The Planning and Zoning Commission last evening considered changing their bylaws governing the election of officers. Currently, officers of Planning and Zoning are elected every November, unlike the officers of most other boards and commissions.
The election of officers has in past years deadlocked the Commission, which has as a result been without an elected chair for some time. Chair Richard Pelletier proposed to change the bylaws so that officers would be elected once every two years, when new members are elected in municipal elections.
All of the Democrats, in the majority on the Commission, supported the change. Commissioner Dan Russo said, "We have seen in our history instances where we have had problems electing officers."
The Republicans disagreed. Commissioner Les Adams pointed to the difficulties of several years ago and said that the Commission had learned from this and was now more functional.
With 4 Democrats and 3 Republicans on the Commission, the proposal did not pass, as every action requires at least 5 yes votes.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Middletown Youth Services Bureau: Asset Message of the Week
Middletown Youth Services Bureau: Asset Message of the Week: Hi all, My apologies for the sporadic messages over the last month. Hope this finds you all well. Some of you may recognize the story below as it circulated around Facebook last week. I feel like it draws some nice comparisons in terms of the way we view our kids…
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a real story.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Think about that piece I underlined and placed in bold. How often does this occur when we look at certain young people? How often might a person be written off because of what they look like or where they are from. How many teens have skills and talents to go either unused or unnoticed because we’re easier too busy to see it or we’re not looking in the right places. This story is just a nice reminder for all of us to be more aware of our surroundings and the possibilities that arise while doing so.
Thanks for all you do to support Middletown youth.
Best, Justin
MCA Arts Advocacy Awards - Public Input Requested
The Middletown Commission on the Arts (MCA) presents annually an Arts Advocacy Award to an individual and/or group who has significantly contributed to the city’s cultural and artistic enrichment and/or has shown extraordinary support and initiative for the arts.
This year, for the first time, the MCA is seeking public input on nominations for the award. We would like to see who you believe has made a positive cultural or artistic impact on the Middletown community.
The nominee need not reside in Middletown but should be an individual or group that has made an outstanding impact on the arts in this city. Please email suggestions to MCA Chair Lee Godburn at arts@middletownct.gov no later than February 29, 2012. Your nominations may or may not be anonymous but please identify the town you live in.
The MCA will be presenting its award honoring this year's recipient in a local ceremony open to the public coinciding with National Arts Advocacy Day April 16-17 in Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
MHS Booster Club Backbone of Blue Dragons Squads
The work of the Middletown High Booster Club is so constant as to sometimes be taken for granted. The club’s hundreds of members are present at every athletics fundraiser and provide services at many games. In short, the Middletown High Booster Club is always there. However, this does not mean their efforts should be seen in this light. The parents, coaches, teachers and fans of Middletown High athletics that make up the club are the backbone of Blue Dragon sports.
Booster Club President Ray Garbowski described the club as an umbrella group consisting of the separate organizations that support specific sports. These organizations are the Friends of….” groups at MHS. The Friends of Football, Friends of Girls Swimming and Friends of Boys Tennis are examples of such organizations. There are more than 25 groups making up the Booster Club.
“Having the individual booster organizations under the same umbrella allows for complete coordination between them,” said Garbowski. “At the same time, these organizations have their own accounts which allow them to choose the fundraisers their sport does and decide how they are executed.”
The sports teams participate in a number of different fundraisers. Car washes and bake sales are particularly popular fundraisers run by their specific booster organizations. One fundraiser which has become an annual tradition is the boys swim team selling of Lyman Orchard pies each fall in anticipation of Thanksgiving. That fundraiser supports the team’s training trip to Orlando each February. The pies fundraiser for the boys swim team is an example of a major fundraiser which has to be approved by the executive committee of the Booster Club before it takes place.
The Booster Club raises money through the concession stands they run at football and basketball games and other events such as all-day track meets and community soccer games. While the Booster Club earns its most money from the Greco’s Grill stand at varsity football games, they also make a decent amount of cash at basketball games and sometimes other events. Each event, the concessions are run by a rotating team of volunteers from the Booster Club and the ‘Friends of’ organizations.
