Thanks to technology, the Wallingford seniors have been able to enjoy countless hours of bowling without its traditional hassles. Last December, Health Net of Connecticut donated a Nintendo Wii to Wallingford’s senior center and it has been a hit ever since. Debra Voelker, the center’s program director says that “not only is it social and a way for them to exercise, but there are a lot of people who used to bowl who are just not physically able to do it anymore.” Eleanor Frank, an 82-year-old who hasn’t bowled in over 30 years enjoys playing with the other seniors and having a good time. “It’s a miracle,” said Frank after rolling a strike. “I couldn’t pick up a bowling ball and now i’m bowling a strike. This is just fascinating.” The game has become so popular that the center created a Thursday morning bowling league which accommodates 15 players at present. Ron Fitch, a 70-year-old Wallingford resident has been appointed league instructor, and hopes that others will start their own leagues so that Wallingford can challenge other senior centers from around the state. The program has also encouraged many seniors to become more active. One example is Lois Sprague, a 74-year-old Wallingford resident. “I enjoy playing because it lets me bowl again,” said Sprague. “With my wrist, I just couldn’t do it anymore, but I can do it this way.” With an eager as well as an active crowd cheering in support, it is no wonder why Lois Sprague and the other seniors have engaged themselves so fully into digital bowling.
Conflict Created Among Wallingford’s Board of Ed
Tuesday’s appointment of chairman and vice chairman to Wallingford’s board of education created unexpected conflict. On this day, Democrat Michael Votto was named chairman with the support of a three-member Republican minority, and Republican Thomas Hennessey was named vice chairman. Democrat Valerie Ford had vied for the title with Votto, but in the end she was denied the position of chairman. Democrat Carol Hayden (Ford supporter) as well as Ford claimed that Hennessey, the previous board chairman and part of the Republican minority, had told them that his decisive Republican minority (whom wanted to vote as a bloc) would swing in their favor. This was not the case. Despite alleged reassurances by Hennessey regarding the appointing process, Ford and Hayden lacked support, and Ford ultimately lost the position. “He led me to believe that he was supporting me and you saw what the payback was,” Hayden said. “He sold me out.” Ford also said that Hennessey told her that the Republicans would support her, but this was clearly not the case. Hennessey countered by saying “Valerie was told there wasn’t support for her, I had never been in conversation with Carol. Valerie knew going in that there wasn’t any support for her.” “We didn’t know where we wanted to go.” Hennessey said. “We had tremendously lengthy discussions on this. We came to a decision. That was going to be the only way we would do it, if all three of use would be together.”
Car Crash Shakes Community
A car crash on Williams Road in Wallingford 10 pm on Sunday, January 20th proved fatal for teen driver George McLean, 16 and passenger Tyler Priore, 15, students of Xavier High School in Middletown. The speed limit was 30 mph, but according to the Wallingford police, McLean was driving much faster the night he lost control, went airbourne, and crashed the windshield and hood of the car upside-down into a tree. McLean and Priore were killed instantly. Although the cause of the accident is still under police investigation, the conditions at the site indicate that the 2003 Nissan 350Z hit a mailbox on the east side of the winding street before crashing into the trunk of a tree several feet above the ground, then dropping back to the roadway, facing north. Another passenger, David Cajas survived and was reported in stable condition from Yale-New Haven Hospital the following day. Cajas reported that he was sleeping in a small space behind the front seats of the two-seat sports car at the time of the accident. Police assert this may have contributed to his survival. The classmates of McLean and Priore started a memorial Facebook page the day after the accident, expressing their shock and remorse. According to Matt Verrier, a Xavier student, 5 other deaths occurred in his class over the past 2 years.
