fought and a global strategic exchange survived. Second. achieving the current gosis of the SDI program could cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next twenty to thirty years. Being smart and strong means recognizing that our national security is tied to our economic secu - ty. We don't have to choose between reducing the deficit and protecting our national securtty ".f our defense budget buys us real strength. Dear Senator Lieberman: I urge you to support the right of women to work at home sewing women's and children's clothing. I understand that knitting at home and sewing men's clothing is permissible. My re quest is motivated by an impending move by the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce a regulation that would prohibit women from having the right to work at home on the sewing of women's and children's clothes. In an age where women need to work for economic survival, when day care is often time inadequate to meet women's needs, working at home is a viable alternative. Please do what you can to expand these opportmflties. Ls., e s . e celor of....St W ? I ha ntact e r de - d e st n . . E.C., ment to inquire about their cu ent nlzed effort to get a national health care program in place Failure to take such a stand would reveal the limit of their "pro-life" sentiment and the hollowness of their name. Typically. the anti abortionists have litfie to say about the problems that arise out of unwanted births or the difficulties facing those who endure them. Likewise. our president sought to seduce voters with a slogan. Mr. Bush professed to be concerned with creating a "kinder and gentler" America. Yet, what could be more harsh than the image of a dead baby?. Perhaps a photo of a cold. "little brown one" might move the president to make good on his claim to transform the nation. Look for opponents of national health insurance to remain mum on the UCSF study or brush it aside with the thread-bare reply that it's inconclusive. Hispanic and Asian parents will wish their grief were as easily dismissed. policy in this matter They informed me that the ban on industrial home work has been lifted, not re enforced. Employers of home workers will obtain two-year licenses and they will be monitored by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department. ttopefully, this system will allow the Department to prevent child abuse and other potential violations. l think this can be a wonderful opportunity for some women, but l also feel the need for safeguards to ensure that no w men are exploited. In Connecticut, this isn't an issue because state law forbids industrial home work and the federal law.cannot override the state regulation. ff you hove O queshon Or comment for Senoto t ,berrnon, you con te to him a HO n e Office , , D C 10. " orb " PAC 7 Daddy[" I slowly came out of my senti-conscious state and saw the blurred digital numbers on the bedside dock registering 6:45 a.m. John called out to us again, and I came fully awake thirdcI something was wron Rushing in to John's room. I found him standing up in his bed near the window, leanlr against the ledge and trying to peer out through all the plants which llve there. *Balloons. Mommy, ballcormr ballonns in a myriad display of colors across a very blue eaHy morning sky. We sat with John. leantng against the window ledge, and watched the slow parade pass by his window. Just as we thought the procession might be over, another one or two would appear on the horizon. We could hear a few of our neighbors outside chatting as they too watched, so we opened the window a little wider to add our remarks on the beautiful colors. John's delight with the balloons was contagious. He even reminded us uf the "picture in Daddy's office." the rendition of hot air balloons by local artist Peter Swap, commissioned by the Southington Chamber of Commerce. which had now come to life bdore his Later in the day. we learned that the balloons had been launched from Norton Park in Plainvllle, kicking off a two day fundraiser sponsered by the crowds - the weather was picture - perfect and the balloons themselves the ideal advertisement for the event. Ren-. ny Villardi, Captain of PlainviIle's Fire Company. explained that the balloons were originally brought in five years ago to celebrate the Company's 100 so much that the Fire Company has been inviting them back every year We made our way to Norton Park that afternoon. Just in time to see four daring skydtvers Jump from a small plane circling overhead. John was once again fascinated, though a little annoyed that 1 wouldn't let him run onto the field to "catch" the parachutists as they descended through the air. The four men safely reached the landbound target one-by-one; a woman from the crowd ran over to one of the men and hugged him. She seemed to be in her fifties, the man she was embracing perhaps twenty years younger. "That was beautifull I knew you'd hit the target - you always do!" That mother's pride (and possible relief} brought smiles to all of us watching. AS the skydivers posed for picturu and answered questions from the onlookers, others toured the ch s tables. Children laughed while sliding and swinging at the playground, someone hit the *Pitch For Literacy" target thereby drenching a helpless volunteer and a clown handed out stickers to eager hands. It wasn't over the rainbow to OZ last weekend, Just a short drive north on l ute 10. Peg Donohue is a free/once wr/ter lMng in Southington She w tes her column on ospects of life In town. The Observer welcomes letters on matters of interest to the Southington community. The Observer's Opinion/Editorial pages are intended to be an open forum for the residents of Southingtor Letters must be signed and include address and telephonenumber for verification. The Observer reserves the right to edit and shorten text. Send letters to the editor to: The Observer P. O. t}ox 648, Southington,CT 06489
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