Youth Theater, Dance, and Circus classes start January 6 - Registration now open!

Registration is now open for Winter Programs at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown! Beginning January 6, weekly classes in theater, dance, circus, and visual arts will be offered for toddlers to 20 year olds.

Photo by Dic Wheeler of 2024 Mini-Production "The Grinch that Stole Christmas".

Young actors ages 12 - 14 are welcome to join the Junior Repertory Company December 16 or 19 for auditions for Coraline. Students may audition 4:30 - 6 pm on either day. Rehearsals begin January 6 and will be Mondays and Thursdays, 4:30 - 6:30 pm, with performances March 14 - 17. Everyone who auditions and commits to the rehearsal and performance schedule will be cast in this original production of the powerful literary classic. Register for one of the two auditions at https://forms.gle/yMDwXCqYHYnBScSZ8

Saturday Classes with Meg Berritta begin on January 11 and serve children from 15 months to eight years old. Classes include Acrobabies (ages 15 months - 3 years with caregiver; 9:15 - 9:55 am); Circrobatics (ages 3 - 6, 10 - 10:45 am), Faerie Tale Theater (ages 3 - 6, 10:55 - 11:40 am) and Circobatics (ages 5 - 8, 11:45 am - 12:30 pm) 

The Teen Repertory Company at Oddfellows provides training and performance opportunities for young people ages 14 -20. This winter teens may sign up for The Actor’s Laboratory, a six-week in-depth exploration of acting and performance with ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge. The Actor’s Lab provides a safe place for exploration and discovery without the pressure of performance, including Intermodal Expressive Arts, Stage Combat, Voice, Movement, High Stakes Acting and Psycho-Emotional Literacy. The class meets Thursdays, 6:30 - 8:30 pm from January 9 through February 13. Teen actors may also sign up to perform in the New Plays Festival on Saturday, February 15. 

Auditions for the Spring Teen Rep mainstage production will be March 3 and 6.

After-School classes for ages 6 - 14 begin January 6 and will run for eight weeks this winter, culminating in a “Share Week” March 3 - 6. Most classes run 4:50 -5:50 pm.

Stage One classes for ages 6 - 8 include Complete Actor I on Mondays, Crazy Crafts on Tuesdays, Circus I on Wednesdays and Comedy and Tragedy on Thursdays.

Stage Two classes for ages 9 - 11 include Fusion Dance on Mondays, Intro to Improv Comedy (for ages 9 - 14) on Wednesdays, and a special Circus-Theater Mini-production, which will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:50 - 5:50 pm, culminating in public performances of an original Circus-Theater show on March 18 and 20.

Stage Three, for ages 12 - 14, includes the Junior Rep Mainstage production of Coraline, for which students must audition on either December 16 or 19. If you are seeing this after these dates, please contact the Playhouse at (860) 347-6143 to see if there is still an opportunity to join. Rehearsals will start January 6 and performances are March 13 -15. Stage Three students may also enroll in the Intro to Improv Comedy class (for ages 9 - 14) which meets on Wednesdays, 4:50 - 5:50 pm. 

Middletown Public School students may complement their class experience with Oddbridge, an extended day program which provides transport from Middletown schools to the Playhouse, a snack, and supervised arts activities, games and homework help before classes start. Oddbridge extends throughout the school year, providing special programs and field trips on early dismissal days or days when regular Oddfellows’ classes are not in session.

For more details on times, tuition and class descriptions, please go to www.oddfellows.org. If you have specific questions, email info@oddfellows.org or call (860) 347-6143. Financial Aid is available for all programs. It is Playhouse policy that the arts should be available to every young person regardless of ability to pay - no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Oddfellows Playhouse, founded in 1975, is Connecticut’s oldest and largest performing arts program for young people. Oddfellows programs are made possible with support from the Middletown Commission on the Arts; Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; City of Middletown; The Fund for Greater Hartford; American Savings Foundation; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Community Foundation of Middlesex County; Liberty Bank Foundation; Middletown Health Department; Middlesex United Way; CHEFA Nonprofit Grant; and many generous individual donors.

