About one of my favorite authors, and from the The New London Day. I have met Wally Lamb a few times in social setting, and he was one of the favored teachers when I was at NFA so I am so glad that his books are always so interesting and well received, here is an intereview with him.


Tragedy's Collateral Damage
Wally Lamb discusses his latest novel, 'The Hour I First Believed'
By Rick Koster Published on 11/30/2008

For Wally Lamb, the time-honored concept of “Thanksgiving Break” this year means a few days back home between extensive legs of a signing tour for his latest book, “The Hour I First Believed.”

Since its publication Nov. 11, Lamb has already ranged far and wide - from bookstores in Boston to New Orleans to Miami to North Dakota. And after Turkey Day, he's back on the road through the Golden West until just before Christmas.

Just because he's home in Mansfield, though, doesn't mean he's off-duty. And so, on an early Monday morning, he graciously fields a journalist's questions about the new book, which was already No. 4 on last week's Publishers Weekly best seller list.

Though popularity is hardly unfamiliar to Lamb - his first two, Oprah Winfrey-endorsed novels, “She's Come Undone” and “I Know This Much is True,” turned him into a literary superstar - he admits the early sales figures for the new book are gratifying because, for a long time, he wasn't sure it would ever get written.

”Boy, I really struggled with this one,” he says. “I'd had the success with Oprah and it was great and wonderful but it was over. Then I had a book contract and a deadline and, yeah, I started to feel pressure. I became more and more worried whether I could write a third book.”

Lamb, who graduated from and later taught at Norwich Free Academy, has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Connecticut and a master's in creative writing from Vermont College, but he didn't seriously try to become a writer 'til he was well into his 30s. And the success of both his first novels still surprises him.

What's not surprising, though, was that his agent had secured a sizable advance for the at-that-time unwritten third novel. And Lamb, whose renowned politeness and modesty is underscored in conversation, says he felt uncomfortable with his growing frustration over not being able to get started on the book.




He went to Manhattan and had a meeting with his agent and
another agency representative.

He says, “I told them, 'Maybe I should just give the money back.' And they looked at me like I was a Martian. I'm just not motivated by money or bestseller status, and my major concern was writing a good book.”

Eventually, with the help of a therapist and a moment of real-world epiphany, Lamb, 58, was able to work through the issues of his concerns and roll forward with the manuscript.

As with his prior two novels, “The Hour I First Believed” is a nuanced, multi-level and omni-dimensional story in which the past and present struggle for reconciliation - and there is always hope for the future. It's a wonderful, honest book filled with characters that are sometimes difficult to root for but always real. And, ultimately, the idea of resolution literally comes down to the final sentence.

At the heart of the story are first-person protagonist Caelum Quirk, a teacher, and his wife Maureen, a school nurse. After she has an affair, they move from Connecticut to Littleton, Colo., to try to revive their marriage. Both get jobs at Columbine High School. But when Caelum is called back home to care for a dying relative, Maureen is trapped in a cabinet in the school library on the day Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris go on their darkly historic shooting rampage.

Maureen survives but has a breakdown. They move back to the family farm in Connecticut where Maureen becomes addicted to painkillers. During and after a downward spiral that results in a horrible tragedy, Caelum, struggling with a variety of rage and guilt issues, seeks refuge in a cache of old family documents and diaries - through which Lamb marvelously weaves a colorful, revealing ancestral past that at first provides and then solves a painful mystery.

The tragedy at Columbine kicks off the story and serves as the underpinning of the novel. Yet the element that actually gave Lamb his creative break-through was a school shooting that had occurred earlier, in 1997, in Paducah, Ky., where a 14-year-old boy killed three and wounded five others. It turns out Lamb had a cousin in Paducah at the time whose teenage daughters were not only students at the school during the shooting but also friends with the attacker's older sister.

Lamb learned that, as the event unfolded, the shooter's sister wandered up and down the halls moaning that she'd never been in trouble and now her surname would forever follow her.

”I felt horrible for that girl,” Lamb says. “These events are terrible enough, but the collateral damage is incalculable. Every time I would think about the chaos she felt, I'd tear up and cry. Long before Columbine, I would think about this kid and the ongoing tragedy. And that's when the door opened for the novel.”

Lamb's riveting description of the Columbine shootings as they happened, and the immediate aftermath, are stunning, wrenching and bold exercises in craft. He says writing that section was tough.

”It was actually scary to do it,” he says. “If you Google Columbine, this sea of stuff just comes out. You can actually download the videos Harris and Klebold made just before the attack. You can hear the 911 call during the shootings and you think, 'This is real.'”

But there is much going on beyond Columbine in “The Hour I First Believed.” Playing significant roles in Caelum's search for his own history are a troubled teenager named Velvet Hoon (also a Columbine survivor), Hurricane Katrina, the Civil War, Mark Twain, drug addiction and alcohol abuse, abolitionists, the evolution of women's prisons - Lamb is famously involved in a literacy and writing program at York Correctional Institution in Niantic and has edited two nonfiction collections of inmate writings - an amazing history of the 1950s Rheingold Beer pinups and, significantly, mythology.

