(WTNH) - This week’s Wednesday’s Child is a 12-year old girl who loves swimming, shopping and hanging out with her friends.

Her social worker, Nancy Horowitz, says, "She’s got a cute personality."

Those who know Julie say she’s a hard worker who wants to succeed, and would like to have a family with her along the way.

"She associates foster care with having to move, and she wants to stay put, and she says she really wants a family who is going to love her," Horowitz said.

"I would like to have two parents, a mom and a dad, and have an older brother or sister that could go out to places with me and hang out with their friends," Julie said.

Julie loves trying new things.

"I’m going to learn to skateboard this summer. I want to skateboard badly so I’m going to learn and maybe for my birthday I will get a skateboard," she said.

If you’re interested in adopting Julie or learning more about becoming a foster parent, please call 800-842-6348.

Source: News 8 wtnh.com

New Haven, Connecticut (WTNH) - Gun violence in the streets of New Haven leaves an innocent boy injured. He is recovering, but police say the incident points to a troubling trend.

It happened Tuesday just before 5:30 pm. An 11-year-old boy stopped at Moe’s Market at the corner of Division Street and Dixwell Avenue. When he walked out of the store, he unfortunately found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was hit by a stray bullet.

"He wasn’t an intended target,” said Assistant Police Chief Thomas Wheeler. “He just happened to be an innocent bystander that happened to step out of the store."

The boy stepped out of the store and into the path of a bullet fired during some kind of neighborhood dispute. He was hit in the arm and is being treated for what police are calling a non-life threatening injury.

Regardless of the extent of the injury, Police Chief Frank Limon says the community should be outraged.

"It’s unacceptable for an 11-year-old to not be able to go to the store without facing any type of street violence that we’ve seen today."

Chief Limon says the biggest challenge now is getting people to break what he calls "the community code of silence."

"The community is not going to cooperate because everybody’s afraid of retaliation,” explained Donna Bridges.

Bridges — a life-long New Haven resident — says things are out of hand, and she’s not alone.

"It’s outrageous. I have grandchildren,” she added. “I worry about them all the time because of this. This is crazy."

"I had just come from the store when the boy was shot. That could have been me,” said Cynthia Jones of Petersburg, VA. “But I mean, if you need stuff from the store, you’re going to go to the store. So what are you doing, you’re taking a chance, right?"

New Haven police say they plan to increase patrols in this neighborhood until further notice.

Source: wtnh.com

“Man’s greatness consists in his ability to do and the proper application of his powers to things needed to be done”.
Frederick Douglass

Dear friends,

Losing a loved one fills our hearts with immense grief and pain. During such trying times, the staff members at Howard K. Hill Funeral Home strive to be comforting companions to those who are experiencing the loss of a loved one, so that planning and executing befitting funeral arrangements becomes a little easier.

We want to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks and positive thoughts to all our valuable customers in New Haven and the other Connecticut communities we provide for who have placed their trust and faith in our services. Furthermore, keeping in mind the changing business dynamics of the 21^st century, in the last 12 months or so we have launched a new website to strengthen our ties with you. We sincerely hope this platform will help us serve you better.

You can now contact us at http://hkhfuneralservices.com/ to conduct funeral pre-planning discussions or make arrangements for services you wish to organize for a near and dear one. Our online presence will offer you more convenience and allow you to browse through our catalog to select the funeral arrangements that best meet your expectations.

In addition to our website, our blog http://connecticutfuneralhomeblog.com/ has been set up to help you communicate with us any time. Be it questions, experiences, doubts, or feedback, you are most welcome to share your thoughts and opinions with us, so that we can understand you better and hone our services as per your liking.

From preparing an invitation list to making hospitality arrangements, we offer a wide range of services, the details of which you can now familiarize yourself with in the comfort of your own home.

2000 FANS of HKH Funeral Services!

This is our GOAL! To reach 2000 Fans by August 1^st. But we need your help. Will you help us reach this goal? Because we know many of our clients are communicating and discussing important issues from personal, family, business, education and so forth… we have also made it a point to remain accessible on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to serve our existing and potential clients and extend our services to the community. We understand that Social Media is the new “Word-of-Mouth” and we’d like to reach out to all and provide the professional and caring services that have made Howard K. Hill an endearing name in many of your lives. To help us reach our goal of 2000 Fans please visit our new Facebook Fanpage (www.facebook.com/hkhfanpage and signup as a FAN.. This will help us provide timely information that ranges from factual to fun! Again it’s our way of saying “We’re Honored to Serve You”. NOTE: even if you are a “Friend” of the personal account for Howard K Hill we ask that you too become a Fan because Facebook now has new policies for businesses and we must comply, our FanPage allows us to do this (www.facebook.com/hkhfanpage )

Our online presence has been set up with the conscious decision to go one step further in our dedication to all those who need our help and who are community focused. As such, we have always appreciated your referrals, as it is our prime duty to serve everyone with utmost sensitivity and loving care to help them tide through the tough times.

