Fall Classes Starting at Connecticut's Best Children's Theater

Oddfellows Playhouse Fall 2013 Theater classes start Oct 14th!. 

The Fall Session runs for 8 weeks, with programs beginning the week of October 14 and concluding the week of December 9.  There are no classes held the week of Thanksgiving.

Arse Kicking Puppetry, Ding Dongs and the Radical Farming of Art Workshop October 27

Artists, musicians, dancers, actors, activists, and other adventurous spirits 18 and over are invited to join Middletown-based theater company ARTFARM and Vermont’s iconic Bread and Puppet Theater for a unique workshop on Sunday, October 27 from noon to 5 pm in Middletown.

“Arse Kicking Puppetry, Ding Dongs and the Radical Farming of Art” will engage participants in the creative techniques used by each company while offering tangible tools for creating new work. The emphasis will be on creating content-based new work, using theater, music, puppetry, dance and text to speak out on issues of importance to the participants. The five hour workshop will end with a series of original performances, created by the workshop participants, presented on Main Street in Middletown.

This workshop, open to anyone age eighteen and over, is the culmination of a two month collaboration between these two socially-engaged theater companies. During the month of September, five core ARTFARM performers spent four days working with the Bread and Puppet Company in northern Vermont. Bread and Puppet will be visiting ARTFARM from October 24 – 27, and this workshop and performance will be the final outcome of this exchange of artistic practices. The Exchange is made possible by a grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters, the national coalition of Ensemble Theaters.

        Photo above shows ARTFARMERS and Puppeteers at play in September at Bread and Puppet. you can join the fun on October 27!! Photo by Michael Pestel.

2013 is the 50^th Anniversary of The Bread and Puppet Theater.  At the heart of the Company is the work of founder and visionary Peter Schumann. Now 78, Schumann is an historic figure in 20^th century theater, puppetry and politics. B&P has a long history of creating spectacle and pageantry around the world, combining puppetry, activism, poetry and music to create a theater like no other. While ARTFARM is only in its 12^th season, ARTFARM founders and ensemble members have been committed over the last 30 years to creating work of value -- high-caliber theater rich in social commentary and reflection on the human condition.

“Bread and Puppet and ARTFARM share a commitment to simple living as a way of life, to community leadership, and to art as an active political statement,” says ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge, “but we work in very different styles. Participants in the workshop will have a truly unique opportunity to see from the inside how these companies work together to create new work. The final product will depend on who comes to the workshop and what we all bring to the room. If you are a poet, bring your words. If you are a musician, bring your instrument. If you are an activist, bring your passion.”

"Arse Kicking Puppetry, Ding Dongs and the Radical Farming of Art" will be held from noon to 5 pm on Sunday, October 27 in The Barn at Prout Hill, 64 Prout Hill Road in Middletown.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Fee for the workshop is $50. Contact ARTFARM at info@art-farm.org or call (860)346-4390 for more information or to register.

Bread and Puppet Theater will also be offering a free performance at Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford on Friday, October 25 at 7:30 pm.

This collaboration between ARTFARM and Bread and Puppet Theater is partially funded by a NET/TEN Exchange Grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters.  “Ensemble practice is built on relationships,” says Mark Valdez, Executive Director of NET, “and this program provides artists with support to both build and deepen partnerships.”

Home Energy Solutions Promotion Through December 31

From John Hall
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The City is working to help its residents reduce their energy consumption, save money on their utility bills, and support the Middletown Tree Planting Fund by encouraging participation in the Home Energy Solutions program.

On Saturday, October 12, 10-11:30 am, the City and the Middletown Clean Energy Task Force will host a presentation at the Russell Library, 123 Broad Street. The presentation is free of charge and open to the public. Representatives from New England Conservation Services and Victory Energy Solutions will discuss the popular Home Energy Solutions℠ program, designed to help people save money on their utility bills.

Live Music, Farm Tours At Pumpkin Fest Saturday

Volunteers Needed to Clean Up Coginchaug River

From Jane Brawerman, Executive Director of Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, Inc.
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Join the fun, be part of a "source-to-sea" effort, and help clean the river! On October 5, 2013, from 9 am to 11 pm, the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District and Middletown Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Center are leading a Coginchaug River cleanup at Veterans Park in Middletown. The cleanup is being held in conjunction with the Connecticut River Source to Sea Cleanup.

The City of Middletown Parks Department has generously offered to contribute gloves, garbage bags and other supplies, and will help by disposing of trash and recyclables. Any additional donations from businesses to help with the cleanup, such as food and drinks for the volunteers, would also be very much appreciated.

Source to Sea Cleanup is an annual four-state community cleanup of the Connecticut River and tributaries coordinated by the Connecticut River Watershed Council. As a volunteer you will be one of thousands working watershed-wide on the same day to clean up our watershed. If you would like to participate as a volunteer or make a donation, please contact the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District at (860) 346-3282, or email.

The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Middletown, CT, works to conserve the natural resources of towns in the lower Connecticut River watershed and coastal areas. For more information about District technical and educational programs and services, visit our website.

This Week at the Buttonwood Tree...

Thursday, October 3

Acoustic Open Mic with Bob Gotta
7 pm, $5 suggested donation

Come play and be heard. Bring your own instrument or play our piano or congas... join the fun, express yourself!

