Two Major Zoning Code Changes To Be Heard February 13

The Planning and Zoning Commission scheduled public hearings for two separate applications to introduce potentially controversial changes to the zoning code text. The public hearings are scheduled for the P&Z meeting on February 13th at 7PM.

One would open to intensive commercial development all land around Wesleyan, land on the eastern portion of Washington Street, and land in the South Cove area of the river. This application comes from a developer, Bob Landino, who wants to put a national chain restaurant with a drive thru window within the residential neighborhood adjacent to Wesleyan.

The other would prevent most properties immediately adjacent to Wesleyan from being used for anything except residential in the future. It would also impact land immediately adjacent to Middlesex Hospital and Connecticut Valley Hospital. This application comes from Ed McKeon, a resident who is opposed to the high intensity commercial development of the historic urban residential area between Wesleyan and Main Street.

Around the Garden

Although the coldest part of winter is just arriving, we have passed the period with the lowest availability – and angle – of natural light. For your indoor garden, better days are coming!

House plants typically take a beating in the winter: low light, too much heat and dry air, too much standing water on their roots – almost a guarantee that something nasty will happen.

I was reminded of this when I found fluffy white clumps on a cute little striped aloe. It looked like a cottony scale, so my first thought was to spray with insecticidal soap and put it out in my very chilly sun room, where the insect would be at a disadvantage, but the plant would live. My second thought was, how dumb can one person be? That’s where my orchids and lemon trees winter – they really don’t need a dose of scale. So the aloe ended up in the compost bin.

ARTFARM's Shakespeare Acting Laboratory starts February 12

Middletown-based theater company ARTFARM is offering an eight week Shakespeare Acting Laboratory with Artistic Director and co-founder Marcella Trowbridge starting February 12. The Laboratory, intended for adult performers 18 and over, will be an intensive exploration of Shakespeare from the actors’ point of view.

The course will meet Tuesday evenings, 7 – 9 pm, from February 12 through April 2, culminating in a “Shakespeare Share” on April 2.

Youth Gamelan at Wesleyan starts Jan 26

The Spring 2013 session of the Youth Gamelan at Wesleyan University begins Saturday, January 26. The gamelan is an orchestra of metal gongs and xylophones from Indonesia, and Wesleyan has a fine set of these beautiful instruments.

The Youth Gamelan is open to all children ages 7 and up, with no prior music experience necessary. Rehearsals are held on Saturday mornings from 10-11am in the World Music Hall, Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University, located on Wyllys Avenue (off of High Street). Parents are welcome to stay and watch rehearsals. We will conclude the session with a performance on Thursday, May 9 at 7pm, together with Wesleyan student ensembles. 

Eclectic Ethno-Country Virtuosity!

Adam & Noah Band, Jan. 17, The Buttonwood Tree

From the opening peal of the fiddle the wheeze and cry of accordion and violin had us moving to the exuberant Zydeco groove. When they slowed the tempo we could have been in central Europe. There was foot stompin' country and sweet Irish complete with tremolo mandolin and a (mostly underutilized) red haired lass at the mike. Red shoes too I see. Young and fresh but as talented as pros, at one point they called themselves a rock band. Well, rock they did . . . with just the right amount of swing.

From 1963: Police Arrest Man, Woman on Morals Charge

The following is an extract from an article published 50 years ago today, in the Hartford Courant on January 20th, 1963.
Lascivious carriage was defined as "conduct which is wanton, lewd or lustful and tending to produce voluptuous emotions." It was no longer defined as a criminal offense following major changes to the penal code under Governor Dempsey in 1971.
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Police early Saturday arrested Boyd Reynolds, 32, and Edna Fone, 32, both of 41 S. Main St., on a charge of lascivious carriage, with the woman also being accused of breach of peace.

Policeman Samuel Ruffino and Edward Krol, Policewoman Marie Higgins and Det. Carl Zywocienski made the arrests.

From 1913: School For Girls Makes Good Report

The following is an extract from an article published 100 years ago today, appearing in the Hartford Courant on January 20th, 1913.

