February 19 ~ Transfiguration Sunday

We Spend Our Whole Lives Learning

First Church of Christ,
Congregational (UCC)
190 Court St.
Middletown, CT

First Church is an Open and Affirming church. No matter where you are in life's journey, you are welcome. Come visit. Worship begins at 10 a.m. with our Interim Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Brenda Pelc-Faszcza. Sunday school meets during worship and child care is
provided.

Music
Prelude: Sonata No. 50, Domenico Scarlatti
Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus
Anthem: Rejoice in the Lord Alway, Anon., 16th c.
The Senior Choir
Hymn: Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies
Offertory: Sonata No. 56, D. Scarlatti
Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9, The Transfiguration of Christ

Sermon: Life at the Foot of the Mountain--On the last Sunday before we make the turn toward Lent, the Scriptures give us the story of Jesus’ radiant, transfigured glory on a mountaintop. His inner circle sees it, wishes they could capture it. But whatever meaning they are to make of having glimpsed the true glory of the Christ-life, they will have to make back down at the foot of the mountain, where their lives will be lived and their ministries carried on. In other words, glimpses of the sacred are woven into the fabric of the everyday. This we spend our whole lives learning.

Second Hour Today:
Rhea Higgins will give a presentation on Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh created his own kind of ministry through his painting. He wrote in 1888,
"…I want to paint men and women with that something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize, and which we seek to convey by the actual radiance and vibration of our coloring." Come hear and see how he strived to accomplish this.

Church School: K-5 ~ Young Peacemakers Club with Julie Hurlburt!

Youth Groups: P.I.G.'s – 10 am at South Church

(During the coldest months of the year we move to worship in our Parish Hall. Worship services will remain in the Parish Hall through March 11th. Enter through door at left toward the back of the church.)

A “Complete Streets and Bikeway Master Plan” for Middletown

The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invites the public to a forum on Middletown’s efforts to develop a comprehensive and detailed plan to make our city safer and more conducive for walking and bicycling. The program will be held on Tuesday, February 28, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room at First Church of Christ, Congregational, 190 Court Street, in Middletown.

The forum will begin with 3 short presentations. Kari Sullivan from the Connecticut Department of Education will describe programs like “Safe Routes to School” and how walking contributes to public health. Local cyclist and biking educator Beth Emery will explain how both cyclists and motorists can make our streets safer for all who use them. Middletown Engineer Tom Nigosanti will be available with maps and information regarding improvements such as sidewalks, off-street trails, and bike lanes.

The proposed $1 million multi-use trail connecting downtown Middletown, Wesleyan University, and the Wesleyan Hills neighborhood will also be described, but it is not the primary focus of this program. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to indicate their preferred routes for walking or cycling by using orange or green markers on a Middletown street map.

This event is free and pre-registration is not necessary. For more information, contact John Hall at 860-398-3771 or visit www.thejonahcenter.org and click on “send us a message.”

Connecticut Forest & Park Assoc. Film

Connecticut Forest & Park Association and WesCFPA

& special thanks to the Appalachian Mountain Club

present the film Carbon Nation

Please join us on (February 26th, 3:00pm) for a local screening of 'carbon nation,' a climate change solutions movie. A discussion will be held afterwards for those interested in more information on the movie's topic. Refreshments & Light Food will be served.

at Wesleyan University DATE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26th WHEN: 3:00pm (Doors open 2:15) The film will run until 4:30, to be followed by a short break A brief moderated discussion of the film follows the break WHERE: DANIEL FAMILY COMMONS 3rd Floor, USDAN UNIVERSITY CENTER 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459 ADMISSION: FREE PLEASE RSVP TO:kmurphy@ctwoodlands.org OR 860.346.TREE

Wadsworth Wedding Show

Bridal Show at The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate

Middletown, CT

The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate is hosting their annual Wedding Show on

Sunday, February 19, 2012. The Show will be open to the public from 11:00 a.m. until

4:00 p.m. The fee for guests will be $5.00 a person.

The Wedding Show has been designed to help brides plan their special day. There

will be vendors representing different services, each of whom have worked at Long

Hill and are familiar with designing unique weddings. There will be caterers, florists,

photographers, videographers, rental companies, wedding cake bakers, as well as vendors

who provide transportation and hotel accommodations in the area. A complete listing of

participants can be found at http://wadsworthmansion.com/html/2012weddingshow.pdf

Sunday, February 19, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Ring 860 347-1064 for details.

Theater’s Rashida Z. Shaw ’99 discusses spoken word artist Javon Johnson (Feb. 23)

Javon Johnson

An entry from the Center for the Arts blog by Director Pamela Tatge.

