After surveying 63,253 subscribers, Consumer Reports found that Verizon Wireless was the highest-rated cell phone carrier.

The survey asked people to rate four major carriers, including Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T. They were asked about voice and data service quality, support and resolution of issues. Consumer Reports said that Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T all received much lower marks for the quality of voice and text service.

For the full report, go to ConsumerReports.org or the January 2013 issue of Consumer Reports.

Do you think Verizon has the best service? Have you tried more than one cell phone carrier?                     

Take our poll and tell us in the comments.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 76 High Street, Middletown, will hold its final service on December 2nd at 9 a.m., ending 119 years as the home of its congregation. St. Paul has now consolidated with Christ Lutheran Church in Middletown to form Faith Lutheran Church.

Founded by German immigrants who came to Middletown to work in local factories, the St. Paul congregation has evolved into a diverse group of members of various nationalities.

The church building, which fronts on High Street and has its fellowship hall behind it on Oak Street, is being sold to the congregation of The Open Door Missionary Baptist Churchand the Reverend Mack Elder, which has been worshiping in the church for a year.

St. Paul has been a resilient congregation, suffering from intense discrimination during World War I when it changed its namefrom the German Evangelical Lutheran Church to St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, to be more accepted in the community, to a devastating fire on Christmas Eve of 1955,which forced worshipers to meet in the new church hall until the sanctuary was rebuilt.

A large painting of the Ascension of Jesus, imported from Germany, was severely damaged in the fire and lovingly restored by congregation member Elsie (Binke) Lee and will hang at Faith Lutheran Church, the new name of the combined congregations, which now worship at the former Christ Lutheran Church building at 300 Washington Street.

For comments about St. Paul’s final service, please contact Deanna Ray, President of the Church Council, at 860-347–6068.

This above information came from a press release from the church.

Nov. 30

Timothy A. Williams, 50, 1436 Town Colony Drive, Middletown, was charged with a violation of a protective order on Nov. 29. He was released on a $25,000 non-surety bond. Court date: Nov. 30.

Melissa Latronica, 28, 36 Russell St., Apt. 1E, Middletown, was charged with operating with a suspended license, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, third-degree larceny/motor vehicle theft, interfering with an officer and second-degree reckless endangerment on Nov. 29. Latronica was held on a $50,000 bond. Court date: Nov. 30.

David M. McKee, 47, 477 Route 68, Durham, was charged with driving under the influence, a failure to drive in the proper lane and driving in violation of a license classification on Nov. 23. McKee was released on a $500 non-surety bond. Court date: Dec. 12.

Dominick Santamaria, 45, 31 Wells St., Niantic, was charged with third-degree assault on Nov. 25. Santamaria was released on a $500 non-surety bond. Court date: Dec. 3.

Nelson E. Garcia-Rawlins, 22, 123 Saybrook Road, Middletown, was charged with not having proper insurance, driving with a suspended license, and a failure to stop on the right on Nov. 25. Court date: Dec. 3.

The following was provided by the Middletown Town Clerk's office.

