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Linares Honors Shoreline Student Artists at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts

March 11, 2013 by admin

from left to right: Sen. Art Linares, Future Choices Co-Chair Kathleen Bidney-Singewald, Future Choices Co-Chair Ruth Baxter, student award winner Dai Yongzheng of Westbrook-based Oxford Academy, and Shoreline Arts Alliance Executive Director/CEO Eric Dillner.

Sen. Art Linares presented official State of Connecticut citations to outstanding high school art students from the shoreline region during the Shoreline Arts Alliance’s Future Choices awards reception March 10 at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts’ Sill House Gallery. The art exhibition offers students the experience of being juried by experts in the arts and exhibiting in a professional gallery setting.

Students who reside or attend school in the shoreline region were eligible to submit works for the competition. Towns include: Branford, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Haven, East Lyme, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Middlefield, North Branford, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Salem, Westbrook.

Shoreline Arts Alliance Executive Director/CEO Eric Dillner, Sen. Art Linares, and Lyme Academy of Fine Arts President Scott Colley chat prior to the awards ceremony.

“These young artists have tremendous talents, and it was my pleasure to help honor them,” Sen. Linares said. “The support and encouragement these students have received from our communities has allowed them to thrive.”

Sen. Art Linares (www.senatorlinares.com) represents Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. He can be reached at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at (800) 842 1421.

Filed Under: News, osn

Local Land Conservation Trusts Announce Winners of Annual Photo Contest

March 11, 2013 by admin

The winner of the 2012 John G. Mitchell – Environmental Conservation Award is Mark Roger Bailey of California, formerly of Essex.

The Essex, Lyme, Old Lyme, Salem and East Haddam Land Conservation Trusts announced have the winners of their jointly sponsored amateur photo contest. The purpose of the contest was to focus on the celebrated and scenic countryside in those towns and its diversified wildlife. The ages of the photographers ranged from children to senior citizens.

This contest was made possible by the generous financial support provided by Lorensen Toyota, Oakley/Wing Group at Smith Barney, Evan Griswold at Coldwell Banker, Essex Savings Bank, ChelseaGroton Bank, Ballek Garden Center and Murtha Cullina LLP.

“There were so many wonderful pictures submitted that the judges had a difficult time selecting the winners” said Tony Sullivan, spokesperson for the conservation trusts.

The three independent judges are William Burt, a naturalist who has won acclaim for his books of wildlife photography: Rare and Elusive Birds of North America, Shadowbirds, and his recently released Marshes: The Disappearing Edens. Amy Kurtz Lansing, Curator at the Florence Griswold Museum and a Yale University doctoral candidate in the History of Art. She is also the author of Historical Fictions: Edward Lamson Henry’s Paintings of Past and Present and Rudy Wood-Muller, a photographic illustrator and designer. His first large exhibition was at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and was followed by numerous other shows, including a one-man show at the Rochester Institute of Technology. A group of his photographs have been selected to be part of the Permanent Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

“This year an additional award was given out to honor one of our prior judges, John G. Mitchell, who passed away” said Sullivan. “John, who was one of the editors at National Geographic, dedicated his career to writing about the environment and conservation, so the award was for the best picture reflecting that subject.”

The categories and names of the winners are:

JOHN G. MITCHELL – Environmental Conservation Award

Mark Roger Bailey, California (Formerly Essex)

LANDSCAPES/WATERSCAPES

First Place:
Skip Broom, Hadlyme

Second Place:
April Surprenant, Salem

Third Place:
Alexandria Hollwedel, Ivoryton

Honorable Mentions:
Tom Nemeth, Salem
John Sargent, Quaker Hill
Gerry Graves, Old Lyme

PLANTS

First Place:
Tony Sullivan, Lyme

Second Place:
Cheryl Philopena

Third Place:
Skip Broom, Hadlyme

Honorable Mentions:
Jessica Nemeth, Salem
Linda Waters, Salem
Marian Morrissette, New London

WILDLIFE

First Place:
Skip Broom, Hadlyme

Second Place:
Harcourt Davis, Old Lyme

Third Place:
Cheryl Philopena, Salem

Honorable Mentions:
Marian Morrissette, New London
Hank Golet, Old Lyme
Mark Roger Bailey, Essex

CULTURAL/HISTORIC

First Place:
Skip Broom, Hadlyme

Second Place:
Carol Giese, East Lyme

Third Place:
Mark Roger Bailey, California (Formally Essex)

Honorable Mentions:
Lionel Williams, Essex
Jacquelyn Sanders, Old Lyme
Donald Quigley, Old Lyme

YOUTH

First Place:
Emma Pennie, Old Lyme

Second Place:
Meghan Buckley, Haddam

Third Place:
Courtney Briggs, Old Saybrook

Honorable Mentions:
Rebecca Johnson, Colchester
Samantha Barretta, Lyme
Hannah Patten, Old Lyme

All the winning photographs will be available for public viewing at Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library at 2 Library Lane in Old Lyme during the month of April. The photos can also be seen at http://landtrustsphotos.shutterfly.com/ or on the web sites of each of the sponsoring conservation trusts.

Filed Under: News, Towns

Annual Valley-Shore Men’s Palm Sunday Breakfast – Mar. 24

March 7, 2013 by admin

Over a hundred men, young and old, from congregations throughout the Connecticut River Valley annually gather in Deep River for the annual Palm Sunday Men’s Communion Breakfast. You are invited to come at 7 a.m. on Palm Sunday, March 24, for a half-hour Communion service, followed by breakfast in Fellowship Hall. After breakfast, we will welcome our speaker, the Rev. Keith Jones.

Please plan to join other men from throughout the Valley Shore for this long-time Valley Shore tradition by calling the Deep River church office before Tuesday, March 19 (860-526-5045), or by e-mailing your reservations to congregational.chrch@snet.net (or go to our church web site and click the box on the main page www.deepriverchurch.org ).

The Rev. Keith Jones is a retired UCC minister who lives in our Valley Shore area. Rev. Jones has been in the ministry within the United Church of Christ for 45 years, serving half of those years in the parish. During the 1980’s and 90’s he worked as a competitive analyst at AT&T in New York and New Jersey. Later he returned to parish ministry as an Intentional Interim Minister. Throughout his ministerial career he has been sole pastor or Senior Minister in team settings in Windsor, Norwalk, North Branford, and Higganum as well as in various churches in New Jersey. Most recently he served as Interim Minister at the Congregational Church in Old Saybrook.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and his Master of Divinity from the Harvard Divinity School. Rev. Jones is married to Joan and has three daughters, a son, and four grandchildren. He enjoys music and model trains.

Filed Under: Deep River

Deep River Congregational Church Holy Week and Easter Services

March 7, 2013 by admin

On Palm Sunday, March 24, all men of the church, community and local churches are invited to attend our Annual Men’s Palm Sunday Breakfast. Worship begins at 7:00 a.m., followed by a breakfast and guest speaker, Rev. Keith Jones. There is no 8:30 service that morning.

Palm Sunday worship is at 10:00 a.m. and palms will be distributed.

On March 28th, Maundy Thursday at 7:00 p.m., our Communion Service commemorates the Last Supper and our fourth grade Sunday School students will receive their First Communion that evening.

There will be a Soup and Bread supper at 6:00 p.m. on Good Friday, March 29th, followed by a moving Good Friday Worship service at 7:00 p.m.

The traditional Easter Sunrise Service will be held at Mt. Saint John School at 6:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, March 31. There will be two services at the church; one at 9:00 a.m., which is a family service and the traditional Easter at 10:30 a.m. There will be special music from the Sr. Choir and Chancel Handbell Choir, along with a special Easter message from Rev. Timothy Haut. A wonderful array of treats prepared by Martha Beaudoin will be served by our Deacons at a special coffee hour at 10:00 a.m. between the two services.

Filed Under: Deep River

Letters: Essex Community Fund – Thank You Essex!

March 6, 2013 by admin

Thank you Essex!

The Essex Community Fund would like to thank the residents of the Villages of Essex for their generous support of our 2012 fund raising efforts. Your generosity has allowed us to distribute grants to thirty-two local non-profit organizations, two different community projects, as well as support local community activities.

For sixty-four years ECF has continued to serve its mission statement by enhancing the quality of life for Essex residents thru the support of the non-profit organizations and programs that serve them. At our annual Day of Giving on March 27th at the Centerbrook Meetinghouse, these local non-profits and programs that serve Essex, Centerbrook and Ivoryton, come together to be recognized and receive their grants. This event is recorded by the Valley Regional Media Department and can be viewed on the local cable access channel.

Respectfully,

Jacqueline D. Doane, President
Essex Community Fund

Filed Under: Letters, News

Sen. Art Linares to Hear from Chester Taxpayers March 18

March 6, 2013 by admin

Sen. Art Linares (right) talks with a taxpayer during a Colchester town meeting. Sen. Linares will hold a Town Hall Meeting at the Chester Elementary School auditorium from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on March 18

On Monday, March 18, Sen. Art Linares will hold a Town Hall Meeting at the Chester Elementary School auditorium from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Sen. Linares will take questions from taxpayers and discuss the state budget and efforts to make Connecticut more business-friendly.

