A Drenched Garden Party

From the Middletown Eye Society Pages

When the skies opened up late this afternoon, it was likely a post-script to all the graduation garden parties that took place at student housing in Middletown. But the newest doctors in town, Mark Masselli and Jen Alexander celebrated their honorary degree from Wesleyan early in the day with a soiree that was forced to move indoors when the skies opened.

To celebrate their justified recognition by Wesleyan with honorary doctorate degrees Mark Masselli and Jennifer Alexander opened their grand center-chimney colonial house on

Washington Street to friends from near and far. It was not just a joyful celebration of a wonderful couple and their accomplishments, it was also a celebration of Middletown lives on a steamy Sunday on the cusp of summer.

The sun and rain dueled during the party, and guests in turn came out to enjoy the evening light in the garden and then retreated back into the house. Looking around at the party, it was

obvious their honor was well-deserved, as the

people in the Alexander and Masselli lives came from so many parts of Middletown. Board members at the Community Health Center embraced theater producers from Artfarm. Children from 5 to 18 mingled in contentment and independence from their parents.

The food was delicious, the highlight being two 2-gallon buckets of Italian Ice from Vecchito's.

Nonetheless professors mixed with politicians, and musicians rubbed elbows with carpenters, and eventually the rain let up enough so the party was able to seque to a humid evening with anxious mosquitoes. There was Indian food and Broadway tunes around the piano, and enough chatter to vanquish the noisy motorcycles on Washington Street.