NHS Cheerleader Looking ForLocks Of Love

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Mar 21, 2003 12:00 am

NHS Cheerleader Looking For

Locks Of Love

When Newtown High School varsity cheerleader Stephanie MacKay participated in the recent Nonnewaug Invitational, someone in the program book caught her attention.

It was a story about Locks Of Love, the nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children across the county who are ages 18 and under and suffering from long-term medical hair loss. The coach of the Nonnewaug High School varsity cheerleading program offered thoughts on the trauma of losing oneâs hair due to medical reasons. Leeza Desjardinsâs story was very personal; the coach had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had vowed to donate her own hair to the program.

âWhen she read about the program and heard what the coach had to say, she wanted to help,â Stephanieâs mother Liz said this week.

On Monday, March 31, Stephanie and fellow NHS students are planning to travel over to Woodbury, where a Locks of Love cut-a-thon will be taking place at Nonnewaug High School beginning at 7:30 pm.

Donors should have hair at least ten inches in length or longer that will be cut. Because the majority of the children helped through Locks of Love are girls who want long hair, the organization uses locks of long hair more often than shorter hair.

The manufacturing process, according to Locks of Love, uses two inches of hair, leaving only an eight-inch length of a ten-inch cut.

âMost of our girls want hair 12 to 14 inches long, requiring donated ponytails of 14 to 16 inches,â according to the organizationâs website.

When Locks of Love needs to manufacture a hairpiece for a boy, however, it can use some of the shorter length that have been separated from a shorter donated ponytail. The organization manufacturers headpieces for children, donating the custom, vacuum-fit hair prosthetics to children ages 6 to 17. Younger children receive synthetic hairpieces because of the rapid growth of the head within this age group.

To join the group heading to Nonnewaug High School on March 31 or for additional information, contact Stephanie MacKay at 426-4067. Additional information about Locks Of Love is available at www.LocksOfLove.org.

Patricia Anzellotti

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It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

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A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

You’re absolutely right — no one should ever feel unsafe in their own home. Being startled awake by violent banging at your door late at night is no joke, and it’s a stark reminder that danger can come without warning. That’s why I’m thankful for the right to protect ourselves, our families, and our property. In a moment like that, you don’t get a second chance to call for help before you act — you have to be prepared. Our homes should be a place of peace, not fear, and the ability to defend them is a right worth safeguarding.

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