Sen. Linares is co-sponsoring several pro-business measures, including a bill to eliminate the business entity tax and a bill which provides incentives for college and technical school graduates to establish a new business in the state.

“I look forward to talking with Chester taxpayers,” Linares said. “I’ve held similar town hall meetings in Deep River, Colchester, Essex, and Portland and I have found these discussions to be very helpful and informative. I take your ideas and concerns and bring them with me to the State Capitol. The taxpayers are my customers, so come out on March 18 with any questions you have.”

Those who cannot attend can contact Linares at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at (800) 842 1421. On the web: www.senatorlinares.com .

Filed Under: News, Politics

Quick Actions Avert Serious Fire in Deep River

March 6, 2013 by admin

A little past 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, the Deep River Fire Department received a call for an active fire in duct work at the Silgan Plastics Manufacturing Plant on Bridge Street. While the plant was evacuated, workers used fire extinguishers to contain the fire.

Upon arrival, the Fire Department quickly knocked down the remainder of the fire. It was discovered that the source of the problem was an overheated bearing, which caught fire in the exhaust ventilation system.

According to Assistant Chief Jim Budney, “The workers did a great job of containing the fire and helped to avert a serious situation.”

With light smoke conditions in the building, the second shift for the Plastics plant was sent home. Silgan Plastics manufactures plastic bottles and containers for worldwide distribution.

Filed Under: Deep River, News

Rug Hookers Share their Expertise at Essex Library – Mar. 27

March 5, 2013 by admin

Get an Introduction to Rug Hooking at the Essex Library Wednesday March 27th at 2 P.M. This hand-hooked rug was created by instructor Mellicent Hawke, who’ll display her work and discuss the history and craft of rug hooking.

This hand-hooked rug was created by instructor Mellicent Hawke, who will display her work and discuss the history and craft of rug hooking.

The heritage craft of rug hooking is making a comeback as people rediscover this pleasant pastime as a way to create works of art that are both beautiful and functional.

Prize-winning rug hooker Mellicent Hawke and several of her talented friends will present an Introduction To Rug Hooking program at the Essex Library on Wednesday, March 27 at 2 p.m. You’ll learn about the history and techniques of rug hooking, what materials are required, and get a chance to try your hand at it with materials they supply.

The artists will be displaying a selection of their work, too. The program is free and open to all; please call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 for more information or to register for this program. The Essex Library is at 33 West Avenue.

Filed Under: Essex

Sen. Linares, Lyme, Deep River Leaders to Fight Property Tax Hikes

March 4, 2013 by admin

Sen. Art Linares, Lyme First Selectman and COST Board Member Ralph Eno, Deep River First Selectman and COST President Richard Smith, and Rep. Phil Miller.

At a March 4 press conference at the State Capitol complex, the Connecticut Council of Small Towns (COST) voiced opposition to the governor’s car tax plan.

Mayors and first selectmen discussed how the plan would cause municipalities to lose millions of dollars in tax revenue and be forced to make up for that loss in other ways, namely through increased local property taxes.

Sen. Art Linares (www.senatorlinares.com) was among those supporting the town leaders at the press conference. “No one likes paying the car tax and we’d all like to see it eliminated,” Sen. Linares said. “But the plan that is before the state legislature would lead to higher property taxes for everyone. The bottom line is that we simply can’t afford higher taxes. By working together and speaking with one voice, we can put this car tax plan in the breakdown lane.”

Filed Under: ll, News, Politics

Rep. Miller Honored at Heart Health Awareness Month Forum

March 4, 2013 by admin

State Representative Phil Miller

Representative Philip Miller (D-Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Haddam) was recognized by Lily’s Kids, Inc. and presented a certificate of appreciation for his work on promoting children’s health and heart health awareness. Rep. Miller was joined by Lily Gagliardi, BA – Founder and C.E.O. and Amy D. Gagliardi, MA, IBCLC, RLC, Chief Operating Officer for Lily’s Kids Inc.

“How to live a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things we can teach our children. I am honored to be presented an award by Lily’s Kids and am proud of the work they are doing to promote good habits, heart health, and eating natural local food,” Rep. Miller said.

Lily’s Kids Inc. is a Non-profit Organization for Children is committed to ensuring that all children live healthy, productive lives. We believe it is the right of all children to have a healthy start in life. We support Maternal and Child Health initiatives and evidence based interventions and are especially focused on the prevention and treatment of heart conditions in children. For more information please visit: Lilyskidsinc.org

Heart Yourself engages the youth to learn about healthy lifestyle choices including healthy eating, exercise, and not smoking to help prevent heart disease. Through a combination of age appropriate hands on discussions and activities, children and young adults are exposed to fun and creative ways to keep their hearts healthy. This program was selected for us to present in Washington, DC at the 2012 National Health Promotion Summit in April. Heart Yourself has been brought to all ages from elementary school through college, it is now available for toddler and caregiver groups.

Filed Under: News, Politics, Towns

Sen. Art Linares Tours Chester Firm AeroCision

February 27, 2013 by admin

Sen. Art Linares (left) listens to AeroCision CEO Andrew Gibson during a Feb. 27 tour of the Chester-based manufacturer.

Sen. Art Linares on Feb. 27 toured Chester-based manufacturer AeroCision with CEO Andrew Gibson. Sen. Linares, who serves on the legislature’s Commerce Committee and is a member of the bipartisan Manufacturing Caucus, met with company employees and learned about AeroCision’s operations during the hour-long visit.

AeroCision CEO Andrew Gibson (center left) and Sen. Art Linares (center right) chat with AeroCision employees during Linares’ Feb. 27 tour of the Chester-based manufacturer.

AeroCision (www.aerocision.com) makes and assembles complex aerospace parts involving exotic metals and sophisticated processes. The company has built a reputation for having the best customer service culture in the business, and its employees are known for their superior engineering and machining skills.

“I am doing my very best at the State Capitol to improve our state’s business environment so that small manufacturers like AeroCision can grow and retain jobs,” Sen. Linares said. “It was great to meet AeroCision’s talented employees and to hear directly from Andrew Gibson. When companies like AeroCision succeed, our whole region benefits from that success. As a legislator, I aim to be a voice in Hartford for businesses like AeroCision.”

Sen. Linares plans to reach out to high schools and vocational-technical schools throughout the area to raise awareness about the rewards of choosing manufacturing careers. He has proposed a variety of pro-business legislation, including the elimination of the state’s business entity tax.

Sen. Linares (www.senatorlinares.com) can be reached at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at (800) 842 1421. He represents Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook.

Filed Under: Chester, News, Politics

Se. Art Linares Updates Shoreline Business Leaders

February 26, 2013 by admin

Former Sen. Eileen Daily (left) chats with Sen. Art Linares during the Westbrook Chamber of Commerce’s Feb. 26 breakfast meeting.

Sen. Art Linares (R- Westbrook) provided a legislative update to area business leaders Feb. 26 during the Westbrook Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast meeting at Water’s Edge Resort and Spa.

Sen. Linares discussed his efforts to push pro-business policies at the State Capitol, such as eliminating the state’s business entity tax and putting an end to wasteful state spending. Sen. Linares also stressed the importance of preserving and growing area manufacturing jobs. He said he will be encouraging area high school and vocational-technical students to consider a transition to a manufacturing career as they plan their post-graduation futures.

Filed Under: News

Help Develop Strategic Plan for Essex Library and Win an iPad Mini

February 26, 2013 by admin

Would you like to win an iPad Mini, and help the Essex Library out at the same time? We need your input; the Essex Library Association is developing a strategic plan, which will guide the Library in serving the Essex community for both the next several years and the next generation. A committee headed up by Association President Fred Szufnarowski and Library Director Richard Conroy is working with nationally recognized Library Development Solutions of Princeton, NJ to address challenges specific to the delivery of library services during this period of rapid transition to electronic media.

Community outreach will be a key element of the strategic planning process as the Library develops service models to meet the needs of patrons and residents. We’re asking Essex residents to take a survey, either on line at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Essexlibrary or at the Library, on paper or a computer set up for that purpose. Anyone who takes the survey and provides the Library with their email address will be entered in a drawing for an iPad Mini. If you’ve already taken the survey, and didn’t provide an email, you can enter the drawing by calling the Library and giving your email address to the librarian. Community engagement is critical to the success of this initiative.

Some of the questions to be explored during the planning process include:

What do residents and leaders of Essex expect and need from the library, both now and in the future?
Does the current vision and mission of the library reflect those needs?
What are the contemporary roles of the library for the community’s children, teens, older adults and parents?
How does the library respond with services, collections, staffing, and facilities to meet identified community needs and expected future needs?
How does the library respond to a quickly changing environment in which the issues of library funding, content and collections, and staffing?
What are the challenges and barriers associated with creating the Essex Library of the future?

The consultants will facilitate interviews and workshops with key stakeholders, as needed, to ensure the involvement of the community, staff, ELA Board, and town leaders in order to assess residents’ current awareness and satisfaction with library services, programs, collections and the facility and to discuss their ideas for future library services, collections, programs and facilities. Both online and print surveys may be developed and distributed through which residents can contribute open-ended ideas and feedback to the strategic planning team.

Leslie and Alan Burger of Library Development Solutions have worked with many Connecticut libraries, both municipal and association, consortia and boards throughout the state on strategic planning, facilities and funding projects. The consultants will provide a process that includes the community, staff, and director.

