"First Thursdays" Start in Middletown's "NoRA" Neighborhood

Click pics to enlarge

With the slogan "It's All Good In the Hood", three businesses on the very north end of Main Street are inviting everyone to "come hang out in the neighborhood."

Last night, Eli Cannon's Tap Room, NoRA Cupcake Company, and Krust Pizza Bar kicked off what they expect to be a monthly event.  So far, so good.

"We started planning this a week ago, and it just blew up on social media" said Carrie Carella, owner of the wildly successful cupcakery.

"NoRA"--meaning north of Rapallo Avenue--was coined by Eli's owner Phil Oullette to help promote the district.  Combining food and drink specials, along with a "pop-up market" at the cupcake shop, all three businesses were hopping last night.  Eli's and Krust offered an "East Coast vs. West Coast" tap takeover, with Eli's featuring Sierra Nevada beers and barley wine from the left coast, and Krust throwing down with Brooklyn Brewery.  Carella has developed connections with a variety of businesses and artisans at various farmer's markets where her cupcake truck is a regular feature.  They offered jewelry, tea, beauty products, hand printed goods and more while a DJ spun beats.

Rory Gale of Hartford Prints said "I feel like Hartford and Middletown need to be more connected.  There's the same level of vibrancy, so much going on here."

Eli's was doing it's usual brisk business, and Krust was stuffed.  Probably a good thing they're expanding into the space next door.

Carella said next month she hopes to include even more of the neighborhood in the planning.  There may be a theme of all-Connecticut produced food, beer and goods, but nothing's decided yet.

"Beer Gods" Raise Over $2K For Oddfellows

Eli Cannon's Taproom kicked off its "Beer Gods Week" promotion with a fundraiser for the Oddfellows Playhouse.
With the restaurant closed on Mondays, Eli's made it's slightly-fantastical-yet-ever-soothing beer garden(s)  available, welcoming a couple of dozen brewers (many from CT, one from Middletown) who offered ticketholders tasting samples of various brews.
Eli's temporarily removed a section of fencing, allowing people to buy grilled cheese, tacos, and cupcakes from food trucks parked out back in the Kings Avenue city lot.

Oddfellows board member Quentin Phipps with Executive
Director Matt Pugliese.

The tasting tables were very busy.  Owner Phil Ouellette estimated that over $2200 dollars was raised for the children's theater thanks to about 180 paying guests (and a raffle of beer-related swag).  That's twice as much as last year.  No doubt the perfectly comfortable weather helped.

Stubborn Beauty Brewing Co.
moved into the Remington Rand Building earlier this year.

Remington Rand Bldg. Filling Up, May Expand

"We just want to brew some beer."

That's the message from Shane Lentini and Andrew Daigle, the men behind Stubborn Beauty Brewing Company.  And if the Common Council approves their lease, they'll be the latest tenants in the city-owned Remington Rand Building at 180 Johnson Street.

"We've been looking [for brewery space] for a year" says Lentini.  "We needed something affordable."  Both men have day jobs, but brewing is their passion, so they started Stubborn Beauty.  "This is a part-time venture on top of full-time work."

That made them a good fit for Remington Rand, which has become an incubator for local homegrown businesses.

A Rich History

The 1000 foot long, red brick building has a rich and colorful history.  Originally built in 1896 as a bicycle factory, the building also produced "horseless carriages".  In 1909 the company that eventually became "Remington Rand" converted it to typewriter manufacturing. The facility was one of Middletown's largest employers, enduring a violent labor strike in the 1930's.  But in the 1970's Remington Rand closed down production at the site.  Various companies attempted to use the building but nothing took hold, and 13 years ago the city took the building in tax foreclosure proceedings.

Isolated at the end of Johnson Street in the North End, contaminated with lead and asbestos, the property had become a haven for crime ranging from prostitution to illegal pit bull breeding.  "We pulled over 70 junked cars out of there" said city planner Bill Warner.

