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Mollie Kirouac Carol Phillips ... 4th Jerry Shaffer. 5th Ellen Lubell ..... About 60% of UConn students who lived on cam

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Idea Transcript


SPRING & SUMMER ISSUE 2016 28TH EDITION

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Glen Ridge Life & Times Newspaper 11 Sycamore Drive, Storrs, CT 06268 ...AND THE WINNER IS = BOB KREMER HAPPY TENTH ANNIVERSARY TO OUR ADMINISTRATOR FROM ALL THE HAPPY CAMPERS AT GLEN RIDGE! Our community appreciates all that you do each day to make this a great place to live. Your door, your mind and your heart are always open. CONGRATS!!

The Glen Ridge Life & Times Newspaper Staff Writers

Contributors

Bev Korba, editor

Cynara Stites

Jane Blanshard

Linda Vaillancourt, co-editor

Mollie Kirouac

Carol Phillips

Alice Kolega

Sarah Taylor Henry Millman Julie Wright

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APRIL 2nd Fran Chesko 4th Jerry Shaffer

JULY

5th Ellen Lubell

7th Fran Boucher

6th Ruth Reichel

MAY

AUGUST

26th Jessie Daniels

5th Ken Doeg

30th Mike Beschler

12th Jean Williams 12th Clemma Gebbie

JUNE 2nd Eva Eaton

We’d like to wish more of our neighbors & friends a “Happy Birthday,” but you need to contact the office with your birthdate. Hope to hear from you; don’t be shy, only dates - no years!

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The Hospitality Committee is trying something new...Instead of a Coffee Social every Wednesday afternoon they are inviting all to come down to the community room every Wednesday @Noon and bring a bag lunch. When the weather is good they will be out under the pavilion enjoying each others company. Please join in! MOVIES ARE SHOWN EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT @ 4:30 p.m. A list of each month’s movies is distributed at the beginning of the month and announced on our web site. The NEXT BOOK CLUB is Thursday, July 7th @ 10:45 a.m. MEN’S NIGHT is the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The next event will be on @ 6:00 p.m. SCRABBLE GROUP meets here in the community room every Tuesday afternoon @ 3p.m. except the 3rd Tuesday of each month they play at 4p.m. Come join the fun! WOMEN’S GROUP WILL MEET ON Monday, June 20th @ 5:30pm. HAPPY HOUR IS EVERY SATURDAY in the COMMUNITY ROOM and when the weather is nice the PAVILLION @ 5 p.m. B.Y.O.B. and munchies to share. We now have “YOGA” on Friday mornings @ 6am. In the community room. BOCCE is every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. A video that looks into Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and at the curious relationship between Alice Liddell who inspired the character of Alice in Wonderland and the author Lewis Carroll, will be shown on Thursday, June 23rd @ 2:30p.m. in the Community Room. Game night is still on but in the cooler months starting in the Fall. Start thinking of game night ideas that might be fun!

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Poetry The Life and Times has discovered that many of our friends at Glen Ridge love poetry and some like to write poems as well. Here are some favorites and some original poems. TO ANY READER -

Robert Lewis Stevson

As from the house your mother sees You playing round the garden trees, So you may see, if you will look Through the windows of this book,

Another child, far, far away, And in another garden, play. But do not think you can at all, By knocking on the window, call That child to hear you. He intent Is all on his play-business bent. He does not hear; he will not look, Nor yet be lured out of this book. For, long ago, the truth to say,

He has grown up and gone away, And it is but a child of airs That lingers in the garden there. thanks to Jane Blanshard