Library Development Solutions was founded in 1991 to assist librarians and library boards with strategic planning, building programs, service program design, improvement and evaluation, community needs assessments, and organizational and staff development. In the past few years, they have interviewed over 5,000 library customers and potential customers in focus group sessions and have surveyed over 25,000 individuals to determine their library and information needs.

For more information or to learn how you can participate in the strategic planning process please contact Richard Conroy at (860) 767-1560.

Filed Under: Essex, News

Letter of Interest Invited: Cedar Lake Concession Stand – Pelletier Park

February 25, 2013 by admin

…or What do Blue Skies, Hot Sand, Cool Water, Hot Dogs and Ice Cream have in common? The Snack Shack at Cedar Lake!

The Town of Chester is accepting letters of interest to operate the Cedar Lake Snack Shack for the 2013 Summer Season. Letters of interest will be accepted through April 10, 2013.

Interested concessionaires should contact the First Selectman’s Office and request a copy of the draft lease agreement for the 2013 season. Concessionaires will be asked to indicate hours of operation, provide a sample menu, staffing levels, and expected equipment to be provided by the concessionaire in the operation of the business. The Board of Selectmen reserves the right to accept or reject any or all of the letters of interest if deemed in the best interest of the Town of Chester.

Filed Under: Chester, News, Town Hall

Tri-Town Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Meeting – Mar. 13

February 22, 2013 by admin

The next meeting of the Tri-Town Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at Tri-Town Youth Services, 56 High Street in Deep River. Membership on this Coalition is open to all who live or work in the tri-town area who are concerned about substance abuse and interested in its prevention.

In addition to ongoing prevention programming in our schools and communities, the tri-town area is currently involved with Healthy Communities ● Healthy Youth, an initiative funded through Middlesex United Way to build youth developmental assets. The Coalition is also engaged in environmental prevention funded through the Drug Free Communities Support Program.

A guest speaker, William Lugo, will address the Coalition at the March 13 meeting to present information regarding the evaluation of the Freshman Transition Event held at Camp Hazen on August 28, 2012. For further information, call Tri-Town at 860-526-3600.

Filed Under: Towns

Essex Winter Series Names Annual Jazz Concert in Honor of Stu Ingersoll

February 21, 2013 by admin

Stu Ingersoll Credit Peter Harron (1)

The Board of Trustees of the Essex Winter Series has announced the naming of its annual jazz concert in honor of longtime Essex resident, former ‘Essex Man of the Year’ and renowned jazz musician, Stu Ingersoll, who retired from the Board last year.

Ten years ago Stu Ingersoll, one of the three founders of the Great Connecticut Traditional Jazz Festival, spearheaded the Essex Winter Series’ expansion of its annual offerings to include a jazz concert. Today this concert is an annual sellout and, thanks to the generosity of a local foundation, has branched out to include an outreach program in the New London public schools.

Originally from Long Island, Stu has lived in Essex for over 50 years. For 37 years he owned and operated the Essex Boat Works, where he hosted an annual Tuba Festival. He renovated ‘Flora’, his signature Oyster Boat, which was renowned for wonderful concert parties on the river – and a piano on her deck.

Stu continues to serve as Chairman of the Essex Zoning Board of Appeals. On the local music scene Stu is a steady fixture. Whether performing regularly on banjo, or tuba, or buying and selling musical instruments – often these days on eBay, or running the Horns for Kids program which provides musical instruments to local schools. Stu seems to be everywhere at once.

At the end of the 2012 concert season, Stu announced his retirement from the Board of Trustees of Essex Winter Series. It was at that time, it was decided to honor Stu by naming the Jazz Concerts in his honor.

Essex Winter Series President, Peter Amos, says, “Essex Winter Series owes so much to Stu. His annual jazz concerts are always tremendously popular, recreating the golden years of jazz of the ‘20s and ‘30s. Stu’s wide circle of friends in the world of jazz make every concert a joyful celebration of music and fellowship. Stu will be at our upcoming concert on March 3rd, to announce the program and introduce the musicians.”

Artistic Director Mihae Lee noted that “[She] will miss his leadership, his dedication to present carefully crafted programs with exciting musicians, and the way in which he has managed to bring jazz into our community to build the audience over the years.”

The first of the Essex Winter Series Stu Ingersoll Jazz Concerts will take place on Sunday, March 3, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. at Valley Regional High School, 256 Kelsey Hill Road in Deep River, CT. featuring the Northeast Traditional Jazz Ensemble with bandleader Scott Philbrick.

More than a decade after their appearance in the Essex Winter Series inaugural jazz concert, the Northeast Traditional Jazz Ensemble with bandleader Scott Philbrick, is back to warm up a chilly winter afternoon with some smokin’ hot jazz. Seven equally outstanding jazz musicians will come together to form the band for this one special concert event. They will take the audience on a journey through the early jazz forms of ragtime and the introduction of improvisation, to New Orleans with the blues and Dixieland, to prohibition-era Big Band, to the much loved Swing. You’ll be dancing in the aisles!

Tickets are $30, discounted student tickets are available for $12. All tickets may be purchased online at www.essexwinterseries.com, by calling 860-272-4572 x1, or at the door.

For more information and directions, please visit www.essexwinterseries.com.

Concert sponsored by Tower Laboratories and The Clark Group.

The Essex Winter Series’ mission is to bring the finest music, in live performance, to the Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Region during the winter months and to cultivate its appreciation to the widest audience.

More information, including details for the 2012-2013 season, can be found at www.essexwinterseries.com or calling (860) 272-4572.

Filed Under: Arts, Essex, News, Towns

Tri-Town Youth Services Announces the Availability of Mini-Grants

February 19, 2013 by admin

Mini grants 2013

Tri-Town Youth Services announces the availability of mini-grants ($500 or less) to local nonprofit organizations in Chester, Deep River, and Essex. Applications are currently available at Tri-Town Youth Services, 56 High Street in Deep River or on the Tri-Town website: www.tritownys.org

A workshop about asset development and the application process will be held at Tri-Town Youth Services, 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. This workshop is required for all first-time applicants. Nonprofit organizations who have previously applied are not required to attend the workshop. Completed applications must be received by Tri-Town by noon on March 22, 2013.

Programs that will be considered for funding are those that build youth assets and take place between May 1 and August 31, 2013. These mini-grants are part of the Healthy Communities ● Healthy Youth of Chester, Deep River, and Essex initiative that is funded through Middlesex United Way. For additional information, please call Gail Onofrio at 860-526-3600.

Filed Under: Community, News, Towns

Reading of Frederick Kirwin Play “Life and Death” in Chester Gallery – Mar. 3

February 15, 2013 by admin

“Portrait of Frederick Kirwin” oil/linen 34” x 30” by Scott Kahn

A reading of an original play written by poet Frederick Kirwin titled “Life and Death” will be performed at the Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Galley, in Chester on March 3, from 4-6 p.m. Seating will open at 3:30 pm, and will “first come – first seated”. $10 donation suggested – BYOB – Bistro Style Seating.
Five New Yorkers gather in a West Village apartment to talk about their lives and their fears of death, suicide and the future as they await the results of a biopsy.

The Pattaconk 1850 Bar and Grille is offering 1/2 off an appetizer and $3.50 for a glass of wine or a beer, before or after the performance.

Visit www.nilssonstudio.com for more information.

Filed Under: Chester

Meehan Announces Chester to Join the CT Solar Challenge

February 14, 2013 by admin

Chester, CT – First Selectman Ed Meehan announced today that the Town of Chester has joined the CT Solar Challenge™, a community-based group purchasing program that promotes the adoption of solar energy through cost reductions and volunteer-driven outreach and education. Chester is one of only four towns selected to participate in the program. The CT Solar Challenge™ program in Chester will run for a limited time, beginning February 28, 2013.

CT Solar Challenge™ presents a new purchasing model. Traditional marketing and advertising costs are virtually eliminated by the outreach, networking and education efforts of volunteers. Group purchasing savings are achieved by installing multiple solar systems in the same geographic area through a pre-selected single source vendor. These savings are passed on to participants who save thousands of dollars on the cost of installing a solar energy system.

Solar energy systems are more affordable than at any point in history. Solar panel prices are at a record low, driven down by heavily subsidized Chinese panels flooding the US market. Participants receive a 35% upfront rebate from the State of CT and a 30% Federal tax credit. Solar systems are also sales tax and property tax exempt, but the window of opportunity is closing.
Connecticut plans to completely eliminate upfront solar rebates in coming months. Residential rebates have been reduced twice in the past nine months. And, the downward trend in panel prices has ended abruptly due to new US Trade Commission tariffs imposed on Chinese panel imports.

Each system installed through the program, will earn the Town of Chester credit towards the installation of a solar system on a town property.

Chris Lenda, President and CEO of Aegis Solar Energy, said that Aegis is excited to be working with Chester and the CT Solar Challenge. The CT Solar Challenge program completely changes the way solar energy systems are currently sold and installed. Lenda said, “I can see the program spreading quickly to other communities as town leaders see the incredible benefits to residents.”

Chester residents and business owners are invited to the kick off of the Chester CT Solar Challenge™ at the first Solar Workshop to be held on February 28, from 7-9 pm at the Chester Meeting House, and may register by visiting CTSolarChallenge.com, clicking “Chester” and filling out the form.