Gallery Walk Downtown On Wednesday

MAC 650 Gallery and Gallore Gallery are teaming up with 8 other North End art venues as part of a monthly gallery walk, occurring every third Wednesday of the month, through October. This month's gallery walk is tomorrow, July 18th, from 5 - 8PM.

The 10 businesses are each vitalizing culture in our city's Art District. The Gallery Walk is a chance for the businesses to showcase art, live entertainment, and great dining deals. A Gallery Walk map lists all of the participating venues (click on image to enlarge). The printed map comes with coupons for food and drink specials at participating restaurants, which include Eli Cannon's, Tibetan Kitchen, Rialto Café, Nora's cupcake, and Iguana Ranas. The map is available at all gallery walk locations.

City Already Dealing With Brownfields

At their monthly meeting Monday night, the city's Economic Development Committee heard a final plan to deal with some of the city's brownfields-- a plan already being put into action.

The report, done by the firm of Milone & MacBroom, was funded by a $400,000 grant from the EPA. Clusters of "brownfields"-- vacant industrial sites with probable pollution problems -- were identified in the North End and just south of downtown. Among the plan's recommendations were acquiring properties in the North End and developing them for needed parking. The city has already begun this project, acquiring property behind Eli Cannon's Tap Room, formerly home to Mid-State Auto Body.

City planner Bill Warner said just doing contamination testing (also with EPA funds) made the properties more likely to be developed, as testing is so expensive. "We're way ahead of most cities regarding this. Other cities are filled with these brownfields, they don't turn around," he said.

Richard Harral, of Milone & MacBroom, said "This is the first time a city has implemented some of the recommendations before the final report is even presented", complimenting the city and its staff for moving so quickly.

The committee also voted unanimously to extend the lease on a community garden run by Middletown United Fathers. The garden is located on Long Lane and the current three-year lease has just one year left on it.

Larry Owens told the committee his group wants to hold classes, develop a walking path with native plants, and implement other plans. Many of those plans are contingent on partnerships with merchants and other community organizations. But those partners would be more comfortable knowing the lease would not soon run out, according to Owens, who is studying at UConn to become a master gardener. The committee voted to extend the lease to five years. City planner Bill Warner noted that the group had "cleaned up the property nicely".

Businesses Hurt By Bridge Construction May Get Help

The construction on the Arrigoni Bridge is killing Don Sataline’s business.

His store, It’s Only Natural Food Market, used to do a large percentage of its business in the late afternoon and early evening hours - but that’s exactly when the bridge construction brings Main Street traffic to a crawl.

“Between 4 and 6 [pm], we could basically take a European siesta”, Sataline told the city Economic Development Committee at their monthly meeting Monday night. That might sound pleasant to some, but it’s a nightmare for the market and its employees.

Based on the past 4 months of construction, Sataline estimates that his business over 12 months will be down $125,000. He’s now faced with laying off 3 staff members.

The committee heard from Sataline as they considered a resolution to make money available to North End business owners who may have to cut jobs as a result of their business being disrupted by the bridge construction. The city would use federal block grant money to help businesses retain jobs, offering as much as $35,000 for each job that could be retained. Businesses would have to open up their books and prove that the construction has caused losses leading to potential layoffs.

The committee unanimously voted to send the resolution to the Common Council. Meanwhile, Sataline says “People from Cromwell, Rocky Hill, anywhere north of us, are avoiding the North End.”

Concerned about any job losses, committee member Joe Bibisi could only offer encouragement until the Council votes on the funding. “Hang on”, he said. “Hang on tight.”

North End Farmer's Market Today

Beginning today and running on Fridays throughout the summer, the North End Market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other CT Farm products.

Today is the first one, so we're just getting the hang of it, but as the summer progresses, we hope to add more and more farms.

It is being held on the big, wide sidewalk in front of It's Only Natural Market (thank you to them and to Peter Harding!) and runs from 8-1. Stop by before work or on your lunch break.

