USH-Enews for September 13, 2007 Print Only Edition

Home Page for the website of the Unitarian Society of Hartford.
Word Version of this document in color with photographs, which will print nicely for those who use Microsoft Word.
Link to various "normal" newsletters.

The USH-Enews is a weekly email newsletter produced for members and friends of the Unitarian Society of Hartford. The USH web address is: http://www.ushartford.com/ Check at the end of this USH-Enews for information on submissions, subscriptions and escape from the mailing list. And, to read the monthly Meetinghouse Messenger (newsletter) on line, or past issues of the weekly USH-Enews click here.

Office hours: M-F 9-3 (excluding W 10 -11); Rev. Jamestone: Phone: 860 233-9897; Email: RevBJ@USHartford.com - Rev. BJ office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday by appointment.

Worshipping Together Since 1830 - Services at 9 & 11 AM
The early service will be held in the Chapel as usual beginning this Sunday, September 16.

Sunday - 16 September – Alone Together - How do we reconcile our propensity for viewing our beliefs in mostly personal terms with the need to create an authentic religious/spiritual community? - John and Ann Stowe.

The Lay Speakers League of Excellence Continues! - This Sunday, you’ll hear long time member John Stowe give a fabulous interpretation of William James’ pragmatism as it relates to our faith in the 21st century. Margaret Leicach returns as worship associate, with Gail Syring giving testimonial to joys of membership and small group ministry.

Ann-Hared Stowe will be satisfying your soul hunger for great violin. Rev. BJ has pulled a few quotes from the talk to whet your appetite for the wit and wisdom of our own philosophical pundit:

Music - Musical Call to Worship: Allemande from Partita #2 J.S. Bach - Offertory: Chaconne from Partita #2 J.S. Bach - Postlude: Sarabande from Partita #2 J.S. Bach

Bach's Partita #2 in D minor stands as one of the greatest works for solo violin. Bach was a master at imparting a polyphonic bent to an essentially monophonic instrument. The partita is composed of old dance forms, culminating in the great Chaconne. In it, an eight-bar theme is freely and ingeniously varied. Bach composed the Chaconne after the death of his beloved first wife. The moods move from profound pain and sorrow to final resignation and victory.

Celebration Choir Organized - The Celebration Choir is moving forward in making great music! This summer, Music Associate John Jesensky, as well as several of your fellow members, have formed a strong foundation for the NEW choir.

Do you enjoy singing? Then we invite you to JOIN US! Some of the many musical styles to be explored include – Folk, Gospel, Contemporary, Classical and new hymns. If you would like to make amazing music with the Celebration Choir, all you have to do is sign up! Email: Jjesensky(at symbol)cox.net Phone: 203-228-0320

Attention Singers: Children's Choir is being re-vamped! Discussion to take place during RE classes on 9/23. First Meeting at 10 AM on 9/30. Email Katherine.LaPorta(at symbol)uconn.edu for details!

REflections on Children's Programming - Opening Day! - Classes and Youth Group activities begin this Sunday, September 16th. This year our children will be studying a variety of topics from Social Justice to the historical uses of Labyrinths. We have also added a second and third grade class to the roster this year. Children are encouraged to attend the beginning of the worship service and then attend classes. Questions about our class content, registration or volunteer opportunities can be addressed to Gail Syring, Director of Religious Education or Denise Ackeifi, Youth Advisor before or after services. Our children's choir will also be returning, and questions can be addressed to Katherine LaPorta, Children's Choir Director.

Our offerings this year include: Nursery Care: Infants and toddlers can play in our supervised nursery at both the 9 am and 11 am services. The nursery is located off of Fellowship Hall, and has been recently renovated. Come take a look at our new and improved facility!

Spirit Play Seekers: Pre-K through first grade students. This classroom was also renovated this summer!

Diversity & UU Identity: Second and third grade students will be studying Rainbow Children and UU Superheroes.

Social Justice & Native American Spirituality: Fourth & fifth grade students will be studying In Our Hands and Honoring Our Mother Earth.