The "Connecticut Industrial School for Girls" opened in 1870 and was transferred to the state in 1921. It became the "Long Lane School" in 1943 merged with the "School for Boys" in 1972, and was shut down in 2003. The state sold the 152 acres property to Wesleyan for $15M.
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Aims of institution are made plain
The directors of the Connecticut Industrial School for Girls have issued their biennial report in printed form, and it covers thoroughly the work of the school, which is located at Middletown, for the two years ended September 30, 1912. The proper subjects of the school are not merely paupers, according to a statement printed in the report, neither are they orphans, nor confirmed thieves nor prostitutes, nor other criminals, but include the stubborn and unruly, who refuse to obey those who have proper charge of them; truants, vagrants and beggars; those found in circumstances of manifest danger of falling into habits of vice and immorality, and those who have committed any offense punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both, other than imprisonment for life.

"Dear Abby: How Can I Tell My Girlfriend She's Imaginary? Signed, Sensitive" Popcorn by The Colonel #26

Epigraph: "No wonder Wikipedia has surpassed the Encyclopedia Brittanica in reliability! The Internet is like monkeys and typewriters: when you type all that can be typed, the truth -- even more certainly than the pony in the optimist's manure pile -- must be in there somewhere." --Sir Harry O. Triggerman

1/     Other names for the pound sign are hash mark, trepan (in brain surgery), and octothorpe. There are more. Source: the Internet.

Big East Athletic Conference Commissioner At Chamber Breakfast

Modified from a Middlesex Chamber of Commerce release.
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Chandler Howard, Chairman of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, announced that Michael Aresco, Middletown native, will serve as Guest Speaker at the Chamber’s January Member Breakfast Meeting to be held on Monday, January 28, 2013.

New Middletown Signage and tunnel facelift

Just before the end of the year Middletown had a bunch of new signs pop up.  Three 'welcome' signs and many parking directory signs around the downtown area.

 They appeared just before Midnight on Main and were most likely very helpful for finding parking for someone not familiar with Middletown.

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  Also I noticed the construction of the new entrance on the tunnel to the river side.  It appears to be expanded (the entrance).  It looks like they are keeping with the same design but just bigger.  

This tunnel leads to the riverside north side gazebo that is typically occupied by ... not sure how to put it.. 'riff raff'.  Nonetheless this is the walking gateway to the riverside.  Hopefully we can create a better entrance.  The previous was always having to be painted because of graffiti, sometimes littered with small liquor bottles, and smelt of urine.

I know the public restrooms are closed on the riverside property.  Most likely because of undesirable activity.  But what results is urination in this tunnel.

This situation has to be addressed if progress is going to be made for our riverfront facelift.

Better lighting and a camera system would help.

MSAPC Funding Available (1/30 Deadline)

A funding opportunity from the department is provided through the Middletown Substance Abuse Prevention Council (MSAPC), co-chaired by Justin Carbonella of Middletown Youth Services Bureau and Felecia Goodwine-Vaughters of Rushford Center.  The MSAPC is releasing its mini-grants for 2013. The grants, which offer a max funding level of $1,000, may be used to support any substance prevention or youth development programing in the community. A priority will be given to applications that specifically address issues of prescription drug and heroin use, as both will be priorities for the council this upcoming year. All successful grantees will be required to have a representative join the council which meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 3pm at the Middletown Youth Services Bureau. All members of the community are welcomed to join, regardless of planned grant submission.

Information and a downloadable application can be found on the Youth Service Bureau’s website at http://www.middletownschools.org/page.cfm?p=7525 or by calling MSAPC co-chair Justin Carbonella at the Middletown Youth Services Bureau at 860-854-6030. The deadline for the very streamlined grant is Wednesday, January 30th, 2013 by 12:00pm and only electronic copies of applications will be accepted. 

"Heart of Middletown" Composer Dave Downs

The Eye received a press release in early December (as did other news outlets), publicizing a "Songs for Sandy" contest.

The contest will be run by a new organization, the Connecticut Highly Unsuccessful Songwriters Association (CHUSA), headquartered in Middletown. In the contest, original songs that in some way relate to Hurricane Sandy will be selected by a panel of "un-noteworthy non-experts", and compiled on a CD.



We were intrigued, and to learn more about CHUSA, we emailed its founder, Dave Downs, to ask a few questions.

Here (unedited) is what we got back, Eye questions are in bold.