Individuals and businesses making contributions to charity should keep in mind several important tax law provisions that have taken effect in recent years. Some of these changes include the following:

Special tax-free charitable distributions for certain IRA owners: This provision, currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2013, offers older owners of individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) a different way to give to charity. An IRA owner, age 70 or over, can directly transfer tax-free up to $100,000 per year to an eligible charity. This option, first available in 2006, can be used for distributions from IRAs, regardless of whether the owners itemize their deductions. Distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, including SIMPLE IRAs and simplified employee pension (SEP) plans, are not eligible.

To qualify, the funds must be transferred directly by the IRA trustee to the eligible charity. Distributed amounts may be excluded from the IRA owner’s income resulting in lower taxable income for the IRA owner. However, if the IRA owner excludes the distribution from income, no deduction, such as a charitable contribution deduction on Schedule A, may be taken for the distributed amount.

Not all charities are eligible. For example, donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are not eligible recipients.

Amounts transferred to a charity from an IRA are counted in determining whether the owner has met the IRA’s required minimum distribution. Where individuals have made nondeductible contributions to their traditional IRAs, a special rule treats amounts distributed to charities as coming first from taxable funds, instead of proportionately from taxable and nontaxable funds, as would be the case with regular distributions. See Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs), for more information on qualified charitable distributions.

Rules for charitable contributions of clothing and household items: To be tax-deductible, clothing and household items donated to charity generally must be in good used condition or better. A clothing or household item for which a taxpayer claims a deduction of over $500 does not have to meet this standard if the taxpayer includes a qualified appraisal of the item with the return.

Donors must get a written acknowledgment from the charity for all gifts worth $250 or more that includes, among other things, a description of the items contributed. Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens.

Guidelines for monetary donations: To deduct any charitable donation of money, regardless of amount, a taxpayer must have a bank record or a written communication from the charity showing the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Bank records include canceled checks, bank or credit union statements, and credit card statements. Bank or credit union statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the amount paid. Credit card statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the transaction posting date.

Donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.

These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. However, one statement containing all of the required information may meet both requirements.

Reminders:

To help taxpayers plan their holiday-season and year-end giving, the IRS offers the following additional reminders:

• Contributions are deductible in the year made. Thus, donations charged to a credit card before the end of 2013 count for 2013. This is true even if the credit card bill isn’t paid until 2014. Also, checks count for 2013 as long as they are mailed in 2013.
• Check that the organization is eligible. Only donations to eligible organizations are tax-deductible. Exempt Organization Select Check, a searchable online database available on IRS.gov, lists most organizations that are eligible to receive deductible contributions. In addition, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques and government agencies are eligible to receive deductible donations, even if they are not listed in the database.
• For individuals, only taxpayers who itemize their deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A can claim deductions for charitable contributions. This deduction is not available to individuals who choose the standard deduction, including anyone who files a short form (Form 1040A or 1040EZ). A taxpayer will have a tax savings only if the total itemized deductions (mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes, etc.) exceed the standard deduction. Use the 2013 Form 1040 Schedule A to determine whether itemizing is better than claiming the standard deduction.
• For all donations of property, including clothing and household items, get from the charity, if possible, a receipt that includes the name of the charity, date of the contribution, and a reasonably-detailed description of the donated property. If a donation is left at a charity’s unattended drop site, keep a written record of the donation that includes this information, as well as the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation and the method used to determine that value. Additional rules apply for a contribution of $250 or more.
• The deduction for a car, boat or airplane donated to charity is usually limited to the gross proceeds from its sale. This rule applies if the claimed value is more than $500. Form 1098-C or a similar statement, must be provided to the donor by the organization and attached to the donor’s tax return.
• If the amount of a taxpayer’s deduction for all noncash contributions is more than $500, a properly-completed Form 8283 must be submitted with the tax return.
• And, as always it’s important to keep good records and receipts.

IRS.gov has Additional information on charitable giving including:  Charities & Non-Profits, Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, Online mini-course, Can I Deduct My Charitable Contributions?

A group home for six disabled adults, planned by the service organization Ability Beyond on a half-acre at the corner of Halpin Lane and Prospect Ridge, is making progress through the bureaucracy, moving toward a town meeting that will eventually be needed to approve the use of the town-owned site.

“I, for years, have felt that was a wonderful location for a group home,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said Monday.

“And given the serious need not only in our community but in the entire state of Connecticut for this type of housing, it’s a wonderful project that we can move forward with and provide for in our community.”

At the last selectmen’s meeting in November, he’d told the board that the zoning for a group home was in place, and Ability Beyond was working on plans to build a home for six handicapped individuals.

“We’re extremely pleased the town of Ridgefield has given us this opportunity,” said Kim Bragoli, director of development at Ability Beyond, the Bethel-based organization that serves some 2,300 disabled people in Connecticut and New York.

“A very preliminary meeting was held with the town building department and fire marshal to review conceptual plans for a six-bed home,” she said.

“Town officials gave us positive feedback on the plans. We will continue to work with them as plans are detailed to make sure we meet or exceed town expectations.

“The home will feature an accessible design that incorporates our best practice model based on the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs of those in our care.

“We pride ourselves on providing the individuals we serve with the opportunity to live in homes that truly feel like ‘home’ and are a part of residential neighborhoods, allowing them to truly be a part of their community.

“Our best practice design will incorporate an accessible floor design, the latest in technology and adaptive equipment, and will be able to truly serve people throughout their life spans.”

Ability Beyond currently operates two homes in Ridgefield.

For many years the organization has had a house off Ritch Drive that serves people with traumatic brain injuries.

“There are five to six people in that home,” Ms. Bragoli said.

“And we have another, smaller home in town. It’s a little bit of a different model. It’s more of an apartment style: There’s two young women who live together. That’s on Prospect Street.

“They’re within walking distance of the village, can do their own shopping and social activities,” Ms. Bragoli said.

“Then, we just opened a third home in Georgetown that supports three young men all on the autism spectrum.”

Most of the group homes Ability Beyond operates have 24-hour staffing, and this would likely be the plan for the new home at Halpin and Prospect Ridge.

