Connecticut Green Living

I was substituting for a very responsible young teacher. She was one of the first, after my four months with New Haven Schools, to clearly write sub instructions both for full and partial lockdown. I had insisted weeks ago that the District should train subs on lockdown and other emergency protocol. I had been told by the outgoing superintendent Iline Tracey, via e-mail, to check with each school upon arrival. The Director of Emergency Operations Rick Fontana had sent me an emergency guide. I do appreciate all of this, but none of it is enough. When the principal came onto the P.A. yesterday, I was winding down with a group of fourth graders. They were lining up at the door for their teacher to pick them up. I tried not to have any reaction when I heard we were in partial lockdown, but perhaps my expression belied me. A little one looked up at me and said, "One time when we had one there was a coyote outside." The other teacher whispered back to me and answered my question...

For good reason, I have feared going out into the world over the past three and a half months. Yesterday I took three bus rides and on the second, I could have had my life put in jeopardy. I will only know if I come down with COVID-19 symptoms or get tested to find out. Here is what happened: I was on the Coastal Link bus here in Connecticut, gazing out the window, when an unstable and quite vocal disheveled character wandered aboard in front of Stop 'n Shop. He sat down and then got up and started to sing (badly) out the window. This immediately rattled me so I mentioned it to the driver, who called out but then ignored him. As I gazed out the window trying to calm my nerves, I suddenly heard something and turned to my left. He was at my side, crazed One-Flew-Over-The-Cuckoo's-Nest-like, cackling and writhing just inches from where my nostrils could absorb someone's viral droplets. "AAAAHHHH!!!! GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I shrieked. He toppled backward, as if...

In addition to freelance writing, I work part-time at an upscale market in Guilford, Connecticut. It has concerned me that I will have to go in and possibly expose myself to the virus, should an infected customer come through my line. I am not overly anxious about this, but anxiety will certainly grow the minute Guilford gets its fist confirmed case. Connecticut , as of today, has had two confirmed cases -- one of them a New York doctor who works at Bridgeport Hospital, and now a Wilton resident -- and those numbers will grow. How will the state's businesses respond to an outbreak and obvious need for employees to stay home? Seattle, Wash.-based Dorsey & Whitney is in the heart of the viral outbreak in the U.S., with the state suffering 136 cases so far, with 19 of them fatal*. They have put out a statement saying that the White House is considering deferring taxes for the cruise, travel and airline industries to help with the economic fallout, but more than that, the federa...

WASHINGTON (March 5, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 . “Using the correct disinfectant is an important part of preventing and reducing the spread of illnesses along with other critical aspects such as hand washing,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. He added that EPA is providing this information in "a public and transparent manner on disinfectant products to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 .” Products on EPA’s list of registered disinfectant products have qualified for use against COVID-19 through the agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen program, according to a statement issued today. This program allows product manufacturers to provide EPA with data, even in advance of an outbreak, that shows their products work against more virulent viruses than SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, ...

As you probably know by now, the world is facing a pandemic in the form of Covid-19 whose course is uncertain except for the assurity that it will get worse before it gets better. According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN, if contracted it is 20 times as lethal as the flu, even though the annual flu is more pervasive. The older you are, the greater the chance that you will develop the most severe symptoms. Most people will not die from the virus if contracted, but so much is still unknown, as Dr. Gupta would be the first to say. I have looked at the maps and see that Africa, for example, obviously must have more cases of the virus than are shown. I also reckon that many people may be symptomatic and not reporting, either due to naivety, inability to report (perhaps they are in remote locations or there are financial/language barriers to their being able to report), or fear of being ostracized. The best place to find information about the Covid-19 pandemic (also called Coronavirus) is...

I work one day a week at Fresh Market in Guilford, where I have had the pleasure of enjoying conversations with folks regarding everything from ginger root, turnips and bok choy to the value of almond milk and fair trade coffee . One thing that has perplexed me is how does one stay healthy during winter months when fruits and vegetables are no longer plentiful? Obviously, said f&vs are shipped in from around the country or from offshore, but what are the standouts? Other high-end "organic" stores in Connecticut offer what Fresh Market does: Whole Foods offers a tropical fruit mix and Trader Joe's (like F.M.) boasts Envy Apples (delicious). This is just a snapshot. Beautiful rows of tasty, healthful fruits and veggies entice the senses on a stroll through the aisles of all three stores. Further, families can offer their child a free banana or clementine at participating stores including Fresh Market and Stop 'n Shop . But the problem remains: during the heig...

