Wesleyan Democrat President/ DTC Member Admits to Some False Allegations by Fellow Wes Dem

Mansoor Alam, Wesleyan student who was the sole protester in Hartford Tuesday at a demonstration to object to the appointment of Sebastian Giuliano to the SEEC, in a letter by Ben Florsheim says Alam accused Giuliano of various acts of voter suppression in statements he made to media at the event. In a letter to Gregory B. Hladky of the news website Ct.com Wesleyan Democrat President and new member of the local Middletown Democratic Town Committee student Ben Florsheim dismisses some of Alam's statement's but still maintains his original accusations of Giuliano of violations of CT statutes and suggests voter intimidation and suppression. Florsheim maintains others spoke about ramifications of the voter registration process that in his opinion constitute wrong doing and were solely responsible for below anticipated student voter turn out. Also in the complaint letter to the SEEC, Florsheim alludes to his subsequent accusation of Officer Tom Sebold and then candidate Molly Salafia of voter intimidation ( a felony) based on their statements of the possible enforcement of local car tax as a result of changing of student's permanent address thru the process of voter registration; a contradiction to Florsheim's original letter published in the Patch, Argus, and Eye where he states:"Additionally, car taxes only apply to that small minority of Connecticut-registered vehicles at Wesleyan that are in the name of the student (as opposed to their parents). " This tax could be enforced by following thru with the state statute's stipulation (C.G.S. 14-36(b)(2) that the car's registration is changed to be consistent with the domicile Middletown address as listed on the voter registration form. Registering to vote is one step in changing a person's permanent address. It appears that Florsheim originally agreed with Sebold and Salafia in his statement; but contradicts this statement and suggests their statements as fraudulent in his complaint regarding Giuliano's appointment to the SEEC. The Wesleying.org blog applauds Florsheim's and the Wesleyan Democrats efforts to delay Giuliano's appointment. Florsheim wrote the following letter to the web author:

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Dear Mr. Hladky,

As someone who has been involved in the filing of a complaint with the SEEC over Sebastian

Giuliano's appointment, I wanted to offer a clarification due to some things that Mansoor Alam apparently said at today's sparsely-attended protest at the offices of that organization. According to your article, Mr. Alam said or implied that Mr. Giuliano falsely claimed students would be subject to new taxes for registering to vote; that Wesleyan mailboxes were not acceptable for use on a voter registration form; and that voter registrations were thrown out. He misspoke on these counts.

First of all, Mr. Giuliano did not claim that students would be subject to new taxes, though this claim was made by other individuals. The implication that he did is not an accurate reflection of the complaint that was submitted today to the SEEC by Paulina Jones, nor of the position of Wesleyan University or the Wesleyan Democrats.

Second, Mr. Giuliano did indeed make the alleged claim about Wesleyan mailboxes-- and the claim was correct. The issue, as detailed in the complaint which will be subject to review and scrutiny shortly, had nothing to do with the state policy that these mailboxes are not sufficient for voting purposes and everything to do with how this matter was communicated to students who erroneously used them on their forms. Again, this is made entirely clear in the complaint itself, and Mr. Alam's statement does not accurately reflect its content.

Finally, voter registration forms were not thrown out, though it appeared briefly that they would be. The Office of the Registrars of Voters implied as such to the Middletown Press in late October, but later reversed its decision.

The complaint clearly alleges violations only of Connecticut General Statutes 9-363 and 9-364, which deal with misleading and influencing statements regarding voting. Any implication made today that it went beyond that, including by alleging threats of punitive taxes or rejection or registration forms, was an unfortunate misstatement, nothing more. I regret that it has become a complicating factor in our attempt to appropriately address this serious matter.

Please accept my apologies for any confusion that this may have caused, and my appreciation for your coverage of this important issue.

Sincerely,
Ben Florsheim, President
Wesleyan Democrats

Youth Gamelan at Wesleyan starts Jan 28

The Spring 2012 session of the Youth Gamelan at Wesleyan University begins Saturday, January 28. A gamelan is an orchestra of traditional metal gongs and xylophone instruments from Indonesia. 

The Youth Gamelan is open to all children age 7 and up, with no prior music experience necessary. Rehearsals are held on Saturday mornings from 10-11am in the World Music Hall, Center for the Arts, Wesleyan University, located on Wyllys Avenue (off of High Street). Parents are welcome to stay and watch rehearsals. We will conclude the session with a performance on Thursday, May 3 at 7pm, together with Wesleyan student ensembles. 

New members are welcome at this time, though space is limited and advance registration is recommended. There is a registration fee of $30, made payable to Wesleyan University, and the lessons and rehearsals are free. You may register at the first rehearsal, or with the University Box Office in Usdan Campus Center, tel. 860-685-3310, email: boxoffice@wesleyan.edu. 