• Charlotte Williams of Portland to Middlesex Habitat for Humanity Inc., on Nov. 28, 201 Liberty St., $27,500.
• Estate of Bernadine C. Anderson of Boston Ma., to Trisha A. Bold of Middletown, on Nov. 20, 55 Lisa Lane, $250,900.
• Ian Keopper of Middletown to Christopher Ogorzalek of Portland, on Nov. 27, property on Villa Street, $35,500.
• Anthony P. Marino, Trustee, to Middlesex Hospital of Middletown, on Nov. 26, 117-121 Main St., Ext., $1.6 million.
• David Goncalues of New Haven to Mark Martucci and Bethany Rataic of Middletown, on Nov. 26, 92 Cynthia Lane, C-1, $105,000.
• U.S. Bank National Association, Trustee of Boston Ma., to Tarek Khan and Tashma Khanum of Middletown, on Oct. 12, 551, 553, 55 Main St., $1.4 million.
• Volman Rental Properties LLC of Shelton, to Rafik and Shamim Bhuro, on Nov. 15, 201 Burgundy Lane, $60,000.
• Esther B. Waller of Middletown to Robert Russo of Middletown, on Nov. 20, 59 Kelsey St., $210,000.
• Summit Middletown LLC to Brenda Dill of Middletown, on Nov. 20, 33 Bartlett Hollow Road, $289,261.
• Gregory Pulasia of Middletown to Thomas J. Domkowski of Middletown, on Nov. 20, a portion of 519 Miner St., $20,000.
• Elizabeth Davis of Salisbury to Anthony Failla of Middletown, on Nov. 20, 129 Boardman Lane., $233,500.
• Estate of Alice Mae Habelman of Middletown to Richard and Kathy Care of Middletown, on Nov. 19, 184 Newtown St., $180,000.
• Nancy F. Kuskey of Portland to Sarah Briggs and Louis Frangione, on Nov. 19, 78 Bielefield Road, $115,345.
• Estate of William Flanigan Sr., of East Haddam to Sarah Briggs and Louis Frangione, on Nov. 19, 78 Bielfield Road, $57,672.
• Estate of Annie B. Flanigan of Cromwell, to Sarah Briggs and Louis Frangione, on Nov. 19, 78 Bielfield Road, $10,881.
• Timothy Ericson to Kimberly Ericson of Middletown, on Nov. 16, 65 Charles Mary Drive, $400,000.
• James Pavelka and Robert Paul of Killingworth to Walter Wyskiel Jr., of Middlefield, on Nov. 16, 81 Middlefield St., $120,000.
• Estate of Gregg A. Sauer of Fairfield to Robert H. Russell Jr., of Middletown, on Oct. 31, 126 Newfield St., $175,000.
• Brian Dawe of Somerville, Ma., to Jessica Diuiesta of Middletown, on Nov. 12, 403 Westfield St., $215,000.
• Loo Pacacha, Committee for Sale, of Middletown to Pitt Mortgage Corporation of Mount Laurel New Jersey, sold on March 26 and recorded on Nov. 16, 212 Forest Glen Circle, $117,165.
• Barbara L. Annelli of Middletown to Aric Aquino of Rocky Hill, on Nov. 15, 91 Newtown St., $105,000.
• Richard J. Karas of Hudson, Fla., to Christina Edwards of Middletown, on Oct. 29, 858 Bear Hill Road, $276,500.

Just about everyone on your holiday gift list would appreciate a home-made item including this chocolate and peanut bark - a very addictive combination of salty and sweet.                          

This makes a great gift to make now for neighbors, friends, co-workers and others.

Even though you are making candy, this recipe doesn't require the fuss of a candy thermometer. Anyone who has tried candy-making and failed knows that a simple recipe is certainly welcome at the holidays.

Chocolate, Peanut & Cranberry Bark

2 T brown sugar

3 T corn syrup

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups salted peanuts (keep whole)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried cranberries, if large, cut in half

1/2 tsp. espresso granules (optional, but it brings out the chocolate flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.  Add the peanuts and toss well, coating them completely.

Pour the mixture on the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Watch this carefully - you want the mixture to be a deep golden brown, but not burnt.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Place semisweet chocolate chips in a large microwave bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. This should melt them completely.  If not, microwave in additional 10-second intervals until melted, stirring after each heating.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of waxed paper.

Add to the melted chocolate the peanut mixture, cranberries and espresso granules. Stir well, coating every piece in chocolate.

Spread evenly on the wax-paper lined pan, in one layer. Refrigerate until set.

When ready, break bark apart in uneven pieces, or cut with a large knife.

You can place pieces in individual gift bags or on a holiday plate, add some ribbon and you are done!

Adapted from a recipe in Good Housekeeping Magazine.

Supermodel Heidi Klum is lending her efforts to victims and families affected by Superstorm Sandy. Klum will help distribute supplies, food, and water in the afternoon on Sunday, Dec. 2 at the American Red Cross Nassau Chapter in Mineola, NY, in partnership with the American Red Cross, AOL, and Patch.

After, Klum will go to Lindenhurst, NY, for the tree lighting with Mayor Thomas Brennan.

Klum's efforts are a reminder that these communities still need help rebuilding. Here's how you can help:                               

Donate to the American Red Cross, Long Island Cares, or Island Harvest.

And, you can help rebuild communities that were hit by Hurricane Sandy by simply sending a tweet: Patch’s effort to help support devastated communities after the storm, Patch Rebuilds, will donate $1 to the AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fund, up to $125,000. with every tweet sent with the hashtag #PatchRebuilds. 

Your contribution will go toward medical and humanitarian aid, grants and programs to help Sandy survivors.

Just tweet the hashtag #PatchRebuilds, or go to our Patch Rebuilds website, rebuilds.patch.com, and send your tweet directly from the site.

Here is the list of students all of the students who made the Honor Roll at Middletown High School.

