Take On Life

Hi everyone,

Jacques Cailleau wants the phone to ring.

Just once.

Nearly three weeks after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, the 59-year-old Danbury man is still waiting to hear from his sister, Margarette.

“We pray for her every day,” Cailleau said Friday. “But in fact, everybody is having trouble making phone calls down there, so we wait.”

And wait.

To read more about Jacques Cailleau — and local residents who are raising money to help the people of Haiti — check out my “Take on Life” column Sunday.

Only in the print edition of The News-Times.

Hi everyone,

Fifteen years ago, Tavaughn Bunn was an all-league football and basketball star at Danbury High School. These days, he’s married with a beautiful wife and two children.

Most recently, Bunn and his family have been living in his grandmother’s basement, so they could save up enough money for a place of their own.

Their dream — along with the dreams of two other families — will come true in the coming weeks when Housatonic Habitat for Humanity finishes building three new homes on Bayberry Lane in Danbury.

Along the way, each family put in 400 hours of “sweat equity” to help build their homes. These homes are not handouts.

To learn more about these families and their stories, check out my “Take on Life” column in Friday’s newspaper.

Only in the print edition of The News-Times.

Hi everyone,

As the calendar creeps — or races! — toward the end of January, it’s not too late to hop on the bandwagon for National Mentoring Month. In fact, it’s never too late to serve as a mentor.

We’re fortunate to have Danbury Youth Services in our backyard as one of the really terrific organizations in the city.

DYS does a fantastic job with all its programs, including the Earn-a-Bike program, where kids refurbish donated bikes for their own use, and the Community Based Life Skills program for at-risk young people.

DYS also has a dynamic mentoring program. But without caring adults who are willing to give kids a smile and some time, the program can’t work.

If you’ve been thinking about being a mentor, check out Danbury Youth Services today.

For more information, call Dubravka Vidmar at Danbury Youth Services at 203-748-2936. You can also visit nationalmentoringmonth.org to learn more about national mentoring month.

Hi everyone,

One of my pet peevs is fighting with the cable company every six months or so after the promotional rate expires for my  TV, Internet and telephone bundle.

Did you ever wonder why the best bundle offers are reserved for new customers? Shouldn’t existing customers be rewarded for their loyalty?

What’s more, did you ever wonder why you have to call up and negotiate a fee structure every time if you don’t want to automatically pay a higher price after the promotional rate ends?

Me, too.

Well, guess what? You’re not alone.

Consumer Reports recently investigated telecom companies in its Feb. 2010 issue. As part of the magazine’s research, they ranked 12 companies nationwide based on customer satisfaction with their bundle packages.

To see where your company ranked, check out my Take on Life column in Wednesday’s paper.

Only in the print edition of The News-Times.

Hi everyone,

Last summer, I wrote a column about Larry Graham, a Danbury man who was training to ride 45 miles in the Livestrong Challenge in Philadelphia to raise money for cancer patients and cancer research.

Larry wanted to do something to honor his nephew, Ryan Graham, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few years back.

So last August, Larry did just that. He rode his bike 45 miles in the Livestrong Challenge after shedding more than 73 pounds during training. 

Fast-forward to 2010.

On Jan. 15, Larry learned his nephew’s eight-month oncology exam gave him a clean but cautious bill of health; Ryan has now been cancer-free for the last three years…and counting!

This August, Larry plans to do the Livestrong Challenge again, only this time, he wants to do the 100-mile ride instead of the 45-mile one.

Along the way, Larry hopes to raise $10,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation in honor of Ryan and other families fighting cancer.

But wait, there’s more. Check out this latest e-mail from Larry….

“If we can raise $1,500 by Feb. 9 (the actual anniversary of Ryan’s surgery), I will shave my head entirely, and keep it shaved until after my ride is completed….You can make your donations here: http://philly2010.livestrong.org/larrygraham”

Way to go, Larry!

P.S. Make sure you wear a ball cap for those training rides this summer. You’re going to need it!

Hi everyone,

For the Rev. Dr. Joni Paterson, working days upon end without pulling a phone from her ear — or her fingers from a keyboard — became a way of life after the earthquake in Haiti.

Paterson, the sister of New Fairfield’s Janice Wiggins, oversees development and administration for the Crudem Foundation in Ludlow, Mass., a non-profit organization devoted to helping the people of northern Haiti.

Crudem is actually an acronym. It stands for Center for the Rural Development of Milot, a small town about 90 miles north of Port-au-Prince.

Crudem operates a hospital in Milot called Hopital Sacre Coeur, which has seen a tremendous surge in surgeries and admissions after the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.

Unfortunately, in the initial days and hours after the earthquake, the hospital was ready and willing to treat patients, but travel and communication were awful at best, life-threatening at worst.

Fortunately, that changed in a hurry and miracles are now being performed every day there.

To read about some of the amazing stories at Hopital Sacre Coeur, check out my Take on Life column Sunday.

Only in the print edition of The News-Times.

Hi everyone,

For most of his adult life, Tony Candullo worked in the concrete and masonry professions. He poured foundations. He built chimneys.

But last spring, the 65-year-old Candullo decided to chase a lifelong dream…and hitch it to the back of his Chevy Tahoe.

Candullo bought a hot dog cart in Maine, obtained all the necessary permits in Danbury, and set up shop on Main Street.

For some folks, a lifelong dream might be retiring to Florida. Or maybe, buying that flashy sports car you’ve always wanted.

Not Tony Candullo. His lifelong dream was wrapped inside a stainless steel box.

To learn why Candullo hawks hot dogs five days a week — and to learn about his top-secret chili recipe — read my “Take on Life” column on Friday.

Only in the print edition of The News-Times.

Hi everyone,

This is me holding Damien Anthony Sanchez, the son of Sandy and Andres Sanchez, of Danbury. I also had the honor of holding Maiya Nicole Rios, the daughter of Samantha and Mike Rios, of New Fairfield. The children's mothers, who are sisters, delivered their babies on the same day -- Jan. 15, 2010 -- at Danbury Hospital.

If I needed to be reminded why I have the best job at this newspaper, I definitely found it Tuesday.

When I heard that two sisters, Sandy Sanchez and Samantha Rios, had given birth on the same day at Danbury Hospital, I knew it was a neat story.

But when I was asked to hold Maiya Nicole Rios and her cousin, Damien Anthony Sanchez, I was overcome with joy. The two babies were born within seven hours of each other last Friday at Danbury Hospital.

In a world that can be so cynical and cruel sometimes, this family’s miracle is the perfect reminder of what’s really important in life and how powerful love can be.

Make no mistake, the people in Haiti need our help. The people who have lost their homes and their jobs in this country also need our help.

But for one day, with a pair of beautiful 4-day-old babies sleeping in my arms, I was reminded about the optimism and sweetness of life — and how it can change the world.

To me, there’s nothing like it.