As a member of the Outside the Box Theater Series planning committee, Assistant Professor of Theater Rashida Z. Shaw ’99 said this campus needs to see Javon Johnson. She and Mr. Johnson were Ph.D. students together at Northwestern University, he in Performance Studies and she in Theater and Drama. Because these are sister programs, they had a number of classes together and became friends.

Javon, a spoken word artist and scholar, is now based in Los Angeles, where he has a huge following. He has performed at major venues around the country and has been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, among other television programs. Next week, he’ll be in residence visiting classes and meeting with members of WeSLAM and other poets and theater students on campus. And on Thursday evening, February 23, he performs in Crowell Concert Hall , as a part of this year’s Theater Department/Center for the Arts "Outside the Box Theater Series".

“I used to have Javon come and perform in all of my political theater courses and in classes that dealt with solo performance. He has the ability to integrate popular culture with scholarship and political critique - all in a humorous package. Spoken word artists straddle the line between poetry and theater. What I remember most about Javon is his captivating energy - he has a vocal dexterity and a physical range that make his performances interesting not only on a textual level, but you also get caught up in how he is delivering his poems, and that makes you want to know more about who he is,” said Dr. Shaw. “Not all spoken word artists can hit all of these levels.” Dr. Shaw and Dr. Johnson were reunited at Northwestern when they both graduated last June, and Dr. Shaw looks forward to welcoming him to Wesleyan and to Middletown next week.

An Evening of Spoken Word with Javon Johnson
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue
$15 general public; $12 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students

ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LEGISLATIVE AIDE VISIT MXCC AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CLASS

Students in the American Government course at Middlesex Community College will receive a first-hand account of how local and state government operates, along with an up-close look at the challenges and opportunities elected officials and legislative aides face in their daily lives.  State Senator Len Suzio (R – 13) will be on campus at 8 a.m. Wednesday, February 22; Middletown Mayor Dan Drew will visit at 8 a.m. Wednesday, February 29; and Laura Fanelli, former legislative aide to Senator Len Suzio, will speak at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 14.  Each class will be held in Snow Hall, room 505, on the Middletown campus.

These visits support the overall objective of the American Government course, which examines the patterns of state and national politics, the Constitution, the Congress, and presidency. Topics of study include political ideologies, interest group pluralism, citizen alienation, and institutional power.

“We are proud to build on this new tradition of having local elected officials and other government advisors visit our students each semester, giving them their personalized attention, and answering their many questions,” said Tad Lincoln, assistant professor of economics and political science at MxCC, who organized the visits.  “Each time an official visits, they are impressed with how informed our students are, and how challenging their questions can be.  It’s a wonderful experience for everyone involved.”

Founded in 1966, Middlesex Community College (mxcc.edu) is an independent member of the Connecticut Community College System. The school offers more than 50 degree or certificate programs at its three locations:  the main, 38-acre campus in Middletown, the downtown Meriden Center, and the shoreline in Old Saybrook.  The college promotes understanding, learning, ethics, and self-discipline by encouraging critical thinking.  Current enrollment exceeds 2,950 full and part-time students, and 1,600 continuing education students.

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NEW! City of Middletown Commission on the Arts (MCA) Summer Kids Arts 2012 Registration Packets Available Online

The Middletown Commission on the Arts Office has added the complete Registration packet for 2012 Kids Arts programs, including the registration form, to the online offerings on the City's website (It is listed under "Other Documents" on the Arts & Culture Dept. page) or via arts2go. You may fill in the form online but you will need to complete the application and then print it. Once you've printed it, you will need to read and sign the application. You are not able to save incomplete applications so be certain you set aside enough time to complete the form or you will lose any entered data if you close the form. Any questions, call Stephan Allison at the Arts Office, 860.343.6620 x201 or email at arts@middletownct.gov - Thanks.

"City Canvases" planning meeting Friday, Feb. 17 at noon in the Hubbard Room, Russell Library

Open to the public -

Hubbard Room - Russell Library

123 Broad St.

info: arts@middletownct.gov

The City Arts Office and Green Street Arts Center are preparing a grant application to create a 'mural' to highlight our City. The Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is offering City Canvases, a one time initiative bringing mural-based public art into downtown spaces throughout the state of Connecticut. The initiative is aimed to enhance public spaces through the visual arts and to connect the urban regions of Connecticut with a statewide placemaking initiative. Approximately 10 cities throughout the state will be eligible for funding for the execution of mural-based artworks by Connecticut artists and Middletown is one of them.

