The Magic Treehouse Master Class

Join beloved authors and literacy awareness pioneers and Goshen residents

Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne

 on March 10, 2012 for a one-of-a-kind master class and talk-back session

Mr. & Mrs. Osborne will discuss the world of creative writing and publishing, as well as exciting upcoming Magic Tree House projects being developed in order to bring the love of reading and culture into the lives and hearts of children all over the world.

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A book signing will be held following the class for students who wish to bring their favorite
Magic Tree House book(s) with them!

T

O REGISTER FOR THIS EXCITING MASTER CLASS PLEASE CALL THE

W

O

ARNER THEATRE BOX OFFICE AT 860-489-7180 R THE WTCAE RECEPTION OFFICE AT EXT 148

This Weeks Green Tip-Your pets!

Make Pet Ownership Green

If you’re reading this you’re probably already pursuing a green lifestyle to some degree. But have you ever considered taking a closer look at the eco-impact of your favorite furry friends? There are lots of simple ways to make sure pet ownership is environmentally friendly!

From greener grooming and natural food, to cleaning up after Fido and Fluffy’s “accidents” and ridding them of pests, you can reduce your pet’s carbon paw print and improve their health and quality of life. Here are our top tips for caring for your four-legged family members while also caring for the environment.

• Number One Tip: If you’re looking to adopt, please visit a local shelter. There are thousands of deserving, adoptable pets at shelters and animal rescues just waiting for the right owner and a loving home. And adopting from a shelter means you won’t be supporting mass-breeding puppy mills, known for housing animals in shockingly poor living conditions and contributing to over-population. If you’re conducting your search for the ideal pet friend online, check out pet adoption site Petfinder, as well as the ASPCA and the Humane Society of America.


• Speaking of overpopulation, please take Bob Barker’s famous advice: Have your pet spayed or neutered. According to the ASPCA, approximately 3 to 4 million companion animals are euthanized each year and estimates for stray animals living in the U.S. are staggering – upwards of 70 million for cats alone. Pet overpopulation takes a major toll on our environment, too, so do your part by taking this important step for your pet and the planet.


• Organic for you and Rover, too! Most of us make an effort to buy as much healthy, organic food for our families as we can, so make sure to look for organic options when considering food for your pet. Conventional pet foods have been known to contain some pretty nasty ingredients including pesticides, added hormones, animal byproducts, and antibiotics. You might also remember the massive pet food recall from 2007 that was responsible for killing thousands of dogs and cats. The culprit ingredient, melamine, is more commonly found in plastics, cleaning products, and fertilizer. Yes, organic pet food can get pretty pricey – but healthy pets with healthy diets can have fewer vet visits and medical bills. This easily offsets the expense of better quality pet food.


• Our walkways and driveways can get pretty icy in the winter months. Instead of stocking up on rock salt to help clear your walking paths, opt for a pet-, kid- and environmentally-friendly de-icing alternative. Safe Paws offers some great salt-free ice melting options that won’t harm pets or kids if accidentally ingested, and they’re recommended by EarthShare member charity Natural Resources Defense Council.


• Fleas and ticks cause misery to people and animals. On pets they can spread disease and parasitic infections. Then they may decide to feast on you! But you can avoid and get rid of these common pests without harming your pet, your family or the planet. Don't overlook the basics: Keep your pet clean; use a fine-toothed flea comb to remove existing fleas; and don't forget to dust and vacuum regularly--some people use borax to kill fleas by sprinkling it on their carpet, then vacuuming it up. Another way to keep fleas off pets is to add garlic and brewer's yeast to their meals, which makes them taste bad to bugs. Many such products are sold in pet supply stores.


• Bag your pooch’s poop with biodegradable bags instead of plastic grocery bags. You can find biodegradable options at most pet stores. Remember: plastic bags take forever to decompose in landfills, and many of those bags end up in our waterways and oceans. Want to go the extra mile? Consider composting your pet’s poop in a pet waste composter.


• Buy in bulk and recycle. This is kind of a no-brainer, but it’s always good to get in a friendly reminder. Buying in bulk the pet supplies you use most often will cut down on packaging waste and car trips. And just as you would recycle your own food containers, make sure to add your pet’s empty cans, bags and bottles to your sorting bins instead of the trashcan.


• Use natural grooming and pet-care products. Shampoos and other pet products often contain more chemicals than you bargained for, so make sure to read the label before lathering up your furry friends with a mega-chemical-cocktail shampoo. We’re not recommending any particular brand – just apply the same caution about ingredients when purchasing your pets’ grooming products that you would when purchasing your own.


• We all know that ID tags are an absolute requirement for any pet that will be spending time outdoors. You can even go green with your tags – just opt for a pet tag made from recycled materials like aluminum, steel, or silver. Check out Etsy and Dog Tag Art for some creative eco-friendly tags.

Property of The Week

Well kept year round country home on East Side of Woodridge Lake near East Shore Park.  Walking distance to clubhouse, elevated first floor with garage under.  Great summer home, very private location. Newly stained exterior, many new mechanicals, newer roof, great yard area behind the house, large eat in kitchen. 

Possible Owner Financing.


