Farmers Market this Friday

The North End Farmers Market returns this Friday!

And we are pleased to announce that the Whey Station will be selling cheese by the pound from Cato Corner Farm (in addition to their delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches). We've received a bunch of requests for cheese so we're very excited this worked out! Make sure you stop by this Friday to try some. Yippee!

We also have the Hartford Bread Company as a regular vendor, selling a variety of yummy breads. As usual, we'll have delicious fruits and vegetables and a few special guests as well:

Three Sisters Farm will be selling premier honey produced using organic hive management, handcrafted soap, hand cream, lip balm, and beeswax candles.

Tandoor, a great Indian restaurant on Main Street, will be serving vegetable samosas and Tandoori chicken for lunch.

Raw Youniverse will return with raw organic smoothies to cool you off on a hot summer day!

North End Farmers Market

Every Friday July-October

10am-2pm

Corner of Liberty and Main

We'll have fabulous live music by Jocelyn Pleasant, lots of delicious food, and a crafts table for kids. Don't miss it! Call NEAT at 860 346 4845 with any questions. Hope to see you there.

From The Pencil: A Mountain Lion Breaks Cover In Connecticut

The mountain lion killed by a car on the Merritt Parkway in June has been identified as a wild animal from South Dakota, who traveled across the northern U.S. to Milford. The Middletown Press ran an article about this finding in yesterday's paper.

Many of those who like to contribute to the Comments section of the local papers are sure that there are many mountain lions in our state. Some of them "know" that they are here naturally but the State is engaged in a massive cover-up. Others "know" that they are here because the state actually released them. Here's a comment from the Press story:

It is alleged by some trusted folks I know that the state of Connecticut released no less than 100 mountain lions some years ago to control game getting out of control in numbers. One lady in Thompson says she saw the release of one lion some years ago on her property. She was told to "keep this under your hat". The state denies this fact because it probably has a liability situation with release of such valuable killers like fisher cats and the mountain lion. Our state lie to us? Bite your tongues, ye of little faith.

A local artist sent in the following:

Karen Frisk At The Canoe Club Tomorrow

Trevor Davis is excited to announce that on Thursday, July 28, vocalist Karen Frisk will bring a band that includes the world's most recorded drummer, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. The band will also include Mac Chrupcala on piano and the world renowned Brian Torff on bass.

There is no cover charge, but a minimum check amount may be imposed for the best tables. Seating for this event may be limited, so please come early.

Neighborhood Reunion

The below announcement was submitted by Traci Neal, a Middletown native and a former resident of the Middletown Housing Authority neighborhood described below.

A group of former residents of a Middletown Housing Authority neighborhood have reunited on Facebook and are planning a neighborhood reunion. We grew up in the neighborhood known as "The Projects" - Daddario Road, Cubeta Road, Santangelo Circle, McKenna Drive, Long Lane, and a few other streets. There continues to be a bond among the now-grown children and families, who grew up together and looked out for one another. If we didn't have a biological father, we had a few in the neighborhood who served as dads. We were like a huge extended family and continue to be to this day - even generations later. I don't think anyone who grew up there would change it for the world.

Reunion Announcement:

A reunion is planned for current and former residents and friends of The Projects.

Date: August 27^th 2011

Time: 11am – 6pm

Place: Italian American Club, Arbutus Street, Middletown

Tickets are $10, kids free. Burgers & dogs & beer included but bring a dish, drinks, dessert or supplies like cups and plates. Band or DJ is still needed. The reunion is still in the planning stages so if you have any ideas or recommendations, get in touch! For info go to facebook and search "projects reunion middletown ct."

