FORConn Friends of Retarded Citizens of Connecticut

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BIOGRAPHIES

Sally Bondy
Sally is a mother of a son who formerly lived in a children's group home in the community in Massachusettes, (because there was nothing available in Connecticut at that time). He now lives in Southbury Training School (STS). Sally has been President of the Home and School Association at STS since 1985. Member of the Human Rights Committee at STS. Formerly on the Cottage Services Committee at STS.

She was a Board Member on Outreach, a private group home in the community (now amalgamated into a larger private provider).  Recording Secretary of FORConn's Health and Aging Committee, and originator, in 1986, of the FORConn Monthly Mailing, which she continues to assemble for us today!

Karen Hlavac  
Karen is the parent of a young adult son, Todd.  Todd is diagnosed with severe intellectual disability  ( mental retardation) , autism and bipolar disorder.  Todd resided at home with his parents and siblings for the majority of his life.  He now resides in a public sector ICF facility.   Karen is a registered nurse and holds a Master of Public Health degree.  She is a member and Vice-Chairperson of the CT. State Council on Mental Retardation. She is also an elected member of the Wallingford Board of Education.  Previously, Karen has  served on the Connecticut State Advisory Council on Special Education and the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.   

Evelyn Kennedy

Evelyn Kennedy is a founding board member of FORConn.

In 1943 Mrs. Evelyn Kennedy's first experience in hearing the term 'Mental Retardation' was when her doctor told her "You have a mentally retarded son". Their lives were centered on their son and they soon found out there was no place to turn for help, not even books in the library. When her son Brian was 5 she went to the Superintendent of Schools in Bridgeport only to be told there were no programs for children like hers. Special Classes were for children with IQ's over 50. There was no obligations for children like her son Brian.

On a snowy February night in 1951 12 families came together at Mrs. Kennedy's house to see what they could do for their children. They pleaded with the Board of Appropriations in Bridgeport to help them to keep their children home, and out of that came funds for two classes to start at Columbus School in Bridgeport. These trainable classes were the first of its kind in the New England States. They named their association 'The Parents and Friends of the Mentally Retarded' and held meetings twice a month.

Other communities wanted help in starting their parent groups so they traveled around the state in helping other groups get started. Their next need was a center for a nursery program. The Bridgeport Brass Good Neighbor Fund purchased a lot and with the money they had in their treasury designed and built a building with help from local contractors. It then took 18 months to complete it. Their programs soon expanded to their full capacity and it was time once again to move. The Mayor of Bridgeport gave them 3 acres of land on Virginia Ave. and Washington D.C. gave them a federal grant for $100,000. They also raised $375,000 to cover the cost of the new building. They realized all to soon, after the building opened, that they could not continue the expense, the demand was so intense for services, and it was overwhelming.

Their only alternative was to have the Department of Mental Retardation take the building over and provide the services desperately needed. Evelyn Kennedy made a trip to Hartford to insist that Bridgeport was past due in having a Regional Center. They then turned the building over to the DMR for $50,000 the amount owed on it. That was the beginning of the Bridgeport Regional Center. In 1951 they decided to take the older children and open another facility. They opened in one building, moved later to another one and finally to a factory building on Garden Street in Bridgeport that was donated to them. They also received a donation of about 1 million dollars to renovate the building and The Kennedy Center opened in the early 1970's.

Evelyn Kennedy has graciously written a letter of support for the FORConn website.

Dexter Picozzi
Dexter has a  son who lived in the Mansfield Training School until its closing at which time he was moved to the Ella T. Grasso Regional Center in Stratford CT. In 1997 as a result of the Mansfield decree he was moved into a group home in Stratford, CT. run by St. Vincent's Special Needs Services. Dexter is Vice- President and Treasurer of FORConn. He is also President of the Grasso Association for Special People (GRASP). He is also Treasurer of the St. Frances of Ann Men's Roundtable and President of the Parish Lay Advisory Council.

Cynthia Stramandinoli
Parent of twin boys B. J. & Mark.  B. J. was in a Greenwich ARC Group home but now he and Mark live in Lower Fairfield Regional Center. Cindy is Vice President of Parents & Friends of Lower Fairfield County, and on the Program Committee of Greenwich Arc. as well as a past Board Member.

Cynthia was on the Task Force that developed the Registry of Abuse and Neglect. She is a member of the Council on Mental Retardation, a member of the DMR Work Group on Abuse and Neglect and a member of the Advisory Council for Department of Investigations. She also was  on the Advisory Council for Protection & Advocacy.

Please see a letter from Cynthia's daughter on the Lower Fairfield Center 26 mile California fundraising marathon!

Edward D. Walen , President
Ted has a  son, who is diagnosed as profoundly retarded. His mental age is around 2. In spite of his handicaps, he is increasingly leading a full life at Southbury Training School. He frequently goes on outings in the community. He has a work program on the Southbury Training School Campus, where he also has a weekly session at the Sloan Fitness Center.

Ted is President of FORConn and active on the following Boards concerned with mental retardation: The Home and School Association of Southbury Training School, Inc., The Southbury Training School Foundation, and a member of the Council on Mental Retardation.

Robert Wood  (Past President)
Robert is the parent of a daughter with Down syndrome.  Mary lives in a group home run by VARCA (Valley Association for Retarded Children and Adults). Mary also works in VARCA a Community Work Center in Derby. Robert is  President of VARCA. He was appointed to the task force that developed the Registry of Abuse and Neglect of the mentally retarded by Governor Rowland. Robert is a past member of the Advisory Board of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, a past member of the DMR Nutritional Work group, a member of the Connecticut Council on Mental Retardation and a member of the Presidents' Committee on Mental Retardation, CT Team.

Members who have passed on but still remain in our hearts:

Richard  C. Brown

Grace M. Curtis

Fritzie Levine

Board Members who have retired:

Ken Jetter

Gil C. Kellersman Jr. 

Volunteers

Dr. Philip Bondy
Dr. Bondy graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1942. He taught and practiced medicine for almost 50 years, as a professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at Yale, Professor of Medicine at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, England and Chief of Staff at the West Haven Veterans Hospital. He was especially interested in diseases of the endocrine glands and cancer. He retired from medical practice in 1989 and since then has devoted most of his time to studying the problems and promoting the rights of people with mental retardation. He is a member of the Connecticut Council on Mental Retardation, the Board of Trustees of Southbury Training School, the FORConn Committee on Health and Aging and the Board of the Southbury Training School Foundation, where he heads the guardianship program.

Mary Potter - Webmaster for FORconn website, and prior board member when living in Connecticut
Mary is a parent to Amanda who has Rett Syndrome. Amanda lives at home with her mom, Mary Potter, and dad, Clark Eid in New York. Amanda attended public school until she was 10. At age 10, Amanda became critically ill due to uncontrolled seizures and other progressive symptoms of Rett syndrome, and now receives school services (from the public school) in her home. Clark and Mary recently completed a national awareness campaign and fundraiser for Rett syndrome research called the Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome, May 2001 and the Mississippi Challenge for Rett Syndrome and Leukodystrophy, May 2003. Mary has volunteered to help FORConn and other charities with website development. Mary Potter has a BS in Computer Science, and worked in the computer field as a programmer, analyst and team leader prior to becoming a stay at home mom to take care of her daughter, Amanda.