Grade 9 – High Honors:  Asma Akter, Marcus Alleyne, Christopher Amleto, Owen Andrew, Rachel Angle, Dominick Aronson, Evan Augeri, Irfan Bhuiyan, Arianna Biales, Max Breton, Matteo Cavaliere, Madelynn Connelly, Claire Curran, Connor Dale, Thomas Davidson, Alexandra DeFrance, John Doherty, Leianna Dolce, Sabrina Doolgar, Julia Drachenberg, Daniel Feener, Sarah Ferrigno, Zachary Fitzner, Samantha Fletcher, Peter Flynn, Jamie Gassman, Lauren Godbout, Sydania Grady, Kara Greatsinger, Thomas Hale, Jonathan Haller, Erika Hojda, Benjamin Johnson, Tatym Kachinsky, Dhruv Kekare, Mary Kelly, Emily Kral, Keith LaChance, Emmalyn Lecky, Katrina Little, Kayla Little, Rajshree Marhatta, Frhana Mariya, Carly Martin, Evahna McDaniel, Zahria McDaniel, Nathaniel Melendez, Michelle Messer, Melanie Moreno, Eric Olerud, William O’Reilly, Kierah Parker, Anthony Petruzzello, Alexia Radkermani, Linnea Reich, Andre Rogers, Hanna Rugh, Victoria Schaff, Kayleigh Shettleworth, Mackenzie Smart, Elizabeth Smith, Lee Smith, Adrianna Spada, Nicolas Talbot, Kaitlyn Tomer, Caylen Williams, Jeffrey Winter, Lydia Wolfe, Jordan Yap, Yan Zhao 

Grade 9 – Honors:  Adrianna Arocho, Nicole Augeri, Devin Ayala, Daniel Botti, Caleb Bowe, Nicholas Brenchak, Amalia Cardella, Kayley Chapeton, Ashley Comeau, Jeffrey Daniels, Jennifer Diaz, Kavan Drake, Evan Dunn, Andrew Fazzino, Emily Folsom, Corey Freer, Brianna Gabriel, Benjamin Gilliland, Shawna Gilson, Anthony Grenier, Juliana Harris, Brian Higgins, Erin Hughes, Ryan Kardas, Bryan Kirby, Michael Lentini, Janis Lucarelli, Emma Luther, Emily Lynn, Shariffah Mason, David Michaud, Zalan Mumtaz, Shannon Noetzel, James Olsen, Nicole Onas, Gilianne Oyola, Elizabeth Rambhia, Kyle Rand, Benjamin Salazar, Aidalyn Santana, Lena Santoro, Kyle Sheltra, Andrew Smith, Julia Solecki, Aisha Spears, Nathaniel Spencer, Shanice Spivey, Taylor Swanson, Ijah Teape, Christopher Tewksbury, Simran Thakur, Luke Timmons, Sandra Valerio, Mahogany Weston, Marvyn Whittaker, Chelsea Winborne, Lawrence Wu

Grade 10 – High Honors:  Naterkuo Adjoka-Nartey, Jan Carlos Berrios, Danielle Berry, Marissa Bowen, Adriel Centeno, Jocelyn Deren, Madison Feshler, Kellie Gambell, Haley Greco, Olivia Hunter, Kelli Knapp, Madeleine Landry, Miranda Langmaid, Alyssa LaRosa, Brittany Leary, Brooke Maxfield, Saket Pandit, Danielle Salazar, Kendar Serindag, Olivia Sprague, Cameron Steadman, Isaiah Thompkins, Cheyenne Tillman, Ryan Vecchitto, Shaileen Velez, Taylor Williams, Lily Zhao

Grade 10 – Honors: Kaitlyn Beaudry, Julia Beckwith, Filip Bicki, Marisa Bishop, Amanda Bomely, Kevin Bonaparte, Amanda Bowen, Joshua Broome, Tyrell Brown, Jordyn Carraway, Christopher Connelly, Katherine Connelly, Matthew Dagenais, Kelsey Dimauro, Thomas Dimauro, Sophia Donadio, Stephanie Giardina, Valeria Gonzalez, Kylie Guevarez, Hannah Hale, Snani Hart, Daniel Hawkins, Dario Highsmith, Christie Hilversum, Martin Hines, Jennette Hummel, Logan Hunter, Victoria Koch, Katerin Konstantinidis, Enya Kydd, Benjamin Lanza, Vanessa Lastrina, Maksymilian Leniart, Taylor Lombardo, Nicholas Manos, Julie Marszalek-Baldyga, Abriella Mayon, Christopher McGrath, Jean Medina-Salazar, Anthony Melillo, Gabriela Mikunda, Jeremy Morales, Anthony Moran, Miranda Murphy, Taylor Muscatello, Alexander Oddo, Shraya Patel, Jared Pflaumer, Maxine Philavong, Christina Pizzuto, Ashley Polson, Nathan Pope, Christopher Rodo, Caleb Roy, Jenny Scheer, Andrew Scianna, Kevin Scotton, Daanail Shafqat, Salvatore Sienna, Emma Silverman, Garrett Silverman, Wendy Smith, Jade Steinback, Olivia Strohm, Mackenzie Terminello, Jessie Trageser, Robert Varszegi, Kenneth Vaughan, Kayla Walsh, Micayla Westerberg, Savon Williams, Ramon Yang