RSVP tracineal@att.net or call Shawn Donovan at 632-2210

Republican Candidates Announced

About 60 people attended tonight's Republican Town Committee (RTC) meeting where the highlight was either the announcement of candidates for the upcoming fall election, or possibly the surprise ending in which Catherine Johnson stated “I didn't know I had to sign the letter” while expressing surprise that she was not being nominated to serve another term on the Planning and Zoning Commission. This came about when, after all the nominees were announced, Mayor Giuliano attempted to take a moment to thank Ms. Johnson for her years of service on Planning and Zoning. He was unable to finish his statement of appreciation when he was interrupted by Ms. Johnson herself, who stood up and claimed not to know that she was not going to be running again. Ms. Johnson also said, "If something changes you are welcome to put my name down. … I have done my very best to make a cross-connection between the sides, but the side that sits on this side wants to stay that way, and it's just a damn shame." After Ms. Johnson spoke for a moment, a few supporters called out solemn-sounding Thank You's to Ms. Johnson, the mood shifted from awkward back to celebratory, and the meeting ended shortly thereafter. Ms. Johnson declined to talk about what had happened saying she was “shell-shocked.” Ryan Kennedy, the Recruitment and Nomination Committee Chairperson, when asked for comment, said “It is the first I heard of it.”

As to those who are running, the candidates are:

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano will run for a fourth term as mayor.

Deputy Mayor Joseph E. Bibisi, incumbent council members David Bauer, Phil Pessina, Deborah Kleckowski and Earle Roberts are running for Common Council, as are new Common Council nominees Linda Salafia, Matthew Fraulino, and Edward Dypa.

Nominees for Board of Education are Callie Grippo, Cheryl McClellan, Kevin Kelly, Alexander Mac Levin and Tami Kapacziewski. For the Planning and Zoning Commisssion, nominees are William Gregorio, Kenneth McClellan, Molly Salafia, and Fred Terasi. Alternates for Planning and Zoning are Ronald Borrelli and Corrine Dorsey. The Board of Assessment and Appeals nominees are Laura Gionfriddo and William Wilson, and finally, Jonathan Pulino is the Republican candidate for city Treasurer.

Of the nominations and upcoming campaign, Councilperson Deborah Kleckowski said, “We have a solid ticket. We will work to move the city forward with the community as a focal point rather than politics as a focal point.”

Ryan Kennedy said, "It was my honor to ...lead the Recruitment Committee once again, and I'm very proud of the fact that we have excellent candidates. We have an entire slate ready to challenge our opponents. We're happy again to have Mayor Giuliano at the head of our ticket."

Prior to the nominees being announced by Ryan Kennedy, some quick business was conducted. Two new members were approved to join the RTC, an invitation to the Italian American Civic Order's 50^th anniversary on October 1^st was announced, and a proposal from Molly Salafia to have a community outreach bulletin board and local charity boxes at the Republican Headquarters was voted on and approved.

In video below: Mayor Giuliano, with the nominees at his side, accepts the nominations on behalf of all nominees.

In video below: a statement from Jonathan Pulino, candidate for City Treasurer.

Letter to the Editor: A response to Councilwoman Kasper

Commentary by Linda Salafia, a response to Councilwoman Hope Kasper's letter to the editor featured here

To the Editor,

I am writing this letter to you in response to Councilwoman Kasper’s letter regarding the hiring of her son-in-law at the Board of Education. First, let me state that I have put my name in as a candidate for the Common Council to the Republican Town Committee. I hope to be endorsed by them and look forward to being able to run for office and ultimately serve as a Council member on the Mayor’s team.

Also, I currently am employed by the City of Middletown as the Payroll / Pension Supervisor and have held this position for 13 years; worked a total nearly 25 years for the City. In that time, I have seen a lot of employees hired including a lot of children of employees and council people for summer jobs including Ms. Kasper’s granddaughters. The total budget for the summer youth program for this year is $44,207; approved by the Council.

I also attended the Mayor’s press conference in my capacity as Vice President of Local 466 which represents the classified workers at the City and the Board of Education. The Union has filed the appropriate complaints regarding the handling of the payroll positions at the BOE; however, I will attempt to clarify our position. There are two payroll positions at the BOE that are acknowledged union positions; the union contract requires that those position be posted and filled if budgeted and if not, the affect negotiated between the parties. One position has been vacant since the Fall when the BOE refused to allow Christine Bourne to work. The second position has been vacant since the employee in that position moved to another position. Again let me state that there have been numerous complaints and paperwork filed on both of the positions and/ or treatments of employees in those positions. The BOE does not have the ability to freeze a position after an employee has been hired; the Mayor is the hiring authority for ALL CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES, the Council determines the classified positions. When the BOE administration illegally posted the position for the temporary payroll position on it’s website, I personally notified all council members and elected BOE members that this was occurring. The Union is not privy to the information regarding applicants to classified positions; however in this case, the eligibility list was shared with the union but not the test scores and experience. Again, I will say that the choice of candidate is the Mayor’s; the personnel department of the City qualifies the candidate and the Mayor picks. Ms. Kasper was a union officer when she worked for the City and knows fully well that the BOE should not have posted and filled this position with anyone.