For more info visit our website: http://youthgamelan.blogs.wesleyan.edu. The Wesleyan Youth Gamelan is directed by Joseph Getter, under the guidance of professors I.M. Harjito and Sumarsam. The group was founded in 2002 and is sponsored by the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan, and is a past recipient of support from the Middletown Commission on the Arts.

Board Of Education To Discuss Pending Litigation Tonight

The Board of Education is holding a hastily scheduled meeting tonight for
"Discussion of and Possible Action on Pending Claims, Pending Litigation, and a Document Protected from Disclosure by the Attorney-Client Privilege." The meeting replaces a previously scheduled Board of Education orientation session.

Gene Nocera, Chair of the Board, told The Eye that the board would likely go into executive session at the onset of the meeting. Executive session is allowed when the board will be discussing confidential personnel or student issues, or lawsuits.

Nocera volunteered that some of the issues may "roll over" into next Tuesday's regular Board of Education meeting, when Superintendent Michael Frechette will present the progress on resolving the issues raised by the Farm Hill School time-out rooms. Nocera said that very specific items would be discussed, and he encouraged the public to attend.

Parks and Recreation Department Upcoming Programs

Upcoming programs – 860-343-6620- Register NOW.
www.cityofmiddletown.com, click on Departments, then Parks & Recreation to view the complete Fall and Winter Brochure. Spring/Summer Brochure on-line soon! Programs require pre-registration.

Here is the list of programs:

Middletown Mother Begins Online Petition: No Confidence in Special Ed. Dept. Admins

Letter submitted to the Eye Editors from a mother of a child receiving special education services in the Middletown Public School system:

To the Editor:

I have created a petition addressed to Mayor Daniel T. Drew, the Common Council and Board of Education members which seeks the terminations of Ann Perzan, Laurie Slade and Mindy Otis of Middletown's Department of Pupil Services and Special Education.

The three administrators have consistently failed the students in this town and their families. They have violated the rights of children with disabilities by not providing them access to services that they need to learn in a non-restrictive environment. They have not included parents in the process of changes that directly impact the children with special needs, their families and the mainstream community.

They have not provided their staff with infrastructure needed to implement learning. They have failed to keep special needs children, their staff and the community safe. The evidence of this is their recent decision to disband the DEAL program housed at Lawrence School and place special needs children into the community without infrastructure to ensure that the children are safe; that the staff are trained properly to deliver services; and that communication and training were conducted to the general population and staffing.

As the leaders of the Special Education Department, this is unacceptable behavior and their actions prove they are not competent in their positions and need to be removed immediately.

We have lost confidence in their ability to provide a nurturing environment that ensures our special needs children are being educated in a safe, legal and least restrictive environment.

Jane Flanders Majewski, Middletown

http://www.change.org/petitions/middletown-connecticut-residents-seek-change

Winter Wellness Workshop on Thursday

Marcella Trowbridge of ARTFARM will be offering a "Winter Wellness Workshop" this Thursday, January 19, 6 - 8 pm at the South Congregational Church at 9 Pleasant Street in Middletown. Explore Herbal Remedies, practices for Stress Reduction and Spirit Lifting, and Nutritional Ideas.
The workshop is being offered for FREE, but if you want to take home samples, bring a couple of jars 8 oz or smaller and make a donation of $10 - $20 (Sliding Scale)
Walk ins are Welcome, but it would be best if you called or emailed to register.
Call (860) 346-4390 or email marcella@art-farm.org

Winter Acting Programs Begin Next Week

Winter classes and programs staring soon!

Oddfellows Playhouse is pleased to announce its winter classes and programs. Oddfellows uses high quality arts programs, classes and performances to help young people ages 3 to 20 build self confidence and learn teamwork, cooperation, self-discipline and respect for others.

Oddfellows' Little Fellows (Ages 3-4) and First Act (Ages 5-6) classes are designed to introduce pre-K and kindergarten children to the world of theater through creative play activities, art, movement and song. Students interested in acting for the first time will be able to build their skills in the introductory Complete Actor 1 (grades 1-3) or Complete Actor 2 (grades 4-5).

Students interested in learning how to juggle, unicycle, stilt, balance, clown and perform acrobatics should be sure to catch the performance and register for the CT School of Circus Arts (Ages 12-20). Led by the creative circus artists of ARTFARM and Matica Arts, the program is the premiere youth circus program in the area. The winter/spring sessions focuses on training and skill development and concludes with the performance of an evening of original circus acts on May 25 & 26.

Oddfellows Playhouse also produces top-quality original theater. This winter the Teen Repertory Company (High School students) will offer Thorton Wilder’s Our Town. Auditions for Our Town will be held January 24–25 from 6:30–9:30pm at the Playhouse. Before that, Oddfellows is offering pre-audition workshops to prepare teens for the auditions on January 18 from 6:30–8:30pm. There is no charge to audition.

