Different Perspectives: Power by Nuclear Fusion & "Life After Carbon"

 

Can Work on Route 9 through Middletown Forge Ahead as Mixmaster Interchange Has Done?

Excerpt from email version, Audio link below.
Read in print or online. Amazing photos, interesting story.  
Title: At MixMaster Interchange, they had to move a river.
see The Middletown Press, October 17, 2925)

October 17, 2025

How do you move a river?
Waterbury Mixmaster overhaul could do just that

By Brianna Gurciullo,Staff WriterOct 16, 2025

Sometimes a highway construction
project doesn’t go with the flow. 

.

.

.

“When it comes to relocating a river, we need
to prove to the agencies that we’re going
to make a betterment,” Carifa said.

brianna.gurciullo@hearstmediact.com

Oct 16, 2025

Brianna Gurciullo

Reporter

Brianna Gurciullo is a reporter for the Connecticut Post who covers issues in Fairfield County. She previously reported on local government and politics for the Stamford Advocate. Before that, Brianna wrote about federal transportation policy for Politico in Washington, D.C. She was born and raised in Meriden, Conn., and now lives in Bridgeport with her sassy, silly and slightly overweight cat, Lilo.

ZOOM Genealogy Club, Saturday, October 25, 2025

Date:    Saturday, October 25, 2025

Time:    1:30 PM

Host:    Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

It's time for another Genealogy Club group chat! We'll all be presenters! Topics to consider:

1. AI -- have you found some legitimate uses for it in your genealogy?

2. How about the full-text search at FamilySearch? Success stories? Frustrations? Hints for most effective use?

3. Maybe you have a brick wall that you want the "hive mind" to help you with.

4. Other ideas? Send us an email before that day with suggestions.

Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, October 24. 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.

🍝 Cat Tales Pasta Dinner Fundraiser – Friday, September 26th!

🍝 Cat Tales Pasta Dinner Fundraiser – Friday, September 26th!

Cat Tales invites you to join us for an evening of good food, fun, and friendship — all while supporting local cats in need! Our annual Pasta Dinner Fundraiser will be held on Friday, September 26 from 7PM to 9PM (doors open at 6PM) at the Elks Club, 44 Maynard Street, Middletown.

For just $30 per person, you’ll enjoy a full dinner featuring:

✔️ Pasta & meatballs
✔️ Fresh salad & bread
✔️ Dessert & coffee

🍷 Plus, wine, beer, and cocktails will be available at the cash bar.

The night will be filled with door prizes, raffles, and lots of fun! As a special thank-you, if you bring 2 rolls of paper towels or 3 cans of Friskies pâté canned food, you’ll receive a free ticket for the door prize drawing!

💳 How to Reserve Your Seat:

• Online: Visit CatTalesCT.org/pastadinner to pay securely.
• By Mail: Send your check to CAT TALES, PO Box 901, Middletown, CT 06457. Please write “PASTA DINNER” on the memo line and include the names of attendees and the number of seats you are purchasing.

👉 Seating is available through September 24. No tickets will be mailed or emailed — instead, your name will be added to our attendee list at the door.

This event is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and every seat sold helps us provide food, shelter, and medical care for homeless cats. Come enjoy a delicious meal, win great prizes, and make a difference in the lives of animals in our community.

We can’t wait to see you there! 🐾❤️

Use Reading Mode* To Make Web Page Type Larger & Darker

If your eyes need help reading webpages online with Chrome, you'll find Chrome* Browser's Reading Mode in Settings (vertical dots upper right). 

Then, look down the
Drop Down to

• More Tools (sidepop)
• Reading mode (dropdown)

*Might also apply to other browsers. 

Brews For Boats! Support local rowing programs!

 Come support your local community rowing program, Central CT Rowing, while enjoying bbq, live music, brews, and great raffle and auction items at Concentric Brewery on Sept 21st. 4-7pm. 

For local (Middletown) folks, cross the bridge and take that very first right to find the Brewery, with a view of the underside of the bridge (much cooler than it sounds!)

Contact for purchasing tickets:

centralctrowing.com/events

Beautiful Plants at Buttonwood: Prices further reduced.

Large, Beautiful Plants for sale
at The Buttonwood Tree
Prices further reduced.  

Some of The Buttonwood Tree's surplus plants are still for sale, now at even lower prices.  

