Soccer Tournament at Donovan Park TODAY

Sunday, August 23 at 1:oo pm

Today, NEAT, in partnership with North End Business, Paradise Luxuries, will be hosting our first evern soccer tournament at Donovan Park, next to Macdonough School between Spring and Stack Streets. I hope you can make it!

We have six teams of eleven competing for a prize of $500! There promise to be some great athletes, so come to enjoy the games, eat some food and enjoy the music Kevin at Satelite DJ.

I hope you can make it!

Click here to see the poster.

Got a summer cold? Try this!

As luck would have it, I've had a nasty summer cold for some time now. However, I am eternally grateful to a dear friend of mine who suggested the following homemade "soother" for my ills. Here's the recipe, feel free to alter the ingredients to suit your own tastes, and so you know, I've decided that I like this so much I don't have to be sick to enjoy it!

6-8 oz. hot water
1/2 lemon, squeezed (I like to squeeze and then put the lemon in the cup)
honey to taste
Your favorite Scotch (this is optional, but highly recommended!!!)

Mix and enjoy.

PS - I'm still sick and I've enjoyed several of these. I don't claim that you'll get better, but I can promise that you'll have a nice hot drink to savor!

Army Seeks Wetlands Permit

As I was browsing through a stack of unread Hartford Courant papers this week, I stumbled across a small article (in the Aug. 13th paper) detailing the Army Corps of Engineers' application for a permit to fill wetlands in Cucia Park. The Courant picked up the story from the Middletown Press, and I thought it worth it to reprint that story (click here to go to the original MP story):

By SLOAN BREWSTER, Press staff

MIDDLETOWN — The U.S. Army Reserve is seeking a permit to
fill wetlands at Cucia Park. The federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers is part of the Clean Water Act, and one of the legal hurdles the
military must jump in its plans to build an army reserve training center on
the 42-acre park on Smith Street. In July, Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano
signed the contract for the $2 million sale of the park. Now he is waiting
for the money, he said Tuesday. According to the contract, the military has
until the end of the fiscal year to pay. Last month at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel in Cromwell, the buyers held a preconstruction meeting with
contractors that might be interested in building the proposed facility, the
mayor said. Construction on the three-story, 164,007-square-foot facility on
17 acres of the park will not begin until the permit is issued, said Todd
Hornback, Corps spokesman for the Louisville District. “Once the permit goes
through, we can finalize the contract,” Hornback said. The permit will limit
what can be done on the wetlands, said Larry Rosenberg, corps chief of
public affairs for the New England District. “We have to gain that permit to
see what mitigation [allows], and how much can we fill,” he explained. In
order to make such determinations, the corps must evaluate the construction
plans and consider the impact to the wetlands, Rosenberg said. “Our goal is
always net loss zero,” Rosenberg said. “The only thing that we issue a
permit on is the least damaging practicable alternative. This is a public
trust; we are charged by congress to not impact on the environment
negatively.” There have already been changes to the plans for the wetlands,
Hornback and Rosenberg said, specifying that the amount to be filled has
been decreased. Neither spokesman knew the exact specifications of the
changes, they said. The permit can be denied, issued or issued with
conditions, Rosenberg said, adding that 99 percent of such permits are
issued with conditions. The training center is a response to the 2005 Base
Realignment and Closure Act, which mandates smaller individual reserve bases be closed and replaced with larger combined locations where reservists train on alternate weekends. There is a 30-day period during which the public may file comments or request a public hearing on the permit review. Public comments must be filed no later than Sept. 11, to the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division, (attn: Cori Rose) 696
Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751, or e-mail cori.m.rose@usace.army.mil.

I was traveling for most of July, so I missed this news completely. Interestingly, the print Courant article reported that the City of Middletown has already received monies (I think it said $100,000, but I recycled the paper yesterday before I thought about publishing this article, so I could be wrong) that it can keep whether the purchase of Cucia Park goes through or not; this same information was NOT in the online version. If anyone knows more about this, please post an update comment!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation II

We just returned from a road trip to visit our daughter who now lives in Iowa. You think of Iowa, you think corn...but think again...we have much to learn about the food grown and offered there. The first pictures below were taken at the best farmer's market I have ever been to. From May to October, on every Saturday, 15 blocks of downtown Des Moines are filled with farmers, and food vendors.
Check out these incredible mushrooms in every color.
Lots of backyard farmers offered their goods. I especially loved the squash blossoms and the Asian vegtables.

It happened we were in Iowa for the State Fair (this is the famous state fair the musical is based on). Traditional New England fair food like clam chowder was not be be found but they did have everything on a stick....pickles on a stick, cheese on a stick....
......These pork chops were delicious!!!

Just putting up these pics is making me hungry. See you all at the Wadsworth Mansion on Sunday for our own version of the best food offered locally.

