By Lani Duke
posted
Jan 3, 2013
OVERFLOWING HEARTS
Donna Arnado's family commemorated her life as they served 123
holiday meals at the Open Door Mission recently. It was a fitting
tribute to a woman who donated her Friday days off at the Mission.
Taking part were her husband Paul Arnardo, brother Tom Austin and
grown daughters Ashley and Heather Arnado, as well as longtime
friend Richard Rivers who volunteers at the Mission himself and
invited the family to participate.
Gift-of-Life Marathon organizer Steve Costello recently promised
that, although this year's blood drive fell 14 pints short of the
national record, the annual event is far from over. There is no
reason to stop: blood is still needed each year, but the means of
gathering it will take on new form. Future Gift of Life events will
probably aim for a lesser number of pints and creative campaigning
to bring out donors.
CITY WATER
Rutland City households will no longer be as penalized for using
large amounts of water. Costs to the city remain largely fixed
regardless of the quantity of water used; the new billing system of
$8.24 per 100 cubic feet and a combined quarterly meter and sewer
fee of $46.60. Although property owners' bills will rise, the
overall result will eventually be lower, city budgeteers say, as
they set about detaching the amount used from resultant
billings.
ALDERMAN TO CHANGE
The alderman candidate slate for election in March has not firmed
yet. Christopher Robinson had maintained that he ran last year for
a one-year seat, filling an unexpired term to be part of the
capital planning process without plans for re-election. Alderman
Sean Sargeant says the position stresses his family too much for
him to seek re-election. Tom DePoy may not run because his children
have so many activities that he has a hard time attending meetings.
Dave Wallstrom has been waiting for his family to join him in the
decision-making process.
But Charles Romeo does plan to run, and Jon Kiernan is also
committed to running for another term. Former alderman Ed Larson
has decided he will run again, after taking a term off for medical
reasons.
WALLINGFORD
Some expenses are up, while other municipal budget areas are asking
for level funding in Wallingford. The town select board anticipates
finalizing the budget it will present to voters in March by
Tuesday, Jan. 22. Town spending for gravel and truck maintenance
are both slated for increases, plus creating of a truck replacement
fund with a $30,000 tag the first year, and rebuilding part of
Hartsboro Road for $25,000. Both the library and the rescue squad
ask the same budget as the previous year, $34,000 and $10,000
respectively. Library users numbered 6,800 people in the previous
year.
COLLEGE OF ST. JOSEPH
McFarland Press, a company specializing in serious non-fiction,
recently released Conan Meets the Academy: Multidisciplinary Essays
on the Enduring Barbarian, by Dr. Jonas Prida, assistant professor
of English at the College of St. Joseph. A collection of 10 essays
exploring the character of Conan the Barbarian, the book looks at
the original Conan, written by Robert Howard and published in the
1930s pulp magazine Weird Tales, and also the popular culture
Conan as he appears in video games, movies, folklore and
parody.
LANI'S PICKS
Sunday, Jan. 6 - The Opera Theatre of West presents the one-act
opera Noye's Fludde, a fresh look at the Biblical Noah, cast with
local children taking the parts of Noye's family and twelve pairs
of animals. Paramount Theatre, 2 p.m. 775-0903 for tickets.
Tuesday, Jan. 8 - The Palms Restaurant hosts a new book discussion
group of 20- and 30-somethings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This evening's
topic is Erik Larson's Devil in the White City. The group plans to
pub hop its get-togethers, so be on the watch for the next location
and book.
Wednesday, Jan. 9 - The Rutland Free Library's Fox Room is the site
for Soul Food Junkies, an exploration into the story of soul food
and how its dietary traditions may affect the health of the African
American community. 7 p.m.
Tagged:
News Briefs, Rutland Region
