THREE KNOWLEDGEABLE
VOLUNTEERS TALK ABOUT
On Thursday, October 20, we will hear from three Westporters who will talk about their experiences and observations staying with the kids at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT. The speakers will be Ken Bernhard, Larry Weisman and Dan Kail. All three men have been volunteer counselors at Paul Newman's renowned camp for children. The camp has been in existence for 16 years and is attended by children between the ages of 8 and 15 who suffer from chronic and life threatening diseases. This past summer, there were 9 weekly sessions and each child came for a week. Dan Kail has been volunteering at the camp for more than 10 years, Larry Weisman for more than 5 years and this was Ken Bernhard's first summer. Besides remarking on their experiences and providing anecdotal stories of the camp, kids and staff, Dan and Larry will comment on the initial development and transition of the camp from an idea to an important institution, which has become a model for other camps around the world. Ken will give the prospective of a first time volunteer for whom the week was eye opening and enlightening experience. Ken has said, “For each of us, the camp experience has been more than an opportunity to volunteer, it has been an opportunity for personal growth.” Ken Bernhard, a graduate of Yale University and NYU Law School, is a senior partner with the law firm of Cohen and Wolf, PC specializing in litigation, municipal law, land use matters and domestic relations. Additionally he serves as the Town Attorney for both Wilton and Weston. Until last year, he served as Assistant Minority Leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing Westport. His present affiliation with the State is as Governor Rell's most recent appointment to the Judicial Review Council where he oversees investigations into complaints made against judges and prosecutors. State wide he is on the Board of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, an organization which monitors and rates legislators on their environmental voting record. Locally, Ken is on the Boards of the Westport Historical Society, Earthplace and Mid-Fairfield County Nursing and Home Care/Hospice organizations. He also serves on the advisory committee for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an organization with an annual budget of $50m with 300 employees and 15 offices around the world. IFAW is presently running major animal rescue operations in the Gulf States. Prior to becoming Westport's representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, he served Westport as a member of the ZBA, the Board of Selectmen and Town Attorney. Ken Bernhard is married to Alice Mulligan and has a daughter, Emily, and a grandson, Guthrie. He is a retired U.S Army JAG officer with 23 years of military service. His active duty assignments included two years of criminal trial work and an assignment as an Associate Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy teaching Constitutional Law. Most recently, he has been accepted by the Center for International Studies in Salzburg, Austria to teach at the law university in Sofia, Bulgaria for two weeks next year. Lawrence P. Weisman has been practicing law in Connecticut for over 40 years. He currently practices in the areas of land use and zoning, commercial and residential real estate, family law and general litigation. He has extensive experience litigating a wide range of matters on behalf of corporations and individuals. Mr. Weisman also regularly assists corporations in stock and asset sales and assists individuals and businesses in all types of real estate transactions. In addition, he is an experienced divorce mediator. His memberships include: Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Executive Committee, Planning and Zoning Section, Family Relations Section, and the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association; the American Bar Association; Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association; Raymond E. Baldwin American Inn of Court; and the U.S. District Court Grievance Panel. Larry is a frequent author and speaker on topics including planning and zoning law and family law matters and formerly served as a member of the Board of Editors of the Connecticut Bar Journal. Larry Weisman has always been active in the community, particularly the Town of Westport, previously serving on three of the Town's Charter Revision Commissions, as counsel to the Town and as Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Westport Public Library. Dan Kail has been a resident of Westport since 1964. He received a B. S. Degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Before his retirement in 2000, he held senior executive positions and was a board member of medium sized public companies. One of these companies, where he was employed for 25 years, is MAI, a manufacturer of mini computers where he became Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer. His community activities include Past President United Way, Westport/Weston, Past President Westport Public Library Board of Trustees and Chair Staples Building committee. He and his wife have three children and seven grandchildren. |