It's a perfect day for it!

All farms are WIC Certified and (after today), you may use your EBT Card.

You may click on the poster to enlarge it.
Poster design by North Ender, Katie Merrotte

What's Happening This Week (Part 2)

Thursday July 9:
Besides the first of 2 shows by Doug Varone and Dancers (8 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the CFA Theater at Wesleyan - see here) and the opening evening of North End Nights (read here), one can attend the Graduate Liberal Studies Program's Open House/Gallery Talk at 6: 30 p.m. in Zilkha Gallery. For the past several weeks, the Main Gallery has hosted a teacher/student display that is quite impressive. Works by Professors or instructors John Frazer, Keiji Shinohara, Peter Waite and Marion Belanger hang alongside works by students David Beveridge, Dean Passanesi, and Charlice Culvert (her work is particularly striking.) Ms. Belanger will deliver the talk - the event is free and open to the public. The show closes this weekend, so head on over. For more information, call 685-3338.

Also tonight, the Green Street Arts Center has a busy schedule with 3 separate events. At 5:30 p.m., there is an "Arts in the Garden Photo Scavenger Hunt" followed at 7 p.m. by a meeting of the "Flash Forward" photography group. Also at 7 p.m., the GSAC Writers Out Loud group holds a "Literary Open Mic." For more information about any or all events, call 685-7871.

Friday July 10:
There will be a Songwriter Circle event 8 p.m. at The Buttonwood Tree. Scheduled to appear are Lisa Lawrence, Emma Weiss and Krizta Moon (pictured left.) All 3 are based in Connecticut and bring different influences and styles to the program. For more information, go to www.myspace.com/lisalawrence, www.myspace.com/emmaweissmusic, and www.kriztamoon.com. To reserve a seat, call 347-4957.

Boney's Music Lounge, atop Fishbone Cafe, presents the bluesy sounds of Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze at 8:30 p.m. Led by harmonica player/vocalist Wally Greaney and guitarist Mark Easton, the quartet specializes in Chicago-style electric blues. For more information about the band, go to www.myspace.com/sweetdaddylive. For more information about Boney's, call 346-6000.

Saturday July 11:
The Buttonwood Tree welcomes back the Collin Wade Jazz Quartet for an evening of mainstream music with fine improvisations. Joining alto saxophonist Wade will be Matt Smith (guitar), Ian Tait (bass) and Colleen Clark (drums.) To learn more about the band, go to www.myspace.com/collinwadejazz.

Jazz/funk returns to Boney's Music Lounge when the exciting and electrifying Melvin Sparks Trio comes back to town. Guitarist Sparks is ably assisted by organist Matthew O and drummer Bill Carbone (currently a Middletown resident and graduate student at Wesleyan.) They'll "rock the lounge" from 8:30 p.m. to 12 midnight.

North End Home Ownership Groundbreaking This Morning

North End Homeownership, a partnership between Nehemiah Housing Corporation and the Broad Park Development Corporation will break ground on fifteen units of affordable homes this Monday, June 22^nd, at 11:00 am.

In the fall of 2006, Nehemiah Housing Corp and Broad-Park Development Corporation of Hartford agreed to implement the home-ownership component of the North End Redevelopment plan. The development will provide 17 scattered-site units for home owners. All the properties will target households whose income is below 80% Area Median Income (AMI), or approximately $60,000 for a family of four. Nehemiah has secured funding for 15 of the 17 units. The remaining two units will be developed by Middlesex Habitat for Humanity to serve households below 50% area median income.

This project is a critical piece of the North End’s continued revitalization. It is the culmination of many years of work for residents, non-profits and community stakeholder groups to improve the living conditions, safety and long-term success of Middletown’s North End. Homeownership is a critical component to stabilizing the neighborhood and has been the focus of neighborhood advocates for many years. This project is long in the making and promises to be an exciting next step.

