This Weekend at The Buttonwood Tree: Waberi Jordan, Annaita Gandhy, Secondary Messengers,

Friday Evening

Waberi Jordan

The Buttonwood Tree

605 Main Street

Middletown, CT

860-347-4957

August 19 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

 At The Buttonwood Tree    $20.

Returning to The Buttonwood Tree – the incomparable Waberi Jordan, bringing
her signature style to bear
on the Summer of 2022. 

We welcome her & the surprises

that are sure to flow all around!

Waberi always brings in terrific local musicians: Ron Acosta - Sax, Michael Scott - drums, Doug Long - bass, accompany her tonight. 

Click waberi jordan * aug 19 2022  for more info.

Click HERE to reserve your seat. Admission $20.

Saturday Morning

Align with Source ~

Meeting Our World & Lives at The Higher Level

with Annaita Gandhy.

Online, via Zoom. 10:30am - 12:15pm. 

To sign up, email thebuttonwoodtree@gmail.com

     Let us all hold only love in our hearts as we shower all key areas and our entire world with the purest love of Oneness. The Light within each one of us is required by Humanity, Our World and Earth at this time. More than ever before, our world needs your Light and unconditional Love!

     Do join us for our Saturday Morning Meeting of 'Align with Source ~ Meeting Our World & Lives At The Higher Level'. Do you feel that all you know is being pulled out from under you? That you perfected the answers to Life only to find the question paper has been changed so that you don't know which is up or down? Systems you know are suddenly replaced with high-tech you feel inadequately equipped to handle? You are not alone. Yes, our world is changing; in fact it has changed, forever. But where are you going with this and how do you react? Are you re-active or pro-active? This is when to remember who you are. This is a time to embrace the Light body that is yours by Divine Right. A 5D reality calls upon each to trust Spirit, and it also calls upon us to act from that which our Spirit Self is familiar. Keeping your attention on the Light Within, strengthens Your Light which is more powerful than you can imagine so why not take that bold step in turning the switches of Oneness on! So consider all those aspects in life that keep you stuck and ask yourself, 'how does it serve you?' Let's do this together in Love and Light.

Saturday Evening

Secondary Messengers Jazz Quintet
August 20 @ 8:00 - 10:00pm 

 At The Buttonwood Tree   

The Secondary Messengers are dedicated to promoting the music of the influential ensembles of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded from the early ’50s to the late ’80s. 

Noted for improvisation in the funky, hard bop idiom with close harmonic lines, an intense driving rhythm section, and meticulously crafted arrangements by composer-band members such as Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, Benny Golson and Kenny Dorham, the Jazz Messengers served as a school for many young musicians who later went on to notable careers as leaders of their own groups. The Jazz Messengers were also an inspiration to generations of jazz musicians who never played with Blakey.

General admission is $20. Click HERE and scroll down to "Purchase" to reserve your seat. Admission $20.

Students $10, members $15.  Student/member pricing available at the door only; you may reserve your seats ahead of time by calling 860 - 347 - 4957.

BUTTONWOOD This Weekend -- Comedian Rob Santos, AND Singer-Songwriter Megan Bee

Friday, August 13th  
8:00 to 10:00pm                Standup!  
 

Rob Santos & Friends
Creating a Life.

A night of stand up comedy and monologues from one of Hartford’s best comedians AND his multi-talented friends in comedy. Rob Santos, this Friday at Buttonwood. Also sharing the stage on this night: Buddha Joe, Emily Siero, and CW Davis.

Site - Robsantoscomedy.com

Instagram - raggedy_rob

Tik Tok - raggedy_rob

Facebook - Raggedy Rob Comedy


Click HERE to reserve your seat ($10). 

NOTE: There are no physical tickets for events at The Buttonwood Tree.

Saturday, August 13,  8pm - 10pm 

Megan Bee: A Singer-Songwriter Concert

Prize-winning singer-songwriter Megan Bee sings of wanderlust & a raw love for the land. Her songs blend homespun vocals, acoustic simplicity, yearning soulfulness, & winsome storytelling. Her vagabond background as an environmental educator & vagabond farmhand took her into the wilderness, where she found her voice around a campfire. Based out of the rolling hills of Athens County, Ohio, Megan travels the country playing festivals, coffeehouses, brewpubs, house concerts, & around campfires.

     Her fourth studio album “Cottonwood” (2022) follows “Waiting” (2020), which was named album of the year by The Ark of Music, an indie music platform dedicated to serving independent & small label musicians. Megan also won Ohio Music Awards' prize for Best Americana & Best Singer-Songwriter Albums, which also won her a finalist position in the USA Songwriting Competition.

     The Ark of Music writes, “Cottonwood is as real as it gets – a raw and real telling of engaging, relatable stories from an absolute gem of an artist, whose work could easily stand tall among the music of legends in the folk space.” Divide and Conquer writes that Megan's voice is “…warm and inviting…incredibly organic sounding. It sounds pure and human throughout.”