For more information contact:
Gail E. Spence, CEM, LEED Green Associate, DIRECTOR
CT Solar Challenge
1 Research Drive, Suite 2
Branford, CT 06405
800- 505-7419
info@CTSolarChallenge.com
www.CTSolarChallenge.com

Filed Under: Chester, News

A Swashbuckling Party Promised at Connecticut River Museum’s Privateers’ Bash

February 11, 2013 by admin

Free Men of the Sea will lend their voice to the Connecticut River Museum’s Privateers’ Bash on March 2.

Essex, CT – AARRGH! If you are looking for a fun and lively way to let off a bit of winter steam, gather your crew and make plans to head out to the Privateers’ Bash on Saturday, March 2 at the Connecticut River Museum presented by Guilford Savings Bank and Gosling’s Rum. All are invited to come in costume and relive Riverfront history at the seventh annual Bash, a playful nod to the privateers who made their wealth by relieving foreign ships of their valuable cargo during the War of 1812. Grog, grub, music and dancing will fill the exhibit galleries from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm. The Sun Kings, a Caribbean party band, will create the vibe while Free Men of the Sea will sing chanteys and banter about. Savory bites will be provided in-part by Culinary Concerts, Gourmet Galley, La Cuisine Café & Market, and Coffee’s Country Market. Great treasure can be found with great prizes up for raffle plus booty awarded for best costumes. Presenting Sponsors for the event are Guilford Savings Bank and Gosling’s Rum. Benefactor Sponsors are Bogaert Construction Co. and Rachel Thomas Associates. Supporting Sponsors are Clark Group, McChesney Design, Reynolds’ Garage & Marine and Sound Rigging Services. Patron Sponsors include All Pro Automotive, Brown & Brown of CT/McCutcheon Burr & Sons, CCA Services, Drs. McAraw, Cantner & Cantner, Muir Electric, Pages, Inc,. River Valley Oil, Shore Discount Liquor and Tower Landscaping & Design.

A $50 Privateer ticket includes hors d’oeuvres, grog and one complimentary drink. Or take advantage of a two-ticket purchase deal and buy two Privateer tickets for just $80. A $75 Commodore ticket also includes hors d’oeuvres and grog plus an open bar. Net proceeds benefit the Connecticut River Museum. Tickets may be purchased by calling 860-767-8269, online at www.ctrivermuseum.org, or at the door on the evening of the event. The Connecticut River Museum is located at 67 Main Street on the Essex waterfront. It is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to lead in the study, preservation and celebration of the cultural and natural heritage of the Connecticut River and its valley.

Filed Under: Essex, News

Gov. Malloy Declares State of Civil Preparedness Emergency

February 8, 2013 by admin

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HARTFORD, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy declared a state of emergency at 11.45 a.m. Friday in preparation for the coming blizzard which is anticipated to heavily impact the state Friday and Saturday. In addition, the Governor announced that limited access highways may be subject to closure as early as noon Friday. The Governor is asking all residents to limit nonessential travel.

“People need to take this storm seriously. If current predictions are accurate, we will need people to stay off the roads so that emergency personnel and utility crews can get to the places they need to get to, and to make sure that our plows can keep critical roadways clear,” Governor Malloy said. “Please stay home once the weather gets bad except in the case of real emergency.”

A Declaration of Emergency provides the Governor with a number of emergency powers, including:

The ability to modify or suspend any state statute, regulation, or requirement (for example: altering work hours, waiving licensing requirements, etc.)
The ability to order civil preparedness forces into action
The ability to designate vehicle and person routes and movements

View emergency declaration: Governor Malloy’s Declaration of Emergency

Filed Under: News, Towns

Obituary: Richard F. Schneller – 5 Feb. 2013

February 7, 2013 by admin

Richard F. Schneller

Richard F. Schneller passed away February 5, 2013 at his home in Palm Desert, CA. He was 90 years old. Schneller was born in New York City, the son of Julius and Helen Efros Schneller. His only sibling, Marjorie, died in 2007. He spent his first 13 years in Plainfield, NJ. The family moved to Essex, CT in 1935 where his parents relocated The Verplex Company, manufacturers of lampshades.

Schneller served as Chairman of the Essex Democratic Town Committee, 1971-1978, was a member of the Essex Board of Finance, past member and chairman of the Regional District # 4 Board of Education.

Read full obituary in the Hartford Courant

Filed Under: Essex, Obituaries

Jay Mills of Essex Elected to Middlesex United Way Board

February 5, 2013 by admin

ESSEX— William “Jay” Mills, financial advisor for The Oakley Wing Group at Morgan Stanley in Essex, was elected to the Middlesex United Way Board of Directors at the organization’s annual meeting Jan. 29.

After graduating from Hobart College in 2008 with a double major in economics and environmental studies, Mills began his career as a financial advisor in at Merrill Lynch in New York City, with a focus on helping everyday people understand complex economic, market, and financial planning issues in a language that makes sense. In 2010 he moved his practice to Essex to join a wealth management team that shared his values, and to be a part of a small, tight-knit community to which he could contribute. Mills also serves as treasurer of the Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce.

Middlesex United Way is a locally based organization dedicated to strengthening lives, helping people, and improving community conditions in the fifteen towns in Middlesex County. Middlesex United Way serves the towns of Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook. To learn more, visit middlesexunitedway.org or facebook.com/middlesexunitedway.

Filed Under: Essex, News

Linares – Working to Grow Latino Businesses

February 4, 2013 by admin

State Sen. Art Linares (left) at the State Capitol complex with former Hartford State Rep. Art Feltman (center) and Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) Executive Director Julio Mendoza (at right)

State Sen. Art Linares on Feb. 4 met at the State Capitol complex with former Hartford State Rep. Art Feltman and Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) Executive Director Julio Mendoza to discuss policies which can help Connecticut small businesses grow jobs.

Sen. Linares is trying to make Connecticut more business-friendly by eliminating the state’s business entity tax, which is currently paid by more than 118,000 Connecticut businesses.

The Spanish American Merchants Association (www.samact.org), is a Connecticut non-profit organization created to assist business people, in particular Latinos, to acquire a better understanding of economic principles. The organization seeks to promote business expansion, job creation, economic growth, and new entrepreneurship. The group now boasts the membership of more than 500 Hispanic business owners and organizations statewide.

Sen. Linares (www.senatorlinares.com) can be reached at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421. He represents Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook.

Filed Under: News, Politics, Towns

Essex Savings Bank Reports Increased Earnings in 161st Year

February 1, 2013 by admin

Essex, CT– Essex Savings Bank held its semi-annual Trustees Meeting Monday, January 28, 2013 at the Bank’s Plains Road office in Essex. Bank Chairman, Mr. Kenneth Gibble, welcomed the attendees and stated that he was proud to preside at the completion of our 161 st year.

Mr. Gregory R. Shook, President and CEO, reported on the Bank’s performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, “I am pleased to report that this was one of our best and most profitable years with earnings slightly ahead of last year with a net income of $2 million. Bank assets grew by $16 million to $314 million. While core deposits rose 8.7 %, credit quality remained strong and capital increased by $2 million to $38.6 million – far exceeding regulatory requirements. Our branches continue to attract new relationships and our new branches in Madison and Chester are operating ahead of our projections. During the year, the bank generated over $76 million in loans which were comprised of both residential and business loans. We are also proud to report that our Trust Department, led by professionals, Granville Morris and Moira Martin, has brought assets under management to over $267 million. As part of our Bank’s success, we will again be distributing 10% of our after-tax net income or $258,000 to non-profits in our market area. By year end, we will have contributed back to the community in excess of $3.7 million over the past 17 years.”

Mr. John W. Rafal, President of Essex Financial Services, reported that this year was one of their best performances with fiscal year revenue up 11%. Gross revenue for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012 was $17 million. Assets under management grew to over $4 billion at fiscal year end. Mr. Rafal noted, “I am proud to report that the firm is now operating as one of the top 25 independent Broker Dealers in the country.”

Essex Savings Bank is a FDIC insured, state chartered, mutual savings bank established in 1851. The Bank serves the Connecticut River Valley and shoreline with six offices in Essex (2), Chester, Madison, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook. Financial, estate, insurance and retirement planning are offered throughout the state by the Bank’s Trust Department and subsidiary, Essex Financial Services, Inc, Member FINRA, SIPC. Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not a deposit, have no Bank guarantee and are not insured by any Federal Government Agency.

Filed Under: News, Towns

Greenleaf Music Award Recipient Announced – Pivate Lessons at CMS

January 31, 2013 by admin

Jenna Wilson of Niantic. Recipient of the Spring 2013 Carolyn R. Greenleaf Music Award

The selection committee for the Carolyn R. Greenleaf Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County has chosen violinist Jenna Wilson of Niantic as the recipient of the Spring 2013 Carolyn R. Greenleaf Music Award.

This award is given each semester to a high school junior or senior who has demonstrated exceptional musical ability and motivation, and represents a semester of private lessons at the Community Music School in Centerbrook.