It was during his years studying for a master's degree in creative writing at Vermont College that mentor Gladys Swann taught him something he never forgot. “She said, 'You're never going to teach a completely original story because the stories that people need have been around forever. Always go back to the myths because they are the ones that have stood the test of time.”

In “The Hour I First Believed,” Lamb infuses both the stories of the Minotaur - he began to think of Harris and Klebold as a two-headed monster - and Orpheus and Eurydice, wherein Caelum's efforts to redeem Maureen mirror Orpheus' attempt to rescue his wife from Hades.

Naturally, at 700-plus pages and with so many layers, the book exists on a far more complex level than a James Patterson page-turner. And it's true that a simple narrative based on the Columbine shootings could comprise a streamlined thriller. Lamb, though, writes literature and is surprisingly candid about reaction to his work.

”I've taken it on the chin from critics; that I meander and slow the story down with the historical stuff,” Lamb admits. “That's fair. Once I'm through with the book, it belongs to the reader. But I do feel justified and that the ending connects the dots between the past and the present. Life is sometimes dictated by who our ancestors are.

Today, is the husband's sisters wedding which is the whole point of why we are in Wisconsin, which by the way is cold as anything.. No snow, but not for the lack of trying.

It is a sunny cold day today, so I am hoping the day goes smoothly for his sister, I am in the wedding party, and have to start getting ready soon enough. The husband is working on his champagne toast speech, he is doing it instead of myself, I am not good trying to think of something to say in front of a bunch of people.


See our videos www.uttelric.com/stephenpics, we will be posting more tomorrow.

www.utterli.com/stephenpic

If you want to see what we have been up to on our trip, here is our link. We finally put up the ones we took earlier on the trip, plus our Thanksgiving ones.

Still looking for work even on a holiday, really need to stay focused, due to eating so early we have plenty of time today, to do what we want, we have watched the Parade, ate, took a ride to see downtown LaCrosse and then a nap, now he is reading and I am using the computer in the hotel room, the wedding preparations start tomorrow, so it will be busy for the next few days.

Happy Thanksgiving!! We are in LaCrosse, WI what and interesting place. NOT!! I am watching the Macys Day Parade, which to me is always a tradition. My other tradition would be "Miracle on 34th Street", or "Home for the Holiday's", but obviously traditional TV does not realize that and without my VCR or tapes it is not going to happen.

We are getting ready to meet up with Stephen's sister Stacey and her seem to be new family, it is early this year, which is nice, so we have the rest of the day to do what ever we want, the only disappointment is no leftovers, which is so wonderful hours later to have a cold turkey and stuffing sandwich with cranberry sauce.

What am I thankful for this year? That my husband and I get to spend so much time together and experience of driving all over the midwest and after the weekend, we are going to Mall of America, I can not wait to see it...

I admit, I miss my family and will be calling them in a little while, my cellphone does not have good service here in the room, but when we pull out of the parking lot I will call my mom and then my dad. My mom, sister and brother are spending it at my older sister's house, just like last year, which was so much fun, I hope they are all happy and realize I miss them all.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoying their family.

Day 7 of the trip: Yesterday, was meet with the bride and finalize some of the wedding plans, we will be talking to the Hotel on Monday, to make sure they are all set for my husband's sisters wedding on Saturday, Nov. 29. She has had a few snags along the way, including the Minister telling her 3 weeks prior, he would not be here for her wedding, but the interium minister will, but you can not meet him until the Sunday before your wedding. The DJ never calling back, and not having a timeline.

I did the timeline yesterday, and asked her some questions, none that really got answered, I think she was a bit upset I have not done more, it was hard being so far away, and everytime I asked she had it under control. I am upset at myself not her, but we are both here now, and we will get it all taken care of, he would never let anything not be perfect at his little sister's wedding.

Last night, we went to the local playhouse production of " A Christmas Carole", it was so cute, the Ghost of Christmas Past, was about 10 years old, and she was so cute, on stage at one point she was waving her arms and yawning. I have seen this play many times, but this one was the most fun, and had the biggest cast I have ever seen. This playhouse is doing a play next season about Cinderella and Prince Charmings marriage is on the rocks, and the kingdom almost bankrupt, what will they do? I know we will most likely not be here, but I wish we were, just to see what happens.

Today, we are finally going to see the husband's best man and his wife, they are always alot of fun. He is enjoying his hearty political conversations with his dad and uncle the other day, this will be another one of these I am sure. I just sit back and listen not participate these people are all so strong in their opinions and can articulate so well, I have my own opinions but can not speak as articulate and do not want to look like stupid. When we meet up with my friend Dacia I am sure that will be another conversation, he does love the debates and throughly enjoys himself which I do love.