The budget earned through the Booster Club concession efforts is used to sponsor three Sports Awards Dinners which take place at the end of each athletic season and pay for the Bilsamo Scholarship and Wilderman Scholarship, which are awarded to senior Athletes at the Senior Award Assembly each spring. The scholarships average $5,000 in total.
Though the Booster Club already does on a huge amount of work, Garbowski is looking to have the organization take on new projects.
“We’ve been brainstorming about new projects we could do for a little while now,” Garbowski stated. “The club is looking at putting a marquee out in front of the school which we could use to promote big games on. We also are thinking about lining the street with flags before games or getting a storage facility for our athletic teams and fields.”
As President of the Middletown High Booster Club, Garbowski understands he is the leader of a powerful organization that has a compelling affect on the MHS sports program and the lives of its athletes.
“We can provide a variety of services to the student athletes at the high school,” he said. “We are able to develop initiatives that support both student athletes and the school.”
Feels like February again.. cold weather is back.
Over the weekend Middletown experienced a taste of spring sunshine, but its time to break out the jackets; this week feels more like winter again. If you got your spring hair cut too early, bundle up!
Middletown Planning, Conservation & Development Newsletter- February 17, 2012
Middletown Planning, Conservation & Development Newsletter- February 17, 2012
“Complete Streets and Bikeway Master Plan” for Middletown
The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invites the public to a forum on Middletown’s efforts to develop a comprehensive and detailed plan to make our city safer and more conducive for walking and bicycling. The program will be held on Tuesday, February 28, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room at First Church of Christ, Congregational, 190 Court Street, in Middletown.
The forum will begin with 3 short presentations. Kari Sullivan from the Connecticut Department of Education will describe programs like “Safe Routes to School” and how walking contributes to public health. Local cyclist and biking educator Beth Emery will explain how both cyclists and motorists can make our streets safer for all who use them. Middletown Engineer Tom Nigosanti will be available with maps and information regarding improvements such as sidewalks, off-street trails, and bike lanes.
The proposed $1 million multi-use trail connecting downtown Middletown, Wesleyan University, and the Wesleyan Hills neighborhood will also be described, but it is not the primary focus of this program. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to indicate their preferred routes for walking or cycling by using orange or green markers on a Middletown street map.
This event is free and pre-registration is not necessary. For more information, contact John Hall at 860-398-3771 or visit www.thejonahcenter.org and click on “send us a message.”
MIDDLETOWN STATISTICS REPORT- FEBRUARY 2012
↓ Local Economy-.Unemployment dropped to 6.6% for December 2011, dropping 2.5% in 24 months. The short-term outlook for employment has deteriorated. Hiring notices in Middletown are down 63% compared to a year ago. In the region they are down 66%. The employment index is still in positive territory, signaling potential reduction in the unemployment rate. The post holiday season is typically weaker, but the first quarter of 2012, based on 30 days of information seem to indicate significant weakness and any gains can be undone.
↓ Housing- Foreclosures jumped 95% from the previous month, recent federal mortgage settlement may see increased foreclosures over the next few quarters. Building permits finish with the worst year since possibly the 1940s with only 26 single family permits issued. Down 88% since the peak in 2005. Housing values are stabilizing at historic trends.
↑ Web Presence- Middletown’s web presence decreased by 9% on search engine hits.
The entire report can be found at: http://www.middletownplanning.com/documents/MStatReport_Feb2012.pdf
MEETINGS OF THE WEEK
Conservation Commission
Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 7:00 PM, Room 208
- Trail Guide
- Commission Vacancies.