The groundbreaking event will include:

• Jackie Clegg Dodd, representing Senator Chris Dodd
• Department of Economic and Community Development’s Commissioner: Joan McDonald
• Middletown Mayor: Sebastian Giuliano
• Middlesex Chamber of Commerce: Larry McHugh, President
• Liberty Bank: Chandler Howard, President & CEO
• Connecticut Housing Finance Authority: Diane L. Smith
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Lesley Higgins-Biddle
• Department of Housing and Urban Development: Julie Fagan
• State Senator: Paul Doyle
• State Representative Joseph Serra
• Nehemiah Housing Corporation: Michael Taylor
• Broad-Park Development Corporation: Raquel Rivera
• North End Action Team: Izzi Greenberg
  

The event will take place on Monday, June 22^nd at 11:00 am in the parking lot of 47 Rapallo Ave, Middletown with a rain location of the Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green Street, Middletown.

Roses in the Rain

I know there's a lot of important business going on in town lately, but I didn't want that to distract us from one of the North End's shining moments: the annual blooming of the roses. Planting a rose near the door is part of this neighborhood's long tradition of front yard gardening, and this week (and last) are the peak of the season. The placement of most houses right up close to the street makes for a very pleasant sidewalk stroll.

I had a brief but intense baptism into the world of roses for a few weeks in the Spring of 1991, as I was trying to choose a climbing rose for the Luis Lopez Herb Garden on the corner of Green & Main. Ultimately, we went with an old-fashioned rose called Ballerina -- and due to the warm brick wall at her back, she is thriving (pictured at right). At my own home, I planted both New Dawn and a prolific raspberry-colored rose whose name I've forgotten, both of them climbing well up to the second story. But my own roses are in the backyard, and that just doesn't have the charm of a front-yard rose.

In spite of Friday morning's rain, I took several photos of North End roses, though some of my favorites have already wilted. If you'd like to see a particular photo a bit larger, just double click on it. Enjoy!


The corner of High & Liberty; on Park Place:











On Grand Street, I saw a rose grafted onto a sturdier trunk; a few houses to the West, a light purple rose that, according to the gardener, was acquired 3 years ago at the Christmas Tree Shops:













In the image at the top of this post, a Pearl Street gardener has trained a red rose to grow across Mary's breast. Here are two other gardens which put Saint Mary in the roses, one from Stowe Avenue, and the other at the corner of Bacon and Grand.










A Spring Street doorway:








A rosebush on Prospect Street, one of many North End yards that fly colorful flags:









One of the newer roses in the North End, at NEAT's community garden on the corner of Erin & High. A neighbor out walking her dog proudly told me that last year it hadn't done much, but look at it now:

North End Clean Up A Success

It was a great day in the North End on Saturday where 150 people volunteered to do some spring cleaning.

Here's a slideshow of some of the people that were out that day. I'm sorry I didn't make it to all corners of the neighborhood with my camera....there were some great scenes to be seen.

There were volunteers from the NEAT/Wesleyan Mentoring Program, Earth Ministries and the Jonah Center out of First Church, the Middletown Garden Club, and a group of youth doing a "30 Hour Famine" from East Hampton and Haddam. There were also other individuals from Middletown who came in to lend a hand as individuals. Residents got a chance to work alongside Dan Drew, who is running for Mayor this year, and Councilman Santangelo, who is a North End resident. Even the kids had fun working alongside the principal from Macdonough School, Jon Romeo, who spent hours helping out at the Erin Street Garden.

Most importantly, though, were the many residents who organized the day, spread the word to their neighbors, and went door to door, helping to clean the sidewalks and yards of their neighbors. It was a great event that helped the community, but more importantly, helped to build community.

A big thanks to Sherwin Williams Paint in Cromwell for donating supplies, to Kim O'Rourke and the City of Middletown for picking up the extra trash and helping with logistics, to Dominoes, Sammy's Pizza and Illiano's for donating Pizza for the Lunch, and to all of those who came out to help.