It has been so hard being with each other 24/7 for this road trip, and we will be back just the two of us soon enough.

KEEP WATCHING WHERE WILL PAULA AND STEPHEN POP UP NEXT?

Day 58 for no job, Day 4 of Road Trip.

Well, I applied for 3 jobs this week, and have already gotten 2 rejections,I hate rejections, why not atleast a job intereview before you reject me all together. I realize it is part of the process but it still hurts that after so many years in the business of hotels and now I can not get my foot in the door anywhere.

Yesterday, we drove into Chicago it was cold as HELL!! It started to snow, so we parked at O'Hare and then took the train in, it was actually cheaper that way, we got a 1 day pass $5.00 for all day, and then parking was only $18.00, in Chicago for the same length of time would of cost anywhere $50-$60 a day. It was $6.00 per half hour, and we figured this was better and we would not have to drive through downtown, and start at the outskirts.

We met up with the Husband's friend Liz to discuss SOBCon for May 2009. We went up to the Summit Executive Center, it was wonderful and the food was excellent, they really went all out for their 10 year celebration for their clients and their staff, I was so impressed. Would love to work there, and for the owner who was incredible. We did another little video in Chicago and took some pictures, the husband should be putting it up on Utterli today or so. Next Week we will be in Wisconsin and will write more on that part of the trip.

WHERE ARE STEPHEN AND PAULA GOING TO BE NEXT?

Groton - Late on the night of Jan. 27, 2007, John Geise of Mystic finished his shift at the Grand Pequot Tower at Foxwoods Resort Casino and waited around so he could give fellow butler Wayne Lecardo a ride home to Groton Long Point.

As Geise drove his Audi on Flanders Road at 1:30 a.m., a speeding Oldsmobile driven by Fitch High School sophomore Cameron Lee, who was legally drunk, crashed into his car. All three were killed.

Now Katherine Stein, Lecardo's widow, has filed a lawsuit against Geise's estate, saying he was speeding, failed to avoid the collision and was driving when he should have known his reflexes and judgment were impaired by lack of sleep. Stein has also sued Lee's estate, his father, David, who owned the Oldsmobile he was driving, and various companies that owned and had loaned the Audi to Geise while his station wagon was being serviced.

She has also sued Alexander Lavruk, who hosted the large teen-drinking party that Lee attended before the crash, and Lavruk's stepfather, Charles Boos, who owned the house at 67 Farmstead Ave. but was not home at the time of the party.

Geise's widow, Jennifer, filed a lawsuit against David Lee and Lavruk two months ago.

A police investigation revealed that Lee was driving as fast as 101 miles per hour in the seconds before the fiery crash, which Lee's passenger, Nelson Panganiban, survived. The investigation also revealed the 16-year-old Lee was in violation of teenage license restrictions that barred him from driving after midnight or with a passenger. His blood-alcohol level was .12, six times the legal limit of .02 for underage drivers and above the legal limit of .08 for adult drivers. Lavruk was charged by police with hosting the party, and he paid a $146 fine. Police said those at the party refused to tell them where the alcohol came from.

Stein's suit states that Geise's negligence substantially contributed to Lecardo's injuries and his death. Geise's estate is administered by his widow, Jennifer and the couple have two young children.

Stein's attorney, John Brown of Hartford, said Thursday that his client reluctantly sued Geise's estate.

”As distasteful as bringing an allegation against someone she considers a close and personal friend, she did so reluctantly on the advice of her attorney,” he said. “If we could have left them out without jeopardizing the rest of the case we would have done so. But we couldn't.”

Brown said he made the recommendation to sue Geise's estate because of the legal concept of shared liability in which all parties who may have contributed to the damages must be named.

If Stein failed to do so, he said the other defendants could seek to have the case dismissed because all of the responsible parties were not named.

”If there is shared liability you have an obligation to name all the parties and let the court sort it out,” he said.

While the police report indicates Lee caused the crash, Brown said that photographs from the police report coupled with expert analysis of the Audi under normal operating conditions, indicate Geise was traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. Police said their only clue to the Audi's speed was the speedometer, which was frozen between 50 and 55 mph.

The lawsuit also charged that Geise was driving at a time when he was impaired by lack of sleep.

According to the police report, Geise slept 5½ hours before getting up at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2007. After spending time with his family, he went to his second job at Prudential Pequot Properties in Mystic before arriving back home about 2 p.m. An hour later, he left for his 3 p.m. to midnight shift at the Foxwoods hotel where he was among an elite class of employees who cater to the casino's high-end customers.

At 10:30 p.m., he called his wife to say he was staying an hour later so he could drive Lecardo home. The two men left Foxwoods at 1:15 a.m. on Jan. 28, and the crashed occurred 15 minutes later.

Brown said the police report shows Geise had been awake for 18 hours after 5½ hours of sleep.

