Cypress Grill Features Eric Kuhn Band Sunday

From Trevor Davis
------------

The 7 piece band of Eric Ward Kuhn mixes folk, jazz, rock and political humor; quite funny and current, actually, and quite good.
Piano, bass, drums, guitar, female vocalist, sax and trombone, and, of course, Eric singing, too.
It's a 4-6 PM show, and it's free!
Great food and drink at the historic Cypress Grille & Restaurant on Route 17, south of downtown Middletown.
Music samples

Letter to the Editors: Concerned Parent still has unanswered questions regarding DEAL Program closure

The following letter was submitted to the Eye by Bielefield Elementary parent Jane Majewski, the mother who started the recent online petition concerning alleged mismanagement on the part of three administrators of the BOE administration overseeing Pupil Services and Special Education Services. It should be considered as an opinion piece; the verification of any facts & responsibility of claims made rests solely on the author. This letter, and others submitted by readers, are posted as a courtesy to readers,a and not necessarily the opinion of the team of regular bloggers or blog editors of the MiddletownEye.

Recently there has been much conversation about the closing of the DEAL program housed at Lawrence School and its possible impact on the current issues being faced at Farm Hill School.

At the last Board of Education meeting Dr. Frechette cited a report from the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, that covered a March 20 -24 monitoring site visit. As a result of that visit, Middletown was told that it "...needed to decrease the number of students in all disability categories who spend time in segregated settings as defined as students who are educated with their nondisabled peers." The report went on to say "This plan is to support the increase of students being appropriately educated in the district and within the general education environment that have otherwise been sent out of district or educated in separate classes due to behavioral needs or cognitive disabilities."

This is in direct contrast to the Cambridge report posted on the Lawrence School website. Within this report one sees a very different perspective to that of the BOE Administrators claim that they needed to disband the program. Allow me to highlight some of the statements on this report.

"In addition to its own regular student population the school provides education and support for 30 students in the Daily Experiences/Activities for Living Program (DEAL). These students would otherwise be placed out of district because of their significant learning and emotional needs. This is a district wide program that serves all 8 elementary schools in Middletown and which provides students with strategies to enable them to return to regular education, classrooms in their own schools."

"What the School Does Well.
The excellent behavior management strategies that are consistently demonstrated by staff ensure that the school is a calm and safe environment where students behave well, forge excellent relationships and learn the difference between right and wrong.

The school provides well for all students but particularly for those in the DEAL program to enable them to return to regular education, classrooms in their own schools. The learning difficulties experienced by students include autism, neurological impairments, emotional disturbance, intellectual disabilities and medical fragility".

At the recent Board of Education meeting Ted Radzka stated there was an increase in budget needs due to (amongst other things) an increase in cost to out of district placements and magnet school placements.

This is the reason why I became vocal about the issues facing Farm Hill. As a parent of a child in the DEAL program I was not told the DEAL program was being closed. It was just done. This is the lack of communication that parents are frustrated with. The conflict between the contradicting statements of the Cambridge report and the Administration is what leaves parents without a sense of trust.

Allow me to connect some dots. The DEAL program was closed. The children became ICM students at Farm Hill and Bielefield. The recommendations of Izzy Greenberg for redistricting (and closing of DEAL was under this) was not implemented. Farm Hill school did not have the staffing or resources to ensure a safe transition of this redistricting. Now, we have a divided confused community. As a direct result, children that would have been sent to DEAL are being sent out of town (farther away from our community) and the cost is increasing. More parents are applying to magnet schools for their mainstream children (myself included), cost is increasing.

No one is able to tell me where the ICM children's home schools would be. This is due to confidential laws that protect the children. The same administrators who fight to protect confidentiality of their clients have not fought to keep them safe and in an appropriate environment.

