Mary T. Gemmola died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of September 11 at Bethel Health Care at the age of 95.
She was born Mary Tateo in the Bronx on July 18, 1919, to Clementia and Paul Ta...
W. Nelson “Skip” Roberts, 91, of Newtown died peacefully Wednesday, September 3, in the presence of his family, following a brief illness. He grew up with his younger sister, Gertrude, in rural New Mo...
Susan L. Kocis died peacefully July 24, in Newtown. Born to Gladys D. and John J. Kocis of Trumbull, she was a graduate of Trumbull High School and Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla.
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Deacon Ada Levette, 80, of Trumbull, formerly a 50-year resident of Bridgeport, died September 4 at St Joseph’s Manor, Trumbull, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Tallahassee, Fla., she was the...
W. Nelson “Skip” Roberts, 91, of Newtown died peacefully Wednesday, September 3, in the presence of his family, following a brief illness. He grew up with his younger sister, Gertrude, in rural New Mo...
“If by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their ho...
Beverly “Bev” (Robbins) Walker, 91, of Florida and Maine died peacefully September 3. She was born in Farmington, Maine, January 5, 1923, the daughter of Ethel and Gerald Robbins.
Surviving Mrs Walker...
Ernest “Ernie” Siladi, 90, a resident of Maplewood at Newtown, died peacefully September 3. He was born June 16, 1924, in Stamford, and was the son of Helen Rimany Siladi and Joseph Walter Siladi. Pri...
Michelle I applaud and support you for focusing on the issues that impact everyone in the town. The next priority has to be on CT's out of control electricity rates. Your opponent and his supporters are quick to blame the other side of the aisle and have given up on trying to accomplish anything. You need to be the voice at the Capitol that the town needs and has missed for so long.
After your short sighted decisions on bussing, something parents are still feeling the repercussions of, I would not want you making any decisions on traffic.
With all due respect Lynn, while no one's property should be damaged, it is demonstrably false to suggest this issue only happens to Democrat signs. If these comments allowed for photos I could show you some pretty abhorrent examples of what has been done to Republican candidate's signs for years in the past few elections (including local races.) Just today we had a supporter message the RTC that their signs were stolen.
Indeed suicide awareness is important as is asking young people these tough questions. That said, saying that "every suicide is preventable" is not only incorrect, it is overly simplistic at best and downright harmful at worst.
The Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors - an online support resource with over 25,000 members worldwide writes frequently about the ramifications of such slogans. Many family members say that prevention messages leave them feeling guilty, upset and fearful of being judged – as if they “dropped the ball.". A few of the many sentiments on their webpage from bereaved family members include:
-“I believe suicide is preventable ONLY if someone shows a sign. …My daughter did not show any signs."
-“As a newly bereaved mother, I find the campaign offensive & repulsive. It places the responsibility on family members and those who are about to take their lives. We obviously would have done something if our loved ones expressed their intentions." -"Awareness yes. Preventable no. There was nothing to prevent what happened to my son. Nothing. And I am so sick of the saying it is preventable."
-"I lost my husband to suicide four months ago. It makes me feel cold and sick in the pit of my stomach when I read ‘suicide is preventable’ because I think: ‘It’s my fault, I let him down.'"
Suicide - especially youth suicide - is a complex problem with no easy answers. It’s possible to prevent sometimes — but not always.