Mural Project in North End

From the Green Street Arts Center:

The Green Street Arts Center is launching the Green Street Community Mural Project, an eighteen month-long art program that will culminate in a large public mural, to be installed in the spring of 2009 on the corner of Main and Green Streets in the North End. The Green Street Community Mural Project is made possible by a $10,000 grant from Citizens Bank and the Citizens Bank Foundation, who are the project’s lead sponsors.

Led by mural artist Marela Zacarias, the project’s participants are a diverse group of Middletown children, their families, professional artists, Wesleyan students, and other community members. A core group of students in Green Street’s Afterschool Program will work with the artists on the project regularly.

The primary goal of the Green Street Community Mural Project will be obvious to every driver and pedestrian who passes Green Street. According to Zacarias, “This mural will brighten Main Street with the colorful art of our students. It will also help to raise awareness of the wonderful activities that the Green Arts Center offers for the Middletown community.”

Over the summer of 2008, themes were finalized and designs drawn up by current Green Street students. In the words of Ms. Zacarias, “The ideas for the murals come from a variety of sources: The group that I work with (in this case, ten 4th graders), the wall and its particular characteristics (location, size, windows, etc), and my own artistic interpretation. Sometimes I feel like a channeling device: All the information comes through me and it comes out as visual images on a wall.”

The advance work of the Mural Project crew wrapped up last fall and this winter is the execution. This entails priming, painting, and sealing plywood panels that are to be permanently screwed into the brick on the north side of the building at the intersection of Main and Green Streets.

An important objective of the project lies, not just in the finished product, but in the process. The Green Street Community Mural Project intends to provide hands-on artistic and civic education to young people who desperately need both—like the ones who first sparked an idea in the mind of Green Street Artistic Director Janis Astor del Valle in autumn of 2007.

According to Astor, the seed of the Mural Project was planted by a group of young vandals. The Middletown Press ran an article about the teens, who had been arrested in Middletown for graffiti in public spaces. Recalling TATS CRU, a group of Bronx-based professional muralists whose work in aerosol changed the perception of graffiti as art and who she’d met while working at a youth development organization in the Bronx, Astor felt inspired to approach the Middletown Youth Services Bureau’s David Blumenkrantz and Justin Carbonella. Thus the Community Mural Project was born, charged with the mission of channeling the youngsters’ creativity from blight into beauty.

The final unveiling will take place at the annual Green Street Arts Festival in June 2009.

About Marela Zacarias
Zacarias graduated from Kenyon College with a major in Social Movements through Art and Religion. She did her thesis on Mural Art as a Tool for Social Change, and has gone on to teach mural art in Washington, DC, Mexico City and she is now teaching in New Britain and Hartford, Conn. Since graduation in May of 2000, she has become a recognized artist, having painted more than a dozen murals in the United States and Mexico.

Visit http://marela.org/ for more information.

About the Green Street Arts Center
Wesleyan University’s Green Street Arts Center, which opened in January 2005, is a vibrant center for arts education, serving residents of the neighborhood and the region. It is a project of Wesleyan University in collaboration with the City of Middletown and the North End Action Team (NEAT). Programming in the former schoolhouse at 51 Green Street includes an afterschool arts education program and a wide range of affordable classes and workshops for children and adults in music, dance, visual arts, theater, sound recording, media arts and creative writing. Visit http://www.greenstreetartscenter.org/ for more information about Wesleyan’s Green Street Arts Center.

Macdonough Success Story

The Macdonough Elementary School, which serves the North End of Middletown and is the last neighborhood school and only downtown public school,has been honored by ConnCan, a statewide education organization, as one of a handful of "Success Stories" in the state. This is quite an honor for the school and speaks to the tremendous gains that have been made in student achievement and community collaboration over the last few years.

ConnCan produced this great video about the school. It's really inspirational and quite amazing to hear the teachers and parents talk about the school's importance.