Why was DEAL really closed?
Why cant it be brought back?
If it worked (excellantly according to the cambridge report, staff and parents) why not keep it? It saves the taxpayers money and provides a nurturing and safe learning environment for all of our children

Jane Majewski

Former Convicted Murderer and Mother of Murder Victim to Speak at Shiloh Baptist Tomorrow

Reprinted from Creedible, CT @ Prayer
----------
Two people whose lives have forever been changed by murder, Fernando Bermudez, who spent 18 years in prison for a murder he did not commit and Victoria Coward, whose teenage son was murdered, will join forces in Middletown on Jan. 28 at Shiloh Baptist Church.

Saturday, January 28th @ 4:00pm
Shiloh Baptist Church
346 Butternut Street

Homelessness Awareness Sleep-Out, Saturday, 28 January

Saturday, January 28, at South Church

Youth Sleep-Out
for Homelessness Awareness

Special Guest
Fred Carroll
to Speak at 5 pm
On Saturday night (tomorrow night), youth in the Initiates program of both First Church and South Church will be sleeping out in the elements at South Church. No, they're not out of their minds! They're participants of the Homelessness Awareness Sleep-Out event! The initiates will spend the evening setting up to sleep outdoors to draw public attention to the problem of homelessness and to increase their own awareness and appreciation of something of what it means to be homelessness.
Your Donation of Bread
How you can help: The Initiates have been asked to bring bread for the event, which will serve about 150 participants, and they ask for your support and assistance. Lorel Czajka, Church Administrator at First Church, advises, "If you are able to donate a simple loaf of bread—it need not be fancy, it's just something to eat along with the soup dinner), that would be extremely helpful and much appreciated."

If you would like to donate, you can take the bread directly to South Church prior to the start of the event, 5pm – 5:30 pm. And of course, best of all would be for you to stay on and enjoy the mild weather, listen to Fred, and get a better understanding of the issues and experiences of homeless people.

The Sleep-Out event takes place just after the release of the State of Homelessness in America Report, published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness; and just before the 2012 National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness, scheduled for Feb. 9-12, in Los Angeles. Aid for homeless persons is of special importance in this difficult economy.
Special Guest to Speak at 5 pm

Guest speaker, Fred Carroll (aka, Dr. Freddy H. Carroll, etc., etc.), is a familiar Middletown presence, waging war on litter and squalor in his role as founder of Bums with Brooms, and a general authority on a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to Homelessness. (The photo at left shows Fred reviewing his show of cartoon art at The Buttonwood Tree last winter.)

Homelessness is something that can happen to anyone, to your brother or sister, to someone you know. It might even happen to you. Let's put our heads and hearts together and try to come up with some remedies for this unnecessary, heartbreaking situation. For more information, see the National Coalition for the Homeless website.

Shawn Strickland is Outstanding Leader for Middletown on the Court

The point guard is the floor general who teammates look to for leadership on the court. They are the primary ball handlers and initiate the offense, and on defense their peskiness and hard effort causes poor execution and turnovers. The point guard exists within the flow of games, and understands when to get teammates going on offense and when to take over games themselves. For better or worse, they are the emotional leader of the team. The average point guard certainly doesn’t possess all of these ideal qualities. If a team has a point guard who possesses even one or two of these qualities then they will be pleased. But a point guard who is all this, and more, is special. He is a difference-maker. Shawn Strickland, the junior point guard and captain for the Middletown High Blue Dragons, is just that.

Meanwhile during the BOE Meeting....

Meanwhile, at the new Comcast studio in Cromwell, while the BOE meeting was going on Tuesday, two Middletown mothers were guests on the cable access show "The Edge" hosted by Jonathan Pulino and guest co-hosted by Councilwoman Debra Kleckowski filling in for regular host William Wilson. Jane Majewski, mother of two children attending Middletown public schools, one with autism, and organizer of the online petition written about previously in the Eye, calling for the termination of the three administrators in charge of special education services for Middletown because of what she calls their negligence in failure to address the needs of her son by elimination of the DEAL program. The DEAL program was a program made up of special classes taught by teachers trained to handle children with various learning and behavioral disabilities that was housed at Lawrence Elementary to serve all Middletown elementary aged special needs students.