This semester’s winner, Jenna Wilson, is a student of violin teacher Martha Herrle at the Community Music School, where she has served as Concertmaster of the CMS String Ensemble since 2010. A senior at East Lyme High School, Jenna plays in the school orchestra. She also performs as a volunteer for various nursing homes and senior centers. She has received several awards for her musical achievement, both at East Lyme High School and the Community Music School.

The Carolyn R. Greenleaf Memorial Fund was established at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County in 2008 by her friends to honor Greenleaf’s dedication to music and education. The Carolyn Greenleaf Memorial Music Award is open to students of Middlesex County and the Lymes and is awarded each semester. It is entirely based on merit, and is the only such award at the Community Music School. The deadline for applications for the Fall semester will be announced in July. The application may be downloaded from the websites of the Community Music School (www.community-music-school.org) and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (www.middlesexcountycf.org).

Community Music School is an independent, nonprofit school which provides a full range of the finest possible instruction and musical opportunities to persons of all ages and abilities, increasing appreciation of music and encouraging a sense of joy in learning and performing, thus enriching the life of the community.

Community Foundation of Middlesex County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Middlesex County. Working with charitably-minded individuals and organizations to build permanent endowments since 1997, the Community Foundation has provided 850 grants totaling more than $2.5 million to organizations for the arts, cultural and heritage programs, educational activities, environmental improvements, and for health and human services. For more information, contact us at 860.347.0025 or info@MiddlesexCountyCF.org.

Filed Under: Arts, News, Towns

‘Big Book Club Getaway’ Announces New Prices, $50 Either Day

January 25, 2013 by admin

More than 40 bestselling and award-winning authors and presenters will converge at Mohegan Sun on Feb. 1-2, 2013 for The Big Book Club Getaway, which will benefit The Alzheimer’s Association.

Speakers include:

Yale Professor Carlos Eire, a winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction;
Leeza Gibbons, iconic American talk show host, author and philanthropist;
Brad Meltzer, #1 bestselling political suspense author and host of the History Channel TV show “Decoded;”
Tess Gerritsen, creator of the Rizzoli & Isles series on TNT;
Patricia Schultz, author of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,”
and several other renowned writers and experts.

A variety of genres will be represented, including: memoir, sports, history, cooking, children’s, travel, health, mystery, romance, fiction, and non-fiction.

Guests will hear authors on the main stage and in concurrent break-out sessions, such as

an “All Star Mystery/Suspense Panel,” including J.A. Jance, Hallie Ephron, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Tess Gerritsen;
a panel of sex therapists from the Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment on the “Fifty Shades of Grey” phenomenon;
five Harvard Health Publication physicians discussing relationships, stress management, brain power and creativity;
Tish Rabe, bestselling children’s book author of The Cat in the Hat Learning Library series;
Julia Usher, Vice President of the International Association of Culinary Professionals;
a Valentine’s romance-themed panel with Harlequin Intrigue;
The History Press panel;
and a sports panel moderated by Rick Wolff, host of The Sports Edge on WFAN Radio (NY) and Executive Editor of Grand Central Publishing.

Authors from Random House, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group, Penguin, Alfred A. Knopf, Workman Press, Crown, Gibbs Smith, and other leading publishers will discuss and sign their books.

Local authors will also share their work at rotating stations.

The Big Book Club Getaway is sponsored by Mohegan Sun, Chicken Soup for the Soul and CT Humanities. The event coincides with Mohegan Sun’s very popular Diva Nights program.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013; Publisher and author, Amy Newmark will speak on the power of storytelling and positive thinking, providing complimentary books for all attendees.

Discussion leaders from CT Humanities, Bank Square Books, Random House, and Reading Group Guides will lead an interactive conversation about book clubs and contemporary issues.

Kristin van Ogtrop, Managing Editor of Real Simple will talk about juggling her role at the magazine with the challenges of motherhood.

The Alzheimer’s Association will receive a portion of the proceeds from The Big Book Club Getaway. A primary objective of the event is to further awareness and education about this devastating disease, which impacts over 5.4 million Americans each year, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Kristen Cusato, former WTNH anchorperson, and Southwest Regional Director of the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter will emcee Friday night’s program.

UCLA neuroscientist and author of “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program,” Gary Small, M.D., will take part in the event and explain his research; Dr. Small is a frequent expert guest on the national talk show circuit and news programs, including: The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS, and CNN.

The Big Book Club Getaway expands upon the traditional living room book club concept where small groups of people gather together to discuss popular titles, such as works by:

Mary McGarry Morris, “Songs in Ordinary Time,” which was made into a CBS movie;
Erika Marks, “Little Gale Gumbo” and “The Mermaid Collector;”
David Gillham, “City of Women;”
Patricia Harman, “The Midwife of Hope River,”
Susan Conley, “The Foremost Good Fortune,” a top ten reads selection by “O, The Oprah Magazine.”

The Big Book Club Share, presented by CT Humanities, will create an opportunity for a large-scale discussion.

The Big Book Club Getaway is where pop culture, brains, books and fun all come together in one interactive platform.

Gwen Lawrence, yoga instructor for the New York Giants will lead The Big Yoga Class.
A museum curator and professors from Yale, Harvard, UConn, NYU, UCLA, Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac, University of Hartford and University of Bridgeport will provide intellectual content.

Guests can enjoy all that Mohegan Sun has to offer such as, gaming, shopping, fine dining and spa services. The Big Book Club Boulevard will include various exhibitors, such as artists, publishers, health/beauty/ fashion retailers, and non-profit and educational agencies.

Each guest will go home with a gift bag packed full of books, Real Simple magazine, and product samples with a total value of over $50.

Visit www.thebigbookclub.org for more information and to register for the event.

News and regular updates will be posted on the event Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebigbookclubgetaway .

Filed Under: News

Middlesex County Youth to Experience Homelessness for a Night

January 25, 2013 by admin

Young people from across Middlesex County are going to brave January’s cold and sleep outdoors Saturday, Jan. 26, as part of a program to educate people about the existence and conditions of homelessness in the community.

The fourth annual Homelessness Awareness Discussion and Sleep-Out will kick off in two locations at 6:45 p.m. at South Congregational Church on Main Street in Middletown and at 6 p.m. the St. Joseph’s Church in Chester. The event is sponsored by 10 faith-based organizations in collaboration with the Middlesex County Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (MCCHH), which is implementing a Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in the county.

The teens will hear first-hand about the ordeal of homelessness from several people who are currently or formerly homeless and be able to ask questions. A simple soup and bread dinner will be served.

“The biggest thing they take away is that these homeless people are real; they are just like them,” said Jim Tabor, youth ministry coordinator for St. Joseph’s, which this year will have 10 teens joining the sleep-out. “There were circumstances that drove them to homelessness, some within their control and some not. And they learn just how difficult homelessness is.”

Youth participants then will to spend the night outside. In the past, some of them have chosen to sleep in their cars without heat, build cardboard shelters or just spread their sleeping bags on tarps on the frozen ground.

The Middlesex County Coalition on Housing and Homelessness was formed in late 2007 to execute the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness. Over the past year, 56 “Housing First” supportive housing units were created to house formerly chronically-homeless individuals and 170 households, including more than 230 children, have been helped through the flexible homelessness prevention fund.

Despite some positive signs, homelessness in Middlesex County increased from 2010 to 2011, due largely to the ongoing recession, and is affecting new segments of the population. According to figures from January 2011, there were 248 people including 159 single adults and 37 families with 52 children in Middlesex County experiencing homelessness, a 15 percent increase over 2010.

Out of the 248 homeless people, 43 percent had never been homeless before. In Middlesex County, 43 percent of adults in families cited domestic violence as a contributing cause of homelessness, while 25 percent of families reported rent problems or eviction as the reason they left their last residence. Ten percent of the total included chronically homeless people, adults with disabling conditions who had been homeless for a year or more or who had at least four episodes of homelessness during the past three years. The remaining 90 percent experienced situational homelessness caused by a crisis such as job loss, foreclosure or illness and typically return to permanent housing within 30 days of becoming homeless.

Through the creation of permanent supportive housing, the operation of a Homelessness Prevention Fund, the development of outreach and education programs to help homeless people find and retain jobs, and improving coordination of services for the homeless, the Coalition is dedicated to achieving its goal of “An End In Ten”— eradicating the tragedy of homelessness from our communities by 2018.

For more information on the Middlesex Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness visit www.AnEndInTen.org or www.facebook.com/anendinten.

Filed Under: Community, News

Deep River Rotary 3rd Annual Antiques and Collectibles Auction – Apr. 6

January 23, 2013 by admin

Deep River Rotary will be sponsoring its 3rd annual antiques and collectibles auction on April 6, 2013 at the Deep River Congregational Church on Main Street in Deep River from 6-9 p.m.

We are asking people to consign or donate antiques and collectibles to be auctioned with a percentage of the profits to be a tax deductible donation to the Deep River Rotary Club for its works both in the local community and abroad. If you are not familiar with what a Rotary club does here is a little information about us.

Rotary International has 1.2 million members. Members believe it starts with a commitment to Service Above Self. In more than 34,000 clubs worldwide, you’ll find members volunteering in communities at home and abroad to support education and job training, provide clean water, combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, and eradicate polio!!