True For All Schools

Family dance - this Saturday at Vinnie's!

Looking for something fun to do together as a family?

Come try our first ever Family Dance at Vinnie's!

Family dancing includes accessible, energizing, and interactive dances for folks of all ages. There will be circle dances, partner dances, trios, and so much more! Bring friends and family to join you at this fun community event. Healthy snacks will be provided. Taught by Jim Gregory.

* This is ideal for kids over age 5, but younger folks are welcome to come try it anyway!

Saturday, Jan 21st

2-4pm

$6 adults, $3 kids

Maximum price for a family is $20 - after that everybody is free!

More info on all our fun classes and events at www.vinniesjumpandjive.com.

You can also call 860 347 6971 ex 3777 or email trolle@chc1.com.

Garden Club Meeting To Feature Tom Christopher Thursday

From Ona McLaughlin 860-349-8415
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Noted gardening writer Tom Christopher will speak on Sustainable Gardening at an open meeting of the Middletown Garden Club, Thursday January 19, at 8:00 pm at the DeKoven House, Washington St and DeKoven Dr. The talk is free.

Tom Christopher has been reporting on gardening and environmental issues for more than twenty-five years, writing for a wide range of publications including the New York Times and Britain's Daily Telegraph, while serving as a columnist for magazines such as Martha Stewart Living and House & Garden. He is the author of Water-Wise Gardening, a guide to new styles of gardening emerging from the need to conserve this resource. He will have available copies of his latest book The Artful Garden and The New American Landscape:Leading Voices on the Future of Sustainable Gardening, a book he edited.

A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture, he contributes a blog about sustainable gardening, "Green Perspectives" to the botanical garden's website.

A Middletown resident, Tom’s backyard has always been his laboratory. He has installed a geothermal heating system for his house, and a cold frame to produce salad crops right through the New England winter. His landscaping includes low-input, high-yield species of flowers, shrubs, and trees.

Missing Person Found

From the Middletown Police
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Samuel Hewes who was listed as a missing person with the Middletown Police Department was found in New York State this past Saturday, 1/14/12. It was determined that he left of his own volition and no foul play is suspected.

MHS Basketball in Shape to Content For CCC South Title at 6-3

Middletown basketball improved its season record to 6-3 after taking down Bristol Central 57-55 on the road Friday.

Junior center Taji Owens scored a game-high 17 points and was one of four Blue Dragons in double figures. Jerry Robinson (13 points, nine assists), Mikie Rhodes (11) and Andrew Campbell (10) also reached the mark.

The Blue Dragons are now second place in the Central Connecticut Conference South division with a 4-1 record, behind only Maloney of Meriden, who Middletown lost to 75-64 at home last Tuesday. MHS has big wins over fellow division mates Berlin, Bristol Eastern and Bristol Central but also possesses confounding losses against New Britain and Tolland.

With injuries having kept star junior guard Shawn Strickland off the floor for a good stretch of the season, the team has been led by Rhodes, a senior forward who was a CCC South All-star last season. Rhodes has been a force inside every game and already earned four double-doubles. Owens has broken out with a couple of strong offensive games and MHS Head Coach Dave Sytulek praised him for his rebounding. Complementary players like junior forward Andrew Campbell and senior guard Jalen Manzie have made up for the absence of Strickland and other injured players to some extent with great efforts on the defensive end and in skills like ball-handling. While different players have stepped up to fill the void, the lack of depth Middletown has featured due to injuries has hurt the team performance wise.

“I would have liked to be better then 5-3,” said Sytulek on Friday afternoon before the Bristol Central victory. “Losing Shawn for a couple of games definitely hurt our depth. When we were minus him and a couple of other players against Maloney, we couldn’t quite stay with them and got outscored 27-11 in the third quarter.”

Sytulek knows his team has talent and has been pleased with their performance in a number of areas. But he wants to see a more consistent effort from the Blue Dragons.

“Our defensive effort of late has been a strength,” said Sytulek, later praising players like Rhodes and Campbell for their work on that end. “But we have to improve in putting together a full game and displaying intensity all four quarters.”

Middletown will certainly need to play every contest with complete focus and intensity to win the CCC South. Only two of the squad’s remaining games are outside the division. MHS will have to take down Bulkeley and again beat Berlin and Bristol Eastern to even have a shot at beating out Maloney for first place in the division. Maloney is currently 2.5 games in front of MHS. A division championship is a tall order, but Sytulek could see it happening for the Blue Dragons, who have won four of their past five.

“If we keep improving we have an opportunity to contend for the CCC South title.” He said. “I can see our team winning 15 games in the regular season.”