For details & to SET UP A TIME TO VIEW & PICK UP the plants, ​please call EILEEN at 203-314-5401 or email her at eilande@comcast.net 

The following plants are on offer:  Jade plant, snake plant, corn plant, African milk plant, Aloe Vera, spider plant, and golden patties. Most of the plants are in large clay pots and need some TLC & full sunlight to bring them back to their full glory​!  

​  

                           ~ Do not hesitate!

                   ~ FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!~

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, September 27, 2025

 

Date:    Saturday, September 27, 2025

Time:    1:30 PM

Host:    Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Marian Burk Wood will present "Free Resources for New York Genealogical Research."

 

This is the first time we've welcomed Marian to Genealogy Club and we think you will enjoy her presentation. New York was often the first place New England families emigrated to, so there's a good chance you had an ancestor who lived there at one time.

 "Upstate, downstate, all around the Empire state, discover or rediscover free resources for investigating ancestors' lives and family history context. Step-by-step, learn how to navigate no-fee websites with many updated links to New York area digitized county histories, digitized vital records, oral histories, old photos and postcards, state census records, historic newspapers, county/local history experts, and much more."

Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, September 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.

50 years ago today: The Woodstock Festival as Remembered

 

Click title below to view original article on The Connecticut Mirror website.

The Woodstock Festival on the Tappan Zee Bridge

By Jim Cameron, Transportation Columnist

Continuing our summer reprise of some older columns, here’s an update on memories of years past… This week marks the 56th anniversary of the grand-daddy of all rock festivals… Woodstock. I was in my teens the summer of 1969, but couldn’t get off from my job to join the swarms of rock fans. But I did see most of them. Time has brought new choices for the pathway to the future. Let us stay  the  course & choose  well.

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, July 26, 2025

 

Host:    Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT

Date:    Saturday, July 26, 2025

Time:    1:30 - 2:30 PM

Topic:    "Hidden in Plain Sight: Using Image-Only Collections Online"

              with Katy Bodenhorn

Sites like FamilySearch contain millions of records that are online, but because they are not indexed and searchable by name, many genealogists miss out on them. From deeds and probate files to military pensions and church books, the answer to your brick wall mystery may well be accessible on your home computer without you knowing it. This presentation will cover the best ways (including the new FamilySearch Full-Text Search feature) to access these treasures hidden in plain sight.

Katy is a freelance genealogist and the former genealogy director for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) in Philadelphia. She received a BA in Family History/Genealogy from Brigham Young University and has over a decade of experience as a genealogy researcher, helping people learn about their ancestry. Prior to HSP, Katy worked for Legacy Tree Genealogists in Salt Lake City, where she spent seven years as a senior editor and researcher across a wide range of geographic specialties. Today she is the owner of Katy Bodenhorn Genealogy Research, LLC, and a contract researcher with Price Genealogy.

Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, July 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.

A Little Shimming Can (sometimes) Make a Big Difference

Builders, Athletes, Artists, & Designers know Shimming.* 

Shim (noun): A thin, often tapered, piece of material (like wood, metal, or stone) [or paper, cardboard, foam, etc.] used to fill gaps, make something level, or adjust fit. It can be used to level objects, provide support, or ensure proper alignment between parts. 

To Shim (verb): To adjust, level off, or fill a gap with a thin piece of material, sometimes a wedge, called a shim. It can also mean to modify a load, clearance, or magnetic field by using shims. 

Shimming and the Feet, Back, Neck, & Overall Posture.

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort in the feet, back, neck, hip joints, or overall posture, you might benefit from shimming in your shoes. (That's shimming.) 

Often a small wedge of material under the insole at the heel will provide the support needed to level off or make a slight difference in tilt of the heel or alignment of the hips through the spinal column. Alignment is so important. Sometimes the tilt of the heel or the alignment can be corrected enough to alleviate pain or discomfort anywhere along the spinal column or through the hip and pelvic joints. It's often a delicate matter. (Note that yoga and other forms of exercise address alignment.)

Try starting with a thin shim and making it thicker as needed. Experiment with size or shape of the shim, covering the width of the shoe at the heel or or one side of the heel area. Experiment with placement under the insole, put your shoe(s) on and test how it feels walking around for a while. 

If needed, try different materials, thicknesses, as well as softer or harder materials, until you get the comfort you need.

Do not be surprised if the shim needs to be adjusted or replaced, sometimes frequently, depending on what kind of material you use. Heel pads are available commercially and serve the same purpose, but they often seem less pliable than a homemade shim where you can choose the material for the shim--fabric, cardboard, etc. And be sure to see the appropriate health care provider if you experience additional discomfort or have questions. This is all we know. 