World Religions: Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students will be learning more about Unitarian Universalism as they compare and contrast a variety of world religions.- Gail M. Syring DRE

Please note - Rev. Jamestone's introductory lecture on "Nonviolent Communication: Toward an 8th UU Principle" has been rescheduled to Tuesday, September 25, 7:30 PM. More

From the Editor: Most organization schedule many events in late September and October for a variety of good reasons. Read this issue with care because it is full of event announcements to provide you a rich experience in the next few weeks. - DCN

Choir Returns Better than Ever - (see photo above) You’ll notice a number of familiar faces in the choir loft on Sundays. We’ve had some changes in personnel and quite a few voices from the past returning.

Our new bass soloist is Anthony Nasto. Tony was our soloist a few years back and we are lucky to have him back with us, since he’s spending almost every waking hour singing with his award-winning a cappella group, Men In Black. Tom Sherry is our new tenor soloist. He started that position for just a couple of Sundays last spring (including the installation) when John Jesensky moved to the organ bench. Tom's a psych major at CCSU.

As for the volunteers, Rachel Johnson has returned, bringing with her Amanda Zymroz, both altos from The Hartt School. Nancy Blickenstaff used to be a regular in the choir; she moved out of state but always wanted to return and now she's back for good. Sue Machol sang with us for years, then had to leave for a while but she's happily back in the alto section. Eric Rosenberg was a choral wannabe for years but was miscast as a tenor sax player (modest joke there). Having never sung before he is adapting at the speed of light, aided by the rest of the basses, Ken and Tony. Our faithful cast of regulars has been gradually adding new members – Ginny Berrien is the most recent to join the Chancel Choir. The chancel chairs are filling up, but there’s still room for . . . you?

Some of these folks are such avid singers they forgo all other commitments, race back from surgery, even sit in with the Celebration Choir as well as the Chancel Choir. How fortunate we are to have dedicated singers offering their musical gifts on Sunday mornings. Let them know they are appreciated! - Mattie

Worship Associates Explained - Have you ever wondered about Worship Associates? Here is an article you may have missed explaining their role at USH.

About Coming Alive and Making Life More Wonderful - In the sermon on Sept 23 you will be introduced to a spiritual discipline that I’ve been training for this summer and fall. The following Wednesday evening, Sept 25, I will deliver a large group lecture on the same topic, in the Sanctuary at 7:30 PM, to last an hour. (If you let me know, I’ll arrange child care.) The following four Wednesday evenings in October, I will be offering a training (no charge) or the cost of the text book. And beyond that I will be facilitating a weekly practice group for anyone interested.

This spiritual discipline is about learning to speak and to listen so we make connection making us more alive as individuals while making life more wonderful and more peaceful. I shall speak of a nurturing connection to our inner selves, with each other, and with the social structures affecting our lives, including the interdependent web of life.

This spiritual discipline is based on the work of Marshall Rosenberg, which he calls Non Violent Communication (NVD) - one simple foundation of a holistic skill, which could change you and your world. Many skills and programs could do that, if we did them. NVC is not just the next fad, though in fact, we will soon forget all about it and him. You and I will however continue to evolve, to grow in spirit and service so green that we “cover” the whole Meeting House like kudzu, if you’ll grow with me. Give it some thought. BJ

Along with this an extensive website, USH has a considerable number of specialized email groups for persons on various Meeting House committees, councils, and sub-councils. These email groups are maintained through software called email listservs. Think of a listserv as a software version of a mailing list.

A member of one of these email listserv groups may send a single email to that group’s listserv address. The email listserv software, in turn, resends the message to all members of that group, including the person sending the original email, provided the email sender is a member of the listserv group. This process assures that every member of a particular listserv group gets all emails sent by members of that group for discussion or informational purposes. In addition, it is easy to update listserv groups when email addresses or group membership changes. Listservs exist for various subgroups at USH, e.g. Choir, Performing Arts, Building & Grounds, Caring Network, etc. From time-to-time, members of various listservs wonder about the security of their email addresses and how communications to individual USH email addresses are protected against viruses and spam. Here are some questions and answers:

A. Any email address ending with ushartford.com is a USH email address and is part of our registered domain name (ushartford.com) and exclusively ours to use worldwide.