”We did not make any allegations in the complaint that we did not feel we could support,” he said.

Geise's attorney, John Collins III, could not be reached for comment.

The suit also charges that David Lee knew his son was at an underage-drinking party and did not take action, even though the Lee home is less than 300 yards from Lavruk's house. It charges Lee did not call police about the party or stop Cameron from driving, and the failure to supervise his son was “a substantial contributing factor” to Lecardo's death.

The suit also charges that Boos knew Lavruk had invited several teenage friends over to the house and “knew or should have known” they would throw a party where alcohol would be served. Boos' failure to control his stepson was a “substantial contributing cause” to Lecardo's death, according to the suit.

The suit also charges that Lavruk's decision to provide alcohol to Lee until he became intoxicated, even though he knew he was a minor, substantially contributed to Lecardo's death.

According to Jennifer Geise's lawsuit, up to 70 teens attended the party, where the alcohol choices included wine, three types of vodka, two brands of rum and six kinds of beer.

Stein's lawsuit seeks damages along with the cost of medical, funeral and burial services for her husband.

”The last thing my client wanted was a lawsuit over this matter. Unfortunately not a single one of the insurance companies was willing to provide her with a fair settlement, so we have to sue and fight,” Brown said. “It makes no sense and it simply causes additional pain and suffering for all of the survivors and their families.”

J.WOJTAS@THEDAY.COM

Day 3 was yesterday of the adventure and we drove through Indiana, what a boring state that is, from outskirts of Cleveland to Chicago is so figuring boring. All you see is corn fields upon corn fields. Stephen read and slept while I drove which was fine. He did take over some of the driving, but I felt bad because he did alot of driving on Monday, and I can not drive so well at Night, yes folks my eyes are going, I so need glasses.

We did go to South Bend, Indiana to see the campus of Notre Dame, we did a blurp of it on video at our utterli.com/stephenpic, what a beautiful place, I remember listening to Regis talk about Notre Dame on his show when I watched him, so I had to see it. Well worth it, people were so nice to show us where to go, and what we should see while we are there. Of course, we went into the bookstore, which the husband loved..

We decided not to stay in Chicago, we are at his folks house and are going into Chicago for the day today, and coming back out here tonight, which is great, then no hotel payment required, we can save that money for Wisconsin when we head up there next week. I did apply for (2) jobs today, one in Florida and the other in South Carolina, even though the Florida job is a Director position, the South Carolina one is absolutely beautiful property, we will see if anything happens. I did let them know I would be down there in December. I am still kind of hoping for a position to materialize right here in Illnois especially in Chicago, I love that area.

Well keep reading the blog and seeing where we are. WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE STEPHEN AND PAULA?

OK, yesterday was wonderful, we did a little video in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Brown stadium, if you want to see it you can go to www.utterli.com/stephenpic, and you can follow along on our trip.

We met up with the husbands friend for lunch in Akron, at restaurant VEGterran which is Chrissie Hynes from the Pretenders Restaurant. Now, the husband is far from a vegatarian, but we were both impressed the food was excellent. Chrissie Hynes was eating lunch right behind us, and he would not take a picture. My camera was in the car and "NO" my cellphone has no camera yes it is old but right now, I do not need anything but the phone itself.

Then another of his blogger friends invited us over for dinner which is so nice since we are on the road traveling. I did not know until after we left the husband had never met her, only on line. So, it made it even nicer for her to invite us into her home we appreciated that so much.

It kept snowing in OHIO, we get back on the road toward Chicago with a few stops wait and see where we are next.

Day 2 of the adventure. Yesterday, we started at 4:30am and left Naples Maine, and drove to Cleveland, OH, we were going to go up through Buffalo, Rochester, instead we went RT 17/86W through New York State and hooked up to 90W in Erie, PA instead of the 13 hour drive we finally got to the hotel at 9:00pm, due to the fact SNOW! SNOW! Yes, folks winter has begun.

The worse was once we hit Erie, PA it was a snow effect off of Lake Erie, we just read in the paper 24inches fell in Buffalo, so by altering our drive, we were not delayed as long as we could of been. Today, the husband has a business call at 9am then lunch with one of his clients at Noon and tonight dinner with some friends of his. We will be exploring Cleveland after Lunch and then again tomorrow morning before we get back in the car for Chicago. We are going to be in Chicago for 1 night but all day on Thursday, YEAH!! I love Chicago so that will be fun.

I am telling you by the last hour in the car I wanted to jump out and never get back in, it was a LONG!! Day, we are video taping this trip, and will be putting it on utter soon, I hope our friends and family like the video. We figure if anything happens to us people can see what we were doing.

I can not wait to see Cleveland, after his meeting we are going out and about for awhile and getting some groceries for the road. Also, breakfast the breakfast here at the hotel way too expensive. I feel drained today, so glad we are not making another long drive today, and took a day in between.

I will write more later.