If you wish to DONATE OR CONSIGN items please contact Quality Collectibles on Main Street in Deep River at 860-526-8343. Items will be accepted up and until April 2nd.

antique auction 2013 (1)

Filed Under: Deep River

Haddam to Receive $2.55 mil. to Rebuild Bridge

January 22, 2013 by admin

A $2.55 million rehabilitation of the bridge along Route 9 northbound over Nedobity Road (Bridge 3290) has been included in the State Bond Commission January agenda and will be voted on Friday, January 25, 2013.

Representative Philip Miller (D-Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Haddam) was pleased to learn of the large infrastructure renewal sum being bonded to the 36th district. “It has been tough enough to mitigate a big deficit with our state. In response to our state budget issues the legislature has had to defer maintenance for our aging infrastructure. Luckily, we have been able to prioritize to take care of bridges like this one that need our attention. It takes financial discipline to do this, but it is in all of our interest to protect the public’s safety.”

There are four projects included in the Public Act #57, 2011 under item #27 giving $16.75 million from the Department of Transportation in Special Tax Obligation Bonds to municipalities for state bridge improvement, rehabilitation and replacement projects. These projects are projected to create or retain approximately 351 construction related jobs. The three other bridge rehabilitation projects mentioned in this item are in Plymouth, Seymour, and Derby.

Filed Under: News

Community Music School Hosts Open House Week Feb 4-8

January 22, 2013 by admin

CMS

CENTERBROOK – Community Music School, located in the Spencer’s Corner professional complex at 90 Main Street in Centerbrook, welcomes the general public to visit during Open House Week February 4 through 8. Children and adults can tour the School’s studios, meet teachers and staff, enjoy a FREE preview lesson, and learn about a vast array of programs including private and group lessons, musical theater, the Kindermusik early childhood program, an exciting new summer performing arts camp, and music therapy services. Community Music School is open from 9 am to 7 pm weekdays. Those interested in a 15-minute preview lesson are requested to call 860-767-0026 for scheduling.

Community Music School offers innovative music programming for infants through adults, building on a 30 year tradition of providing quality music instruction to residents of shoreline communities. CMS programs cultivate musical ability and creativity and provide students with a thorough understanding of music so that they can enjoy playing and listening for their entire lives.

For additional information visit www.community-music-school.org or call 860-767-0026.

Filed Under: Essex

The Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation Awards $300K for Breast Cancer Research

January 22, 2013 by admin

The Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation (TBBCF) was established in 2006 by two friends, Norma Logan (1958-2006) and Sandy Maniscalco who realized the need for a new kind of non-profit that dedicates 100% of gross fundraising dollars to breast cancer research. The Foundation is named for Terri Brodeur, a local Old Saybrook mother of three young children and victim of breast cancer.

In just seven short years, TBBCF has granted $2.4 million for breast cancer research. This year, the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee has issued grants to outstanding researchers from the Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute-Harvard. Each recipient will receive a $100K research grant.

The three recipients are dedicating their careers to research that can improve care and ultimately find a cure for breast cancer. Their research will include protein involvement in breast cancer development that will lead to new breast cancer therapies, breast cancer initiation mechanisms which will improve early breast cancer detection and prevention, and why tumors become resistant to certain drugs.

TBBCF has provided funding of 24 grants to promising researchers by honoring its promise that 100% of gross fundraising dollars goes directly to breast cancer research. The Foundation raises the majority of its funding through its annual Walk Across Southeastern CT which will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2013. For more information about the Walk, the Foundation, or to make a contribution, please visit www.tbbcf.org, mail to tbbcf@sbcglobal.net or call 860-245-0402.

Filed Under: News

Sen. Art Linares Attends Middlesex County Chamber Gathering

January 18, 2013 by admin

LinaresJan18mdlsxcmbr

Sen. Art Linares (right) listens to the concerns of an area business owner during the Jan. 18 Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast.

Sen. Linares, who serves on the Commerce and Banks Committees in the state legislature, is proposing a host of pro-business initiatives, including the elimination of the state’s business entity tax. Sen. Linares, who co-founded a renewable energy company based in Middletown when he was 19 years old, said he hopes he will gain support for his proposal from legislators on both sides of the political aisle as well as from business owners in his district.

Sen. Linares (www.senatorlinares.com ) represents the 33rd Senate District, which includes Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. He can be reached at Art.Linares@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421.

Filed Under: News, Politics

Chester Village Foundation Scholarship Recipients Share Experiences

January 17, 2013 by admin

Kym Mayer, Graduate of Penn State University; Parker Hutchinson, University of New Haven; Don O’Boyle, UConn; Luke Chase, Cornerstone University; Gabriel Chase, Graduate of Wheaton College; Jordan Saintil, Endicott College; and Dieny Charlot, Graduate of Southern Conn. State University (Photo courtesy of Chester Village West).

Chester Village Foundation provided more than $20,000 in scholarships to employees, and children of employees. At a recent event at Chester Village, students and former students came together to share their experiences while in college and on the job since their graduations from school.

Filed Under: Chester, News

Essex Savings Bank to Contribute $257,991 to Charity

January 15, 2013 by admin

Essex Savings Bank President & CEO Gregory R. Shook

Essex, CT, January 15, 2013 – -Gregory R. Shook, President & Chief Executive Officer of Essex Savings Bank announced today, “We are extremely proud to report available contributions of $257,991 from our Community Investment Program in our 162^nd year”. The Bank annually commits 10% of its after tax net income to qualifying organizations within the immediate market area consisting of Chester, Deep River, Essex, Lyme, Madison, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook. This program provides financial support to over 200 non-profit organizations who offer outstanding services to the ever-increasing needs of our communities. By year end, a total of $3,673,544 will have been distributed since inception in 1996. Essex Savings Bank customers determine 30% of the fund allocations each year by voting directly for three of their favorite causes, charities or organizations who have submitted applications to participate. Ballots will be available at all Essex Savings Bank Offices between February 1 and March 15 to determine an allocation of $77,397. The Bank’s Directors, Senior Officers and Branch Managers distribute the remaining 70%, or $180,594.

Organizations (71) qualifying to appear on the 2013 ballot includes:

Act II Thrift Shop, Inc. * Bikes For Kids, Inc. * Bushy Hill Nature Center * Camp Claire, Inc. * Camp Hazen YMCA * Cappella Cantorum * Chester Historical Society * Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, Inc. * Common Good Gardens, Inc. * Community Music School * Con Brio Choral Society, Inc. * Connecticut Audubon Society Eco Travel * The Connecticut River Museum At Steamboat Dock * The Country School, Inc. * Deep River Ambulance Association, Inc. * Deep River Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, Inc. * Essex Community Fund, Inc. * Essex Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, Inc. * Essex Garden Club, Inc. * Essex Historical Society, Inc. * Essex Library Association * Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. – Meals on Wheels * Florence Griswold Museum *Forgotten Felines, Inc. * Friends In Service Here (F.I.S.H.) * Friends of Hammonasset, Inc. * Friends of Madison Youth, Inc. * Friends of the Acton Public Library * Friends of the Chester Public Library, Inc. * Friends of the Deep River Public Library, Inc. * Friends of the Valley Railroad, Inc. * Graduation Night, Inc. – Old Saybrook * Hope Partnership, Inc. * Ivoryton Library Association * Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation, Inc. * Literacy Volunteers – Valley Shore, CT, Inc. * Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts * Lyme Ambulance Association, Inc. * Lyme Art Association, Inc. * Lyme Consolidated School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) * The Lyme Fire Company, Inc. * Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc. * Lyme-Old Lyme Education Foundation * Lyme-Old Lyme Junior Women’s Club (LOLJWC) * Lyme Public Hall Association, Inc. * Lyme Public Library, Inc. * Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau * Madison Ambulance Association, Inc. * Madison Historical Society, Inc. * Maritime Education Network, Inc. * Old Lyme Fire Department, Inc. * Old Lyme Historical Society, Inc. * Old Lyme Land Trust, Inc. * Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Association * Old Lyme South End Volunteer Association, Inc. * Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. * Old Saybrook Community Foundation, Inc. * Old Saybrook Education Foundation * Old Saybrook Fire Company Number One, Inc. * Old Saybrook Historical Society * Pet Connections, Inc. * Ruth Ann Heller Music Foundation * Scranton Library, Madison (E.C. Scranton Memorial Library) * The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries * Tait’s Every Animal Matters (TEAM) * Tracy Art Center, Inc. * Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau, Inc. * Valley Shore Animal Welfare League * Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center, Inc. * Westbrook Project Graduation, Inc. * Westbrook Youth and Family Services, Inc.

Essex Savings Bank is a FDIC insured, state chartered, mutual savings bank established in 1851. The Bank serves the Lower Connecticut River Valley with six offices in Chester, Essex (2), Madison, Old Lyme, and Old Saybrook. Financial, estate, insurance and retirement planning are offered throughout the state by the Bank’s Trust Department and subsidiary, Essex Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC. Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities are not FDIC insured, may lose value, are not a deposit, have no Bank guarantee and are not insured by any Federal Government Agency.

Filed Under: Community, Essex, News

Essex Books is a World Book Night Site

January 11, 2013 by admin

World Book Night is April 23, 2013. Essex Books at Gather, 104 Main Street, Ivoryton, will be a World Book Night site again this year!

Apply to be a World Book Night book giver by January 23 through the World Book Night site www.us.worldbooknight.org and request to pick up your books at Essex Books!