Q. How is email directed to individual and listserv USH email addresses protected against viruses and SPAM?

A. All email sent to a ushartford.com address is screened for SPAM and viruses. Any message including a virus is immediately deleted.

Remaining messages are checked against the list of approved email addresses, and, if included, are sent on to the appropriate email box. Messages that are not from previously approved senders are examined. All words in the message are assigned a score with a SPAM probability assigned to the message. If the SPAM probability is low, the message is sent to the destination email box immediately. If this probability is not low, the message is trapped until examined by the Webmaster. The retained messages are examined once each day.

The spam trap software determines what kinds of emails are normal traffic (the kinds of words used in our communications) for our accounts or users and what kinds of email is SPAM. There will be instances when email is retained from USH members who have not been previously approved as senders. Such messages are sent on to their destination and the senders are added to the list of approved senders. Messages from these senders will be approved in spam examination in the future without being detained.

Q. Suppose somebody gives the address of a listserv to some outfit that uses the addresses to send multiple emails to the listserv address. How can this be stopped?

A. When this happens, the Webmaster can immediately block all email from the sender by blacklisting the sender's address so that no email will be accepted from the sender. The Webmaster may even block all email from any address at the sender’s domain. This is a blocking of email that might be termed honest SPAM.

Other SPAM originates from all over the world and comes from fake addresses and senders. These kinds of messages are blocked based on content and on ad hoc rules created by the Webmaster and used by the SPAM filter. In addition, as many of you know, the listserv may be given a new name not known to spammers, at least for awhile.

A. If a USH Member or friend so requests, the person’s email address is not listed, not ever published on the web and not distributed if the individual is a member of a listserv. Members on most, but not all, listservs are provided a list of other members on the particular listserv so they will always know the other participants in the group. Lists of email addresses are not made available to others with the exception of minister, staff, and Webmaster who have a business reason for using them.

Unfortunately, Email addresses are somewhat like phone numbers i.e. they are quasi-public because they may be listed in the directory and elsewhere. The bottom line is that we do not distribute email addresses to external groups and organizations and do not place a name, phone number or email address on the web if the owner informs the Webmaster.

A. Yes, you can make sure you do not give out email addresses to external groups or individuals for listservs you use. Also, retain the list of participants on your listserv for reference when it is provided for your information. You can inform the Webmaster when you change your email address and you can let the Webmaster know any time you receive more than an isolated spam message on a listserv of which you are a member so measures can be undertaken immediately to prevent more of the same.

If all spam could be prevented, there would be no spammers. Obviously, the continuing battle to prevent spam is an evolutionary task without end.

In addition, you can prevent the unnecessary duplication of “good” listserv messages. Send messages to targeted listservs and do not include other listservs or individuals as electronic copies unless you have a good reason. If someone is on a listserv, do not address the email to them separately from the listserv as this will just mean they get two copies. While email is enormously useful. most people do not like to receive four or five copies of individual messages.

Definitions:
Spam - Electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited e-mail. However, if a long-lost relative finds your e-mail address and sends you a message, this can hardly be called SPAM, even though it's an unsolicited email. Real SPAM is generally e-mail advertising for some product sent to a mailing list or newsgroup.

Domain Name - A domain name is a registered name purchased by an individual or organization and is exclusively theirs to use worldwide as long as they retain ownership. Our domain name is ushartford.com - DCN Edited by Tom Reed

Ingathering Sunday--What Direction Are You Coming From? - We do a lot of things together every Sunday at the USH—sing, pray, greet one another, give money, laugh, cry, light candles of memory (the longest line we’ve seen was last Sunday), listen, think. And we added one special something last Sunday--our Annual Ingathering and Mingling of Waters.

Staff members told us the history of the water ceremony. Twenty-seven years ago, a group of Unitarian women in Michigan began what has become a tradition in many UU congregations, when they silently mingled waters in one bowl. In Hartford, many persons mingle water—real, symbolic, virtual, whatever—from places they visited during their summer travels, for simple things they have done and want to remember, like star-gazing, or to celebrate our coming together again at the close of summer. As Rev. BJ said, we pour water “to celebrate our one strong body.”