“In our homes we have a rotating schedule of staff that provide 24-hour support,” Ms. Bragoli said.

“It depends on the level of need,” she added. “We also have more independent models of care.”

At the Ritch Drive residence, many of the staff who work in the home have been there for years and years.

Ability Beyond works with different state agencies to serve people with a wide range of physical and mental difficulties, and Ms. Bragoli said the organization didn’t know yet what population the new group home would serve.

“Decisions on the selection process for who will reside in the home will be determined over the winter,” she said.

“We try to group people together based on similar disabilities, so it’s really a match — people who can live well together.”

There is definitely a need.

“The state has a huge waiting list of people,” Ms. Bragoli said.

Mr. Marconi said discussions he’d had with Ability Beyond President Tom Fanning had focused on the situation of older special needs people whose parents have died.

“Specifically what we talked about is people of my generation, with special needs, whose parents have now passed on that have taken care of these people for all these years, have a need not only for housing but for the care that comes along with the need for housing.”

Mr. Marconi said that in thinking of the town-owned land as a site for a group home, he’d originally envisioned working with the Ridgefield-based organization that operates Sunrise Cottage on Sunset Lane.

“A Sunrise Cottage II, but that just isn’t in the cards right now,” he said.

“It’s a major project to take on, with a major financial requirement that the timing isn’t right for, right now,” he said. “But Ability Beyond, being a much larger organization, did not have the concerns about moving forward and have expressed willingness to do so.”

Building a group home on the town-owned site will require some kind of land transfer — a sale, a long-term lease — that would give Ability Beyond control of and rights to build upon the half-acre property.

Exactly how the transfer will be proposed to voters is still under consideration.

“That’s what we’re working on now. That determination has not been made,” he said. “Whether it’s a land lease of 99 years — probably it will end up being that — that needs to be determined by the Board of Selectmen.

“And, yes, there will be a need for a public hearing and a town meeting,” he said. “It’s required by charter, any time we lease or sell property.”

In October the Planning and Zoning Commission amended its regulations in a way that, among other things, clarifies that a group home would be legal on the Halpin Lane site, or potentially other locations on Prospect Ridge.

Under the changes, the zoning regulations now distinguish between two Age Restricted Housing Districts, one on Prospect Ridge by Halpin Lane and the other on Route 7 that includes Laurel Ridge, Ridgefield Crossings and the Regency at Ridgefield.

The “ARHD-1” zone on Prospect Ridge was amended to permit a single-family home with a minimum size “lot or lease area” of 20,000 square feet, or about half an acre.

Under state statutes, a “community residence that houses six or fewer mentally retarded persons and necessary staff” must be treated as a single-family home, which means that only a zoning permit from the town planning office is required — not a special permit requiring a public hearing and a vote of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Frost on a window this week, by Ann Dunnington.

Ridgefield schools are on a two-hour delay today to allow highway crews to improve the condition of roads.

Both town and state highway trucks have been out since earlier this morning, plowing and treating roads.

Overnight temperatures in the teens have slowed the melting of the snow. About four inches fell yesterday, canceling school for the second time this year — and it’s still autumn!

JACK CAPOCCI — Jack Romano Capocci, their third child and first son, was born to Shannon and Jeremy Capocci on April 19 at Norwalk Hospital. He is the brother of Abigail Noel, 7, and Caitlyn May, 4. Grandparents are Romano and Angelina Capocci of Wilton and Walter and Kathleen Kruthaupt of Wilton. Great-grandmother is Norma May Wagner of Norwalk.

SEBASTIAN CARLSON  — A son, their third child, was born to Chris and Nicole Carlson of Ridgefield on April 12 at home. Sebastian Santos Carlson joins big sister Olivia, 6, and big brother Xavier, 4. Grandparents are Adelia and Jose Santos of Danbury and Dan Carlson and the late Brigitte Carlson of Norwalk.

LEO CALLAHAN — A son, their first child, was born to Dawn-Marie and Douglas Callahan of Ridgewood Road on March 4 at Greenwich Hospital. He has been named Leonidas Archimedes. Grandparents are Margaret and Edward Dugan of Glendale, Ariz., and Thomas Callahan of Farmingdale, N.Y., and the late Carole Callahan.

JAMES GALLAWAY — A son, their third child, was born to Anne and Bruce Gallaway of Stony Hill Road on May 3. He has been named James Axel and is the brother of William Wolfgang, 5, and Elizabeth Starr, 3. Grandparents are William and Frances Fricke of Todds Road, Ingrid Gallaway of Danbury and Ronald Gallaway of North Carolina. Great-grandparents are Arthur and Stephanie Vaccaro of Danbury.

LYDIA DODD — A daughter, their fourth child, was born to Johanna and Sean Dodd of Rock Spring Lane last Jan. 6 at the Connecticut Childbirth and Women’s Center, Danbury. She has been named Lydia Irene Emma and is the sister of Imogen Caitlín Elizabeth, 15, Miranda Amelia Isobel, 10, and Gabriel Anthony Stephen, 7. Grandparents are Anne and Brian Ilsley of Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England, and Jean and Tony Dodd of Stafford, Staffordshire, England.

PETER GOBLECK — A son, their third child and first boy, was born to Jason and Mary Kate Gobleck of 11 Cottage Street on June 6 in Norwalk Hospital. He has been named Peter Jack after his late great uncle, Peter, and his late grandfather, Jack. He is the brother of Walsh Theresa, 8 and Mary Eileen “Millie,” 5. Grandparents are Julian and Theresa Gobleck of Burgettstown, Pa. and Port St. Lucie, Fla. Great-grandmother is Mary Gobleck of Burgettstown.

CONNOR TOGNARELLI — Courtney and DJ Tognarelli of Richmond, Va., have announced the birth of their first child, a son, Connor James, born on April 26 at 2:45 p.m. at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Va. He weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and was 19 and one-half inches long. Maternal grandparents are Joellen and Richard Connors of Ridgefield. Paternal grandparents are Dave and Mary Tognarelli of Richmond, Va., and Sue and Kyle Tilbe of Ashland, Va. Great-grandmother Eleanor Grisolano and great-grandfather Pete Tognarelli live in Collinsville, Ill.