Filed Under: Essex, News

Stae Senator Art Linares Begins Work at State Capitol

January 9, 2013 by admin

LinaresJan9oath

Sen. Art Linares takes the oath of office on the first day of the 2013 session of the Connecticut General Assembly. The 24 year old Westbrook resident represents the 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook. Linares has been named Ranking Member of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Banks Committee and Ranking Member of the Select Committee on Children. Linares will also serve on the Commerce and Education Committees. His website iswww.senatorlinares.com and he can be reached at 800 842 1421.

View video of Sen. Art Linares’ address during opening day of the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2013 Legislative Session at this link:

http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/2013/01/sen-linares-introduces-his-family-during-opening-day-of-session-video/

Filed Under: News, Politics

Con Brio Youth Choir Auditions to be Held in Feb. 2 & 9

January 8, 2013 by admin

Con Brio Choral Society

CENTERBROOK – Community Music School and Con Brio Choral Society present the Con Brio Youth Choir, directed by Lisa Feltes, for students in grades 3 through 8. The Con Brio Youth Choir is a three part choir that will bring together young voices from throughout the community to perform John Rutter’s beautifully written Mass of the Children at Con Brio’s spring concert on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

Auditions are February 2 and 9 at Community Music School, 90 Main Street, Centerbrook and reservations can be made by calling 860-767-0026. Upon acceptance, there is a $25 registration fee. Rehearsals begin Saturday, March 9 and continue on Saturday mornings (9:30-10:45 am.) through April 20 (no rehearsal March 30). Two additional dress rehearsals are scheduled for April 23 and 25 at Christ the King Church in Old Lyme from 6:30 to 8 pm.

Lisa Feltes has been working with children for over 30 years. She has directed the Children’s Choirs at First Congregational Church of Old Lyme for the past 12 years, is director of Saint Nickolas Songsters for Make We Joy, and presently teaches general/vocal music for pre K-8 in the Preston Public Schools.

For additional information, please visit www.community-music-school.org or www.conbrio.org

Filed Under: News

Rotary Clubs buy Freezer for the Estuary

January 8, 2013 by admin

Pictured from left to right are: John Donnelly, OS Rotary; Keith Wescovitch, President OS Rotary; Gerri Lewis, President-elect OS Rotary; Paula Ferrara, Executive Director ESCI; Maria Varga, President Clinton Rotary; Kevin Brewer, President Deep River Rotary and Bill McLaughlin, OS Rotary.

Recently The Rotary Club of Old Saybrook became aware of a desperate need for a new heavy duty shelf freezer for The Estuary Council of Seniors Inc. at the Old Saybrook facility. A heavy duty freezer is an integral piece of equipment used in the storage of meals in support of the “Meals on Wheels” program. ESCI provides nearly 100,000 meals a year to folks in The Estuary region.

After learning of The Estuary’s need for a new freezer, The Rotary Club of Old Saybrook applied for a matching grant from the Foundation of Rotary District 7980 www.rotary7980.org for money to replace the freezer. A grant in the amount of $2,500.00 was awarded. The Rotary Club of Old Saybrook then invited the Rotary Clubs in The Estuary District to join in this effort. The Rotary Clubs of Chester, Clinton, Essex, and Deep River each contributed $500.00, with The Rotary Club of Old Saybrook www.osrotary.org making up the difference to provide ESCI with $5,200.00 to purchase and install the new freezer.

The freezer has been purchased, installed and is in full operation, doing its job of storing the meals for “Meals on Wheels.”

Filed Under: News

Shoreline Bus Usage Continues to Grow

January 7, 2013 by admin

Once again 9 Town Transit has seen large growth in ridership. Extended service hours, regional connections, new service in Haddam and improved awareness contributed to growth of 15% during 2012.

Since 2009, 9 Town Transit has greatly expanded the reach and hours of its services. Public bus service is now available from the shoreline to New Haven, New London, Middletown and Hartford, all for a fare of $1.50. Most services now begin around 6:00 AM and end at 7:00 PM or later. Connections are offered to four neighboring transit systems.

In addition to service improvements, 9 Town Transit has been actively promoting awareness of public transit options in the region. This has included a new website, brightly painted buses, bus stop signage throughout the region, print advertising and participations in community events.

These factors contributed to a total annual ridership of just under 98,500 passenger trips, an 83% increase since 2009. About half of all trips are now work related. All services are open to the general public.

Additional information, route maps and schedules are available online at www.9towntransit.com or by calling 9 Town Transit at 860-510-0429.

Filed Under: News, Towns

Free Opera at the Library, Pavarotti – Jan. 21

January 7, 2013 by admin

Singers Aprile Millo and Luciano Pavarotti in Verdi’s opera Un Ballo In Maschera, which will screen at the Essex Library Monday January 21 at 2 p.m. (Photo Metropolitan Opera)

Singers Aprile Millo and Luciano Pavarotti in Verdi’s opera Un Ballo In Maschera. (Photo Metropolitan Opera)

Everybody loves Luciano, the golden-voiced tenor whose popularity crossed nearly every musical genre. The Essex Library presents a classic 1991 performance of Verdi’s Un Ballo In Maschera filmed at the Metropolitan Opera and featuring Luciano Pavarotti and Aprile Millo, conducted by James Levine on Monday January 21 at 2 p.m. Enjoy this grand-scale feature and the magnificent voices of these opera greats on our big screen and fabulous Bose sound system.

No registration is necessary, and the program is free and open to all, so bring your music-loving friends. The Essex Library is at 33 West Avenue.

Filed Under: Essex

Sailing Across the Atlantic – Essex Couple Tell Story at Essex Library – Jan. 22

January 4, 2013 by admin

Bob and Valerie Van Houten (center and right) on the boat they sailed across the Atlantic from Essex, CT to England in 1976.

Ever dream of sailing a small boat across the ocean? Enjoy an illustrated armchair cruise with a husband and wife team who did exactly that at the Essex Library, Tuesday January 22 at 7 p.m. when Bob and Valerie Van Houten will share their harrowing account of delivering a 38 foot sailboat 3,000 miles from Essex to England in 1976.

The boat was built for one person to race, and was very, very basic, and the crew of five included a teenaged brother and sister. The Van Houtens agree their adventure was “a pretty rough voyage”, but the experience of a lifetime.

The program is free and open to all; the Essex Library is at 33 West Avenue. Please call for more information or to register for this program.

Filed Under: Essex

Deep River’s First Selectman Participates in the “Share the Love” Campaign

January 4, 2013 by admin

Deep River First Selectman, Richard Smith joined the “Share the Love” Meals on Wheels Holiday Campaign by personally delivering a meal

Deep River’s very own First Selectman, Richard Smith joined the “Share the Love” Meals on Wheels Holiday Campaign by personally delivering a meal. Selectman Smith is just one of many special guests paying visits to seniors this holiday season during the Subaru and Meals on Wheels of America national “Share the Love” campaign.

The Meals on Wheels Program delivered nearly 60,000 nutritious meals to seniors in Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Old Lyme, Lyme, Killingworth, Madison, Essex, Deep River, Clinton and Chester this past year.

Locally Reynolds Subaru of Lyme has partnered with the Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc., in helping to make this holiday season a bit special for seniors along the shoreline. They have donated the use of one of their automobiles to be used throughout the six week campaign for meal delivery by members of their own family, staff and many civic groups. The campaign continues through the new year with local Rotary Clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Vista Volunteers and First Selectmen from all the shoreline towns paying visits to seniors as they deliver meals along with holiday cards and plants donated by area nurseries.

As one of the five Subaru “Share the Love” event charitable partners, the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is awarding $200,000 in “Share the Love” grants to local Meals on Wheels programs that partner with Subaru dealerships in the fight to end senior hunger. The Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. is eligible to win a MOWAA-Subaru “Share the Love” grant of up to $35,000 to help provide hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors in all ten towns it serves. Hayden Reynolds is spearheading a “matching funds competition” and hopes that many other local businesses will join him. If you are interested in providing a tax deductible financial match or a partial match to the grant they hope will be awarded to The Estuary Council of Seniors please contact Sandy at 860 388-1611.

Filed Under: Deep River, News

Deep River Fire Department Holds Annual Election of Officers

January 3, 2013 by admin

The Deep River Fire Department held it’s Annual Election Officers on January 2, 2013. The results of those elections are as follows;

Chief: Timothy Lee
Deputy Chief: James Budney
Assistant Chief: Timothy Ballantyne
Assistant Chief: Robert Raymond
Chief Engineer: Jack White
Secretary: John Kollmer Sr.
Treasurer: James Dee Jr.
Trustee: Richard Sypher

If you are interest in becoming a member of the Deep River Volunteer Fire Department please visit our their website, www.deepriverfd.com, for full details or stop by the firehouse any Wednesday evening.

Filed Under: Deep River, News

Campaign Ends with Students Delivering Meals to Seniors

January 2, 2013 by admin

2012 DecShare the Love12

After four weeks of participation by the ten shoreline first selectmen, local rotary clubs, VISTA volunteers and Reynolds Subaru family and staff delivering meals to seniors, area students took their turn at bringing holiday cheer to shoreline seniors on December 19th.