*Definitions courtesy of AI. 
Please note: We like the serial comma.  

Mandakini - Sunday June 29 at 4pm - Hindustani vocal music with tabla and harmonium - presented by Raga Club of Connecticut

The Raga Club is delighted to present a wonderful concert of Hindustani classical vocal music, along with a tabla solo! Mandakini and Kaustuv are a mother-son musical team from India. Harmonium accompaniment by Middletown resident and Indian music expert Stan Scott. 

A. Mandakini Swain — Hindustani vocal
Kaustuv Swain — tabla and tabla solo
Stanley Scott — harmonium

4pm, Sunday, June 29
Narayana Auditorium, Sri Satyanarayana Temple
11 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457

Please mark your calendars for this one!

Raga Club ticket information: 
• 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.
• Other guests accompanying a Raga Club members - tickets are $20 per person, purchase at the door or in advance.
• Non-Members - tickets are $25 per person, purchase at the door or in advance here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/hindustani-concert-mandakini-swain-june-29--2025 

Raga Club Membership: 

Membership is $250 for one calendar year. You may purchase your Membership here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/raga-club-of-ct-annual-2025-membership 

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

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, June 28, 2025

 

Host:  Godfrey Memorial Library

Date:  Saturday, June 28, 2025

Time:  1:30 - 2:30 PM

Annette Burke Lyttle presents "Our Quaker Ancestors: Their History and the Records They Left."

Quakers were among the earliest settlers in North America and, as they moved west, they were often the earliest settlers in newly-opened territory. Quakers were amazing record-keepers. Not only did they record births, marriages, and deaths, they also kept extensive records on those who came into their local meetings and those who left. Transgressions by members of the community were publicly discussed and recorded and, as they came to believe that slavery was evil, their records on Quakers who kept slaves became extensive. Learn about the history of these pioneering Americans and how to find the rich records they left behind.

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET). Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, June 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.

Revised: CuldeSac Builds CAR-FREE Housing in a CAR-FREE Environment

https://culdesac.com/about

Culdesac is a real estate developer and property manager. We build neighborhoods that embrace community, open space, and mobility. We offer residential units at a variety of price points integrated with local retail, commercial uses, and open space for nature and public plazas.

Our communities prioritize biking, walking, and transit over cars and parking. We partner with leading mobility companies to deliver convenient and affordable transportation services. This creates a vibrant urban lifestyle without the need for a private vehicle. 

Sankari - Sunday May 11 at 4pm - South Indian Carnatic vocal music by Raga Club

Raga Club of Connecticut invites you to a wonderful concert of South Indian classical Carnatic vocal music: 

Vidushi Smt Sankari Krishnan - Vocal

Vidhwan Sri R. Raghul - Violin

Vidhwan Sri V. Sai Raghavan - Mridangam

Vidhwan Sri Nerkunam S. Sankar - Khanjira

4pm Sunday, May 11, 2025
CVHTS Narayana Auditorium
11 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457

Annual membership and information about more music events hosted by Raga Club: http://www.ragact.org/

Tickets for non-members are $40 at the door or here: 
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/carnatic-vocal-concert-sankari-krishnan-may-11--2025

ZOOM Genealogy Club

 

Date:  Saturday, May 31, 2025

Time:  1:30 - 2:30 PM ET

Host:  Godfrey Memorial Library

Since May is a nice long month, we're able to squeeze in another Genealogy Club, even with the 4th Saturday being a holiday weekend. 

You're in for a treat -- we'll be hosting Thomas MacEntee who will be talking about How to Future-Proof Your Research. We can't tell you how many times we hear folks worrying about what will become of their genealogical efforts. It seems the kids don't want our heavy old furniture, nor do they necessarily want to inherit all our hours and hours of painstaking family research. We can hope they'll change their minds, but what if they don't? You may well have seen or heard Thomas before, as he's very well-known in the genealogy world, one of his specialties being things technological. He has recently announced that he will no longer be doing webinars after December, so don't miss this chance to see him! 

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET).  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, May 30.  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.

Saturday: Connecticut debut of Bobby Sanabria and Ascensión

 

Bobby Sanabria and Ascensión
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 7pm
Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459
$15 general public; $12 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $8 Wesleyan students, youth under 18.

Led by multiple Grammy Award-nominated drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, and educator Bobby Sanabria, his ensemble Ascensión has been critically-acclaimed for its Pan-Latino approach to Latin jazz. This concert is the Connecticut debut of the group, and will open with a 45-minute set performed by members of the Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra, directed by Professor of Music and African American Studies Jay Hoggard ’76, MA ’91. Learn more about the conclusion of the 22nd annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend.