Farm Hill School Interim Principal Named

Mark Proffitt, former principal of both Lawrence and Spencer Schools, has been named the Interim Principal of Farm Hill School, effective next Monday. He fills in for Patricia A. Girard, who is beginning an indefinite leave of absence on Monday.

Michael Frechette, Superintendent of Schools, praised Proffitt in a letter, "Mr. Profitt has a long-standing tenure in our district as a very successful principal and teacher."

Izzi Greenberg Named City's Person Of The Year

The Middletown Press has selected Izzi Greenberg as its Person of the Year. The Press article notes the keystone role she has played in bringing vibrancy to the north end of Main Street, through a successful farmer's market, education, arts program, the skate park, community gardens, and more.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's all good, but we know they really gave her the award because of her awesome contributions as an author for the Middletown Eye!

Congratulations to Izzi!

Wilsons Win Approval For Majestic Oaks Subdivision On South Main

The Planning and Zoning Commission last night unanimously approved a large subdivision off of South Main Street, near the Durham town line. 32 lots were originally applied for, but the developer reduced it by one in response to concerns expressed by the Conservation Commission. The developer also eliminated a narrow strip of deeded open space which neighbors were concerned would attract undesirable activities.

Large Crowd Disappointed at Board of Ed Meeting

It was standing room only at Tuesday night's regular Board of Education meeting. Much of the standing was done by the five media camera crews and a handful of print journalists who also attended the meeting. The mood in the room was rather tense, and the crowd was prone to several instances of loudly spoken comments in response to something said by one of the board members.

The Superintendent's inability to answer any of the specific questions posed to him regarding the use of "time out" rooms at Farm Hill Elementary School seriously disappointed and/or angered the parents in the audience. The agenda was re-arranged to allow the Superintendent to present his report on Farm Hill immediately following the adoption of the agenda (view the report here, look for the Talking Points, Farm Hill School link). Most of the Superintendent's report contained information that had been shared with parents at the Farm Hill PTA meeting on January 12th (coverage of that meeting can be found here). Upon the conclusion of the update, BOE Chairman Gene Nocera commented that due to on-going investigations, the board's discussion of what was happening at Farm Hill would be limited to the Superintendent's Report. Nocera did promise, however, that a full public discussion would follow the conclusion of all investigations. [Author's note: this statement was not well received by the audience.]

Animal Science Adult Education

Winter 2012 FREE offerings from MIDDLETOWN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CENTER

Classes are being offered to provide continuing education for interested people involved with the fields of agriculture and animal science. Classes will be held on Tuesday nights (with the exception of Thursday, 1/26)* from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There are no fees for any of the classes. Please register early so that we may plan for seating and materials. A minimum of 10 pre-registrants may be required in order to hold most classes.

La Boca Heads South of the Border

Longtime residents of Middletown have a habit of calling businesses in town by whatever store used to occupy that location.

Modern conversation drops references to Matt's Music (now "Joe Riff's") and Sear's Auto (now "Attention to Detail" on DeKoven Drive.) I recently heard someone refer to Mikado's Sushi as "you know - McAndrews...." and I sometimes send my husband down the block to pick something up from "Pelton's" when I know perfectly well he'll be going to Rite Aid.

Those who lived in Middletown through the 1980's have fond memories of the original "La Boca", a favorite mixing spot for town-gown conviviality. It's been "the new La Boca" ever since the current incarnation opened a decade or so ago - but now they're moving south of the border (of Washington Street). They're anticipating a March opening in the spot where Public used to be (you know....the Bob's building.)

And what new business will occupy the vaguely Spanish white stucco building owned by the Poliner brothers? I have no idea ....but I have a pretty good idea what we'll call them for at least the next few decades!