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, November 23, 2024

 

Topic:    "We're Not Just Connecticut"

Time:    1:30 pm (ET) 

Host:    Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Godfrey Library Director Carol Ansel will share some of the interesting and helpful resources on the Scholar (online) and at the library (on-site) about places other than Connecticut.

Premium Godfrey Scholar members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to view the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home), then register using the above email.

Teen Rep Company presents "Peter and the Starcatcher" November 14 - 24

 

Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company presents Peter and the Starcatcher

November 14 - 24. All performances will be held at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington

Street, Middletown.

Peter and the Starcatcher is a Tony Award-winning comedic prequel to the cherished tale of Peter Pan, originally created by J.M. Barrie.  This play, written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker, delves into the origins of beloved characters such as Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, Mrs. Darling, Captain Hook, and the Lost Boys, while also introducing new faces.  From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to reluctant comrades and unlikely heroes, this wildly theatrical retelling playfully explores the depths of greed and despair, and the powerful bonds of friendship, duty, and love.

The play, which features a cast of 11 performers ages 14 - 18,  is directed by Travis Kendrick-Castanho, with Music Direction by Allegra Green. Costume Design is by Renee Purdy and Kate DeAngelis, Scenic Design by Dan Schmidt, Sound Design by Joseph Getter, Lighting Design by Aaron Wescott, and Properties Design by Pam Lang.

Director Kendrick-Castanho says “Peter and the Starcatcher is a celebration of imagination and make-believe. Working with an incredible cast of creative young actors and a team of collaborative designers who fully embrace these core principles has been an absolute joy. We’ve had so much fun bringing this play to life and can’t wait to share it with an audience. My favorite aspect of theater is the unique relationship between actors and audience—the energetic exchange that occurs when performers and viewers come together to experience a story.”

Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for kids and students. “Big Heart” tickets are available for $25 for anyone who really loves and values theater and its impact on the lives of young people.

Thursday, November 14 at 7 pm is a “Pay-What-You-Can” Preview. Performances will be at 7 pm on November 15, 16, 22, 23 and at 4 pm on Sunday, November 24.

Peter and the Starcatcher is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Tickets may be purchased at

https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/oddfellowsplayhouse/peter-and-the-starcatcher.

For more information, call (860) 347-6143, email info@oddfellows.org, or go to www.oddfellows.org.

Peter and the Starcatcher is made possible thanks to support from the City of Middletown; Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; American Savings Foundation; Middletown Commission on the Arts; Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; The Fund for Greater Hartford; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Community Foundation of Middlesex County; Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund; Middlesex United Way; many generous individual donors; and you, supporting youth arts in Connecticut by purchasing a ticket for this performance.

 

Shantala Subramanyam - Flute
presented by Raga Club
Sunday November 3 at 4pm

Raga Club is delighted to present a concert of South Indian Carnatic flute music by Shantala Subramanyam. Please join us on November 3, and invite your friends, colleagues, and family.

Shantala Subramanyam - Flute
Alankode Gokul - Violin
S. Hariharan - Mridangam

4pm Sunday, November 3, 2024
Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society (CVHTS)
11 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ragaclubct/
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/raga_ct/
Website: http://www.ragact.org/

Raga Club ticket policy:
• Buy tickets at $30 for this concert at the door 
• Students - free admission.
• Raga Club member and 3 more persons from immediate family (spouse and two additional immediate family members) are allowed free to Raga Club concerts. Co-sponsored concerts and special concerts may have different ticketing arrangements. Raga Club Membership is $250 for one calendar year.
• Other guests accompanying a Raga Club member should buy tickets at $30 per person, purchase at the door.
• Non-Members - tickets are $30 per person, purchase at the door or in advance.

Free Film Screening: Follow the Drinking Gourd, October 28, 2024

Please join us for the first film of the 2024-25 season of The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series! We will be showing Follow the Drinking Gourd in collaboration with Cultivating Justice on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 7pm. The film is a feature documentary about the black food justice movement, connecting food, climate and racial justice, and links the legacy of slavery, land loss, and climate change to our fight for food security. You can watch the film trailer here. A discussion will follow the film.

The screening will be held at the Wesleyan Goldsmith Family Cinema, 301 Washington Terrace, Middletown, CT.  As always, the film is open to the public and free of charge. Directions and parking information can be found here.

