The Newtown Lions Club

September-October 2008

Wed. Sept. 10—Regular Meeting at Stony Hill

Wed. Sept. 17—Board of Directors meeting

Sat. Sept. 20--Newtown Health Day

Wed. Sept 24--Regular meeting

Sat. Sept. 27--Orchard Hill clean up

Wed. Oct. 8—Regular meeting

Sat. Oct. 12?--Progressive Dinner

Mon. Oct. 14?—Pizza and Politics

Wed. Oct. 15--Board of Directors Meeting

Sat.Oct. 18--Mustang Car Raffle

Wed. Oct. 22--Membership Night at Lions

Thoughts From Your President: :

Welcome to the 2008/2009 Newtown Lions Club new year. I hope everyone had a great summer. It seems to have flown by. I am somewhat jealous of many of you who, I discovered, had taken long vacations. During the summer the club has worked at Orchard Hill, sent sixty care packages to our troops in Iraq, planned for our GALA sixtieth anniversary, and sold tickets for our beautiful 1966 Mustang. Unfortunately, with the economy down, and people spending less, our tickets sales are down about thirty per-cent from last year. With about six weeks remaining before the drawing date, we need to hustle those tickets. The selling of your own tickets becomes very important if we are to continue our projects from past years.

It was nice to see many of you at the Labor Day parade. Our first meeting will be on September tenth at The Stony Hill Inn. During the summer we lost a couple of members, but are still at seventy-two people. A few prospective members have been invited to our upcoming meetings, so we are still on track to surpass the seventy-five members we had this past year. Invite your friends to join. Talk up our club. And, most of all, PARTICIPATE.

Tom

NEW

Things to Consider

She was only a whiskey maker but he liked her still.

The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

New Lions in the Pride

NEW Tom Glasrud comes to with a strong business background. Currently he is the business manager for Plastics Muehlstein, a privately held company which trades in plastic raw materials. Based in Norwok, his company buys and sells large quantities of plastics. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Tom now feels at home in New England. He and his wife, Laurie, have three children, Alec who is a sophomore at Suffolk University in Boston and two girls at Laurelton Hall. Hanna is a senior and Emma a freshman. Active in the Methodist church, he has worked in the financial aspects as well as on stewardship drives. Though he doesn’t have much time to pursue the game, Tom says he really enjoys a round of golf. We welcome Tom and I’m sure we can use some of his good financial expertise.

NEW A COOL SUMMER VACATION by Lion Bruce Landgrebe

It’s Saturday morning at 3AM, were off to Alaska! This has been a busy year for me at work and when our best friend called and asked us if we would like to join them on a trip to Alaska for my best friend’s 65^th birthday we jumped for joy and immediately responded with a big “Yes!” So on July 5^th we flew out to Vancouver, British Columbia. The next day we boarded the cruise ship at about 2PM. All excited we went straight to our cabin to unpack and get out watching the ship depart. There were 4 couples, all good friends, traveling on this cruise. Off we went at 5PM, on schedule.

The next day was spent cruising up the Inside Passage, a relaxing day after the last 2 busy days traveling and embarking the ship. There are 5 restaurants/Cafes; you could eat from the time you rise in the morning 6AM till you drop in bed at night 12PM+. There are activities to attend all day, even swimming in an indoor pool (well not really swimming but maybe floating around). There are shops to spend more money on jewelry, clothes, solvencies, booze, etc. Eating more at night, dinner, in the fixed eating dining room where you have formal, informal and casual nights. Before dinner, during dinner and after dinner drinks! Believe me, if you’re worried about your waist line I advise you to think twice about a cruise.

On Tuesday we arrived at Ketchikan @ 7AM. We got up and watched the ship pull into port. Ate breakfast then off to go Salmon fishing. This was one of the best shore excursions we took. I took my best friend fishing for his 65^th birthday. The captain/go-fer of the fishing boat was a very experienced Alaskan fisherman, some 20 years+. We had the time of our lives catching fish one right after the other. There were 5 of us fishing and we caught 32 salmon between us. The weather where we were fishing was cloudy but not rainy, but the poor girls stayed in Ketchikan and it poured with rain all day.

On Wednesday we stayed on ship and went to Yakutat Bay and saw the Hubbard Glacier a river of ice, gravel and broken rock. One of Alaska’s largest glaciers that extends 90 miles into the St. Elias National Park. This is one of Alaska’s largest glaciers.

Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier on the North American continent. It has been thickening and advancing toward the Gulf of Alaska since it was first mapped by the International Boundary Commission in 1895 (Davidson, 1903). The glacier’s massive face is five-six miles wide and 400-feet tall. Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier on the North American continent. There are 616 officially named glaciers in Alaska, and many more unnamed glaciers. The Alaska Almanac estimates that Alaska has 100,000 glaciers — that’s a pretty good estimate. Wahoo! What a sight… Well that night we had a wonderful diner then a show and dancing.

Thursday we landed in Juneau, Alaska’s first American city and now the capital of Alaska. It was founded 13 years after the purchase of Alaska and it was its gold that captured the American people. We took a trip out to the Mendenhall Glacier, approximately 13 miles north of Juneau. This glacier was awesome but retreating yearly; where we were standing was covered by the glacier in 1935. The glacier retreated approximately 30 feet per year in the 30’s. The front of the glacier is different from the rest of the glacier, having large cracks and crevasses. Even the plants in the area were beautiful.

The last day on land in Alaska we spent in Sitka, a small town of only 8000 residents. We visited St. Michael’s Cathedral, a beautiful Russian Orthodox church since 1848, eat “Reindeer Redhots”, and waked the own. A wonderful day! The last day of our cruise was spent on board, relaxing and enjoying the ship activities. The food was good and plenty.

This is a cruise we will never forget!

By Lion Gordon Mounts

I attended my senior prom on the Avalon. The Avalon is a sternwheeler riverboat.n I attended high school in a river town on the Ohio River. The town is Mt. Vernon, Indiana. It is located close to where the Ohio meets the Wabash at the southwestern point of Indiana. We had a great prom and went our merry way. Fortunately, I have some energetic classmates that still live in my hometown. They plan a great reunion every five years. This was number fifty-five.

For this reunion, we went on a river cruise on the same sternwheeler. A few years ago the Avalon was scheduled to be scuttled. Louisville, Kentucky was in the process of upgrading their riverfront. Apparently it had become so run down that people were afraid to go down to the riverfront. As part of that upgrading, they decided a riverboat cruise would attract people to the area. They bought the Avalon and rebuilt it. They changed the name to Belle of Louisville. They give daily cruises. During the Kentucky Derby there is a race between the Delta Queen and the Belle of Louisville. They told us there were only six of these sternwheelers still operating in the United States.

For our cruise we invited the people that hosted our prom, namely the juniors. We met at Mt. Vernon and took a bus to Louisville. There were about forty of us. The boat must hold 250 people. They fed us a remarkably good lunch. We cruised up the river and then returned to Louisville. Some of us still had enough energy to dance. We then bussed back. To make us feel at home there were TV screens on the bus. We were blessed with songs of the fifties and The Dean Martin Roast Show. The show featured the roasting of Frank Sinatra. Those were oldies but goodies. It was fun and I am looking forward to what my energetic classmates can develop for the next reunion.

Where Do Pets Come From?

` A newly discovered chapter in the book of Genesis has provided the answer to “Where do pets come from?” Adam and Eve said, “Lord when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it’s difficult for us to remember how much you love us.”

And God said, “I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do. in spite of yourselves.”

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, “Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.”

And God said, “I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog which is God spelled backwards.“ And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them. And they were comforted. And God was pleased. And dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.”

And God said, “I will create for them a companion who will be with them and who will see them as they are. This companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration..” And God created Cat to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat’s eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings. And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved. And God was pleased. And Dog was happy. And Cat didn’t care one way or the other.