Time's ticking though and our next steps are to:

-suggest likely locations for a mural(s) keeping your suggestions to a maximum of 3

-suggest likely themes you'd like chosen, one or two would be maximum

-put your suggestions on an email to the whole group (by replying to all from this email if you like)

This meeting will focus on a choice for the actual site, and theme of the mural. The application is due on February 24th so there is much to do in the short one week left. We're counting on each other to make this a successful endeavor. If you know of others who could or should be included please invite them to the meeting or have them contact me to be added to this list.

Here are the criteria for the application's narrative and these may help you formulate your suggestions:

APPLICATION NARRATIVE

1. Identify the site for the artwork and explain why this site was selected. Indicate how you anticipate the artwork

benefiting the city.

2. Provide an overview of the type of artwork being considered and indicate if it will be a temporary or permanent

work. Also include plans for maintaining and/or the deconstruction of the work as needed.

3. Identify your proposed process for selecting artist(s) along with an overall timeline of the project.

4. Identify marketing/promotion goals and indicate if the project will be linked to any future city events.

We hope to see you there!

Elks Movie Event to Benefit Safekids

Middletown Elks Lodge 771 is hosting a benefit movie night, with proceeds going to the CT Safe Kids Project www.ctsafekids.org/ .

ALL YOU CAN EAT PASTA and MOVIE benefit

FAMILY NIGHT

FEBRUARY 18th

5pm to 8:30pm

Join us in our benefit dinner to raise money

for CT Safe Kids Project

CT Children’s Hospital

Offering 3 types of Pasta

Elbow, Curly & Linguine

3 Types of Sauces

Cheesy, Red, and White Clam Sauce

Also Included in the meal is Meatballs, and Sausage

Garden Salad and Bread

After dinner join us in our FREE showing of

KUNG FU PANDA 2

*Includes FREE POPCORN*

Price for dinner is

$10.00 per adult

$7.00 for Children (under 12) & Seniors (65 up)

Tickets available at the Lodge or by calling

860-346-9771

It is recommended that

tickets be purchased in

advance, since availability the night of the event may be limited.

David A Greaves
DDGER, Central District
860-205-8055

Reader Opinion: Alleged Misuse of State Funds

Below is a letter to the Eye from member of the public. All opinions expressed are that of the author and not necessarily that of the Eye, all responsibility of claims made rest soley on the author below. Eye is publishing this letter as a courtesy to our readers.

Dear Members of the Media-

I am writing to inform you of some improprieties and mismanagement of State Assets. The Connecticut Vally Hospital has made the decision to disband its Volunteer Fire Brigade and reallocate its career firefighters to perform Inspection duties only on the CVH Campus. This has put the burden of fire protection on the tax payers of South District (Middletown) whom receive zero dollars in PILOT (Payment in lieu of taxes) money to offset the costs. CVH is also in the process of renovating the Firehouse at on its Campus at cost of over $200,000. This with the purpose to house a Engine Company from South District at the direction of the South District Board of Fire Commissioners and the Connecticut Valley Hospital Administrators. The Engine company will only be staffed from the hours of 8AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday and furthermore, leaves the Campus with a delayed response for over 16 hours a day. This Engine Company however is not just dedicated to the CVH Campus, it must respond to calls in South District. This delays its response to its citizens as well as leaves the CVH campus without fire protection and emergency services when 911 emergencies exist in its district. We believe this is a gross misallocation of money and resources in a time of great fiscal constraint. The use of South Fire District firefighters whom have never been trained at this highly specialized facility not only put their own lives in jeopardy but those of the staff and patients that reside and work at CVH. The 3 full time firefighters still remain trained and able but are no longer being utilized for their much needed specialized skills required to perform safe and effective emergency operations at CVH. The Connecticut Police and Fire Union strongly encourages members of the media to investigate independently and expose these great wasted resources as well as the jeopardy to life safety that now exists at one Connecticut's last Mental Health Hospitals.

Respectfully,

Chris Brewer

Vice President

CT Police and Fire Union

IAFF Local S-15

50 Columbus Blvd

Hartford, CT 06106

860-953-2626 Office

860-205-9228 Cell

Reader Commentary: Children in a Divorce?

A reader commentary submitted by Eye reader Jane Majewski

CHILDREN IN A DIVORCE ?