Please preregister at http://rockfallfoundation.org/event/follow-the-drinking-gourd/

 

We hope to see you there!

The Elements: An Annual Environmental Film Series was begun in 2015. The 2024-2025 series is co-sponsored by the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Middletown Garden Club, Russell Library, The Rockfall Foundation, and Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts, College of the Environment, and College of Film and the Moving Image. 

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, October 26, 2024

 

image source:  Library of Congress

Host:  Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Time:  1:30 p.m.

On Saturday, October 26, Pam Vestal will present Part II of "Deciphering Old Handwriting."

We've received rave reviews on Pam's Part I of Deciphering Difficult Handwriting last month.  Now join us for Part II of her presentation/workshop on deciphering early handwritten documents. 

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET).  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, October 25.  The invite will be sent out on that Friday.

Godfrey Premium members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to attend the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home) with the payment sent to Godfrey Memorial Library.  Then register using the above email.

An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America. Foreword by Quincy Jones.

Martin Luther King, Andrew Young, & their work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) 
by Andrew Young, Foreword by Quincy Jones 

     Andrew Young is one of the most important figures of the U.S. civil rights movement and one of America's best-known African American leaders. Working closely with Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), he endured beatings and arrests while participating in seminal civil rights campaigns. 

     In 1964, Rev. Young became Executive Director of the SCLC, serving with Dr. King during a time of great accomplishment and turmoil. In describing his life through his election to Congress in 1972, this memoir provides revelatory, riveting reading. 

     Young's analysis of the connection between racism, poverty, and a militarized economy will resonate with particular relevance 

for readers today.

Amazon link:  An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement &
the Transformation of America

Wondering what to do on your Monday holiday?

 

    is  Almost too good to be true!___________

The targeted exercises described below can bring almost immediate relief for some hip and leg pain. The exercises are tested & designed to work -- and they do! 

The source of these exercises is Silver Sneakers, a widely known, fitness program for seniors that's included with many Medicare Advantage insurance plans and includes FREE membership to countless gyms & fitness centers across the country.   

  Dozens of SilverSneakers targeted exercise routines, like those presented below, are available FREE on YouTube with no login. Give them a try!

Do you have Pain & Stiffness
from Sitting Too Much?

Try these targeted exercises to
Revitalize your Legs & Hips

It only takes a few minutes a day to feel better. 

  Here are FIVE FREE Silver Sneakers exercise routines in one link, video demos are included, no login required. You may have seen these when they were shown on The Middletown Eye in 2021. 

https://www.silversneakers.com/blog/pain-from-sitting-too-much-here's-how-to-fix-it/ 

  SilverSneakers.com online has hundreds of on-demand video demos. Many are targeted so that you can easily identify the type of routine you need. Many Silver Sneakers routines are available on youtube, no login required. It only takes a few minutes a day to feel better. 

"SilverSneakers programs are helping millions of people on Medicare defy the odds, shatter stereotypes and answer every challenge with, 'I can do this!'”  [That attitude is contagious and the exercises are very effective!]

  "SilverSneakers includes access to every participating gyms and fitness centers in the network. [That’s means a possible free membership at more than 15,000 locations.] We also offer fitness classes for all abilities led by our SilverSneakers trained instructors at gyms and other locations." 

Check to see if SilverSneakers membership is free with your Medicare Advantage plan. If it is, you plan will likely include (free) access to every participating gym and fitness center in the SilverSneakers' network. 

Imagine Connecticut with Fewer Cars and More Public Transport

From today's New York Times, "The Hunt," a weekly feature telling short-story versions of people looking for new homes.

Selene Plastiras, an in-house lawyer for an engineering firm, arrived in New York from California in April 2022 to fill in for a colleague on maternity leave. Her company put her up in corporate housing in TriBeCa for a few months. Within a week, she knew she wanted to stay.

“New York was such a good fit,” she said. “It was the energy I was missing. The people are really friendly because a lot of people are transplants and no one is sitting in their cars.”