Area Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops along with Old Saybrook and Westbrook Interact Club students gathered at the Estuary Council of Seniors in Old Saybrook to prepare for their distribution of holiday gifts. The students delivered meals to 250 Meals on Wheels Shoreline seniors along with holiday cards made by them. They also presented the residents with poinsettias and other holiday plants donated by Grove Gardens and Clinton Nurseries of Clinton, VanWilgens of North Branford, Riggio’s of Essex and the Old Saybrook Walmart store.

Estuary volunteers and staff, including Executive Director, Paula Ferrara, Bill McLaughlin from the Old Saybrook Rotary Club, VISTA volunteers and Westbrook First Selectman Noel Bishop were on hand to serve hot chocolate and donuts to the students and to thank them for their time and effort in making the holidays a little brighter for shoreline seniors.

Filed Under: News

Chantey Blast To Benefit Connecticut River Museum – Jan 15

December 28, 2012 by admin

Top chantey singers Rick Spencer (above), Geoff Kaufman, Dan Quinn and Joseph Morneault will perform at Chantey Blast to benefit the Connecticut River Museum on January 15.

Essex, CT – When word got out that the Connecticut River Museum had sustained severe flood damage from Hurricane Sandy, area maritime musicians decided to rally for the cause and put on a benefit concert to raise funds to help offset the $70,000 of repair expense. Chantey Blast, scheduled for Tuesday, January 15 at the Centerbrook Meeting House, will feature some of New England’s top sea chantey singers in a rollicking celebration of the Connecticut River. The concert will showcase the many talents of musicians Rick Spencer, Dan Quinn, Geoff Kaufman and Joseph Morneault and others in both solo performances and group arrangements. The event kicks off at 6:00 pm with a chantey man “meet and greet” and a bit of libation followed by the show from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The Centerbrook Meeting House is located at 51 Main Street in the Centerbrook section of Essex . Parking and seating is limited so come early. The suggested donation is $20 but all are welcome. The Connecticut River Museum is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the cultural and natural heritage of the Connecticut River and its valley. For more information, go to www.ctrivermuseum.org or call 860.767.8269.

Filed Under: Essex

Essex Library Presents “The Building Next Door” – Jan. 11

December 28, 2012 by admin

The Nationale-Nederlanden building by Frank Gehry, built in Prague, Czech Republic, known as “Fred and Ginger” for its resemblance to a dancing couple, is one of the designs featured in “The Building Next Door” with John Dixon, FAIA, on January 11th at 7 PM at Essex Town Hall, part of Essex Library’s Centerbrook Architects Lecture Series.

The Essex Library presents “The Building Next Door: How Architecture Relates To Its Context”, a talk by John Morris Dixon, FAIA, part of the continuing Centerbrook Architects Lecture Series, Friday January 11th at 7 PM at Essex Town Hall.

Every building is necessarily related to its surroundings, whether natural or constructed. But the pioneers of Modern architecture rarely gave much thought to neighboring buildings, because their ultimate goal was to replace them all. Around the 1960s, architects began to realize that the context of their works was going to stay around a while. Their designs increasingly took into account the scale, proportions, and materials of nearby structures, as well as established patterns of physical development. In some cases the pendulum swung too far, and “contextualism” was understood as a making new construction look just like its neighbors. Thoughtful contrast can be as effective a response to context as conformity. This talk will deal with revealing examples of architecture in context from around the world and right here in Connecticut.

An MIT graduate, John Morris Dixon began his career as an architectural journalist in 1960. He served as chief editor of Progressive Architecture 1972-96, helping achieve the magazine’s worldwide influence. The breadth of his knowledge and insight has made John Dixon a much-valued observer on numerous design juries and selection panels. In recent years, he has written for such publications as Architectural Record, Architectural Research Quarterly, Architecture, Competitions, Domus, Harvard Design Magazine, House & Garden, Office insight, and Places.

This talk is free and open to the public; Essex Town Hall is located at 29 West Avenue.please call the Essex Library at 860-767-1560 for more information or to register for this program.

Filed Under: Essex

Essex Elementary School Foundation Kicks Off Annual Appeal

December 20, 2012 by admin

EES Principal Scott Jeffrey and EES Assistant Principal Deborah O’Donnell help stuff envelopes for the EESF annual appeal

The Essex Elementary School Foundation, a not-for-profit, volunteer organization that provides independent financial resources for worthy enrichment projects and programs at Essex Elementary School, had granted $23,480 to fund various programs during the 2011-2012 academic year. Some of the specific programs receiving grant money that year included an iPad Lab enrichment program with $13,000 given for the purchase of 19 iPads, 19 smart covers, 19 Apple care protection plans and iPad Applications in the math and science areas for all grade levels. This academic year, The Foundation is looking to grant many of the programs that have successfully been put in place such as; the Justus W. Paul World Cultures Program with $5,000 granted for the development of a new Haitian culture program and for the implementation of previously developed programs on China and India; Grade Level Grants of $1000 per grade awarded to three grades each year on a three year rotating schedule; and the Historian-in-Residence Program. This year they are looking to give additional funds to the school as the needs arise.

On Tuesday, November 27, EESF board members met at the school’s media center to launch the Foundation’s annual direct mail campaign to Essex area residents and businesses. Continued growth in financial support will allow the Foundation to expand the enrichment programs and projects now underwritten by the organization. In October, the Foundation announced grant awards totaling approximately $23,000 for the development and implementation of several programs during the 2012-2013 school year.

Since its inception in 1996, the Essex Elementary School Foundation’s primary goal has

been to create a significant endowment that can support the school’s strategic vision to be a world-class educational institution. Each year, 5% of the EESF endowment is allocated for programs and projects proposed by Essex Elementary School administration and staff. Past grants have also funded a Scientist-in-Residence program, literacy support materials, equipment for musical and physical education, playground improvements, logical thinking games, and audio/visual equipment.

For more information about the Essex Elementary School Foundation or to make a tax-deductible donation visit www.essexelementaryschoolfoundation.org or make checks payable to “Essex Elementary School Foundation” and mail to Essex Elementary School Foundation, PO Box 882, Essex, CT 06426.

Filed Under: Essex, News

Special Concert in The Gallery – Jan 1

December 20, 2012 by admin

dan_stevens_ Ramblin’ Dan Stevens will be performing in the SPECIAL CONCERT IN THE GALLERY at the Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Gallery, 1 Spring Street, Chester on January 6, 2013 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Dan performs an eclectic mix of traditional fingerstyle blues and originals and has entertained audiences throughout the US, Germany, UK, Canada and Virgin Islands. Of special interest is his unique style of “bottleneck” slide playing popularized by early Mississippi delta bluesmen including his use of a homemade, three stringed “Cigar Box Guitar” and one stringed “Diddly Bow”, both primitive blues instruments. Dan has been lauded for the authenticity of his approach gained by many years on the road as a traveling blues musician. Dan has appeared with such artists as Arlo Guthire, Richie Havens, Charlie Daniels, James Cotton, Gatemouth Brown and many others. For more info on Dan Stevens, please visit www.danstevens.net.

The Pattaconk 1850 Bar and Grille is offering 1/2 off an appetizer and $3.50 for a glass of wine or a beer, before or after the concerts.

$10 donation suggested for admission – BYOB – Bistro Style Seating. Call (860) 526-2077 – nilssonstudio.com for more information.

Filed Under: Deep River

Letters: Proposed Path to a Safer Society

December 20, 2012 by admin

To the Editor:

Sandy Hook School is an earthquake that shakes the soul of human decency. My response:

I acknowledge the right to have a hunting rifle and a pistol for self-defense. The right to self-defense is a root of liberty. Equally important is a coincident right of people who choose not to own a gun: the right to live in a safe and secure society. This right is an indisputable expectation. While I realize this is an ideal that will be difficult to fulfill, we must, for the sake of human decency, respect, and compassion, strive to create such a society. To not strive for this goal is disrespectful and inconsiderate to all people who want to live in peace.

My proposal to create an environment that begins to lead our society down this path is as follows:

1. A gun is not sporting equipment. To equate a gun to sports is akin to saying it is no different than a tennis racquet or basketball. This is an insult to humanity. There is no comparison because their designed purposes are so different – fun and games versus a killing implement.

2. Any weapon that is capable of firing multiple rounds in rapid succession should be outlawed to anyone other than military, law enforcement or security personnel. No one in a civil society should have such a weapon, for its sole designed purpose is to kill. For hunting and self-defense there should be no need for anything more than a single-shot pistol or rifle.

3. Any weapon that uses multiple round magazines or any type of device that loads more than six bullets at a time should be outlawed. Reasons stated in item 2.

4. Anyone caught in possession or ownership of these outlawed weapons and ammunition would be in violation of the law and should be punished with extensive community service or imprisonment.

5. Anyone who currently owns such weapons described in item 2 should be paid to turn them in. They should not be grandfathered.

6. Extensive background checks should apply to 100% of sales in any form for the purchase of legal pistols and rifles.

7. A permit is required to fish. A permit should be required to purchase ammunition.

8. Internet sale of any weapon and ammunition should be illegal.

I urge everyone with a strong opinion on this subject to voice their opinion to their representatives and senators. Time is of the essence. Do not let this moment and these memories fade.

Sincerely,

Thomas Soboleski
Essex, CT

Filed Under: Letters