LOGAN BEYLOUNI — A son, their second child, was born to Kristin and Darren Beylouni of Ridgefield on June 25 in Danbury Hospital. He has been named Logan John and is the brother of Ava Katherine, 8. He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 3/4 inches long. Grandparents are Bonnie and Raymond Beylouni of Danbury, Karen and John Rawson of New Bern, N.C., and Marilyn and Tom Eddy of Holmdel, N.J.

GRACE DENIHAN — A daughter, their first child, Grace Louise Denihan, was born to Shannon and Thomas Denihan Jr. of Woodbury on Sept. 3, 2013 at 12:54 p.m. at Danbury Hospital. She weighed six pounds, two ounces, and was 19-1/2 inches long. She is the sister of Sarah Denihan, 19. The grandparents are Marilou Serfilippi of Ridgefield and Katherine Denihan and the late Thomas Denihan Sr. of Waterbury.

NICHOLAS and DENNIS LONCTO — Twin boys, their first children, were born to Christina and John Loncto of Santa Monica, Calif., on Sept. 19. They have been named Denis Edward Loncto II and Nicholas David Loncto. Grandparents are Helen Askew of Los Angeles and Denis and Mary Ellen Loncto of Ridgefield.

BROOKLYN REILY — A daughter, their first child, was born to Becky and Todd Reily of Stoneham, Mass., at 3:20 p.m. on July 2 at Winchester Hospital. Brooklyn Mae weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 21 1/4 inches long. Grandparents are Gail and Glenn Mann, formerly of Ridgefield, and Nancy Reily of Stoneham.

EMMITT LUMELLEAU — A son, their third child, was born to Melanie and Ryan Lumelleau of Ridgefield at 3:36 a.m. on May 21, 2013, at Danbury Hospital. He weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has been named Emmitt Leigh and is the brother of Owen Henry, 4, and Greyden Ryan, 2. Grandparents are Henry and Rita Lopes of Ridgefield and John and Loretta Lumelleau of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of Ridgefield. Great grandparents are Maria Lopes of Lousan, Portugal, and Marie Lumelleau of Bronxville, N.Y.

Earlier announcements

The Baby Page

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of earlier announcements)

For information on submitting a birth announcement

for publication in The Ridgefield Press, click here.

Food is an important part of holiday celebrations at this time of year. There are special foods and social pressure from family and friends in the mode of “try some of this” or “I made this especially for you.” Events often revolve around food, which can be tempting. The trick is to be prepared and to avoid the anxiety that comes from trying to diet while simultaneously trying to celebrate. A common mistake is to vow to eat nothing at an event, a setup because you either feel guilty when you eat or deprived when you don’t. However, you can enjoy yourself and still maintain a healthy diet. Consider these tips for fully enjoying the holiday season without gaining weight:

Focus on weight maintenance as opposed to weight loss during the holidays. This is not the time to lose weight. Maintenance of your present weight is a big enough challenge during the holiday season. Don’t set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals for yourself.

Plan ahead. Think about where you will be, what foods will be available and what foods are really special to you, as opposed to those you could probably do without. Ask yourself how you can fit them into your day’s calorie goal. Make a plan of action. It’s much easier to deal with a difficult social eating situation if you’ve already planned for it.

Be physically active every day. Often, busy holiday schedules (or lack of structured schedules) bump people off their exercise routines. Exercise, especially aerobic (brisk walking, jogging, running, biking or swimming) can help relieve stress, and burn up extra calories. Try to do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week. If you don’t have 30 minutes, remember even something is better than nothing.

Eat a light snack before going to holiday parties. Don’t skip breakfast and lunch in order to save your entire food intake for an event as it’s never a good idea to arrive ravenous to a function where there’s food. Not only are you more likely to overeat, but you will be less likely to resist tempting high fat and high calorie foods. Have a salad, a piece of fruit, or a container of light yogurt before you go.

Pace yourself. Be the last to start so you are the last to finish. Count to 10 before digging in and watch everyone else eat first. Eat slowly, put your fork down between bites and put your hand on your lap.  Take sips of water between bites too. If you are the last to finish, you will be less likely to go back for seconds.

Watch the alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories, increases your appetite, and reduces your resolve to make good food choices. Avoid hard alcohol with high calorie mixers and sweet drinks. Alcohol is empty calories and increases your triglycerides and stored fat on your body which slows your metabolism down. Avoid or limit alcohol intake.

Don’t stand near the food table. If you are too close to the food you will be more likely to eat more. Use a plate so you can see what you are eating and count it. If there are no plates use a napkin and don’t just eat off the serving platter. You want to be aware of what you are eating.

Keep perspective. Enjoy the non edibles, like conversation, ambience. Focus on other things rather than the food…uniting with family and friends, sharing laughter and cheer. Remember if you do eat more than planned, be careful not to consider it a catastrophe and throw the towel in. “Bounce Back” and make a conscience decision to exercise more and eat less the next day. You have to be realistic….last year at this time you may have gained weight over the holidays; this year you just want to maintain your weight over the holidays.

Barbara Schmidt of New Canaan is a nutritionist and is the Nutrition Lifestyle Program Specialist at Norwalk Hospital. She consults with patients privately and in-group settings in her eight-week weight loss program, Transformations. To learn more about Transformations, call 203-852-2178. The next session begins Jan. 14, 2014.