Radio Interview

This Sunday morning (8/23) on N'Shoma, heard from 11 a.m. - 12 noon on WMRD-AM 1150 & WLIS-AM 1420, my guest is Sadia Shepard (Wesleyan 1997), author of "The Girl From Foreign." As you will hear, she's also the creator of the documentary film "In Search of the Bene Israel" (a direct result of the research conducted during the writing of the book) as well as the producer of the upcoming documentary about Vogue magazine, "The September Issue."

The interview, which we recorded several weeks ago, can be heard in its entirety from approximately 11:10 - 11:40.

Grants Available for Youth Development

From Justin Carbonella

The Middletown Youth Services Bureau announces two grant opportunities for the Middletown community. The first is the City’s Educational Incentives Challenge Grant. For the fourth year in a row, the 2:1 matching grant, allows for $55,000 to be awarded to local youth development programs. Specifically, the grant is looking to fund program activities for children in Grades K-12 that help support at-risk, under-represented students who traditionally are not involved in programming outside the regular school day. These activities may be of academic, recreational, cultural, physical, psychological, and/or emotional benefit to the child. The funding range per grant is between $2,500 and $10,000 but a 2:1 match (agency to city) must be in place.

In addition to the funding, the grant also focuses on supporting programs implement a youth development framework called the 40 Developmental Assets, endorsed by the YSB and the community at large. The assets are building blocks that help all young people grow into healthy and successful adults and have been proven, both nationally and locally, to also protect against a host of risk factors. A bidders conference for the grant has been scheduled for August 28^th at 10am in the Board of Education’s Conference Room A.

An additional funding opportunity from the department is provided through the Middletown Substance Abuse Prevention Council which the YSB co-chairs along with the Rushford Center. The MSAPC is releasing its mini-grants for the 2009-10 grant cycle. The grants which offer a max funding level of $1,000 may be used to support any substance prevention or youth development program 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 in the Middletown High School Media Center at 3pm. All members of the community are welcomed to join.

Information on the Educational Incentives Challenge Grant and the MSAPC mini-grants can be found on the YSB’s website at www.middletownyouthservices.com or by calling Justin Carbonella, Youth Services Coordinator at 860-347-8594 ext 4517.

School Choice for Bielefield, Snow, & Spencer

I wrote to Barbara Senges at the Board of Ed about the recent news that three Middletown Elementary schools will now have a choice option, due to their CMT scores over the past two years. She got right back to me with the following information, and I'm printing it verbatim so that you get all the details:

From Barbara Senges, Asst. Superintendent, Middletown Schools:

By Federal Law, No Child Left Behind, school districts are required to offer school choice to parents of students who attend Title I schools that have not made AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress, for two consecutive years and are identified as “In Need of Improvement”. Bielefield, Snow and Spencer are now so identified following the results of the 2009 CMT taken this past spring. Late last week we received a letter from the State department that we are obligated to notify the parents at these schools 14 days before the start of school (yesterday) that they are entitled to transfer to another school because of the Federal Law.

The law, however, gives us the right to choose which schools are open based on space availability. For this reason, we are offering parents at these three schools to transfer students to Wesley (Kindergarten, grades 1 and 3 – 20 students) and Farm Hill (Kindergarten grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 -36 students). The openings at different grade levels in each school vary. All parents need to notify the principal of their school (Bielefield, Snow or Spencer) by Wednesday August 26 of their decision. Each principal is having an informational meeting at his/her school on Monday August 24 at 6:00. If our requests exceed our openings, we will conduct a lottery, giving preference to low-achieving students. The decision to transfer is final and once a student transfers he/she cannot request return to his/her sending school in subsequent years. It is also possible that a parent who has younger children who are not presently in school may not be able to send these youngsters to the new school, if Bielefield, Spencer or Snow (the sending schools) are subsequently removed from the Needs Improvement list and are not eligible for school choice.

The letter also states that the district is only responsible for transportation for transfer students who are eligible for “free or reduced” lunch and are also low achieving. Anyone else who requests a transfer must supply their own transportation.


As I understand it, parents who are in those schools have already received this information by mail, but perhaps this post will be helpful to families that are checking Middletown news while on vacation.

Eye on the Air, August 21

Eye on the Air, Friday 1-2 PM, WESU 88.1 FM (wesufm.org)

GUEST

Rob Rosenthal, Wesleyan University professor of sociology speaking about his studies of protest and topical music, and his work with Pete Seeger.

North End Farmers Market now 10-2 pm

Come down to the North End Market! Running Fridays throughout the summer, the North End Market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and other CT Farm products. We changed the time since it was clearly high traffic at lunchtime.

It is being held on the big, wide sidewalk in front of It's Only Natural Market and runs from 10-2 (note the time is different than on the poster, I'm working on that!). Stop by on your lunch break.


All farms are WIC Certified and, you may use your EBT Card.
Also, we're always looking for more farms, so please contact NEAT if you know of a good one or are a good one! 346-4845 or neat@neatmiddletown.org

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

Around Middletown in 80 Days

Oddfellows Playhouse kicks off its 35th season with “Around Middletown in 80 Days,” an ongoing event that highlights 80 happenings, locations, and restaurants that make Middletown a great place to live. This celebration of our home town begins on August 25 at It's Only Natural Restaurant and ends on November 13 with the opening of Oddfellows’ Teen Repertory Company production of Around the World in 80 Days.

