The holiday spirit was very apparent in the sixth grade at Peck Place School. Instead of having a holiday grab bag, sixth graders decided to adopt K – 2 students at the Hill Central Music Academy in New Haven and donate toys to them this Christmas season. The number of students who donated was overwhelming and the students were very proud to help their greater community.

Featured in the January 20th issue:

This year’s 5K Chilly Chili Run was anything but chilly as a record number of participants turned out to race in temperatures more common in May than on the first day of 2012. In all, 570 registered runners, 117 walkers, and hundreds of supporters and well-wishers attended the town’s annual event to benefit the Amity Teen Center. Lucky for those of us unable to attend, Laura Fantarella was at the event and has full coverage and photos in her front page story.

For Vicenta (Vi) Gibbons, one of the best parts about being named 2012 Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year was hearing how many of her peers nominated her for the award. The national honor is presented by the Connecticut Association of Schools to recognize outstanding school leaders who exhibit excellence in areas that range from leadership, curriculum, instruction, personal growth, to maintaining a positive school environment. “I was truly surprised,” said Gibbons, assistant principal at the Amity Middle School. “When they called to tell me I’d been nominated, I was told the awards committee had been swamped with letters from the Amity staff. Winning the award was just the cherry on the cake after that!” Read about this great honor to one of local educators in Laura Fantarella’s front page story.

If all goes according to plan, a typical workday for Colby Hine will be spent somewhere in the great outdoors, scaling mountains and glaciers, kayaking, backpacking and canyoneering. This spring Hine is planning to intern with Outward Bound, a non-profit company that organizes leadership programs designed to foster personal growth through experience and challenge in the wilderness. Hine recently returned to his Grassy Hill Road home after spending a four month adventure in the Outward Bound program, backpacking and rock climbing throughout Colorado, Utah and California before ending his trip on a farm in Ecuador. “I was in some of the wildest places I’ve ever seen,” Hine said. “It was the first time I had ever travelled in a desert or through canyons -- it was pretty awesome.” The experience was the first step in his journey to eventually work for the company as an instructor and team leader. Read all about Colby in Laura Fantarella’s hit column "Living Outside the Box".

Susan Noonan thought it was time to revisit another successful Orange restaurant, Shanghai Gourmet China Bistro. This special restaurant offers exotic Asian gourmet at its best and was reviewed by the New York Times in 2011. The restaurant received a “Worth It” rating and the N.Y. Times reviewer especially enjoyed the grilled lemongrass shrimp dish. This special dish offers several large shrimp seasoned with a lemongrass powder, plated with sliced mango, green beans, asparagus and sugar snap peas on a bed of Asian greens. Definitely a great honor for Winnie and Steven Guo who have owned Shanghai Gourmet for five years now. Read about this local favorite in her popular column "Dining with Susan".

Research is a wonderful tool to keep history straight and true but you have to analyze the data as thoroughly as possible to see if you spot any misaligned facts, especially dates. In the case of "The Rules", there is
no doubt that Orange’s five district schools were governed by these nine edicts as the date corresponds to the time the town had district schools. In 1909, they were consolidated into the Orange Center School, known as Mary L. Tracy, which was renamed in 1956. Initially there were four rooms, with 2 grades per room for the first to the eighth grade, and the district schools were abandoned. Read about the evolution of the Orange Schools in Ginny Reinhard’s History Corner article entitled “Did They Really Adopt Them?”

Tom Mannello of the Plantsville section of Southington has been named the 29th annual “Connecticut Wine Person of the Year” - 2011 by the Amenti del Vino - The Wine Society, and was honored at the 31st annual awards dinner of the regional wine group on Friday December 2 at Manchester Community College. Mannello, a retired United Airlines pilot and Air Force veteran, has been involved with wine since his childhood. In recent years Tom has become a premier award-winning home winemaker who has turned his hobby into a profession as he was recently selected to become the chief winemaker at Chamard Vineyard in Clinton. He has also worked for a regional wine supply shop offering advice on home wine making. Read about Tom’s expertise in Ray Spaziani’s “Wine Talk.”

Remember: The Orange Town News is the only newspaper that is distributed FREE to every home in Orange as well as every business in Orange, Woodbridge & Milford.

How can you help to maintain your community newspaper? Support Our Advertisers! Tell them that you read their ad in the Orange Town News.

If you have any suggestions or comments regarding the paper, please contact me at: rocky@orangetownnews.com.