Grade 11 – High Honors:  Marissa Aldieri, Samantha Angle, Robert Baran, Hannah Breton, Lauren Bridges, Lorissa Cardoze, Kaylee Carter, Leon Chandler, Nathaniel Chapin, Mikaela Coady, Kyra Culup, Alexis Dandrade, Darryl Drake, Michael Durso, Gabriella Edwards, Micheca Fevrius, Darcy Firebaugh, Keidy Garcia, Matthew Garofalo, Andrew Gilliland, Albert Hawkes, Angela Holley, Alexander Kordonskiy, Olive Kuhn, Alissa Lancia, Anika Lanser, Benjamin Lebow, Alexis Little, Haley McDonald, Kerste Milik, Maximilian Molski, Alexis Morosky, Nicholas Mroczka, Lucas Myers, Terry Nguyen, Alex Nivison, Evan Ochoa, Makayla O’Reilly, Morgan O’Sullivan, Alexander Pandolfe, Ana Peralta, Mary Reinsch, Amber Rigdon, Nicholas Rodo, Brandon Rowe, Haley Rugh, Jeffrey Santi, Philip Santoro, Benjamin Schaff, Theresa Sidorski, Mackenzie Steadman, Sarah Stefurak, Szymon Szarek, Vanessa Vetrano, Sunni Whitmore, Thomas Woodcock, Jing Rong Yu

Grade 11 – Honors:  Marco Amleto, Kyle Amtmanis, Bailey Basiel, Fazon Bell, Gregory Bibisi, Markequis Blake, Shahan Bukhari, Mary Cantwell, Sara Carey, Julian Carraway, Cody Carrillo, Michal Ciebielski, Samuel Clark, Giuliana David, Conner Dickes, Bradley Domkowski, Na’im Edens, Alexandra Fazzino, John Flynn, Aja’ Gaskins, Matthew Gotta, William Gritzuk, Daniel Gustafson, Iglika Hadjiyska, Timothy Harvey, Kimberly Hedger, Arabia Henley, Jacob Homar, Bethany Hong, Sarah Isaacson, Quanesha Johnson, Victoria Kaspar, Simran Kaur, Christopher Lane, Danielle Lau, Anthony LeClair, Derik Ledeatte, Alexander Long, Robert Magrath, Liza Mrino, Shannon McCabe, Eleni Medici, Rohan Mehra, Rebecca Mierzejewski, Ashley Muzik, Kersti Noetzel, Corinne O’Toole, Jessica O’Toole, William Prevatte, David Schneider, Mason Schoffstall, Jaimie Simmons, Michael Stielau, Stephanie Vopelak, Sydney White, Samantha Wilkins, Jeffrey Woodcock

Grade 12 –  High Honors:  Bailey Andrew, Alyssa Annino, Robert  Arendt, Karli Aresco, Ryan Bailen, Keiona Bell, Siena Biales, Daniel Bibisi, Fatima Bishtawi, Cara Brainard, Taylor Brenchak, Heather Cardoza, Drew Cietek,Kailey Curran, Kristina DeAngulo, Erin Deleon, Tristan Donaldson, Samantha Driver, Neslihan Elmali, Erin Fazzino, Michelle Gagnon Smith, Samantha  Gambino, Abbey Girasuolo, Nathaniel Gorry, Katelin Greatsinger, McKenzie Guevarez, Jeremy Hall, William Hawkins, Ty’Taviana Hayes, Nicholas Higgins, Lauren Hodge, Sumiko Honer, Gina Jarzabek, Shanice Johnson, Megan Lacombe David Lane, Claire Laroche, DeAsia Lawrence, Karla Lazo, Brandon Lepore, Brandon Martinez, Elizabeth Marx, Thomas McAlear, Liam Mellaly Zachary Moller-Marino, William Molski, Lisamarie Morales, Joshua Morris, Sabikun Nahar, Craig Nakatsuka, Carolyn Ornato, Christian Outlaw, Nicholas Owen, Dhruvi Patel, Sally Pheng, Christopher Polson, David Price, Chelsea Rak, Jose Ramos, Harrison Roberts, Patricia Santos, Beyza Sariaydin, Madiha Shafqat, Kendal Souza, Haley Stafford, Michael Stratton, Patrick Sullivan, Cheyenne Summer, Sara Sumner, Zachary Thomas, Lydia Tonkonow, Mehmet Topal, Ava Varszegi, Alicia Waldner, David Westby, Courtney White, Kelley Wu, Juan Yu, Brianna Zecchini

