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Topics - Dick Brown
1
« on: November 16, 2012, 06:13:21 PM »
If this note offends anyone , I'm sorry , but it's the most efficient way to greet my friends.
After another hospitalization I've decided to enter the local Home Hospice Program .My quality of life is really poor and at age 76 , I think it's time . Thanks to all for their friendship and messages. I have really enjoyed being a part of Fairfax.
2
« on: November 16, 2012, 06:05:24 PM »
Mike Really enjoyed your visit earlier this month and wanted you to know that you dead on regarding David Price . NICE CALL !!!!
3
« on: August 24, 2012, 10:17:03 AM »
Henry Lots of speculation about this storm , even though it hasn't crossed Cuba yet . Seems that it is tracking the same path as Charlie in 2004. Both the local media and theTampa communication systems are on full alert based on past history. With The Republican Convention scheduled to start on Monday in Tampa , it could get interesting .We'll see.....hold onto your hat , MSM !!!
4
« on: August 13, 2012, 12:22:16 PM »
Henry Tomorrow ( 8/14 ) marks the 8th anniversary of that Category 4 storm that inflicted the second largest damage costs in SWFL history. It was heading up the West Coast as predicted by all the forecasters when it took a 90* right turn up the Peace River , roared through Punta Gorda around 4 pm and continued on through Arcadia on a NE route , crossing the state to the East Coast. Punta Gorda was devastated , but rebuilt within two years via FEMA money , together with other assorted significant funding . Today it is a town filled with new buildings , lots of new roofs on those houses that survived and many new businesses .
The Condo that we live in is located on the Peace River , built high enough to withstand a 15' storm surge ( we hope ) and we are entertained consistently in our third floor unit overlooking the river by Ospreys , Eagles And Dolphins , even though Punta Gorda is located 10 miles from the Gulf. When we decided to move here last year, we considered the past history and decided to take a chance that Charlie was indeed the storm of the century for this area. As you would guess , the papers today are filled with info about the storm , interesting reading indeed.
I truly miss Vermont and Franklin County , especially Fairfax , but am happy with the location and will work hard to get well enough to enjoy it's attractions .
Probably , however I am the only Democrat in town , so want to be sure to cast my ballot in the November election !!!!
5
« on: May 16, 2012, 11:47:45 AM »
Good Morning , Henry Just wanted to inform both you and any other Social Security recipients of a scam now circulating nationwide , but especially in Florida. My friend Mary received a form letter from SS informing her that as of the next payment in June ,her monthly allotment will be deposited in the new financial institution as she had allegedly requested . Since she hadn't requested such an action , she went to the local social security office for an explanation . What she found out was that someone had requested that the deposit be transferred to a type of credit card which then be used by that person without any expectation of legal action towards them .
Fortunately , the SS office sent a letter out and fortunately also , Mary did not dismiss the letter but asked for more information . The representative at the local office reversed the action , but warned Mary to check on her next deposit date to make sure it was in the bank .He also told her that this scam has been going on for at least five months and several such situations have happened in this area , with the result usually being that the funds cannot be recovered for a long period of time ( if ever ) . Hope this info helps someone to avoid such a situation .
6
« on: January 12, 2012, 02:45:04 PM »
Henry While this latest storm caused me to be worried about my family just outside Chicago and my friends and relatives in the Vermont area ( TWC reported whiteouts in Chicago and changing rain , then snow, then back to rainy type conditions in the northeast ) the realization that I could do nothing about it but worry , led me to decide that I would become a spectator at the International Handicapped Sailing Regatta today in Charlotte Harbor , just across the river from Punta Gorda .
These 14 ' ( 2.4 meter ) crafts navigated by handicapped individuals sure made me forget any disability thoughts as I watched them maneuver their way through the races . Each boat has a power boat as a support to the sailing entry , so the entire flotilla consisted of about 50 vessels , inclusing 20 + competitors , their support crafts , together with the officials' boats.
Charlotte Harbor is a wonderful place to hold a race of this type , with the Peace River being over a mile wide and not susceptible to the surf from the Gulf . I learned that these races are part of the qualifying venues which select the participants for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
and that these competitors need little or no assistance to sail their entries . The support boats are only there to help if an emergency occurs .
I remembered my adventures with the wind in my 16' fiberglass Old Town Camper Canoe several years ago and so have a real appreciation for their ( the participants ) skills .
I think the races wrap up this weekend , and I'm not sure where they go next , but with the major sponsorships that they have ( the leader is sponsored by Volvo , for example ) it is a sure thing that they'll be somewhere else thrilling the crowds . Someone once told me that watching Sailboat Racing is like watching paint dry....NOT SO !
7
« on: January 06, 2012, 06:57:28 AM »
Henry One of the great past athletes in Franklin County passed away on Wednesday . As I read his obituary , I remembered how gifted he was in the team sports played at Swanton High School and how much our kids on BFA teams during that era enjoyed playing against him . He was also a terrific individual golfer and earned a strong reputation for his excellent presence in that sport .
I never really knew him as a person , but always knew that whatever sport he competed in , he would be the difference-maker and I know that Joe Fiarkowski certainly made he and Butch Thompson the centerpieces of sports programs at SHS .
He will be missed .