Renaissance of the Creative Spirit January 31st

Cocomo Rock is the founder of the 191914 Ministries, a poet, a singer, songwriter and a man on a mission. Simply put, he wants to save the North End of Middletown; not only the businesses but also, and especially, the people who live there. He understands the economic times, realizes how hard it is to "move up" out of poverty or addiction, out of homelessness and unemployment. He is trying to convince people that they can use art to better themselves, to build self-confidence, to begin anew and to foment change.

To that end, he has moved into the North End, has started classes, hosts a weekly Artists Development Workshop at The Buttonwood Tree, and is attempting to rent a storefront on Main Street that can be used 7 days a week as a studio, as a performance space, as a safe environment for people to work and create.

To help raise money for the cause, Rock is presenting "Renaissance of the Creative Spirit II"at 6 p.m. Saturday January 31 in the Green Street Arts Center. Music will be provided by the Noah Baerman Trio, saxophonist David Davis (who lives at the Artists Coop, 650 Main Street), and the Celebration Singers of the First Church of Christ, directed by Shari Lucas. Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano will address the attendees. There will be raffles, a silent auction, fine food donated by local restaurants and businesses, and an exhibition of works by artists involved with the 191914 program.

For more information, go to www.191914.com or call 860-770-9721.

North End's Community Conversation

Last night at the Green Street Art Center, North End residents and stakeholders gathered to discuss issues facing Middletown and our community in a community conversation.

As one of many conversations being held around town inspired by the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama, we discussed the need for a community policing model, ways to build the North End's image, education in the North End and Middletown as a whole, job development and even a renewed sewing club.

On Inauguration day, January 20th, Community conversations will be held across Middletown. There will be two conversations held at Russel Library at 12pm and 6pm on inauguration day. This is a great opportunity to make the North End's voice heard. To check times and places for other community conversations go to: www.middletowncommunityconversations.blogspot.com

Shooting in North End reported

The Middletown Press is reporting a shooting in a North End neighborhood near High and Grand Streets, with a victim from Bacon Avenue, off Grand.

Details here.

Redevelopment Re-Run

If you were at tonight's Redeveloment Agency meeting, you would be forgiven for thinking you've already seen this movie.

The same two issues were on the agenda:

-Miller & Bridge Street: Nothing new to report.

-Home Ownership in the North End: Not too much change here either.

As he did at last month's meeting, Michael Taylor from Nehemiah gave us an update on the $7 million plan to build 15 units of home-ownership (plus 2 to be developed by Habitat for Humanity) on Ferry/Green/Rapallo. As we know, 10% of the funding for this $7 million project has been secured (that's the City's contribution to the project). The remaining 90% is pending, with much hanging on the upcoming appraisal by Liberty Bank of the after-rehab value of the units. With a favorable appraisal, Michael says they are on target to unlock about $3 million in a DECD HOME grant, and another $2.5 million construction loan from Liberty Bank. There were two new pieces of information about the project funding. We learned of the "wait-list" status of Nehemiah's application for about $400,000 with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Also, Nehemiah has learned of a potential new source for about $425,000, which might replace their plans to apply for $500,000 in State Tax Credits next August (they were denied for those funds in the August 2008 cycle). Michael confirmed that they will wait to sign the construction contract with the contractor until "all the funding is in place", though they may start sooner with a smaller portion of the work, to get the environmental and demolition work going. At the request of Joe Tine (and pending adequate funding), Nehemiah offered a best-case construction schedule that might begin around April and end about a year later.