I am not a scientist or even an expert on the effects of preservatives called parabens on the human body, but increasingly I have become worried about all the deoderant I use. My late mother rarely broke a sweat, but I did not inherit that gene. Perhaps due to a slight thyroid disorder (still indeterminate) coupled with being slightly overweight, I have a harder time staying as sweet-smelling as a lady should. That said, I have resisted so-called 'natural' deoderants. I tried one from Whole Foods, maybe it was Tom's (a perfectly good brand), but it did not do the trick. I jumped ship and returned to my Suave roll-ons. In London, where I attended grad school, I became addicted to the spray version of Suave (I do not think it's as dangerous as the old-school aerosol varieties). However, as a green living writer I began to realize I was a hypocrite, and I did not like how this smelled one bit. Problem solved, more or less: CRYSTAL Mineral Deodorants are paraben-free and ...

Full disclosure: I had to leave Connecticut in May for a job in the D.C. area, and I'm pleased with my decision. But that doesn't mean there isn't a tug at my heart from Milford, where I spent over a dozen summers, when farmers' market season rolls around. So let's start with the Downtown Milford Farmers Market . It is held every Saturday, June 17 through Oct. 14, except on Oyster Fest Saturday (Aug. 19), from 9 AM to 1 PM. Get there early, right as they open, and you'll gobble up the best squash, cucumbers, and (my favorite) peaches. Also remember to pluck jams or fresh flowers and plants from the myriad vendors who come in from all points throughout the Nutmeg State. Kids can devour popsicles, Mom can get her pierogie-on-wheels fix, Dad can rock out to any number of musical acts who grace the space - located at 58 River Street, right by the train station, in the parking lot behind Corner Convenience and Scratch Baking. Of course, Milford isn't the on...

The following article by the author originally appeared on Examiner.com June 11, 2016 I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't glad I'm more than halfway through this self-inflicted sugary deprivation week . I'd also be a liar if I said I had given up all  sugar this week - but it's really not my fault. I have realized more than ever that in America, land of the processed food obsession, it's really tough to find enough to eat sometimes if one wants to go sugar-free. For example, I'm on a tight budget. I was craving a breakfast sandwich. I looked at the labels and it just appeared nothing was sugar-free. I had no choice but to break my own ban in the guise of a sausage/egg/cheese/English muffin sandwich. (You don't want me passing out, do you?) I also decided I could buy some bread, after all, if it touts "no high fructose corn syrup" and 21 whole grains per serving, and is low in fat (also no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.) I see it...

The U.S. fitness boom has grown even as the obesity epidemic has also surged over the past decade or so. The popularity of adding high-tech twists to the American workout - i.e. with attachable exercise monitors (" wearables ") or stationary bikes with apps - seems to run counter to an exploding yoga craze. The high-tech versus low-tech yogis or Pilates practitioners would, nevertheless, appear to show that exercise is more important than showy and techy ways of doing it. Here in Connecticut, the state is not only peppered with yoga facilities but one is more apt to run into someone with a yoga mat than a set of weights these days. According to a joint 2016 Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance study , 34 percent of Americans say they are "somewhat or very likely" to practice yoga in the coming year, equal to more than 80 million Americans; and 37 percent of practitioners have kids under age 18 who also practice yoga. - The study also shows that yoga students spend $1...

The following lightly edited article was originally published by the author on Examiner.com, June 9, 2016 Today is day two of my " Seven Days Without Sugar Challenge " and so far, it's about as hard as I thought it would be. First, full disclosure - because I was unable to get to the store yesterday, I had to eat what I had on hand. I put cookies and candy far away, but unfortunately, that still left some sugary-filled items such as processed rice and chips. However, I did avoid cereal, didn't add powdered cream or sugar to my coffee, no sweets, and no bread. My consumption yesterday included two packets of Justin's almond butter and an apple; air-popped popcorn in sea salt and oil, adding balsamic vinegar and olive oil to some of it; a banana; an orange; coffee with vanilla (the extract) and cinnamon as needed; plain Earl Grey tea; and then...a packet of red beans and rice, sugar in the package! My favorite can of Petit Pois peas - sugar included!! I want t...

The following lightly edited article was originally published by the author on Examiner.com, June 8, 2016 Quitting smoking is a terribly difficult challenge. This writer tried in the eighties, only to resume the nasty habit in the mid-nineties. But eventually, it was mind over matter, and I quit in three days (smoking fewer and fewer cigs each day) in 2008. If only giving up sugar were that easy! Here in the US, refined sugar is in everything from spaghetti sauce to "healthy" breakfast cereals and bars. Fruit juice is one of the biggest culprits, with more per average serving than in many candy bars. The only way to really avoid juice sugar is to juice the fruit (or vegetables) yourself. Nevertheless, I'm taking on what I've coined the "No Sugar for Seven Days Challenge" and implore my readers to follow suit. Whether our motivation is losing weight, setting a good example for our kids or, in my case, stopping constant cavities and other dental woes, ...