It was easy enough for Ms. Plastiras, a Bay Area native, to transfer to the city permanently. After the TriBeCa place, she rented a one-bedroom in a fifth-floor walk-up on the Upper West Side for herself and her dog, Hula, paying just under $4,000 a month. ...

Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/03/realestate/brooklyn-apartment-search.html

_____________
What's not to like?

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, September 28, 2024

 

Image Source:  Library of Congress

HOST:  Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

TOPIC:  Deciphering Old Handwriting 

SPEAKER:  Pam Vestal

DATE:  Saturday, September 28, 2024

TIME:  1:30 PM (Eastern Time)

On Saturday, September 28, Pam Vestal will present Part I of Deciphering Old Handwriting.

Pam did a great presentation for the Godfrey's Genealogy Club back in March and April on researching Eastern European ancestors. This month and next month, we welcome her with her two-part presentation/workshop on deciphering early handwritten documents. We hope you will find it to be a huge help!

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET).  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, September 27.  The invite will be sent out on that Friday.

Godfrey Premium members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to attend the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home) with the payment sent to Godfrey Memorial Library.  Then register using the above email.

Vets Park River Cleanup on Sept. 28!

We hope you can join us at Veterans Park in Middletown and be part of this watershed-wide river cleanup!

To register, go to https://sourcetoseacleanup.org/event/coginchaug-river-vets-park-crew/

Questions? Phone 860-346-3282

 

A Bank for the Ages--the New Ages.

Be the Change. Lead with Love.

Systemic shifts like the ones
we hope to inspire start locally,
with individual relationships 

and communities.

    

https://www.waldenmutual.com

We use your dollars to fund loans to:

Maine Country Farms

New Hampshire candle makers

Connecticut solar farms

New Hampshire

dog treat upcyclers

Rhode Island egg farms 

& Help folks grow greener 

all over New England & Beyond.

Grow OUR Change

Earn interest on your dollars, while driving impact in New England, New York, and beyond.

Brews for Boats on Sept. 22

Support your local rowing community at Brews for Boats on September 22nd, from 4 to 7 pm, at Stubborn Beauty Brewery at 180 Johnson Street.

Live Music! Great Food & Conversation! Ciders & Beer!

More info at CentralCTRowing.com/events

 

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, July 27, 2024

 

Image Source:  Lineage Society of America

Host:  Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Topic:  "Lineage Societies: How to Apply"

Presenter:  Al Fiacre, Chair of the Godfrey Board of Directors

Time:  1:30 pm (ET)

Al Fiacre will give a presentation all about lineage societies. Over the years, we have helped many people with their applications to organizations such as the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), the SAR (Sons of the American Revolution), the GSMD (General Society of Mayflower Descendants or Mayflower Society), The Society of the Cincinnati, and The Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, to name a few. Sometimes we just give a few hints and words of advice, but in many cases, folks hire us to carry out some more research and to complete the application for them. Al will share advice on how to go about putting together a strong application. Even if you're not planning on applying soon, you'll undoubtedly learn something to help you in your research.

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET) on July 27.  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, July 26.  The invite will be sent out on that Friday.
 
Godfrey Premium members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org
 
If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to attend the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home) with the payment sent to Godfrey Memorial Library.  Then register using the above email.

"r0ng" - a unique circus performance at Oddfellows Playhouse July 6!

Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater in Middletown will be presenting a special guest performer Janoah Bailin and zer one-man show “rOng” taking place July 6th.

On July 6 Janoah and musician Kafari will perform “rOng”, a radically-interactive community circus show which explores rings in all their forms, presented in the round and modeling the circle process used in restorative justice. “rOng” will be performed in the theater at Oddfellows Playhouse and will be followed by an audience talk back with Restorative Justice Trainer and Middletown Youth Services Director Justin Carbonella. 

The performance, which is open to the public, will take place on Saturday, July 6th at 2pm in the theater at Oddfellows Playhouse. 

Janoah is excited for the community to engage with zer upcoming performance, ze states, “This show is applicable for all age groups. It’s great for kids but there is so much material for adults as well. It is radically interactive which means you can be a part of the inner circle that is incredibly involved. However, you can also step back and be less engaged in the production. The circle shape itself has many meanings, hence the name ‘rOng’. It represents a way of building community, and in conversation form it allows people to listen as well as become more understanding of each other.”