We hope you will find our online advice, tips and suggestions to be of good use should you need it.

Please feel free to contact us anytime. Our clients are our topmost priority, and this is but a small way of letting you know that we are here for you anytime.

Here is wishing you a happy and healthy life ahead.

Sincerely,

Howard K. Hill Funeral Home

PS Remember to visit our Facebook FanPage www.facebook.com/hkhfanpage and become a Fan today. Feel Free to have your friends too join in and help us reach our goal.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–June 12, 2010

Veteran Announces Exploratory Committee: Considering U.S. Senate and Gubernatorial Run

New Haven, CT–June 12, 2010–Brian K. Hill, former United States Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer, will establish an exploratory committee to determine the feasibility of running as an Independent candidate in the upcoming November elections in Connecticut.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: To Volunteer please click on this link: http://briankhill.com/volunteer

Hill, a Connecticut licensed attorney, was recently honorably discharged from the United States Army after 11 years of active duty military service. “Some people watch change happen, some people make change happen, while others sit around and wonder what change has happened. For too long while serving my country I have watched Connecticut and this country decline. Now it’s time to make real change in Connecticut. I left a secure federal job to establish an exploratory committee. I had a choice, collect a military retirement check after reaching 20 years of military service, or I try to make a difference in my community. I choose to make difference.” exclaims Hill.

“I am concerned that the middle class is not represented and that issues most important to the middle class and poor will not be adequately addressed by the current field of candidates.” Hill elaborates further, “Quite frankly, there are too many multi-millionaires running and they cannot possibly understand the needs of working class residents. Connecticut can do better!”

Hill, born and raised in Connecticut, is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University and Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC. Hill is also a former Student Trustee of the Connecticut State University system. He is considering a wide range of offices including the U.S. Senate and Governor.

“I have received a tremendous amount of encouragement and will be traveling the state of Connecticut over the coming weeks to assess the desire for an alternative to the declared candidates,” Hill states.

The exploratory committee will focus on five areas: assembling a team of advisors; understanding the needs of each community; identifying and organizing potential supporters; getting the requisite number of Connecticut registered voters to sign a nomination petition to get my name on the November ballot; and assessing the qualifications and experience residents are looking for in Connecticut’s next U.S. Senator and Governor.

For more information please visit www.briankhill.com or email brian@briankhill.com. Facebook is ‘Brian K Hill.’

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: To Volunteer please click on this link: http://briankhill.com/volunteer

The weather is hot, and we’re looking for fun. The sweet summer season is full of outdoor concerts, indoor summer theater and road trips.

Our critics point you to the best in pop, rock, jazz and classical concerts. Our theater writer guides you to warm-weather dramas. Share a blanket and picnic with a poetry friend on a sultry night for outdoor readings. Bring a lawn chair to Bushnell Park for free jazz. Read about all things Twain as the yearlong celebration continues.

Source- http://www.ctnow.com

A trio of Broadway legends, a screen and stage star in a world premiere and a new, perky orphan girl singing her heart out during the Depression are among the highlights of the 2010 summer theater lineup in the region:

La Stritch/Chita/Ben: Elaine Stritch presents her tribute to composer Stephen Sondheim as part of Hartford Stage’s annual SummerStage series. Chita Rivera follows with her solo show on June 22 to 27. And then comes Ben Vereen July 6 to 11 with his latest act, all at the Roberts Theatre at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford while the Hartford Stage undergoes renovations. Information: 860-527-5151 or www.hartfordstage.org.

The nun’s story: Oscar- and Tony-nominated actress Kathleen Turner will brighten up downtown Hartford when she stars in the world premiere of Matthew Lombardo’s “High” at TheaterWorks, 222 Pearl St. in Hartford. She plays a recovering alcoholic nun who is trying to help a teen druggie. Hartford. Information: 860-727-4027 or theaterworkshartford.org.

Seasons of Love: The rock opera “Rent” launches the four-show return of the Nutmeg Summer Series on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs. The Jonathan Larson musical plays May 27 to June 6 at the Jorgensen Theatre. It is presented by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, the producing arm of UConn’s Department of Dramatic Arts. Information: 860-486-4226 or www.crt.uconn.edu.

The sun comes out again: An optimistic orphan girl during the Depression sings her way into our hearts. Can you say “Annie?” Well, it’s not her. It’s Rebecca, as in “of Sunnybrook Farm” and “Radio Girl,” a new musical based on the book and the 1938 Shirley Temple film. It will have a workshop production at Goodspeed Musicals’ Norma Terris Theatre in Chester. Information: 860-873-8668 or www.goodspeed.org.