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I WAKE ALONE - Camillo Sharbaro From sleep I wake alone in dead of night, The house a soundless void. Out there, a harbor glitters, silent, with its lamps. But so far removed, so frigid are these lights, and so immense the stillness of these rooms, that I raise myself in bed to listen. And am seized, then, with a fear that stops my breath and makes my eyes enlarge: divided from all else within the house, divided from all else that is on earth, my life and I are utterly alone. The thought, then, of the familiar streets and of the daily names and faces reasserts itself And, smiling for my own absurdity, I settle down. Yet, even so, when fear dissolves in sleep, at heart an icy residue persists, because in truth I walk among my fellow-men as an observer. And have not one within whose hands to place my own in simple trust, or with whom I can forget myself. So much so, that were it not for Nature, and for the waters and the tree and all the speechless world of things that bears me company through this existence I think that I would die of solitude. For this journey undertaken among strangers, encompassed by a void, arouses dread, and the certainty that it will be forever. Most cruelly of all, My eyes are dry. thanks to Henry Millman

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DOVER BEACH - Matthew Arnold The sea is calm to-night. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanch'd land, Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in. Sophocles long ago Heard it on the Aegean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea. The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furl'd. But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world. Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night. thanks to Julie Wright

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1945

FOG

The khaki uniform sweeps me onto the platform, Straps me to the back of a painted pony And returns to her side. Beneath my thighs the cool, smooth hobby, My heart tucked under his wing, chases The yellow giraffe and the blue tiger. She and khaki blur.

—Carl Sandbury The fog comes On little feet. It sits looking Over harbor and city On silent haunches And then moves on. thanks to Carol Phillips

Thirty years later at a family wedding He takes me in his arms. Whirling across the polished floor, My heart throbs. Thighs burn. Like ice. —Mollie Kirouac

WHY I LIKE JELL-O Desserts in general no matter how sweet are really not my thing. My present waistline doesn’t need the inches that they bring. But oddly enough, I met a guy, a Jell-O-man I’d say. Who introduced my virgin palate to the flavor of the day. I bask in the beauty before my eyes of all that he prepares. A shimmering dish of squishy delight that he joyfully likes to share. He smiles with pleasure as he mixes his brew and lets me lick the spoon. He tells me with a winsome look it will be ready very soon.

We take our seats, our gazes meet: there is excitement in the air. My lover states this jiggling mass must be eaten with a flair. We lick our lips and moan with delight. The trumpets blare to start the flight, The space ship portal opens wide, And hand in hand we step inside. Bev Korba

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TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MANSFIELD SENIOR CENTER By Bev Korba Okay, I will admit I have been in denial for some time regarding my membership status in the senior citizen club. Just didn’t want to admit that “those people” were the same age. But wait. They look like a happy bunch so maybe I am missing something. And then one fine day Pat Schneider,( Human Resource Director) and Sarah Taylor,( Mansfield Senior Center Supervisor ) came to Glen Ridge to outline their dreams and aspirations for those seniors wishing to enrich their lives. I was almost spellbound by their infectious enthusiasm and hope for a new and improved experience for all who visit the Center. Sarah Taylor

So, I made an appointment to interview Sarah to find out, face to face, her goals for the Center going forward. The moment you meet her you are immediately drawn in by her enthusiastic mind set. Sarah’s background is a “state of the art” tool box filled with impressive credentials that led her to Mansfield. She has a degree in Psychology and worked as a Program Coordinator in a social rehabilitation program before her position at the Coventry Senior Center. Hence, lucky Mansfield lured her to her new job as Supervisor and the fun began in earnest!

Sarah’s wants the center to be a resource for all, not just seniors. A welcoming safe haven where they can feel comfortable and eager to access the much needed information that is available for those who are facing transitions that may seem daunting and unpredictable. This includes the whole family. Yes, you can find all this help in one building filled with caring, conscientious people willing and able to help you on your path no matter where you are headed. As we age our families often take on more responsibility and desperately need the information to be a knowledgeable, effective caregiver. Continue next page >>>>>>