Watching the leaders of our town debate the responsibility of the budget between the BOE and City feels akin to a child living in divorce proceedings. The two parents divorcing, the Board of Education Administration and the old city leadership have been publicly fighting and blaming the other side in ways that I believe are destructive to the core structure of our educational system in town. Two sides spending almost a million dollars of money that was earmarked for special education without communicating to each other has been described as a married couple not communicating how much each is spending from a bank account and drawing a negative balance.

I get this. I just don't get why. I don't get how leaders on both sides of this issue are able to disagree to a level of non communicating about a million dollars. I don't like showing up at BOE meetings to watch those sides attack each other personally. What ever happened to disagreeing with each other but respecting the other side?

The public sits and watches as two parents divorcing are yelling at each other about finances, about who is to blame for the breakdown of the "marriage". As children (and yes, they're adults but for the sake of the story I call them children) stand at the microphone and also attack people; they're rebuked by the same parents who are doing the same thing to each other.

The public, like children in a divorce, listens to both sides. Many have aligned themselves with the "parent" that they most agree with based on their relationships with each side. I watched the Union leader of the Administration read a heartfelt letter about the wonderful things our administration has done in spite of the bad press as of late. I agree. Our administration and teachers have done some amazing things. Then I watch parents stand and angrily scream out like children having been tossed to the side over issues that are painfully real to their experiences. I agree with them also.

I myself feel like I am tossed in a storm on the sea. Perhaps I would be called the middle child? I am a parent who feels she has unresolved issues with the administration regarding simple safety issues for a child with special needs. I am also a parent of a child who has flourished academically and socially at the hands of wonderful staff in her school. I can see both sides.

What I can't see is why is the divide this toxic? Why are the leaders of our educational system hanging onto "who is right" more than focusing on making the educational system a better one for all involved?

Did I mention that there is a new wife in this story? Yes, the Board of Ed has a new wife, the mayor (symbolically). The step mother and father have made a decision about how to resolve the million dollar problem while the first wife (the old BOE leaders) have not felt like they have a say in the matter.
Dad and his new wife have decided that the old wife was wrong in spending the money and will pay him and his new wife back.

The problem as I see it is this....the money wasn't Dad's, his wife or his ex-wives to spend. The money was given from outside the city and earmarked for special education. So, as the middle child, I have to ask...... "this child support if its for educating our children, why is Dad's new wife getting to spend it?"

Let me interpret. State money to reimburse special ed services came to the town. The town spent it. The BoE spent it. The new leadership has decided that the BOE should not have spent it and will now pay it back. Where will this money come from? Could it be reducing special education supports? Could that have been why DEAL was closed to begin with? Will they cut academic programs? teachers salaries? athletic programs? A million dollars is a lot to pay back even in a payment plan. The children and their teachers will pay the price.

I am thinking that both sides may need intervention much like divorcing parents are required to go through family relations. I think they need someone who is not politically aligned to help them work through their differences in a productive way. Me? I think I'll move to grandma's house until they all figure out what they're doing.........

Xavier Swimming Closes Out Home Schedule With Loss to Sacred Heart

On Senior Day, Xavier swimming ended the home portion of its schedule by losing to Sacred Heart 98-86. The defeat was Xavier’s sixth straight and dropped the Falcons to 4-7 on the season.

While freshman Mike Pimer in the 500 free was the only Xavier swimmer win on the night, with a time of 5:45.61, the team had 8 second place finishes. Senior Greg Brown was runner-up in the 200 IM with a time of 2:17.35 and finished second in the 100 fly at 59.79. The Falcons 200 medley and 200 free relays also both placed second.

Despite her squad losing yet another meet due to its lack of depth, Xavier Head Coach Leandra Matos is looking beyond their poor record and to the improvement her swimmers have shown this season.

“Individually wise, I’m very happy with my time,” she said. “All of our swimmers have gotten better and improved their times since the beginning of the season. That’s impressive, considering this is a rebuilding year.”

Xavier has one more meet on the road versus Fairfield Prep next Tuesday before some of its swimmers move on to the SCC Championships on February 29^th and the Class LL Championship and State Open next month. Even in a so-called rebuilding season, the Falcons have qualified eight swimmers for Class LL’s and should qualify more in the next few weeks. Here is a list of the eight team members who are already qualified for the LL Championship.

Stephen Russo ’12 - 100 Fly

Greg Brown ‘12 - 100 Fly

Blake Bibisi ‘12 – Diving

Spencer Beaulieu ‘12 – Diving

Matt Lyons ‘11 - 100 Breast

Ben Criscuolo ‘11 - 50 Free

Michael Malz ‘12 - 50 Free

Mike Pimer '9' - 100 Fly

Rob Dodenhoff '12' - 100 Fly