Tickets for “rOng” are $8 for adults, $5 for kids, and $15 for Big-Hearted Oddfellow, and may be purchased at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/oddfellowsplayhouse/janoah-bailin-presents-rong

“rOng” is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. Additional support is provided by the City of Middletown and the Middletown Commission on the Arts.

Oddfellows Playhouse, founded in 1975, is Connecticut’s oldest and largest theater for young people. The Playhouse is located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown. For information about this production and other Playhouse programs, call (860) 347-6143, email info@oddfellows.org, or go to www.oddfellows.org. 

Teens Come up with Powerful Solution for Heating & Cooling with Heat Pump in Oakland, CA, School System.

Middle school students in Oakland, CA,* one of the most diverse cities in the USA, found a way to lower emissions with cheaper heating & cooling at their school. The students did all the work: research, interviews, countless presentations, and consultations with an architecture-design firm.
Their solution -- use of a heat pump.

Article from The Guardian, by: Sonja Singh
Monday, 10 June 2024. 10 o'clock EDT

" Adults doubted us. We found a way to shrink emissions at our middle school anyway."

____________

* Oakland, CA, a city where people look forward to riding public transit,
   including busses. 

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, June 22, 2024

 

Host:  Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Presenter:  Diana Crisman Smith

Time:  1:30 PM ET

Diana Crisman Smith will talk with us about the types of genealogical societies out there, and why you might want to join one or more of them. Diana has been researching her ancestry since age 10, speaking since 1980, and writing, teaching, and researching for clients since the late 1980s. She has written extensively on genealogical topics both for books and magazines, and has won numerous awards.

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET) on June 22.  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, June 21.  The invite will be sent out on that Friday.

Godfrey Premium members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to attend the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home) with the payment sent to Godfrey Memorial Library.  Then register using the above email.

Let Me Bore You With The Details (The Plan for Rt. 9)

I'm hoping this is helpful for folks who haven't had a chance to digest the latest plan for Route 9. There are online maps, there have been video presentations. But just in case a plain old description helps, that's what I've written below.

In the meantime, the Common Council meets tonight to vote (UPDATE: VOTED YES UNANIMOUSLY) on asking the DOT to pause and consider community concerns about the plan, which were raised during two hours public commentary on May 23rd.

Also, if you would like to submit comments in writing to the DOT, they have moved the deadline to tomorrow, Friday, May 31st.  Send your thoughts by email  to DOT.Rte9Middletown@ct.gov and please cc Mayor Florsheim at mayor@middletownct.gov and gene.nocera@middletownct.gov.

---------

And now, a description of the plan, using local reference points, with my commentary included:

From Route 9 North, if you are coming from Higganum:

The plan eliminates both lights on Route 9 North, meaning no left turns either to the Portland Bridge/Hartford Avenue or to Washington Street/Route 66.  It creates a new Rt9N exit about a mile to the south of downtown (before the bend in the highway.)  The exit would be between Bow Lane and the Rt 17 connector, around the area of Maplewood Terrace/Walnut Street, leading to a rotary on River Road in front of the old sewage treatment plant.  The DOT predicts a future count of 4500 vehicles a day using this exit, including trucks. The floodplain, Sumner Brook and a superfund site are all impacted. This also contradicts the riverfront planning we've done for recreational amenities and attractions in this area.

Everyone who currently uses the lights on the Northbound highway to turn left would instead be on River Road, along the waterfront, and would then come to the corner of DeKoven and Union Street (by the old Middletown Plate Glass); then they would make their way to the Portland Bridge or up toward Meriden by using the local roads.  DeKoven to Rapallo would carry much of the traffic headed to the Bridge; as with the last DOT plan (which was stopped in 2018 by community resistance), this plan converts Rapallo to a one-way street to hold the cars heading to the Bridge, adds pollution in a crowded area, puts more pressure on cut-through traffic on Ferry/Green, and damages businesses and residents on Rapallo and the area.

Aside from the impact to local residents, this plan means that for any driver who uses the lights from Rt9N to get to the Bridge, there is added travel time, especially compared to off-peak times, because they would always have to navigate local streets and intersections instead of using the highway.