Well, tomorrow is the day, we are leaving at 4am. We need to be in Ohio for dinner by 4pm or 5pm so we can get to the hotel and then meet his friend in Akron by 6pm.

It is a 12 hour ride, we are going the Northern route so I get to see places I have never been to, like Rochester or Buffalo, may not sound exciting but I think it would be interesting. I really do not want to go across PA again, that is a big state, we did that one time to Pittsburgh and it was boring.

I am getting more nervous, but very excited, we start packing the car today, and just leave out what we are wearing in the morning, so that we do not have to disturb my mom in the morning. The husband will drive first, and then I will take over. My unemployment still has not kicked in, but should on Friday, I have been approved, just waiting for it to happen. I swear they make it so difficult in order for you to find a job so they do not actually have to ever pay it.

Day 49 of no work. I do have (2) interviews on Friday, one in Boston and the other is a phone intereview which will be right after the face to face intereview. I am very nervous, and not sure what either company is looking for, it is hard when I can not find any information.

I always do my homework, but sometimes I do not always find everything I need to know before the intereview. I have heard that the first intereview company has a high turn over, but there could be a reason so I will know what to ask when I talk to them. The other company no one really knows alot about them, the reason the 2nd job sounds good to me, is because it is a traveling sales manager position, they send you to a hotel for two weeks up to 3 months and you live in the hotel. You have to start selling the minute you arrive on the property. Can I do it?

All this time out of work, makes me wonder if I can even do the job that is being asked of me. I know my self-confidence has gone down hill, it has always been right on the verge, and my job has been the only good thing in my life, and I have been defined by my work ethic my whole life and career, so without it what am I worth?

Money is becoming and issue or lack of money, and we both hate relaying on other people for where to live, I am giving up going to Connecticut which is upsetting me more than anything, I really wanted to see my friends before we left to go out west, but it is what it is, and we can not afford it at all.

Time to work on my answers and practice my intereview skills.

This was a letter I received from the email. I liked it so I am passing it along on my blog.

Open Letter to the Editor


Well we finally have a man of color as President of the United States. Although I did not vote for Mr. Obama, I am proud that a man of color (as I am one myself) finally proved that people of color could achieve anything they set their mind to. He is living proof that if you work hard, follow the rules, get a good education, and do not allow your color to hold you back, you can be whatever you want in life. I did not vote for Mr. Obama because I choose to pick my President based on the issues. I disagree with his ideology, however, that does not mean that I am not proud of his accomplishments. My son also ran for office and the issues and lost. While helping him with is campaign, I talked to hundreds of people maybe thousands. Many blacks were voting for Mr. Obama because he was black and they felt it was time a “brother got a break”. When pressed about the issues most did not seem to care or know. To back that opinion up I have heard comments and received emails throughout the day that I must be very proud of finally having a black president. It seems that there were many white voters selecting him because of his color also. Many of my friends and relatives said that it is about time for a black President regardless of the issues. It is a pretty sad reason for selecting someone to govern this country. To be fair, there just as many that believe in his ideology and that he is the capable of leading us out of the mess this country is in economically. Personally, I believe that only we can lead us out of this mess because we are the “economy”. That is what makes us so great. We the people run this country through the leaders we choose.

Mr. Obama should thank God and the late Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Mum Bett, Denmark Vesey, Dred Scott, John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, W.E.B. Dubois, Hiram Revels, and the black solders of the civil war and others that have given their lives so that he (or any black man or black woman) could someday become the President of this great country. Although all were essential in our black history, Dr. Martin Luther Kings leadership may have been the most important figure. We now have the right to ride in the front or rear of the bus, drink out of the same fountains, shop in the same stores, live in the same neighborhoods, go to the same schools, etc, etc, etc. For 40+ years we have had those rights and many others. Racism is still evident today even though laws were passed to punish those who practice them. Much like murder, robbery, rap, etc all of which are illegal, those crimes also committed everyday. Mr. Obama overcame the bigotry, the prejudice, the injustice and the hatred and he did it WITHOUT a black president.

What is sad to me in all of this is that these freedoms and opportunities have been here for all of us, however many of us choose to ignore them. Why is it that some have chosen to take advantage and some have not? Why is it that some succeed and some do not? What is in our make up or soul that makes us who we are? We all have the opportunity to attend school and college. What is disturbing in all of this is that in this great victory for Mr. Obama we as a race have chosen to ignore our ancestors who were hanged, shot, maimed, tortured or killed. We seemed to have squandered over time opportunities and rights we gained while waiting for one man to show us the light. Mr. Obama's opportunities have also been our opportunities. Why is it that, we needed this one man, who took advantage of the labors of our ancestors, to validate us as citizens of this great country? We call ourselves the “N” word, our women are Bitches or Ho's, we kill each other over drugs or territory. We refuse to assimilate into the American culture afraid that we will loose our own. We have already lost our own. People have died to give us what we have today - an opportunity. An opportunity to succeed or fail, but at least an opportunity to try, something that they our ancestors were never given. Know we vote for people because we still feel the need to be taken care of. We feel as though this country owes us something for the wrongs of the past. I say we owe our ancestors for the sacrifices they have made. Our fathers, uncles and cousins fought in wars to preserve the American way of life. They felt like it was worth fighting for yet we do not think it is worth living for. How have we shown them our appreciation When are we as people of the American Dream start to realize that we are part of it and we need to start taking advantage of what this country has to offer. I have always been proud of this country. It has not always been the best country in the world but it is second to none today. In our short history we have overcome things that some countries are still dealing with today. White and black, men and women died so that I could enjoy life today. I show my appreciation by trying to give back and be the best American I can be. All they asked of us was to remember the sacrifices they made and do better for those that follow.