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Sarah has a 10 year old son who she enjoys bringing to the center. She finds that intergenerational programs are a benefit to all participants. After all, we are all teachers, young and old. The center recently received their full kitchen license and will soon be opening their new Café. They will start by offering a light fare and who knows? This could become the new “trendy meet-up place” for seniors. I must admit I haven’t been interested in senior trips until I spent a day with a friend at the Boston Flower Show. The bus trip was a chance to get to know a few others along the way. Make sure you get your copy of “SPARKS” that gives a schedule all the events. Sarah’s energy is ever present. She monitors the numerous activities offered and is keenly aware if they are a good fit for most seniors who attend. Her eyes light up when a new idea is born. Her door is always open and she encourages feedback from all the members who take advantage of the activities that are offered. Senior citizens have so much to offer not only to their communities but to each other. The first step (at least for me) is to admit where you are in life and embrace it. Having someone younger like Sarah who understands how important it is to enjoy new and old friendships in a welcoming environment is truly a treasure .To say she is the right person for the job is understating her contribution to the center. Sarah invites everyone to visit the Mansfield Senior Center and see for themselves the wide range of activities that are offered. And, I am sure that she is thinking of some new ones as I write this. After my visit with Sarah I have changed my mind about admitting I am a senior and it’s going to be fun!! See you at the Center.

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SOUP’S ON!!!! MANY THANKS TO THE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE FOR INVITING US TO DINNER

PLEASE, COME AGAIN!

FOOD & FRIENDS GO WELL TOGETHER.

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THE ART OF CONFRONTATION VS CONCESSION AKA FIGHT OR FLIGHT By Bev Korba

My primary reason for writing this article is to explore the problem of confrontation, a dilemma for many seasoned debaters who have perhaps lost some of their fighting spirit along the way. I became aware that I no longer can count on holding old my own especially when dealing with a contemporary . I worry that we are both too darn old to be locked in a fierce fight for right and wrong and decided long ago to sit this one out. (This does not pertain to the Trump argument, I’m still up for that, big time!) I have had many moments in my life when the need to take a stand was necessary to keep my self- respect and to make my voice heard over those who would speak louder in an effort to make me look ineffective and less important. When I was younger my self- confidence level was a bit higher so I may have lost a battle or two but never a war. Back then I was not only standing up for myself but those I loved who were in need of a troop leader. Some of us mellow with age, that’s called “accepting your lot in life”. Those of us who haven’t found that comfort zone are sometimes unfairly seen as opinionated and hard nosed. I see that someone as a spokesperson for the rest of us who would rather watch the game from the bleachers. Locking horns with someone in your age group may look like an inviting challenge or one you find unavoidable, but here’s the rub. Going head to head with the person on the other side of the fence who looks a little like you (a few wrinkles and gray hair), can become very uncomfortable for both parties whose fervent desire is to come off the battle field looking a little superior. Let’s face it, we don’t get the opportunity at this age to be queen/king of the hill too often so winning gains importance. It may be our last chance to show the world we can still hold our own. Society tolerates senior citizens as long as they stay out of the way and keep their differences within their own camps. It often strikes me that the world is your oyster only if you are in the right age and income bracket.

Never underestimate a senior citizen. People are living longer so ideally there should be a place for them in our society that salutes their accomplishments and rewards their tenure. They are walking history books. Many are retired and have plenty of free time for research on any subject. And the “piece de re-sis-tance” is that most of us experienced it all first hand. I truly think that older adults j0ke with each other about aging because we want to get there before you do, and believe me, it’s no joke. I am against making fun of other people no matter what the reason. Each day is a new day, a new challenge. We didn't ask for this phase of our lives , we are the chosen ones who have the genes to outlive and outwit many who went before us. Continued next page >>>

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CONFRONTATION, continued We all need to reassess our ability to stand up to others who don’t share our beliefs and do it without losing our sense of fair play. They have the right to be heard and how we respond to their point of view will be key to an end result we can live with.