- Roadside Vegetation Management
- Open Space Referendum
- Public Relations
- Collective Impact Network
- Riverfront Redevelopment
- Majestic Oak Estates
- Tynan Dog Park proposal. Councilman Todd Berch Presenting
Planning and Zoning Commission
Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 7:00 PM, Council Chambers
New Business
- corner of Grand Street and Woodward Avenue - Special Exception to construct a two-family dwelling - Carl Morello
- 871-895 Washington Street - one (1) lot resubdivision - Gofsco, LLC/Homer Scoville
Commission Affairs
- Mini workshop on Planning and Zoning Legal Standards
- Proposed amendment to Article V Election of Officers & Liaisons, Section I Bylaws
RECENT COMMISSION ACTIONS (Unofficial results)
Economic Development Commission
Monday, February 13, 2012, 7:00 PM, Room 208
- Parking Garage Construction –update
- Parking Improvements-North End-update
- Remington Rand-new windows, tank pull, boiler house demolition, new tenants
APPROVED- Middletown United Fathers Reverend Douglas E. Lawrence Community Garden-Letter of Intent to Renew Lease
- Tax & Business Incentive Program Applications
- Joseph Mylchreest, Inc.-157 Mill Street
- Harding Development Group-210 South Main Street
- Final Presentation Brownfield Assessment Planning Study
- Proposed consolidation of Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency and Midstate Regional Planning Agency
Citizens Advisory Committee
Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 7:00 PM, room 208
NO MOTIONS- Public Hearing - 2011 Amendments- $40,000 Small Business Assistance; $ 1,332 Program Administration
NO MOTIONS- 2012 CDBG Applications
PERMIT ACTIVITY
2011 Apps Review Time Fees 2010 Apps
Year-to-Date 220 11 days $20,615 261
--- Approved 191 9 days $6,950
------- Public Hearing 20 41 days $5,540
------- Site Plan Review 171 6 days $1,250
--- Denied/Other 16 37 days $13,045
--- Open 12 NA $310
December 12 2 days $310 17
November 7 4 days $0 10
October 19 9 days $495 20
September 21 4 days $100 23
August 21 4 days $8,505 29
July 28 3 days $785 27
June 26 12 days $1,795 38
May 31 7 days $1,445 24
April 22 18 days $1,045 25
March 28 18 days $3,260 25
February 7 8 days $370 12
January 7 19 days $720 11
District Wide Education Standards Meeting
Special MSA meeting on February 27, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Youth Services Building, (former Vo-Ag, near WWMS), 372 Hunting Hill Avenue. Presentation will be on the new Common Core Standars for Mathematics & Englis/Language Arts. Click on above link for more information.
Arts This Month at CFA Wesleyan- 3 events!
Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts presents SPILL, a collaboration between writer Leigh Fondakowski (The Laramie Project) and visual artist Reeva Wortel (American Portrait Project), on Saturday, February 25 at 7pm & 10pm; and Sunday, February 26 at 2pm & 7pm; in Fayerweather Beckham Hall, located on Wyllys Avenue on the Wesleyan campus in Middletown.
SPILL is a new play and installation that explores the true human and environmental cost of oil. SPILL is based in part on interviews with people from the Gulf Coast of southern Louisiana in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of April 2010, the largest environmental disaster in United States history. The performances at Wesleyan are the first public showing of the art installation, featuring life-sized painted portraits of the interviewees, along with a choral reading of the play. SPILL will tour New Orleans next spring.
In 2011, Leigh Fondakowski co-taught a Wesleyan University summer session course in Louisiana with the Chair of the College of the Environment, Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences Barry Chernoff, entitled "The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy: A Scientific and Artistic Inquiry". You can watch a YouTube video about the course here: http://www.youtube.com/
Among the people that Leigh Fondakowski has interviewed for SPILL since March 2011 are Nick and Wilbert Collins, Collins Oysters; Ben Dubansky, grad student in biology at Louisiana State University; Byron Encalade, oyster fisherman; Fernando Galvez, biologist, Louisiana State University; Keith Jones, who lost his son Gordon Jones in the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon; Wayne Keller, executive director of the port commission, Grand Isle, Louisiana; Albertine Kimble, project manager, Plaquemines Parish; Ryan Lambert, Cajun Fishing Excursions; Billy Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish President; Kerry St. Pe, biologist and head of the Louisiana estuary program; and Chuckie Verdin, tribal leader of the Point-au-Chien Indians.
SPILL was commissioned by the Center for the Arts with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Tickets for the performances are $12 for the general public; $10 for senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff, and non-Wesleyan students; and $5 for Wesleyan students. Tickets are available online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa,
About Leigh Fondakowski
Leigh Fondakowski has been a member of Tectonic Theatre Project since 1995. She is an Emmy nominated co-screenwriter for the adaptation of The Laramie Project for HBO. Time magazine had described The Laramie Project as "a pioneering work and a powerful stage event." The People’s Temple has been performed under her direction at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Perseverance Theater, and The Guthrie Theater, and received the Glickman Award for best new play in 2005. Another original play, I Think I Like Girls, premiered at Encore Theater in San Francisco under her direction and was voted one of the top 10 plays of 2002 by The Advocate. Leigh is a 2007 recipient of the NEA/TCG Theatre Residency Program for Playwrights and a 2009 Macdowell Colony Fellow. She is a visiting artist and an Imagine Fund fellow at the University of Minnesota, and has recently written a new play about 19th century American actress Charlotte Cushman.