I feel bad for Mr. Obama because we (Blacks) have put a heavy burden on him. Our expectations of him although, unfair are no different when any other president has been in office. Somehow many of us believe that he will somehow show up at our homes and help our kids with their homework, attend PTA meetings, go to open house and teachers conferences. He will be there when our kids need to be disciplined for bad behavior or support them make bad decisions or need guidance in life. We have put a great deal of responsibility in his hands as we have done with every president or elected official in the past.

The question is what happens when he does not show up for these meetings, or help with the homework, or discipline when required and advise and guide when asked When did we abdicate the responsibility of raising our kids and insuring their welfare to one man When are we going to finally take responsibility. Well we just did. The election of Mr. Obama leaves us with no more excuses. For all of those people of color that are thrilled that a man of color is president, what are you going to do to help him? What sacrifices are you willing to make so that the world won't look at America and say well nothing has changed, they (People of Color) are still blaming the government and they have a Black President. Are you ready to walk the walk? You have proven that you can talk the talk. I expect to see an increase in participation by Blacks, at PTA/PTSA meetings, teacher’s conferences, Board of Education meetings and any other school function. After all, you show up for the sporting events that our kids participate in. We know that our kids can achieve great things in sports and we never hesitate to support them. Now you know that they can achieve great things outside the sports world. Will you support them? Your child could be the next president of the USA.

You put this man in office so what are you going to do to help him The problem is that the people that really need to read this won't and the people that do read this will take offense and make excuses. When will we accept the responsibility and opportunities that our ancestors fought and died for? We will no longer be able to hide behind the lies of prejudice. We can no longer use the excuse “It’s because I am Black”. Will you allow Mr. Obama's presidency to go by with no attempt to follow his lead. This is not just a matter of helping your child but reaching out to those less fortunate than you. Government will never fix what only we as parents can fix ourselves. I saw many black families bring their kids to the voting booth with them. These are our sons and our daughters. There to witness an historic event. But what will it mean in 4 years if we as a race have done no better for our kids then let them witness that event. When Dr. King was killed we went to the schools and the colleges that were once only populated by white kids. No in predominately black schools across the country many are failing. Whose fault is that? Dr King and others got us the right and opportunity to attend and what have we done with his sacrifice. Each and every one of them represents all blacks. If you don't believe that, just consider the burden that we have put on Mr. Obama. He represents us because we put him there. We gave him the opportunity to serve this great country. He can not fix our lives through legislation. He can not force an employer to hire your child if they are not qualified or prepared. What are we doing to insure that our kids get those same opportunities? Three hots and a cot is not parenting. Blaming someone else is not the answer. If Mr. Obama is going to succeed, then we need to support him with more than just votes. We need to support him in our homes and neighborhoods with deeds and action. Here is our opportunity to show the world and ourselves that we no longer need to be taken care of. We do not need hand outs. We can stand on or own without government or the President shouldering load for or lives. We can and should be responsible for our lives and our children's lives. If you have kids help them. If you don't then help someone in need. Government and money is not the answer. Caring people are the answer. We can no longer use the excuse “it is time” for selecting a black man as President. Next time we should ALL know the issues and what is at stake in our vote. What are you going to do next? All great presidents had the cooperation and help of the people. If you expect him to be great and if another (person of color) is to get a chance then what are you going to do? You are out of excuses.


HOWARD A. JUBREY, JR.
REPUBLICAN MINORITY LEADER
WINDSOR BOARD OF EDUCATION

We had a wonderful weekend, we went over to Lincoln, NH to have lunch with my cousin Christina and her husband Jeff, and ended up going on the Lake and spending the night at their house on the Lake. It was 60' and we had a fire in the fire stove, and when the rain started it just made it even more fun.

We so enjoy their company, and luckily my husband & her husband get along so well, you know sometimes it is hard to find couple friends where everyone gets along so well. We had friends in Winston-Salem, but they really got along well with the husband more than myself. We have a couple friends in Illnois, but we only see them about once a year, they were my husband's friends first, but I feel I have become their friends too, we always have a good time when we do hang out.