This event is also a great way to support Oddfellows. Tuesdays from August 25 to November 13 are restaurant nights. Every week a different Middletown restaurant will be featured, and on that night, the featured restaurant will donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to Oddfellows Playhouse.

“Around Middletown in 80 Days” opens at It’s Only Natural restaurant on August 25. Other featured restaurants are Amici’s (September 1); Typhoon (September 8, 15, and 22); Puerto Vallarta (September 29); Osaka (October 6); O’Rourke’s Diner (October 13); Tavern at the Armory/Inn at Middletown (October 20); Iguanas Ranas Taqueria (October 27); Tuscany Grill (November 3); and Thai Gardens (November 10).

At every event you attend, you will be given a raffle ticket. Prizes will be awarded on November 13 at a drawing during the intermission of opening night of Around the World in 80 Days. The more events you go to, the more raffle tickets you’ll have and the greater your chances of winning. Anyone can participate, and you don’t have to be present at the drawing to win.

To add to the fun, download your very own cut-out of Phileas Fogg, the intrepid English traveler, and take him around Middletown between August 25 and November 13. To share Phileas’ journey around Middletown, take picture of him and upload them to Oddfellows Playhouse Facebook site or email them to 80days@oddfellows.org. Look for Phileas Fogg around Middletown this fall!

Keep track of “Around Middletown in 80 Days” events and happenings by visiting www.oddfellows.org or the Middletown Eye. For more information, call (860) 347-6143.

Oddfellows’ 09-10 season is supported by grants from the CT State Department of Education, The J. Walton Bissell Foundation, Pratt and Whitney-Middletown, The Stare Fund, and the Middletown Commission on the Arts. Advertising for this event was made possible with the generous support of Michael Oliveras.

Third Suspect Arrested In Store Robbery

From the Middletown Police Department

The Middletown Police Department has made a third arrest with the July 18^th armed robbery, which occurred at the M Mart located at 221 Newfield St.

Investigative efforts by both the Middletown Police Department’s Investigative Services Unit and the Department’s Street Crimes Unit led to the arrest Willie Jenkins, age 27 of Cromwell, who was arrested on August 19^th.

Jenkins was charged with Robbery , Aiding in the Commission of Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery . Jenkins was presented at Middlesex Superior Court on August 19^th and held on a $200,000.00 court set bond.

Jenkins was identified as the “getaway driver” during this incident, in which two other suspects John Conley, age 22 of Hartford and Quincy Tyler, age 26 of East Hartford ( both are presently in custody) are alleged to have displayed a handgun and pointed it at the male attendant at the M Mart store. The suspects demanded money and cigarettes; however they were interrupted by a male customer who entered the store. Both the attendant and the male customer were held at gunpoint, while another female customer was held in a headlock and forced to the ground. The suspects then left the store with the money and cigarettes.

The Middletown Police Department is anticipating no further arrests in this case.

Heroin Bust on Liberty Street

From the Middletown Police Department:

On 08/10/2009 The Street Crime Unit with the assistance of the Detective Division and the Patrol Division executed a Search Warrant at 34 Liberty Street First floor. We had been receiving numerous complaints concerning this address from concerned citizens that reside in the area.

After initiating an investigation into the residence we acquired a Search Warrant for the apartment and for Rivas, Wanda D.O.B. 08/03/1980, who was the target of our investigation. We had received information that she was partnered with an unknown Hispanic male who was later detained and arrested within the apartment, he was identified as Juan Cordona D.O.B 06/04/79. Allegedly the two were selling Heroin within the area of the cities nothend. The estimated street value of the suspected Heroin is approx $320.00 Dollars

Upon gaining entry into the residence the Street Crime Unit encountered four small children. They were later turned over to the suspect’s mother who resides in New Britain and DCF was notified.

Below is a list of the arrested suspects.

Wanda Rivas D.O.B. 08/03/1970

• Possession of Heroin
• Possession of Heroin WITH INTENT TO SELL
  
• Possession of Heroin WITH INTENT TO SELL1500ft School Zone
• Risk of Injury
• Possession Marijuana
• Possession Drug Paraphernalia

Rivas is being held on a $150,000.00 Dollar Surety Bond

Juan Cardona D.O.B. 06/04/79

• Possession of Heroin
• Possession of Heroin With Intent To Sell
  
• Possession of Heroin With Intent To Sell 1500ft School Zone
• Risk of Injury
• Possession Marijuana
• Possession Drug Paraphernalia

Cardona is being held on a $300,000.00 Dollar Surety Bond

Any citizen willing to give information concerning possible illegal activities is encouraged to contact Sergeant Chris Lavoie of the Street Crime Unit at 344-3259. All information will remain anonymous.