You can’t keep O’Connor out of race

Farmington Coach Fights

Chris O'Connor coaching a Unified Sports track practice in Farmington. (4/29/09)

 

By KEN LIPSHEZ
Staff Writer – The Herald

FARMINGTON — Tell Chris O’Connor she can’t do something, then give her some time, stand back and watch the sparks fly.

O’Connor, a lifelong champion of female leadership through sports, taught in the Farmington school system for 35 years, reaping accolades that will fill a den wall. Now she’s coaching Unified Sports — soccer, basketball and track — at Farmington High, from which she graduated in 1968 as a top female athlete when those two words were seldom grouped.

….

But in  January, O’Connor heard those words that would make most mortals stop, shiver and weep. She had an abnormality on a mammogram. Given her outlook on life, she thought positive thoughts, but that ugly word — cancer — had invaded her world.

It neither stopped her nor affected her mission. (more)

Coach Chris O'Connor leads the Farmington Unified Sports track team during their warm up, before practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

Chris O'Connor coaching a Unified Sports track practice in Farmington. (4/29/09)

Chris O'Connor coaching a Unified Sports track practice in Farmington. (4/29/09)

 

Coach Chris O'Connor, positions athelete Alison Hung to receive the batton from partner Mary Hogan, during a Unified Sports track practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

Coach Chris O'Connor congratulates Unified Sports athelete Jeremy Hellman after track practice at Farmington High School. (4/29/09)

(4/29/09)

 

 

 

 

 

At trail conference, senator can’t escape AIG questions

All eyes on Dodd.

Senator Christopher Dodd(D-CT) at the Hill-Stead Museum to announce that President Barack Obama will sign into law, legislation to protect the Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail in Farmington, Connecticut.

 

By SCOTT WHIPPLE

Staff Writer – The Herald

FARMINGTON — Democratic U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd acknowledged Monday “that there are those who want my job 20 months from now, but that’s politics. It looks like it will be a mud-throwing campaign. I didn’t get elected to get re-elected. No one’s indispensable.”

Dodd and U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, were at the Hill-Stead Museum to announce that President Barack Obama will sign into law their legislation to protect the Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail. The MMM Trail has been administered by the Connecticut Forest & Parks Association for decades. Under land protection legislation passed last week by Congress, the trail will be designated as the ninth scenic trail in the country.

However, the senator was besieged by reporters with questions about donations from AIG. Three years ago, according to an e-mail from AIG Financial Products CEO Joseph Cassano, AIG executives and their spouses were pressured into donating to the senator because of his key role in the Democratic majority’s leadership.(more)

Senator Christopher Dodd(D-CT) at the Hill-Stead Museum to announce that President Barack Obama will sign into law, legislation to protect the Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail in Farmington, Connecticut.

A trail sign for the Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail in Farmington, Connecticut.

A small brook flows through the Woodland Trail, which connects with Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail in Farmington, Connecticut.

Senator Christopher Dodd(D-CT) listens as U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, speaks at the Hill-Stead Museum to announce that President Barack Obama will sign into law their legislation to protect the Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail in Farmington, Connecticut.

Transforming sand into art, art into hope

Monks Make Sand Mandala in Farmington, CT.

Ngawang Phuntsok, left, and Sangyal Gyatso, Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Gomang monastery in Southern India, work on a Medicine Buddha, sand mandala, by gently rubbing colored sand out of a metal pipe, at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. They will be working on the mandala all week, with the creation being finished on Friday. (3/2/09)

By JAMES CRAVEN
Staff Writer – The Herald

FARMINGTON — In the cafeteria at the University of Connecticut Health Center a confused mix of befuddled medical students, curious physicians and red-eyed families of patients meet, if only for a moment, with a group of Tibetan monks who exude an inner calmness that promises hope.(more)

Ngawang Phuntsok, a Tibetan Monk from the Drepung Gomang monastery in Southern India, works on a Medicine Buddha, sand mandala, by gently rubbing colored sand out of a metal pipe, at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. (3/2/09)

Sangyal Gyatso, a Tibetan Monk from the Drepung Gomang monastery in Southern India, works on a Medicine Buddha, sand mandala, at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. (3/2/09)

Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Gomang monastery in Southern India, create a Medicine Buddha, sand mandala, at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. (3/2/09)

A Tibetan Buddist alter at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. Pictured is the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of many Tibetan Buddists. (3/2/09)

Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Gomang monastery in Southern India, create a Medicine Buddha, sand mandala, at The Uconn Health Center in Farmington. The monks will be working on the creation all week, finishing it on Friday. (3/2/09)

A Unified Force

Unified Sports is a division of the Special Olympics, with games being practice and played at 120 schools across Connecticut. The sports available to students with mental disabilities follow the school’s sport season. The Farmington/Avon Unified Sports team play their games during the halftime of the girls and boys basketball games. The following pictures were taking during Unified Sports games at Farmington High School on January 6th, Jan. 13th and at their practice on February 4th.

Unified Sports athlete Ronnie Bonner practices his passing in the small gym at Farmington High School.

 

Unified Sports athlete Andrew Arboe eyes the basket while Alison Hung plays defense, during the Farmington/Avon Unified Sports practice at Farmington High School.

 

Unified Sports athlete Kieran BenKiki goes up for a shot during scrimage in the Farmington High School gym.

 

Unified Sports athlete Ronnie Bonner hands off the ball to athlete Grisselle Aviles during practice in the Farmington High School gym.

 

Andrew Arboe, white, and Tyler Harrison, maroon, take the tip off of the Farmington/Avon Unified Sports game.

 

Steven Gurski, left, and Andrew Arboe, on the bench with Coach Christine O'Connor during a Farmington/Avon Unified Sports game.

 

Athlete Grisselle Aviles and volunteer Marney Pollack at the Unified Sports Game during halftime at the Farmington Boys Basketball Game.

 

Unified Sports athlete Margaux Tufano gets congratulations after making a basket from Farmington High junior and Unified Sports volunteer Marney Pollack.

 

The Farmington Boys Basketball team congratulates the Unified Sports athletes after their halftime game. Larissa Jalinskas gets a low five from Farmington Boys Player Ben Pollack.