For cars that usually use the Northbound light to head up Washington Street toward Meriden, they would now find the quickest path would be up Union/Church/Cross street, through the Wesleyan campus; or possibly, to take a right on DeKoven until William/MLK or Court Street, then taking Pearl or High to eventually make a left onto Washington Street.  In other words, the neighborhoods beyond downtown would have new cut-through traffic from this change, with damage to property values and increased risk to pedestrians.

Some of the cars taking the new exit would go up Union and turn right onto Main Street, either to get to Rt. 66/Washington Street, or to get to the Portland Bridge.  Adding cars that do NOT want to be Main Street, with people who are just trying to get somewhere else, is a negative for our businesses.  It hurts the important qualities of easy diagonal parking, slow speeds and walkability which make our business district possible.  Very few Connecticut downtowns stayed alive after DOT projects "improved" the highway for cars instead of for communities (think Meriden, Waterbury, Hartford, New Britain, Norwich, etc.)  Middletown has been lucky to have easy access from Route 9, without ramps and flyovers to erase the community.  Under this plan, removing the lights takes away the simple and clear access we've enjoyed, and increases the volume of through traffic and hurts walkability, while lowering the number of exits into our downtown.

From Route 9 South, if you are coming from Cromwell:

On the Southbound lane of Route 9, the plan creates a hump to elevate one lane of the highway to pass over the intersection with Hartford Avenue (that's the concrete-walled ramp from O'Rourke's Diner to Route 9).  The hump on Route 9 starts roughly around Miller/Bridge street, then rises to its full height where Hartford Avenue meets the highway, and then, in a distance of about 500 feet, goes back down to grade level to pass under where the Railroad Bridge crosses Route 9.  There would be an exit lane on the right side so that Rt9S cars could get to Hartford Avenue up toward St. John's Square - then right toward the Bridge or left onto Main Street, heading to Route 66/Washington Street. One increase in volume at this Route 9 exit is that it would now carry ALL the cars headed to points West, because the other exit to Route 66, at the base of Washington Street near Melilli Plaza, would be eliminated.

For cars that come down Hartford Avenue, heading North to Hartford, they would pass under the hump and merge into the fast lane on Route 9 - and the DOT is proposing adding a new lane to Route 9 North for a distance to make this less dangerous; but ultimately, it's a left lane merge on a full-speed highway.  For cars that come down Hartford Avenue and want to head south on Route 9, they would merge into the full-speed traffic coming off the hump, in the area of where the highway passes under the railroad bridge. As noted, the exit to Washington Street in the area of DeKoven House/Vecchitto's would be eliminated.

Cars would still be able to enter Route 9 South at the bottom of Washington Street, but they would now have to accelerate up to the highway speed, and that puts them in conflict with cars who are on Route 9 South and slowing down to take the exit by the movie theater, to DeKoven/MLK Drive, which connects to William Street.

Of course, all construction presents risks to local communities and business districts, but construction of the hump on Route 9 South will be a significant disruption, projected to last 3 to 4 years. The hump covers the space of Route 9 itself and there's little room for detouring traffic due to the bridge supports for the Railroad bridge and the Arrigoni Bridge. It will be especially difficult, both night and day, for residents of Miller/Bridge/Portland Streets, and for maintaining full access to downtown and to the Bridge and Rt 66.

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM:

The overall plan ignores the decades of data that shows projects like this hurt local economies, and put the highest burden on neighborhoods with low-income residents and people of color.  The research shows that ultimately, they don't even solve safety or congestion problems on the highway itself, because accidents now happen at higher speed and the "faster" route draws new commuters and higher volume, and encourages development to sprawl away from urban centers.  People who pass through might sometimes have shorter travel times during rush hour, at least for a while, but those who are diverted through our neighborhoods will not see those gains. The DOT is not considering ways to make the highway safer that would avoid these negative impacts for Middletown. The estimates of improvements in safety don't consider the increase in risk on our local streets and the cost that we will bear.

Please join us in asking DOT to find better ways to make the highway safer, without transferring the burden to Middletown.