Free Performance by “Free at Last Players” at Middlesex Community College

The theater group “Free at Last Players” will visit Middlesex Community College for a free performance of songs, poems and skits created to dispel the myths and misconceptions that surround mental illness.  The performance, which is sponsored by the Human Services Student Association at MxCC, will be held on April 9 from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., in Chapman Hall, Room 808, C and D.   A discussion with the performers will follow the performance.  Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to Chapman Hall. 

Earth Day Week Program, Author to Focus on Endangered Species

The Rockfall Foundation is hosting a presentation by author and researcher, Joe Roman, featuring his most recent book, Listed: Dispatches from America’s Endangered Species Act. on April 24, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the deKoven House Community Center. The evening will feature a talk, audience conversation and informal reception. 

America’s ground-breaking, comprehensive Endangered Species Act was passed nearly 40 years ago, just three years after the first Earth Day celebration and establishment of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.  In his recent book Joe Roman explores the successes, failures, and future promise of  the ESA, drawing from years of studies, personal observation and field interviews.  More than a general history of endangered species, Listed is a tale of threatened species in the wild, and the inspiring people from all walks of life working to save them. Employing methods from the new field of ecological economics, Dr. Roman explains how preserving biodiversity can help economies and communities thrive.

Joe Roman is a conservation biologist, author, and researcher at the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont. Dr. Roman came to the Gund Institute as an Environmental Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and helped start an interdisciplinary program on Biodiversity and Human Health at the US Environmental Protection Agency. He is the author of the cultural history Whale (Reaktion 2006) as well as Listed (Harvard University Press.) His science and nature writing has appeared in The New York Times, New Scientist, Audubon, Conservation, and other venues. His research has been covered by the Associated Press, National Public Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other outlets. More information can be found at www.joeroman.com.

Dr. Roman is also “Editor in Chef” for the website Eattheinvaders.org , “Fighting Invasive Species One Bite at a Time,” which promotes ways to eradicate destructive invasives from our local ecosystems while adding more diversity to our diets:  “This spring, instead of dressing your lawn with herbicides, consider balsamic vinaigrette...”  For more information:  www.eattheinvaders.org 

Seating is limited and advance registration is required. Suggested donation: $20 per guest. For reservations: Call Tony at (860)347-0340; or email tmarino@rockfallfoundation.org.

            The deKoven House Community Center is located at 27 Washington Street in Middletown. There is some limited parking in the Center’s small lot, as well as parking in the city lot next door. For directions go to www.rockfallfoundation.org and click on the deKoven House page. 

            The Rockfall Foundation supports environmental education, conservation programs and planning initiatives in Middlesex County. Established in 1935, it is one of Connecticut’s oldest environmental organizations whose mission is to be a catalyst-- bringing people together and supporting organizations to conserve and enhance the county’s natural environment. Rockfall awards grants each year to organizations, schools and municipalities, and continues to hold and manage open space property in the county.

Haddam Land Swap News

Due to property appraisals of the parcels involved, apparently Riverhouse Properties is not proceeding with the land swap. See article on the Hartford Courant website.
http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-haddam-land-swap-0404-20120403,0,360893.story

Dog Park Proposal news

At it's March 20th regular meeting, the Conservation Commission heard a presentation from Common Council member Todd Berch about a dog park that Berch proposes for Tynan Park on Higby Road. After much discussion, the Commission ultimately voted not to support the location of the proposed dog park at Tynan. The Commission sent a letter of opinion to the Planning and Zoning Commission which is shown below in it's entirety. The P&Z will be the next group to hear the proposal. The next Planning and Zoning meeting is scheduled for April 11th, but the Agenda is not yet posted online so it is not clear when this will be on the agenda.

More information about Tynan Park and all of the City's open space lands can be found in the Middletown Trail Guide.

March 28, 2012

Richard Pelletier Chair, Planning and Zoning Commission

245 deKoven Drive, Suite 202

Middletown, CT 06457

Dear Mr. Pelletier and Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission,

I am writing concerning Councilman Berch's proposal for a dog park at Tynan Memorial Park, one of the city's conservation areas. Councilman Berch presented his proposal to the Conservation Commission at our meeting on March 20, 2012. Everyone agreed that the proposal was well thought out and researched; however, after careful deliberation the Conservation Commission voted that this location is not appropriate for a dog park. The primary reason for our vote against supporting the proposal is that having a dog park at Tynan would limit and restrict public access and use, as a significant part of the land would become unavailable to members of the public who are not dog owners and do not wish to use it as a dog park. Further, the experience of going to the park for passive recreation, its original intended use, would be changed forever once it is developed for use by dogs and their owners, making the park unsuitable for activities it is currently used for such as hiking and bird-watching.