Grade 12 – Honors:  Jeffrey Barbour, Samatha Bendolph, Jada Brackett-Bell, Carissa Bradley, Conner Cassidy, Akeino Chamberlain, Nicholas Chhoeun, David Ciezynski, Gabrielle Cintron, Tyrice Clarke, Brianna DeAngelis, Ryan Dickinson, Jack Dimauro, Abigail D’Onofrio, Tyler Downer, Maya Eriksen, Kara Faraci, Rebecca Fazzino, Heric Flores-Huerta, Katrina Forman, Dante Futia, Travis Garboski, Erin Gardell, Paul Gaul, Rebecca Gauvin, Dylan George, Spencer Gilbody, Rebecca Hale, Karina Hernandez, Kendra Hill, Da’nisha Hoggard, Christopher Jones, Pritesh Kapadia, Kevin Kiniry, Ryu Kydd, Zachary Lanza, Lindsey Lindskog, Nathan Linklater, Amanda-Rae Lubee, Dylan Marks, Vernon McDaniel, Patrick Michaud, Mark Overstreet, Kelly Price, Abigail Quinones, Brandon Quinones, Nicole Rivera, Hayley Rocha, Jasmin Rosado, Rebekah Roy, Cameo Russell, Denese Samuels, Adriana Santiago, Gregory Schneider, Morgan Tetrault, Michael Tewsbury, Ashley Tucker, Shaiquan Turner, Alyssa Walsh, Annika Warrier, Danielle Whalen, Shane Wickham Devante Williams, Samuel Yount, Nicholas Zanette, Jerrod Zimmer

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Harbor Freight Tools, has announced a voluntary recall of cordless drills sold at the stores.

Harbor Freight has an outlet at the Tr-City Plaza on Route 83 at Vernon Circle.

About 108,000 were sold by Harbor Freight, based in Camarillo, CA, the agency said.             

The black trigger switch on the 19.2v cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers, according to the agency. Harbor Freight Tools has received one report of a drill overheating and burning through the handle of the unit, which resulted in a consumer receiving a minor injury, according to the agency.

The recall involves the Harbor Freight Tools drill model 96526. The drills are blue and black and have a black trigger switch. They have a 19.2v rechargeable battery pack. The drill's model number is located on a yellow label on the left side of the drill. "Made in China" appears in black and red lettering on a yellow warning sticker located on the right side of the unit.

The drills were sold at Harbor Freight Tools stores nationwide, via catalog and online at www.harborfreight.com from April, 2008 through May 2012 for between $27 and $30, according to the agency.

They were manufactured in China, according to the CPSC.

The agency indicated that consumers should stop using the recalled drill immediately, remove the battery and contact Harbor Freight Tools to receive a free replacement drill.

Consumers can contact Harbor Freight Tools at 800 444-3353, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, or www.harborfreight.com and click on Recall Safety Information under Customer Service for more information. Consumers can also e-mail the company at recalls@harborfreight.com.

To view the recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml13/13047.html

The recall was announced Wedensday.

Want to help a hero during the holidays? You can do so by buying or--better yet--making by hand a Christmas or holiday card. Address it "Dear Service Member," sign it with your name, and send it to the address below. Please be sure to read the full guidelines listed.

This would make a great holiday project for a class, or for your children this coming weekend! If you make some cards, take pictures and share them with this story, so that others might get some ideas!

Not sure how to make a card? Here are some tips from About.com, along with links for Christmas and New Year's quotations and sayings.

About.com Quotations guide, Simran Khurana, has a wealth of great quotations on her site. There are quotations here for many occasions and rubber stampers will find plenty of interesting ideas and inspiration amongst her articles. Simran has listed some of her own favorites, as well as many other top Christmas quotations in these articles:                          

• Quotations suitable for Christmas Cards
• Funny Christmas Quotations
• Christmas Poems and Quotations
• Merry Christmas Quotations

Simran has also published some other great quotations that are suitable for use over the holiday season and these include:

• Funny New Year Quotations
• New Year Quotations for Friends
• Top 10 Friendship Quotations
• Funny Friendship Quotations

Here is the information from the Red Cross website:

Each year the American Red Cross provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of our nation’s 24 million veterans. We support military families, military and veterans hospitals and provide emergency communications across the globe. And once a year, we get the joy of delivering holiday cards to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world.