But there was thinking to be done before the actual water mingling occurred. Rev. BJ offered words to describe the four compass points:

She then asked those who were about to participate in the ceremony, “What direction do you come from today?” and the long lines of members poured their waters into the bowl according to whether they were coming from east, south, west or north. Rev. BJ’s question, following the ceremony, was, “What direction do you anticipate coming from in the coming months?” She anticipated that our waters together this year will be clear, and cloudy, and calm, and turbulent. - Kayla Costenoble

Walk for Peace - On Saturday, September 15, the CT Campaign for a US Department of Peace will participate in the national Walk for Peace in Hartford. John Larson had co-sponsored House Bill 808 to establish a US Department of Peace. We will gather at St. Patrick St. Anthony at 10 AM to walk to the Capitol to show support. Join us! - Joan Kemble

Help Needed at Noah Webster School - It has come to our attention that there are about 35 families that are unable to afford the cost of purchasing their child a uniform for the new school year. Noah Webster has appealed to several area congregations for assistance. One uniform costs about $40.

This is a neighborhood school (K-8) where many of our own members tutor in the morning.

If you would like to help, please send or drop off a check in our office. The check should be made out to Immanuel UCC (They are coordinating the effort). In the memo line, please write: uniforms for Noah Webster School. You will receive an acknowledgement for your contribution and the school will be told about USH's total contribution. Anything that you can give will be greatly appreciated.

In addition, afternoon tutors are being sought for the middle school grades at this school for about two afternoons a week, from about 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. If you volunteer, you would be working with one to two children on reading. If you are interested in doing something truly rewarding, please contact Annelieka Shauer at 233-8978. Thanks - Shai Cassell

Graduate Voice Recital - Our Own Patrice Fitzgerald Mezzo-soprano - 7:00 PM - Saturday, September 15, 2007 - Unitarian Meeting House - 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford

with Natasha Ulyanovsky, piano, and Alexis Garry, soprano. Please join me for a bit of Handel, Mahler, Elgar, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Gluck.

Bill Young at September 18th Men’s Luncheon Group Meeting - All men are invited to attend the USH Men’s Luncheon Group meetings. The informal group meets at Carmen Anthony’s restaurant located on Route 44 in Avon. The meetings are on the third Tuesday of the month and they begin at noon. This September 18th the meeting speaker is USH President Bill Young. His topic is, “USH in the First Half of the 21st Century. Some Hopes and Worries. What are yours?”

For more info please contact Chris McClurg at 860-563-9776 or wchrismc(At symbol)cox.net

Board Member Carolyn Cartland - Co-Chair of the, Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee, has done significant work for "Mother UUA" preparing a report (Snapshots of Five Districts on the Journey Becoming an Anti-Oppressive, Anti-Racist,
Multicultural Faith Community) last spring. You may read this report in html while the link exists via Google. Well done, Carolyn! More

Sinkford Writes - UUA President Bill Sinkford sent a letter to all Congresspeople urging them to end the war in Iraq. "...Our national crisis has become spiritual crisis, and as a religious leader, I am called to urge you once again to consider the true cost of the war in Iraq.....Millions of Americans believe that the war has failed the Iraqi people and that we have failed ourselves as well, by sacrificing so much to prolong the conflict. Like me, countless people of conscience are praying for a way out of this tragedy....I pray you will find the courage and the will to end this tragedy." For the full text stop by the UUSC coffee table on Sunday. - Joan Kemble

Fool for Christ - A One-Woman Play Portraying the Life of Dorothy Day - September 27 More

From the Adult Programs Sub-Council - Don't miss the Fall Programs Fair this Sunday, September 16, at 10 AM and Noon. Come and pick up your copy of the new Fall Programs Catalog, meet some of the presenters, and register for spiritual, intellectual, fun, and community building programs.

Programs starting soon: Please note an asterisk * identifies the New Programs offered.

" Ember Days," Wednesday, September 19, 12:00 - 2:00 PM, Friday and Saturday, September 21, 22, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Led by Rev. Jamestone, this first of four seasonal observances will include spiritual exercises and time for personal introspection in silence. Come to any or all of the sessions.