A panel of community leaders discussed the resources and partnerships, including the town, schools, community and parents, which foster a safe, respectful, healthy and enriching environment for all the children of Ridgefield, on the 25th Anniversary Season Premiere of Ridgefield, Now We’re Talking!. The program is broadcasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 a.m. and p.m. on Educational Access Channel 97. The program can also be viewed  at www.ridgefieldnwt.org. Seated on set from left are Ms. Deborah Low, superintendent of schools; Jean Macaluso, PTA joint council president; Doug Barile, counselor, Ridgefield Youth Services and Parent Circle Program coordinator; AnneMarie Surfaro-Boehme, moderator; Rudy Marconi, first selectman; Chief John Roche, chief of police; Julia Hadlock, executive director, Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield and Denise Qualey, chairperson, Youth Commission and managing director of Kids in Crisis.—Frieda Johnson photo

Here are some of the stories and features in this week’s Ridgefield Press, out today in print and e-edition:

• The new Prospector theater has a mission, and Marion Roth will be leading it.
• Folks on New Street are asking for a sidewalk so they can walk to town safely.
• Should the schools self-insure their employees? It’s potentially much cheaper — but also much riskier.
• Ridgefield has put up an all-out effort to combat bullying, and it seems to be working.
• There’s an interview with Tucker West, who’s been picked for the U.S. Olympic luge team.
• Tom Belote looks at what was happening at Christmas time in Ridgefield a century ago.
• Saturday’s information session on the new cell tower answered some questions.
• Bishop Frank Caggiano offers thoughts on the meaning of Christmas.
• How many Rockefeller Center Christmas trees have come from Ridgefield? Maybe more than from any other community.
• The Ridgefield Symphony is planning its biggest — and last — Dancing with the RSO.
• Gift ideas for shoppers, including items made in Connecticut, are featured in The Last Minute Gift Guide in this issue.
• George Hancock has published the third in his series of Ridgefield history novels, this one focusing on the Civil War era.
• The Groom Room has 30 years of helping pets put on the dog.
• The 2014 Buick Encore shows its traditional heritage even though it’s assembled in by Daewoo in South Korea, says test driver Steven Macoy.
• The Ridgefield Press is on Facebook — become one of more than 1,630 friends and get news updates. Facebook.com/RidgefieldPress.
• 7,915 people have signed up for Ridgefield Press news bulletins via Twitter. You can, too, by stopping by twitter.com/RidgefieldPress.

For newsstands carrying The Press, click here.

The custom-built fire truck the town bought last year has had numerous problems, and spent a lot of time in the repair shop. It was photographed after delivery last January. —Macklin Reid photo

“Is it a lemon?” Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark asked. “We don’t want to get stuck with a $500,000 lemon.”

Engine One, the new high-tech, custom-designed $575,000 pumper truck that the Fire Department proudly unveiled after delivery last winter, has had a rough start.

Plagued by a series of mechanical malfunctions and glitches, Engine One has been out of service 130 days since it went on the job, fire Chief Heather Burford told the selectmen recently.

“We were out of service 130 days in the first year?” Selectman Andy Bodner asked.

“Closer to nine months,” Chief Burford said.

Though it was delivered last January, there was a training period before the new fire truck went into service.

“We were out of service 130 days out of 270 days?” Mr. Bodner said.

The engine is back on the road and the hope is that its problems are behind it.

“The truck is running, and right now it’s running fine,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.

Chief Burford and Assistant Chief Kevin Tappe told the selectmen, meeting Dec. 4 as the town Fire Commission, that the company that produced the fire engine, Florida-based E-One, had been cooperative.

The company had extended the first-year warranty on most of the truck’s systems until mid-May, in recognition of the time the truck was out of service.

“We just feel we haven’t had the piece long enough to determine whether all the bugs have been worked out,” Chief Burford said.

The troubled truck isn’t the department’s only fire engine. It has 11 major pieces of equipment, four pumpers — including the one the new engine replaced — two tankers, a ladder truck, a heavy rescue vehicle, and three ambulances.

“Fortunately, we had the old Engine One, so our operations have been pretty much seamless,” Chief Burford told the selectmen.

The new truck wasn’t a stock model fire truck but was custom-built to specifications from the Ridgefield Fire Department.

“It’s a complex piece,” Chief Burford said.

In addition to wanting certain equipment and that sort of thing, the engine was designed to accommodate the Catoonah Street firehouse’s relatively low bay door height, for instance.

The department also sought a smaller turning radius than many fire trucks have, because of the town’s windy roads and the need to turn around and get out of the cul-de-sacs that are characteristic of so many of the town’s housing developments.

“It’s not unusual for a community to spec out the truck they want,” Mr. Marconi told the board.

Designing a custom truck is a collaborative process with the manufacturer, and part of the company’s role is to make sure the truck can be built to work reliably.

“When we do spec something out, their engineers look at the drawings,” said Assistant Chief Tappe, who was part of the five-member department committee that oversaw the truck purchase.

The most persistently recurring problem had to do with the new truck’s steering system.

“As we were making a hard left or a hard right turn, there was a stutter or a chatter,” Chief Burford said.

It was eventually found that, due to the large size of the truck’s wheels and tires, the steering fluid pumping system needed to be upgraded.

“What’s the second biggest problem?” Selectman Bodner asked.

There were electronic glitches.

“We’d get two or three warning lights on the dashboard, telling us there’s something wrong — and there’s nothing wrong,” Assistant Chief Tappe said.

The manufacturer, E-One, eventually diagnosed the problems and took care of them.

“We feel as though we’ve had good customer service from them,” Chief Burford said.

Still, there was all that downtime.

The Fire Department’s schedule calls for replacing another fire truck in the 2013-14 budget year.

“Would we go back to the same company?” Ms. Kozlark asked.

“That’s a legitimate question,” Assistant Chief Tappe said.

Mr. Marconi said the town’s previous purchase from E-One had been very satisfactory.

“That truck ran and still runs, and has been a wonderful truck,” Mr. Marconi said.

Another question remains: What if the engine continues to be plagued with problems?

Although the department officially “accepted” the fire engine, Town Attorney Dave Grogins has said the town has some potential legal remedies, if the problems continue.

“We’ve spoken with the attorney,” Chief Burford said. “There are options for us in the consumer laws.”

This may be one of the reasons the company agreed to extend the warranty.

“They’re well aware we’re watching everything,” Mr. Marconi said, “and prepared to go legal.”

Working with the National Charity League are Isabelle Seward, Lauren Coughlin, Eve Jeffries, Danielle Pfleger, Lauren Mello, McKenzie Knupp, and Lucie Picard. —Bonnie Leavy-Mello photo

The National Charity League’s Nutmeg Chapter has been helping  military troops and their families.

Mother and daughter teams gathered recently to work on two holiday projects for Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that helps wounded service members and families of those deployed overseas.  Teams fashioned hand-written holiday card wishes, stuffed holiday stockings, and created holiday treats.