The cards and personal messages, sent by tens of thousands of Americans, provide a welcome “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.

Visit our YouTube channel to see Red Cross volunteers distributing cards and messages in previous years: Holiday Mail for Heroes YouTube playlist.

Each year we collect cards between October and early December and then distribute them at military installations, veterans hospitals, and in other locations.

Throughout the year, you can make a difference with a monetary gift to Help Military Families through the Red Cross. Your donation can help change a military family’s life. Donate Now.

There are several ways to be part of the Holiday Mail for Heroes program. In addition to sending cards on your own, you may want to start making plans to host card signing parties or card making parties. Here are a few guidelines to help you on your way:

Card Guidelines:

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

• Ensure that all cards are signed.
• Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.
• Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.
• Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.
• Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process.
• Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.
• If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes                                
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O. Box is Friday, December 7th.
Holiday cards received after this date cannot be guaranteed delivery.

There’s a new app on the market, and it’s centered just on the audio of Middletown.

It’s called MiddletownRemix, and it’s a collaborative, place-based sound project that enables participants to develop and express the acoustic identity of Greater Middletown, and to explore and experience the soundscapes of the city, according to the project’s website.

“We are collaborating to create a sound portrait of Middletown using technology and create art together as a community,” the site read. “Our hope is to create a rich database of Greater Middletown sounds and develop a project that invites collaboration city-wide, inspires intentional listening that challenges or changes perceptions of the city and reveals the composer within everyone. We believe that if people listen deeply, they will see more.”

Check out more about the app on the MiddletownRemix website.

The app is part of UrbanRemix, a collaborative and locative sound project created by engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Here are the local, associate partners: Middletown Public Schools, Middletown Commission on the Arts, North End Action Team, and Middletown Arts Cooperative (MAC650). Support partners are the Community Health Center of Middletown, NoRA Cupcake company, Middletown Framing, and The Buttonwood Tree. Supported by grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

I envy the organized souls who manage to fully decorate their homes for the holidays before the Thanksgiving leftovers ripen and the refrigerator clears of expired odors. How is this possible? Where do they find the motivation? I just dumped the last of of the cranberry relish, while some of my neighbors hung evergreen wreaths with ribbon. From the street, illuminated candles shine brightly in each window and the Christmas trees are up, trimmed and ready for Santa. No pressure.                            

I finally tossed the dead mums left over from Halloween, yet a rotting pumpkin managed to find its way behind one of the rhododendron bushes. Until recently, it provided much needed nourishment for the spastic squirrels of South Main Street. Its shredded pulp and seeds had scattered around the yard.

Although the intentions of transporting the remains to the compost pile was a priority, other distractions always seemed to follow. Above the decomposing (and frozen) pumpkin, the autumn wreath on the front door sits outdated; cold, alone, awkward and sad ... like the previous season’s 75 percent off rack at Target.  

Venturing down to the cellar, pulling out the ten-plus bins of red and green Rubbermaid containers, takes a little persuasion. When the children were younger, there was much excitement and anticipation with the decorating. I’ve found that with age comes less motivation and pressure ... at least in my house. There’s more of a  priority to clean up one messy holiday before making another. I need time to recuperate  from the gluttonous nature of Thanksgiving, clear the head and mentally prepare for the tornado of Christmas cheer.  

We all love the traditional decor of the holidays. The smell of pine, the evergreen garland on the staircase, the tree and lights, the expanding collection of nutcrackers and the bright poinsettias placed about the house. We used to switch out the everyday dishes with Christmas dishes. Unfortunately, the box seemed to get heavier each year, making it less of a prerequisite for decorating neurosis. 

Transforming the house to the traditional holiday decor, is no Normal Rockwell painting.  It takes work, a little bit of skill, organization, a few arguments and many hands. We usually decorate as a family, but since the kids are active teenagers, coordinating their schedules with ours requires a trick or two. Sure, it will all get done, but unlike more organized individuals, I’d prefer to wait for December or until the squirrels finish dining on their prized pumpkin.    

It seems everywhere I go, more and more people are ahead of the game. Year after year, the holiday madness seems to begin earlier and earlier. People waiting in line for super savings, Christmas cards already wedged in the mail pile, holiday party RSVP’s sent out and Christmas music in every grocery store, restaurant and mall. Shoppers compete for parking while retailers advertise, “Black Friday all month.” Joy to the world! 