Conservation Commission members believe that it is inappropriate to use designated Open Space Property for this type of use, and that a favorable decision on this proposal would set a bad precedent. In the past, there have been several occasions when a special use was proposed for part of a conservation area, including a proposal to create a therapeutic equine riding center. These proposals were rejected because they would create a limitation on the use of the land that would change the ability of the general public to enjoy it as open space. The Commission voted on the dog park proposal in a manner that remains consistent with such past decisions.

The Conservation Commission supports development of a dog park in the city, and has explored possible locations in the past. We would be very interested in working with Councilman Berch and others to investigate options and help locate a suitable site for a dog park.

We appreciate very much having the opportunity to hear Councilman Berch's presentation at our

meeting, and to provide comments to the Planning and Zoning Commission. consideration of our concerns.

Sincerely,

Jane L. Brawerman, Chair Middletown Conservation Commission

cc: Mayor Daniel T. Drew Councilman Todd Berch Members of the Common Council William Warner, Director of Planning, Conservation and Development

Devon Carillo, All-American MHS Wrestler

The Common Council celebrated the accomplished high school wrestling career of Devon Carillo last night, passing a resolution commending him for his "determination and athleticism" and for "achieving academic excellence". According to a profile in the Middletown Press, Carillo will next year attend the college prep school Phillips Exeter Academy, to boost his athletic and academic record before choosing a college.

As Councilman Phil Pessina lauded Carillo, his family listened raptly, some with tears of pride and joy.

Franca Biales Appointed To Board of Education

The Common Council last night approved the appointment of Franca Biales to the Board of Education. Biales was a candidate for the Board of Education last November, she won enough votes to be seated, but was not due to a rule mandating a minimum number of minority party representatives.

Biales is a former high school Spanish teacher who has been extensively involved with the Middletown Schools. In her campaign statement, Biales emphasized the importance of having close linkages between the schools and the broader community.

She replaces Bill Grady, who resigned from the Board of Education in early March, after the Board voted to buy out the contract of former superintendent Michael Frechette.

Mayor Delivers Budget With Proposed Tax Increase

Mayor Dan Drew released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 on Monday, and at the regularly scheduled Common Council meeting gave what he said would be a regular "Budget Address" (full text HERE). The total budget (including Water, Fire, and Sanitation) is $153.7M, an increase of 2.1% over last year. The budget raises the mill rate from 26.1 to 27.1.

In his address, Drew said that he inherited a "budget crisis" when he took office, he blamed both increased expenses and the loss of $1.9M in tax revenue paid by Aetna (the grand list actually remained stable compared to last year, due to an increase in other properties). Drew said that his administration had taken a number of steps to reduce expenditures, reducing the potential tax increase from 12% to his proposed 3.8%.

Breaking News: New Mayor's Budget Cuts Education by $3.5 Million

Mayor Drew's fiscal year 2013 budget denies any increase in funding for education. This represents a nearly $3.5M cut from the budget requested by the Schools.

In his budget address, Drew said he was flat-funding the schools, but pointed to money that he hoped the State would provide:

This proposed budget funds education consistent with the 2011-12 fiscal year with the understanding that the State of Connecticut will provide an additional $872,000 directly to the school system. Additionally, the City will provide after school grants funding in the amount of $55,000 that will aid the schools in providing programming for students.

Celebrity Sighting

Something I'd like to see: A flashmob on Main Street doing "Benny's Dispatch" from the Broadway show In the Heights.

It's a distinct possibility today, because the musical's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is in town today giving a talk at Wesleyan, and local fans are blowing up the twittersphere with Lin sightings. He visited Neon Deli, and his old house on Washington Street, and hung out on Foss Hill, while tweeting the news to his 20,000 followers. Fans of the show (um...count me in) know that Miranda graduated from Wes in 2002, and wrote the first draft of Heights as a sophomore for a '92 theater production, and then went on to take the show to NYC where it won the Tony for Best Musical.

Thanks to Wesleying for breaking this story.

Anyway, I've been practicing the lyrics and I'm ready for that flashmob if anyone wants to join me. And if you like history (or you don't) and you haven't seen the Alexander Hamilton rap he did at the White House in 2009, then click here!

Around the Garden *

One of the most frequent questions I have heard from tree-lovers is “What is this green stuff that’s killing my tree?”  The phenomenon in question is lichen, and it really is an amazing part of our natural world. And trust me, this is not a tree-killer.

Lichens are those flat, often circular, slightly furry patches that show up on your trees and, sometimes, on rocks as well. Botanically, they are a symbiotic combination of a fungus and either an alga, a cyanobacterium, or both, which give the organism its characteristic blue-green-gray coloration.