* "Tai Chi for Health," Saturday, September 22, 10:30 - 11:30 AM. This one session exercise program, using Tai Chi principles, will work on flexibility, balance, increased range of motion, and coordination. Instructor Monika Forstner will guide the class through a series of 'forms', each a series of succession of slow and relaxing movements with a focus on the breathing. More

* "The Six Healing Sounds," Saturday, 22, 1:00 - 3:00 PM. During this two-hour workshop with Monika Forstner, based on the Chakra system, you will learn the sounds associated with the five elements - earth, water, fire, metal, and wood - that in Chinese medicine, relate to our well-being. The Healing Sounds are combined with movement and will be done in a sitting position. More

"The Artist's Way," begins Monday, September, 24, 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Using the widely used text, The Artist's Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron, this class is for those of you whose inner artist is locked deep inside and struggling to get out. Diane Cadrain and Helen David will serve as facilitators for this popular program.

* "View from the Center of the Universe," begins Tuesday, September 25, 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Dick Edwards will lead a four session discussion based on a book by the same title and written by Joel R. Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams. Matters of astronomical proportions will be discussed.

* "Nonviolent Communication: Toward an 8th UU Principle" October 3, 10, 17 & 24, 7:30 - 9:00 PM. Attend Rev. Jamestone's introductory lecture on Tuesday, September 25, 7:30 PM, no fee. You may attend the lecture and not the course, or the course and not the lecture, or attend both.

"Pathways to Membership," Monday, October 1, 15, 7:00 - 9:00 PM.

* "Mindfulness in Every Day Living," begins Thursday, October 4, 10:00 - 12:00 Noon. This course is for those wanting to bring more balance and joy into their lives. Led by Sylvia Gingras-Baker, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and Patricia Barone, MSW (Masters of Social Work), LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), participants will be guided towards healing and renewal through meditation exercises, presentations, and discussions.

Sign Up Sunday for Fall Small Group Ministry - Sign up this Sunday for fall Small Group Ministry, where small groups meet to share meaningful readings and life experiences.

We are adding a special offering: a creativity based Small Group Ministry on Monday evenings at the Meeting House, facilitated by Carol Shoemaker and Lisa Gabrielle. This group offers a mixture of arts and crafts experiences with traditional meetings for reflection and sharing.

You may also choose a Tuesday evening group in West Hartford facilitated by Greg Berg and hosted by Kathie Ferguson, or a Thursday evening group in Simsbury facilitated by Bev Prager and hosted by Louise Willett. An afternoon group will meet on Thursdays at Seabury facilitated by Mike Roy and hosted by Flo Grieb.

Ginny Berrien is convening a repeat group that is continuing from last year. Future meeting dates are set by each group at the first meeting.

You may consult the Adult Programs Catalogue for more information. Please sign up at the Adult Programs Fair on Sunday, September 16, or by contacting the church office. - Mike Roy

A Ray of Hope - GHICEJ is cosponsoring A Ray of Hope, a fund raiser for an urban youth ministry in Hartford.

The Public Safety Task Force of The Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice is cosponsor of the fund-raising Dinner in Palmer Hall, of First Church in Simsbury, beginning at 6 PM., on Thursday, September 27.

Deacon Arthur Miller of Black Catholic Ministries of Connecticut will be the featured speaker. The proceeds from the event will help fund the Two-Way Youth Employment Project, which mentors and employs Hartford teens, 14 -17 years old on weekends and after school. The Two Way Project operates under the auspices of the North end Church of Christ at 687 Albany Ave. in Hartford.

Dinner Donation is $20 per person. There will be raffle drawings. You may pick up an event flyer from the Social Justice table in Fellowship Hall after services on Sept 16 and 23. You may RSVP directly to Nancy Bowden at 860-658-4557, or contact Carol Shoemaker 860-231-9440, Shai Cassell 860-930-4248 of GHICEJ for more information. - Carol Shoemaker

Caring Network - “I expect to pass through the world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
— Stephen Grellet, French/American religious leader (1773-1855)- You are the ears of the Caring Network. Diana Heymann is the Chair of the Caring Network. Please tell Diana (heydiana(at symbol)comcast.net) 860.461.0908, or call the office when you learn of any of our members enduring the stresses of life so we can reach out to those in need. - Offer your services. A wide range of community services are available to help you. Call InfoLine at 211.