About Reeva Wortel
Reeva Wortel is an interdisciplinary artist who creates narrative portrait-based projects that combine interview, social commentary, performance and large-scale installation. Driven by a commitment to develop the technique of portraiture beyond its traditional limits, Ms. Wortel has worked in communities as a social justice advocate and artist honing a technique to narrate the individual stories of our time through her portraiture work, a process that involves in-depth interviewing, photography, painting and installation. Ms. Wortel has been the recipient of several grants as a muralist, choreographer and installation artist. She has exhibited her work in Oregon, Colorado, California, New York, New Zealand and Amsterdam.
About Feet to the Fire
In September 2011, Wesleyan University presented Professor of Theater Ronald Jenkins' work Recycling Pain, commissioned by the Center for the Arts based on his work in connection with the annual environmental awareness program Feet to the Fire, and this year's theme of Fueling the Future.
Launched in 2008, Feet to the Fire is a major undertaking on Wesleyan’s campus to examine critical environmental issues through multiple lenses, from science to art. The program is dedicated to the proposition that a multidisciplinary examination that includes art will provide a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of these global issues. Feet to the Fire includes lectures, performances, co-taught teaching modules, and courses by the faculty, visiting artists and lecturers, student run fora, community eco-arts festivals, afterschool programs for children, and the First Year Matters program. Each year, the campus adopts an environmental theme for its First Year Matters program, such as global climate change (2008), water (2009), or hunger (2010). The theme for 2011, Fueling the Future, has been focused on issues related to energy.
Other Feet to the Fire works have included exhibitions and performances by visiting artists including Asphalt Orchestra's Trading Futures, Marion Belanger's Landfill, Ann Carlson's Green Movement, Barbara Croall's Messages (Mijidwewinan), Cassie Meador's Drift, and Stan's Cafe's Of All the People in All the World, USA (The Rice Show); as well as works by faculty including Hari Krishnan's Liquid Shakti, Ronald Kuivila's The Weather, at Six, Alvin Lucier's Glacier, and Nicole Stanton and Gina Ulysse's Threshold Sites: Skin to Skin.
The Feet to the Fire initiative was launched with a leadership grant from Arts Presenters Creative Campus Innovations Program, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which was one of only eight grants given to challenge campus-based performing arts presenters to integrate their programs more organically within the academic environment. Feet to the Fire is made possible in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
For more information about Feet to the Fire, please visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/creativecampus/crossingdisciplines/feettothefire /
For more information about First Year Matters, please visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/fym /
About the Performing Arts Series
The Performing Arts Series at the Center for the Arts brings a wide array of world-class musicians, cutting-edge choreography, and groundbreaking theater performances and discussions to Wesleyan University.
This season's performances include the Lionel Loueke Trio (February 25), SPILL (February 25 & 26), the 13th annual DanceMasters Weekend Showcase Performance (March 10), the Connecticut premiere of Chunky Move: Connected (March 30 & 31), the Fernando Otero Quartet (April 14), and the 11th annual Wesleyan Jazz Orchestra Weekend featuring the Jay Hoggard Quartet (April 28). For more information, please visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/
Save 10% when you buy tickets to four or more Performing Arts Series events. Save 15% when you buy tickets to six or more Performing Arts Series events. Call or visit the Wesleyan University Box Office at (860) 685-3355 to take advantage of these discounts.
About the Center for the Arts
Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts is an eleven-building complex on the Wesleyan campus that houses the departments of Art and Art History, Dance, Film Studies, Music, and Theater. Opened in 1973, the CFA serves as a cultural center for the region, the state and New England. The Center includes the 400-seat Theater, the 260-seat Hall, the World Music Hall (a non-Western performance space), the 414-seat Crowell Concert Hall and the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery.