I am upset today, because "yes" I have been approved for my unemployment but now there is a waiting period until I get my first check, excuse me, it has been 46 days, how do they expect me to live? I realize it is not their fault or responsiblity but it is hurting me and my husband, we do not want to stay another week with my mom, we want to get out of here. I do have and interview in Boston on Friday and we will see what happens with that, it might move our decision.

Maybe we will not go to Connecticut and just leave from here on Monday, once I know if the check is going in next week.

Day 44- I might have another intereview in Boston next week, that would be great, the position is for a Director job in Newport, RI, which would be great, if it came about, now I am just waiting for it to happen.

I admit since I have been out of work, I have become sucked back into my soap opera's. My favorite is still "One life to live", I thought when the orginal Todd Manning left I would hate the new one, but he is wonderful. Marty and Todd had sex today, now I remember watching it when Todd raped Marty, are they the next Luke and Laura? Which is funny, that "General Hospital" has Luke, Laura and Scott back to the triangle of 20+ years ago. My husband is worried about me, not realizing that every morning I go on line and apply for positions and then make follow up calls but when people will not call you back or at least tell you if maybe they are interested what am I suppose to do?

I have been trying to call Unemployment office in Maine since Monday, and they keep telling me they are too busy to pick up the phone give me a break, I need to ask some questions and they do not even have a hold button. This is so important what do they think I am going to do? I need money... We are now so far behind on bills. Seriously, what do they expect?

History has been made on Nov. 4 2008 our 44th President is going to be Barack Obama, our first black President. Now, he will have to prove himself he certainly has so many issues he will have to handle, it will be quite interesting to see if he lives up to all the hype.

On the other hand, I am appalled by John McCain's camp blaming Sarah Palin for the lost, I think it was more than that, John McCain was always behind Obama in the polls, and she may have been a hinderance but you can not blame her for everything.

To be honest, I liked Sarah Palin more than I liked John McCain, well now she can go back to Alaska and get more experienc, then wait until 2012 it could be Palin 2012...
Since, experience seemed to be what people were harping on, at least she is a governor not just a senator who now is our President Elect.

The economy is such in the tank, can any 1 person actually change it? I lost my job 42 days ago, and now listening to the news unemployment is rising daily what are we suppose to do? Are we going into a depression?

The next move will be quite interesting to watch, and believe me the world is watching Obama, to see what he is going to do..

Day 40 - Tomorrow, is a big day first I have a face to face interview down in MA, it will take us about 4 hours to get down there, so up early and then drive down to see the area before the interview at 1pm, I am very nervous, so I am looking at my book on how I should answer some questions, or better yet what the employee is looking for, the resort is beautiful so it will be interesting to see if they like me, or if I think it would be good for us to move down to MA. What is nice it would be closer to CT and my friends and family so it might be a good fit.

ELECTION DAY !! It will be a first with whichever party wins. I was watching FOX NEWS today, and then reading news on line because main stream media is very skewed toward Obama it is sickening.... Excuse me!! What is with the ripping down McCain/Palin signs? Here in Maine on RT 302 there have been 119 signs ripped down for McCain, one house put up a wooden sign that says," You may rip down our signs but have not changed our vote for McCain/Palin... Then yo have Obama/Biden signs where Obama's name is HUGE and you can barely see Biden which is in light blue on a blue background.

How about the fact Obama's aunt who lives in poverty and is and illegal alien, why was that not all over the news? Or if I was a coal miner, why again does the Main Stream media not put the fact that he stated and not out of context, he will basically put them out of business? No, you will not see anything negative on Main Stream Media they will just push it under the rug... My question is what if he does not win? How will MSNBC, CNN, ABC, Spin this to their advantage? Will they yell, it was fixed or something?

Now, I am not saying I am against Obama, but why not have a balanced attention? I know polls may not mean much but 1 poll I read say, MSNBC had 73% negative comments on McCain and only 14% On Obama does that sound fair and balanced to you? CNN was 66% Negative against McCain and 44% Negative on Obama, which is a little better but really not that fair now is it?

Obama was a Senator, and seems to have started running for President right from that moment, so why does he have more experience than Sarah Palin, who is a governor of Alaska? Besides, Palin is not running for President McCain is so why do the comparisons?

This is a heated race and it will be interesting to see what happens? I truly believe it will be a close race, I do not think Obama will sweep it as his supporters think he will, no I do not think it will be like the Nixon/McGovern or Bush/Mondale races.

Before you vote read up on both candidates, make a fair/balance choose do not listen to just main stream media because they are not giving you all the facts, for once the american public needs to do their own research...

OH!!! Why make death threats against "Joe the Plumber" for asking a question? Liberal, Gay talk show host out in San Fransisco, did you not like the question or did you not like Obama's skirting actually answering it? It is a free country, and every person has their right to their own opinion, sorry if you do not believe that, he had every right to ask our candidate for President a question...

