Mansfield Middle team to compete Sunday in fitness challenge at Gampel

Mansfield Middle School Fitness Challenge team, guests of UConn during a recent game at the XL Center. Front row, L-R: Pratik KC , James Askew, Joseph Pinney, Suzanne Cayer and Shannon Bailey. Back row, L-R: Robert Meakem, Nick Meakem, Brendan Evans, Amanda Roy, team coordinator Brenda Bissell, Alexandria Hoerzer, Man Lei Barton-Zuckerman, team coordinator Adam Ramsdell and Logan MacNamara. (Man Lei Barton-Zuckerman cannot attend Sunday's competition; Rebecca Stewart will take her place. ------------------------ Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

Mansfield Middle School will compete in the “Pinnacle of Fitness Challenge” this Sunday (March 22) at halftime during the UConn women’s opening round game of the NCAA Tournament against Vermont, scheduled to begin at noon at the Gampel Pavilion on the  Storrs campus.

According to the school team’s coordinator Adam Ramsdell, “the Pinnacle of Fitness Challenge was designed to promote fitness to middle school-age children.”

The competition consists of a shuttle run, pull-ups, curl-ups, ¼-mile run, and sit-and-reach.

If Mansfield Middle School wins Sunday, the team advances to a similar competition during Tuesday’s second round game at Gampel, scheduled for 7 p.m.

The winner of that competition will be one of nine schools invited to compete for the national title during the NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis in April.

Posted March 19, 2009

[update] Coach Jim Calhoun hospitalized in Philadelphia

UConn men's basketball Head Coach Jim Calhoun. Photo © Vito J. Leo for HTNP.com

March 20 update from UConn Athletic Communications:

UConn men’s basketball Head Coach Jim Calhoun was released this morning [March 20] from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with a clean bill of health …and had breakfast with the team.

UConn Athletic Communications provided updated information at 5 p.m. , March 19

University of Connecticut head men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun was admitted Thursday afternoon to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

He is listed in good condition but will remain in the hospital overnight for observation.

Coach Calhoun was accompanied to the hospital by UConn Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Jeff Anderson.  “I have been feeling lousy for the past several days and this morning talked to Dr. Anderson about it,” said Calhoun.

“He recommended that I not coach in the game today and stay back at the hotel. As the day went on, he suggested that we go over to the hospital to have some testing done. Fortunately, those tests have all gone well and I am feeling much better. I will stay the night as a precaution and anticipate being checked again in the morning and being able to leave the hospital at that time,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun did not coach today’s NCAA Tournament First Round contest against Chattanooga at Wachovia Center.  Associate Head Coach George Blaney directed the UConn team today in Coach Calhoun’s absence. The Huskies won the game 103-47 .

—– Original story: CBS Sports has reported that UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun was taken to a hospital in Philadelphia today. CBS reported that Calhoun is expected to miss today’s  tournament game being played in Philadelphia. Calhoun has been treated for cancer, but no information is  available at this time about whether this is the cause of his hospitalization.

More information will be posted when it becomes available.

First update, provided by UConn Athletic Communications:

University of Connecticut men’s basketball head coach Jim Calhoun will not coach today’s NCAA Tournament First Round contest against Chattanooga at Wachovia Center.  “Coach Calhoun has not been feeling well for the past several days and it is best that he not coach the team today for precautionary reasons,” said UConn Director of Sports Medicine Dr. Jeff Anderson.  Dr. Anderson is with Coach Calhoun, who is not expected to be at the arena for the game today. Associate Head Coach George Blaney will direct the UConn team today in Coach Calhoun’s absence.

