Waterville Blog 2014

It's 17 degrees at 6:30 a.m., with another inch or so of fresh "puff."

Here's the morning weather forecast from TWCNY:

"Lake Effect Snow, COLD the Rest of the Week

Lake snow showers remain in the forecast for today and it is going to be very chilly with afternoon highs in the upper teens and low 20s. Wind chills will be in the single digits and near zero.

We have some weak disturbances working through that will trigger more lake snow and area wide light snow showers so our weather is expected to stay on the unsettled side through about the end of the week. During this time period, temperatures will continue to run well below average with highs generally in the teens.

Getting into the weekend we may get some temporary relief from the bitter cold as temperatures climb closer to 30 degrees on Saturday."

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NEWS

Next Stop  -   The Carrier Dome

 Class C final - Fabius-Pompey vs. Waterville

Saturday, March 1 at 12:45 p.m.

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IN THE MAIL

As I wrote in yesterday morning's blog post, a controversy has arisen regarding the distribution of funds raised by the Mudfest event.  Here is a letter written by the originator of Mudfest, Daniel Williams, originally addressed "To the Editor:"

"I am thrilled to be back to work on the Daniel Barden Highland Mudfest. Our 2nd annual event takes place on Saturday, April 5th at MKJ Farm in Deansboro. Last year, with the overwhelming support of the local community, together we raised more than $80,000 for Daniel’s two remaining sibling’s college funds. We did more than that though. As a community we took on a collective challenge. For some of us, that challenge was physical; for others, it was emotional. The result of that challenge was an outpouring of love and kindness that buoyed the Barden family from the depths of grief. We are bringing that same spirit to this year’s Mudfest and we hope you are too.

"I made a decision to donate half of the proceeds of this year’s event to Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that was born out of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The other half of the proceeds will benefit Compeer, a local charity that establishes long-term mentoring relationships to benefit children and adults with mental health challenges. I never imagined that partnering with Sandy Hook Promise would cause people to believe that I am “anti-gun”. I am writing this letter to put that rumor to bed.

"Sandy Hook Promise is comprised of a team of people who were affected in some way by unimaginable grief. Some members of the team are parents of victims of the massacre and others were touched so strongly by what happened that day in Sandy Hook that they have made it their life’s work to lift people up.

"That is the goal of the Mudfest; to lift us all up from whatever place we may be in. Taking your body and mind of its comfort zone through intense physical exercise is the way to bring wellness to your soul. Mental wellness is the main priority for Compeer and Sandy Hook Promise.

"The parents of victims of the shooting who work at Sandy Hook Promise lost their child to a madman with a gun. They could have turned anti-gun. They didn’t. They know this is a complex problem that can’t be solved by eliminating guns. They know that Sandy Hook, and other countless shootings, are a result of poor mental health, inadequate parenting, disintegrating communities and then, guns. Guns that have fallen into the hands of people aiming to harm themselves or others.

"The position of SHP on guns is simple:

-Expanded background checks for internet and private sales (not interfamilial)

-Ammunition magazines limited to 10 rounds (the shooter at Sandy Hook used 30-caliber magazines)

"SHP is looking into ways to address mental wellness, community connectedness, and peer-to-peer programs. I think about what spirit Tammy Alcott sparked in our community with the Boilermaker Training Program. Commuters driving through our town on weeknights in the Spring must think to themselves what a healthy, connected village Waterville is. This is the spirit of which I would like to continue. I would love to start my own mentoring program that aims to get kids outside to reconnect with nature. I feel tremendous benefits of my time spent in the wilderness with my family.

"I could sit on the sidelines with my wife and kids and believe that we are all healthy and safe. By doing this, I would be neglecting the idea that so many of our youth and adults are in need of mental wellness programs. I woke up to this fact a few months before the shooting at Sandy Hook. Then, Daniel’s cousin delivered one of the eulogies at his funeral. Her last message resonates with me to this day. 'We are deeply grateful to all of you and beg your indulgence for one more favor; please think back on the beautiful life that Daniel Barden knew for seven short years. Honor that life by increasing the number of helpers in our world by behaving like one yourself. If you see something broken, fix it; if you can intervene and spare someone pain, do so; and if you know you have a moral obligation to speak out against what you feel needs to change, then stand up and speak'.

"In my opinion, the folks on the far left and far right have been speaking too much, and they are way too loud. We, the silent majority, trudge along day after day just trying to get through life. I talk to so many people who say things such as,"We can't stop this from happening. This is just the way the world is today." Henry Ford said, "If you think you can do a thing or you think you can't do a thing, you’re right." Those that know me know that I'm not going to take the quitter’s path. I only need to look at my kids to draw the strength to continue to fight for common sense and a safer world.

"For those of you who had the privilege to attend last year’s event, we hope you are ready for this year! You can look forward to burning canoes, more obstacles and six bands at the finish, among other surprises.

To learn more about us visit us on the web: bardenmudfest.org. I look forward to getting my mud on with you all again this year.

Thanks,

Dan Williams"

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ALSO IN THE MAIL ....

From Gretchen Maine, who had just finished reading "Fella" by Dr. Dan Gilchrist:

 "Awesome book. I laughed, I cried, and felt every emotion in between. If I had any criticism, it would be that it should be another 200 pages long!!!"

Thanks, Gretchen!

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- and a note from Kris Eisenhut at the Kountry Kafe that read: "Could you would you please mention that Wednesday Night we are having Chicken N Biscuits 4-8:00 pm."

I replied:  "Sounds good, but - unfortunately - I have a pretty firm rule: I don't promote special menus or events for businesses unless the sales in some way benefit a not-for-profit organization or a family/person in need. Otherwise, I'd be overrun with weekly 'specials' from every eating establishment around, and that really should come under the heading of 'paid advertising' -- something I just don't want to get into."

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For Today's Events, please scroll down to yesterday morning's post.

And please note that I have changed the link to the Obituary for Kristen Truitt.

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Have a good day, everyone!