I found this article by STEVEN AITCHSON: SEVEN TIPS TO DEAL WITH CONFRONTATION: 1. Take a deep breath just before the confrontation or during it if necessary. This lower’s your heartbeat and blood pressure. 2. Breathe a little slower, again this lowers your heartbeat and lowers the amount of adrenaline running through your body. 3. Take 5 minutes, if you can, and quickly rehearse what you are going to say to someone. Make key points of your argument. 4. Get to know what triggers your anger and prepare a new response to that trigger. By doing this you are aware of the buttons people can push to elicit a certain response. When you know your own triggers, it is less likely that someone can push the buttons as you are prepared. 5. Make the person aware of how confrontational they are being. Saying something like “why are you shouting at me?” This turns the energy back on the person and lets them look at themselves for a minute, this might calm them down as a lot of people get lost in the moment and don’t realize they are being aggressive. 6. Another way is to turn all the attention back on the person you are arguing with. “You seem really angry about that!” “You look as if you’re really pissed off!” Again this can have the same effect of point 5. 7. Don’t get sucked into their arguments. The purpose of an argument is to manipulate you into losing the argument thereby showing the other person they have won and they are superior. If you don’t get sucked in there is no argument to win, and you come out looking the better person. There will always be situations that cause a certain amount of stress. Some of them are better met head on and then there are those that require the “fight or flight” response. My unsolicited advice is as follows: when you are in the autumn of your life, walk away from a serious confrontation unless you have a passionate, unwavering desire to be heard. “Gather ye roses while ye may” and get the hell out of there.

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Hi Alice — Thanks for another Book Review The Distance Between Us By Reyna Grande

The Distance Between Us by Rena Grande is a memoir about her childhood in poverty in Mexico and the long, difficult walk to El Otro Lado with her father to live in California. Her father and mother had both left for America leaving their three children with their stern, overburdened grandmother. The descriptions of abject poverty are comparable to the conditions in Ireland as told in “Angel’s Ashes”. After a separation of eight years her father returns and takes her back to live with him in Los Angeles. Her mother is in and out of her life, never fully reconnecting with her. She works hard at learning English and doing well in school, despite a miserable home life with her abusive father. She is befriended by a teacher who gives her a home and encourages her to write. She attends a community college and writes a prize winning essay which starts her on her career as an author. ___________________________________________________________ ALICE’S PAGE WOULDN’T BE COMPLETE WITH ANOTHER ONE OF HER CHALLANING CRYPTOGRAMS..

VCTE MABCAT ZTDTDXTZ FYT XTZGWA HMGG HT’ZT IZCDWETV M ATH CAT POEF ME FMGG WJ, WA ACKTDXTZ NMAVWVMFT VZODIJ DCKTE FC HYWFTCOET WA FZWODIY Answer on page 15

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THE GLEN RIDGE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE had a “think tank” meeting & can’t wait to share some new ideas with all our friends. Even a well oiled machine needs a tune-up every once in a while. Starting on June 1st the usual coffee socials on Wednesday afternoons will be replaced with a “brown bag bonanza”@ noon. Bring your lunch & meet your neighbors on the Pavilion. We will still serve coffee. We are also planning a “game night” that will start in the Fall so stay tuned for further developments.

Carol

Herb & Phyllis

Jean

Caryl Mollie

Alice

Jane Bev

Mike & Ursula

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Why Some Men Have A Dog And No Wife: 1.

The later you are, the more excited your Dogs are to see you.

2.

Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another Dog’s name.

3.

Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

4.

A Dog’s parents never visit.

5.

Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

6.

Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

7.

A Dog will not wake you up at night to ask” If I died, would you get another dog?”

8.

If a Dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

9.

If a Dog smells another Dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting. And last, but not least….

To test this theory:

10. If a Dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff.

Lock your wife and your dog in the garage for an hour. Then open it and see who’s happy to see you.

ANSWER TO ALICE’S CRYPTOGRAM ON PAGE 13 DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE BERLIN WALL? WE’RE PROMISED A NEW ONE JUST AS TALL

IF IN NOVEMBER CANDIDATE DRUMPF MOVES TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN TRIMPH.