Day 38 - Yesterday was bitter sweet, we loaded the moving truck on Thursday and then on Friday, we got up at 5am to finish loading and then at 7am did the walk through with our landlords.

I loved that house, we were happy there, and then when we finished putting everything in storage and came to my mom's I feel like a failure. Living back with my mom even though it is only for two weeks makes me feel awful. I did have (2) Phone calls yesterday, one for a job in Buffalo, NY and the other in MA, I may do a face to face interview with the position in MA. It is still not the ideal position I want, but on the other hand if they pay well, it might be worth it to have a job.

I really do not want to keep jumping around, so if offered my husband and I will have another decision to make, if it is the right fit, or if I should hold out alittle longer to the right position comes in to play.

One of my first jobs out of high school was as a meat wrapper for Beit Brothers, not the store in Montville the one in Norwich, which is closed now, but I remember the job fondly.

The owners were there and wanted each employee to feel as if they counted, and for me getting up at 5am to clean meat trays and stand in July in a freezing cooler to wrap meat was not the ideal job, but I learned alot and appreciated the chance.

It is so sad to see this company close its doors, the economy is so hard right now, and it is awful to see a company that has always been there close.


Beit brothers are closing up shop 'with a very heavy heart'
Poor economy, bigger competition, aftermath of lightning strike take their toll on local market that planted its roots a century ago
By Megan Bard Published on 11/1/2008



”The power outage losses, combined with the increased competition from the big box competitors, excessively high energy costs, and a weak economy has led us to conclude that attempts to continue our operation no longer make sense. It is with a very heavy heart, but also with much gratitude to our loyal customers and dedicated staff that we make this announcement at this time. We are very proud to have serviced the Montville community and surrounding towns for over forty-seven years.”

ARTHUR AND NATHAN BEIT, FROM THEIR RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE COMPANY'S CLOSURE

Montville - In 1908, Samuel Beit and his three sons opened a meat market on the west side of Norwich after the Beit family, which had run a cattle business for years, decided to try selling the fresh meat in the marketplace.

The business was a success.

Decades - and generations - later, the small meat market had grown into a full-fledged supermarket, the first located in Norwich's Franklin Square. In time, seven markets - some small, some large - would open throughout eastern Connecticut, from Dayville to Uncasville, although only the Montville store had survived.

In the same year the family-run grocery celebrated its centennial, the third generation of owners, Nathan and Arthur Beit, announced Friday that the economy, competition from larger, chain supermarkets and damage to one of the markets by a lightning strike has put Beit Bros. Super Markets Inc. out of business.

”The way things are … between the lightning strike and the economy the way it is, there is just no business out here. We just had to give up,” Arthur Beit, an owner, said Friday while talking to some customers. He added that there are no future plans for the family business.

”This is it,” he said later in the day.

The Montville store on Route 32, which opened in 1961, will close its doors in the coming days. The Norwich store closed several years ago, and in July the brothers shut down the Dayville market after 36 years.

'It's just so hard
to believe'

Nathan and Arthur Beit shared their decision with their 61 full- and part-time employees Thursday. On Friday morning the men hung signs in the store's Midway Shopping Center windows announcing the decision to their customers.

”It's just so hard to believe that after all these years … I never thought they'd close,” longtime customer Debbie Radachy said Friday afternoon.

Radachy said she was just in the store Thursday and that although some of the shelves seemed bare and the magazine rack was not full, there was no indication that the store was closing.

”I might have shopped at other stores for sales, but my grocery shopping, my main shopping, was done there,” she said.

Dean Tine, co-owner of Montville Hardware with his brother, Shaun, said he hates to see it happening to the Beits. He recalled his father opening the hardware store in the 1970s, next to the Beits' market. The hardware store has since relocated.

”They've been customers of ours and we've been customers of theirs,” Tine said. “You know how it is - we're a small business and in the same deal. I just hate to see it happening to them, a longtime, local business.”

Tine and Radachy also spoke of the Beits' commitment to the community.

Tine said the family continuously supported the local Lions Club by donating time to the organization.

For Radachy, the community spirit is more personal. In the mid-1990s, on Christmas Day and with 40 guests coming for dinner, Radachy discovered that a turkey she had purchased at the store was spoiled. Desperate, she called Nathan Beit at home.

”He went down to the store and let me go get anything I needed,” Radachy recalled. “There's no other store would do that. I was really impressed.”

In July, during powerful storms, the Midway Shopping Center was struck by lightning, causing a power outage. The grocer was forced to discard all of the store's perishable items, including meats, frozen goods and all dairy and deli products.

Loyal customers waited for the shelves to be stocked again, and for the most part they were. But until recently a sign apologizing for the “higher than acceptable” amount of items out of stock remained posted on the doors.

The market did not have adequate insurance to make up for the significant loss and was never able to recover, according to the brothers.

M.BARD@THEDAY.COM