The first project was coordinated by Denise D’Ambrosio, Nutmeg’s vice president of philanthropy, who had assisted Operation Homefront TriState in a mailing project to support the troops, which included 600 letters with brochures for the holiday fund-raiser.

The second project involved assembling more than 200 holiday stockings for the children of Connecticut’s military families and writing hundreds of holiday cards, which will be sent to deployed service men and women.

Nutmeg’s Operation Homefront liaison Gina Cushman contacted Operation Homefront in August to determine the best way to help   troops and their families for the holidays. All the materials and gifts used to make and fill the stockings were donated by chapter members. Included in the stockings were 24 beautiful handmade baby and toddler hats made by the Ridgefield chapter for the stocking stuffers. The members assembled reindeer candy canes, while others stuffed holiday stockings with hand-sewn hats, children’s books, toys, stuffed animals, and other goodies.

The stockings will be given to children of the service men and women at the New London naval base’s holiday event today, Dec. 19.

Operation Homefront provides financial assistance, food, household goods and other services to families in need. Visit www.operationhomefront.net for ways to help with its mission.

Attorney General George Jepsen and state Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein today warned Connecticut consumers to take necessary precautions following news of a major data breach at Target stores across the country.

“We are only beginning to understand the implications of this massive, nationwide data breach and the impact it will have on Connecticut consumers,” said Attorney General Jepsen.

“Today, I have sent a letter to Target requesting information on this breach, and we will be working to ensure that consumers receive all the protections to which they are entitled in the wake of this breach. In the meantime, consumers should take immediate steps to ensure their personal accounts are secure and report any suspicious or unauthorized activity immediately.”

“If you can check your debit card transactions and credit card transactions online, go ahead and do so today,” said Commissioner Rubenstein.

“If you can change your pin numbers for your cards, do so now.  With so much shopping and spending going on this time of year, consumers should be extra vigilant. Keep all receipts, check them, and scrutinize your credit statements and bank statements when they arrive during December and January.”

Those who suspect there has been unauthorized activity on their cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680.

Customers who swiped a debit card or credit card at a Target store between November 29th and December 15th should be vigilant, and watch for bank and credit statements that come in for the time period between November 27th and December 15th.

If anything seems suspicious or you can’t identify it, contact your financial institution immediately to report it. Indicate that you may be a victim of the Target identity theft and you have identified suspicious activity on your account. The financial institution will guide you through your next steps to track the transaction, recover the funds if appropriate, and protect your account. Report it to Target as well, either at the number above, or at any new address that the company provides.

Attorney General Jepsen and Commissioner Rubenstein also provided the following consumer tips:

• Target data breach victims will want to make sure their credit history is not damaged as a result of thieves using their credit cards. They may need to place an initial fraud alert on their credit report. The initial fraud alert lasts for 90 days. Call any one of the three credit bureaus to place this alert.
  • Equifax – Phone:  1-800-525-6285
  • Experian – Phone: 1-888-397-3742
  • Transunion – Phone: 1-800-680-7289
•  Victims may also want to check their credit reports. Contact all three credit reporting companies above for a copy of their current credit report. If a consumer’s identity was actually stolen, the companies must provide a free report. If they are not sure if their identity was compromised, they may go to the Web site www.annualcreditreport.com and get one free copy of their report from each company if they haven’t already done so in the last 12 months. They can also call toll-free to request reports at 1-877-322-8228
• Victims should submit a complaint to the FTC online or by telephone.
  • By phone: Call 1-877-438-4338 and talk to a counselor at the FTC. The counselor will ask questions to gather information about your complaint. Ask the counselor to email you a link so you can print your complaint; print your Identity Theft Affidavit and keep it in a safe place.
  • Go to www.ftc.gov/complaint to create your Identity Theft Affidavit. Print your Identity Theft Affidavit and keep it in a safe place.
• Victims should file a police report. Take your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit with you to the police station.  Get a copy of the police report or the number of the police report.
• Victims should set up a file folder to safely store:
  • Your ID Theft Affidavit and police report
  • Emails or letters that you send or get
  • A record of calls that you make or get
• After filing a report, keep records of the letters you send or get and the conversations you have. You might need the records to prove that you already fixed something.
• Save copies of your papers, receipts, and account statements.
• Keep a list of the companies you called and when you called them. Write the name of the person you spoke with, what you asked them to do, and what they agreed to do.

Target confirmed today that as many as 40 million customers’ names, credit and debit card numbers, expiration dates, PIN numbers and security codes on the back of the cards were compromised at its stores across the country between November 27th and December 15th.

The company says credit card numbers used on its Web site were not affected, and that it is working with law enforcement officials and financial institutions.

Ridgefield school bus drivers, sponsored by the Connecticut Cruise News and partnered with Party Depot, are collecting toys and non-perishable food items for needy families in the area.

“People call up going through tough times and say that they have a family with three or four kids who won’t be receiving any gifts and that they will be scrapping for food to eat on Christmas because a spouse has walked out on them or because one of the parents, and in some cases it’s both, has just lost their job and they can’t afford to buy gifts,” said Dan Finn, a Ridgefield bus driver and town resident since 1998.

“Bus drivers who work in town during the week are so inspired by these stories that they come back from out of town to volunteer their weekends so we can collect enough toys and food to fill an entire school bus.”

Mr. Finn has been working with Don Clady, the publisher of Connecticut Cruise News, since 2001 and will be conducting his 12th annual “Fill the Bus with Joy” donation drive in front of Party Depot on Danbury Road this Saturday, Dec. 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mr. Finn said a lot of the parents of the families being helped struggle to pay large medical bills and monthly heat and electric bills, which renders them incapable of giving anything to their kids on a day where “every kid should have a gift.”

He added that people in Ridgefield have been touched by these stories as well as the drivers, and in return have been “off the hook helpful.”

“The drivers all kick in and help a lot, but its the kids and their parents that really make a huge difference,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the children come out and donate goods to help those kids that won’t have a Christmas.

“It brings a whole new meaning to our cause and really touches a lot of people,” he said. “Sometimes we’re able to give a family enough food to last them a whole week.”