Rocky Salperto - Publisher OTN

Bulletin Board

Al-Anon Parents Meeting, Monday nights, 7:30pm year-round, United Church of Christ, Plymouth Building, 18 West Main Street, Milford – supporting parents of alcoholics and/or substance abusers. For more information, go to www.ct-al-anon.org or call Margaret at (203) 877-4313.

Nicotine Anonymous Meetings, Mondays, 12:00 – 1:00pm, Trinity Lutheran Church, 21 Robert Treat Parkway, Milford, open to all, no dues or fees, only requirement is the desire to be free of nicotine. For more information, call Bridges, 203-878-6365.

Zumba Gold Classes At Congregation Or Shalom, Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m., Congregation Or Shalom, 205 Old Grassy Hill Road, simple and easy routines to follow, designed for people of all ages and no experience is needed. If interested, call Robin at 203.314.8176 or temple office at 203.799.2341.

Clean Energy Task Force of Orange, meets on the third Tuesday of every month at HPCC, 525 Orange Center Road, conference room, 8 o'clock. The public is invited.

Orange Arts & Culture Council meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month, 7:30pm, Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Road. The public is invited.

Orange Recycling Committee meets every 3rd Wednesday except for January, July & August, 7pm, HPCC conference room, 525 Orange Center Road, public is invited to attend. For more information, email Orangerecycles@gmail.com.

Blood Pressure Clinic presented by Gentiva & Maplewood of Orange, 1st Thursday of every month, Maplewood of Orange (formerly Laurel Estates), 245 Indian River Road, 1:30-2:30pm in the Community Room. No appointment necessary.

The Rotary Club Of Orange meets every Friday, 12:15pm at the Racebrook Country Club, 246 Derby Avenue; prospective new members may contact Diane Eger at 203-530-4526 or visit www.orangectrotary.org for information about the club.

Chabad of Orange~Woodbridge Weekly Puppet Show, Saturday Mornings, 11:30am, 261 Derby Avenue, puppeteers will captivate your children’s attention each week while learning about their Jewish Heritage, history & values; geared for children ages 3-8.

Orange Volunteer Fire Department Seminar on Autism, Tuesday, January 24, 202, 7:00 pm, Amity High School, 25 Newton Road, Woodbridge, CT, free of charge, RSVP to OFD167@gmail.com.

Orange Lions Club 8th Annual Winter Wine & Beer Tasting, Friday, January 27, 2012, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, HPCC, 525 Orange Center Road, featuring select wines and craft beers, light hors d’oeuvres soft drinks, and entertainment by local musician, Craig Calistro. Tickets/$20.00pp in advance, $25pp at the door, available from Orange Lions Club member, Forest Package Store at 444 Forest Road, West Haven or by calling chairperson Marianne Miller at 203-795-3906.

Congregation Or Shalom Wellness Expo, “Choosing Health and Happiness”, January 29, 2012, 1:00 pm, 205 Old Grassy Hill Road, free and open to the public, featuring different booths with traditional and alternative health care, free blood pressure screenings, free chair massages, topics on children’s special needs and a Nia demonstration.

Art in the Library, “Sisters in Art”, watercolor paintings by Lana Ho and pottery by Lillian Yung. February 1-February 28, 2012, Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Road, 2nd floor Art Gallery, Monday and Thursday 10-8; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10-5; Saturday 10-4. Artist reception Thursday, February 9, 5 - 7 p.m., snow date Saturday, February 11, 1 - 3 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

West Shore Lodge #2832 of the order of Sons and Daughters of Italy Meeting, Wednesday, February 1, 2012. Contact Al Errato at 203-932-3471 or Barb Santoro @ 203-934-6702 for more information.

Hooked On Crochet Guild Meetings, Saturdays on February 4, March 3, April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, August 4, September 8, October 6, November 3, and December 1, 2012, 10:00am-1:00pm, Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Road. For more information, email HOTSCrochetGuild@live.com, or visit www.HOTSCrochetGuild.yolasite.com.

Network Of Executive Women’s Monthly Luncheon Meeting, Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 12:15PM, Aldario’s Restaurant, Naugatuck Avenue, Milford, $17 members/$22 guests and members who register later than February 3/$5 to attend without eating. Joanne Hoffman, MS, of Eats4Life discusses everything you need to know about food labels. Register online at: http://www.networkofexecutivewomen.org/Luncheons.html.