The Center for the Arts gratefully acknowledges the support of its many generous funders and collaborators, including the Center for Creative Research, the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New England Foundation for the Arts, as well as media sponsors the Hartford and New Haven Advocates, WESU 88.1FM, and WNPR.
For more information about Center for the Arts, please call (860) 685-3355, or visit http://www.wesleyan.edu/
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Type: Spoken Word
Title of Event: An Evening of Spoken Word with Javon Johnson
Location: Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, Connecticut
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 8pm
Fee: $15 general public, $12 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculy/staff, non-Wesleyan students, $6 Wesleyan students
Phone: 860-685-3355
Website: www.wesleyan.edu/cfa
Description: Spoken word/slam poet Javon Johnson merges the sharp criticism of critical race and gender theory with comedy, lyricism and hip-hop rhyme schemes to discuss the power of words, communication and performance. Mr. Johnson has appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and BET's Lyric Cafe, and he co-wrote the poetic narration for Showtime's basketball documentary Crossover.
Click here to see a video of Javon Johnson performing on YouTube: http://www.youtube.
"An Evening of Spoken Word with Javon Johnson" is an Outside the Box Theater Series event presented by the Theater Department and the Center for the Arts, co-sponsored by the Center for African American Studies.
"Javon Johnson's spoken-word performance of soul-baring lyrics and rapid-fire delivery brought the audience to its feet."
-University of Southern California News
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Image of Lionel Loueke: http://www.wesleyan.
Please include with listing below if possible. Thank you!
Type: Music
Title of Event: Lionel Loueke Trio
Location: Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, Connecticut
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 8pm
Fee: $23 general public; $19 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Phone: 860-685-3355
Website: www.wesleyan.edu/cfa
Description: Benin-born jazz guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke combines harmonic sophistication, soaring melodies and grounding in West African music to create a warm, intimate sound with his trio, which features Swedish-born bassist Massimo Biolcati and Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth. Praised by mentor Herbie Hancock as "a musical painter," Loueke was featured on Hancock's album River: The Joni Letters (2007), which won Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Grammy Awards. A Crowell Concert Series event presented by the Music Department and the Center for the Arts. Co-sponsored by the Center for African American Studies and the Office of Diversity and Institutional Partnerships.
There will be a lecture/demonstration by Mr. Loueke at 2pm in the Daltry Room (Music Rehearsal Hall 003).
There will be a pre-concert talk by Sarah Politz at 7:15pm.
Click here to listen to a clip of Lionel Loueke on YouTube: http://www.youtube.
"His music rolls along with a feel-good sense of joy...a new Afro-jazz star."
-DownBeat magazine
Monday, February 20, 2012
Large turnout for Gas Tax Cap Rally
Today State Senator Len Suzio R-Meriden & Middletown, lead a rally at Hiba Gas Station on South Main Street. Suzio has drafted a bill to propose a cap on state tax on gasoline, which he says is supposed to be used on road repair and bridge work, however, this revenue is being put back into the general fund.
“ I feel the people of Connecticut are getting gouged,” Senator Suzio said, " Matt Lesser came out and spoke against price gouging during the hurricane, but what about the rest of the year? The gouging that goes on everyday? That's why I am here.", statement that drew applause from the crowd gathered.
Currently CT's state gas tax is 47 cents per gallon. This 47 cents gross receipts tax is in addition to the state flat tax of 23 cents on each gallon of gasoline. This spring, it is projected that the price for gasoline will extend beyond $4 a gallon. The tax is currently 7.5%- the highest in the country. Suzio has a petition started on his website. The senator is also challenging the current taxes on Social Security benefits. Local Middletown Councilwoman Debra Kleckowski, Councilmen Phil Pessina, & Joe Bibisi were there to lend support.
* location corrected
900 Acres of Maromas Endangered by Merger of Northeast Utilities and NSTAR
Northeast Utilities owns 900 wooded acres along the Connecticut River in the Maromas section of Middletown. Until now, this land and 375 other parcels in Connecticut totaling 9500 acres has been safely protected by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Northeast Utilities and the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The MOU gives towns and the DEEP the first right to buy the land if the utilities should want to sell it. This MOU played a major role in preventing the construction of the U.S. Army Training Center in Maromas in 2008. (The photo here shows the farmland where the proposed Army base was to be built.)