Coach Jim Calhoun Games Missed or Left Bench

Date —– Opponent ———- Result —————Reason

Dec. 23, 1990 vs. Fairfield (HCC) W, 94-70 chest-pain, flu-like symptoms

Feb. 22, 1993 vs. Maine (HCC) W, 108-72 food-related

Jan. 29, 1994 at Pittsburgh W, 88-67 pneumonia symptoms

Feb. 1, 1994 at Syracuse L, 108-95 pneumonia symptoms

Nov. 24, 1998 vs. Hartford (HCC) W, 95-58 intestinal virus

March 11, 1999 vs. UT-San Antonio W, 91-66 intestinal virus

Jan. 3, 2000 vs. Sacred Heart (HCC) W, 83-56 stomach cramps

Feb. 3, 2001 vs. Virginia Tech (GP) W, 85-72 light-headedness, flu symptoms

Feb. 5, 2002 vs. Providence (HCC) W, 67-56 food-related

Feb. 5, 2003 at Virginia Tech L, 95-74 *prostate surgery

Feb. 8, 2003 at Providence W, 84-68 *prostate surgery

Feb. 10, 2003 vs. Syracuse (HCC) W, 75-61 *prostate surgery

Feb. 15, 2003 at Villanova L, 79-70 *prostate surgery

Feb. 19, 2003 vs. Rutgers (HCC) W, 87-70 *prostate surgery

March 20, 2004 vs. DePaul (left and returned) W, 72-55 flu-like symptoms

Jan. 16, 2006 at Syracuse W, 88-80 dehydration

Jan. 13, 2007 at St. John’s (msg) (left and returned) W, 68-59 flu-like symptoms

Jan. 8, 2008 vs. St. John’s (left game) W, 81-65 dehydration

Jan. 12, 2008 at Georgetown (missed game) L, 72-69 dehydration

Jan. 3, 2009 vs. Rutgers (GP) (left after halftime) W, 80-49 illness

March 19, 2009 vs. Chattanooga (missed game) W, 103-47 not feeling well

*surgery to treat prostate cancer

Information provided by UConn Athletic Communications

Posted March 19, 2009, 1:45 p.m., updated 2:15 p.m., updated 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Better than dinner and a movie – dinner theater at WTG

When the Windham Theatre Guild produced the show Smokey Joe’s Café – the songs of Leiber and Stoller – the house was packed every night.  The WTG’s current production of And The World Goes Round- which opens Friday, March 20 - is the same kind of entertaining experience, a musical revue of showstopping songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb from Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Funny Lady, New York, New York and many more.

And The World Goes Round will be presented at Dinner Theatre performances on Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4.

Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $40 for adults, $38 for students/seniors and children.

And there will be one Dessert Theatre performance on April 2.  Doors open at 7 p.m. for dessert and the show begins at 8 p.m.  Tickets for this show are $23 for adults and $20 for students/seniors and children.

Show-only performances, with row seating, are on Friday, March 20, Saturday March 21, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday March 26, 27 and 28.  There also will be a Sunday matinee on March 29. Tickets for these shows are $18 for adults, $15 for students/seniors and $10 for children under 12.

The theatre is located in downtown Willmantic at 779 Main Street (near the Savings Institute).

This is the first Windham Theatre Guild show with combined Director/ Choreographer  Rachel Roccoberton, who has performed in many WTG musicals. You may remember her as Sister Amnesia in Nuncrackers: the Nunsense Christmas Musical.  She’s a dancer first and foremost and that talent shines through in this production.

Linda Tracy also returns as Music Director for the show. She has worked on a long list of WTG musicals; her last show was the June 2008 Connecticut Premiere of Hats! The Musical.

For reservations or more information, call the Windham Theatre Guild at 423-2245 on buy tickets on-line at www.windhamtheatreguild.org.

Posted March 19, 2009

FBI Agent: Keeping kids safe on the Web

“Internet Awareness for Parents and Educators,” a presentation by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Thomas Lawler, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 in the auditorium at Mansfield Middle School, 205 Spring Hill Road.

The presentation covers the issues of child predators and “cyber bullies” and offers strategies for parents, other caregivers and educators about how to protect children who use the Internet

To read more about the event, click here for the flyer in PDF format, and here for the Internet Safety Website, with lots of resources and tips.

The event is sponsored by the Mansfield Public Schools Information Technology Department in association with the Mansfield Middle School Association (MMSA).

Posted March 19, 2009