Ms. Kasper’s letter to the editor claims that her son-in-law was appointed on merit alone and that she has been falsely accused of impropriety. I would just like to point out that the mere appointment of her son-in-law to a position that was illegally posted and filed and that she was aware was in violation of the bargaining union agreement, the settlement agreement between the City and BOE, the City’s Personnel Rules and the City of Middletown’s Charter does give the impression of impropriety. This position has a base salary range of $34,016 to $43,134 plus was given health insurance benefits not in line with the 466 contract but in line with the teacher’s contract. The City of Middletown has a code of ethics, Chapter 40 of its Code of Ordinances, which must be followed by all employees and elected officials. Ms. Kasper is a member of the Common Council, sits on the Personnel Review Commission, the Insurance and Claims Commission and the Finance and Government Commission and as a member of these commissions, should know that the posting and filling of this position with her son-in-law was improper.

Sincerely,

Linda Salafia

Local 466 V.P.

Around the Garden

Notes From/To a Negligent Gardener

From my living room window, I can see the twelve-foot-tall spires of a Rose of Sharon, flowering only at the very top. Why is my Rose of Sharon not covered in blooms, as my neighbors’ shrubs are? Likely because it’s smashed up against an equally vigorous Japanese Pieris and an Oak-leaf hydrangea that has expanded like a Saint Bernard pup on steroids. All three shrubs could use more sun light, but they each have to make do with about one-third of their daily quotient.

What to do, what to do? Pruning is, of course, the answer, but the scary question with flowering shrubs is always when to do it. First, let’s distinguish deadheading from pruning. Cutting some flowers to bring indoors is not pruning, nor is removing spent blooms. Pruning refers to redirecting the growth of a branch, or reducing the size of the entire plant.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t snip judiciously at all times, however. ALWAYS cut woody stems back to a healthy twig or node (bud) that’s growing in the direction you want the new growth to go in. If you leave a length of stem that has no buds on it, you will have a section of dead wood that can introduce disease into the rest of the plant. Woody plants have specialized tissue at nodes to help heal over any cut that you make.

Cutting flowers is a good idea now, as it will encourage formation of new flower buds. Pruning is not so good: depending on the plant, you might stimulate a flush of new growth that will not harden in the fall. When frost and snow hit, that tender growth is likely to die back, and you have just wasted a lot of the plant’s energy.

The usual rule is to prune spring shrubs right after flowering, and fall-blooming shrubs in

late winter to early spring. Buddleia is a great example of a plant that is happiest if cut back very

hard in late March or early April. Many of the blue-gray foliage plants should be cut back just as soon as a couple of new leaves appear in early spring: lavender and Russian sage will be much bushier and more vigorous as a result. Cut just above the base, leaving a little of the new foliage, and your new plant will thrive.

And what about the truly woody late

summer shrubs? Some of them need to be shorn just to encourage flowering. Callicarpa, or Beautyberry, is a good example of a shrub that will reward hard pruning in early spring with a much improved show of flowers and dazzling purple berries. (Some recent articles claim that Beautyberry in the garden is a natural defense against mosquitoes and ticks. I hate to think what my garden would be like without it!)

Another good reason to prune hard is to discourage flopping. My huge mass of Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) collapsed from its own weight onto a perennial bed this year. The Clethra is still covered in sweet-scented flowers – the common name is accurate – but the perennials are buried alive.

One final note – shrubs are very different from trees. Trees will die if pruned hard – with the possible exception of the Norway maples that sprout and resprout endlessly in my garden!