The MOU is due to expire in 2014. We feel that it is important for it to be renewed. We are concerned that the proposed merger between Northeast Utilities and NSTAR, the Boston-based utility, could put the future of that MOU in question.
While the Jonah Center for Earth and Art does not take a position on the merger itself, we are concerned that the agreement to protect the lands might not remain in effect under a new board and management. The Connecticut Fund for the Environment is raising this concern statewide and alerting local groups like the Jonah Center to urge citizens to contact the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA, formerly the DPUC) about this matter.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Email your comments to dpuc.executivesecretary@po.state.ct.us by 4:00 p.m., February 24. In the subject line, include "Re: Doc. No. 12-01-07." The Jonah Center will be happy to provide you with a sample letter. Just go to www.thejonahcenter.org and click “send us a message” and write “Maromas” as the subject.
At the top of the letter, put "Re: Doc. No. 12-01-07, Application for Appeal of Holding Company Transaction Involving Northeast Utilities and NSTAR" and address your comments to the Executive Secretary. Request that the Memorandum of Understanding be strengthened and extended in order to ensure that the nearly 375 parcels of land on the Conservation List are protected.
Remember to include your full name, your address, and details about why you care about this issue. The Maromas section of Middletown is a precious wildlife habitat, the site of spectacular rock ledges and hiking trails, and by far the largest open space section of the city. To visit the Maromas section of Middletown’s biodiversity database, click here http://biodiversity.wesleyan.edu/geography6.php
(Read more about just a few of the parcels at risk: http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102502737397-285/NU+Property+highlights.pdf)
If you are a representative of an organization or business, it is helpful to note that as well. In addition to submitting written comments, citizens may speak at the public hearing on Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30pm in Hearing Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford.
Xavier Captures Second Consecutive Class LL Wrestling Crown
Defending champion Xavier knew it had work to do as the championship round of the Class LL wrestling championships began. Despite the Falcons advancing eight wrestlers to semifinal matches and five to championship matches, Xavier trailed Danbury 228-218 going into the championship round due to an excellent performance by the Hatters in their consolation matches. If they wanted to win a second consecutive championship, the Falcons would have to perform nearly flawlessly. In one of the biggest pressure situations imaginable, each Xavier finalist did so.
Each of Xavier’s five finalists won an individual title, giving the Falcons 242 points and their second straight Class LL championship. Danbury finished second with 232 points and Trumbull paced third with 153 points.
Xavier’s title winners were sophomore Will Chowanek (113 pounds), senior Tyler Cunningham (160), junior Elliot Antler (170), senior Jake Whalen (180) and senior Sean Marinan Jr. (220).
The most significant win was Sean Marinan’s. Xavier came into his championship match only six points ahead of Danbury and a loss by Marinan to the Hatters Oswaldo Garcia would have tied the two teams.
The senior battled his way to an early score and hung on to defeat Garcia 5-4 and give his squad a well-earned championship.
“Was there pressure?” Marinan asked the Hartford Courant. “No, I didn’t even know the score.”
Will Chowanek got the Falcons going with a 3-2 decision over Conor Caffrey of South Windsor in the 113-pound championship, his second consecutive individual title after winning at 102 pounds last year.
I really didn’t expect it to be this close,” said Chowanek to the New Haven Register. “I wanted to come out strong. The take down in the second period is the move that won it for me. My goal was to get as many points for my team as I could.”
“Winning the Class LL championship means everything to me, it means everything to our team. We’re the defending champs and that’s what we wanted to do, defend our title.”
Tyler Cunningham pinned Joseph Roberts of Fairfield Prep in just 1:58 to win the 160-pound title. Elliot Antler won the 170 championship with a decisive 11-4 victory over Ryan Whittle of Greenwich and Jake Whalen took down Zachary Maxwell of Southington in 2:50 to win the 195 title.
The victory earned Xavier a measure of revenge. Danbury, who came into the championship meet ranked No. 1 in the Norwich Bulletin coaches’ poll, defeated them 43-17 at the end of December and was ranked ahead of the Falcons for the entire season. Xavier’s back-to-back Class LL titles establishes them as one of the top programs in the state and worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Danbury, who won 14 consecutive titles from 1997-2010.