Read Latin Jazz Expert to Perform at Wesleyan Jazz Weekend in The Wesleyan Connection.

Something to Consider: NY Times Enrichment Resource from NY Times Program

Enrichment Resource from the New York Times

inEducation: History

New York Times inEducation has been designed as a resource to connect Times journalism with key areas of study for students and faculty through our Education Subscription Program. 

If you are affiliated with a U.S. college, visit accessnyt.com to learn if your institution provides New York Times access. Others should inquire with their school or local library. If you are a faculty or staff member interested in bringing The New York Times to your school, visit the Group Subscriptions Page.__________
Excerpt from NY Times blurb/ad.

Might also be worth checking out for enrichment of high school curricula.

Saketharaman - Sunday April 20 at 4pm - South Indian Carnatic vocal music by Raga Club

Raga Club of Connecticut invites you to a wonderful concert of South Indian classical Carnatic vocal music: 

S. Saketharaman – Vocal
Kamalakiran Vinjamuri – Violin
K. Sai Giridhar – Mridangam
Sowmiya J. Narayanan – Ghatam

4pm Sunday, April 20, 2025
CVHTS Narayana Auditorium
11 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457

Annual membership and information about more music events hosted by Raga Club: http://www.ragact.org/

Tickets for non-members are $40 at the door or here: 
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/carnatic-vocal-concert-s-saketharaman-april-20--2025

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, April 26, 2025

 

ZOOM GENEALOGY CLUB

Date:  Saturday, April, 26, 2025

Time:  1:30 - 2:30 PM (ET)

Topic:  "Back to Basics:  Hot to Get Started When You're New to Genealogy"

Presenters:  Carol Ansel & Al Fiarce

Carol is the Library Director and Al is the Board Chair and Treasurer of the Godfrey Memorial Library, the host of this event. 

If you're an old hand at doing genealogy, join us at the halfway mark (2:00-ish) to add your two cents to the discussion -- what do you wish you had known when you were first starting out?

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET).  Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, April 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.

 

The night boat that ran from Hartford to Manhattan: Endless Possibilities

Did you know?*
From today's Talking Transportation, in the CT Mirror.
___________________________________________________________
* If you're not reading the CT Mirror, you're probably missing something.

Talking Transportation: The night boat from Hartford to Manhattan

• 
  

  by Jim Cameron, CT Mirror

  To:  me · Mon, Apr 7 at 6:01 AM
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME: Can Connecticut find a way to make sure leftover food is donated? As Middletown is experimenting with, as France does (by law).

From the Venerable Facebook, 4.2.2025

France has a law requiring leftover food to be donated – Since 2016, French supermarkets are banned from throwing away unsold food. Instead, they must donate it to charities to help reduce waste and feed the needy.

Registration is now open for Spring Programs at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown! Beginning March 22, weekly classes in theater, dance, circus, and visual arts will be offered for toddlers to 20 year olds.

Saturday Classes with Meg Berritta begin on March 22 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), Circobatics (ages 5 - 8, 11:45 am - 12:30 pm), and Cirque+ (ages 7 to 12, 12:35 - 1:30pm)

After-School classes for ages 6 - 14 begin March 24 and will run for eight weeks this spring, culminating in a “Share Week” May 19 - 22. Most classes run 4:50 -5:50 pm.

Stage One classes for ages 6 - 8 include Creative Movement on Mondays, Circus I on Tuesdays, Slapstick Theater on Wednesdays and Story Theater from Around the World on Thursdays.

Stage Two classes for ages 9 - 11 include Intro to Scene Study on Mondays, Circus II on Tuesdays, Exploring Characters Through Theater Improv on Wednesdays, and Musical Theater (ages 9 to 14) on Thursdays

Stage Three classes for ages 12 - 14 include Comic Acting on Mondays (4:30 - 6pm), Intro to Scenic Design on Wednesdays (4:30 - 6pm), and Musical Theater on Thursdays (ages 9 to 14, 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.

Our regular season will conclude with a special Oddbridge Mini Production, Robin Hood and the Sherwood Circus. This is a  2 week theater adventure for kids ages 6 to 14, with transportation provided directly from Middletown Public Schools (drop off option available for home schoolers or students from other school districts). Rehearsals will run May 27 - June 5 , Monday through Friday, 4:30 - 6 pm (8 days), with performances Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6 at 7 pm.

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.