At right and below, blue-green lichen grow on sugar maples and on a Japanese maple.

 Often, they appear on dying trees, and people assume the lichens are the cause. Typically, lichens are simply opportunistic, and grow in damp and shady places. These just happen to be the conditions in which some trees will decline, while lichen thrive. Unlike fungi on their own, lichen do not need to absorb decaying material, because the algal or cyanobacterial component is photosynthesizing, something that a fungus on its own does not do. Photos below show lichen growing on asphalt, on a rock and on a chunk of a mulberry tree.

Scientists, in fact, consider many lichens to be bio-indicators of clean air, since they do not grow in areas with extreme air pollution. Oddly, they are a food source for elk, who scrape them off rocks to eat them. Lichens have been used for dye as well.

As with many fungi, lichens’ actual structure and life processes were not well understood by science for hundreds of years. It was a nineteenth-century Swiss botanist who first discovered this “unnatural” marriage across kingdoms, although at the time of his discovery, fungi were still considered part of the plant kingdom.

It is not surprising that these modest plants escaped serious inquiry, since they are harmless and rarely a food source. Fungi, too, have mysteries that have only begun to be unraveled recently. DNA research has allowed identification of genetically identical strands of fungal mycelia penetrating hundreds of acres, creating what some scientists consider to be among the earth’s largest organisms.  

A lecture on lichens will be presented on April 17 at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. This joint presentation by the Naugatuck Valley Audubon Society and the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will take place at 7:30 pm, and is appropriate for adults and children over 10. A small admission fee will be charged.

* Absolutely devoid of April Fool's content, just in case tongue in cheek humor really freaks you out!

Artist for World Peace Scholarships available for High School Students

ARTISTS FOR WORLD PEACE ANNOUNCE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Artists for World Peace is pleased to announce that it is accepting scholarship applications from high school juniors or seniors who are residing in Middletown . Eligible applicants will be pursuing higher education in the arts, be involved in community service activities and have a demonstrated need for financial assistance. Awards will be given in the amounts between $100 and $1,000. The Application deadline is April 16, 2012. Applications may be obtained from the Guidance departments at Xavier, Mercy, Vinal, The Hartford Academy of the Arts or Middletown High School. Applications may also be downloaded from the Artists for World Peace website.The Scholarship Committee is comprised of Artists for World Peace founder Wendy Black-Nasta and Board member Jennifer Lia, Middletown Teen Theater Director Ali Sinacrope, Middletown High School art teacher Charlotte McCoid, Oddfellows Playhouse Executive Director Matt Pugliese, Middletown Youth Service Coordinator Justin Carbonella and Citizen Bank Manager Glen Taylor. The committee is chaired by Priscilla Harnesk..
Artists for World Peace was presented with study results conducted by Professor Rob Rosenthal’s Wesleyan University sociology students. The study found that there is a great economic divide in resources for students pursuing the arts. Students with greater economic resources are at a higher advantage; having the ability to participate in private lessons and purchase supplies. Artists for World Peace decided to help level the playing field by providing scholarships for items like lessons and materials.
Scholarship chair Priscilla Harnesk said, “We are thrilled to begin this scholarship fund. We see a great need. Our hope is that our esteemed committee will be able to provide not only financial aid but also mentorship advice.  http://artistsforworldpeace.org/

Santorum To Campaign In Middletown

Rick Santorum has vowed to vigorously contend for the 28 delegates up for grabs in the April 24th Connecticut Presidential Republican primary. He will bring his campaign for the nomination to Middletown on April 19th.

Santorum will be spending a significant amount of time in Middletown. In the afternoon, he will be giving a guest lecture in a Government Department seminar class (Development of the American Welfare State) taught by Glenn O'Brien. O'Brien told The Eye that his students were looking forward to the visit, "They know how lucky they are to hear from a real person who is actually running for office."

Santorum will also present a 4PM lecture in the Chapel, where he will present his vision for how a Santorum presidency will help our city.

There was a predictable outcry on campus about Santorum's visit. Some students threatened to boycott morning classes if Wesleyan hosted a visit from Santorum, others said they would be attending classes but would spend the entire class period on facebook.

President Roth defended the invitation, "By bringing intelligent conservative discourse to campus, we will increase our capacity to combat the idiot wind of know-nothing anti-intellectualism that is all too prevalent in our political culture."

The former Pennsylvania Senator will remain in Middletown for a fundraiser at the home of Jen Alexander and Mark Masselli. Kidcity founder Jen Alexander said Santorum was the first presidential candidate she was truly passionate about, "At Kidcity we are thrilled by his opposition to contraception, it is good for Middletown businesses."