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“Snores” 40 years before the Storrs Center By Cynara Stites In 1974, I drove around Storrs to see the town before I went to my job interview at the UConn Student Mental Health Service. I expected to find a New England town green or, at least, a town center with shops. I told the search committee, “I couldn’t find the town.” They said, “There is no town.” “Snores” was a derisive nickname for Storrs because there was no place to go and nothing to do in the 1970’s. About 60% of UConn students who lived on campus went home on weekends. Although Mansfield had about 10,000 residents then, local business owners had to rely on sales during the eight months of each year when UConn students were not out of town for semester breaks, spring breaks and summers. Many small businesses failed.

Post Office Block “Downtown Storrs” had a small business district along Route 195 and Dog Lane. In the 1950’s, UConn built the post office block where the Storrs Center CVS on Route 195 is today. The rectangular, brick building with a black roof looked more like a shed than a shopping plaza. All the businesses on the upper front level and on the lower back level were small and locally owned. In the 1970’s, the shops on the upper level facing Route 195 included Campus Florist, University Travel, Farrs Sports, a bakery, Warings gift shop and Paul’s Pizza. When the building was razed in 2012 to make way for the Storrs Center, Paul’s Pizza was sold to new owners who re-opened it as Husky Pizza on Dog Lane in the Storrs Center. In the 1970’s, Campus Restaurant had an entrance on the upper front level to the restaurant on the lower level behind the Storrs Post Office. This Chinese restaurant, which was owned by the Wongs, was popular with UConn students especially on Saturday nights. A large dog often hung around inside the restaurant. The restaurant had periodic problems with the Health Department, eventually relocated to Mansfield Center where it had more problems with the Health Department that resulted in the restaurant’s demise.

The small shops located on the lower backside of the post office block included Skora’s Barber Shop from 1958 to 1978. Holly Upton bought the shop in 1978 and re-named it Campus Barber Shop. In 2012, she re-located the shop to Dog Lane in the Storrs Center with another name, Head Huskies. Campus Beauty Shop, Bruce Electronics, a comic book store and Paperback Trader were also located on the lower level of the post office block. Paperback Trader re-located to the lower level of the Mansfield Center Post Office when the Storrs Center was built. In the late 1970’s, Joanne Oliver owned and ran Not by Bread Alone, a natural foods grocery store, which she sold to a new owner, who moved it to the upper level of the post office block and re-opened it as Cup O’Sun, a popular natural foods restaurant. continued next page >>>>

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In the 1970’s, the shops on the upper level facing Route 195 included Campus Florist, University Travel, Farrs Sports, a bakery, Warings gift shop and Paul’s Pizza. When the building was razed in 2012 to make way for the Storrs Center, Paul’s Pizza was sold to new owners who re-opened it as Husky Pizza on Dog Lane in the Storrs Center. In the 1970’s, the Storrs Post Office anchored the upper level on the north end of the post office block. When zip codes were introduced, the post office was “Storrs, CT 06268.” When the Storrs post office re-located (in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s?) to its present location, it became the “Storrs Mansfield, CT 06268” post office. A new zip code was created just for UConn addresses: “Storrs, CT 06269.” Some Storrs residents and some Town of Mansfield departments still refuse to use the new mailing address, “Storrs Mansfield, CT 06268.” Some are sticking with “Storrs, CT 06268;” and others use a non-existent mailing address, “Mansfield, CT 06268.” (The post office located in Mansfield Center is “Mansfield Center, CT 06250.) Storrs Drug opened in the southern end of the post office block in 1952. It was a dry goods and convenience store that sold over-the-counter medications, but it did not have a pharmacy. The owners were Sam Ferreri and his son and daughter-in-law, John and Susan Ferreri. In 1976, the store was re-named College Town when John Ferreri opened Storrs Drug – a real pharmacy – in the University Plaza farther south on Route 195.