Mr. Finn said that “Fill the Bus with Joy” will also be accepting donations at Barlow Mountain Elementary School and Scotts Ridge Middle School throughout the week and that people could also drop off goods at the bus depot at 57 South Street.

He said that one area in particular he asks donors to help address is gifts for teens up to the age of 16.

“The older kids tend to get overlooked sometimes, but it’s our goal to make sure that every member of the family has something they can open on Christmas,” Mr. Finn explained.

He added Santa will join the bus drivers all day Saturday to help attract people into the parking lot and learn more about the cause.

Mr. Finn said that anyone with questions can call the bus company at 203-431-2924.

The Rev. Fred T. Bender

Word has been received that the Rev. Frederick Tuttle Bender, a former rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, died on Nov. 9 at Windsor Point, Fuquay-Varina, N.C. He was 90 years old.

Mr.. Bender was born in Newark, N.J. on April 6, 1923 to Lester Frederick Bender and Lois Elizabeth Tuttle. While in high school, he attended the Summit School of Music which provided the training for his lifelong career in music and the ministry.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Grace Mountford Betts. During World War II in Victoria, Texas, Mr. Bender served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flight instructor.

After the war, he and Grace returned to Nutley, N.J. where he worked as organist and choir director. He also taught music at the Carteret School for Boys in Carteret, N.J. and later served as organist and choir director at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Newark, N.J.

In 1955, Mr. Bender attended the General Theological Seminary. He was ordained an Episcopal minister and served as rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Palmerton, Pa., Grace Church in Allentown, Pa., and Director of the Order of St. Ann’s Bethany, a residential center for handicapped women in Lincoln, Mass..

His later years in the ministry took place in Connecticut where he held the position of director of music and education at St. Luke’s in Darien and rector at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgefield from 1981 to 1988.

He and his wife retired to Center Tuftonboro, N.H., where they enjoyed friends, family, boating and were  members of the Clear Lakes Chorale. Mr. Bender served as a volunteer clergy and choirmaster at several churches in New Hampshire and later in North Carolina, after a move for the warmer climate. Mrs. Bender died in 2005.

He is survived by his four children: Joanne Growitz of Eagle, Idaho; Sarajane Diosi of Epping, N.H.; Robert Bender of Auburn, Maine; and Cynthia Scam of Monroe; and by 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A service of thanksgiving for his life will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien on Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the “St. Luke’s Parish – Friends of Music,” 1864 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820

Dear EarthTalk: How can it be that carbon dioxide emissions are the lowest they have been in the United States in 20 years despite the fact that we have no binding federal legislation limiting them? —Jason Johnson 

Carbon dioxide emissions are indeed lower than at any time since 1994, according to data recently released by the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA). But if you think that the rise of the hybrid car, our embrace of public transit, walking, biking and those new windows on the house are behind the trend, think again.

According to the EIA, increased energy efficiency has played a role, as have recent warmer winters and the recession, but the key driver has been the swapping out of coal at power plants and industrial facilities across the country for cleaner-burning and now more abundant natural gas.

The reason so much natural gas is around is the rise of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), a technique whereby drillers inject water and chemicals into underground shale rock deposits to free up otherwise trapped natural gas.

Fracking has allowed United States oil companies to access huge natural gas deposits from the Marcellus Shale in the northeast and elsewhere. The increased supply has brought natural gas prices down so that it has been cheaper than coal during the last few years. Our carbon footprint benefits because burning natural gas to generate electricity generates about half the carbon emissions of coal for every megawatt hour of power generated.

But Americans might not want to pat themselves on the back for too long, as the positive trend won’t continue indefinitely.

“Replacing coal with natural gas reduces smokestack emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury, but natural gas production and distribution comes with a host of problems, including methane leaks, contaminated water supplies, destroyed streams and devastated landscapes,” says Dan Lashof of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental group. “And while gas-fired power plants have lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal-fired ones, their emissions are still far too high to be considered a global warming solution.”

Furthermore, EIA says our energy-related carbon emissions are already rising again given recent increases in natural gas prices that have steered some utilities back to coal. The EIA anticipates United States energy-related carbon emissions rising 1.7%  in 2013 and another 0.9% in 2014. “The most important remaining question,” says Lashof, “is whether or not the United States will continue to reduce its CO2 emissions to achieve the president’s 2020 goal of a 17% reduction from 2005 levels and eventually the 80% or more reductions needed to prevent the most dangerous risks of climate disruption. The target is within reach, he says, but power plant carbon pollution standards, among other changes, will be needed.

Lashof adds that the only way to keep the ball rolling is via a coordinated effort including stricter federal carbon and energy efficiency standards, new state renewable energy and energy efficiency incentives and reworked zoning and transportation policies that discourage the use of private automobiles. “We can build the clean energy future we need, but we aren’t there yet and it’s not going to happen by itself.”

Also, even if Americans can mobilize to get their emissions in check, will it matter? During 2012, energy-related carbon emissions fell by some 3.7%  in the United States, but rose 1.4% overall around the world. Indeed, global carbon emissions are on an unrelenting upward march as developing nations acquire the taste for the extravagant fossil-fuel-driven lifestyle perfected in the United States.

Contacts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, www.eia.gov ; NRDC, www.nrdc.org .

EarthTalk is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com .

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s no surprise that almost all the weekend activities are holiday-oriented.

• Festive Home continues Friday through Sunday.
• The Holiday Spectacular is a tradition at the Playhouse Friday.
• First Congregational has its Christmas concert Friday.
• Families can make gifts Saturday at the Aldrich.
• Toys will be collected by school bus drivers and Santa Saturday by Party Depot.
• John Tesh’s big band will do holiday music Saturday at the Playhouse.
• Art experts will discuss the current exhibits at the Aldrich Saturday.
• The Christmas Story will be told Sunday at St. Stephen’s.

Details on all of these events will be found in this week’s Press. The basics on many are in the Datebook.

For information on local and regional events, see Arts & Leisure’s This Weekend listings.

The sidewalk along the new apartment house at the corner of Gilbert and New Street ends at its driveway and property line. Pedestrians farther down New Street have to walk in road, sharing it with traffic. —Macklin Reid photo

With modest houses on small lots, New Street has 51 homes in a little over half a mile. Now 42 people living at 27 addresses along New Street have petitioned the town to build a sidewalk there.