Click HERE to reserve your seat. ($15)

For more on Megan's music & upcoming concerts, visit Megan Bee Music
For Ohio Music Awards, see: Ohio Music Awards
For The Ark of Music, see The Ark of Music

-----Venue Info 

The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center

605 Main Street

Middletown, CT + Google Map

      Phone: (860) 347-4957

Tomorrow is the Day.

Honor your citizenship with participation.
   Make an effort to be informed. 

Make an effort to VOTE in tomorrow's election. 

"OLYMPIC DAY" HELD AT THE JOHN J. NERDEN REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER CAMP IN MIDDLEFIELD ON FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2022.

RTC Camper Audrina Charneco cools off in the Camp Nerden pool part of Olympic Day on Friday, July 22, 2022.By Frank L

RTC Camper Julian Shaw-Izquirdo Hits The Ball For The Home Run Derby During Camp Nerden's Olympic Day On Friday, July 22, 2022. Photo FRANK LOGIUDICE

"OLYMPICS DAY" HELD AT THE JOHN J. NERDEN REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER CAMP IN MIDDLEFIELD  ON FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2022

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY FRANK LOGIUDICE

 

 

RTC Camper Frank Stange Hits The Ball For The Home Run Derby & It Is A Home Run Part Of Camp Nerden's Olympic Day On Friday, July 22, 2022. Photo By Frank Logiudice

The 2020 Summer Olympics are history but that did not stop the campers at the John J. Nerden Regional Training Camp in Middlefield from preparing for the XXXIII Summer Olympiad in 2024.  On July 23rd Camp Nerden held their annual "Olympics Day," where the RTC Campers honed their sports skills. The sports that were offered were basketball, football toss, home run derby, volleyball, frisbee throw, and swimming. Even the extreme heat could not dampen the Olympic Spirit and enthusiasm of the RTC Campers. There were smiles galore on the campers' faces.

 

RTC Camper Jared Carbo Aims For The Basket During "Olympic Day" At Camp Nerden On Friday,July 22, 2022. Carbo Did Score & He Made The Basket. Photo By Frank LoGiudice

Why "Olympic Day?"  According to Camp Director Sue Chenard "They always had it. Our campers look forward to it.  They enjoy it."  The "Olympic Day" held at Camp Nerden is not associated with the Special Olympics even though several of their campers compete in the Special Olympics events, commented Chenard.  

 

 L-R: : Kneeling RTC Staff Eliza DeNegris, Volunteers Eliana & Brayden Fraschilla Share A Laugh With RTC Camper Clinton Parente At The Camp Nerden's Pool. Photo By Frank LoGiudice

Camp Nerden serves people with intellectual disabilities and campers can start attending when they are 6 years old and there is no age limit when people must stop attending camp, stated Chenard. Camp Nerden does not charge a fee for the campers to attend.  It is funded by local civic groups like the Meriden & Middletown Civitans and the towns the campers reside. The camp season began June 27th and ends on August 12th. The camp runs Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  According to Chenard the camp averages about 50-60 campers daily with 18 staff supplemented with a daily average of about 30 "Counselors In Training" volunteers.

 

RTC Camper Jake Cafiero Throws The Frisbee and He Made It Through The Hoop Part of Camp Nerden's Olympic Day-Photo By Frank Logiudice

L-R: RTC Camper Jake Cafiero & Volunteer Brayden Fraschilla Have Some Fun In The Camp Nerden's Pool During Olympic Day. Photo By Frank LoGiudice

Camp Nerden is still taking the COVID-19 Pandemic seriously.  Director Chenard stated, "We try to social distance for precaution. Some campers choose to wear masks.  It is not mandatory.  We have hand sanitizers lots of it.  We do extra cleaning."

 

L-R: RTC Campers Eddie Poole, Logan King, Jon Bennett, & Logan Solomon cool off and share a laugh in the Camp Nerden Pool during Olympic Day on Friday, July 22, 2022.Photo By Frank LoGiudice

How do the RTC Campers feel about Camp Nerden & Olympic Day?  Camper Logan King of Durham loves going into the pool at camp.  "I like sports, especially basketball," stated King. King does Unified Sports in school and will be in the 7th grade at Strong Middle School in the fall.  Camper Evan Kane, also of Durham stated, "I like to play basketball and shoot hoops at camp." Kane will also be in the 7th grade.  Durham camper Chris Naples loves the outdoor recreation activities at camp such as playing tug of war and swimming in the pool. 

 

L-R: VolunteerJoe Bugai, Camper Chris McGrath & Volunteer Michael Sigal at Camp Nerden. Photo By Frank LoGiudice.

"I love it!", stated RTC Staff Nicole Tiezzi of Meriden regarding her experiences at camp. She has been at camp for a total of 12 years, five as a volunteer and seven as a staff. Tiezzi started when she was age 10. She became involved because her two sisters were volunteers and employed at Camp Nerden. Not only that but her grandfather Ben Tiezzi also of Meriden played a role in building Camp Nerden according to Tiezzi.  She stated further, "I love what I do here.  I have been here forever.  It is my home."

