newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts by newsandviewsjb

Colchester, CT 2017 Memorial Day Parade

Posted on May 29, 2017

    By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com Write-Up & Photos     The Colchester, Connecticut 2017 Memorial Day Parade was dedicated to the town’s former Army National Guard Unit, Company B 143rd Heavy Tank Battalion. Held Sunday, May 28, the parade and accompanying ceremonies were among many across the state and throughout the country. Memorial Day honors those who died in service to the nation. Company B 143rd Heavy Tank Battalion was deployed out of Colchester to Germany during the Korean War, according to the Norwich Bulletin. Parade Marshal Ray Ryan is said to be the last surviving member of that battalion.                                         The parade stepped off…

Categories: Memorial Day, NEWS

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Saying Good-Bye To K-9 Iko

Posted on May 24, 2017

Story by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com  Photos courtesy of Ofr. Steven Vesco   Don’t Grieve for Me I served you well. I loved you more than you could ever tell. I am now an angel in blue. I laid my life on the line for you. I wore my badge with honor everyday to keep citizens safe and out of harm’s way. So when you see a badge worn with pride, remember their comrades and friends that have died. – author unknown     Officer Steven Vesco was joined Monday morning, May 22, by fellow first responders in Windsor, Connecticut to say good-bye to retired police K-9 Iko. It was just a few months ago that Vesco was optimistic about Iko’s prognosis for recovery following…

Categories: NEWS, Police Dog Service, Police K-9/Handler Partnerships, Police K-9s

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Shad Derby Festival Green & Parade – A New England Tradition

Posted on May 22, 2017

  Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   A beloved New England tradition for more than half a century, sunny skies graced the 2017 Shad Derby Festival Green and Parade Saturday, May 20 in Windsor, Connecticut. Festival and parade-goers turned out in large numbers on this gorgeous day to enjoy what is a signature event of  Connecticut’s first town.   It started with a small – socially conscious – fishing derby in 1955. First held to clean up the Connecticut River and its banks in Windsor, which is situated at the confluence of the Connecticut and Farmington rivers and neighbors the state’s capital city. Over the years the Shad Derby has grown to become a highly anticipated spring ritual attracting thousands.   One…

Categories: Beloved New England Traditions, Festivals & Parades, Hometown America, NEWS

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Alex’s Lemonade Stand Fundraiser Draws Crowd in Windsor, CT

Posted on May 9, 2017

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Thanks to a little girl with a caring heart Alex’s Lemonade Stand was founded. A bouquet of flowers in hand having been crowned an honorary Shad Derby Princess, it is hard to imagine more than ten years have passed since that little girl – Alexandra Flynn Scott – battling neuroblastoma was surrounded on the Town Green in Windsor, Connecticut by the Shad Derby Queen and her court.     On May 5, once again the Windsor community – hometown to Alex’s parents Liz Flynn Scott and Jay Scott – turned out to surround the Scott & Flynn families with love and support for a fundraiser at Jim’s Pizza. Although Liz and Jay Scott relocated to Pennsylvania…

Categories: Alex's Lemonade Stand, NEWS, pediatric cancer

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“Riders Mount Your Horses” – Why is Kentucky Derby Day Special?

Posted on May 6, 2017

By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Even for those who do not typically follow horse races, the Kentucky Derby is an exception. First held in Louisville, Kentucky at Churchill Downs on May 17, 1875, it may well be the most storied Thoroughbred race in American History. The quality of the horses that compete in the Kentucky Derby is a major aspect of what makes it so special. It is not easy to obtain a berth in this race which is described as the longest running sports event in the United States. Aptly, the Kentucky Derby is characterized as “iconic.”    And, every horse has a story…   Today the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby will take place. Which magnificent 3-year old will come away…

Categories: Horse Racing, Iconic Events, Kentucky Derby, NEWS, Sports

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Expect Pepper & Promise At My Place

Posted on May 2, 2017

By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com     My morning began as it usually does, at the computer either writing an article or researching a story. About an hour into it, I stopped to prepare and cook some fresh vegetables for the day – broccoli and carrots. My nieces Debbie and Donna and my nephew’s wife Melane are all fabulous in the kitchen, and my sister Candy is becoming so – although time was when what she made best were reservations.   Truth be told, however, I’m not much of a cook. When it comes to cooking I have more in common with my niece Jillian who is fond of saying, “If I’m cooking, it IS a headline.” Actually, I am more at ease writing this piece…

Categories: Cooking - Maybe, Food, For the Love of Writing, My Cardiologist Said So.., NEWS

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Crullers – A New England Favorite

Posted on April 20, 2017

By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Crullers are a New England favorite. In fact, speculation is they have been part of the New England menu since the days of the Pilgrims. Now considered to be of the donut genre, it is interesting that the English settlers were so fond of crullers when as it turns out the origin of the name is Dutch – kruller, meaning to curl.   And curled or twisted they are, that is true crullers. Deep fried dough pastry. Imposters can be found at donut shops that shall remain nameless, but a flat appearance, often not thoroughly cooked dough and bland flavor are giveaways.   All that twisting apparently makes authentic crullers “labor intensive” thus explaining why they are becoming more…

Categories: Food, Independent Donut Shops, New England Favorites

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Enjoy the Nevers Park Walking Trails

Posted on April 7, 2017

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Prepare to smile, nod or say hello to everyone you pass along the walking/hiking trails at Nevers Park in South Windsor, Connecticut. Greetings for all are an unwritten code here.   The 137 acre multi-generational park has three stone dust trails of different distances, A, B & C. The longest trail is the most wooded. Each one is mapped out for visitors on a sign in the lower parking lot.   Located on the corner of Sand Hill and Nevers Road the park is directly across the road from the South Windsor Police Station and behind South Windsor High School. It is a popular and typically active recreational spot which also has a Rotary Pavilion available…

Categories: Connecticut Parks, Move More In April, National Walking Day, New England Walking Trails, NEWS, Recreation

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Centennial Commemoration U.S. Entrance Into World War I

Posted on April 6, 2017

Write-Up by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Today, April 6, 2017, marks 100 years since the United States joined the World War I fight “over there”. Titled “In Sacrifice for Liberty & Peace”, the National Centennial Commemoration of the Entry into WWI by the United States will be hosted in Kansas City, Missouri at the National World War I Museum. The anniversary has special meaning for me because my Great Uncle Frank Sheedy served in World War I. This past Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2016, I wrote about Great Uncle Frank in a newsandviewsjb post.       Uncle Frank was a modest man who would be the first to say he need not have a fuss made over him. Nonetheless, it is for those…

Categories: Centennial Commemoration U.S Entry Into W.W.I, Make the World Safe for Democracy, NEWS, War to End All Wars, World War I Museum

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Destination: “Ninety 99 Nine” Restaurants in Westerly, R.I. – Etc.

Posted on March 29, 2017

Write-up and Photos By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com    Among the “Ninety 99 Nine Restaurants” where I have eaten my favorite is in Westerly, Rhode Island. What makes this one so special? Location, location, location.   Immediately across the road from the highway connector that enables beachgoers to bypass downtown Westerly and head directly to Misquamicut State Beach and the Westerly Beaches, the restaurant has easy access off Airport Road. It is about three miles from the shoreline, which off-season is barely a ten minute drive but much longer during the summer when traffic is backed-up.   Best described as a “pub chain serving American fare”, regardless of their location the “99 Restaurants” where I’ve been have similar layouts – two sides for dining, a bar,…

Categories: Casual Dining, Food, NEWS, Restaurants

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