I’m beginning to feel like a minority with Scrooge-like tendencies. Getting up at 3 a.m. to elbow my way through fellow consumers doesn’t interest me.  I’d rather go at my own pace, enjoy each holiday with family, get rid of the turkey leftovers, then reboot when December arrives. No pressure.  

So the temperatures up north are cooperating and that means the snow is piling up.

That means the cruisers are off the charts. It also means element after element will begin to appear in the terrain parks.

Sometimes, it can be just a load of fun. I think the antics at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort in a Santa Suit were some of the best runs I have ever taken - except the photographer kept telling me to get more air and I kept telling him I could not see the landings because of the beard.

A couple of weeks later, this rowboat appeared upside down in the park. Two runs of staring at it were enough and I had to try it.

Trouble is, I did it on one ski and limped for a week.

What do the pros think? When it is time to just goof around, what is the best element?

Upper tier halfpipe rider Elijah Teter is always working on something, even out of competition.

"The most fun elements are jumps and quarterpipes. Guess I just love catching air and tweaking with spins - so fun," he said. "Quarterpipes are great for learning handplants as well and we all need better handplants in our line up of tricks."

Tricia Byrnes, who came in fourth in the pipe in the 2002 Olympics, says she sticks to her specialty.

"I love the pipe," she said. "I'm a wussie park rider, so tiny jumps and rollers."

Craig Baldwin, the lift operations supervisor at Lake Tahoe's Homewood Mountain, rarely shies away from terrain.

But the park?

"I like sneakily watching the skillful groms hitting the flat-down-flat box from treeland," he said.

Even extreme skier and snow sports media personality Dan Egan takes the same approach.

"My favorite thing to do in the park is to stand and watch in awe of what the young riders do going switch - and spinning on and off the rails," he said. "The sport has moved in whole new dimensions."

Having Dan say that makes the boat incident hurt even more. Maybe I'll just watch Elijah on TV from now on.

Nah.

"I hope you're ready for some showtime basketball!"

After that exhortation Saturday night from announcer and Durham native Ben "EZ-B" Werblow, the speakers in the Rocky Hill High School gymnasium began to blast Superstar by Lupe Fiasco, and the Harlem Superstars, a team of "entertainment basketball" specialists, were introduced: dribbling phenom Cool Dave; scoring machine Wi-Fly; thunderous dunker Skyscraper; trick-shot artist Razmatazz; team clown Showboat; and reserve energy ball Surfer Boy.

"Surfer Boy" is better known as current Rocky Hill resident and Central Connecticut State University student Stephen Faulkner, a Middletown native and former Xavier High School star.

Playing the role of the Washington Generals in Saturday's game was the "Rocky Hill Dream Team", formed from district faculty. The game was sponsored by the Stevens Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization, and proceeds from ticket sales raised money for the school.

The game was divided into ten-minute quarters that featured a running clock. Each quarter was split between interludes of actual basketball and breaks for comedy skits, as the Superstars periodically interrupted the contest to ham it up with Dream Team members and the crowd.         

To keep the score respectable, the Superstars extended frequent help to their hardy but hapless opponents. They passed the ball back to the teachers again and again off defensive rebounds to allow them extra opportunities to shoot, and, in one possession, actually put it through the net for them when the Dream Team couldn't seem to locate the hoop.

Still, like the Harlem Globetrotters, the Harlem Superstars do not lose. They showcased enough of their hoops prowess to leave the court with a very relaxed 57 - 37 victory.    

Intervals in which the Superstars were actually exerting effort followed a similar pattern: Cool Dave exhibited his ballhandling wizardry and precision alley-oops to the sky-flying Wi-Fly, Razmatazz executed some nifty stunt-shooting, Showboat made general mischief, and Skyscraper and Surfer Boy rocked the rim with driving dunks. "Surfer Boy" Faulkner had the slam of the night in the 4th quarter when he penetrated the lane for a reverse jam and then pulled his legs all the way up to the basket, before dismounting via backwards somersault.

Faulkner, who is reminiscent of a young Anderson Verajao in both game and appearance, said that he enjoyed his homecoming performance.

"I know a lot of people here. It's nice, especially because I haven't been playing this year. But, they asked me to play this one."       

Werblow clarified that the Superstars roster is composed of rotating players, and every year it features new faces. Team members regularly move on to pursue their individual basketball ambitions and play with the Harlem Globetrotters or try out for the NBA, National Basketball Development League, or international pro teams.