Doings of the Pride

NEW. It was good to hear that Tony Ratzig was out cruising around in our Mustang. After a long absense due to a promotion involving a lot of traveling and the fact that his company has been bought out bringing with it a bit of uncertainty, he hasn’t been as active as he has been in the past. But he hopes to get more involved one day soon. . . .Our best wishes go out to Lion Charlie Godfrey in the recent loss of his wife, Judy. His son, Kenny, and daughter, Crissy, have given him lots of support. OLDEd Miklaszewski’s life is changing fast. On August 22, he finally called it quits. After working since 1966 in the semi-conductor business, the most recently with Lam Research, he has said adios. Donna better watch out or he will be rearranging the kitchen for her. Not only is there that change, but they have put their house on the market and hope to move to Rhode Island to be nearer their children. . . .There is lots of Lion vacation news. Jason Hsu and wife, Ella, had a wonderful holiday. Unfortunately, they returned to a house full of smoke. Something in the furnace went wrong and there was a large puff back filling the house with smoke. No one was hurt and there was no fire but there was lots of scrubbing to do and clothes to be sent to the cleaners. . . Paul Arneth and wife, Liz, enjoyed two weeks at a rented cottage in Kennebunk, Maine. The beautiful weather was also enjoyed by their sons and wives. Jim Wallace and family spent a wonderful week down at Corolla on the outer banks of North Carolina. There was time for lots of family games, swimming, and playing in the sand. Nearby are major attractions of Roanoke Island with its history of being the “lost colony” as well as Kitty Hawk of Wright brothers fame. . . . Jon and Lydia Christensen have enjoyed more time at their cottage in Wareham, Massachusetts than they have had in recent years. The cottage has been in the family since the 1930’s when Jon’s grandfather bought it. Avid boaters, Jon and Lydia divide their time between sailing and motor boating. Recently, Jon also had a week long Windjammer cruise which he found exciting. . . . Walt Schweikert and family journeyd north to the maple flag country. They took their big camper and went to a remote island at the south end of Nova Scotia. Walt reports that it was very peaceful and relaxing. . . .Roger Capobianco and friend, Alida, spent a relaxing two weeks, walking, going out to dinner, shopping for a stuffed animal at the noted teddy bear shop and sitting by the pool at Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont.

Announcement for Pfizer Corporation

Pfizer corporation announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one. Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink and it gives new meanings to the names of cocktails, highballs and just a good old-fashioned stiff drink.

Book Review by George Arfaras

A Road Once Traveled (an autobiography) by Joe Carvalko

A reader might get the impression that Joe Carvalko is a very confused individual considering his many and varied pursuits. Reflecting on his story, it is apparent that he is not confused but a multi talented individual. Carvalko dropped out of school but, eventually and while serving in the United States Air Force, attained his high school equivalency certificate.

Influenced with his introduction to electronics while serving his country during the Vietnam War he adopted it as his occupation in civilian life. He eventually received his degree in electronic engineering. Employed by Perken and Elmer here is Connecticut, he worked under the supervision of some of its more brilliant minds. Unfortunately, some of these brilliant minds were also great drinkers. This was a cause for some of Joe’s stumbling. Joe Carvalkso had met and married an American Indian while in the air force. It wasn’t love at first sight as far as his wife was concerned. But she eventually succumbed to his desire.

From his early childhood growing up in Bridgeport, there were certain hardships due to family squabbles. But prevalent were strong family ties and influence. From his maternal grandfather, he learned how to break bread and use hand tools and repair household gadgets. Writing skills honed later on in his life came from his mother who was a literary contributor to the Bridgeport Post. Music also played an active role in his family life. In addition, because of his father being a union organizer, Joe Carvalko was active in politics. What came next? Well, Joe decided to practice law. Not only did he receive his degree but was influential in founding a school of law.

Lawyer, doctor, Indian chief? No, he was never a doctor but at a time later in his life had he remained in North Dakota, he might have attained the status of an Indian chief. Joe also has a few patents of various devices that he invented or developed as well as being a learned musician. And, best of all, he is a grandfasther. As a grandfather he starts off his story speaking and answering questions of his very young granddaughter\.

For many reasons and some very personal, I enjoyed reading A Road Once Traveled.

Focus on our Wives!

Ed Miklaszewski always insists that his wife, Donna, is a really outstanding cook. He maintains that if he ate as much of the good things that she prepares, he would weigh over 270 pounds. In addition to being such a kitchen whiz, Donna is also a very good person to be around. Warm, friendly, always interested in other people and their stories, Donna has a soft spot in her heart for the world’s poor and mistreated and is always urging Ed to give to numerous charities. Also getting a lot of her attention are daughters, Kerri, Kacey, Jodi and Denise, and son, Scott.

Donna recently retired as a teacher from the Congregational Church Nursery School where she worked for eighteen years. Currently a deacon in the Congregational Church, she has served as a trustee, on the board of education and on practically every other church committee. In addition, she has been involved in Habitat for Humanity and working for the multi-church work camp experience. When she has leisure, she likes to play bridge, to garden, to read and to knit sweaters. We will all miss Donna’s pleasant ways and generous personality when she and Ed move one day to Rhode Island.