Last Chance -- a great evening for SHAKESPEARE!

There is ONE FINAL PERFORMANCE of ARTFARM's Shakespeare's Argument -- tonight at 7 pm in the grove at Middlesex Community College.
Tom Callinan will be playing music at 6 pm.
It will be a beautiful evening, and it is a great show.
Pay if you can -- $20 suggested donation
Please come join us -- you will be so happy with yourself that you did!
Photo by Bill DeKine shows Ken O'Brien (AEA) and Marcella Trowbridge as the Macbeths in Shakespeare's Argument.

Incumbent Mayor Giuliano's Campaign Kick-Off Speech

Copy of the speech for those not in attendance, given by Mayor Sebastian Giuliano at the kick off event held at the Republican headquarters on Thursday July 21 where incumbent mayoral candidate Giuliano officially kicked off his campaign. The Middletown Republican Town Committee announces its 2011 candidates at its public meeting Monday July 25. Republican headquarters are located in the Hartford Courant building across from Stop and Shop.

Seb Giuliano Announcement Speech

Thursday, July 21, 2001

Thank you all for being here tonight as we continue our effort to build a better future for Middletown.

Six years ago, I asked the people of this City to take a chance at a different form of leadership – one that was based on plain talk, facts and a desire to throw out petty politics and backroom deal making.

We were a great city being held back by the selfishness of a few who see government as a means to an end, who view elective office as a free pass to impose their will on others without debate or public participation.

The people of Middletown took that chance in 2005 and, since that date, I have tried to bring a sense of responsibility, teamwork and honesty to City Hall. During that time, with the help of many in our administration, the business community, civic leaders and everyday citizens, we have put Middletown on a path to prosperity and kept it there.

While other cities and towns have struggled to pay their bills, make the needed investments in bricks and mortar of public works or provide an atmosphere for economic growth, we in Middletown are getting it done.

We have kept our word to provide quality education and we have insisted that our school system be accountable to the taxpayers.

We have made the major effort to re-open our waterfront, after years of frustration and disappointment, by securing our membership in the Mattabasset District. This will allow the city to provide better sewer services, close our own aging wastewater treatment plant and open the Connecticut River to a whole host of options.

Our downtown is thriving, because we work with our business leaders and investors. Middletown is a partner to the business community. We keep our streets safe, we respond to the needs of businesses by helping them overcome challenges instead of placing obstacles in their paths and we watch every dime we are given by the hard working people of this community.

We have kept our spending and taxes low and we have offered honest budgets that reflect our responsibilities and needs. Our friends on the other side insist on cutting corners and playing chicken with the people’s money. I won’t let them do that and your Republican Council members won’t either.

And when the opportunity came to offer our seniors the dignity of their own facility, we acted, and we will get the Eckersley-Hall Center completed with your help.

No one can do this alone. I have been blessed by a supportive family – my wife, Paula, my mother and my children – who have put up with more than most can imagine. They, along with countless aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, are part of who I am, but also what Middletown is all about.

We are a community of people who care deeply about our roots, our history and our shared desire to do better. This is our town, and we have worked diligently to reach that goal by being up front and honest about the many issues we face each day.

I know that there are some that don’t agree with everything we say or do, but they can’t say they don’t know where I stand and what our position is.

The alternative is clear – a return to the wasteful pettiness which has kept Middletown mired in endless, pointless and costly problems. We need to take advantage of our opportunities, not miss them because someone wants to score a political point.

That is why today I formally announce that I am seeking another term as Mayor of Middletown.

There are many tasks to complete – moving forward on the riverfront, rebuilding our roads, completing the senior center and attracting more businesses to our city.

People around our state are always talking about the “Middletown Miracle”. Every day people from other communities come here. They want to see for themselves how we all work together to provide an affordable quality of life.

I want to continue that effort but I need your help over these next weeks and months. I need your vote and I need a Republican Common Council. We cannot accomplish what we need to do to protect the taxpayers without common sense Republicans making the right decisions.

That is our task. That is our charge. We have much work to do.

I asked six years ago and my request is still the same:

“Are you with me?”

Thank you and God Bless you all.