Storrs Commons The Mansfield Movie Theater was built in 1964 where Chang’s Garden is located today in Storrs Commons. The movie theater had a distinctive stone silo by its entrance. I was five months pregnant in 1982 when I saw “Animal House” there along with many college fraternity guys. In the mid 1980’s, Mike Taylor bought the property with plans to rent out the movie theater and to build a law office for himself. Despite an extensive search, he could not find anyone to manage the movie theater except people in the pornographic movie business. So Mike Taylor changed his plans, razed the movie theater and built Storrs Commons in 1987.

One of Storrs Commons’ original tenants is still there today: Domino’s Pizza, owned by Neil and Lyn Warren. Another original tenant was a Chinese restaurant possibly named The Golden Crown. A few years later, Henry Chan, a Taiwanese immigrant living in New York, replaced the restaurant with Chang’s Garden. Today three of his adult children – Richard Chang, Susan Chang and Wendy Chang – manage he restaurant.

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University Plaza The two-level University Plaza just south of Storrs Commons on Route 195 was built by John Tuite and Nicholas & Georgia Haidous in 1976. Some years later, the Haidous family bought out John Tuite to become the sole owners. John Ferreri, a local pharmacist, moved Storrs Drug from the post office block to University Plaza in 1977 and opened it as an independent pharmacy. In 2007, he sold Storrs Drug to two young pharmacists from New Jersey, Naufel & Ami Tajudeen. Like many independent pharmacists, they could not compete with the chains like CVS, so Storrs Drug was forced to close in 2011. Other early tenants in University Plaza included a record store, laundromat and University Pizza (which was eventually replaced by Friendly’s, which closed just before the Storrs Center was built.)

Dog Lane Businesses The downtown business district extended about one block up Dog Lane from Route 195. Universal Grocery Store was located approximately where Husky Pizza is located today on Dog Lane in the Storrs Center. Universal was a small grocery store with a popular deli counter where people lined up to buy made-to-order sandwiches. The building was razed to make way for the Storrs Center.

Across the street from Universal was Phil’s, which was built in the 1950’s. I regret that I didn’t find Phil’s last name, although I was told that it’s a Polish name. The store was like a five and 10cent store. It sold a hodgepodge of mostly small items, including artist’s supplies, cards, toys, pens, penny candy, sewing supplies, and so much more. It was fun to just wander around the store to look at the merchandise. “Mrs. Phil” discouraged people from stealing by monitoring store patrons at her post by the front door. “Mr. Phil” provided radio and t.v. repair from the backside of the building.

The second floor of Phil’s held really small shops over the years including a head shop (marijuana-smoking paraphernalia), a barber shop, a beauty shop, a “Greek” shop (stuff for fraternities and sororities) and Tima the Tailor. A Storrs Center developer bought the building and razed it. The Greek shop moved to Four Corners and Tima the Tailor moved to a location behind Weichert Realty on Route 195 north of Four Corners.

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Storrs Automotive was located approximately where the UConn Co-Op Bookstore and the Puppetry Theater are now. In August 1975, it opened as Storrs Texaco under the management of a former Sociology graduate student at UConn and transplant from Brooklyn, New York, Rene Schein. UConn owned the garage building. A local artist painted Rene’s iconic symbol on the office wall – a female symbol with a woman’s hand holding a wrench. Rene bought the business around 1980 and changed its name to Storrs Automotive because it was no longer possible to sell gasoline there. Rene and her staff maintained and repaired motor vehicles for locals as well as UConn faculty, staff and students. After several years of mechanics coming and going, Roy and Mike came along and have been there for over twenty years. Rene developed a loyal following of her customers, who advocated on her behalf when she ran into obstacles when she wanted to move her business into the Storrs Center. (She was told, “It doesn’t fit into the Storrs Center.”) Rene prevailed in getting a garage built around the corner from Husky Pizza on Dog Lane. The new garage looked great, but Rene quickly realized that the architect had arbitrarily cut five feet off the building. This meant that the mechanics could not have their tools in front of the cars on which they were working. A slight re-arrangement of the interior provided a less than satisfactory solution. Rene recently retired, but she still handles certain financial aspects of the business. BEV KORBA’S CHILDHOOD HOME

Bev Korba’s childhood home was located across from the Storrs Elementary School, which is now Mansfield’s Town Hall, on Route 195. Today Price Chopper’s parking lot occupies the space where her house was. In the last issue of Glen Ridge Life and Times, Bev had a photo of her childhood home and her account of witnessing the house being razed to make way for Price Chopper.