“I really want to walk to town, me and my friends and the dogs and the children,” said Amale Hawi of 35 New Street.

“Some of us like to walk to town but we hesitate because of safety, because there are no sidewalks,” she said.

“And with the cars speeding up and down, and with New Street being used as a cut-through, a shortcut, it’s really impossible for us to walk safely without being concerned about being run over. It’s as simple as that.”

Ms. Hawi’s neighbor LaVerle Jessup put a posting about the sidewalk petition on a Facebook page that is focused on Ridgefield matters.

“Not only is our road dangerous on any given day because of commuters using it as their personal Autobahn and pass-through to Route 116,” she said, “it became even more apparent this past Halloween: The police did not close the road and the cars came racing through, coming perilously close to many children. Fortunately, no one was hurt.”

Sidewalks for New Street are something town officials have been thinking about, according to First Selectman Rudy Marconi.

“New Street has been a road that has been considered many times for sidewalks, due to the amount of traffic that uses that street as a bypass,” he said.

But there are problems.

“When surveyed, the question becomes on which side of the road to place the sidewalk, and it appears that we’d have to switch back and forth from the west side to the east side, due to the multitude of trees that are located along that route,” Mr. Marconi said.

But the area is part of the village, and has the traffic problems of a commuter route. Sidewalks make sense.

“We have been looking at New Street for quite a few years, and it’s probably time to at least begin a project of building those sidewalks,” Mr. Marconi said.

The town generally does some sidewalk work every year, usually paid for out of the Local Capital Improvement Project, or “LOCIP,” grants that Connecticut towns receive from the state each year. The money is distributed according to a formula, and Ridgefield’s annual grant runs about $152,000, Mr. Marconi said.

Building sidewalks the half-mile length of New Street would cost twice that, easily, by Mr. Marconi’s estimate.

Sidewalk costs $160 a foot, he said. “If it’s 1,000 feet, it’s $160,000.”

With 5,280 feet to a mile, New Street’s half-mile length would be about 2,640 feet.

“If you multiply $160 times 2,600 feet, it’s $416,000 — that’s a ballpark,” Mr. Marconi said.

“To do New Street, you’re talking $300,000 to $400,000, minimum, if we were to do it all the way down,” he said.

“That’s expensive. It’s a  major project.”

People on New Street aren’t the only ones who’d like sidewalks. The first selectman hears from people on major state highways, and village neighborhoods, as well.

Connecting village schools, ball fields, apartment complexes, commercial areas are all priorities.

“We have requests to go all the way out 33 and 35 from people,” Mr. Marconi said. “We like to focus on the village district and make sure we’ve connected all the missing pieces.”

Is New Street on a to-do list?

“New Street is on a to-do list. Grove Street is on a to-do list. Prospect Ridge is on a to-do list.

Deciding where the next year’s sidewalk work will be done is a collective effort by the town engineer, first selectman and Board of Selectmen.

Ms. Hawi is sure New Street deserves serious consideration. “We have a lot of traffic, especially around rush hour,” she said.

“There are a lot of younger families that have moved in, with children. People with dogs. People like me who are not as quick as I used to be,” she said. “There are 20-plus children under 18, over 20 kids that we have. We have about 11 above 65 — a lot of the older people, as well, like to walk.

“My neighbors moved in next door and they asked me to show them around. I said, ‘Why don’t we go up the street and we’ll take your dogs to the dog park. And they said, ‘Where’s the sidewalk?’”

Ms. Hawi said the sidewalk petition was something she and a couple of neighbors, Heather and Scott Mitchell, pulled together pretty quickly. With more time she’s sure she could get more signatures.

“It’s really just an effort we did over one weekend,” she said. “We’ve been talking about it a long time, the whole neighborhood.”

Interest increased after an apartment house was built on the corner of Gilbert Street and New Street under the state affordable housing law. The  Planning and Zoning Commission made the developer install sidewalk from Gilbert Street down along his property’s New Street frontage.

Most people on New Street wanted to sign the peition, but there were a few dissenters.

“I knocked on many doors. I had about three of them who said no.  They’re not willing to shovel,” she said.

Mr. Marconi said it was true that property owners with sidewalks in front of their houses are responsible for snow shoveling and other maintenance — even if the sidewalk is on land in the road right-of-way, town- or state-owned.

“Technically, by our ordinance, yes. That is what was passed many years ago,” Mr. Marconi said.

“That’s why a lot of people don’t want sidewalks. They just don’t want anything to do with it.”

With a house on Main Street, Mr. Marconi is among those who are charged with sidewalk care.

“I’ve been there six years, seven years. Do I take care of the sidewalks? Yes, I have a snow blower, and clean it and salt it.”

The ordinance says property owners have a responsibility for maintenance and repair of sidewalks.

“We have done some” repairs, the first selectman said. “But the true responsibility is that of the residents. And I know there are people on Main Street that are taking care of theirs, that have actually hired crews to come in a fix the sidewalks in front of their homes.”

Ms. Hawi isn’t worried about snow shoveling, or potential sidewalk repair someday.

She just thinks New Street, a stone’s throw from Main Street, needs sidewalks. “We feel like we’re in the boondocks, because I have to get in my car to go somewhere.”

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The snowstorm Saturday didn’t keep Santa and his fire truck from making his deliveries,  including to Emily Honore, as part of the Ridgefield Professional Fire Fighters fund-raiser. Santa visited more than 130 homes over two Saturdays. The event over the past four years has generated almost $40,000 for charities, including Ridgefield Social Services, the Molly Ann Tango Foundation, Make A Wish, Ability Beyond, and the Sandy Ground Foundation.  —Karen Lee photo

Tech training through Ridgefield Continuing Education includes Get the Most Out of Your iPad, a two hour workshop for people who just bought an iPad but want to get more out of it.

Participants learn how to use e-mail, calendar, maps, and other basic programs as well as how to listen to music and podcasts, watch videos, and display photos.