Friday, October 4

Jamie Anderson & the Ladies Auxiliary Ukelele Orchestra
8 pm, $10

Singer-songwriter-comic Jamie Anderson has played her warm and witty songs in hundreds of venues. Her new CD, Dare, will be available; with sounds of folk and comedy with forays into pop, jazz and bluegrass, it’s a delightful blend of Jamie’s music. The Ladies Auxiliary Ukulele Orchestra does big things with little instruments! They perform originals, as well as re-invent standard favorites. Their set list features songs from every musical era, ranging from Mozart to the Andrews Sisters, from Led Zeppelin to Radiohead.

Reserve your seat!

Saturday, October 5

Qigong
7:30 - 8:30 am, free

Practicing Qi Gong will help relax your body and mind by combining simple, gentle stretching movements with focused breathing.

Community Yoga
8:45 - 10:00 am, free

From the thousands of practice hours on the mat, Terri Johnson brings a deep understanding of the yoga experience to her classes. She will be teaching a unique and varied Vinyasa Flow style as it allows her to unify her appreciation of the benefits of the different types of yoga.

The New Unity Band with Matt Dwonszyk
8 pm, $10

The members of the New Unity Band are all masters on their instruments and have performed in many different settings. One of the main things that makes the New Unity Band so interesting is it is a collaborative effort. Every member brings his or her experiences and character.

Reserve your seat!

Sunday, October 6

Food Not Bombs
1 - 2 pm, free

Cooking for peace and social justice! Food not Bombs welcomes you to a free vegetarian meal outside of the Buttonwood Tree. Food for people, not profit!

ART RECEPTION: David Bauer - Digital Photography
3 - 6 pm, free

In Sunsets: A Middletown Transformation, David Bauer documents the constant changes of the Connecticut River, the atmosphere, the temperature, and the seasons – some are striking, some are subtle, but all combine to share some truths about Middletown’s past, and its future.

Great Make Believe Society Improv Show
7 - 9 pm, free

Here at GMBS Headquarters, the improv keeps coming in, and we’re slaves to the production line. Made from 100% fresh suggestions and sharp wit harvested from years of experience, we are committed to delivering a product of the highest quality that you and your family will enjoy!

Country Club Road Subdivision At Inland Wetlands

The Inland Wetlands Agency will tonight consider an application for a 15-lot subdivision on land at the foot of Mt. Higby, near the intersection of Country Club Road and an old dirt road known as Massa Tom Road. The land borders city-owned open space and a popular hiking trail, and is uphill from Fall Brook.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection, Saturday

Saturday Oct. 5, 2013
9am – 1pm
Middlesex Community College (large Parking Lot)
100 Training Hill Road

Open to residents from the towns of Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook.

For more information contact: www.Rivercog.org or 860-581-8554.

NEAT Meet the Candidate event this Wednesday at 7 pm

MEET THE CANDIDATES NIGHT!

Be informed before you vote in this year's elections! Join NEAT at the Green Street Arts Center for Meet the Candidates Night on October 2, 2013 at 7:00 PM! 

Meet and talk with the local candidates running in this year's election. 

This election season residents will be casting votes for Mayor, City Treasurer, Common Council, Board of Education, Planning & Zoning Commission and Board of Assessment Appeals.  

If you are interested in finding out more about your local candidates and what issues are affecting the North End and the rest of our city, please join us on Wednesday night. 

 NEAT will have a candidate slate, voter registration forms, a sample question list for candidates and other information.  

If you have any questions you think we should address to the candidates, please email sonia@neatmiddletown.org.  

This is the moment for North End Residents to have their voices heard and questions addressed. Everyone is welcome to attend the Meet the Candidate event. We encourage any interested Middletown resident to join us and get educated about the candidates that are running for local office. 

Dinner and Childcare are provided. 

See you at Meet the Candidates Night! 

Tip-A-Firefighter & 2014 Firefighter Calendar to benefit MARC

Middletown’s buffest and bravest are featured in a 2014 Middletown Fire Department calendar to benefit programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Fourteen members of Middletown Firefighters Local 1073 volunteered for the calendar-modeling job, including two sets of brothers – Salvatore and Barrett Cretella and twins James and Patrick Ehman. The images depict the men with rescue equipment including hoses, axes, Hazmat and diving gear, and the Jaws of Life.

Wadsworth Street Subdivision Approved

Wadsworth Street is at the bottom,
parking for the Park is across the street

The Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved a 9-lot subdivision on Wadsworth Street, across from the parking lot for Wadsworth State Park. The approval came after extensive discussion over creating public access to new open space at the back of the subdivision, along the Coginchaug River.

The Conservation Commission supported the public access, Director of Planning Bill Warner, as well as two nearby residents, opposed it, and the P&Z sided with Warner and the residents.

“You can’t be Syria!” -- Popcorn by The Colonel #64

Part I: Wonkery

Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises claimed that economics is "aprioristic" rather than historical, that is, that economics consists of unpacking and elucidating the logical consequences of the category "human action," the basic datum that humans act to relieve felt unease. This differs from the method of the physical sciences (observation, data collection, theory construction, testing, verification and falsification). The science of human action Mises called “praxeology,” and he said the best-elaborated part of praxeology (so far) is economics. A subset of economics is “catallactics,” sometimes called “economics in the narrow sense.” Catallactics is the analysis of market phenomena, which are "actions taken on the basis of monetary calculation."