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Could you use a little more happy in your day? Getting it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just take a look at these 10 straightforward ideas for bringing more joy into your life. Change your expectations of other people's behavior. If you can’t control it — and you can’t control anyone’s behavior but your own — don’t let it control you and your emotions. Let go of perfection. Striving for perfection is admirable, but the end goal is rarely achievable. Imperfection happens. Learning to accept “good enough” (which doesn’t have to mean mediocre!) can ease pressure and stress. Connect with people. Close relationships can form a solid foundation for happiness, providing you with love, support, a sense of belonging, even a sense of self-worth. Do good. It’s pretty much a no-brainer: Helping others by sharing your time, your energy or your talents simply makes you feel good. Learn something new. There’s nothing like taking on a new skill to give you a sense of accomplishment while boosting your self-confidence and self-esteem. But choose wisely: Do something you really want to learn, not just something you think you should learn. Accept yourself. The good, the bad, the ugly — it’s who you are! That doesn’t mean you can’t change for the better, but you can ratchet up your happiness by focusing on ways to improve your existing strengths and talents. Avoid the pitfall of comparing yourself to others and trying to be who, and what, you’re not. Visit a pro. Turns out that having therapy sessions is 32 times more effective than getting a sudden boost in income when it comes to creating a sense of well-being.¹ So pull up a couch and a qualified professional to ramp up your happiness quotient. Continue next page >>

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10 quick tips for happiness today (continued) Practice saying “no.” You can’t do it all. No one can. So stop trying, and don’t beat yourself up when you have to decline, if saying yes will add unnecessary stress. Expect the unexpected. Just when you think everything is going according to plan, that’s when it often doesn’t. Thinking ahead about how you’ll handle those “what if” scenarios can help you stay calm and cool, instead of letting the unexpected derail your mood. Think positive. Having a positive outlook can help open your mind to different ideas and experiences, and may even help you cope better with challenges. So work on seeing the glass as half-full and finding those silver linings.

A WORD FROM LINDA & BEV . . . . . This may be a good place to insert this article. Recently there was an article written by Rex W. Huppke in The Hartford Courant (May 16, 2016) entitled “Perhaps Workplaces Need a “Kindness Jar” Too. Someone he worked with told him her son’s day school of 4 and 5 year olds had created a “kindness jar”, a vessel in which slips of paper were deposited by the children each day. At lunch time the teacher would read each slip of paper out loud so they could feel the recognition and celebrate the good acts of others. The acts of kindness were small things

such as helping a classmate roll up her sleeves so she wouldn’t get her blouse wet while washing her hands or helping someone spell a word. In this negative political climate that we are all subjected to on a daily basis, doesn’t it seem ever so important to look at the good and not the bad in the people we interact with? Try this—-If there is someone or something out there that is making you unhappy, try to insert at least one tiny bit of sunlight into the view you share with them. Get a jar, paste a smiley face on it and make your own “kindness jar”. Make one for your neighbor. I’ll bet you will both feel better.

22

MANY THANKS TO ALL GLEN RIDGE MEMBERS FOR MAKING THE OPEN HOUSE ON MAY 22, 2016 A BIG SUCCESS!! Approximately 60 people toured our neighborhood and many attended the seminar given by Bob Kremer about living in a cooperative community.

_____________________________ Some more good news! The BOCCE COURT is officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Cynara Stites is on the lookout for new and old players. COME ON DOWN EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT 11 a.m.

MOLLIE

ALICE

CYNARA

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