“I knew coming in here we were the underdogs because Danbury’s been kicking everyone’s butt this season,” Xavier Head Coach Mike Cunningham stated to the Register. “I can’t explain the feelings I have right now winning the title two years in a row.”
“We had good matchups in the championships. I’m so proud of our guys.”
Xavier know takes their Class LL, as well as its SCC championship, with them to the State Open this Friday and Saturday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. With a bevy of outstanding wrestlers in tow the Falcons are confident they can improve on the team’s disappointing sixth place finish in the 2011 State Open.
“I just hope we learned from it,” Cunningham said to the Courant. “We are going to enjoy this, but we get together and regroup on Monday, then have a good week of practice and go from there.”
Each of Xavier’s five finalists won an individual title, giving the Falcons 242 points and their second straight Class LL championship. Danbury finished second with 232 points and Trumbull paced third with 153 points.
Xavier’s title winners were sophomore Will Chowanek (113 pounds), senior Tyler Cunningham (160), junior Elliot Antler (170), senior Jake Whalen (180) and senior Sean Marinan Jr. (220).
The most significant win was Sean Marinan’s. Xavier came into his championship match only six points ahead of Danbury and a loss by Marinan to the Hatters Oswaldo Garcia would have tied the two teams.
The senior battled his way to an early score and hung on to defeat Garcia 5-4 and give his squad a well-earned championship.
“Was there pressure?” Marinan asked the Hartford Courant. “No, I didn’t even know the score.”
Will Chowanek got the Falcons going with a 3-2 decision over Conor Caffrey of South Windsor in the 113-pound championship, his second consecutive individual title after winning at 102 pounds last year.
I really didn’t expect it to be this close,” said Chowanek to the New Haven Register. “I wanted to come out strong. The take down in the second period is the move that won it for me. My goal was to get as many points for my team as I could.”
“Winning the Class LL championship means everything to me, it means everything to our team. We’re the defending champs and that’s what we wanted to do, defend our title.”
Tyler Cunningham pinned Joseph Roberts of Fairfield Prep in just 1:58 to win the 160-pound title. Elliot Antler won the 170 championship with a decisive 11-4 victory over Ryan Whittle of Greenwich and Jake Whalen took down Zachary Maxwell of Southington in 2:50 to win the 195 title.
The victory earned Xavier a measure of revenge. Danbury, who came into the championship meet ranked No. 1 in the Norwich Bulletin coaches’ poll, defeated them 43-17 at the end of December and was ranked ahead of the Falcons for the entire season. Xavier’s back-to-back Class LL titles establishes them as one of the top programs in the state and worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Danbury, who won 14 consecutive titles from 1997-2010.
“I knew coming in here we were the underdogs because Danbury’s been kicking everyone’s butt this season,” Xavier Head Coach Mike Cunningham stated to the Register. “I can’t explain the feelings I have right now winning the title two years in a row.”
“We had good matchups in the championships. I’m so proud of our guys.”
Xavier know takes their Class LL, as well as its SCC championship, with them to the State Open this Friday and Saturday at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. With a bevy of outstanding wrestlers in tow the Falcons are confident they can improve on the team’s disappointing sixth place finish in the 2011 State Open.
“I just hope we learned from it,” Cunningham said to the Courant. “We are going to enjoy this, but we get together and regroup on Monday, then have a good week of practice and go from there.”
Young Leaders Society Event
LEARN WITH LEADERS
Vin Capece
CEO of Middlesex Hospital
Tuesday, February 28, 8-9am
Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center, 536 Saybrook Road, Middletown
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from one of our region’s most respected leaders. Mr. Capece manages a business with 3,000+ employees in an industry that’s under constant scrutiny. He will discuss changes in the health care system, innovation at the hospital, and the characteristics he looks for in young leaders.
Learn with Leaders events give community-minded young professionals an opportunity to connect and network with local CEOs who know the importance of civic engagement.
A light breakfast will be served. Suggested $5.00 donation.
To RSVP, click here or contact Matt Plourde:
(860) 346-8695 or Matt.Plourde@
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