Woodridge Lake in Goshen, Connecticut Located less than 10 minutes from the Historic Town of Litchfield.  Litchfield is a popular weekend destination spot and hosts the Annual Litchfield Road Race held each year in June.   Goshen is home to the Internationally known Litchfield Jazz Festival, held each year in August and the Goshen Agricultural Fair held over Labor Day weekend.  Located just a few miles away is the family friendly Mohawk Ski Mountain, the Housatonic River (known for world class fly fishing) and hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Enjoy Country Club living at its best! Four sandy beaches; marina; boating and fishing; 8 tennis courts; (two Har-Tru courts)  a 12,500 square foot clubhouse with Wi-Fi internet access, meeting rooms, library, fitness center, locker rooms; heated Jr. Olympic pool; playground; organized activities and much more. The community is strategically located to be within an approximate five minute drive of one private and one public golf course. Theater, music, and entertainment are all a short drive away. Famous Lime Rock Race Track is conveniently located 20 minutes from the community. Come and see where the smart money has found a home in Connecticut. Litchfield County is the place to be. It's Connecticut's Hidden Gem.

Property of The Week

This country house offers an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and timeless interiors.  Winter water views from a third  tier lot and  just a minutes walk to West Shore Beach/Park at Woodridge Lake.A stone wall frames the front entrance to the home.  The living room has a stone fireplace and 19 ft vaulted ceiling.   A first floor master suite  with hardwood flooring, walk in closet, separate dressing area  and master bathroom with Jacuzzi and steam shower leads out to a large deck area. The sun room adjoins the dining room space and opens to a center island gourmet kitchen with cherry cabinets and two sinks. . An upstairs loft area has use as a seperate space and overlooks the great room.  The lower level opens to a den area,3/4 additional bedrooms with 2 full baths, fitness center and cedar closet.

Woodridge Lake in Goshen, Connecticut Located less than 10 minutes from the Historic Town of Litchfield.  Litchfield is a popular weekend destination spot and hosts the Annual Litchfield Road Race held each year in June.  Litchfiled County is home to the Internationally known Litchfield Jazz Festival, held each year in August and the Goshen Agricultural Fair held over Labor Day weekend.  Located just a few miles away is the family friendly Mohawk Ski Mountain, the Housatonic River (known for world class fly fishing) and hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

This Weeks Green Tip-Lightbulbs!

Keep Your Home Performing

Let There Be Light

As the days get darker, we turn the lights on earlier and leave them on more each day. Lighting accounts for about a quarter of all electricity consumed in the U.S. Here are some ways to lighten the energy load while keeping your home bright:
Replacing light bulbs
Regular incandescent light bulbs are inefficient, with 90% of their energy going to generate heat not light. Replace standard lamps with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs -- they cost more per bulb but are far more efficient and last up to ten times longer. Over the life of one CFL, you can avoid replacing up to 13 incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy! Visit www.energystar.gov for more information.

• Use lighting controls.
• Photocells turn lights on and off in response to natural light levels - for example, on at dusk and off at dawn.
• Crank timers, which are spring-driven and similar to old oven timers, limit lights to short durations where the need for light is brief. Occupancy sensors activate lights when you enter a room and turn them off after you leave. They are good for areas of infrequent use, such as storerooms.
• Dimmers reduce the wattage and output of light bulbs. They also significantly increase the life of incandescent bulbs.Don't overuse kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans. Left on for too long, these fans can pull out much of your heated air. Other lighting tips:
• Clean fixtures and lamps annually by wiping off the dust (make sure the bulb is cool first).
• Clean or repaint walls. Dirt on surfaces reduces the amount of light they reflect and make the room feel darker.
• Turn off incandescent lights when you’re not using them, even if you’re just leaving the room for a few minutes.

from earthsahre.org

Goshen Players Fool for Love

FEBRUARY 10 & 11, 2012

You are cordially invited to join Goshen Players as they present "Fool for Love", a Valentine Cabaret on February 10th and 11th, 2012. Both performances are at 8:00 pm and feature intimate cabaret seating. Early reservations are strongly encouraged!

Karl Gallmeyer is Musical Director for what has become an annual, hot-ticket event. Hard on the heels of 2011's sold-out  "Cupid 2.0", Gallmeyer is featuring music and talent that is sure to please one and all.

Returning from last year's Cabaret are audience favorites Tony Verrier of Oakville, Lydia Babbitt of Torrington, Payton Turpin of Harwinton and Jeannine Gallmeyer of Riverton. Joining them will be the wonderful and talented Sybil Haggard-Chamberlin, Barbara Salant and Alan Spatafore all of Torrington, Dan Beaudoin of Waterbury, Denise Skelton of Bantam, Brock Putnam of Litchfield, Alex Giacin of Plymouth and Cheyenne Walent of Waterbury

for more information,please call 860.4919988 or go to http://goshenplayers.org/current.html

Salisbury Ski Jump Festival

The Annual Salisbury Winter Sports Association Ski Jump Festival Starts this week in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut.  The weekend starts Friday night with Jumping under the lights and the return of the Human Dogsled Race! Saturday we will host our invitational jump with jumpers joining us from across the country. Sunday we will be hosting  the 86th Eastern States Championship!

For more information, please go to the SWSA web site, http://www.jumpfest.org/ or call 860.435.0019