 

If you have not been vaccinated against the COVID-19 Virus, please get your shot.  If you have please do not forget to get your booster shot too and if you are eligible for a second booster get that one also.  To find out how please go to https://www.vaccines.gov/

Now Batting RTC Camper Logan King eyes the ball & it is a "Grand Slam" for the Home Run Derby part of the Olympic Day at Camp Nerden on Friday, July 22, 2022. Behind King is Volunteer Eliana Fraschilla.

RTC Camper Audrina Charneco Just Experienced The Thrill Of Victory From Her Fantastic Swim During Camp Nerden's Olympic Day. Photo By FRANK LOGIUDICE

For more information, please go to campnerden.com, or call 860-349-9826.  Their mailing address is P.O. Box 2617 - Meriden, CT 06451.

 

Enjoy the videos!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiwskVK_77Q&t=30s

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX04DYUEHfU

 

 

 

 

 

City Capitulates, Agrees to Washington Street Methadone Clinic

The Planning and Zoning Commission on Friday voted to approve a legal settlement with the Root Center, which if accepted by the courts, would allow the Root Center to open a methadone clinic at 392 Washington Street, a site currently used by Fine Tunes Car Stereo, between Main Switch Beauty Salon and Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe..

The application for this clinic was the subject of 3 public hearings in 2020, after which the Commission voted 4-3 in favor of approval. However, this is considered a denial under the City Charter, which stipulates that 5 affirmative votes are required  for any Commission action. The Root Center sued to overturn the decision, arguing that our Charter's requirement was in violation of State statutes. The Superior Court agreed with the Root Center, essentially overturning this part of our City Charter. 

The City, represented by Christopher Forte, appealed this decision to the Connecticut Supreme Court, but it also entered into negotiations with the Root Center. Those negotiations led to an agreement that gave the Root Center what it wanted--permission to build a Methadone Clinic at 392 Washington Street. Attorney Forte told the Commissioners:

[You] agree to grant a reasonable accommodation ... . You are not approving a zone change, you are not granting a special exception, you are granting a reasonable accommodation, which you are empowered to do under the ADA (the federal law that comes down and replaces zoning in this case), ... give them permission to operate. 

Preserving the City Charter rules seems to have been a major motivation for the city. The agreement with the Root Center is contingent on the Superior Court agreeing to vacate its ruling on the Charter. Forte told the Commissioners, "What that means is that we will get our charter back, which will require 5 votes for all of your decisions, so that issue will be saved for another day." 

The agreement specifies a number of conditions that the Root Center must meet, largely around issues of loitering, parking, and public safety. In addition, both the Root Center and the city must abide by the findings of the state Department of Transportation with respect to the traffic and safety impacts of the methadone clinic. All of the major conditions were already present in the original application, which went through numerous Public Hearings and revisions in 2020. 

Both the Superior Court and the Supreme Court need to take action before this agreement is in effect. 

[Disclosure: I was on the Commission at the time of the original application; I voted in favor]

Black Rock Fire

August 5 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
 
at The
Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center 
   605 Main Street
   Middletown, CT
   (860) 347-4957 

     A high-energy, female fronted band from Black Rock, CT, Black Rock Fire brings hot covers of pop anthems and rock favorites from the 90s and 00s sprinkled with their own originals that will make you want to get up and dance. 

    The band’s sound fuses warm acoustic and electric guitars over a solid rock rhythm section, while the lead singer, Sammy Harris, delivers powerhouse vocals. The band formed in late 2021, and already dominates the live music scene in Fairfield County— recently winning multiple rounds of BRS Battle of the Bands hosted by 95.9 The Fox's Jon Kamal. Each performance is fun, high-energy, and their breadth of song selections is sure to provide something for everyone to enjoy! Click link below to listen. 


General admission is $15.     Reserve Seat Here ($15)

Admission for Buttonwood MEMBERS and STUDENTS is $10. Available only at the door; you can email or call ahead to reserve seats.

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This Week at The Buttonwood Tree: August 4-6, 2022

 

The Buttonwood Tree 
605 Main Street, in Middletown

August 2022

The Buttonwood Tree Presents:

Event descriptions are excerpted from The Buttonwood Tree online calendar. Click on event links in text for more information. 

 

 

 

Thursday

AUG 4

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Bob Gotta's Acoustic Open Mic (ZOOM)

 

Friday

AUG 5

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm  

Middletown Arts Festival

  8:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

Black Rock Fire

Black Rock Fire is a high-energy, female fronted band from Black Rock, Connecticut. Black Rock Fire brings hot covers of pop anthems and rock favorites from the 90s and 00s sprinkled with originals that will make you want to get up and dance. The band’s sound fuses warm acoustic and electric guitars over a solid rock rhythm section, while the lead singer, Sammy Harris, delivers powerhouse vocals.

 

Saturday

AUG 6

 10:30 am - 12:15 pm

Align with Source Workshop

 

 

 

  8:00 pm - 10:00 pm  

Slim & St. George: River City Blues Duo

Slim & St. George joined forces in the Fall of 2019 and have fine-tuned their repertoire to include everything from the Blues they both love so well to classic Country, Roots-y classic Rock and even a few Jazz-y instrumentals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Buttonwood programs, please see our calendar here.