In other news, we had a visit from Michael Arafeh, who owns the Coffehouse Recording Studio, which is located at 510 Main Street behind La Boca. Michael and I are both part of the Chamber of Commerce "Creative Juice" council for arts/creative businesses. {Before the meeting, Michael mentioned to me that he's been working with a group of kids from Harford for a hospital holiday album -- sounds like a great project, and I think we are lucky to have this resource in our downtown.}

So what brought Michael Arafeh to Redevelopment? The same thing that brought him to countless downtown meetings over the last several years of North End redevelopment -- concern that construction noise would interfere with his sound-sensitive business. He made the reasonable request that he be notified of certain kinds of construction activities (like jack-hammering) so that he could re-arrange his recording schedule. During the construction of the Wharfside Commons project (by the Richman Group), Michael says that about 60 sessions were impacted by construction noise, which could have been avoided with better communication. I hope that Nehemiah can keep him in the loop on their construction!

Perhaps the liveliest part of the meeting came when David Bauer questioned whether Redevelopment should continue to use its meetings to review the North End Home-Ownership project, since the City has already committed funding for its 10% of the project -- and without many contractual benchmarks or timelines that the City could enforce -- and so it could be argued that we no longer have a dog in this race. This question prompted more discussion than any other issue, as several members voiced their various opinions about the oversight of this project, and the future of redevelopment in general. And if you, dear reader, have an opinion on this subject, I invite you to add a comment on this post!

I haven't got much objectivity on this issue -- I hope that we continue to monitor every step of the project, since we have invested $720,000 of city CDBG funds, and should be the first to know if the project hits any new delays or roadblocks. Also, though it's not perfect, we provide a forum where citizens can learn about the project and register any complaints. But I'd also love to see a higher standard of accountability in the Memorandums of Understanding that our City signs.

And now, a note to any followers of the Redevelopment Agency: in the future, we will meet at 5 pm, not 5:30. Still the Third Tuesday of the Month -- see you then.

Morning in the North End

Though they've been open for the past several weeks, the new It's Only Natural Market in the North End is holding their Grand Opening today.

My family and I were there for the ribbon cutting this morning -- what followed was a celebration of North End culture.



Dancers from the Green Street Arts Center got ooh's and aah's from the crowd, shoppers milled around the store tasting samples from local producers, and neighbors in coversation clogged up the aisles.





We even got to see the third floor, which has a great view of Main Street (unfortunately, the foggy weather this morning doesn't do it justice.)



Some of the performers were from the B-Boy class at Green Street. Wow!

Democracy Forum Wednesday

On Wednesday, October 8th at 6:30pm at the Green Street Arts Center, The North End Action Team and its youth leadership group, the Teen Dreams Society, will be hosting a Democracy Forum, featuring panelists State Senator Paul Doyle, Common Counselor, Grady Faulkner, Rich Lion,of the CT Libertarian Party and Ken Hiscoe, who was the District Director for Nancy Johnson.

The forum is open to the public, and the goal is to educate you about the political process and understand why civic engagement is important for everyday people. This is part of NEAT's broader voter registration campaign, and hope to not only increase voter registration and participation, but also help people understand their role in the political process and demystify the roles of politicians. It is important that residents know who they are voting for and why. That said, this is not a debate. It is a conversation about civic engagement and the political process. Save the Date!!

Childcare will be provided and there will be pizza for the kids.

Well Worth Saving...

It's been a whirlwind year for Macdonough Elementary School, the North End's main school for K-5. Earlier this year, budget problems faced the school board, and teachers, parents and neighborhood leaders fought successfully to keep the school open. Now, we have more cause to celebrate.

ConnCAN, a non-profit organization, and leader in the field of education has named Macdonough to be the third most improved school in the state. The 2008 CMT scores showed an average of 21% increase in students "at goal" across the board. Also, ConnCAN highlights 10 schools state-wide as "success stories", with a video and spotlight on their website, and Macdonough was chosen for this honor, as well. The video will be filmed in the coming weeks.

Just a few years ago, Macdonough struggled to keep pace within the district. Now, it is in line with the district and state averages in math and reading and exceeds them in writing. The school has new leadership, dedicated teachers and a community that believes it can succeed. 

Congratulations to Teachers, Staff, Students, Parents and community members for proving that this school is well worth saving.