Source:http://www.ctnow.com/

Years of experience in funeral services has given all of us at Howard K. Hill Funeral Services some valuable insights. During my tenor I have had the privilege of providing funeral services and cremation services for such communities as Suffield CT, Hartford CT, New Haven CT, Windsor CT, Bloomfield CT and Meriden CT. We understand that a sudden loss of life is an extremely delicate situation, and we know it’s hard to explain or even define the pain and loneliness that comes about due to the death of a loved one.

Death is a truth that no one can deny or avoid. However, the grief associated with death can be used to impact your life gradually in a way that you appreciate the true meaning of life. You have to stand and face the tide in heart-wrenching situations to emerge stronger, both for yourself and your family.

Over the years, we have come to know a few important things that can help you cope with grief:

1. Share your feelings – You should share your feelings with people who can understand it well. Apart from family and friends, people at funeral home services are the best candidates who can provide solace to the ones coping with death. As such, we provide advisory services to all those who need it (visit our website for more information www.hkhfuneralservices.com) .
2. One step at a time – The departure of a loved one is certainly saddening, but it does not mean you should neglect yourself. The world is out there, waiting for you - a world that your loved one left for you to see and live. We have seen people neglecting their health in times of distress. Restoring the normal order of life is not difficult if you take one step at a time.
3. Accept death and act – Organizing anniversaries and homecoming parties is a good way of setting yourself on a path other than that of pain and grief. A simple dinner with family members in memory of your loved one can provide a lot of comfort. We know that it’s difficult to deal with such things at times, and so, you can take the help of planning consultants or reach out to somebody you can talk to.
4. Postpone important things to do – Take your time to revitalize yourself before you make major life decisions. Important decisions like switching jobs, moving out, and remarrying should be taken with a calm mind.
5. Have patience and wait for the change - Loss of life is an unpleasant experience, and any associated memories will take their own time to fade out completely. Be patient, and everything sad will come to pass. In time, you will learn your lessons from the experience and move on to live a normal life.
6. Help others, help yourself – Now that you have dealt with grief, you can help others come out of the pain they are going through. It will also help you overcome the painful memories of the past by doing something positive. You can contact a local funeral home to indulge in this noble task. Reaching out to us is easy, as most of us have an online presence nowadays. Expressing sorrow is certainly required to shed the burden of your painful experiences.

Death is an end that everyone has to face, and the loss of a loved one is something that everyone has to live with at some point in time. Care should be taken to prevent grief from affecting your normal flow of life. For more helpful information visit our blog http://connecticutfuneralhomeblog.com/ or call us at (203) 551 - 9639

Source-
http://www.ctnow.com

A six-month long investigation into drug and firearm trafficking in the city culminated Tuesday in 42 active arrest warrants, police Officer Joe Avery said.

As a result of the investigation, 19 people were charged with firearm-related violations and 23 were charged with drug-related violations.

Police have captured and incarcerated 27 of the warrant subjects. They are still pursuing the 15 who remain at large, Avery said.

The investigation, which involved undercover purchase of contraband, targeted violent felons in certain neighborhoods in New Haven.

It was a collaborative effort of the New Haven Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Unit; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the U.S. Marshall Service and the Connecticut Board of Parole.
Source- http://www.ctnow.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/hc-new-haven-42-warrants-0609-20100608,0,5120699.story

Wallingford may be synonymous with big box stores and bigger traffic troubles but we heard through the grapevine that there is another Wallingford — a much more placid place — just head for the hills. Perched atop the aptly named Whirlwind Hill Road sits Gouveia Vineyards where pop culture is uncorked daily in varieties of red, white, and rose. “It seems hard to believe, a lot of people do say that, they think we’re in upstate New York or California but this is Wallingford!” said Gouveia Vineyards Theresa Black. The scenes here are serene, from the charming guest house you can see the famous Castle Craig, Sleeping Giant, and parts of three counties. Black said, “the views are incredible, we really have 360 degrees all around this place, you can see everything from here.”

Walking amongst the grapes just beginning to develop for the fall harvest, it’s hard to believe that the Vineyard is just 5 miles from the Wallingford Wal-Mart. Gouveia makes ten different varieties of wine on premise and they will show you the process from the vine to the corking the bottle. Black says the 140 acre property is both a place to wine and to unwind, “I think this is a family place, this is not a bar, this is a vineyard and you’re supposed to bring friends and family here and just sit and relax,” she said.

Gouveia Vineyards is located at 1339 Whirlwind Hill Road in Wallingford, they are open all year round, Thursday-Sunday, admission is free. Tastings are offered at select times for $7. For more information go to gouveiavineyards.com or call 203-265-552.

Source- http://www.ctnow.com/travel/daytrippers/ctn-dt-0527,0,429941.story