Get to Know our Top Contributors: Lori Fogler Nicholson

joined Branford Patch on June 14, 2011. She has been a frequent contributor to the site, commenting on various news stories and even most recently, she used Patch she found.

After contacting the and learning the dog , Nicholson decided to name the year-old pup Missey and .

Fogler-Nicholson grew up in Milford and has living in Branford for 21 years. You can see how she uses Patch, what she thinks about community news, and more by visiting her . To get know more about her, we posed the following questions: 

Branford Patch: Where did you grow up and when did you move to Branford?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: I grew up in Milford when it was a quaint New England town, which is now an over-developed congested city. I left there when I was 21 to play music with an all-girl rock and roll band named Fire. We played all over the world and did numerous USO shows for our troops. I lived in Australia for two years and Manhattan for 10 years. I met my English-born husband six years ago and we moved to beautiful Branford.

Branford Patch: You’re running for a two-year term on the Board of Education on the Republican ticket; can you briefly tell readers more about your plans?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: As far as the BOE goes... I feel the board should act as a facilitator between parents, students, teachers and administrators. A conduit so to speak. I'm not so sure there shouldn't be some sort of term limits as well because new perspectives breathe fresh life and energy into any group that may have grown static over time. What worries me most regarding education is how unprepared children who want to go to college are when they actually reach freshman year. I just graduated from SCSU [Southern Connecticut State Univeristy] and when I was a freshman, a great many students had to take remedial math and English courses in order to study at the college level. Perhaps that's why so many take five years to get a BS or BA rather then the standard four years that was par for the course when I was getting out of high school.

Branford Patch: If elected, how do you think Patch will be able to help you?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: If elected the Patch will be very useful as it provides a local forum where ideas and concerns can be exchanged and brought to the forefront.

Branford Patch: Why did you join Patch?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: The Patch is the gold standard for local news in that its diverse in its subject matter and unbiased in its reporting.

Branford Patch: How have you found it to be the most helpful to you?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: What I find most helpful is how much energy is put into keeping citizens abreast of whatever is going on in town. Everywhere I go I seem to see someone from the patch taking notes.

Branford Patch: One word to describe your experience using the site?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: One word to describe my experience-integrity. I trust you will report all the details and do so without an agenda.

Branford Patch: Would you recommend it to a friend?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: I would recommend the patch to a friend because if it's happening in town you're covering it.

Branford Patch: What do you use the site for?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: We know you recently posted an announcement about a dog, whom you later named Missey that you found abandoned?

Branford Patch: Can you tell readers a little more about that and why you decide to post the news to Patch?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: I choose the patch to report the abandoned dog I found because you guys are the old fashioned local news paper of my childhood days. The place where anniversaries are announced and tag sales listed. Sure we live in a digital age but your content reminds me of the old Milford Citizen from 40 years ago!

I figured your loyal readers may recognize the poor pup who was found wandering near two weeks ago.  Shamefully the people who owned her didn't go to the animal shelter to ask about her for five dayy... I am an animal shelter commissioner in Branford and will do my best to increase animal welfare in Branford and on the state level. The good news...Missey  is our pup now and queen of the household! She is a great dog and we're lucky to have her. 

Branford Patch: What other websites to you frequent?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: The Branford Seven for its comment section and political news which is always very entertaining. The Shoreline Times for its regional flare.

Branford Patch: What’s one thing you’d like us to do better, more of or start doing?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson:You asked what should we start doing and I thought a volunteer opportunity section would be awesome. For example I volunteer with and we are always looking for folks who can bait a hook, cast a line or bake a homemade dessert for the vets. Civic involvement is what builds social capital and strengthens any town. If there was a one stop shopping place for people who want to give of themselves it would be a wonderful thing for Branford.

Branford Patch: What’s one story idea you have for Patch?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: One story idea I think you should cover is the unscreened pharmaceutical waste that is found in waste water treatment effluents. I did  a research paper on the subject and think that much of Long Island Sound's demise can be attributed to the lack of screening or technology to do so. This is being seriously studied in countries all over the world and marginally here in the USA and zero regarding LI Sound. In the mean time endocrine disrupting chemicals, fragrances and antibiotics are being poured by the millions of gallons everyday into the Sound by way of the 44 WWTPs (waste water treatment plants) along our coast. Should we devise a way to screen for these items we may create a very successful process that the entire world could use. There is opportunity here if we take a bad situation and make lemonade out of lemons. People are not going to stop taking ibuprofen or antibiotics and much of it is excreted un metabolized. What can we do to save the Sound? Can we create a process that will screen these harmful pharmaceuticals out? I think we should and the sooner the better.

Branford Patch: what is your favorite part about living in Branford?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: The shoreline. I love to sail in fact I'm building a Norwegian sailing pram in our garage! I love to  kayak, fish , clam, swim and scuba dive so Branford and I are a perfect match. I'm happiest when I'm in or on the water.

Branford Patch: What is your favorite outdoor spot in town?
Lori Fogler-Nicholson: My favorite outdoor spot is anchored off the Thimble Islands and swimming off our sport fishing boat until my fingertips look like prunes and my lips are blue!