8
« on: December 22, 2011, 06:20:10 PM »
Henry As you know, I just traveled from Florida to a spot 20 miles west of Chicago at the beginning of the week . During that trip , which started on Sunday , I paid prices for gasoline from 3.19 in Punta Gorda to 2.97 off exit # 283 on I-57 , 100 miles from Chicago. The prices averaged around 3.05 during the 1350 mile venture covering the states of Georgia, Tennessee , and Kentucky in addition to Florida and Illinois . The same afternoon that I had filled with 2.97 fuel , I drove into my destination after 100 miles of traveling and noticed that the price was 3.29 where my son lives ( it is now 3.39 and the only explanation that has appeared in the local paper is "market demand " . Approximately 7.5 million people live in the Chicago area , and their holiday gift from the Oil Companies is a .25 or .30 increase in the price per gallon over competition in neighboring states ( or even from other areas of Illinois ) . It points out once again , as if it's needed , how much greed figures in the major point of consideration for price setting decisions by the Major Oil Distributors .
9
« on: December 11, 2011, 02:55:34 PM »
Henry Just a note to remind those involved that the Conference which led to the change in both structure and curriculum at BFA for grade 5-8 students was held twenty-five years ago between Thanksgiving and Christmas at Castleton State College in December , 1986 . It was the beginning of a new concept at our school ( students in that grade level and age group were not " younger high school students " , but worthy of teaching styles and activities which differed from elementary yet provided a venue for that group's learning styles and enthusiasm ) and it grew from the three school representatives who attended that session to a cadre of dedicated faculty that completely owned their new format .
These faculty members have mostly left BFA now , but the respect and admiration from this former administrator for their work has not been forgotten , and the original group ( Shirley Opstrop, Jan Jeffords, Jim Lonergan , Bernie Kuhn , David Duplissa, Lisa Griswold, Sandy Cantrell , Al Daniels, Pat Nilsson, Judy Alderman and Susan Juscwiez , together with the PE, Art, Music , and Reading specialists who supported them , along with the Library and Special Education Resource Personnel ) can never be given enough credit for the changes that they implemented .
We were fortunate to have in place the necessary School Board and Townspeople who supported this movement by allowing us to make changes in the traditional formats as we built the 1988 addition ( needed because of population growth ) , fortunate because both the elementary and secondary faculty members could envision positive outcomes from this new structure and publicly encouraged these efforts , and fortunate because the outcome from this team effort made a real difference in the long-term growth of our school . It is my hope that this twenty-five year old movement has been not forgotten , but in fact improved through the years .
10
« on: December 05, 2011, 11:15:05 AM »
Henry Steve Cormier of " Corm & The Coach " Radio Show ( married to Janet Morris , BFA ' 79 ) has a new show debuting on 100.7 today from 3-5 pm , "The Corm Project " . The coach , Tom Brennan , Ex- UVM & one of my favorite people who processes a wicked sense of humor and a wonderful laugh , has retired from radio , and ,as people will remember , also retired from ESPN BB commentary a year or so ago , so Steve is going it alone . I'm not sure what his format is , but he is one candid and mentally sharp person , so the show should be worth listening to , especially for those commuters stuck in traffic on I-89, I-189 or Spear Street at that time !!! Hope your day is going well and thanks for letting us know yesterday about Mike's 51st birthday today .
11
« on: December 01, 2011, 08:43:24 AM »
Today's Obituary in the BFP lists the many accomplishments of Coach Blanchard during his teaching and coaching career at Winooski High School and his legislative life after he retired from education . Since he lived in the same development as I in Essex Junction and only three streets from me, and since he was the Varsity Basketball Coach at WHS when I held the same position at EJHS , we ,as one would expect , had many, many conversations .
Rene's sense of humor , quick active mind and comedic touch made him a favorite with the fans and students not only at WHS but also within the Burlington basketball crowd , and he was extremely popular as a teacher and coach. However , the obit didn't inform the general readers what we , who lived in that era, knew .
Winooski had an excellent feeder program for youth basketball , supervised by very competent volunteer coaches , and the kids who came through it really learned the game of basketball . The older students , before entering high school , played in the area CYO league and typically were the best teams competing. As such , it drew the interest of Bernie Cieplicki , highly successful Rice coach , who ,in turn , recruited many of the most skilled Winooski kids to enroll at Rice High School ( supported by church scholarships and parental discounts ) rather then attend the local high school . In fact , at one time ( 1967-68 ) , four of the five starters for Rice were Winooski students who could have played for Rene . That fact , and the fact that " little " Winooski with it's smaller enrollment competed successfully with the larger schools in many sports , but most especially in basketball , is in itself a tribute to Rene and his coaching skills .
Rene certainly was one of the best in the educational community , and more importantly , was a great person besides .
12
« on: November 28, 2011, 06:05:50 AM »
Congratulations to Justin Bolam from BFA/Fairfax who was named yesterday to the second team on the Burlington Free Press Boys All State Soccer Team for his talented play this year. His team and his coach deserve congratulations also for this recognition as a reflection of their great season . Good job by all .
13
« on: November 17, 2011, 11:17:19 AM »
henry Weather.com certainly indicates that Suzy is certainly getting dumped on in Jackson , Wyoming.....A real western storm , with blowing snow and low temps . An early welcome to the winter season !!!!
14
« on: November 11, 2011, 04:52:25 PM »
Chris On another matter , the Boston Globe is reporting that Papelbon is going to sign a huge contract with the Phillies . I imagine Buster Olney ( ESPN ) who is organizing a baseball get-together at VTC tomorrow ( $ 20 admission fee , with all profits going to assist Vt. Farmers ) will discuss the options for the Red Sox in the future .
15
« on: November 10, 2011, 06:26:51 AM »
Happy 236th birthday to the many Marines out there today in Franklin County and especially hoping that your day goes well , Dick Warren .
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