In 1986, no band could be found to play for Wiilimantic, Connecticut's Independence Day parade. Rather than give up the parade, the local radio station, WILI-AM, was enlisted to play march music at exactly 11am on July 4. Thus began a unique piece of Americana that has grown larger and more varied in the intervening 16 years.All that's needed to participate in the parade is a group. This year, Murph had three different groups to march with. Fortunately, the parade has grown large enough, and the three groups were far enough apart, that it was possible to backtrack from the end of the parade with one group and join the next as it came up Main Street.
Re-evaluation Counseling has long been an important part of our lives. It is an international organization that recently formed "United to End Racism" (UER) to work actively with others in our communities who also seek to eliminate all manifestations of racism.The United Nations is holding a World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, beginning at the end of August 2001 in Durban, South Africa. UER will be attending the Conference as an approved non-governmental organization (NGO). UER also will continue to sponsor local events in the U.S. and other countries. You can learn more (including how to contribute to UER's work) at www.rc.org/uer
Virginia is executive director of WAIM and Murph is one of the many volunteers that make the work of this organization possible.
WAIM is a cooperative of 39 Windham area churches and synagogues. Its mission is to coordinate meeting the basic needs of low income people in 11 CT towns. Programs include free clothing, furniture and household items, fuel assistance, a school clothes project and gifts for teens at Christmas. It also arranges for families to be "adopted" by other families at the holidays.
This year is an election year for local government officials. Murphy is a member of Windham's Democratic Town Committee and webmaster of WinDemocrats.Org. In the 2001 campaign he is Treasurer for the elect "Susan Johnson '01" committee. It seems certain that there will be primary for this office on September 11.