Thursday, September 13
6:00 pm Music Sub-council, Library
7:00 pm Rental, Ballou
7:30 pm Rental, Chapel

Saturday, September 15
7:00 pm Rental, Sanctuary

Sunday, September 16
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
10:00 am Adult Programs Fair, Fellowship Hall
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 pm Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
12:00 pm Adult Programs Fair, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Monday, September 17
6:00 pm Caring Network Sub-council, Fellowship Hall
6:30 pm Survivors of Incest Anonymous, Fuller

Tuesday, September 18
12:00 pm Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice Clergy, Library
5:30 pm Disparities in American Healthcare Forum, Fellowship Hall
8:00 pm AA, Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, September 19
9:00 am Audio Task Force, Library
6:00 pm Dharma Gathering, Emerson
6:30 pm Tai Chi, Fellowship Hall
7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

Thursday, September 20
9:30 pm International Women’s Circle, Fellowship Hall
5:30 pm U Ha, Parking Lot usage
6:30 pm Performing Arts Sub-council, Clocher Home
7:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Saturday, September 22
10:30 am Rental, Chapel
7:00 pm Tierra Mestiza Concert, Sanctuary

Sunday, September 23
8:00 am Music Rehearsal, Chapel
9:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, CHAPEL
10:00 am Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
11:00 am WORSHIP SERVICE, SANCTUARY
12:00 pm Coffee Hour, Fellowship Hall
3:00 pm Rental, Chapel

Italicized entries are non-USH events. - Please notify Brian Mullen (233.9897) of all additions or changes to the calendar. More general calendar information covering several months may be found here

Artist and Activist Holly Near in Concert - co-presented by The Unitarian Society of Hartford, and Love Makes A Family, Saturday, October 20, at 7:30 PM at the Unitarian Meeting House, 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, CT. More information and ticket details.

Ministry Matters: Strengthening Lay & Professional Leadership - A program presented by the UU New England Conference - Saturday October 27, 2007 Beechwood Hotel, Worcester MA 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ($90 per person). You can download the pdf brochure that is available on this web page.

Taste of Ramadan - On Sunday, September 16th, the Muslim community of Greater Hartford invites people of all faiths to break fast with us and to experience the traditions of this spiritual month of Ramadan.

On September 13, 2007, the Muslim community in America and around the world begin the month-long fast of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month in the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset.

Taste of Ramadan offers people of all faiths an opportunity to learn more about Islam and about the Islamic community here in Connecticut. - WHEN: Sunday, September 16th, 2007 5:00-8:00 PM - WHERE: Newington High School Cafeteria
605 Willard Ave. Newington, CT 06111 - For More Information Call: 1-866-MCC-6440 or visit http://www.muslimcoalitionct.org

Two Rooms, by Lee Blessing - Directed by Jared Towler - (Our own Debi Freund appears) 9/21-30 More

Fall Seaside Get-Away - The UU Society of Martha’s Vineyard is hosting its annual Columbus Day B&B week-end October 6 to 8. More

Connecticut Humanists meetings schedule and newsletter available on the web.

Did You Know? - We have learned from the publication, Connecticut Climate Change, that Andy Bauer of Portland, Son of USH member and proud parent, Joyce J. Bauer, is one of seven award winners. Some may remember him at USH as one of the Bauer Twins.

According to the publication, Andy the award winner: "... teaches Technology Education at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury but when it comes to raising awareness abut climate change, his classroom extends throughout Connecticut. As a result of Andy's leadership, his hometown of Portland became just the second town in the state to commit to the 20% by 2010 Campaign, the first to make a municipal purchase under the CTCleanEnergyOptions program and one of the first to qualify as a Connecticut Clean Energy Community.

"He has shared his expertise on the subject with many other communities, houses of worship and civic organizations throughout the state. He has become a 'Johnny Appleseed of clean energy' in Connecticut. In addition, Andy has worked tirelessly to promote energy efficiency and reduce diesel pollution as a citizen leader of the Connecticut Climate Coalition and as Legislative Director for People's Action for Clean Energy."