Sessions are Wednesday, Jan. 15 or 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. or Friday, Jan. 31 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Venus Building (old high school) on Governor Street. Cost is $44.

Other classes such as eBay, iPhone, Excel, Photoshop Elements, and more are also available.

Visit www.ridgefieldschools.org or phone Peggy Bruno at 203-431-2812 to register.

House Republicans have voted (symbolically) to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) more than 45 times. The GOP now has an 18-page political talking points screed against Obamacare. It contains pure speculation and innuendo. With a vested interest rooted in failure and little basis in reality, it predicts dire consequences, particularly for health insurance premiums. Here are some of the facts you should know about the ACA and Ridgefield.

1. Competition is good! The ACA promotes transparent competition among private insurance carriers. Locally, premiums this year went down, not up, because we were able to switch insurance carriers. Reduced budgets saved Ridgefield taxpayers about $800,000.
2. The ACA requires insurance companies to spend 85% of their premiums on health care or refund the money to those insured. This means premiums cannot subsidize administrative costs, lavish perks, marketing, or excess profits. This year, Ridgefield received a refund check for $250,000 due to this provision.
3. The ACA mandates many preventive health services be provided free of charge. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In medicine, more likely a ton of cure. Inexpensive tests allow early detection, saving billions of dollars of expensive, time-consuming treatment, and, more importantly, also saving lives now claimed by conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. For employers like Ridgefield, premium increases will be dictated primarily by the health experience of the insured pool. As prevention makes those covered healthier, the result will be lowered cost pressure on premiums.
4. The ACA’s individual mandate makes people responsible for their own insurance. Today, treatment provided to people without insurance can result in financial ruin for patients and their families and in higher insurance costs for everyone when the costs of “unreimbursed care” are passed along. When more people have insurance those costs will come down.

We should step away from partisan speculation, and examine the ACA objectively. Medical cost increases have already come down. Many positive benefits are longer-term fixes to a badly broken system. But the ACA has, in fact, already benefitted millions of Americans. Short-term website issues notwithstanding, many millions more, most not fortunate enough to live in Ridgefield, will also benefit. And America will join all other developed nations in providing ALL of its citizens with affordable health care, more stable insurance premiums, and better health outcomes, due to the ACA; which the GOP will no longer call Obamacare.

Personally, I’m on Medicare. But our private insurance carrier cancelled my wife’s individual plan, which was not substandard. A similar ACA-compliant replacement had increased premiums and higher deductibles. But, due to the ACA, she cannot be arbitrarily dropped or denied coverage for preexisting conditions. And there are no lifetime caps. Also, we have easily compared competing plan alternatives on company and Connecticut websites. Our future, yours, and Ridgefield’s are more secure today than before the ACA.

Dave Ulmer is chairman of Ridgefield’s Board of Finance. The Democratic Town Committee supplies this column.

Accepting the HOBI Award for Clark Construction of Ridgefield, Inc. are Gary and Ross Clark, flanked by association senior officers Henry Rozewski and Nort Wheeler.

Connecticut’s remodelers and builders were honored with the Home Builders and Remodelers Association’s Annual HOBI Awards recently.

This year, Clark Construction of Ridgefield, Inc. received two awards: “Best Conversion”  for a renovation on an 1800’s   home where a dated 70’s pool addition was converted to interior space; and “Best Construction Website,”  awarded for  clarkconstruction.net.

The conversion is highlighted by a repurposed lower level that adds quality space to the home; open, bright rooms full of custom features not often found in antique homes. There’s a sunny playroom which was designed as a flex space that can be used in limitless ways. The lower level also includes spacious guest quarters with an  en-suite bathroom, with a large shower and modern floating vanity.

The guest quarters is also a multipurpose space which can function as a home office or work-out room should the additional bedroom no longer be necessary.

“One of the crowning achievements of the project is that the conversion respects the integrity of the original antique home while incorporating the best of contemporary materials,” said Gary and Ross Clark.  “Building on clues from the original styling led to a felicitous pairing of old and new. The clients are ecstatic with the balance that was achieved between classic and fresh touches.”

The Clark  website  won for its eye-catching images, easy navigation and quality content. “It’s inviting and welcoming, like a warm handshake and a friendly greeting, creating a very strong first impression,” the Clarks said.

Users are able to quickly and easily find the information they need. There are useful in-depth articles, such as “Avoiding Change Orders” and “The Three Bid Myth”, along with interesting and informative blogs which are posted regularly, keeping visitors coming back for more.

The site has a Portfolio section, featured remodels, and a section called “Production Stories” — detailed walk-throughs of noteworthy projects using drawings, computer renderings, pictures, and descriptions.

Clark Construction at 51 Ethan Allen Highway,  design-build remodelers since 1987, handle projects ranging from whole house renovations, additions, kitchens and baths to basements.

For many people, the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. For others, though, the additional responsibilities of shopping, cooking and decorating outweigh the pleasures of the holidays. For those who have lost loved ones or are experiencing other stresses, this can be a particularly difficult time of the year.

The hustle and bustle can be overwhelming, so it is a good idea to prepare mentally for the days to come, according to the Norwalk Hospital Department of Psychiatry.

The behavioral health specialists offer some advice. For starters, be realistic about how much money to spend on presents and the way in which your family traditions or spiritual events are celebrated.

Lateef Habib, clinical coordinator of outpatient services for the Department of Psychiatry, said, “Do not mistakenly assume that you are the only one for whom the holidays are not perfect. If you believe that everyone else is well organized, has enough money, goes to fun and exciting parties, and is generally happier, you may develop a real case of the ‘holiday blues.’”

These feelings can cause overeating, drinking too much, arguing with loved ones, or feeling anxious and depressed, he said.

Norwalk Hospital offers the following holiday tips for relieving stress:

• Set up practical, realistic family traditions.
• Practice time and money management.
• Talk with family and friends about expectations.
• Anticipate your problem areas (for example, alcohol, drugs and food).
• Do not attend parties when you are hungry and tired.
• Limit your holiday socializing to truly meaningful events.

If you are having difficulty coping with the stresses of the holidays, the Norwalk Hospital Department of Psychiatry can help. To learn more about programs, services and groups available, call 203-852-2988.