But, players also come to the Superstars from the higher-profile platforms of the sport. "We've had guys from the Globetrotters come down and play with us," Werblow affirmed.      

The Superstars hype-man hopes to join the Globetrotters franchise soon himself, but, after seven years as the team's announcer, he admits that he still loves his job.

"Traveling around, raising money for all the schools — it’s great.”

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When Xavier and Middletown high schools met for their rivalry football game on Thanksgiving Day, the momentous competition included a food drive coordinated between both schools and Mercy High School.

And, when all the cans were counted, the coordinators of the drive announced last week that 1,243 pounds of non-perishable items were collected and another $1,015 in cash was donated to Amazing Grace Food Pantry, Middletown Mayor Dan Drew and Mercy President Sr. Mary McCarthy said in a news release.

“Attendance at the game was believed to top 5,000 people, and their generosity showed!” the city said in a press release.

The game day food rive initially came about from Christina Case, a parent involved with the Mercy High School’s Home and School Association. Case teamed up with Xavier High School, Middletown High School and the city to bring attention to the need of food and money to Amazing Grace during the holiday season, the city said.

As people filed in to one of the game’s four entrances, parent and student volunteers from all three schools collected the items and donations. The Middletown Park and Recreation Department also assisted.

“While the game is best known as a local rivalry, the project demonstrated the true meaning of the Thanksgiving spirit showing the generosity and compassion of all three high school communities,” the city said.

Fans attending the 2012 CIAC Football Tournament finals at Rentschler Field Friday December 7 and Saturday December 8 will have numerous ticket options available to them.

The CIAC and Rentschler Field will be providing the option of purchasing Club Seats and Suites rather than general admission tickets for the finals. The Club Seats, which are indoors, will be available at a cost of $20 per ticket for Friday’s single game, and $40 per ticket for all three games on Saturday. Suites can be rented for a cost of $650 which includes the suite rental and 20 tickets for one game only. The price will be the same for all four games.

Anyone interested in securing club or suite tickets should contact Tom Parshley at phone number (860) 610-4767. The suite ticket sales will be available in advanced sales only, while Club Seats will be available for advanced sales and at the Box Office the day of the game.                     

The schedule for the finals will be announced at the CIAC Football Tournament Press Conference on Monday, December 5 and will be posted on-line at www.CIACsports.com shortly after the announcement.

General admission tickets for the finals will be available to purchase at the Rentschler Box Office on the day of the game. The tickets will be available at the Box Office near Gates C & D at Rentschler Field.

Middletown: Madlyn (Simmons) Combe, 89, passed away on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012.

Middletown: Margaret Susan (Cunningham) Combe passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012.

Middletown: Wilma D. Johnson, 74, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012.

Middletown: Warren H. Pendleton, 90, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012.

To the Editor:

During this holiday season patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, are going to at least have some comfort because myself and my family are trying to start a toy drive so that St. Jude patients can have toys to open for Christmas.

With permission from Middletown Mayor Daniel T. Drew to donate toys to patients who have nothing to open by the time Christmas comes, I feel so very sorry for these kids who are fighting to stay alive.                             

I hope that this toy drive brings some holiday cheer and spirits to the children this year. Encourage every person to donate a toy for this good cause.

I thank you for all your support on trying to start this toy drive for all of the kids who are very sick. And fighting to survive my reason for wanting to start a toy drive is because I believe in helping kids who are less fortunate then we are. Then that's what inspired me to start this worthy cause to give these kids the best Christmas ever by getting to open their presents.

Help us spread some holiday cheer. This holiday season to everyone at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital including the patients and staff the toy drive should be started soon after I get the okay from the Mayor of Middletown. This year I want the patients to be happy during the holiday season with this good cause.

Thank You

Respectfully Submitted,

Aspiring Journalist/ Partner in Hope
Billy Prevatte

A big headline in the New York Times Style section on Sunday put it this way: "College Is For Suckers."

The story talked about students who have taken a page from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's story and dropped out to start their own companies or work for startups instead of going deeper into debt and graduating into a marketplace with very few jobs.

According to CNN.com, "the College Board says that the average yearly cost for a four-year public university for an in-state student is now $8,240. For a private college, it’s $28,500 per year." That doesn't include room and board, books or many other expenses.

At many four-year private colleges, the total cost for a four-year education exceeds $200,000, which means that student loans can take a huge bite out of a recent graduate's income.                      

Is it all worth it, or should students consider other ways to educate themselves?

Take our poll and tell us in the comments.