U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn) this week lauded home state programs to find missing children and to thin out obese ones, according to news releases issued by his office.

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, the senator spent time at ADVO's headquarters in Windsor, Conn., to call attention to that direct mail company's program to locate missing children.

In partnership with the U.S. Postal Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, ADVO distributes "Have you seen me" cards to millions of Americans across the country, leading to date to the recovery of 136 children.

"Thanks to ADVO's efforts, today hundreds of parents have been reunited with their children--parents who can now read their little ones to sleep, rather than mourn an empty bed," Lieberman said at a ceremony in which he bestowed a "Connecticut's best" award to the public- private partnership that runs the program.

On Wednesday, Jan. 19, the senator visited Gina Oneto's 4th grade students at Nathan Hale Elementary School in New Haven to caution the children that they need to eat right and get their exercise. "We all love television and computer games and the easy choice is to watch TV or play video games, rather than go outside and get some fresh air," he said. 

"When you make the hard choices because you know they are better for you—to eat right and exercise—in the years to come you might find you are a hero for someone else."

He noted that principal Kim Johnsky helped Nathan Hale Elementary become the nation's first "junk food-free school," last year by replacing junk food and soda with healthy snacks and water. The school now has a daily 2-mile walk as part of its curriculum and offers Pilates classes, particularly popular with 7th grade girls.

"Al of you here at Nathan Hale are certainly heroes for the choices you have made to make your school a partner in the fight against the unhealthy habits that lead to childhood obesity," the senator said.

        —Donald H. Harrison